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Development group to investigate RPD techniques with Smart car redesign September 25, 2003
A project to demonstrate the capability of components built using rapid prototyping technologies is being set up by the Rapid Product Development Group, a tripartite organisation funded by the South East England Development Agency and consisting of commercial rapid product development company 3T RPD, The Centre for Rapid Design and Manufacture at Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College and The Regional Centre for Manufacturing Innovation at Portsmouth University. The idea is to replicate or re-design components on a Smart car which has been bought by 3T RPD, and re-build them using various techniques including polyurethane vacuum casting and selective laser sintering. The car will then be driven in normal everyday conditions to demonstrate their functionality.
Final year Students in the South East region are being invited to work on this project. With involvement from the University of Portsmouth and the Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College, they will have access to a rapid prototyping facilities, 3D CAD and measurement techniques.
The initiative for ideas rests with the students. Some existing proposals include:
Customising existing features such as headlamp surrounds and hub caps to provide bespoke visual identity.
New internal and external accessories such as cup holders and sports equipment racks to be conceived, designed, prototyped and tested in situ.
Potentially, the performance of the car could be enhanced through the use of air scoops to force more air into the engine, and an air dam for aerodynamic performance.
And the in-car entertainment system could be upgraded with more powerful speakers.
'Biggest twin sheet former in the UK' September 25, 2003
New twin sheet former at Big Bear is the UK's biggest.
What is described as the largest twin sheet rotary thermoforming machine in the UK has been installed by Big Bear Plastic Products at its at Droitwich plant. The machine, supplied by MAAC USA, will mould parts up to 3,658 × 2,514 × 880 mm deep.
Big Bear currently has large rotary single sheet thermoforming machines and makes parts for off-road vehicles, caravans and household equipment. The twin sheet machine will enable new applications and the opportunity to produce larger parts.
The new installation is in a 1,000 square metre factory and has its own services. Total investment is £1·2 million.
Horners bottle award winner September 25, 2003
Bailey's bottle wins Horners' Bottle Making Award.
The winner of the 2003 Horners' Bottle Making Award is the Bailey's Minis bottle from Diageo. The PET bottle, which is made in Dublin, Ireland on a Nissei ASB 250 injection stretch blow machine, is thick-walled to impart a premium feel consistent with the quality image of the product.
The durable bottle was judged ideal for handling in production and economic to transport. The metal closure from United Closures & Plastics has a 'gullwing' tamper-evident closure which remains attached to the cap when opened. The liqueur can be safely drunk straight from the bottle and the empty bottle is suitable for recycling.
The bottle has a printed PVC shrink film sleeve supplied by Decorative Sleeves and designed by Bloom Design. This is both functional in that it protects the product from UV light and aesthetically pleasing, as it is consistent with the imagery used in Bailey's advertising.
Runner up for the award was Alcan Fibrenyle's Alcaball angle neck roll-on deodorant bottle, now used by several household toiletry brands, due to its lightweight and ergonomic design (12 g against 16 g for the previous pack design). It is made on a Uniloy IBS 129 machine and produced by Alcan Fibrenyle.
DuPont plans Chinese fluoropolymers plant September 25, 2003
DuPont has taken another step towards making fluoropolymers in China. DuPont Fluoroproducts and DuPont China Holding Co have signed a land reservation agreement in the Jiangsu province for a fluorochemical and fluoropolymer manufacturing centre.
DuPont is aiming to form a joint venture with Zhonghao New Chemical Material Co later this year to produce HFC refrigerant blends for air conditioning and refrigeration. These will be the first products to be made at Jiangsu.
Total investment at the site could reach $100 million over several years.
Dow raises PET, SBR and polybutadiene rubber prices September 25, 2003
A further increase of Eur 100/tonne is to be applied to the price of Dow's Lighter PET from October 1. The company raised its price by Eur 100/tonne on August 1.
At the same time Dow will increase its synthetic rubber prices and will impose control over several grades because of tight supply against demand forecast for the last quarter of this year. The price for styrene butadiene rubber will be raised by Eur 30/tonne and the price of polybutadiene rubber by Eur 70/tonne.
Huhtamaki restates Polish presence September 25, 2003
Finnish-based packaging specialist Huhtamaki has opened a new paper and plastic packaging plant at Siemianowice in Poland, replacing the plant badly damaged by fire in 2000.
