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BASF sells off specialty PS compounds March 31, 2004
BASF is to sell its polystyrene specialty compounds business to Spartech. The business, which includes compounds of flame retardant and antistatic polystyrene specialty products, is being bought by Spartech Polycom, a subsidiary of Spartech Corporation in the US with production facilities in the US, Mexico and France. The production of polystyrene compounds will be transferred to Spartech's production plant in Donchery, France, which has a 45,000 tonnes capacity and is currently being expanded. BASF will close its polystyrene compounds production in Ludwigshafen, as announced in October last year.
The deal will take effect on April 15. No price is being disclosed. Sales of the business last year were approximately Eur 9 million in Europe.
These polystyrene compounds add to Spartech's existing range of compounded polystyrene and polyolefins. Spartech has three business segments which operate out of 47 North American and European facilities, processing more than 600,000 tonnes of colour and specialty compounds, sheets, moulded and profile products per year.
Solvay puts all its plastics in the same pot March 31, 2004
Solvay is to combine its materials manufacturing and plastics processing operations into a single unit. The move is one of two major structural changes, the other being the consolidation of all the company's pharmaceutical businesses into a separate subsidiary company incorporated in Luxembourg.
The creation of the new Plastics Sector will reduce from four to three the number of Solvay's operating divisions, all of which will be approximately equal in size. It will combine Solvay's businesses in speciality polymers such as its fluoropolymer operations, automotive fuel tanks and systems, pipes and fittings, technical and medical films, and PVC and its derivatives. The combined plastics activities had total sales of Eur 3·2 billion in 2003, with 11,300 employees worldwide. 2002 sales were Eur 3·4 billion. Combined pre-tax profits fell from Eur 301 million in 2002 to Eur 217 million last year, representing a 40 per cent drop in profits by the plastics sector and a 34 per cent improvement in processing.
Eastman to go ahead with Hartlepool closure March 31, 2004
Eastman Chemical has decided to close its Hartlepool copolyester plant after starting discussions with staff and unions in February. Production will be moved to other existing locations, primarily its headquarters site in Kingsport, Tennessee, USA where capacity is to be increased, but the company also has spare capacity at Kuantan in Malaysia.
The Hartlepool site manufactures a variety of copolyesters, including Embrace, Eastar copolyester 6763 and Eastar Bio biodegradable copolyester, and has 75 employees. No announcement has been made as to when the plant will shut, but Eastman said it will include the costs of closure in this year's first quarter results.
Clariant plans rationalisations March 31, 2004
Clariant is to close its Beverley, East Yorkshire, site at the end of 2005 and move manufacturing - primarily of chemicals for the leather industry - to Selby, where it will establish a 'centre of excellence' for phenol chemistry. At the same time it is to shut the azo pigments plant at Knapsack in Germany.
Futures trading to reduce the risk of plastics price fluctuation March 31, 2004
Future contracts in plastics are expected to be traded alongside metals on the London Metal Exchange by the end of the year. The LME has set out plans to start futures contracts for polypropylene and linear low density polyethylene, providing 'a credible price risk mechanism for managing price volatility within the plastics supply chain'. If trading is successful in PP and LLDPE, the Exchange will consider adding other polyethylenes, PET, and PVC.
LME chief executive Simon Heale said that the combination of the size of the plastics market (£120 billion, but not just encompassing the materials to be traded) and the fact that plastics are not traded on any other exchange could make plastics trading even more successful than trading in aluminium, which started in 1978 and now accounts for 39 per cent of the LME's trades. Mr Heale thought other exchanges would be watching the LME's progress 'with interest'.
The need for a futures market in plastics is seen as necessary to match the daily price fluctuations in oil and refined products with the resulting monthly fluctuations in plastics prices and the annual fluctuations in the prices of manufactured products. Futures and future options will be traded up to 15 months ahead of delivery, and longer if there is industry demand. An official price will be quoted by the LME daily at 16.00, although trading will continue on a 24 hour basis.
The two materials with which the LME is entering the market are general purpose injection moulding grade homopolymer polypropylene with a nominal melt flow rate of 12 and general purpose film/blending grade LLDPE, nominal melt flow rate 0·8, with slip and anti-block additives. Contract size will be 24·75 tonnes per lot - representing one 40 foot container load of 18 pallets - of materials packaged in 25 kg/55 lb bags, 55 bags per pallet, each pallet with shrink/stretch hood.
More price rises have been announced in PET, polystyrene, acrylic monomers, nylons and flame retardants on April 1.
Continued tight supply and strong demand for PET are causing Dow Europe to add a further Eur 100/tonne for its Lighter materials. This is the company's fourth price rise this year, totalling Eur 360/tonne.
Dow is also increasing the price of its Styron GPPS, HIPS and speciality polystyrenes by Eur 50/tonne.
BASF is to raise the price of acrylic acid and acrylic esters by Eur 130/tonne.
DSM will increase the price of Akulon nylon 6 by Eur 120/tonne, following increases by Rhodia and BASF. DuPont is to raise nylon 6 and 66 base polymer prices by 8 per cent.
