TecnA Plastics & Rubber - September 2023

TecnA Plastics & Rubber

September 2023

Issue 9 - Year V

Publisher Fabiana Da Cortà Fumei

Editorial Staff & Design: redazione@tecnaplastics.com

Sabrina Fattoretto

Claudia Bosco

Elena Abbondanza

Advertising & Marketing

Anita Pozzi

anita.pozzi@edftrend.com

Franco Giordano franco.giordano@edftrend.com

Printing L’Artegrafica Srl

56 Tecno System: Made in Italy and global approach

Management & Editorial Office

Editrice EDF Trend srl Corso del Popolo, 42 31100 Treviso – Italy Tel. +39 0422 549305 Fax +39 0422 591736 redazione@tecnaplastics.com www.tecnaplastics.com

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PLAST 2023: A calendar rich in companion events

composite materials” from 2:30 to 3:30 PM. The seminar will provide an up-to-date review of the regulatory framework and projects for the sustainability of composites and new technologies with experts from Assocompositi, Politecnico di Milano, and Università del Salento.

PLAST 2023, scheduled for 5–8 September in the Fiera Milano fairgrounds in Rho, will also be an occasion for taking part in companion events, such as conferences, focus meetings, and networking on the key themes of the fair: innovation, circularity, sustainability, and energy savings Events begin on 5 September at 10:00 AM with the opening conference proposed by The Innovation Alliance titled “Sustainability 5.0 for plastics: scenarios and developments from production to end-of-lifecycle” in Sala Martini of the Convention Center at the South Gate.

From 3:00 to 5:00 PM in the Conference Room in Hall 24/A01, the topic will be “Sustainability between business opportunities and obligations of the system: different experiences” promoted by Ambiente SpA to discuss the relationship between economic activity and management of sustainability to improve market appeal with contributions by Amut, Gefit, and Gefran.

The day begins on 6 September at 10:00 AM with “Circularity of plastic: industrial opportunities, innovation, and economic and employment outcomes for Italy”, promoted by Amaplast, Unionplast, and PlasticsEurope Italia, with The European House Ambrosetti. Also, at 10:00 AM, Sala Scorpio, Cesap and IIP – Istituto Italiano dei Plastici will talk about “Polymers for sustainable innovation” and how to aim for innovation through a careful choice of materials, ways to discover the provenance and characteristics of end-of-lifecycle or industrial-scrap materials, and the most common tools for assessing products.

The afternoon will feature the MADE Competence Center, with a focus on “financing opportunities for businesses” from 3:00 – 4:00 PM in

Hall 24/A01 – Conference Room.

The event will be an opportunity to gather information on how to access the 14-million-euro grant issued by MADE 4.0 as party implementing the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza ¬– PNRR).

On 7 September from 10.00 AM to 12.00 PM at the Convention Center – Sala Aries, participants are invited to “Thinking Additive: how additive thinking, communication, and approach condition industrial production”, an event organized by 3NTR and PROMIX

Also on 7 September, “Materials of the future and plasma technologies: the green choice” in the morning from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM and in the afternoon from 3:00 to 6:00 PM in the Convention Center – Sala Scorpio. Plasma technology will be illustrated during the conference along with a number of case histories in the plastics, rubber, and metal industries. The event is promoted by Plasmapps. On the same day, the Conference Room in Hall 24/A01 will be the venue for “Innovation and sustainability in

On the last day of the fair, 8 September from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM in Hall 24/A01 – Conference Room, the conversation will be about “Plastics and the environment: beginning or end of life cycle? Bioplastics and recycling” organized by INSTMConsorzio Interuniversitario Nazionale per la Scienza e Tecnologia dei Materiali. The conference will include a brief overview of the environmental advantages of recycling and the use of bio-based polymers and the questions of mechanical recycling, bioplastics, and organic recycling of biodegradable polymers.

Lastly, again on 8 September from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Convention Center – Sala Scorpio, there will be a talk on “Unification of plastics: What will the future be?” organized by Uniplast

Another feature of the triennale is the ever-present Art & Plastics, an area dedicated to art with a futuristic, technological setting in Halls 13 and 15.

With Plastica D’Artista curated by Pina Inferrera, Stand D02 is conceptually divided into three parts: light boxes with fantastic photos of nature to promote sensitivity and respect for nature and the environment are

Conferences, round table discussions, and an exhibition dedicated to the creative use of plastics are among the proposals

located in the centre; the sides feature “Natura Altera”, an installation with fifteen huge tomatoes made of recyclable polyethylene conceived in 1998 and created with the collaboration of XM-Tech, Poliplast, and Rotoplastic, and “Vestire l’arte”, a series created in 1993 with clothingsculptures made using waste plastics, bags and accessories made from regeneratable material, PVC pressed and heated at high frequency, with the collaboration of Pressed Materials Srl and Harol Srl

Stand D12 is a venue for the pop artist Lady Be, who will present Arte di Plastica, il Valore del Riciclo, an expression of pop recycling created using popular daily objects. The colour palette is replaced with plastic objects and fragments arranged by colour, giving form on the panel to the subjects of her works with a strong message of environmental sustainability.

With Scaglie Party Mutazioni di un materiale inedito nell’Arte by Silvia Fubini and Ornella Rovera with the collaboration of Daniela Fresco, at Stand C11 visitors will enjoy a series of novel works – photographs, lightboxes, and sculptures – inspired by PETALO, recycled PET supplied by Dentis Recyling Italy, small coloured pellets that the artists use

for their works, which are created also by means of NEWLIFE FR, a high tech environmentally sustainable 100% recycled yarn produced by the Sinterama group of Biella using pelletized plastic bottles.

Lastly, in Hall 15, Stand A01, Arte da mangiare mangiare Arte and MAF –Museo Acqua Franca present “The adventures of topylabrys in art and design”. The artist, Ornella Piluso, returns to PLAST with a new study

of plastics, research she has been pursuing for 50 years between art and design with novel ventures using second-choice materials and scrap supplied by the company Slide. In the design section, in collaboration with Silvio Pella’s company Visione Olfattive, the artist presents “olfactory architectures” an experiment that explores possible synergies between the form of plastics and the sense of smell.

Pipes in the DNA

In the 1980s, the founder of FB Balzanelli Mr. Vincenzo Balzanelli was a leader in the production of electrical conduits. Dissatisfied with the lack of automatic coilers available in the market at that time, he felt the urge to design and build his own automatic coilers. They had to be really fast, reliable, and guarantee high-quality packing.

Since 1994 when he built his first automatic coiler, a process of development and growth has been underway at the company’s production facility in Fano (Italy), which has made FB Balzanelli a leader in the automatic and semi-automatic coilers market.

Operating in the automatic coiler sector since then, FB Balzanelli is synonymous with state-of-the-art technology and high-quality automatic coilers for pipes. More and more large and technological pipe manufacturers choose FB Balzanelli because they are sure they will find the best solution for their production lines meeting a serious and durable solution for the next years.

The heart of the company’s mission is constant technological research and continuous improvement: which are possible thanks to the over 100 automatic coilers produced and installed every year around the world. FB Balzanelli is able to satisfy new customers’ needs and be prepared for a continuously evolving

market with innovative solutions. The company has always been the most innovative in its proposals for the automatic coiler market, such as side-by-side reels, the fully pneumatic strapping unit, or the special haul-off to reduce the pipe ovalization. Alongside its know-how, it offers excellent customer care service that listens to its customer’s production needs. FB Balzanelli was the first company in the sector 15 years ago to introduce an online catalog for spare parts and remote connection to respond as quickly as possible to any customer request. With FB Balzanelli customers are sure to always find the best solution in terms of both processing efficiency and rapid payback on their investment in the range of coilers offered. Today, the company is able to offer the largest range of automatic coilers in the market, automatic palletizing systems, and is able to follow its customers during the entire production project with the best and most appropriate automatic coiler and full automatic coil handling solution.

You can find more info at www.fb-balzanelli.it

FB Balzanelli stands out in today’s market for its comprehensive range of automatic coilers and automatic palletizing systems

Truly achieving sustainability

In recent months, Sirmax Group, a brand manufacturer based in Cittadella (Padua), has been conducting research focused on components for car interiors. The company specializes in the production of polypropylene compounds, engineering polymers, post-consumer compounds, and bio-compounds, catering to various sectors such as automotive, appliances, power tools, household items, electrical and electronic devices, construction, and furniture.

Sirmax has successfully developed innovative materials inspired by natural elements such as wood, stone, marble, and granite for the automotive industry. These compounds not only provide a natural aesthetic effect, achieved through printing with a smooth finish or special embossing, but they also incorporate sustainable raw materials. These include recycled post-consumer polymers, biopolymers, and natural fibres or fillers in specific percentages tailored to meet customer specifications. The application of these compounds in car interiors eliminates the need for additional fabric coatings to enhance the elegance and tactile appeal of plastic parts. This not only saves assembly time and costs but also extends their usage to certain exterior components like mirrors or bumpers. Sirmax’s “special” plastic, enriched with recycled content, offers a wide range of options, from the “wood” effect to various shades of grey, black, ivory, and more. This innovative solution adds to the company’s already extensive collection of automotive-approved products.

The spirit driving Sirmax in this new production can be attributed to its vision and mission, which prioritize sustainability and upcycling

The spirit driving Sirmax in this new production can be attributed to its vision and mission, which prioritize sustainability and upcycling. The Group’s focus is on developing new compounds that incorporate a minimum of 30% recycled polypropylene derived from flexible films. These films are sourced from municipal waste collection systems. The resulting compounds exhibit exceptional performance, making them suitable for the injection moulding of automotive components. Sirmax Group’s primary objective is to convert postconsumer plastic into a high-quality, environmentally friendly material that possesses durability and characteristics very similar to virgin plastic. By doing so, the company contributes to reducing CO2 emissions associated with plastics processing and adopts a circular model that extends the lifespan of plastic products.

And that’s not all. Recognizing the intricacies involved in the injection moulding of recycled or recycled-content plastic materials, Sirmax Group has entered into a partnership with Smart Mold, a research and engineering company created by the University of Padua that offers customers a wide range of crucial services. These services include evaluating the mechanical characteristics of materials using advanced simulation software and offering consultancy services to enhance product performance while reducing weight, cost, and environmental impact. Additionally, they collaborate with clients in the co-design of the final product and for the selection of the most suitable materials to achieve optimal performance.

Sirmax is also actively involved in the biopolymer market with the Biocomp product line, a family of compounds derived from plant-based biomass.

These compounds are 100% biodegradable and compostable. The Biocomp line is suitable across various application areas, including bags, films, foils, and sheeting for mulching, disposables, and semidurable goods. Specific formulations within the Biocomp line are designed for the injection moulding and extrusion processes, catering to both pre-made items and sheets used for thermoforming. The biocompostable granule variant is intended for the production of plates, cutlery, glasses, food take-out trays, and other rigid food packaging items that will subsequently be disposed of alongside organic waste. The same material, with specific modifications, is also available in an injection moulding version, making it suitable for applications such as coffee capsules.

The packaging sector is also a focal point for Sirmax. During the upcoming trade fairs, the company will showcase a 100% post-consumer recycled compound, specifically designed for the detergent industry,

among other innovative offerings. This granule is intended for bottle-tobottle applications, where it is used for the production of bottles, jerry cans, and containers for household cleaning products, personal hygiene items, and liquids used in the construction industry. Unlike the conventional approach of using blends of recycled and virgin plastic for bottle-to-bottle manufacturing, Sirmax’s initiative is centred around using exclusively 100% postconsumer, higher-quality plastic. This approach ensures the production of a material that meets the stringent requirements for blow moulding processes, ultimately resulting in a sustainable solution for bottle-tobottle applications.

Another noteworthy product in Sirmax’s extensive range is the Xelter family of thermoplastic elastomers. Xelter serves as a sustainable substitute for vulcanized rubber, thanks to its thermoplastic recyclability. It stands out for its exceptional flexibility and the capacity to cater to specific client requirements. In a testament to its significance, Sirmax has dedicated one of its 13 sites and a research and development centre in Poland exclusively to Xelter.

The Board of Directors has recently approved the three-year plan for 2023-2025, which involves an additional investment of €20 million. This investment will be used to enhance the production capacity of the plants and to sustain the ongoing research efforts focused on renewable and sustainable products. Building on the success of the previous year, which saw sales reaching €501 million (a 7% increase from 2021), Sirmax aims to further expand the green segment, encompassing recycled

compounds and biocompounds, which now accounts for 10% of total sales.

In the forthcoming years, Sirmax will dedicate special attention to the automotive sector, which experienced a 12% growth in the first quarter of 2023. With the anticipated rise in electric car production, this sector is expected to witness continuous expansion. Massimo Pavin, Sirmax Group President and CEO, explains, “The automotive market appears to have rebounded, and there is a growing demand for components made from recycled plastic materials. We are concentrating our efforts on developing our new businesses, particularly within the circular economy framework, which we have heavily invested in. Furthermore, we are closely monitoring the supply of performance compounds for electric car battery boxes, a segment that is experiencing robust growth. Our fully localized value chain, research initiatives focused on sustainable products, and injection moulding services will serve as our true competitive advantage in the next five years.”

Sustainability serves as the underlying foundation for all of Sirmax Group’s endeavours. This commitment is reflected in various initiatives, such as the Sustainability

Report, certifications like the esteemed “Great Place to Work” title earned in 2022, and internal actions geared towards shifting the Group’s focus to parameters that ensure competitiveness in the market. The Sustainability Report is now in its third edition following the reports of 2020 and 2021. The upcoming 2022 edition will highlight Sirmax’s efforts to reduce emissions, with the target of achieving a 50% reduction in scope 1 and scope 2 emissions by 2025. Additionally, there will be a specific focus on minimizing emissions associated with the procurement of raw materials.

“We are counting on achieving this,” explains Marco Moretto, Global Director of Opportunity to Market, “mainly by using circular products in Sirmax compounds instead of virgin raw materials, but also by creating formulations with bio-based or low-emission content. Additionally, we will pay the utmost attention to the supply chain, as having green suppliers is crucial for truly achieving sustainability.”

Sirmax will be exhibiting at:

- Fakuma, the international trade fair dedicated to industrial plastics processing, from October 17-21, 2023, at booth B2, hall 2207

- Plast, the international exhibition for plastics and rubber industry, from 5-8 September 2023, at booth C146, hall 9.

Hall 9 / Booth C146

Hall B2 Booth 2207

Fakuma 2023: Focus on plastic as a recyclable material

the demonstration of implementable solutions for a circular economy.”

With excitement and anticipation, the industry is looking forward to the 28th Fakuma international trade fair for plastics processing in Friedrichshafen from the 17th through the 21st of October, 2023. The world’s leading trade fair for injection moulding is setting new performance benchmarks in the fields of extrusion technology, thermoforming and 3D printing, as well as for circular economy. Roughly 40% of the exhibitors come from outside of Germany.

As a recyclable material, plastic is an indispensable constituent of everyday life – in the private sphere, for business and in technology. Innumerable consumer and industrial products would be inconceivable without plastics. Plastics manufacturers and plastics processing companies rely on top-quality, durable high-tech solutions for a wide range of industry sectors such as power generation with solar modules, e-mobility components, the construction sector, the packaging industry, technical components, lightweight design and automobile manufacturing, medical technology and the furnishings industry. At the same time, plastics represent a challenge in terms of the consumption and reuse of natural resources. “Many Fakuma exhibitors are addressing the topics of advanced machinery for the production and reuse of plastics, optimised processes for production and processing, improved materials, newly designed products and forward-looking business models,”

circular economy, intensified conservation of resources, improved environmental compatibility and genuine sustainability are thus important topics at Fakuma. “This trade fair with worldwide recognition will make the significance of plastics and their special importance a topic of discussion for everyone,” emphasises the project manager. “Plastics will have to meet the challenges of both the present and the future. This is why Fakuma 2023 is an ideal platform for new products and technological solutions, as well as for expert discussion of upcoming spheres of action.”

Important impetus for many spheres of action

As the world’s leading trade fair highlight for injection moulding, Fakuma also serves as an industry and technology barometer in the fields of extrusion technology, thermoforming and 3D printing. Suppliers and users will explore the exciting, future-oriented topic of plastics from all sides for five days at this well-established industry meet. High levels of internationalism, the quality of the expert discussions and the event’s concrete practical relevance mean that forward-looking solutions can be expected for the tasks being faced by the industry sector. Not least of all, the world-class expert presentations at the exhibitor forum promise to provide important impetus for the relevant topics of plastics, the circular economy, efficiency and sustainability. The dates are set for Fakuma 2023: the industry sector will meet in Friedrichshafen from the 17th through the 21st of October, 2023. Keep yourself well informed!

Follow Fakuma on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/ fakuma-messe/

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To the website: www.fakuma-messe.de

To the digital marketplace: www. fakuma-messe.de/en/fakuma-virtual/

61 Years of trade fairs for markets –Schall trade fairs’ recipe for success

explains

Annemarie Schur, Fakuma project manager at trade fair promoters P. E. Schall. “A functioning

The industry sector is being confronted with a variety of far-reaching tasks –amongst others the goal of decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing energy consumption and improving operations at manufacturing and processing companies. At the same time, the transformation to circular economy must be implemented in all its facets. In any case, digitalisation and automation are triggering significant transformation processes which act as beneficial drivers: they support the efficient use of all resources in the production, processing, utilisation and reuse or recycling of plastics. AI-based solutions will also be increasingly helpful in this regard. “In many respects, Fakuma 2023 will provide important and valuable stimuli for the positive advancement of thought and action in functioning circular economies,” says Bettina Schall, managing director of trade fair promoters P. E. Schall. “The practice-oriented trade fair format in a familiar working atmosphere is an appropriate setting for technical discussions, objective clarification and

Schall has developed successful business platforms with internationally recognised trade fairs for quality assurance (Control), optical technologies, components and systems (Optatec), stamping technology (Stanztec), automation in production and assembly (Motek), bonding technology (Bondexpo), plastics processing (Fakuma), sheet metal working (Blechexpo) and joining technology (Schweisstec). This has given rise to entirely new markets in various sectors, whose protagonists are distinguished by tremendous innovative strength, comprehensive systems competence and practical application solutions.

Fakuma serves as an industry and technology barometer in the fields of extrusion technology, thermoforming and 3D printing

Source: Fakuma Press Office

New technologies with very low impact on the environment

ranging from 480 mm to 800 mm and a mould clamping force of 15 tons that allows a very flexible production. Thanks to the recent upgrade of the carriage clamping system on linear guides, this model has become even more robust, reliable and high-performance.