The company's smaller Polish plant in Chelmek has been relocated to the site. A new, separate, building houses a new production line for expanded polystyrene products. Total investment in Siemianowice amounts to Eur 30 million.
Huhtamaki's Polish presence anticipates growth in exports of processed and fresh foods with Poland's membership of the EU.
Huhtamaki has been making packaging in Poland since June 1993.
Germany's Röchling Haren Group which makes semi-finished products and machined finished components in thermoplastics and composite materials is merging its subsidiaries Röchling Haren and Röchling Trovidur to form Röchling Engineering Plastics on January 1.
The two companies' sales and distribution activities for thermoplastic products have already been combined. Very little else will change. The site in Haren will continue to produce polyolefins (PE/PP), PVDF and composite materials (glass-fibre reinforced plastics and laminated densified wood) while PVC panels will still be manufactured at the Troisdorf site.
After the merger the new company will be able to offer its customers the whole product range from a single source.
The Röchling Haren Group has 22 sites world-wide. Group sales in 2002 amounted to Eur 225 million, some 80 per cent of this figure being achieved outside Germany.
Natural gas a viable feedstock for polypropylene September 25, 2003
An alternative to petroleum feedstocks for making polypropylene has reached commercial possibility with Lurgi's methanol to propylene process. PP has been made with the process by Borealis and formed into drinking cups.
Until now propylene has mainly been produced as a co-product with ethylene from steam crackers. To find additional feedstocks to meet growing demand for propylene and polypropylene, research is concentrating on new propylene production processes. One of these is the MTP (methanol-to-propylene) process developed by Lurgi, which uses methanol as a feedstock obtained from natural gas.
Lurgi proved the viability of the process at a demonstration unit operated jointly with Statoil at Statoil's methanol plant in Norway. To confirm the quality of the propylene obtained in the demonstration unit, samples were sent to Borealis' Innovation Centre in Rønningen, Norway. Here, it was polymerised with Borealis' Borstar process to polypropylene that met all specifications, and converted into thermoformed cups. Lurgi is now in a position to offer the MTP process on a commercial scale.
DSM unveils strategies for expansion in engineering plastics September 17, 2003
DSM has ambitions to expand its engineering plastics business and is looking towards both organic growth and acquisition to do so.
The company has been going through a major reorganisation which has seen it dispose of a number of volume and non-core polymer businesses over the past few years as it followed a strategy of emphasising life sciences (pharmaceuticals, food and agricultural products) and performance materials - primarily engineering plastics.
Its sale of most of its polyolefins businesses to SABIC last year helped redefine its product interests - although it still retains EPDM manufacture - and together with the sale of its shares in the Dutch gas company EBN, gave it a cash bonus of around Eur 3·7 billion.
Part of this money is being spent on buying a slice of the Swiss Roche pharmaceuticals business, but vice chairman Jan Zuidam confirmed at a press meeting today that DSM has ambitions to buy additions to its engineering plastics and coatings resins businesses. No specific companies are said to be targetted at present, but Mr Zuidam emphasised that DSM is interested in outright purchases rather than joint ventures, unless DSM were to be the dominant partner. The product areas of primary interest are high performance semi-crystalline materials to reinforce the position currently occupied by its Stanyl nylon 46.
As well as portfolio expansion, DSM is looking towards geographical expansion, with a heavy emphasis on increasing its presence in China. This it sees as a deep commitment with a preparedness to invest in polymerisation plant, not just local compounding. Indeed, DSM is in a joint venture in caprolactam which is currently being debottlenecked to increase capacity, and already has a 25 per cent stake in a nylon 6 plant in China. It anticipates investment in further nylon 6 capacity to utilise the access it has to 150,000 tonnes of caprolactam.
For some years DSM has had a rolling investment plan, and is currently spending around Eur 100 million on projects to expand and improve its engineering plastics business. These are:
The recent start-up of a fourth compounding line in China.
The imminent start-up of a new large capacity compounding line for Akulon nylon 6 at Emmen in the Netherlands and a smaller line at Pune in India.
Approval for a 25 per cent expansion of Arnitel copolyester elastomer capacity at Emmen, with the automotive air bag cover market as a major driver.