US flame retardant manufacturer Albemarle is increasing worldwide prices for its Antiblaze chlorinated phosphate esters, Saytex HP-900 hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) and Saytex CP-2000 tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) by 10 per cent. The price of NcendX P-30 phosphate-based flame retardant will rise $0·35/kg. Price stable flame retardant from China: A powdered chlorinated paraffin flame retardant from China is now available in the European market from Chance & Hunt.
Guardion CP70 is a white, low CTC grade of chlorinated paraffin which the company says is a viable alternative in a market dominated by a small number of producers and brands. Chance & Hunt says it has secured a cost-effective production process in an ISO-registered plant with sufficient capacity to ensure long term price stability with prices remaining firm until at least December 2004.
ActiTUF barrier system adopted for European beer March 31, 2004
The ActiTUF single-layer PET barrier technology from the M & G Group is being used in Europe for the first time. Interbrew has adopted it for its new PET-based Atigo containers for Stella Artois and Jupiler beers in Belgium and in the Dommelsch beer sold in The Netherlands.
ActiTUF barrier technology consists of an active oxygen scavenging system and a passive gas barrier system. The homogeneous barrier components are incorporated into special preforms designed specifically to meet Interbrew's requirements.
M & G has researched whether the components of ActiTUF could adversely affect the use of recovered PET in secondary markets. These studies have been conducted by external testing facilities according to Petcore protocols and have concluded that ActiTUF does not adversely affect the ability to use recovered PET for typical secondary applications such as fibres, bottles and strapping.
Research facility for plastics packaging March 31, 2004
A plastics packaging research facility has been opened at the University of Sheffield. FaraPack Polymers is a joint-venture between the Faraday Packaging Partnership and the Polymer Centre at the university. It is a laboratory-based resource combining packaging expertise and technological 'know-how' to solve technical problems and develop innovative materials.
The core service is based on rapid turn around, short-term development work involving: materials development and applications; bespoke synthesis of new polymeric materials; problem solving; creative thinking; innovation; analysis and testing facilities.
Ticona to expand US acetal production March 31, 2004
Ticona is planning to increase acetal production in the USA by debottlenecking its Bishop, Texas plant. The multi-million dollar operation will boost output from 86,000 tonnes to 102,000 tonnes by the end of 2004 to meet the projected need for acetal in 2005 and beyond.
Ticona is also in partnership with Polyplastics, Mitsubishi Gas Chemical and Korea Engineering Plastics Company in building a 60,000 tonnes acetal plant in China, expected to be operational in the second quarter of 2005.
Freudenberg of Germany has bought the American release agents producer Chem-Trend and placed it with its own Klüber Lubrication Group in a new Chemical Specialities division. Chem-Trend reckons to be the world's leading manufacturer of release agents for the moulding of rubber, plastic and polyurethane and for high-pressure die casting. Its 2003 sales were some Eur 100 million.
Injection machine sales pick up for Husky March 31, 2004
Sales of injection moulding machines by Husky reversed a slow start to the year in the second quarter, and orders set a new high level, up 3 per cent over the same period last year - although cash flow and profits were lower. Orders for the first two quarters were up 9 per cent on last year, with all the increase coming from the non-PET sectors. PET machine orders were slightly down on last year, mainly in the USA and Asia while in Europe they increased largely due to demand from Eastern Europe.
Chinese orders also improved, and as a result Husky is planning to expand its Shanghai Technical Centre in 2005 to strengthen its ability to manufacture machines, moulds and hot runners locally.
Exports help Delcam to record sales March 31, 2004
CADCAM developer Delcam achieved record sales and increased profits in 2003. Sales were up 8·5 per cent on 2002 at £20·5 million and pre-tax profits rose 26 per cent to £1·35 million.
These record sales were achieved partly through an expansion of the company's distribution network, primarily in the emerging economies of China and India, but also in many established markets, including the United States, Germany, Korea and Japan.
Slimmer Wellington expects growth this year March 31, 2004
Seals maker Wellington Holdings saw turnover and profits nudge up in 2003 to £31 m (2002 £30 m) and £3·8 m (2002 £3·7 m). Wellington has undergone a period of rationalisation to reduce its cost base in the UK and USA, and has started 2004 with a stronger order book than last year, both factors expected to bring growth this year.
Basell notches up another PetroChina plant March 31, 2004
Another PE plant to be built by PetroChina will use Basell technology. Earlier this month PetroChina took a license to use the Lupotech T process for a new LDPE plant. Now it has signed an agreement to use Hostalen technology in a 300,000 tonnes HDPE plant to be built at Jilin.
This is the first license in China for the bimodal Hostalen HDPE slurry cascade process for monomodal and bimodal HDPE, including PE 100 pipe and high tenacity film grades.
Altogether PetroChina has taken six licenses for a Basell technology in the past two years. The others are two 200,000 tonnes Lupotech T process LDPE plants; and three Spheripol process PP plants with a total capacity of 800,000 tonnes.
Top changes at Basell Polyolefins March 31, 2004
President of Basell Polyolefins Europe, Robert Genin, is to retire and will be succeeded by Werner Breuers, whose position as president of the Technology Business will be taken by Just Jansz, currently a senior vice president in Basell's Advanced Polyolefins Business. Mr Breuers will be responsible for Basell's polypropylene and polyethylene activities in Europe while Mr Jansz will be responsible for Basell's licensing, catalysts and new ventures activities.