After 5 years from the previous edition, at the next Plast 2023, the international exhibition dedicated to the plastics and rubber industry, which will take place at Fiera Milano, from 5 to 8 September 2023, Plastiblow will exhibit at Hall 22 Stand A01 B02 a fully electric blow moulding machine PB15ES, one of the most successful models in the mid-size range of Plastiblow machines. This model is available in both single and double carriage with strokes

The exhibition machine, in single carriage version, Coex3 with 3 extruders, will have a stroke of 700 mm and will be equipped with a double head, complete with view stripe. It will be producing 4-liter bottles with handle in twin cavities. The complete system includes a scrap recovery line with volumetric dosing and feeding of the resins to the three extruders. It is sold to a customer who produces a wide range of bottles from 55ml to 20lt for various industrial sectors: chemical, food, cosmetics, oil etc.

This customer, like most Plastiblow customers, is also looking for solutions for smarter and more efficient

PLAST 2023: Plastiblow will exhibit a multilayer coextrusion machine, with very low environmental impact and in accordance with Industry 4.0

Examples of multilayer bottles

packaging that saves energy and reduces the consumption of raw materials. The fundamental combination for being virtuous is: the less material I use for the production of the containers, the less energy I consume. Reducing weight, cutting waste, using more recycled materials, absorbing less energy, are objectives that Plastiblow has made its own with a competence made available to its customers around the world. In the plastics sector, which has always been at the heart of the environmental issue, a real restructuring process is underway thanks to the growing number of technological innovations able to comply with the circularity criteria. After overcoming the “take make dispose” approach that has characterized the economic growth model of the last 150 years, based on the extraction of always new raw materials, on mass consumption and on the production of waste, once the

end of life of the product has been reached, the plastics industry has tried to renew itself, applying a closed-loop system thanks to which plastic products are made, used and recycled: plastic must no longer end up in the environment, in landfills, in the oceans, but must be transformed and reused. The focus on reducing energy consumption and maintenance costs, the implementation of control systems for the remote diagnosis of processes from an Industry 4.0 perspective and, above all, the commitment to reducing environmental impact are fundamental elements of the success of Plastiblow blow moulding machines in all industrial fields. Plastiblow, among the first in the sector to develop electric machines for low energy consumption extrusion blow moulding, has long been committed to the reduction of the use of virgin plastic, because it has developed multilayer coextrusion technologies capable of

processing more recycled materials for the production of new “green containers”.

Plastiblow can advise customers on how to reduce weight while maintaining the physical and mechanical properties of the containers. It can modify or study the design of the containers according to the forming process in the mould. It can design the configuration of multiple extruders to reach up to 7 layers of material, as in the case of the food sector.

The choice to exhibit at PLAST 2023 an electrically driven multilayer coextrusion system that allows the use of recycled plastic in an intermediate layer, with minimal energy expenditure, confirms Plastiblow’s commitment to the development of a virtuous production process that is more environmentally friendly and more attentive to the enhancement of resources and the containment of waste.

Mod. PB15ES Coex3

PPI’s new office opening ceremony

advanced moulding solutions and brand strength of YIZUMI were highly appreciated and recognized by guests during the opening and now PPI is ready to keep improving its services and influence in the injection moulding machine sector.

Achievements

YIZUMI strives to be a world-class moulding equipment solution provider in the global market and the European market is a key strategic market for YIZUMI to access to global high-end market and customer groups.

On June 23rd, Precision Plastic Injection, the Italian agent of YIZUMI, held a twoday celebration for the opening of its new office and warehouse in San Vendemiano (TV). For the occasion, many guests and representatives gathered together to join this event. At the ceremony, PPI exhibited some tailor-made turnkey solutions in line with the local market demand in response to the development trend in injection moulding field in recent years in Europe. The guests experienced the cutting-edge technology and high-quality service through YIZUMI’s rich products and open attitude towards exchanges.

On site, YIZIMI UN350A5-EU showed the demo production of tri-colour electric toothbrush handles, its highly efficient and stable performance attracted many guests and impressed them. This machine belongs to the A5-EU series high-end servo injection moulding

machine of YIZUMI, featuring the advantages of excellent plasticizing effect, low energy consumption, and high stability. Its positioning control accuracy of mould opening & closing can be up to ±0.2mm and its repeatability of product weight can be less than 5‰ under a standard moulding condition. Afterwards, guests also had a close look at other popular models in the Italian and European market as the FF series electric and A5-EU series injection moulding machines. Moreover, during the Open House, there were also exposed a few auxiliary machines kindly provided by Plastic Systems and Blauwer (two companies belonging to the Pegaso Industries group) and an anthropomorphic robot provided by Essebi Automation.

In addition, the guests were introduced to the partnership between PPI and YIZUMI which in the last few years has been having a positive impact on the Italian market. The mature machine technology,

In the past two years, the fastest growing overseas markets of YIZUMI included developing countries, as well as some European countries like France and Italy, which demonstrate that the comprehensive competitiveness of YIZUMI’s products is improving rapidly.

To improve customers’ confidence with YIZUMI’s products, PPI has been building, from 2019, a strong sales and service team in Italy supported by YIZUMI, providing customers in different industries with FF series electric and multi-component injection moulding machines among other popular equipment solutions, and establishing a good brand image and market reputation for YIZUMI in the region.

In the last few years, low-carbon economy and Industry 4.0 have become the common trends in global economic development. YIZUMI continues to develop new technologies and processes in the field of polymer injection molding that meet the needs of the market and customers and lead the development of the industry, providing turkey solutions with higher efficiency, better performance, more energy saving and environmental

At the ceremony, PPI exhibited some tailor-made turnkey solutions in line with the local market demand in response to the development trend in injection moulding field in recent years in Europe

protection. YIZUMI deeply believes that these innovations are the continuous driving force for development.

In the future, PPI and YIZUMI will continue to improve their influence in the Italian market and strive to provide more customized and costeffective solutions to customers.

Future Events

Next 17th to 21st of October 2023, YIZUMI has scheduled its presence at the Fakuma 2023 fair in Germany, the world’s leading trade event for industrial plastics processing which offers a comprehensive overview of all plastic technologies.

The YIZUMI booth will be positioned at the Hall B5 - Stand B5-5405 and will be displaying two machine solutions. One of this will be the

FF200M (Medical), the Electric Injection Moulding Machine from the FF series, equipped for medical specifics. This machine will demo disposable sterile syringe cap moulding solution. The FF200M will be equipped with 128-cavity syringe cap mould, offering high product quality, shorter production cycle and high production capacity. The moulding capacity of a 128-cavity mould can reach 8 seconds to achieve a daily production capacity of 1300K units. Some of the characteristics of this machine are high-quality products, smooth sprue, drawing free, clean appearance and high transparency. Moreover, it presents a cleanliness configuration that meets the requirements for production in an ISO 8 cleanroom

environment, preventing dust, reducing the risk of product contamination and ensuring the ease of cleaning.

Disposable Sterile Syringe Cap (foto)

Product specifics:

• Cavity: 128

• Material: PP

• Size (LxWxH): 8*42mm

• Weight: 0.8g/pc

• Cycle Time: 8+/-1s

•Partner: IMM-YIZUMI Mold-Hongshizhu

Plastics

Plastics Rubber &

Expoquimia and Equiplast 2023 bring the sector together and catalyse its transformation

Expoquimia and Equiplast 2023 close their doors at Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via venue with very positive feelings, demonstrating the dynamism of the chemical and plastics industries and their firm commitment to sustainability. This year’s edition marks a turning point to promote sectoral cohesion with which to tackle the green and digital transformation of two essential sectors

After four days of intense activity, the participating companies have highlighted the optimistic atmosphere in which the fairs have taken place, as

well as the quality of the business contacts made. The leading events in Spain for chemicals and plastics organised by Fira de Barcelona have met expectations, with 590 direct exhibitors, more than 1,500 brands represented, and 18,882 attendees.

According to the president of the Expoquimia Organising Committee, Carles Navarro, “the show has demonstrated the dynamism of the chemical industry, bringing about interesting business contacts and providing knowledge on issues relevant to our future as a sector”. Navarro stressed the need to “unite and strengthen the industry in order to tackle its transformation and improve its competitiveness at European level”.

For his part, the president of the Equiplast Organising Committee, Bernd Roegele, gave a very positive assessment of the development of the fair: “with one of the best exhibition offers in recent years with machinery and technology in operation to manufacture, transform and recycle plastic in order to accelerate its circularity”. Roegele highlighted the “good turnout of professionals who have generated new business opportunities and boosted projects and operations for the sector”.

Circularity and digitalisation

The more than 100 knowledge and networking activities that took place were well attended, confirming the success of the chosen themes and

Source: Fira de Barcelona Press Office

the focus on the circular economy, digitalisation and technology transfer as the main levers that will guarantee a sustainable future for industries.

Among this year’s activities, the “Industry Showcase” knowledge space stood out, where success stories and the experiences of companies

using chemical and plastic solutions were presented. Along the same lines, the “Best in class” awards given by the show to H2Site, Inditex, Repsol and Fuelium as examples of the application of chemical innovation in different sectors were also outstanding. Feique’s “Smart Chemistry Smart Future” forum also featured the projects of leading companies to respond to the challenges of the European green pact.

Finally, as a major sectoral event, the Expoquimia Gala Dinner was attended by more than 600 people, including the main executives of the sector’s companies and organisations, which served to highlight the power of a transversal industry that claims to be essential to catalyse the transformation of production processes in a sustainable way.

The next editions of Expoquimia and Equiplast will be held in June 2026 at Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via exhibition centre.

Top-notch industrial weighing systems since 1970

Over the years, Lawer has developed advanced technologies and know-how in automatic powder and liquid product weighing to offer today topquality systems

Founded in 1970, Lawer is an Italian company specialized in industrial weighing systems. It has developed advanced technologies and know-how in the automatic weighing of powder and liquid products, including pigments, additives, and chemicals, as well as single- or multi-weighing systems, and equipment for the preparation of compounds, masterbatch, handling and packaging systems. Its products, solutions and services supply the technical rubber, tire, masterbatch industries to increase reliability, safety, and efficiency. At the basis of all the production of the rubber and colour masterbatch industry are the recipes of the compounds. Complex formulations, expertly constructed with the contribution of many substances, whose quantities are rigorously predefined. The qualitative constancy of the final product therefore depends on the ability to feed the machinery of the mixing rooms with perfectly weighed doses and capable of perfectly respecting

the proportions of all the required ingredients: raw materials, additives, dyes and much more. And this is where the competence and technological capacity of Lawer come into play

Observing an ongoing trend among manufacturers to automate mixing rooms to improve product quality, safety, and hygiene, Lawer launched the second generation of its fully automated weighing system for compound and masterbatch preparation, Supersincro

Supersincro is a horizontal automatic weighing system for chemicals used in the weighing room. This system guarantees high productivity, constant quality, and complete process traceability and, at the same time, eliminate the “human error” factor. It’s a custom project that feed different materials, stored in silos, hoppers, big-bag, and interchangeable silos, in a variable size bag produced automatically.

Supersincro allows precise and safe automatic weighing operations of the products, required for the preparation of compounds in automatic thermoformed bags, starting from tubular films of EVA or LDPE. The modular configuration is based on the number of products used, and the physical characteristics and the packaging used. At each cycle, the package container is placed on a moving tray and transported on a ring route, placing the package under the different weighing units. When the container is in the correct position for the product, the scale lifts the container and starts the weighing procedure. At the end of the loop the bags are closed and placed automatically in boxes or pallets

Compared to the first generation, Supersincro V2 includes:

• Higher productivity Output up to one bag every 30 seconds.

• Higher accuracy. Up to a tolerance of ± 0.1 gr.

• Higher repeatability CPK more than 1.67.

• Higher OEE. Overall Equipment Effectiveness.

• Higher flexibility & modularity. Custom project configuration, different sizes of EVA bags (from 9 to 36 L) proportional to the mixer size, and bag management till the mixing line.

• Less labour involved in the daily production.

• Environment respect Latest component version that helps to reduce the equipment footprint consumption.

ALL ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGY

ALL ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGY

29 - 31 March, 2023

Pr

Precise • Efficient

NOVA 5eT is equipped w ith the new controller for the smar t fac tor y, TAC T 5.

controller for the smart factory, TACT 5.

Features include:

F eatures

„ Improved controllability by adopting EtherCAT

 controllabilit y

Ether C AT

„ Support for EUROMAP77/83 is standardized thanks to OPC-UA

 Suppor t for EUROMA P7 7/8 3 is s t andardized thank s to OPC- UA

 Bet ter control w ith digit al ser vo

„ Better control with digital servo commands

„ User-friendly screen design with 15-inch LCD display

 User-f riendl y screen w ith 15 - inch LCD

„ Super resistant touch panel

 Super resis t ant touch

www.negribossi.com

The synergy and the success

The year 2023 started with the great success of the Italian trade fair MECSPE: visits to Negri Bossi’s stand almost tripled compared to the last few years, and in general, attendance was about 50 per cent higher than at previous editions.

Negri Bossi can say that the trade fair sector has completely restarted after the pandemic and the success of this first fair far exceeded the expectations. The biggest event in Italy, however, is still the PLAST fair, which after the K is the most important fair in the sector, where Negri Bossi is present in stand C/D no. 121/122, in hall 24 with a space of no less than 410 square metres where its top products will be exhibited. In the exhibition space, there are two fifth-generation all electric machines, born from the synergy between Italian design and Japanese technology: the NOVA5. These machines, one 80 t and the other 180 t, print medical and hightech parts, which are among the sectors most suited to the use of electric machines known for their precision, cleanliness and low noise levels, and in this series in particular

they have features that bring great improvements in performance thanks to the new pre-pack system and the flat-clamp system. The first system guarantees precise dosage of the injected material, repeatability in production and a compact and constant melt density while the second, the ‘Flat clamp’, consists of a new 5-point toggle, optimized to ensure total contact between mould and platens even in the nozzle area. This has also made it possible to reduce the size of the machine without sacrificing the space available for the mould and the possibility of fitting optional extras to make it more suited to your needs. Another new feature on the press is the new ‘Tact 5’ control panel with a 15-inch vertical touch screen at the top, which is easy to use and can be switched from one page of the control to another with simple gestures. This control was born with the new NOVA 5 series of electric machines and is therefore optimized for near-perfect cycle-to-cycle repeatability, also thanks to new integrated control functions such as Pre-Pack and the ability to adapt acceleration and deceleration ramps as required. The

Negri Bossi to exhibit at Plast 2023 its top products and all-electric machines born from the synergy between Italian design and Japanese technology

Emmanuele Luchetta

Lorenzo Panigada

NOVA 5 logo has been updated with the words ‘Nissei Plastic Japan made’ to make the origin of the machines in the series clear and visible to all.

In addition to investments in the product, in line with the group’s expansion and business plan, Negri Bossi SpA is also making important hires of young personnel to grow within the company. For Negri Bossi this means a new lease of life and continuous updating based on solid experience and technology that has been handed down through generations for over 75 years. Negri Bossi SpA would like to take this opportunity to introduce 3 young hires who are playing a very interesting role within the company: Lorenzo Panigada, Emmanuele Luchetta and Simone Sardina.

Lorenzo Panigada, after a two-year specialization in plastics, during which he acquired skills in processing methods and the main characteristics of polymers, is following a training course within the company that will culminate in the Technical Sales Department where he will hold the position of moulding technologist Emmanuele Luchetta, mechanical engineer, in the process of obtaining a master’s degree in Industry 4.0. Passionate about everything related to technological innovation, at Negri Bossi S.p.A. he is part of the Industry 4.0 Support team to support customers in the process of digitising industry. Activities range from interconnecting machines with MES systems, providing remote assistance on problems that may arise in the exchange of data between machines and production management systems, and carrying out constant software updates aimed at implementing new machine functions and general optimization.

Simone Sardina, a graduate in Computer Science and Telecommunications and currently enrolled in the Faculty of Informatics, is in the Industry 4.0 team at NB. In the team, he is responsible for the development of software and applications with functionality aimed at the interconnection and interaction between the presses and the customer’s IT systems. Prior to this, he spent time in the production area at NB to study the operation of the machines.

With a view to the expansion of branches as well, young people were also recruited in NB Spain and the UK such as Nicolas Melis García and Tom O’Brien

Nicolas, a graduate in Business and Marketing Management, previously worked for a multinational in technical sales. He joined the NB Spain team just over a year ago as a sales representative in the Valencia, Alicante and Murcia area.

Tom O’Brien began his career in the plastics industry in 2016, joining Icon Plastics and completing a dual apprenticeship, one in polymer processing and one in maintenance engineering with electrical installation. Upon completion of his apprenticeship, Tom continued to work at Icon, doing varied jobs in both machine setup and repair. Later, Tom was offered the unique opportunity to work at Icon Plastics again, but as Engineering Manager, responsible for the machining and maintenance department and eventually the tooling department. Tom has always enjoyed the customer relations part of his role and was thrilled to accept a position at Negri Bossi. Negri Bossi SpA looks forward to seeing you all at PLAST and don’t forget to drop by!

Tom O’Brien

Nicolas Melis García

Simone Sardina

Trendsetting technological innovations

COMERIO ERCOLE is a leading Italian engineering and manufacturing company, founded in 1885, specializing in rubber and composite material processing and in machinery used to manufacture such products. The company is well-known globally for its focus on innovation, quality and environmental protection.

COMERIO ERCOLE has recently introduced a new Digital Platform named HERCULES40®, which is aimed to supply to COMERIO ERCOLE customers a data-driven analysis tool for a continuous improvement of production process, including energy consumption optimization, as well as added-value after-sales services.

HERCULES40® enables new digital services to increase the efficiency of the machines and to optimize the customer process creating a dataoriented collaboration.

COMERIO ERCOLE is more and more concentrated on the end-

user support and two recent new products have been presented to our customers, reconfirming the “onsite” firm commitment for rolls maintenance process. The “heart” of any calendering process is linked to rolls status, therefore COMERIO ERCOLE has developed two alternative tools supporting “onsite” maintenance process: with SANDBLASTER® to keep and/or recover a certain roughness is now permitted as well as with POLISHER® any need to clean and recover rolls surface is now permitted too.

COMERIO ERCOLE has recently developed some very important technological innovations. The first is a revolutionary calender named “FLEXI®” suitable for PVC sheets, with rolls high-precision hydraulic positioning and designed with 4 or 5 rolls according to the type of processed product (soft or rigid PVC). The new inverted-L configuration of the calender allows a wide range of applications as it is designed to work with 4 rolls and

3 lamination banks or alternatively with 5 rolls and 4 lamination banks, providing the same post-calender section with stretching-embossing and cooling unit.