Plans for further capacity expansion of high viscosity Akulon PA6 capacity and debottlenecking of the Stanyl nylon 46 and Stamylan UH UHMWPE plants.
DSM has also opened a new regional development centre in China.
More polyolefins price rises from Dow September 11, 2003
Dow is increasing European PE and PP prices even more. Following its two-stage Eur 150/tonne price increase for August 1 and September 1, it is now planning to raise prices by a further Eur 100/tonne on October 1.
New CEO for DuPont Dow September 10, 2003
John R 'Jack' Lewis is to become president and chief executive officer of DuPont Dow Elastomers in succession to Theo G Krapels, who has retired after nearly 30 years.
Jack Lewis is currently vice president of Asia Growth Initiatives for DuPont Performance Coatings. He takes over on September 15.
Arburg adds bigger all-electric September 10, 2003
Two years since the public debut of its all-electric Alldrive injection moulding machine at K2001 Arburg is adding a second model. The Allrounder 520A will be introduced at Fakuma, and has a 160 tonne clamp - the original 420A is an 80 tonnes machine. The 520A on show will be equipped with a clean room enclosure and will be moulding a medical component.
New engineering material for rotomolding is secured by Clarehill September 10, 2003
The cyclic butylene terephthalate (CBT) material produced by Cyclics Corp in the USA is to be used exclusively in the UK for rotational moulding by Clarehill Plastics of County Armagh. The agreement between the two companies also gives Clarehill market development rights in the rest of Europe.
Powdered CBT, when melted, becomes polybutylene terephthalate (PBT). It has better barrier properties than polyethylene and can be rotomoulded with fibre reinforcement for higher strength and stiffness. The lower melt viscosity gives better surface detail reproduction, and CBT can be demoulded hotter, speeding up moulding cycles and enabling moulds to be kept at a constant temperature.
Cyclics is planning to make CBT in Europe at BASF's Schwarzeheide plant in Germany from early next year.
Clarehill is still very much at the development phase as to how it will use CBT. The company's major business is in oil storage tanks, and CBT's improved petroleum resistance over polyethylene offers potential here, as well as in vehicle fuel tanks.
British Vita has bought its sixth company this year. It has taken over a small French TPE compounder, Polytex, based near Bordeaux. Polytex employs 10 people and specialises in 'clean room' compounds for the medical devices market, with sales of Eur 2·5 million in 2002. Vita has paid Eur 0·7 m from existing reserves.
In March Vita bought Italian masterbatch producer Synco and in June it bought the Ronfalin ABS compounds business from DSM in the Netherlands and Crown General's sheet extrusion division in Belgium.
Also this year British Vita took over Roberts Adhesives in the Netherlands, which has been added to the Vita Liquid Polymers division, and Polish foam conversion company IFS, which is now part of the group's Cellular polymers business.
As well as buying new businesses British Vita is building new plants. In August it opened a Nonwovens division plant at Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA, the £3·7 million cost being the latest in a series of investments in the business, and it is planning to build a plant in Hungary for its Cellular Polymers business, to strengthen its existing position in Eastern Europe.
DuPont renames outgoing fibres division September 5, 2003
DuPont has taken another step towards the disposal of its DuPont Textiles & Interiors fibres and intermediates business by renaming it Invista. Last month DuPont announced that it was in exclusive negotiations with Koch Industries to sell the business.
Battenfeld harnesses multiple motors for extruder drive September 5, 2003
Battenfeld Extrusionstechnik has adopted a new drive structure for its single screw extruders. The CMG drive does not use a conventional gearbox, but instead splits the motor power between four asynchronous three-phase motors which have output shafts ganged to drive a central gear.
Battenfeld says this configuration occupies half the space of preceding drives, and that because the individual motors have small rotors with a consequent low peripheral speed, sound output is greatly reduced - as is vibration.
Because of the smaller drive size, extruders can be placed closer together on coextrusion lines. Bausano of Italy has for many years used a multi-motor set up on its Multidrive counter-rotating twin screw extruders, splitting the drive from four motors (two on machines below 90 mm) between the two screws. It currently also uses three-phase asynchronous motors, with an inverter drive.
Fluoropolymer coatings specialist Whitford Plastics has appointed Dr Michael Coates as managing director, succeeding David Speight who has taken up a new job at Whitford directing special projects. Dr Coates retains his position as president of fluoropolymer powder manufacturer Laurel Products.