White filler plant for Holland March 31, 2004
Omya's Dutch subsidiary Omya Beheer is building a plant for natural calcium carbonate (GCC) in Moerdijk, near Rotterdam. The plant is expected to begin production in mid-2005, with an initial capacity of 500,000 tonnes and will process a white, high purity marble mined by Omya in Turkey.
The Swiss-based Omya group produces and distributes pigments and fillers based on calcium carbonate, talc and dolomite from more than 100 locations in more than 40 countries.
Blow moulded TPU takes on slush PVC in car interiors March 24, 2004
Skins for interior vehicle panels such as door trims and dashboards are normally made by slush moulding PVC. These skins can become brittle at low temperatures - not something that is welcomed generally, and something which is seen as particularly problematic in the vicinity of air bag flaps. The slush moulding process itself is not ideal, in that it is slow, energy intensive, and the extreme temperature cycling can cause eventual damage to the nickel moulds. The most efficient way of operating the process is to de-mould the skins while they are hot, but then they are sensitive to damage so could not be removed by a robot, adding the cost of labour to the equation.
An alternative process is to use aliphatic polyurethane, either sprayed or slush moulded, but its long cure time calls for a lot of moulds to be used, and, again, it can only really be de-moulded by hand.
To overcome these material and process shortcomings Bayer MaterialScience has teamed up with Kautex Textron to develop a means of blow moulding thermoplastic polyurethane skins which is price-competitive with slush moulded PVC.
The advantages of blow moulding include energy savings and longer mould life because the mould is used cold; ability to de-mould with a robot because the moulding is at room temperature; and the possibility of doubling the output from each cycle by splitting the moulding into two skins.
Bayer claims superiority of its Desmopan TPU over other materials through improved weatherability, resistance to abrasion and scratching, and, thanks to 'further process developments', the ability to achieve ultra-fine surface detail in the blow moulding process. The better mechanical properties of TPU also enable skin thickness to be reduced to less than 1 mm.
One problem that has shown itself has been the need to resist UV degradation in the lighter colours that automotive fashion demands. This has been achieved by coextruding an aromatic TPU with a specially adjusted melt stability as the base material, with a surface layer of UV-stabilised aliphatic TPU.
Kautex Textron will sell blow moulded skins under the Blowskin brand name, and it and Bayer are currently working to get car company approvals to move into commercial production.
Thermoplastic composites business goes solo March 24, 2004
The Dow Chemical Fulcrum thermoplastic composites business has been acquired by a new company, Fulcrum Composites, led by the former Dow business manager for Fulcrum, Chris Edwards.
Fulcrum is a continuous fibre pultrusion process using a thermoplastic urethane matrix which produces composites that can be thermoformed and can be used for over-extrusion. The process is licensed to pultruders and extruders, and applications which have been developed or are in progress include ski-poles, agricultural equipment, structural reinforcement systems, rigging and tensile elements, tool handles, refrigerator components and ladder rails.
As well as the physical and intellectual assets of the business, Fulcrum Composites has acquired the manufacturing facilities housed at America's National Composite Center in Dayton Ohio.
Innovation in plastic/steel composites March 24, 2004
A world first is being claimed by steel maker Corus for a metal/plastic composites process in which the plastic is injection moulded on to a steel component which is itself formed during the injection moulding process. The sequence is: a metal sheet is inserted between the mould halves; when the mould closes, the metal sheet is cut to the desired blank size; during the same operation the blank is shaped by deep drawing or by bending the steel into the basic product shape; when the mould is completely closed, the plastic is injected into the remaining cavity and bonds permanently to the metal sheet; the injection pressure can also be used to carry out a second deformation step, such as embossing a logo or a texture. Corus says that existing injection moulding machines can be used 'with minimal extra investment'.
Characteristics of the Polymer Injection Forming process are: Flexibility - the natural flexibility of polymers can be used to join different metal blanks. This enables lids, caps and flaps to be incorporated into the product design. Polymer freedom - the plastic adds freedom of form to the surface of the metal sheet. Snap fits, clamps, ribs and other aids can be added for assembly purposes. Embossing - the process can add embossings which increase stiffness and make mass customisation of products possible by creating logos or inscriptions. It can also be used to create Braille marks. Printability - the metal sheet can be printed on and there is a wide choice of lacquer coatings, from completely translucent to fully opaque which ensure that the product remains scratchproof. Adhesion - the level of adhesion can be controlled during the process, at selective locations. Corus says this opens up new possibilities to make springs, locks and other moving parts in a single production step, eliminating the need for costly collapsible cores in the mould. Sink marks - due to the properties of the metal sheet, sink marks are no longer visible. Less attention needs to be paid to preventing the surface irregularities caused by variations in polymer thickness. Product safety - the plastic flows smoothly around the sharp edges of the metal sheet, making the product safe to use, and easy to handle.
The process is said to yield considerable cost reduction because of the integrated production and assembly stages. Due to the intrinsic stiffness of the metal sheet, less plastic is needed to create a stiff, functional and durable product. For example, PIF comprising 1·0 mm of polymer and 0·2 mm of metal equates in cost to 1·8 mm of polymer; in weight, it equates to 2·6 mm of polymer and in strength, to 3·8 mm of polymer.