COMERIO ERCOLE has recently filed another new and important PVC calenderline reference for engineering and manufacturing process for a very important PVC “far east” manufacturer: an impressive 5-ROLL PVC calendering plant, which has been designed, engineered and manufactured with 2400 mm rolls width, for pharmaceutical and printing graphic application field. The calender unit is equipped with COMERIO ERCOLE patented high precision and top performance fully hydraulic nip adjustment “HYDROGAP®” device. The calenderline is composed of an innovative take-off and stretching unit, an “in-line” embossing unit with fast change device and movable cooling unit. A proper automatic windup unit is included in the scope of supply together with thickness gauge device, automatic bank control system based on thermocameras, as well as all TCU units for the calenderline.

COMERIO ERCOLE takes care about the whole plant “engineering”, granting a full “MASTER PLUS®” service package complete with mechanical, fluidic and electric diagrams and data sheets.

COMERIO ERCOLE is constantly innovating in terms of high technology and reliable advanced process with a constant and qualified investment in Industry 4.0 sector.

COMERIO ERCOLE staff will be happy to welcome you at stand 11 A 61 at PLAST 2023 and at stand 1 1B169 at RUBBERTECH 2023 to show its innovations.

COMERIO ERCOLE

is a leading Italian company wellknown globally for its focus on innovation, quality and environmental protection

Automatic weighing system for pigments and additives materials

Color Service is the world leader in the development and manufacturing of automatic dosing systems for powder and liquid products for compound and masterbatch preparation.

Weighing is a key element of the production process for quality compliance: dosing the proper amount of ingredients is extremely important to fulfill recipe specifications and constant quality requirements. In most cases, the weighing department employs operators who manually dose raw materials, resulting in a difficult and complicated management in terms of weighing accuracy.

To support this need, the company’s technology is designed to solve problems associated with the manual weighing of any kind of powder and liquid product and it is developed with the goal of achieving a safe, fast and precise dosing. The aim is therefore

the development of high-efficiency systems that allow to minimize the production costs and boost productivity while also improving final product quality, essential for the competition of all companies. With the fully automatic dosing system, all processes are automatically monitored and data are recorded in the software integrated with the customer’s management system. The activity of the operator is exclusively confined in the loading of products into storage modules of different capacities that could be interchangeable or expanded in the future.

An essential requirement of a dosing system is the production speed (no greater than 1 bag per minute) with the certainty of high dosing accuracy and able to manage a large variety of chemical ingredients; Color Service, in fact, is able to solve the dosing issue of the individual ingredients, despite their different chemical-physical form.

During the dosing, a multi-scale conveyor completely aspirated through a dedicated dust extraction system allows high dosing accuracy of recipes that can be dosed directly into a cone or in identified bags created in a completely automatic way: this is a fundamental characteristic that allows each individual recipe to be traced.

From the sustainable point of view, Color Service’s technology reduces to zero the exposure for operators to dangerous substances or toxic ingredients and provides absolute control of the dust emitted during

the weighing with the use of Anti-Dust Kit installed on each dosing head, a completely closed and aspirated system able to guarantee zero emissions in the work environment. Furthermore, the aspirated product is recovered and reintroduced into the production cycle with obvious environmental and economic benefits. The company’s highest priority is to substantially minimize environmental hazards reducing pollution and material waste to create a sustainable finished product for the customer.

Another significant advantage is the traceability of recipes. Indeed with a manual weighing, in case of nonconformity, it is impossible to identify all the products that are affected by this problem downstream and it is difficult to trace the causes upstream that can be represented for example by an incorrect mixing proportion or from a non-conformity of a specific ingredient. Without expensive labor costs due to manual batch processing and profit loss due to recipe formulation mistakes, companies can begin to boost profits, while offering a superior and uniform product to their customers.

The company goal is the development of adaptive, technologically advanced, performing and environmentally friendly machinery in accordance with the concept of Industry 4.0.

This represents a great potential for the customer who increasingly requires reliable, flexible and safe systems in order to enhance the production in accordance with today’s trends, as well as representing a new and revolutionary product for the market.

Sustainable, highly efficient and accurate are top features of Color Service systems

Pad. 11 – Stand C72

BREAK DUO, the innovative screenchanger by Break Machinery

A new approach for a greener future

Break Machinery was born in 2019 from an insight of the Pegoraro family, who, since the early 1970s, has dedicated itself to the collection and regeneration of plastic waste with a genuine pioneering spirit, acquiring over the years an expertise of excellence in the recycling and moulding of regenerated plastic materials. This gives concrete form to the concept of circular economy and environmental sustainability, values that continuously inspire the Group’s entrepreneurial activity over time. After BREAK ONE, the first screen changer presented by the company, met with great success on the national and international

markets, Break’s Research & Development team engineered new filtration technologies that led to the design of BREAK DUO, a newly conceived screen changer based on an innovative filtering system.

BREAK DUO presents a double filter system that perfectly combines maximum productivity with high end-product quality.

The new patented rotating scraper disc is capable of removing multiple types of contamination (paper, wood, copper, aluminium, etc.).

It is characterised by an innovative geometry with interchangeable blades placed on both sides (3+3) of the scraper disc, which allow contamination to be simultaneously removed from two different opposing

filtering surfaces, and conveyed to the centre to be ejected.

The ejection system operates via a single independently rotating discharge screw located in the centre of the scraper disc.

The operating speeds of the discharge screw and the scraper disc are adjustable according to requirements: this allows for a significant reduction in rejects and continuous operation, maintaining constant pressure and maximising production

With a view to optimising working time, filter replacement becomes more flexible and faster: there is no need to remove machine parts such as breakers or the discharge screw. Filter opening, cleaning and replacement time is therefore extremely reduced.

BREAK DUO is suitable for processing many types of plastic: PP, LDPE, HDPE, PS, ABS, etc.

The machine is equipped with an electric panel and sensors, which allow total control of the various functions and ensure an optimal management.

Scraping Operating Mode

The melted plastic material (1) is conveyed into the filtration chamber (2) and passes through two laser filters (3) opposed to each other.

Between the two filters is a scraper disc (4) with interchangeable blades, which rotates to remove the contamination deposited on the filters, channelling it into the disc itself (5).

The centre of the scraper disc is in communication with an independent discharge screw (6) that expels the contaminated material.

The melted plastic material filtered (7) from the two filters then re-joins the outlet channel (8) to pass on to the next process.

During Plast 2023, the Italian company will present two upgrades developed on DUO. Automatic opening

DUO is also available in a version with an automatic opening system designed to make lid opening and closing operations easier, faster and safer. The presence of the operator is limited to a control function. This system consists of a threaded lid that screws directly onto the machine body, and a motor that controls its movement.

Backflushing system

This second option further reduces consumable costs. It is no longer necessary to use laser filters, but wire cloths with the required degree of filtration are used. Each machine can switch from scraping mode to counterflow mode changing the internal component kit, that includes a cleaner and two protective breakers.

Backflushing Operating Mode

The melted plastic material (1) is conveyed into the filtration chamber (2) and passes through two wire

meshes (3) facing each other, both positioned between two breakers: a support (4) and a protection (5). Supporting the two protective breakers is a cleaner (6) that sucks up the contamination deposited on the wire mesh.

The centre of the cleaner is in communication with an independent discharge screw (7) that expels the contaminated material in a controlled manner.

The melted plastic material filtered (8) by the two filters then rejoins the outlet channel (9) to pass on to the next process.

Consistent efficiency

lectrically driven accumulator head

ECompared to a hydraulic system, the new Magic system with electrically driven accumulator head generates an average energy saving of 60%. In addition, Magic can define its mechatronic system as ‘power on demand’, i.e. it uses energy only as much as is needed, with obvious advantages in terms of energy consumption, but also major benefits in terms of repeatability of working cycles and long life.

The system Magic has adopted has an efficiency of approximately 95%. This efficiency remains consistent at any load and speed. Magic has adopted a motor torque capable of developing, under the heaviest conditions, a combined power of 28 kW, generating, where requested, a pressure in the accumulation chamber of approximately 200 bar at a movement speed of 90 mm per second.

Finally, we must consider the following: most productions only utilise part of the system’s power, generally between 30% and 60%. Energy cost is automatically reduced in the mechatronic system, while the hydraulic system always compresses the oil to its nominal value. As a result, the further the system operates away from its maximum potential, the more energy is saved by the new mechatronic system.

Other advantages of the mechatronic system:

- Increased safety, oil free machine: Magic mechatronic system has no oil under pressure. This means the nonexistence of the risk of breakage of the pressurised system components, and therefore also the absence of related safety systems. Thermoplastics processing machines have heating elements that heat the extrusion system parts up to 300 degrees. Accidental spillage of pressurised oil from an ‘old’ hydraulic system atomises the oil to such an extent that its contact with the incandescent heating elements can lead to a fire hazard. This is not the case with Magic new patented electrically driven system. Safe and oil-free machines.

- Machine suitable for medical and food industry. Any “old” hydraulic system includes a tank from where oil is drawn by a pump and sent to the circuit. Then the oil returns to the tank to be cooled and filtered. The tank must be sized to contain the variation in oil level within certain limits. Because of the return flows, it must be equipped with air exhaust valves, which are filtered but still cannot 100% retain the sprayed oil, thus some may leak into the environment.

Magic new mechatronic system allows to work without contamination, so it is perfectly suited for the medical and food industry.

Magic quick mould changeover and SAM technology

Compared to the fast mould change-over modes known up to now, Magic new system will differ from all the others because it will be able to carry out a full change-over in double head with the peculiarity that the following components (which until now have conditioned the total change-over time, meant as fast) will be changed electrically, automatically and not manually. Here are the 8 points that will make your machines more profitable:

1. Automatic head centre distance adjustment.

2. Automatic blowpin centre distance.

3. Automatic clamping force adjustment without manual intervention on the tie-bar bolts.

4. Automatic parison centring.

5. Mould holding plates with Stäubli magnetic centring system and bayonet couplings for mould cooling.

6. Automatic parison cutting vertical adjustment.

7. Automatic centring of post cooling.

8. Automatic extruder platform adjustment for head height setting.

All this will be managed by a camera that will read a QR code applied to the mould. The system will automatically process all the previously pre-set data to switch from a 10-litre stackable container with handle to a 5-litre F-style container with handle.

At this point the machine will self-adjust with the points listed above: head centre distance, blowpin centre distance, parison centring, post cooling centring and clamping force setting, if needed. You can then go from 240 mm to 280 mm centre distance with completely different bottles.

For what concerns dummy moulds and deflashing adjustments, these will be managed by state-of-theart manual systems that will also speed up format changeover.

So, at this point, the new Magic technology has made the machines adjustable in self-learning, a technology called SAM (Self Adjustment Machine).

It is estimated that with the new Magic systems, changing from a 10-litre bottle with handle to a 5-litre F-Style bottle, including blowpin centre-distance, deflashing and the various equipment needed to complete the format change, will only take 45 minutes.

Compared to a hydraulic system, the new Magic system with electrically driven accumulator head generates an average energy saving of 60%

PLASTPOL 2023 contracts worth millions and a great atmosphere

Over 600 companies from all corners of the world and all seven exhibition halls were filled to the brim. The event has been held at Targi Kielce for 27 years, and now PLASTPOL has returned to its pre-pandemic shape, maintaining its international prestige

The processing industry finds these few days of Targi Kielce’s Plastpol a business sectors holiday; this unique atmosphere is evidenced by mobilisation to act, willingness to meet and establish contacts.

“This year’s Plastpol offered this rare opportunity to drink champagne in self-recognition because we managed to sell a few machines.

Not to mention the numerous interested professionals calling in our expo stand”, says Konrad Szymczak from Arburg Polska.

“Our expo stand was packed with customers, and also people who would like to learn about our latest technologies, even about Industry

4.0. The expo was fantastic - from the show’s organisation through infrastructure, and support services to marketing and PR. We are here every year and we will exhibit next year as well”, Adam Marciniak from Engel Polska makes his promises. Contracts worth millions Trade fairs, apart from meetings and contacts, also offer a perfect opportunity to boast about the industry’s development; thus many companies decide to sign important contracts at the expo. This time it is exactly the same. A seven-million EUR contract for the purchase of a production line was signed with the German company Reifenhauser and the Polish producer Bogucki Folie. The talks had continued for several

years. The investment is to take Bogucki’s company to a new level.

“This purchase will increase production twice, it is vital to secure the supply chain. Running the entire production on one line is quite risky. We must have a separate line, fully capable of taking over the production. This step makes it possible for us to become the leader in barrier films production in Poland and in this part of Europe - says Andrzej Bogucki, President of Bogucki Folie. – In the future, we are considering entry to other markets; markets such as Lithuania, Ukraine, Latvia, Estonia, and even Belarus in the future. The “southern” market, i.e. Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia are also possible targets for us.”

The occasion was also used by Ulrich Reifenhäuser, CSO of the Reifenhauser Group, who presented his opinion on Polish-German industry relations.

“I believe that the Polish market is important, considering how fast it is developing. The market expands mainly due to the number of investments that Polish entrepreneurs have made in recent years. I predict that soon Poland will become an important country for the German processing industry. Costs differences in energy consumption and logistics make Polish plastic products competitive and able to conquer the German market soon”, says Ulrich Reifenhäuser.

Plastpol 2023 also witnessed the signing of the first distribution agreement between the Polish recycler of plastics - ML Polyolefins and the distributor from Western Europe - Brenntag.

ML Polyolefins will export its recycled products to six countries; Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

“Brenntag will reach customers

who can make the most of these products. The product needs to meet the customer’s requirements, this is one pf prerequisites. Recycling and production of recyclate ought to match the quality of the original products; this is not easy. Therefore, the standardisation of recyclate seems to be a necessity for its successful market recalculation”, said Tomasz Mikulski, President of the Management Board of ML Polyolefins during the press conference.

Sara Ghione, Brenntag Polymers

EMEA Director indicated that the company decided to cooperate with ML Polyolefins owint to ML Polyolefins’ excellent track record in the recycling sector. “The firm provides a high-quality product; there is customers base ready to purchase”, she said. The industry - more opportunities are still out there

It has been Plastpol tradition to begin with the annual report on the processing industry, delivered by the PlasticsEurope Polska Foundation. Although 2022’s the total foreign trade balance of the plastics

industry in Poland was negative (1 million 879 thousand tons), it was still better, compared to 2021 results; this positive development was owed to a decrease in imports of polymers by approx. 0.5 million tons and systematic growth of plastic products exports. The employment rate has also increased.

This year’s Plastpol was particularly important due to geopolitical changes in Europe, which affect supply chains and sales markets, thus Poland has a chance to take Russia and Belarus’ place and become important for foreign trade in plastics and rubber. Therefore, this year’s expo was attended by exhibitors from 29 countries; Targi Kielce expo halls hosted representatives of companies from India, Turkey, Italy, Germany, Portugal, but also Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and China, and more. More information can be found at: www.plastpol.com and on the LinkedIn profile: https://www. linkedin.com/showcase/plastpolfair

The next International Fair of Plastics and Rubber Processing PLASTPOL will be held from 21 to 24 May 2024.

Plastics

Plastics Rubber &

ArabPlast 2023: Driving innovation and sustainability

The highly anticipated 16th edition of ArabPlast is set to take place from 13th to 15th December 2023 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. This premier international trade show brings together professionals from the plastics, petrochemicals, packaging, and rubber industries to showcase cuttingedge technology and foster business alliances.

“With a focus on innovation, sustainability, and collaboration within the industry, ArabPlast 2023 aims to set new standards for environmental consciousness and business growth,” says Rasheed Mbayed, the Exhibition Manager of ArabPlast.

With up to 800 exhibitors from more than 30 countries, ArabPlast 2023 is a global platform for manufacturers, recyclers, traders, and businessmen. The event’s strategic location in Dubai offers unparalleled access to the EMEA region, making it a must-attend for industry players. Sustainability and recycling are central themes of ArabPlast 2023. The exhibition will feature live-streaming machines that highlight the latest recycling innovations, emphasizing the importance of a circular economy.

Plastics’ versatility has led them to play a vital role in various industries, from construction to healthcare. Stay tuned for ArabPlast 2023, where industry leaders will come together to drive innovation and sustainability in the plastics, petrochemicals, packaging, and rubber sectors. This event promises to be an inspiring showcase of cutting-edge technologies and a hub for networking and business opportunities. Join us from 13th to 15th December 2023 at the Dubai World Trade Centre as we shape the future of the industry.

For more information on the show visit www.arabplast. info or write to rasheed@alfajer.net

Social media Hashtags: #ARABPLAST #arabplast2023

With a focus on innovation, sustainability, and collaboration within the industry, ArabPlast 2023 aims to set new standards for environmental consciousness and business growth

Arburg banks on growing willingness to invest

• Trendsetting: Electric machines

• Increased: Interest in recyclable materials

• Cooperation: At partner stand with Sverital

rburg’s expectations in Italy for the second half of the year are based on an increase in industrial production and rising investment. Arburg is responding to buyers’ desire to save energy and the country’s increased need for sustainability with its presence at Plast 2023 in Milan (stand C/D 61/62 in Hall 22). From 5 to 8 September Arburg will show the full range of technologies and will also present an interesting cooperation with Sverital in the field of silicone processing. Arburg is meeting changing needs in Italy with future-oriented exhibits and has traditionally valued Plast as the key local trade fair for the plastics industry. “The market is moving towards electric machines and drives mainly for reasons of

precision, energy efficiency and sustainability,” observes Raffaele Abbruzzetti, Managing Director of Arburg Italy. “After the summer break, it’s the right time for players in the plastics industry to have a fresh start, look around and find ideas that can make them more competitive. For the first time: Allrounder 470 H processes solid silicon Arburg is launching a new generation of machines with the Allrounder 470 H, which not only combines an electric clamping unit and hydraulic injection unit, but significantly reduces acquisition and operating costs as well as the carbon footprint. The machine presented in Milan will have a special configuration and will produce

silicone parts from solid silicone for the first time. An ACH Turnmix feeder will be used as a peripheral device, while a linear robotic system Multilift Select 8 is depositing the parts on the conveyor belt.

Complex: Allrounder 570 A produces flip-top closures

A typical packaging application is shown with an electric Allrounder 570 A Comfort producing from PP from Exxon Mobil flip-top closures for bottles in the beauty care sector. Italian mould manufacturer Giurgola Stampi is responsible for the complex mould. The Gestica control system has various assistance functions such as “aXw Control CycleAssist”,” aXw Control FillAssist”. The process can be conveniently managed via OPC UA interfaces to hot runners and the cooling system. “Because we don’t just produce parts, but have the entire process under control thanks to our software solutions, we can make life easier for our customers and help them minimise quality problems,” says Raffaele Abbruzzetti, summarising the benefits.