Middle Eastern converters geared for exports September 4, 2003
The Middle East is waking up to become not just a major exporter of polyolefins, but also an exporter of finished and semi-finished plastics products, particularly sheet, film, packaging materials, medical supplies and construction products.
SABIC's vice president of polyolefins Dr Abdulrahman Al-Ubaid told a conference in Dubai that currently demand for polyolefins in the Middle East was around half the region's capacity to supply. In the past four years demand increased 3 per cent per year while annual capacity increase was 12 per cent - and over the next four years will increase by 15 per cent per year. In absolute terms, over the next four years polyethylene capacity is expected to increase by 12 million tonnes, while domestic demand will increase by around 2·5 million tonnes. By 2007 there should be a Middle Eastern polyethylene surplus of more than 9 million tonnes.
Gross Domestic Product in the Middle East is predicted to exceed global GDP for some years to come with a similar trend for North Africa, creating a growth home market for polyolefins. While per capita consumption of polyolefin products in the Middle East is expected to double by 2006, there are currently large converters with low utilisation rates on modern, high capacity equipment. This under-utilisation is applying a high fixed cost overhead to domestic production and provides a major incentive to produce for export.
In addition, there are many small converters and Dr Al-Ubaid predicted that following the global trend, these would consolidate for greater efficiency, and add further export pressure.
China to lead the world market in polypropylene September 4, 2003
China is predicted soon to overtake the USA as the world's largest consumer of polypropylene. According to the Polypropylene Annual Report from US consultant Phillip Townsend Associates, China has increased its PP consumption relative to that of the USA from 60 per cent five years ago to around 95 per cent now. By 2007 it is expected to need 120 per cent as much PP as the USA.
SINOPEC of China is currently the world's second largest producer of PP, with PetroChina ranking 13th - but with a licensing agreement with Basell that will essentially double its capacity by 2007.
Demand in China is currently around 2·5 million tonnes short of domestic capacity, and Townsend says this shortfall is likely to double by 2007. A major source of supply to meet this shortfall is South Korea, but the Middle East (see the previous story) is also escalating the tonnage available for export. According to SABIC's Dr Abdulrahman Al-Ubaid, the Middle East reached supply-demand balance in polypropylene in 2002, became a net exporter of 120,000 tonnes in 2003, and will increase this to 900,000 tonnes in 2006. New production in Oman and expansions in Saudi Arabia and Iran will raise polypropylene production in the Middle East to more than 2·4 million tonnes per year by 2006.
India is also tipped by Townsend as a likely future supplier to China, although its own growth in consumption is pressing supply. A further 400,000 tonnes of capacity is due on line over the next five years, but in the same period consumption will increase by double that amount. Polypropylene Annual Report estimates that the Asia/Pacific region accounts for more than a third of world polypropylene consumption, with demand of nearly 12 million tonnes in 2002 exceeding the 2001 figure by 10·4 per cent. Global consumption increased by 2·2 million tonnes in 2002 (7 per cent) to reach more than 34 million tonnes. The report forecasts that consumption will grow worldwide by 6·6 per cent to reach 47 million tonnes by 2007.
Great Lakes Chemical Corporation is to increase the European price for pentabromodiphenyl oxide based flame retardants by 10 per cent from September 15.
Vita keeps raw material prices at bay September 4, 2003
Broadly stable half year results have been reported by British Vita, with strengthening raw material prices being matched by higher sales prices, keeping profits around equal to the previous year in absolute value, although lower in percentage terms. The £5·3 million fall in pre-tax profit to £34·0 million was due mainly to the partial sale of the Spartech business in 2002. Chairman Jim Mercer is planning to retire at the end of the year, and will be succeeded by David Cotterill who will become non-executive chairman from January 1.
Dutch-based international building products group Wavin has expanded its position in plastic pipes and fittings with the purchase of Ekoplastik of the Czech Republic. Wavin has Eastern European factories in Poland, Hungary and Lithuania but currently has no production in the Czech Republic - although it does sell sewer and utility pipes and fittings there.
Ekoplastik makes hot and cold tap water pipe systems at a plant near Prague, employing 250 and with an annual turnover of Eur 27 million.
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