Products made with the process can be recycled by pyrolysis which returns all the steel and around half of the energy content of the polymer.
Corus' technology centre in the Netherlands has spent three years and more than Eur 1 million developing the process. Several international consumer product manufacturers are said to have already shown an interest. The overmoulding of pre-formed metal pressings has been in development at Bayer for a number of years, and at the VDI Plastics in Automotive Engineering conference in Germany the company has been discussing three mainstream applications.
Ford's new compact van, the Focus C-MAX, has a front end module combining steel and 30 per cent glass reinforced nylon 6 which increases the component integration of the original Focus front end to more than 20 - bearings and fixings for cooling units, headlamps and air bag sensors; a fixing platform for the air filter; mounts for the radiator bleed valve and electric cables; and a pivot point for the bonnet stay. The component is moulded by Dynamit Nobel over six steel sections, some of them overlapping three times. As a structural component, the front end stabilises the side members at the front of the car, contributing to the lateral rigidity of the overall body structure. It is also important in crash management where it improves on an all-steel solution in that critical areas subjected to high loads can be reinforced more flexibly and more effectively with the aid of plastic ribs. Artificially weakened points have been built in to ensure controlled deformation. The component thus satisfies the conditions of the Allianz test (impact at 15 km/hour with 40 per cent offset). Components like the battery that are positioned directly behind the front end in the engine compartment remain undamaged in the event of a minor collision.
Audi has conducted a feasibility study on using the process for the instrument panel cross beam on the A8, which has resulted in prototype parts. The cross beam is attached to the A posts and carries the steering column, the instrument panel, and the passenger airbag module. It also accommodates various control units and fuse boxes. To make it, a preformed steel shell for the driver side and another for the passenger side are inserted, together with two steel bulkheads, into the mould and over-moulded with nylon 6 which not only joins the individual metal sections, but also reinforces heavily stressed areas of the part through additional ribs. The flange plate for the steering column and the connection for the splash wall are mounted in subsequent steps. Audi wanted a hybrid component that weighed no more than 6 kg and passed all the load tests in the specifications. The prototypes weigh in at 5·8 kg, compared with all-steel components weighing 8 - 15 kg. The actual cross beam module of cast aluminium and magnesium used in the A8 weighs around 4·7 kg. Further developments of the component could incorporate cable and air ducts, holders for the steering column, pedal boxes, and fixing studs for the instrument panel. The direct injection of flexible printed circuits is another possibility. Bayer says the integration of such functions would simplify assembly - resulting in cost savings. More weight could be saved by making the steel parts thinner in areas where they are subjected to less loads. The direct integration of the connection for the steering column in the steel shell on the driver side could also bring a further saving of several hundred grammes.
The third project is the first application in the commercial vehicle market (aside from the Focus van) with the radiator grille flap at the front of the Mercedes-Benz Actros. The component consists of the visible radiator grille and its supports. The side struts are made by hybrid technology from sheet steel and glass fibre reinforced nylon 6. The grille itself is made in an 'EasyFlow' grade of nylon 6, Durethan DP 1441/45. At more than 2 m wide and around 63 cm high it is one of the biggest parts ever to be injection moulded in nylon, says Bayer. The grille and the frame are produced by Dynamit Nobel. Making the side struts by hybrid technology enables the fastening points to the frame assembly to be integrated rather than being welded separately. Compared with an all-metal component, the hybrid solution has weight advantages because of the lower density of nylon compared with steel and because of the slimmer design. Since the metal part can be made thinner with hybrid technology and therefore shaped more compactly, the complete structure can be fitted more easily into the available installation space. An all-metal frame also has a tendency to warp at the points where force is applied by the pneumatic springs when opening and closing the bonnet. With the hybrid solution, this can be avoided with the aid of reinforcing ribs which distribute the forces introduced by the springs more evenly so that no local overloading occurs.
'Management shortcomings' in plastics machinery hit SMS profits March 23, 2004
'Exceptionally poor performance' by its plastics machinery sector forced the German SMS industrial group into a Eur 19 million loss during 2003. SMS Plastics Machinery, which includes the brands of Battenfeld, Gloucester Engineering, Cincinnati Extrusion and American Maplan, is being radically restructured, partly in reponse to what the company called 'serious management shortcomings'.
In June last year the company's managing director Dr Helmut Eschwey left to become chairman of Heraeus Holdings, and he was replaced, initially by Steffen Burghoff and then, additionally, by Wilhelm Schröder who himself had departed somewhat precipitously from running Krauss-Maffei's plastics machinery business in the previous autumn.
The Plastics Technology division is the lowest-earning part of SMS. Of the Eur 1,933 million of new orders for the group in 2003, it achieved 23 per cent at Eur 438 million. The other group divisions are Metallurgical Plant and Rolling Mill Technology, and Tube, Long Product and Forging Technology.
Demag operations chief leaves after less than a year March 23, 2004
The Demag Plastics Group's chief operating officer Dr Konrad Duschl, who was appointed last August to oversee group manufacturing operations, has left the company 'by mutual agreement' to pursue other career opportunities. Prof Helmar Franz, who is responsible for sales and marketing in Europe and Asia and engineering for the entire group will be responsible for global manufacturing until a replacement is found for Dr Duschl.