Energy efficient: Injection compression moulding instead of thermoforming The electric Allrounder 720 A Ultimate, an energyefficient and sustainable alternative to thermoforming, will be celebrating its Italian premiere at the show. The machine, complete with size 1300 injection unit, will be using injection compression moulding to produce environmentally friendly, thin-walled

IML cups made from PP monomaterial. A 4-cavity mould from Brink will be used to demonstrate the ICM process. For process monitoring, the mould is fitted with four compression path sensors. The plastic is biomassbalanced and ISCC-certified. Integrated into the production cell is a side-entry robot from Brink that inserts the labels, removes the finished cups and stacks them on a conveyor belt.

Cost efficient: Allrounder More produces 2C-parts

An innovative high-end solution shows how the use of a second mould and thus an additional assembly line can be eliminated: In a cycle time of around ten seconds, an Allrounder More 1600 produces four ready-to-use Luer connectors, and does so in a very confined space. The part weight of the PP component is 0.2 grams, while the soft TPE component weighs as little as 0.05 grams. The material was made from renewable or chemically recycled feedstock (ISCC Mass Balance). The 4+4-cavity mould

features RotaricE2® technology from Braunform. Four servoelectric axes from Arburg’s sister company AMKmotion, monitored via the Gestica control system, play a central role as they control the internal mould sequences for coreback, lifting the lid, capping the closures and unscrewing the Luer threads. Handling is performed by a Yaskawa six-axis robot, which also approaches a camera system for quality control.

Comparing: Allrounder 470 A on Sverital partner stand

The two cooperation partners are looking forward to comparing LSR processing on the Sverital stand with the use of solid silicone on the Arburg stand. While solid silicone will be processed on the Arburg stand, partner Sverital will be demonstrating liquid silicone (LSR) injection moulding with an electric Allrounder 470 A and a special pump system. Thanks to the cooperation between Arburg’s Italian team and Sverital, they are able to offer not only Arburg machines but also all

the accessories needed to operate an injection moulding system of this type. Sverital also partners Arburg with its Drakkar brand when it comes to automation solutions.

Promising: With the 360-degree principle into the second half of the year

“We can be a 360-degree partner for our customers covering every single angle: from advice on preparing a project, selecting the right machine and after-sales customer service support to implementing turnkey projects with automation, training, and technological support. Then there are our digital products such as ALS and the arburgXworld customer portal with its extensive features for direct contact with Arburg,” says Raffale Abbruzzetti, giving an overview of what will be on show at Plast in Milan 2023.

Raffaele Abbruzzetti, Managing Director of Arburg Italy

Quality – InnovationReliability

Baracco delivers experience and innovation to the plastic materials sector

Baracco Srl is a company specialized in the creation, development, production, sales and worldwide distribution of machines, spare parts, and accessories for the granulation of plastic materials.

Its growth can be attributed to its founder’s decades of experience in the plastics industry, who between 1983 and 1993 developed his skills working in the field, in a company that designed and manufactured pelletizing machinery. Later, from 1993 to 2017, as co-founder of one of the leading companies in the industry, with responsibility in the technical division for design and development of die plates and spare parts. New solution: BPU pelletizing system The pelletizing system interfaces with the customer’s extruder or

gear pump. The pelletizing process is performed in a closed loop water system and the pellets cut by the rotating blades are conveyed from the cutting chamber to the centrifugal dryer.

The production capacity is 100 –5,000 kg/h and its applications are many.

How Baracco pelletising systems work

The material is melted and homogenized inside an extruder and with a gear pump, which forces the molten polymer through a filter changer, it reaches the diverter valve. When the diverter valve is in action, the material passes through the die plate and once the polymer begins to exit the die, the pellets are cut by rotating blades and solidify in water inside the cutting chamber. The process water transports the pellets to an SP centrifugal dryer where the water is removed and the dry pellets are discharged.

All necessary electrical controls, based on state-of-the-art touch screen technology, are contained in a modular panel that rests on the system frame.

Benefits of the BPU systems

• Automatic start and shutdown

• Redundant safety interlocks

• Pelletizer blocking group

• Operation with low noise and high levels of cleanliness

• High energy savings

• High efficiency closed circuit filtered water system

• Minimal start-up waste

• Wide range of applications

• High quality pellets in variable sizes (according to customer needs)

• Low production costs Baracco Srl promises to offer quality and service through state-of-the-art technology and a qualified facility.

Sell-out Plastics Recycling Show Europe to expand again for 2024

PRSE 2023

visitor numbers increased by 80 per cent, with a record number of visitors and exhibitors from across Europe and more than 80 different countries internationally

The Plastics Recycling Show Europe (PRSE) 2023 exhibition and conference held recently in Amsterdam, the Netherlands attracted a record number of visitors and exhibitors

from across Europe and more than 80 different countries internationally. With over 320 exhibiting companies and over 75 conference speakers in two theatres, the show saw a huge 80% increase in total visitor attendance to more than 8,500.

“PRSE has grown year on year and the success of our seventh edition has been amazing. We are seeing so many more visitors, and more exhibitors who bring with them truly innovative solutions and ideas about plastic recycling,” said Ton Emans, President

of Plastics

Recyclers Europe. “Everybody here is working hard towards creating a more sustainable world, where plastics never become waste because they are recycled again and again.”

“The success of PRSE 2023 has exceeded our expectations to

make it by far the largest event of its kind in Europe and the only one that focuses exclusively on making plastics circular,” added Matt Barber, PRSE Event Director at Crain Communications. “For the first time this year we expanded into a second hall at the RAI and

we still sold out of space in Halls 11 and 12 long before the event opened. For 2024 we will expand further by adding Hall 10.”

“PRSE is for us the most important event of the year and the most important show for plastic recyclers,” said Monica Harting, Public Affairs Manager & Project Management Plastics Recycling, Remondis. “PRSE is a great opportunity to network and to meet people from the whole value chain. We have had very interesting conversations with both customers and partners representing all kinds of interests in plastic recycling.”

“I have learned a lot about the dynamic plastic recycling sector,” said Wolfgang Trunk, Policy Officer, Directorate-General for the Environment, European Commission when visiting the show. “I have talked here to people who say we are already doing things today that three years ago were not even imaginable. It is important to come here for a regular update and to experience the whole scene.”

“All the main players for recycling are coming here. It’s an opportunity to get a lot of networking and a lot of exposure in a short period of time,” said Chris McArdle, VP Circular Economy and New Business Development, Borealis.

EXHIBITIONS

“We’ve already booked an even bigger stand for next year.”

Unique in Europe, PRSE brings together key players from the plastics and recycling sectors to showcase innovative technology, share best practice, network and do business. A broad cross-section of the industry is represented at the event including plastics recycling machinery and equipment suppliers, plastic material suppliers and compounders, pre-processors, mechanical and chemical plastics

recyclers, waste management specialists and industry associations. Organised jointly by Crain Communications and Plastics Recyclers Europe, the Plastics Recycling Show Europe returns to Halls 10, 11 and 12 at Rai Amsterdam on 19-20 June 2024.

The first Plastics Recycling Middle East & Africa (PRS ME&A) show takes place at the Dubai World Trade Centre on 5-7 September 2023 https://prseventmea.com/ The first Plastics Recycling Show

Asia show will take place at Marina Bay Sands Singapore on 13-14 November 2024.

More information: https://www.prseventeurope.com/

To revisit on-demand PRSE 2023 conference sessions:

https://prseventeurope.com/ prse2023/en/page/livestream-ondemand-2023

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/ plastics-recycling-show-europe/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/PRS_Europe

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ PlasticsRecyclingShowEurope

Tecno System: Made in Italy and global approach

Tecno System’ success is the result of the wonderful marriage between human values, challenging ideas and professionalism of the people who make up the company: a long journey, begun in the ‘90s in the countryside of the northern Italy and achieving today a global perspective, always focusing on customer satisfaction and topquality production

Tecno System has grown very fast over the years, arriving to formalize in 2014 and 2018 a corporate acquisition and a corporate merger with two Italian historical brands like TPV Mechanical Division and B-TEC and becoming so one of the leading companies in Italy in the development of complete extrusion lines for thermoplastic profile and pipes. These strategic acquisitions, in fact, consolidated over 60 years of experience in the field of extrusion technologies for thermoplastic materials as well as in the manufacturing of extrusion tooling and allowed Tecno System to offer customized turnkey systems like extrusion lines complete with molds and equipped with special downstream machineries to face any customer’s need.

100% Made in Italy

The company offers its customers specific and consolidated knowhow and constant R&D efforts combined with the professionalism of high-skilled team, in order to give clients the smartest solutions possible. The main focus is to grant the customer satisfaction, which is the linchpin of Tecno System’s mission. To do so, all the products are completely designed, manufactured and tested in the historic plant in Consandolo

(Ferrara, Italy) controlling each stage of the supply chain and applying very stringent quality standards to ensure the full compliance of the product with European regulation.

Global approach

During these years, Tecno System has grown not just for what concern organizational point of view but also in terms of sales volume, revolutionising its sales strategy and opening even more into the global market.

In the last few years, indeed, the company has invested even more

energies on international markets and developped a wide and structured sales network in order to simplify customers needs. The result of these massive efforts is that today Tecno System exports its products in more than 40 countries all around the world thanks to the daily support of 6 representative offices which promptly service customers respectively in Brazil, Spain, France, Russia and other CIS countries, Turkey and finally India.

Tecno System products

By opting for Tecno System’s extrusion lines clients can satisfy different capacity needs (5-350 kg/h) as well as a wide range of purposes in the field of extrusion of profiles as pipes, technical profiles, profiles for the building industry, medical tubes, thermal break profiles with fiberglass, etc., and made of a great variety of thermoplastic materials such as plasticized PVC, rigid PVC, PP, PC, HDPE, LDPE, PP, PMMA, etc. The lines are also characterized by low energy consumption of the calibrating units and innovative solutions like new cutting units with radial hot blades.

Particular attention is paid to the main business of PVC profile, with the very solid Tecno System’s experience in designing and constructing of high quality extrusion dyes and calibrators for the extrusion of PVC window

frames, roller shutters, panels, cable management ducts, gutters and rainwater pipes, etc.

Another strength is the construction of dedicated single or multi layer extrusion lines for medical pipes made with medical grade raw materials used in clean room environments (soft PVC, TPU, PEBAX, ect.). Tecno System’s medical tubing extrusion lines are becoming very popular among the customers in Italy and abroad for the achievable high-speed extrusion standards which are the results of the most recent achievements in automation and mechanics, combined with a close cooperation with raw material producers in order to improve and refine screw geometry and design. In addition, there is the possibility to have 4.0 ready extrusion lines for multilayer pipe complete with OD/wall thickness control, inkjet printer, and a final semi-automatic single our double coiler in order to facilitate and optimize any step of the production process. It must be said then that the wide range of Tecno System’s products does not end with extrusion lines and tooling systems: besides these main solutions, in facts, the company can also provide in-the-house technologies for mechanical processing of profile: for example, the great experience in the field of punching unit systems allowed Tecno System to develop integrated and customer tailored solutions for their extrusion lines, which became strategic solutions in the company’s market policy.

Industry 4.0

The company believes in technological innovation as one of the most important critical success factor to be competitive in the market. On this regard Tecno System is recently investing many efforts

and resources in the digitalization and hyperconnectivity of its extrusion lines, adapting extruders and the other machineries to the industry 4.0 prerequisites. Obviously, this high-advanced technology includes many different advantages for the customer who can rely, for example, on continuous marking process of the tubes before becoming spirals, a fully automated cutting system and ejection system with any operator during the process, and many other tips through which it’s possible to consistently reduce the waste and costs. This means optimizing processes and maximization of the efficiency for the customer.

Recent investments

Another important strength of Tecno System is the continuous adoption of technologies that allow it to face promptly any customer needs, increasing at the same time quality of the products and flexibility within the supply chain. On this regard, many different investments have been accomplished in 2022. The last year, in fact, the company acquired two 4.0 ready CNC machines and a new laser

welding machine which increase exponentially organizational interoperability as well as the output accuracy throughout operations, but they are not the only ones: today the company can exploit a new 2D scanner, taking advantage of many opportunities in the testing phase of customer tooling. The company can now measure and digitize any section of the extruded profiles, with the possibility to optimize in real-time and with extraordinary levels of accuracy the final product directly in the testing phase, according to the technical specifications requested by customers. This means much higher process efficiency, less waste of time and costs due to testing activities for the clients and last but not least easy and fast communication with customers around the world due to “digitized real profiles”.

Events

To conclude, Tecno System will be present at the PLAST 2023 exhibition, in Milan from 5 to 8 September, and it will be ready to welcome its visitors at Hall 13, stand C 132.

Tovo Gomma: the transition to the future

In 2023, Tovo Gomma Spa will celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of its foundation. In fact, it was 1973 when Sergio Tovo, who would be supported a few years later by his business partner Enrico Conti, founded the homonymous company, in the same place where it then grew up to become what the market today knows as one of the most solid and reliable companies in the sector of rubber compounding, sheet and foam manufacturing.

TOVO GOMMA is today a company with a mixing capacity of 40,000 Tons, a turnover of 85 MIL\€ and about 200 employees and is believed to be one of the main players in the rubber compound sector in Europe. Compared to the 1990s, when the

outlet market was essentially the local one, compounds and slabs are currently increasingly destined for export, having reached a share of approx. 50% of the volumes.

TOVO GOMMA has mixing lines for the production of black and colored compounds. The compound production plants are completely controlled by PLC, equipped with automatic dosing for Carbon Black, clear fillers and plasticizers. The other chemicals are dosed separately by a plant specifically projected for automatic dosing. All the ingredients that make the compound, including polymers, are managed with a barcode to ensure their identification and traceability.

TOVO GOMMA historically has a production of vulcanized rubber sheets, which has benefited from

the growth and technological improvements of the compounding part.

For the production of slabs, Tovo Gomma uses continuous vulcanization systems and compression molding machines, machinery for the production of foam and systems for cutting and applying the adhesive on the same slabs.

Thanks to cutting-edge technological know-how and the roller head calendaring system, equipped with an automatic gauge, rubber slabs vary in thickness from 0.3 to 10 mm, with very narrow tolerances and a completely homogeneous surface, thanks to the technology used.

Thanks to the investments made, today’s TOVO GOMMA is a reality able of operating because of its competence and therefore is able to implement the development of compounds for various application sectors, from automotive to food, from petrochemical to construction. The R&D area is one of the sectors where the company has made the largest investments in human capital and today feels up to the challenge of companies even more competitive in the field of technological development of new products, by applying the reverse engineering, when needed. Furthermore, it has adopted an integrated quality system to ensure high quality consistency for its compounds and products (ISO 9001-

Tovo Gomma boasts is future-oriented and flexibly follows the dynamics the market requires

2015), obtained in a way that respects the environment (ISO 14001) and stakeholders starting from its own personnel (ISO 45001).

The company will continue to pursue growth’s goals, but not only in terms of volume. The transition to the future will be based primarily on training and focused on personnel: in addition to a targeted training program, the goal will be to make the company increasingly appreciated by internal stakeholders and attractive to external ones. A refurbishment of the offices is soon planned, which will allow for a more modern environment suited to the needs of the structure, working on the distribution of spaces and considering the relationship between company functions.

The second goal will be the expansion of the production range: Silicone business unit was born in 2021; the focus will be on repositioning on market segments with a higher level of know-how.

Everything will be done by ongoing investments in R&D and with strong attention to ESG issues, in particular

regarding the environmental area, more and more attention will be paid to the reduction of CO2 emissions and to the issue of reusing materials, minimizing the disposal. Sustainability and circular economy are always taken into consideration in every strategic choice. The customer will always remain the most important asset for TOVO GOMMA.

Further to the strong changes of the business conditions, it will be important to have a strong orientation towards the future, cultivating relationships with industry associations, suppliers and customers, to remain flexible and follow the dynamics that the market requires. Thinking about the near future, there will be two important appointments: Between 5th and 8th September 2023, TOVO GOMMA will exhibit at PLAST 2023, Hall 11 – Booth B11, with a stand set up for the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the company. Soon after, TOVO GOMMA will celebrate its first 50th anniversary with its employees and partners. It will be an opportunity for team building and to celebrate a truly special milestone.

Caldara Plast, for an ever-greener future

Regenerated compound? The first choice of the company that loves the environment

Caldara Plast is an Italian company specialized in the recovery and regeneration of plastic materials.

From the recovery of plastic waste to the production of green technopolymers, that of Caldara is a story of people, passion and tenacity that from a small family business has transformed into a solid and performing SME, capable of giving its customers a 360-degree personalized service on the finished product and the correct recovery of waste according to the law. A truly sustainable business that allows plastic to have a new life and drastically reduce waste production. For an ever greener future.

In 2023 Caldara celebrates its 60th birthday after a 2022 full of new investments, in the perspective of continuous improvement both on business processes and products.

In addition to its line of certified PSV or GRS green products “Caldara

2nd life”, Caldara is also able to produce tailor-made thermoplastic compounds from first-choice materials or modified industrialgrade products, guaranteeing constant support from our specialized pre- and post-sales technicians to customize the finished product.

A range of products, those of Caldara Plast, capable of satisfying the needs of all companies in the world of plastics in numerous sectors (electrical, electronic, automotive, furniture, household appliances, packaging, construction, housewares, moulding, agriculture...) for both the Italian and international markets in which the company is finding ever greater space.

Six decades of specialization for greener plastics

Caldara Plast is a company that has been on the market since 1963. The company operates in two distinct yet well-integrated activities: on one hand, we find the Recovery Division in Erba (CO), whose premises cover a total area of about 13,000 square meters and specializes in the management and recovery of scrap from different types of plastic materials (including ABS, SAN, PST, PMMA, PC, PP, PE, PA).

The Recovery Division offers the service of collecting and storing industrial plastic waste, possessing all the necessary legal authorizations. Being able to dispose of one’s industrial plastic waste with the certainty that it will be reused is

increasingly an added value for companies that supply it to Caldara Plast, obtaining a reasonable remuneration in return. The ground material is also among the products available in the catalogue, with the added advantage of being compliant with the UNI 10667 standard that certifies the origin of these by-products from the recovery and recycling of plastic waste.