Ciba to expand Chinese antioxidant production March 23, 2004
Ciba Specialty Chemicals is expanding its production facility for antioxidants in Shanghai, China, with an additional annual capacity of 10,000 tonnes, and at the same time, is transferring its existing antioxidants production from Kaohsiung in Taiwan to Shanghai. This will give greater economy of scale and backwards integration into key raw materials.
Price increases of up to Eur 200/tonne are being applied in Europe to Rhodia's nylons. PA66 base resin goes up Eur 130/tonne while the price of Technyl PA6 and PA66 compounds will be increased by Eur 200/tonne. The increases come into force on March 29 'to help respond to the continuously rising cost of energy and raw materials, and to the significant erosion of margins at a time when polyamide demand is strengthening worldwide'.
BASF also increased its nylon prices to a similar extent earlier this month.
Gas injection for multi-station moulding March 23, 2004
Gas injection on multi-station injection moulding machines has been achieved in a joint development by Presma and Cinpres Gas Injection. Multi-station machines enable longer cycle times to be achieved economically for thick parts by teaming one or two injection units with six or eight clamping stations. Multi-station machines are also used for families of moulds for products made up of components which assemble together in predetermined combinations and therefore in fixed relative numbers.
In thick wall applications in particular there are benefits to be had from gas injection, such as reduced cooling demand and therefore shorter cycle time, and lower part weight. But gas injection can prove difficult in terms of connecting and retaining high pressure gas to each mould and setting different gas control cycles to suit each mould.
Presma Corp, the American subsidiary of Presma of Italy, has developed a patented system for connecting high pressure gas to each mould from a single connection to the gas controller, enabling the retention of in-mould gas pressure when rotating to second, third or fourth station positions. To add the flexibility of family moulding Cinpres Gas Injection has modified its MF Multi-Function control software to enable one or two gas control circuits to operate different pressure/time cycles to suit each mould on up to eight stations. Each pressure/time cycle is set and displayed graphically on a TFT touch screen.
The first major industrial product to use this development is a new range of interior and exterior window frames designed and to be marketed in the USA in standard sizes. The frame sections are substantial but as a result of gas injection are hollow, achieving weight savings of up to 45 per cent. Outside section dimensions are precise, facilitating the assembly of mating mobile and static frames. Co-injection of two polypropylene materials is used combining a cosmetic skin with UV resistance and an internal modified lower cost PP core.
The hollow frame sections improve heat insulation for the finished installed product, particularly when including double glazing.
Simplified installation for small additive doser March 23, 2004
A volumetric additive doser for small levels of addition and with simplified installation on the processing machine has been introduced by Summit Systems. The new Moretto Genius Microdoser uses a frequency-controlled reciprocating pocket instead of a screw and barrel to dispense the additive, which is said to give greater accuracy at low percentage levels, and greater consistency.
Frequency is calculated by built-in software that enables the doser to be used as a stand-alone item or as part of a wider network through a profibus communications port.
There are two models each built in three sizes, up to 11 kg/hour and capable of storing up to 200 recipes. The Roto 4 dispenses one additive while the Roto 44 dispenses two.
The design eliminates the need for a mixer or a mounting block as the doser can fix directly on to the throat of the machine.
Rapra to show off its rubber technology March 23, 2004
Rapra Technology is holding an open day for UK rubber processors at its Shawbury, Shrewsbury headquarters on April 20. Technical demonstrations will be held on the LWB Steinl VCE 500/160 TPE and rubber injection moulding machine recently installed at Rapra by Barwell.
Rapra's rubber technology services have recently included the outsourcing of small-scale production runs of rubber moulded items, including quality assurance, materials analysis, development and specification, failure diagnosis, prototype manufacture and production of rubber goods for niche applications. New business is growing for complex, difficult applications requiring rubbers to be developed to meet high performance requirements and which have low production volumes.
Interplas revamp torpedoed by the NEC March 19, 2004
Plans to revise the structure of the Interplas exhibition in 2005 have been undermined by the National Exhibition Centre, which has withdrawn availability of the new dates proposed by exhibition organiser Reed Exhibition Companies.
To counter criticism that the cost of exhibiting is no longer justified by the returns likely from the British market, particularly in injection moulding machinery, Reed has decided to shorten the show, put an upper limit on stand size, and to build in a basic display structure for big stands to reduce the cost of filling the space.
Reed is also proposing to run Interplas in tandem with the Processing and Packaging Machinery Association's exhibition in the same way as it has combined Pakex, Eurochem and Interphex with the PPMA show in Total Processing and Packaging, which will be held at the NEC at the end of this month. To shorten the show and tie in with the PPMA Reed was planning to move Interplas to September 27 - 29 and has toured its major exhibitors and the Polymer Machinery Manufacturers and Distributors Association - which represents many exhibitors - to discuss the new structure.
But now the NEC has told Reed that it cannot have the proposed dates, leaving it with the original 17 day tenure which incorporates a five-day opening period from October 3 - 7.
The new proposed format for the show is also proving a little controversial. To reduce the cost of exhibiting - and the escalation of costs as companies attempt to outdo each other - Reed is proposing a maximum stand size of 250 m², and that stands of 150 m² or more should have a standardised steel frame structure - which is not to the liking of some exhibitors who want to maintain an established exhibition identity.
Another wrinkle on the haggard face of Britain's long-standing plastics exhibition is the possible emergence of another attempt by publisher Emap to run a competing exhibition. It was Emap's announcement of an exhibition to be held in London's docklands that soured relations between it and Reed (Emap publication Plastics & Rubber Weekly used to be a major sponsor of Interplas) in the run up to the last Interplas. The Emap show never happened, but now it is understood that Emap is also planning an exhibition in 2005. All Emap will say at present is that it is looking at the possibility of an exhibition, and is investigating why companies are planning not to go to Interplas. But there are stories of Emap salesmen touting the exhibition with floor plans showing stands already allocated - to the apparent bemusement of the companies whose names appear on those plans.
Cincinnati name is back March 19, 2004
Milacron is bringing back the Cincinnati badge for its injection moulding machines. All new machines built in the USA wil be branded Cincinnati Milacron. The company says most of its American customers still refer to their machines as Cincinnatis, so it is restoring the old trade name alongside Ferromatik Milacron Europe, Milacron Fanuc, Autojectors and Ferromatik Milacron India.
Despite this renaissance of its US roots, Milacron is continuing with the globalisation of its machine design and production, and has on the stocks a new line of Maxima machines designed jointly by the German and US companies to be built with outsourced components from around the world. The first US-built 39,000 kN machine has already been delivered.
BASF and Bayer have a poor year in polymers but expect improvement March 19, 2004
BASF and Bayer have both reported on their 2003 performance. Despite the difficult worldwide economic situation BASF increased sales by 3·6 percent to Eur 33·4 billion which, if it weren't for exchange rate considerations, would have reached Eur 35·7 billion. On this it achieved a pre-tax profit up around 4 per cent at nearly Eur 3 billion. Bayer's sales value fell 3·6 per cent to Eur 28·6 billion - which it says in local currencies represented an increase of 5 per cent. Its pre-tax profit increased 67 per cent to Eur 1·4 billion, but was slashed by special charges to a loss of Eur 1·4 billion.
Both companies' polymer producing interests had a tough year. At BASF plastics sales rose 3·65 per cent in value to Eur 8·79 billion, but pre-tax profits fell nearly 29 per cent to Eur 794 million, and after taking out special items and other charges, actual pre-tax profits on plastics sales were nearly halved from 2002's Eur 582 million at Eur 296 million.
At Bayer sales value from polymers fell 5 per cent to Eur 9·9 billion, and high impairment charges and other special items converted 2002's Eur 58 million pre-tax loss to a massive Eur 1·2 billion loss.
Both companies are expecting better things this year. BASF's chairman Dr Jürgen Hambrecht is predicting higher sales and profits in 2004 as global activity in chemicals improves, mainly in Asia and to some extent in the USA. But there are still the hurdles of a strong Euro restricting exports from Europe, and continuing high prices for oil and other raw materials. BASF is working to increase its profitability this year by continuing to cut costs and limit capital expenditure. One area in which it is reducing overheads is the USA, where it has a two-phase programme to save $250 million a year by 2006. Phase 1, in which it has cut 1,000 jobs, has been completed and is expected to yield $100 million annually from this year. In phase 2 BASF has so far cut around 400 jobs and expects to cut a further 350 in subsequent stages. Among the plant rationalisations will be the closure of its EPS site in New Jersey by the end of this year, with the transfer of production to Altamira in Mexico. BASF will also move its headquarters to a smaller building and sell the current one.
Bayer also has an efficiency-improvement programme in place to save more then Eur 2·5 billion between 2002 and 2005, with 9,300 of a planned 14,000 redundancies achieved by the end of 2003. But its big plan for improved profitability hinges on the hiving off of most of its plastics (essentially all but polycarbonate and polyurethane) and chemicals interests into a separate company, which has now been named Lanxess - from the French word lancer, to set in motion, and the English word success. Lanxess will start to operate as 'a virtual organisation' on July 1, and Bayer hopes to have separated it legally by early next year - it has still to decide whether to float it publicly, or to sell it to existing Bayer shareholders. Bayer's chairman Werner Wenning is predicting that Lanxess (whose constituents lost Eur 1·3 billion before taxes in 2003) will be in profit from the start, while the residue of the Bayer group should return around 19 per cent profitability by 2006, with the MaterialScience division, which includes Bayer's remaining polymer interests, achieving around 18 per cent.
Braney goes solo, but still sells Brown
March 19, 2004
Ken Braney, former sales and marketing director of the European arm of US thermoforming equipment company Brown Machinery, has set up an agency company which will represent Brown in the UK, Ireland and some other European countries. As well as Brown thermoformers, the new Thermoforming Solutions will sell other thermoforming-related equipment including STS packaging equipment, Cool Tech chillers, and granulators and large scale tools for twin sheet and heavy gauge thermoforming. The company will also operate in the Middle East where it will in addition sell Kuhne extruders and Nelipak blister sealing equipment.
Thermoforming Solutions is operating from 19 Carmine Court, 3 Spencer Road, Bromley, Kent BR1 3WU. Telephone 07793 144542, fax 020 7691 7518, e-mail Thermoformingsl@aol.com.