The other side of the coin is represented by the Compound Division of Alzate Brianza (CO), specialized in the production and trade of plastic compounds, with a particular focus on technical polymers. The granules produced are mainly ABS, PC/ABS, PC, PS, PA, PBT, PET, PPS, PMMA, POM, etc. All this takes place at a production site covering a total area of approximately 33,000 square meters, about one third of which is covered. In addition to the customized standard products, Caldara Plast also offers the registered trademark green line “Caldara 2nd Life” with different percentages of certified recycled material contained in it and of different origins available with the green PSV (Plastic Second Life - Plastic Second Life) and GRS certifications (Global Recycle Standard):

• GREENLAC – ABS compound from Industrial Waste, Mixeco, Separate Waste or GRS

• GREENCARB – PC compound from Industrial Waste, Mixeco or GRS

• GREENBLEND – PC/ABS compound from Industrial Waste, Mixeco, Separate Waste or GRS

• GREENSTYR – PS compound from Industrial Waste, Mixeco, Separate Waste or GRS

• GREENMIDE –PA compound from Industrial Waste, Mixeco or GRS

• GREENTER – PBT compound from Industrial Waste, Mixeco or GRS

• GREENGLASS – PMMA compound from Industrial Waste, Mixeco or GRS

• GREENPOM – POM compound from Industrial Waste, or Mixeco

• GREENTRON – PPS compound from Industrial Waste or Mixeco

• GREENKRYL – SAN compound from Industrial Waste or Mixeco

• GREENPET – PET compound from Mixeco, Separate Waste or GRS

Caldara Plast production process

The company’s core business has always been the recovery of

industrial processing waste, mainly from processes such as moulding, thermoforming, extrusion and blow-moulding of different types of plastics. These materials are then ground through mills at the Erba site, which is duly authorized for the recovery, transport and storage of the inputs used, which by law are considered waste. Caldara Plast directly organizes the entire cycle, from the collection of waste with the help of its own fleet of vehicles, providing companies with special tanks, roll-off skips and presses to collect the material. The material destined for recovery, once ground, is stored in the warehouses and can consequently be sold as such or sent to the Alzate Brianza site, which specializes in extrusion for the production of customized thermoplastic granules.

In the Compound Division, the ground material is thus processed and, depending on the customer’s specific requirements, it can be

re-granulated without additions, or it can be additivated (with flame retardants, also halogenfree, glass fibre, carbon fibre, glass spheres, anti-static, laserable, UV, antibacterial, conductive

additives, aramid fibre) and/or pigmented and then extruded with special single and twin-screw dies.

Altogether, Caldara Plast boasts no less than 15 extrusion lines with relative mixers to homogenize production batches. Processing takes place on a continuous cycle, consequently managing to extrude, at full capacity, over 100 tonnes per day of material for a total of approximately 22,000 tonnes per year.

The division’s laboratory houses specialized technicians who constantly check the quality of the product, both incoming and outgoing, directly on site, thus personally guaranteeing high quality standards and keeping them constant over time.

Well aware of the fact that respect for the environment and the incentive to use recycled plastic are driving the markets well beyond forecasts, Caldara Plast is structuring itself in an increasingly efficient manner to respond to the consequent constantly evolving market dynamics, in line with the

company mission, which is to reduce the share of non-recoverable plastic waste to a minimum and to promote the culture of using regenerated material, considerably reducing the use of virgin raw materials, where technically feasible.

Caldara Plast is increasingly convinced that the use of regenerated plastic material must increasingly be the first choice of companies that care about the environment. So many actions to give a second life to plastic. For an ever-greener future.

K 2025 kick-off

First meeting of Exhibitors’ Council for plastics and rubber flagship fair in Düsseldorf / Ulrich Reifenhäuser will retain position of Chairman

The first meeting of the Exhibitors’ Council is also the kick-off meeting for K 2025, which will take place from 8 until 15 October, 2025 in Düsseldorf. The panel of experts assembled to discuss the plans concerning the most important fair for the international plastics and rubber industry. The Exhibitors’ Council assists Messe Düsseldorf with its preparations in the run-up to K 2025 and provides consultancy on basic conceptual and organisatorial matters. Comprised of representatives from exhibiting industrial segments and from important industrial associations, the council covers the entire range of products and services presented at K 2025 – machine and plant engineering, plastics and rubber raw material and auxiliary production as well as the production of semi-finished products and industrial components made from plastics and rubber.

Ulrich Reifenhäuser, Chairman of the Management Board of the Reifenhäuser Group and Chairman of the VDMA plastics and rubber machinery association, will retain his

position as Chairman of the Exhibitors’ Council. Thorsten Kühmann, Director of the VDMA plastics and rubber machinery association, will retain his position as head of the communication committee.

Every three years companies from throughout the world present the latest technological developments, current solutions and visionary approaches here. Highlighting impressive innovations and forwardlooking impulses for climate protection, the circular economy and digitalisation, K in October fully met the high expectations last year. More than 3,000 exhibiting companies from 59 countries and to the tune of 177,500 trade visitors from 169 nations gathered at K 2022.

For a review of K 2022 with Highlight Tours, videos featuring the Specials and exhibitor interviews click here: www.k-online.com/review

As in previous years, the most important international suppliers and service providers of the plastics and rubber industry will exhibit at the K 2025. Over the next few months, the organisers will define the main topics of the upcoming flagship fair. Application documents will be sent to exhibitors at the beginning of 2024.

Source: Messe Düsseldorf Press Office

Customized solutions for the regeneration of plastic materials

Gamma Meccanica applies its expertise and technology in the production of PET recycling plants

With 45 years of experience Gamma Meccanica S.p.A. today represents one of the main players on the international market in the construction of plants for the regeneration of plastics. The regeneration of plastic materials is an essential element in the management of the life cycle of products and in respect for the environment. Being able to reduce the impact on the environment is one of the objectives of Gamma Meccanica and of many companies in the sector. The recycling of plastics brings significant benefits to the environment because it makes

possible to create new high quality recycled plastic objects. This reduces the demand for raw materials, requires less energy during the productions process and reduces the amount of plastic going to landfill. According to the report by Zero Waste Europe and by Eunomia Research & Consulting, PET is the most recycled plastic due to its multiple advantages over other types of plastic. It is a polymer widely used in the production of disposable packaging such as for beverage bottles and as a polyester fiber in textile manufacturing. It is also the most collected polymer –together with PP, Polypropylene, and PE, low- and high-density polyethylene (respectively LDPE and HDPE in acronym). It is ideal for food packaging as, being a very inert polymer, it has no interaction with what it comes into contact with. As a result, the production chain that revolves around PET recycling is growing. The recycling to play its role in plastic waste management needs efficient processes in order to obtain high-quality end products that can compete with virgin materials.

Gathering a whole series of suggestions, information and requests from its customers, universities and partners, Gamma Meccanica offers a solution with excellent monetary value for the recovery of regrinds of PET-based products such as polyesters in general and polyamides. This technology is a modular solution that adapts to the different needs of PET recyclers.

COMPAC DUV technology for the regeneration and crystallization of PET

The COMPAC DUV technology proposed by Gamma Meccanica allows to carry out the first step of PET recycling, using vacuum and heat to obtain the least possible degradation of the material. Its main function is to prepare the material for immediate use after this first treatment or to prepare it for subsequent treatments. Starting from bottle flakes treated by an effective sorting and washing plant, COMPAC DUV guarantees granules with an intrinsic viscosity equal to or greater than 0.7 dl/g. In this way the DUV prepares the material to be used for spinning, for

planks production in food and nonfood use, and for film.

If it is necessary to have IV values starting from 0.75dl/g up to 1.0 dl/g, it is foreseen the addition of the next step for the regradation which can be obtained with two other processes: LSP or SSP.

The main features of the COMPAC DUV compared to other solutions are a considerable saving in the cost of the system, the reduced size and significant energy savings.

Gamma Meccanica is also studying an LSP (liquid state polycondensation) plant to be combined with the DUV line, which would allow a rapid increase in the IV value to be mounted in line or alternatively a SSP (solid state polycondensation) plant to go so far as to produce IV that can replace the virgin material. The main purpose of the DUV are as follows:

1) Dry as much as possible the materials that undergo deterioration processes due to hydrolysis reactions during the subsequent extrusion phase.

2) Extract as much pollutants as possible from the material to be recycled in order to achieve ‘food approved’ grade.

The composition of the line

The Gamma Meccanica COMPAC DUV regeneration line consists of a vacuum reactor with Ecotronic technology to maintain temperature and reduce consumption, an extruder with a special screw profile, a screen changer with high filtration capacity, a melt pump, an underwater pelletizer TI and finally an in-line crystalliser.

The material is fed into the reactor through a double hopper feeding device equipped with special valves for vacuum sealing. From the first hopper, the material by gravity descends into the hopper below where a vacuum is created, and the

material is ready to enter the reactor without altering its environmental characteristics.

In the reactor, the material is kept at a high temperature. In the case of PET this can be between 160°C and 190°C. In addition, a high vacuum level (up to 10 mbar) is maintained in the reactor. The vacuum serves to extract the moisture to a maximum of 50-100 ppm. With these residual moisture values, the drop in IV due

to hydrolysis processes is practically zero.

A screen changer specifically for PET processing is connected to the extruder. Filtration has a great importance because it eliminates any impurities in the material and can be pushed as far as the elimination of particles as small as 30 microns. The filter can be a discontinuous or backflush type filter or a state-of-the-art continuous filter. After filtration, the material enters the underwater pelletizer TI, which produces granules of the required size. If greater precision in the size of the final product is desired, a melt pump can be added. Finally, there is an inline crystalliser. In this case, the residual heat in the granule is utilised to achieve energysaving crystallisation. The cooled granules (after crystallisation) enter a special centrifuge, and are stored in a silo, or loaded into big bags or other containers.

At the outlet we will then have PET granules that have undergone a minimum intrinsic viscosity drop (from 0 to a maximum of 3%), crystallised and if necessary suitable for use in contact with food.

automatica: An impressive demonstration of industry dynamics

Work environments and society at large will experience great changes in coming years. automatica, the leading exhibition held in Munich from June 27 to 30, 2023, showcased solution approaches that automation and robotics offer in this context. A roaring comeback after just one year: 40,000 visitors from approx. 88 countries, 650 exhibitors from 34 countries, and a captivating supporting program. The co-location with LASER World of PHOTONICS and World of QUANTUM has provided significant added value to many participants.

The two Managing Directors of Messe München, Reinhard Pfeiffer and Stefan Rummel, draw a positive conclusion after four trade fair days: “automatica has once again proven its great innovative strength. The participating companies have showcased specific visionary solutions to challenges such as compensating the lack of specialists. In addition, the successful cooperation with the co-located events LASER World of PHOTONICS and World of QUANTUM strengthens Munich’s role as a leading technology hub.”

Exhibition Director Anja Schneider adds: “automatica underlines its position as the leading exhibition for smart automation and robotics with this excellent result: great atmosphere, new players, and a clear leadership position in the industry – all that after just twelve months of preparations.”

Top exhibitor ratings automatica received outstanding overall feedback from its exhibitors. 94 percent of exhibitors gave the trade fair an excellent to good rating in a survey conducted by the Gelszus market research institute. They particularly appreciated the visitor quality (91 percent) and the increase in new customer acquisitions (85 percent).

Frank Konrad, Chairman of the Board at VDMA Robotics + Automation, CEO HAHN Automation, agrees:

“For us as an automation company, automatica has been the most important trade fair for 20 years. Following a somewhat restrained comeback after Covid last year, this year saw increased visitor numbers again, which was a positive indicator for us as exhibitors. We had lots of good conversations and opportunities to maintain our network.”

Kai Udo Modrich, Head of Inline Inspection & Metrology at ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions, agrees with Frank Konrad: “This year’s automatica got to the heart of relevant topics for the smart factories of the future, thus living up to its claim of being the world’s leading exhibition for robotics and automation.”

Marc Segura, President of ABB Robotics, is another satisfied exhibitor: “Robotics and AI are key technologies for a successful decade of transformation. That makes automatica in its capacity as leading exhibition and trend barometer all the more important for companies making their production facilities fit for the future – i.e. flexible, networked, and sustainable.

Apart from the established key players, Google’s subsidiary intrinsic was a

first-time automatica participant this year. Henrike Neulen, Account Executive, explains why the Alphabet company chose automatica to host the first trade fair participation in its history: “Our goal is to make robotics easier and more accessible for both providers and users. That makes automatica the right environment for us to present both our company and products to a large international audience live for the first time.”

Great satisfaction among visitors

The top ten visitor countries after Germany were Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Czech Republic, South Korea, China, Poland, Netherlands, Slovenia, and the USA. There was a 33 percent share of international visitors. automatica 2023 delighted its visitors. 98 percent of respondents gave the trade fair an excellent to good rating. Furthermore, 97 percent of visitors praised the presence of market leaders, and 95 percent confirmed the leading role of automatica. 65 percent of visitors are optimistic about the future and expect automatica’s significance to increase even further.

Finally, Joachim Stieler, Managing Director of Stieler Technologie- & Marketingberatung, said: “The best automatica yet! Got me excited about the future!”

Trend topics emphasize automatica’s innovative strength

While robots were often considered job killers in the past, they have now become a beacon of hope in the

“automatica has once again proven its great innovative strength”

Source: Messe München Press Office

battle against skill shortages that affect almost all sectors. The baking robot presented at the FANUC stand is a great example of this: It will automate monotonous work steps in industrial bakeries and supermarkets. Head of Marketing Nils Terstegen considers the industry event in Munich a must-attend: “For us, automatica is the most important robotics trade fair on both the European and global level. We regularly use automatica as an opportunity to present novelties.” And automation is also an important lever for reducing CO2 emissions in production. Assembly and handling technology has various approaches to recycling and the circular economy in this context.

“Sustainable operations are among the most pressing challenges of our time. Software-based simulation helps us plan and optimize complex automation solutions efficiently prior to commissioning”, says Wilfried Eberhardt, Chief Marketing Officer at KUKA. “automatica has once again been the perfect opportunity for us to present our latest approaches to an attractive target group.”

Artificial Intelligence was another dominant topic during the four trade fair days. This is mainly due to the great speed of developments in this area, ushering in a new era of automation. NEURA is a company that is both a newcomer and an Artificial Intelligence pioneer. Arne Nordmann, Head of Engineering, comments: “You could say that automatica is the Champions League of robotics. It has all the currently relevant robotics exhibits. And we want to be a part of that, present our technology, keep in touch with all our partners, and learn where things are headed.”

Supporting program sets new benchmarks

In addition to the exhibition area spread across six halls, visitors once again had an opportunity to expand their knowledge within the framework of this year’s extensive supporting program featuring forums and special shows. Highlights included the Service Robot City and Mobile Robots in Production showcases.

Klaus Kluger, member of the Mobile Robots in Production special show organization team, looks back with satisfaction: “Mobile robotics will trigger major changes in production and intralogistics in the coming years. The Mesh-up at this year’s automatica was an impressive demonstration of what interoperable production logistics of the future, involving AMRs from different manufacturers, might look like thanks to VDA 5050 and standardized control stations.”

Thomas Hähn, CEO United Robotics Group, sees great potential in the Service Robot City special show: “We were delighted to see that

more service robotics companies and start-ups were represented at this year’s automatica as compared to past events. Intensified cooperation between start-ups and well-established companies has the potential to accelerate future developments. After all, there really is no shortage of good ideas and innovations.”

munich_i Hightech Summit – the Artificial Intelligence Think Tank

The munich_i high-tech platform is a leading robotics and AI format that was hosted at automatica for the third time. The Munich Institute of Robotics and Machine Intelligence (MIRMI) at the Technical University of Munich once again provided orientation in the field of artificial intelligence and robotics this year, and simultaneously placed associated developments within a context of ethics and social responsibility.

Prof. Sami Haddadin, Director of munich_i, sums up: “The Hightech Summit once again was a real highlight this year. Fascinating pioneers from industry, science, and start-ups provided us with a glimpse of the future, and we discussed with our visiting politicians how we want to shape it.”

Prof. Alena Buyx, also Director of munich_i, adds: “munich_i has shown us once again that the future is in our hands today. It provides the necessary platform for discourse between the driving forces from science, politics, and business on how to shape the future in the best way possible.”

munich_i comprises the Hightech Summit, the AI.Society robotics and AI special show, and the hybrid Robothon® robotics competition. The next automatica will take place from June 24 to 27, 2025. It will again be co-located with LASER World of PHOTONICS – World’s Leading Trade Fair with Congress for Photonics Components, Systems and Applications – and World of QUANTUM in Munich.

ECOBLOC ® ERGON KL HC: Big bottles, big savings

With the integrated ECOBLOC ® ERGON KL HC system proposed by SMI, the entire wet part of the filling line is grouped into a single system, which performs the functions of stretchblow moulding, filling and capping

Producing and filling PET containers with a large capacity of up to 10 L, all with a single machine, is increasingly the optimal solution for producers of mineral water and table oil. This compact and flexible solution offers numerous advantages in terms of reducing production costs, since the system does not require the presence of a rinser. In addition, the ECOBLOC® ERGON system, does not need conveyor belts between the blow moulding machine and the filler and the relative accumulation, thus guaranteeing a controlled and flexible production process. All this translates into greater efficiency, for the management of the entire wet part of the bottling line by a single operator on an extremely compact surface, while improving the

sustainability of production, thanks to reduced energy consumption.

Compared to other integrated systems available on the market, the “combi” solution proposed by SMI offers a further advantage in terms of compactness of the structure, since the preform heating section and the stretch-blow moulding section of the machine are integrated into a single module.

The space-saving design of the ECOBLOC® ERGON range:

- Easily adapts to small bottling lines

- Reduces transport costs, because one container is enough to handle it

- Lowers installation and start-up costs, since these operations can be carried out quickly and easily in a few days of work.

Green solutions for the primary packaging of high-capacity containers

In the food and beverage sector, container design plays a decisive role in enhancing the brand and reducing the “carbon footprint” of companies, which, more and more often, use containers and packaging materials with reduced environmental impact during production, use and disposal.

The integrated ECOBLOC® ERGON KL HC systems are the ideal solution to produce and bottle liquid food and beverages at a maximum speed of 7,200 bottles / hour (depending on the characteristics of the container) in large containers, 100% recyclable, eco-sustainable, light and unbreakable, safe, with a

high degree of hygiene and suitable for preserving the properties of the product contained in them.

Main advantages of ECOBLOC® ERGON KL HC systems:

• The preform heating oven mounts a system of heat-reflecting panels in energy-efficient composite material, positioned both in front and rear of the infrared lamps responsible for heating the preforms. This system ensures a high reflection of the heat generated by the lamps and consequently ensures a more uniform distribution of heat over the entire surface of the preforms. An aluminium diffuser is also integrated inside the oven to ensure optimal temperature control and thus avoid overheating problems.

• The stretch-blow moulding section is equipped with an “AirMaster” twostage air recovery system, which allows the basic air recovery system to be combined with a second circuit to recover and recycle part of the air coming from high-pressure blowing. This guarantees significant savings on the energy consumption of the compressor.

• The stretch-blow moulding unit is equipped with a motorised rod system controlled by an electronic drive and without the use of mechanical cams, for precise management of the stroke of the stretch rod, an accurate control of its position and considerable energy savings compared to traditional solutions. This system allows you

to change the stretch speed without mechanical intervention (replacement of cams).

• The mechanical group of the mould is equipped with its own motorization, which is responsible for performing with maximum precision the operations of ascent / descent of the bottom of the mould and opening / closing of the mould holder group.

• The machine adopts a system of high-performance valves and low dead volumes, which allows the reduction of energy and compressed air consumption. Optimisation of blowing cycles also ensures high operational efficiency.

• The insulation system between the dry area of the blow moulding machine and the wet area of the filler, guarantees the perfect separation of the two modules.

• The inlet of the filling product and the return of the washing product, take place in the lower part of the machine through a ceramic manifold equipped with double gaskets (one sealing, one safety), complete with inspection light. This leads to the net separation between “wet” manifolds (CIP product and return) and “dry” manifolds (electric and pneumatic), as well as high durability.

• The filling and capping modules have a modular frame, with no welding and equipped with access doors to the structure made of tempered glass, highly resistant and durable over time

• Filling module equipped with electronic gauges to ensure high filling accuracy.

• The areas of the machine, in contact with the product to be bottled, are entirely made of stainless steel and glass, for a high level of hygiene.

• The optimisation of the arrangement of the carousels inside the frame has made it possible to obtain reduced blind spots, to the advantage of the productivity of the plant.

• Quick format change of bottle guidance equipment.

• Filling module mounts dummy bottles with automatic insertion to ensure a quick product changeover and reduce operator intervention.

• Reduced maintenance and management costs of the plant.

Eco-sustainable containers for large productions

From the point of view of size, “high-capacity” containers, such as 5, 8 and 10-litre bottles, are arousing growing interest from companies in the beverage sector, that are attentive to “green” and energy-efficient solutions for their plants.

The use of large bottles, allows to bottle a certain volume of product in a smaller number of containers, thus reducing the logistic, handling and disposal costs of the entire supply chain.

SMI has decades of experience, both in the construction of machines for the production of large capacity

containers, and in the design of bottles that meet the functional and aesthetic needs of customers. Thanks to an advanced CAD centre for 3D design, SMI invests in innovative solutions to produce rPET bottles of all sizes and shapes, 100% recyclable, resistant, light and energetically “virtuous”.

Neck-in-bottle solutions

SMI develops containers with an innovative design such as the “neck-in-bottle” stackable bottles, which, thanks to the particular shape of the hollow in the base, allow to:

- Optimise the space on the pallet

- Reduce packaging costs (no need for cardboard interlayers between layers)

- Reduce transport and storage costs, thanks to the greater number of bottles on each pallet

- reduce waste: bottle packages are subject to fewer breakages during palletising

- Improve the aesthetic appearance of the pallet, which is more compact and can have personalised graphics. Solutions for “tethered caps”

The anchored caps, which remain attached to the bottle after being opened, will become an everyday object for European consumers from 2024, when the EU Directive 2019/904 comes into force. This new European Union measure establishes the minimum percentage of recycled material that must be present in plastic bottles used for bottling beverages (25% from 2025 and 30% from 2030); moreover, it states that the so-called “tethered caps” on PET and rPET bottles must remain attached to the container, so that they can be recycled together with the bottle, avoiding dispersion in the environment. Aware of the challenges that this new legislation poses to food and beverage manufacturers, SMI have studied a series of innovative solutions to produce rPET containers compliant with Directive 2019/904, supporting customers in choosing the type of bottle and tethered cap that best meets their specific needs.

Promeco: Your partner for sustainability

Solutions for mechanical and chemical plastic recycling

Promeco is an Italian manufacturing and engineering company with completed projects worldwide, and member of Chemical Recycling Europe since 2020.

Promeco is the only company able to offer advanced solutions both in terms of chemical and mechanical recycling in the plastic field. Besides the historical patented and branded Promeco® solutions, among which are primary and two shaft shredders, extruders, densifiers, briquetting machines, separators and centrifuges, it also offers a wide range of turnkey plants, as:

• Plants for chemical recycling of plastics

• Plants for the production of pellets from post-consumer and/or industrial LDPE, HDPE, PP

• Plants to produce densified second raw materials from mixed plastic waste, plasmix

• Plants for RDF production in fluff or briquettes

• Plants to produce second raw materials and finished products from mixed plastic waste

Promeco® Chemical Recycling allows to close the loop of plastic industry by offering the real opportunity to chemically recycle the waste plastics, by breaking them down into their original chemical components and allowing the moving to a more sustainable, circular economy. Chemical recycling can recycle plastics again and again, with no deterioration of quality. Plastic waste is returned to its original molecular vapor form allowing for the cleaning of all impurities. Once the impurities are removed, a condensation process returns vapor to a liquid state and then finally to a solid state that allows for the production of virginlike quality pellets that can be used for new high-quality products. Unlike mechanical recycling, chemical recycling removes 100% impurities from the waste plastics.

As the new high-quality resin is produced through the chemical recycling process, the use of fossil resources are reduced. The product generated from the waste plastic can be used as a direct replacement for the fossil resources extracted from the earth. The reduction of CO2 emissions is an important part of the impact chemical recycling has on the environment.

Of higher interest is also the Promeco® plant for recycling of fish nets (made of PA6). This line includes the highefficient combination of the wellknown densifier Promeco® extruder system® “PES” with a special single shaft extruder: they are directly connected to optimize the energy consumption and degassing, while maximizing the production. This special combination, called COMBO, is also well-known and used for a better degassing of special inked plastics or to deodorize postconsumer plastics.

A continuous melt filter can also be added to remove all the impurities from the output product.

Detail of Promeco chemical recycling plant

Among the latest environment friendly processing lines in polymers processing, the Promeco® dry cleaning of plastics system has to be mentioned: it has been developed in order to avoid water consumption and to cut down the investment and maintenance costs: this is a sustainable solution to produce pellet from post-industrial LDPE film for injection moulding. The deodorising system: the odour is typical from the post-consumer HDPE plastics and with this exclusive continuous process 95% of the volatile high molecules are removed. The system keeps the material at the desired temperature for an adequate retention time inside the reactor. It allows the vacuum system to extract the odoriferous molecules that are deeply impregnated inside the pellets. Promeco solutions allow to diversify the sources of energy and grant a sustainable growth. Taking into consideration the 17 goals of the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, as well as the European Directives about the Green Deal, Promeco is projected towards the future combining its activity of developing highly technological recycling activities with a personal program of sustainable development in the name of a circular economy to reach sustainability principles in terms of consumption and production.

ABOUT PROMECO

Densified materials through Promeco technology from plasmix, nylon, LDPE, PP

Promeco was founded in September 1996 when Maastricht Treaty set the safeguard of the environment among the basic aims of the European Community.

The main mission has always been to develop efficient and effective technologies for waste and for industrial waste recycling that can be turned to resources. Therefore, Promeco keeps on developing recycling plants in terms of supply of single machinery and turnkey plants in several sectors: plastic, wood, cardboard and organic.

Promeco R&D has been constantly growing and, thanks to a strong attitude towards self-analysis, to the interaction with suppliers and clients and above all, thanks to the capability of a long-time, cohesive, highly skilled team, Promeco has increased its offer with customized, highly technological solutions over time.

Promeco structure is simple and organized to be able to match the dynamism of the market promptly. This opposes the relationship the company has with its stakeholders as clients, suppliers, employees and participants, with which the relation is in the spirit of a long-term mutual trust. The governance is based on the core values of the company, that are transparency, trust, integrity and innovation.

Promeco strategy is focused on all the parts involved in the company activities that are considered the main resources of the company itself. This is the principle that promotes a highly inclusive work environment without any discrimination, being aware that diversity and inclusion, along with merit-based criteria and continuous learning, are the keys to success of every business, both in terms of profitability and global sustainability. Following these principles, Promeco is able to offer its clients efficient technological and profitable solutions, supporting them in achieving their goals of effective, efficient, equal and sustainable results: passion, knowhow, technological research in the name of sustainability and of circular economy with client’s profit.

PROMECO S.p.A.

Ph. +39 031267331 – e-mail: promeco@promeco.it - www.promeco.it

OR.P. Stampi, the path to innovation

of the elastomers inside the moulds. This means greater attention to the design and concept study of the mould. The design of the mould, aims to satisfy the precision of the moulded article and also at the life span of the mould, keeping in mind its balance and never taken to extremes. Last, but not least, is the study of heat dispersion in the plates, often the moulded technical articles need thermal stability, maintained throughout the moulding cycle. Again, the choice of steel, combined with the innovative systems applied to the individual plates, guarantees correct homogeneity throughout, benefitting the end customer.

OR.P. Stampi developed in one of the main manufacturing districts of Northern Italy. With the constant expansion of the company, multiple locations, the production lines were reorganized and improved, guaranteeing precision in processing, advanced technology and deliveries to customers.

2023 is proceeding in the best possible way despite the European and global situation which, like the case of the automotive industry, affects us closely. New materials and new additives in the compounds change the behaviour

OR.P. Stampi knows how much automotive means to those who mould rubber, large volumes and tight tolerances are the key issues.

OR.P. Stampi realizes how things are changing, the electric motor and the hydrogen variant are once again modifying various cornerstones in the production of elastomeric items. Let’s start with the new regulations which, before starting to “be produced” cover entire desks for days on end, an important part that is almost as fundamental as the technical articles. Waiting times for approvals and tests are important, and the time to optimize or change things is always tight. As already

mentioned, the study and design of the moulds are fundamental.

OR.P. Stampi’s investments in CAE, simulation is important, and OR.P. Stampi sees how useful they are to customers, along with continuous updates for its designers, new software, new materials and technologies to discover.

OR.P. Stampi notes with satisfaction that the “new automotive” also offers possibilities in the LSR field. The choice to take a step forward 10 years ago has been rewarded. Since the beginning of this adventure, OR.P. Stampi has been aware of the complexity and accuracy with which the moulds must be made and designed, reaching the point of undermining and upsetting some theories and beliefs that differentiate it and make it so unique compared to the classic elastomers. The creation of an LSR mould starts first of all, from a careful analysis of the process that includes materials, automations, cycles, press capacity and customer experience level. From this basic information begins the study of the article, its dynamics and geometric characteristics. Only once a complete simulation of the process has been established and implemented, does the true start phase begin.

The strength of OR.P. Stampi and the accuracy with which it selects its investments having always tried to differentiate itself from the local market, create support for production, machinery developed with important manufacturers,

Investment, simulation, accuracy are the key features to give the market what it needs to advance

dialogue and report imperfections, tolerances and possible risks. This does not remove the need for complete supervision by expert operators for ever advanced and more performing machinery and tools. Therefore, in the case of the LSR, the mould begins to shape with

manufacturing certainty, aiming directly at the consequent result, i.e. the start-up phase in the press. The use of the new Cold Runner Blocks (Needle Gate Valve system) dedicated to LSR, and the collaboration with strategic partners, make OR.P. Stampi new

customers satisfied and proactive towards these new collaborations. For this reason, the internal tests OR.P. Stampi carries out with them remain fundamental. A way to get to know each other better and work together on the behaviour of Liquid Silicone and OR.P. Stampi moulds.

Rosmould & 3D-TECH- Rosplast demonstrated record results

The exhibitions showed an unprecedented scale throughout their history: the total exposition occupied three halls of Crocus Expo and gathered 420 participants

Rosmould & 3D-TECH | Rosplast exhibitions were held in Moscow with another full house, proving their status as №1 business platform in the field of manufacturing technologies:

• 17th International Exhibition for Mould and Tool Making, Equipment and Technologies for Product Manufacture Rosmould & 3D-TECH 2023

• 13th International Exhibition of Machinery and Materials for Plastics Industry Rosplast 2023

The exhibitions showed an unprecedented scale throughout their history: the total exposition occupied three halls of Crocus Expo and gathered 420 participants from Belarus, Germany, India, Iran, Italy, China, Korea, Russia, Thailand, Taiwan, Turkey, Uzbekistan. The share of foreign exhibitors was 51%, the share of new exhibitors was 65%, and 95% of exhibitors confirmed their participation in the exhibitions in 2024. As for visitors, their number also exceeded the boldest expectations: in three days, 10,126 unique visitors came to the exposition, which is 39% more than in 2022, and this is a new record! The share of regional visitors was 45% (excluding Moscow and the Moscow region).

Zoning of the exposition and its participants

- Rosmould 2023 exposition was located in Halls 5 and 8 and presented products of the largest Russian manufacturers of molds and dies, shaping equipment and tools: Evrodetal, Europartner, Die and Mold Plant (GAZ Group), FORSH Plant, IMID, Izhevsk Tooling Plant, Engineering company, Qualitet technology, ProfNN, Sverdlovsk Tool Plant, Celeste, T-Mold, TechnoPlastYug, Factor, FormService, UrFU, collective stand

of Ulyanovsk region (Kurs, Recardo, Mida, Form-Resource), collective stand of the Russian Toolmakers Association (Betar, Impulse, MIC, Celsius) and other companies.

- 3D-TECH - Additive technologies and 3D printing exposition was also presented in Halls 5 and 8. At the largest specialized exposition in Russia dedicated to 3D technologies and additive manufacturing, visitors could get acquainted with the latest 3D printers, 3D scanners, materials for 3D printing and software from companies such as Avimetal AM, 3DLAM, 3D Alliance, 3D Vision, Cybercom, Lider 3D, Range Vision, RedFab, Top 3D Group, Thor 3D, SIU System, Syncam, TopStanok, Total Z, AB Universal, Grankom, Metalcom (Rusal), Triangulatika, Foliplast, TSTKAT, a collective stand of Skolkovo Foundation residents, a collective stand of Russian manufacturers from St. Petersburg and others.

- Rosplast 2023 exposition was located in Halls 6 and 8 and gave visitors the opportunity to get acquainted with a wide range of modern machines in operation (injection molding machines, extruders, blow molding machines), peripheral equipment, materials and technologies for the processing and production of plastic products, get acquainted with new products and receive special offers at the stands of many companies. Expert business programme of the exhibitions

Rosmould & 3D-TECH and Rosplast exhibitions have been held in Russia for more than 10 years. During this time they have earned a reputation of the leading specialized events with a diverse exposition and a unique business programme that covers all aspects of the presented industry topics. This year the business programme was held at three venues.

3D-TECH Additive Technologies Forum

was held for three days in Conference Hall H. It was devoted to the topical issues, innovative developments and development prospects in the field of industrial and professional 3D printing. Another three-day event of the business programme was PlastForum. It was held at the open Conference area in Hall 8 with the support of Union of Plastic Processors, Association of Pipeline Systems Manufacturers and polymerphys IK Russland Testing laboratory. PlastForum was opened by the plenary session “Technological Sovereignty and Technological Leadership: Dialogues and Discussions on the Development of the Polymer Industry”. In general, PlastForum had a scientific, practical and debatable character; the key industry players discussed the most important topics for the plastics industry in today’s realities. One of PlastForum participants was Daria Shevyakina, Deputy Director of the Department of Chemical-Technological Complex and Bioengineering Technologies of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation. Within the framework of PlastForum, on the first day of Rosplast exhibition, a panel discussion “Prospects for the development of cooperation between Iran and Russia in the petrochemical industry” was held, which was attended by the Deputy Minister of Oil and General Director of Iranian Petrochemical Industrial Company Shahmirzai Morteza, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Russian Federation Kazem Jalali, Member of the Board - Executive Director of SIBUR Sergey Komyshan, General Director of Association of Oil Refiners and Petrochemists Alexander Ivanov and other officials.

Three more events were held in Conference Hall J: on June 6, Media Partner of the exhibitions Plastics magazine held a conference “Smart Molding Russia / Blow Molding & Caps”; On June 7, Partner of the exhibitions TSOP “Professiya” held a technical conference “Actual issues of design, manufacture and operation of technological equipment”, consisting of a series of reports, a round table and a discussion. The conference was followed by a practical seminar conducted by the Russian Toolmakers Association.

Filtec and trade fairs

Trade fairs, always important showcases for network-making and for consolidating brand awareness even in the digital age, are still today a very effective tool for promoting company products and services. Exhibitors from all over the world and visitors curious to know the latest news in terms of technology come face to face with each other.

A real “luxury”, certainly not taken for granted in a historical moment where communication is driven by social media, messaging and email. In this sense, after the period of the pandemic, according to the AEFI (the Italian Exhibition and Trade Fair Association) there are 531 exhibitions on the calendar for 2023, of which 267 are the international ones and

264 are organized in our country. These positive numbers lead the exhibition industry to record respectively +14% and +10% compared to last year. This news obviously comforts all Italian companies, which especially this year have taken the opportunity to enhance the “made in Italy”, spreading it with enthusiasm all over the world. Filtec is well aware of this: a company from the Veneto region fresh from the celebrations for its thirty years of activity in the plastics industry and which today presents itself on the market as a shining example of the best Italian tradition, distinguished by customization and attention to detail, and which over the years has trod the stages of the most important international exhibitions for the plastic and rubber sectors.

Specialized in the field of systems for the treatment of these materials, with a large production of technologies for plastic pelletizing and filtration, Filtec can identify itself as the ideal partner to increase the competitiveness of each of its customers while maintaining the high standards required by the industry, especially regarding the implementation of eco-friendly solutions.

Founded by Gianfranco Baracco in 1993 in Badia Polesine (RO), today the company is led by his son Giovanni who, with the same determination, professionalism and above all the same passion as his father, has made Filtec grow and reach important goals both at home and abroad: 1,600 installations worldwide, 700 customers and over 400 suppliers. Passion, innovation, sustainability, and an imprint towards research are the ingredients of Filtec’s success, whose most important challenge - today more than ever - is to transform plastic into a real resource to be exploited for its qualities and to be reused to reduce pollution and protect the planet. In this sense, the technologies made in Filtec are part of the long recycling chain, allowing an effective and high-quality recycling of both postconsumer and post-industrial plastics also thanks to highly customized solutions.

The Filtec range includes: centrifuges, which can be inserted both in washing and drying systems for chips, flakes or pellets, and which guarantee quick cleaning and high level of dryness of the product; screen changers: a filtration system for melt plastic materials, mounted downstream of the extruder,

The company is ready to stand out in Italy and abroad with its technologies for the treatment of plastics

available in single and double plate versions; and also, pelletizing systems with liquid ring (Watering) and with cutting fully immersed in water (Underwater).