Merger in antimony-based additives March 19, 2004
Great Lakes Chemical, Corporation, which makes antimony-based flame retardants, is to combine its antimony business with that of Laurel Industries, part of Occidental Petroleum Corporation. One reason given for the merger is the need to achieve an operation of sufficient size to resist pressure from Chinese imports.
The equally owned GLCC Laurel will make the Great Lakes Timonox, TMS, and Trutint antimony oxide flame retardants, Pyrobloc sodium antimonate and zinc borate synergists, and Oncor, Smokebloc, and Ongard smoke suppressants, and the Laurel Fireshield and Thermoguard antimony oxide-based products and PetCat catalyst products all at Great Lakes' antimony plant at Reynosa in Mexico. Laurel is expected to close its LaPorte, Texas, USA plant by the end of this year. Great Lakes has also announced further increases in the price of phosphate ester and brominated flame retardants. Reofos and Kronitex phosphate ester flame retardants will go up by 15 per cent worldwide from April 15, following a 7 per cent increase implemented on March 1.
The 10 per cent increase in price for the brominated flame retardants affects PBDS-80, Firemaster PBS-64, Firemaster PBS-64 HW, and Firemaster CP44HF polybromostyrene (PBS), CD-75P, CP-75PC, CD-75PM, CD-75PXF, SP-75 and SP-75C hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) and BA-59P tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA).
Barlo raises acrylic sheet prices March 19, 2004
Barlo Plastics is increasing the price of its acrylic sheets by 9 per cent from May 3 because of the rising price of raw material. The company says that margins in acrylic sheets have not fully recovered from the effects of the 30 per cent MMA price increase in 2002.
Window frame maker posts higher profits and moves into wood composite decking March 19, 2004
The acquisition of Thyssen Polymer helped Belgian-based PVC window frame maker Deceuninck to a pre-tax profit increase of more than 16 per cent in 2003 at Eur 43·1 million on sales up 30 per cent at Eur 470 million. The Thyssen business was incorporated in the results from July last year. Excluding Thyssen, sales grew 8·7 per cent.
Deceuninck says that it achieved a higher share in virtually all its markets, with the largest growth in Eastern Europe and Turkey, and that the sales increase does not fully reflect the higher volume because of the relative strength of the Euro against other currencies.
While its primary business is in PVC extrusions, Deceuninck has recently started making wood-filled plastic decking boards in the USA for distribution through the Alcoa Home Exteriors chain.
Asahi develops technology for recycling fluoropolymers March 19, 2004
Asahi Glass in Japan has devised a way to recycle fluoropolymers and is planning to start doing so in June.
Fluorinated materials are difficult to recycle because of the fluorine which is given off by thermal processes. In Asahi's process, developed in association with Nittetsu Chemical Engineering, the fluorine is compounded into calcium fluoride, and then extracted for re-use in the production of fluoropolymers.
Asahi plans to use the process initially to recover scrap from its own manufacturing, and eventually to collect scrap from its customers for recycling.
Reclaim extruder manufacturer Erema had a record year last year, with a 10 per cent increase in turnover to Eur 60 million, and an anticipated profits rise of a similar scale.
New PO/SM plant on line March 19, 2004
The propylene oxide/styrene monomer plant built near Rotterdam by Bayer and Lyondell has been inaugurated. The plant, one of the largest of its kind in the world, has taken 2½ years to build and has a capacity of 285,000 tonnes of PO and 635,000 tonnes of styrene.
Lyondell estimates that worldwide demand for PO was approximately 5·1 million tonnes in 2003, of which around 90 per cent was used to make polyols, propylene glycols and propylene glycol ethers. The remainder went into the manufacture of specialty products such as butanediol and its derivatives.
Ciba Specialty Chemicals has bought the packaging, paper, printing and publishing technology firm Pira International to add to its Expert Services support business. Expert Services already offers technology support in colour, environmental, regulatory, safety, testing and educational services.
Pira, the former Packaging Industry Research Association, employs 140 people at its Leatherhead headquarters, and will continue to trade as Pira International, under the umbrella of 'A Provider of Ciba Expert Services'.
Lucite ready to slash MMA production costs March 16, 2004
Acrylics market leader Lucite International has reached commercialisation of a process which could cut the cost of making methyl methacrylate by 40 per cent. The two-stage Alpha process doesn't use acetone, HCN and isobutylene as feedstock, but instead is based on ethylene, methanol and carbon monoxide. Lucite says this takes the limitations off MMA production and makes feasible plants of 200,000 tonnes or more.
The company plans to have its first plant operational by 2008, at a location to be finalised this summer.
The Alpha process has been in pilot production for the past two years, and as well as reducing MMA production costs, is said to be more environmentally-friendly than traditional processes, with benign waste products of water, which is readily bio-treatable, and heavy esters, which are fuelled to raise steam. Operation involves no toxic or corrosive chemicals, and Lucite says it gives high process yields and very low maintenance costs in comparison with existing technologies. The process is not confined to MMA manufacture, but has potential for being used in the manufacture of 'other major chemical products'.
Lucite has around 25 per cent of the world MMA market with a capacity of some 850,000 tonnes annually of acrylic products. It is currently building an MMA plant in China, which will
be operational in the summer of 2005. Then it will build its first world-scale Alpha plant.
RPC buys Rexam thinwall container plants March 16, 2004
Rexam is selling four European thin wall packaging plants to RPC Group for £16·2 million. Its aim is to concentrate its plastic containers business on proprietary rotary thermoforming technologies and refillable PET/PEN bottles, and so has excluded the PET bottle plant at one of the sites - As in the Czech Republic.
The plants, at Hereford in the UK, Troyes in France, Antwerp in Belgium and As in the Czech Republic, supply injection moulded and solid phase pressure formed tubs and lids for packaging spreads and dairy products.
RPC says the purchase is its first move into the Czech Republic, 'building on our existing position as a manufacturer in low cost central Europe.'
Around 500 people are employed at the four sites, which are valued at £24·9 million, with an operating profit last year of £1·5 million on sales of £40 million.
Univar's Performance Chemicals division has become UK distributor for the Emulprene range of hot polymerised emulsion SBR materials produced by Industrias Negromex of Mexico. Emulprene has uses in tyres, footwear, extruded and moulded articles, sponge rubber, industrial products, wire & cable, household products, adhesives and sealants.
Thermoforming toolmaker takes on machine distribution March 16, 2004
Pattern Forme of Taunton, which makes tooling for thermoformed packaging, has become British, Irish, French and Spanish agent for a range of Polish-built thermoforming machines.
Initially only one model from the TES range built by Tepro is available, the servomotor-driven, PLC-controlled TES 805. However it is anticipated the 605 and 405 machines will be available in the same format later this year.
Features of the TES series include a single foil-heating element which Pattern Forme says allows rapid and precise heating in the forming zone, keeping temperatures low - an advantage when processing material such as OPS. They also have a single-assembly mould and cutter tooling, rapid tool changing, and the PLC control enables adjustments to be made to machine and cutting parameters without stopping the machine.
Prices rise for moulding materials and flame retardants March 16, 2004
Dow is planning to increase prices for its polyurethane and epoxy materials. From April 1 European prices for toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and flexible polyols will go up by Eur 100/tonne. Prices for MDI and rigid polyols will increase by Eur 150/tonne. Similar price increases are being implemented in the Middle East, Africa and the Indian subcontinent.
The price of all epoxy resins from Dow will go up Eur 80/tonne on April 1 in Western Europe, Eastern Europe and Turkey.
BASF has increased prices for caprolactam and Ultramid B and BS nylon 6 by Eur 120/tonne, and Capron nylon compounds by Eur 200/tonne.
Great Lakes Chemical is to further increase the price of its TMS, Timonox, Trutint and Microfine antimony trioxide flame retardants in line with higher prices for antimony. Prices were increased $550/tonne in Europe towards the end of January, and the new increase of $330/tonne will be applied from March 29.
The company will also increase the prices of its DE-71, DE-60F Special, DE-61, and DE-62 pentabromodiphenyl oxide flame retardants and all grades of BC-52 and BC-58 brominated carbonate oligomer flame retardants by $220/tonne.
Bayer names CFO for 'NewCo' March 16, 2004
The chief financial officer of Bayer's impending plastics and chemicals sell-off has been named as Matthias Zachert, currently group chief financial officer of Kamps AG. He will take up his position on June 1.
The management team of the new company, which is scheduled to be listed on the stock market by early 2005, is now complete.
Encouraging background to reduced Vita profits March 16, 2004
Pre-tax profits at British Vita declined last year from £73·1 million in 2002 to £61·5 million, on sales up from £893·7 million to £940·1 million. Within these figures Vita showed an increase in sales volume of 1 per cent, with an operating profit at its two biggest divisions, Cellular Polymers and Industrial Polymers, up 7 per cent. Its overall profit before tax was reduced due to the partial disposal of its interest in Spartech (now completely sold off) and an operating loss in its Nonwovens division following an adjustment for a previously reported incorrect accounting practice in the USA.
The company has a declared policy of expanding this year both from within, and through acquisition.
More Chinese PE to use Basell technology March 16, 2004
Basell's Lupotech T process will be used for a 200,000 tonne LDPE plant to be built at Lanzhou in China by Petrochina. A licence agreement for a similar plant using the Basell technology to be built at Daqing was signed in 2002.
PetroChina is the largest integrated oil and gas producer in China. In March 2003 it awarded Basell the largest single contract ever for a license for polypropylene plants - three new plants with a total capacity of 800,000 tonnes will use Basell's Spheripol process.
Borealis fights off depressed profits March 16, 2004
Cost reductions at Borealis offset the fall in operating profit last year to increase net profits from Eur 6 million in 2002 to Eur 16 million. In common with other volume plastics companies Borealis was hit by the war in Iraq, SARS, excess capacity, high feedstock prices and weak European economies 'leading to a highly volatile and competitive olefins and polyolefins market place with the lowest industry margins in a decade'. This pushed down profits on a 1 per cent higher sales volume to Eur 39 million from Eur 85 million.
The net profit increase was primarily due to strong performance of the Borouge joint venture with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, a reduction in net finance expenses and tax benefits.
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