These last two technologies will be able to be touched by hand in one of the most important events in which Filtec will participate in 2023: Plast, the reference fair for the plastic and rubber industry. Scheduled at Fiera Milano from 5 to 8 September 2023, Plast will see the participation of over 1,200 exhibitors and buyers from more than 30 countries in four intense days dedicated to interaction and business networking. At Plast will be represented the entire supply chain, with particular attention to green technologies: in the six halls hosted by the fair, visitors will in fact find the best of innovation in the field of raw materials, finished products, extrusion systems, injection systems, blow molding machinery and auxiliaries. The event will also be enriched by 3 satellite halls, dedicated to as many supply chains of excellence such as rubber (Rubber 2023), additive manufacturing (3D Plast) and innovative plastic materials (Plast Mat).

An excellent opportunity for visibility, and an essential appointment for Filtec which will show some of the flagships of its production in a dedicated stand. A production that

takes place within the company, characterized by a versatility and operational autonomy that become synonymous with excellent quality and an example of a structured and well-organized reality. Filtec’s strong point, in fact, is the prompt, punctual and effective assistance service. On the other hand, the importance of customer care and the desire to enter into synergy with the customer to satisfy their needs is a focal point in the company’s philosophy, which not by chance places listening at the centre of its creed, with the aim to really make a difference. But the opportunities to shine do not end here for Filtec. In fact, in the autumn, Giovanni’s team will fly to Germany for Fakuma 2023, one of the main international events for the industrial processing of plastics scheduled from 17 to 21 October which offers a complete overview of the latest technologies launched on the market. For the occasion, Filtec will use virtual reality for the first time: a choice in line with the latest trends of the moment and useful for presenting all the machines in its range to the public. Thanks to a special tablet, visitors will thus be able to learn about every detail and information of Filtec technologies obviously supported by the company’s sales team, which is always welcoming and ready to

stand out thanks to professionalism and high-level technical skills. The last appointment for Filtec in 2023 will be in Istanbul for the new edition of Plast Eurasia, the reference fair in Europe for the world of plastics, scheduled from 22 to 25 November. Organized by TUYAP (Turkish Plastics Industry Foundation), in collaboration with PAGEV, the event will host over 1,000 companies exhibited in the Tüyap Fair Convention and Congress Center of the Turkish capital. In Hall 11 – stand 1105B – the wide range of Filtec solutions for the granulation and filtration of plastics will be at the attention of all those present, in an international showcase that will close a positive year full of events for the Venetian company.

The strategy to grow and compete

Filtration systems are a crucial component of extrusion, re-manufacturing, and recycling lines of polymeric materials. The final-product quality and the process’s efficiency depend on them.

BD Plast supplies a complete range of products to extrusion plant manufacturers and plastics transformers all over the world composed by manual screen changers, static filters, hydraulic screen changers, extrusion components (adapters, elbows, pipes, static mixers, diverter valves, strand dies), continuous flow screen changers, continuous flow self-cleaning screen changers, accessories (hydraulic power units, undercarriage supports, elastomers, hydraulic die changers).

Thanks to these screen changers’ versions, BD Plast’s technology can supply specific solutions capable of processing any kind of polymer while maximizing production and reducing at minimum material waste. The strategy that has allowed BD Plast to grow and develop over the years, becoming from a small national company to a strategic partner of important manufacturers of extrusion plants in Europe, Canada, and the United States, is to engineer and produce all the machines and their components internally, to keep every aspect of the production process under control, thus offering the market unique and customized solutions, capable of responding to even the most demanding requests.

It was 1986 when a family business opened its doors in Bondeno, in the province of Ferrara, immediately engaged in the production and sale of screen changers for plastic extrusion lines, consolidating its position in Italy over time through downstream technology, with the awareness of being able to compete by the flexibility of its systems and the ability to customize products.

Thirty-six years of innovation, development of ideas, and proposals for innovative solutions have characterized BD Plast’s approach to the market, with a propensity for renewal not only as regards the supply of systems but also for strategic choices aimed at responding to various changes in the production context.

The Emilian company now employs fifty highly qualified employees, capable of contributing to the growth of the company through the design and construction of new lines of machines and products such as adapters, elbows, and pipes, consolidating important international partnerships over time and enhancing the service, intended as a real added value for maximum customer satisfaction BD Plast can provide complete platforms that are grouped with screen changers of any type integrated with volumetric or gear pumps, complex solutions in which the company can supply all the downstream, excluding the extrusion heads. Many requests from the market also concern continuous flow screen changer, capable of perfect continuity of the melt flow, according to a high technology developed to minimize waste in the production cycle.

“Ours is a reality which does not work through upheavals, but follows a logic of continuous improvement and, in this sense, we are also working on traditional plants to make them economically better and safer. We have a complete line of reliable and high-quality screen changers, guaranteed by the internal mastery of the entire process, from machine design to assembly at the customer premises - said Dante Boicelli, CEO of BD Plast - We manufacture 1400 systems per year, and this commits us a lot also from the point of view of our Technical Office, which is focused on making products of different sizes and deeply customized.”

BD Plast’s technology can supply specific solutions capable of processing any kind of polymer while maximizing production and reducing at minimum material waste

BD Plast has reached the third generation of management and still employs the founding entrepreneurial family. Clarissa Frazzoli, the wife of Dante Boicelli, has always led the administrative area with the utmost attention and, since 1988, has started the IT development process of the company, bringing it nowadays to the daily use of software and IT technologies best positioned in the Magic Quadrant for the various areas, cybersecurity among the priorities.

The son Dino Boicelli, after a degree and a master’s degree in business administration, attended Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan and oversees the company’s marketing management.

Through the most recent IT platforms and CAD-CAM integrated design systems, the engineers of the company exploit all the experience and professionalism gained in the sector to offer the market the best technologies, allowing BD Plast to act as an extrusion partner, looking at the entire extrusion process, to grasp its problems and needs, to experiment with new responses modeled on different systems and to react in real-time, guaranteeing speed at every level of intervention, from the

economic offer to the sharing of the project, up to after-sales assistance.

“We have also grown a lot in terms of information technology and customer services, using the new telematics tools to reach companies and end users in difficult times, such as the one we are going through, because of the known emergencies that have marked the last two years – added Dante Boicelli - the engineer Stefano Gallieni, our new General Manager, is favoring the generational transition by guiding the company towards a mediumindustrial dimension and offering, to those who choose our expertise, a high-level service, and a very important consultancy, to analyze and solve every type of problem that arises within the production process, in a rather complex market, like today’s one.”

Customer service, both in the purchase and after-sales phase, has always been one strength of BD Plast. This sensitivity has developed thanks to constant and punctual attention that has been implemented over the years at all levels: technical assistance, availability of spare parts and components, speed of deliveries, and prompt intervention. All these ingredients make it possible to keep the equipment efficiency and to avoid production stops. The self-cleaning continuous flow screen changer,

CleanChanger©, is currently at the top of BD Plast’s range of products. The main strength of this product is carrying out the self-cleaning cycle at particularly low back pressure. Added to this is the fact that this is continuous flow equipment in which, unlike what happens with other types of screen changers, the replacement of the filtering elements takes place without stopping the extrusion line, thus avoiding waste of time and waste of materials typical of the stopping and restarting phases of the line. In addition, on CleanChanger© the replacement of the screens takes place with the automatic ejection of the breaker plates, allowing easy replacement of the filtering elements and further timesaving. The self-cleaning capacity at low back pressure, the automatic ejection of the breaker plates, and the reduced purge times are the key elements that allow up to 300 self-cleaning cycles to be reached before having to change the screens.

Currently, over twenty-five CleanChanger© are operating at plastics transformers and on extrusion plants assembled by the most important Italian and European manufacturers. Some players who purchased CleanChanger© subsequently implemented a second model, a sign of high satisfaction that BD Plast product gives to the customers.

ELVEM, at the forefront of innovation and technology

50-year expertise to support customer and provide them with reliable and sustainable technological solutions

ELVEM, a leading manufacturer of electric motors, has always operated at the forefront of innovation and technology. ELVEM is the result of the passion and dedication of a family that has been in the industry for more than 50 years, supported and flanked by excellent employees. From day one, ELVEM has acted by providing customers with customized solutions, meeting their every need with reliable and sustainable technological solutions. With a highly specialized team of engineers and technicians, ELVEM has a wide range of electric motors that cater to various applications, including the food&beverage industry.

With a stock of more than 160,000 finished motors (including electric motors in IE4 efficiency, and Permanent Magnet synchronous motors), components and semi-finished products, ELVEM guarantees ready solutions to every product sector.

ELVEM is committed to providing support to all customers in more

than 40 countries around the world, working closely with each customer every day to gather feedback and understand their needs. The motors supplied are accompanied by certifications and technical support, ensuring maximum reliability at all times. ELVEM is always looking for new solutions to expand its current boundaries, aiming to be a concrete and solid reference in the world of electric motors. That’s why

it is constantly oriented to invest in machinery and technologies that allow it to innovate and develop new products to offer to its customers, consolidating its reputation. ELVEM strives each new day as if it were the first, guided by light, the bright side of energy.

Binova BiReC: One-step process

Recycling and compounding line with corotating twinscrew extruder

Binova developed a new line able to process in one single step what normally is made in two: recycling and compound. This technology is able to process the post-consumer polyolefin material in the form of ground sheet coming from a washing line. The pellet obtained guarantees a high-quality final product.

Despite the origin, by using dual automatic filtration, Binova is able to guarantee to the end user, the possibility to produce films with thicknesses of about 20 microns. The line in question uses a corotating twin-screw extruder which can produce between 1400 and 1800 kilograms per hour according to the material introduced.

The plant is able to compound postindustrial waste with high residual moisture (up to 8%) with particular blends of pellets. The presence of a high-vacuum degassing system distributed over almost the entire length of the extruder barrel (3 vacuum degassing flues and 1 atmospheric exhaust flue) allows the granulation of highly printed films; up to 80% of printed area. The mixing of the raw materials, which occurs directly in the machine, leads to a

perfectly homogeneous material able to increase the quality of the final product.

The dosing system of the various materials can be both gravimetric and volumetric. A new gravimetric control system for ground film, although with a bulk density of around 0.05 kg/dmc, has been patented and developed within the research and development department of Binova: this guarantees the exact percentage of ground sheet which will feed the extruder. The production of this technology is entirely made in Italy, with particular attention to the quality of all the components.

Competitiveness in a single step

Being able to perform this process in a single step makes BiReC lines very competitive. With this plant Binova is very competitive, for the moment it offers its customers something unique. In addition to the reduced handling of the materials inside the factory, another very important thing is the proven reduction in energy consumption compared to other plants on the market today: for LDPE based polyolefin materials, consumption will not be higher than 0.26/0.27 kW/kg whereas for polypropylene or polystyrene based materials, such as PP, PS or HIPS, a

consumption around 0.22/0.23 kW/ kg (excluding the cooling of the process water).

Compared to a traditional line with a single-screw, here there is almost 30% of energy saving due to the co-rotating twin screw which has a higher degree of optimization. This plant was projected to meet the specific needs of a customer who wanted to obtain the same product with higher yields, but it is perfectly suited to the demands of the entire market.

Software and remote control

The line is equipped with a software that controls the whole production, even in the event of high working rhythms. The plant is equipped with an automatic OP control panel with Internet connection, which can also be managed remotely. In this way, the technician or the production manager can check the status of the process data of the line, even at a distance, from their smartphones.

Binova introduces the new operational headquarters

In order to satisfy the growing market demand at the best, Binova has invested in new operational

headquarters of approximately 2,000 square meters in the industrial area of Mezzomerico (Novara). The structure is located a few kilometers from the current production site of Oleggio (Novara), in a strategic position easily reachable from Malpensa airport, the lakes, and Milan-Turin highways. This is a further step in the growth strategy of the company, which intends to expand its market.

The new headquarters will make it possible to respond to the need for more space, to reorganize warehouse management through the use of new IT tools, to strengthen the assembly and testing processes of several plants simultaneously and to increase the workforce, thanks to the availability of large spaces dedicated to offices. The investment also provides for the updating of all corporate information technologies, in order to streamline the design and procurement processes and to better plan the flow of materials and assembly activities, as well as to improve cost control. This will also make it possible to further improve the after-sales and spare parts services.

MIX testing laboratory

MIX has enhanced its internal Testing Facility with brand new machineries where powders, granules, fibers, pastes can be tested at temperature up to +200°C and pressure up to +5bar or vacuum

Since 1990 MIX s.r.l. has been designing and manufacturing mixing systems and industrial components for bulk solids handling. During these years, MIX has had the opportunity to come in touch with many different products, learning that each process is unique and deserves a custom manufactured mixer to fulfill its purpose. Thanks to this continuously growing experience, MIX is able to design and manufacture batch and continuous mixers, dryers, reactors, granulators, sterilizers, heaters, coolers and blenders suitable for the most complicated industrial processes. MIX firmly believes in the importance of research, development and innovation.

Recently, MIX has enhanced its internal Testing Facility with brand new machineries and is now able to execute trials with harder parameters as temperature up to +200°C and pressure up to +5bar or vacuum.

Powders, granules, fibers, pastes can be tested in the new laboratory, even in classified hazardous atmosphere (ATEX).

The handling of chemical reactions, the measurement of moisture content of the products and the increase or decrease of pressure and temperature in the mixer is now fully automated. MIX laboratory allows the control of all parameters, during every step of the process. As usual, MIX guarantees the confidentiality of the processed information and that the results obtained during the trials in the testing facility are scalable and repeatable with industrial mixers; Thanks to the new laboratory it is now much easier to determine the characteristics of each raw material and, therefore, identify the most suitable mixing techniques for obtaining the desired final result.

Hall 11P stand B101

Autumn 2023 will be a significant season for the plastic industry with two major events in the sector: Plast, hosted at Fiera Milano in Rho, Italy, from September 5th to 8th, and Fakuma, taking place from October 17th to 21st in Friedrichshafen, Germany. These two important trade fairs will undoubtedly provide a real insight into the current state of the market, offering a valuable opportunity for networking and gathering opinions and perspectives on the industry’s development and new international scenarios. Additionally, it will be a chance to get to know Plastore more closely, a leading Italian company

Engaging in a fruitful dialogue

Plastore’s real strength lies in its direct and continuous relationship with the customer, to carefully listen to each request and offer ideal solutions

in the trading of plastic materials in granules, with its collaborators active in the market for over 35 years, who provide customers with the best solutions for purchasing plastic materials.

Plastore - with a warehouse spanning over five thousand square metres, located in Villamarzana, Italy - is a unique and innovative company, which offers an extensive selection of polymers, immediately available in stock and ready for delivery. With more than 1000 different types of materials in granules, Plastore maintains a constantly updated assortment, complete with detailed technical data sheets freely accessible on its website, www.plastore.it: an actual Plastic Outlet Store that is always open and accessible, allowing customers to make purchases at the best prices on the market.

However, the secret to Plastore’s success is not just its vast warehouse and wide variety of products. The real strength lies in its direct and continuous relationship with customers. The formula is simple: they carefully listen to each request to thoroughly understand every commercial and technical need. They engage in direct dialogue with companies to offer the ideal solution and, if necessary, provide valid alternatives to achieve immediate and tangible savings in a

complex and often confusing market, such as the plastic one. When talking about “after-sales service” in general terms, Plastore actually refers to building a relationship of trust and loyalty, always positioning itself as a unique point of reference: a genuine partner to entrust with the solution to various “plastic problems” and offering certainty in a historically unstable and complicated time like the present. Their staff is always available and responds with professionalism and promptness to every customer’s need, leveraging their extensive technical expertise and efficient logistics. Plastore puts itself in its customers’ shoes and knows how to create the right empathy to always find personalized and effective solutions tailored to different requirements. They look forward to meeting you at Plast (hall 9 – stand C35) and at Fakuma (hall A5 – stand 5122) to provide a unique and personalized purchasing experience, hosted by one of the most experienced agents in the field of plastic materials: Mr. Plastore, the comic character that has accompanied the advertising communication for years, perfectly embodying the company’s philosophy: experience, dynamism, trust, and business; and mission: to help its customers make money!

Engin Plast: Combined and smart solutions

The combination of Engin Plast’s quality and constant innovative research brings undoubted advantages also on the environmental level, with technologically advanced solutions and low energy consumption

Engin Plast, based in Ferrara, has been in the business of dosage, supervision, recovery and transport of plastic and non-plastic materials, since 1975. The long experience in the sector has allowed Engin Plast to

keep the focus alive on its mission: to create innovative and personalized solutions able to guarantee a tangible and lasting benefit.

The entire range of products offered by Engin Plast comes from its own plant: from design to production to guarantee its customers high-quality products that are reliable over time, reducing the problems and costs of stopping the machine during the long period of its productive life.

The combination of Engin Plast’s quality and constant innovative research brings undoubted advantages also on the environmental level, with technologically advanced solutions and low energy consumption.

The range of equipment offered by Engin Plast is intended for all application sectors of the plastic material market: extrusion, blowing, injection, stamping, on-line and offline recovery.

Certificate of reliability

Relying on Engin Plast means being able to count on its diverse skills that make the difference: flexibility in that Engin Plast adapts to any particular need that is confirmed to be appropriate and able to ensure added value after a thorough confrontation with the client; speed in understanding and satisfying the client’s urgent need thanks of professional, specialized techniques

and experience; openness to dialogue and listening in order to identify the most suitable and personalized technological solution.

The collaboration with the customer already begins in the design and construction phase; the machines are thought and designed as in “tailoring” and are “custom made” to specific customer needs.

The importance of the combination: dosing, mixing, transport and granulation systems

Engin Plast offers a wide range of products: systems for dosing and mixing, transport and granulation systems. Suitable solutions for different types of materials such as powders, ground and granules.

Engin Plast equipment ensures a very high level of precision, which allows you to obtain an undoubted economic advantage on raw materials, ensure the high quality of the finished product and allow you to reduce waste from plastic material processing to a minimum. The three-dimensional CAD design system and the specialized Engin Plast operators who manage it help ensure the precision and high definition of each project. The electronic part, managed by the company’s R&D office, helps to distinguish the machinery produced by Engin Plast for their high added value.

The integrated plant solutions offered today by Engin Plast embrace the logic of automation and programming by making the various systems interact with each other; for example, storage, transport and dosing systems for raw materials on an extrusion line with the possibility, on request, of also providing an in-line waste grinding/ recovery system. To all this we can add the provision of an advanced control system for the management and supervision of the plant.

Engin Plast dosing systems (TRIO model) can be integrated in the various fields of application in which plastic materials are used: extrusion, moulding and blow moulding.

The range of TRIO systems is based technology of the sum of weight (batch) which means that all the materials are weighed in a single balance in a sequential way. The proposed models cover the entire range of applications required by the market starting from smallsized models (minimum capacity 20 Kg/h) up to reaching capacities of 2000 kg/h.

The TRIO systems can be installed directly above the process machines in place of the loading hopper or on the ground to feed one or more production lines.

The Engin Plast proposal is completed with the range of TRIX granulators, integration between recovery and management of production waste with their reuse in mixtures made by TRIO dosing systems in eco-sustainable transformation processes. The line of Trix granulators produced by Engin Plast is the result of the combination of research into the latest technologies in the field of safety, energy saving and reliability. The specific range for the recycling of important hourly throughputs has recently been expanded.

Engin Plast granulators also adopt the philosophy of added value, optimizing each individual component. The innovative cutting concept and the blade fixing and calibration system ensure high performance with low energy consumption, while greater life and reliability of the machine are obtained thanks to the cooling of the cutting chamber and the automatic cleaning of the bearings. A particular anti-lamination system also allows you to work with fidelity and repeatability materials of non-heterogeneous typology, shape and thickness. The parts most subject to wear are built with noble materials and important thicknesses. To all this is added a slim and compact design that allows easy maintenance.

TRIO T10 gravimetric doser

R100 belt granulator

FIMIC, strong team loves challenges

60 years in a game: let’s play and find out about FIMIC’S history, a unique adventure throughout the years dotted with breakthrough innovations

Fimic has decided to celebrate its first 60 years with a game. It’ll be an unforgettable adventure, learning about the milestones that made it what they are today, as well as what is always in the company’s heart: Recycling

Step by step, or rather…one turn at the time!

A magic box and a special game that will tell FIMIC’s story

To celebrate such an important achievement, FIMIC wants to reward those who renew their faith in it every day, because for this company there’s no one more important than customers

At FIMIC they had the idea to create a special box that will tell the company’s story, describing the many challenges overcome and the goals achieved, which over time have made this company a leading one in the plastic recycling technology industry.

Of course, to collect sixty years into a box may seem like an impossible task…but then again, what is recycling if not an act of magic?

Team people are superheroes! At FIMIC, they have superpowers and use them in everything they do: the courage to be bold in groundbreaking ways, improving the filtration process when it was still fully manual; the desire to think outside the box, continuing to design and build all its products almost completely internally in its facilities; and the strength to embrace change, removing, even in the face of difficulties, the word “impossible” from the vocabulary.

That’s how FIMIC innovative machines and technologies were created, the product of Italian craftsmanship, and over time they have become synonymous with industry excellence, helping to make mechanical recycling systems ever more effective and high performing. Many great FIMIC installations demonstrate this – especially the melt filters for treating plastic materials, the company’s flagship products – which has been exported worldwide, taking Italian engineering and attention to detail with them wherever they go.

There was only one way FIMIC could grow: together

The game is packed with gadgets and surprises, and you’ll learn lots of fascinating things about the history of FIMIC. Which is, first and foremost, the history of a group

Because if magic is real, for FIMIC it is its united, passionate team that believes in the work it does, with the enthusiasm and energy to push itself a little further every time.

The game will also teach you interesting facts about recycling, to which FIMIC has always been committed. Indeed, the company’s mission from the start has been to improve the recyclability of materials in order to reduce pollution. A mission that it also pursues as co-founders of Are You R, a European project aimed at raising awareness of the importance of recycling plastics, which through our international social networks reaches hundreds of thousands of people each day across many countries.

But that’s not all: aware of how respect for nature and the environment is learnt when we are young, this year FIMIC is especially proud to have published its first children’s book: “The magical journey of the Plastic Bottle and RAS-UP” – which will be included in the box: an extraordinary adventure about recycling, which you can also hear on Spotify.

But the surprises FIMIC has in store don’t finish there! They are getting ready to welcome lots of customers and professionals at the upcoming exhibitions, with a great new development…or perhaps, should we say huge?!

The stand FIMIC itself designed will welcome and amaze with games and surprises all visitors. We can’t reveal

more, so the best thing is to come and find FIMIC at Plast, from 5th to 8th September, Stand 142 (Pavilion 15).

In its long history, FIMIC has grown year after year, partly by listening to the many needs and requests of those operating in this exciting industry. It has always responded with innovation, high quality and the complete guarantee of product performance and durability, along with a touch of creativity to find the best solution. Aware that a company’s real growth lies not just in increasing its turnover, the floors of its offices, or the number of employees, but in its capacity to embrace the future with a hunger to discover together how much it still has to offer. Today, just like sixty years ago

All this has led FIMIC to modernise and evolve, with an ever more efficient and exhaustive service offering: the speed of delivery of economically sustainable spare parts by an extremely well-equipped automated warehouse, diligence in responding rapidly to every need, the possibility of system personalisation, and the assurance of an outstanding end product

Are you ready to play?

Take up your position in the starting box, throw the dice, put your luck to the test and…enjoy!

FIMIC has been doing just that for sixty years now, and it will continue to do so together, safe in the knowledge that its next milestones will amaze you as well

If this article has whetted your appetite, simply come and find FIMIC at the trade show to learn about its latest new developments, pick up your box and get ready to play with it.

FIMIC looks forward to seeing you at Plast Milan (5th-8th September), Pavilion 15, Stand 142

CHINAPLAS 2023: A record-breaking event

The largest ever CHINAPLAS was successfully concluded at the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center, PR China on April 20. The show results were impressively indicating a great surge with 3,905 exhibitors from 38 countries and regions around the world. The show occupied 380,000sqm and recorded an attendance of 248,222 visitors from 149 countries and regions. 28,429 visitors came from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan region and overseas, accounting for 11.45% of the total.

Compared with the 2019 Guangzhou Exhibition, the total number of visitors increased by 51.99%, and compared with the 2021 Shenzhen Exhibition, it increased by 63.16%.

“The results of the exhibition exceeded expectations in terms of popularity, innovation level of exhibits, and the number and quality of visitors. The record high number of visitors reached about 250,000, including overseas visitors who had not attended the show for three years due to travel restrictions. Comparing with CHINPALAS held in 2021, the number of overseas visitors has surged considerably this year, injecting infinite vitality into the exhibition,” said Ms. Ada Leung, General Manager of Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd., the organizer of CHINAPLAS. “The success can be attributed to the right timing, location and participants. The exhibition unleashed enthusiasm and strong demand for face-toface communication between the upstream and downstream of the industry, with robust purchasing power from both local and overseas buyers. They have been actively placing purchase orders for materials and machinery. An exhibitor even claimed that it has received the largest amount of order in the past 30 years at the exhibition. The

satisfaction on the exhibition of both exhibitors and visitors has soared. The plastics and rubber industries are showing more signs of recovery and the confidence of enterprises in the market has increased, creating a vibrant and promising outlook.”

Green, Smart, Advance: Leading the High-Quality Development of the Plastics and Rubber Industries

The exhibition halls were bustling with hundred thousand of visitors. Exhibitors showcased their innovative products and technologies. On this stage for global plastics and rubber products, participants could not only see wellknown “international superstars”, but also countless rising stars. There were cutting-edge and pioneering technologies, as well as solutions with high cost-effectiveness.

The concept of low-carbon and environmental protection was prevailing, while bioplastics were under the spotlight. Innovative applications of biodegradable plastics and post-consumer recycled

plastics were shining in various sectors. At the exhibition, packaging industry was seeing strong momentum for solutions, such as single-material highbarrier films, easy-to-peel films and prefabricated vegetable packaging. New energy is advancing rapidly, and the abundance of solutions utilizing POM, POE, PA, and other materials for photovoltaics, wind power, hydrogen energy, and other clean energy sources have caught visitors’ attention. Lightweight and smart vehicles have become the trend of automotive industry, and visitors could find many innovative material and technology solutions for the manufacturing of power batteries, high-voltage connectors, charging piles, charging guns, fastcharging cables, and smart cabins. Noise reduction, spray-free, flame retardant, low dielectric, antibacterial and easy-to-clean materials were expected to be widely used in the electric and electronic fields. In-mold injection molding IMR, IML, IME and other processes have become more and more popular. Since digitalization is the major development direction of plastics and rubber industries, allelectric injection molding machines, multi-layer thick-walled lens injection molding solutions, collaborative robots, ultra-high-speed PVC pipe extrusion production lines, automated flexible production, factory IoT solutions, smart factory logistics, warehousing systems, 3D printing, etc., were showcased in the

Figures impressively indicate a great surge with 3,905 exhibitors from 38 countries and regions around the world, 248,222 visitors increasing by 63.16% on the previous edition

machinery halls to demonstrate the digital trends of plastics and rubber technologies. Plastics and rubber are penetrating into downstream application industries such as electronics, automotive, packaging, building materials, medical, sports and leisure, for the betterment of our living.

The concurrent events held during the exhibition were brilliant. Events such as “SciXplore Forum”, “PRSI – Shining Stars in Plastics & Rubber Industries”, “Tech Talk”, “CHINAPLAS X CPRJ Plastics Recycling & Circular Economy Conference and Showcase”, “Design x Innovation” , “Empowering Product Quality with Advanced Molding & Innovative Technology” Symposium”, “Applications in Focus “, “Market Insights Hub”, “Development Day for Campus Elites” talent matching activities, were well received with high attendance. Each event had its unique features and distinctive themes, closely related to the industrial market trends and hot topics, gathering elites from all industries to discuss the development of the industry. Several business matching events were also organized during the exhibition.

Successful results with overwhelmed rave reviews from exhibitors and visitors

CHINAPLAS 2023 has launched a vast array of innovative solutions to support smart, efficient, cost-

effective, and low-carbon initiatives, in line with industry demands including but not limited to increase productivity, improve product quality, and reduce costs. Industry elites have signed contracts and discussed collaborations at the fairground, engaging in face-toface communication, exploring and enhancing skills, unleashing potentials, broadening horizons, sparking inspirations, and expanding networks

and resources. Both exhibitors and visitors expressed their satisfaction and fruitful experience at this year’s exhibition.

Mr. Kong Wei, Brand Management Manager of Beijing Chemical Industry Group Co., Ltd.: “This is the first time that Beijing Chemical Industry Group has participated in the exhibition, and the results have been remarkable. The group’s visibility in the market has been greatly enhanced. The number of

visitors was significant, and the overall quality was high. This year’s exhibition has enabled us to successfully develop more than 30 new customers and establish communications and connections.”

Mr. Hong Jianxiang, Manager of the Recycling Department of Da Fon Environmental Technology Co., Ltd.: “Since we have obtained food-grade certification, in addition to our existing international brand customers, this exhibition also brought many foodrelated brands to our booth for business discussions. During 4 show days, we have met hundreds of manufacturers for consultation, and dozens of customers have already entered the material trial and sales stages, which is an unexpected achievement for Da Fon Environmental Technology.”

Ms. Xu Fengchun, General Manager of Guangdong Xinhuida Machinery Technology Co., Ltd.: “During the 4-day exhibition, the total amount of sales contracts reached RMB 22.365 million, with a total of 35 machines sold, including 3 sets of the same exhibited machine. This year’s exhibition has

For those who missed or wanted to replay any exciting moments of the exhibition, please scan the below QR code of CHINAPLAS Live to have a virtual exhibition tour now.

been particularly successful, with a large number of overseas buyers from countries and regions, such as India, Dubai, Russia, and South Korea etc. The proportion of local and overseas buyers was roughly equal, with overseas buyers demonstrating surprisingly strong purchasing power. Almost all overseas buyers who visited our booth left with orders.”

Ms. Qian Juan, Deputy Manager of the Marketing Department of Jiangsu Victor Machinery Co., Ltd.: “The showcase of our new machine model was very successful and received recognitions from both local and foreign customers. They all expressed their interests in investing in this new machine model that is oil-free, energy-saving, high-yielding, and highly automated. On the first day of the exhibition, we signed contracts for 5 new equipment orders with upgraded technology, which was a great start. On the second day, a foreign trade team came and signed orders with us at the exhibition.”

Ms. Yang Wei, director of Aoki Technical (Foshan) Laboratory,

Inc.: “Based on our experience, the number of visitors this year has significantly increased compared to the previous years, and the level of professionalism among them has also improved. There were notably more visitors from the pharmaceutical and cosmetic packaging industries. During this exhibition, our company successfully signed contracts for 2 sets of equipment, one of which includes the exhibited machine, and the results were better than expected.”

Visitors appreciated the fruitful journey for the “hard skills” of plastics and rubber technologies.

Mr. Shang Peilei, Packaging Technology Manager of Supply Chain Management Department of Yihai Kerry Arawana Holdings Co., Ltd.:

“CHINAPLAS was even more popular after the epidemic, with recordbreaking numbers of exhibitors and visitors. I was amazed after visiting. All kinds of exhibitors brought their own outstanding products. As an end-user brand owner, we can find various solutions we need, such as green materials and related additives,

smart manufacturing equipment, strengthened and toughened special materials and technologies, etc. There were practical forums every day, and through on-site visits and connections, we could better understand industry trends and technological directions, enriching our knowledge and supply resources.”

Mr. Shang Weiwei, R&D Department Director of Nobo Automotive Systems Co. Ltd.: “The organizer’s thoughtful services and the exhibitors’ abundant and practical technologies at this exhibition have allowed our team to learn a lot. We have seen some low-carbon, environmental friendly, and innovative materials that we are interested in.”

Mr. Long Shoufu, Manager of the Product Technology Department of Dongguan Konge Plastic Mould Co., Ltd.: “The automation level and efficiency of injection molding displayed at this exhibition are very high, such as Yizumi and Topstar. We have seen energy-saving equipment, integrated molding auxiliary equipment, and thickwalled transparent products at the

exhibition. Overall, we had a great visiting experience.”

Mr. Liu Shihong, Senior Engineer of the Mold Department of Respironics Medical Products (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.: “The objectives of visiting CHINAPLAS are to find some high-precision technologies and equipment and further communicate with existing suppliers. Our company mainly produces respiratory medical silicone masks, and all mask accessories use medical-grade PC and liquid silicone. The innovation of local and foreign equipment was the highlight of this exhibition.”

Mr. Tang Xun, Engineer of the R&D Department of Rifeng Enterprise Group Co., Ltd.: “As an expert in pipelines, I saw the iterative updates of pipeline production equipment at this exhibition. Combined with our optimized production process, I saw the development of extrusion equipment. Local extrusion equipment has reasonable designs and mature supporting systems. In terms of formula and raw materials, we saw the maturity of antibacterial and flame retardant masterbatch

raw materials at the exhibition. In terms of the application, research and development, and production of CPVC pipes are relatively mature in China. The upturn of the sector is coming, and I look forward to the next CHINAPLAS held in Shanghai.”

Mr. Raul Capnero, Manager of Benyex Ltda. from Chile: “The advantage of physical exhibitions is that you can communicate and meet with exhibitors face-to-face, which facilitates interaction by narrowing the distance. During this visit, we have a fruitful experience. We were not only able to find suitable suppliers, but also made purchases on-site.”

Mr. Gao Jingmin, Senior Engineer of the R&D Department of Zhuzhou Times New Material Technology Co., Ltd.: “We gained a lot from this visit. Through the communication with the exhibitors, we have basically identified our next suppliers, and expect to have in-depth technological exchanges with them and form partnerships. I am very grateful for the thoughtful arrangements of the organizer, playing a role as a bridge and hub for both suppliers and buyers, fostering development of the industry.”

Mr. Xie Tongli, Director of the Engineering Technology Center of Guangdong Lepusheng Stationery Co., Ltd.: “I pay special attention to CHINAPLAS every year! This visit was quite fruitful: from the technology required for front-end development to R&D processes, production equipment, and smart manufacturing, we found better and higher-quality supply chains and related technologies. It is evident that ‘green and low-carbon development’ is a global trend and direction, and CHINAPLAS, with its powerful industry resources, is helping companies transform their production methods into a more environmentalfriendly way.”

Mr. Fateh ZAOUI, Commercial Manager of SARL General Outillages Et Moules from Algeria: “CHINAPLAS is a great exhibition with a lot to see. Chinese machineries have good quality and reasonable prices. I just bought 2 sets of machines from a Chinese supplier.”

The reputed exhibition has concluded with applauses. We never stop to explore a sustainable future for the plastics and rubber industries. Thank everyone we met, as well as the recognition and support of industry professionals! CHINAPLAS is held in Shenzhen every odd-year and in Shanghai every even-year. The next exhibition will return to the National Exhibition and Convention Center, Hongqiao, Shanghai, PR China, on April 23-26, 2024.

www.ChinaplasOnline.com

PRS MEA (Dubai, UAE) - 5-7 September www.prseventmea.com

PLAST (Milan-Rho, Italy) - 5-8 September - www.plastonline.org

POWTECH (Nuremberg, Germany) - 26-28 September - www.powtech.de/en

INTERPLAS (Birmingham, UK) – 26-28 September - www.interplasuk.com

FAKUMA (Friedrichshafen, Germany) - 17-21 October - www.fakuma-messe.de

SOLIDS ROTTERDAM (Rotterdam, The Netherlands) - 4-5 October - www.solidsrotterdam.nl

PLASTIC EXPO (Tokyo, Japan) - 4-6 October - www.material-expo.jp

PLASTIC & RUBBER INDONESIA (Jakarta, Indonesia) - 15-19 November www.plasticsandrubberindonesia.com

2024

ARABPLAST (Dubai, UAE) - 13-15 December - www.arabplast.info

PLASTEX (Cairo, Egypt) - 9-12 January – www.plastexegypt.com

SAMUEXPO (Pordenone, Italy) - 1-3 February – www.samuexpo.com

MECSPE (Bologna, Italy) - 6-8 March - www.mecspe.com

TIRE TECHNOLOGY EXPO (Hannover, Germany) - 19-21 March - www.tiretechnology-expo.com

COSMOPROF (Bologna, Italy) - 21-23 March www.cosmoprof.com

CHINAPLAS (Shanghai, China) - 23-26 April - www.chinaplasonline.com

SAUDIPLAS (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) - 6-9 May www.saudipp.com

PLASTIC EXPO (Osaka, Japan) - 8-10 May - www.plas.jp/en-gb.html

PLASTPOL (Targi Kielce, Poland) - 21-24 May 2024 - www.targikielce.pl/en/plastpol

ARGENPLAS (Buenos Aires, Argentina) - 4-7 June - www.argenplas.com.ar

SOLIDS (Parma, Italy) - 6-7 June - www.solids-parma.de/it

PRSE (Rai - Amsterdam, The Netherlands) - 19-20 June www.prseventeurope.com

PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD EXPO (Brussels, Belgium) - 11-12 September - eu.plasticsrecyclingworldexpo.com

Plastics Rubber & index

Hall 9 / Booth C146