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ENGINEERING MATERIALS
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What is a TPE?
Thermoplastic elastomers make up an important class of materials, but are their potential and differences widely enough recognised? With its representation of Enplast's broad range of TPEs and the Pearlthane TPU from Merquinsa, Ultrapolymers has established a speciality in TPEs and has produced a guide to what they are and what they do. This article draws on that guide.
Dow prepares for full scale production of new-technology TPE
The olefin block copolymers introduced last summer by Dow Chemical are to go into volume scale production in the third quarter of this year. Infuse OBCs are single monomer TPEs, with the alternating hard and soft blocks in the polymer chain made by polymerising with two types of catalyst.
Heat-resistant TPE offers rubber-like flexibility
Zeotherm 100-60B, a new polyamide-based elastomer from Zeon Chemicals, combines resistance to hot oil and a heat resistance of 175 degC with a rubber-like flexibility.
Collaboration brings new thermoplastic elastomers
PolyOne has introduced two ranges of OnFlex-U TPE-U thermoplastic elastomers based on Merquinsa's Pearlthane thermoplastic polyurethanes.
Strength and toughness added to materials selection guides
A 'tough and strong' card has been added to the polymer comparator cards series from Distrupol. These cards take a particular engineering property and compare the materials sold by Distrupol according to the principal demands of that property.
New Ixef grade reduces barrier layer requirements in fuel systems
A material for automotive fuel systems that can meet emission standards without the multiplicity of layers needed for conventional designs has been introduced by Solvay Advanced Polymers. It is a new formulation of Ixef polyarylamide that can be used to provide barrier properties in a two-layer system.
LED lighting could build demand for plastic heat sinks
As the need for reduced energy consumption bites into domestic lighting there will be substantial growth in the use of light emitting diodes, which are mounted on heat sinks normally made from extruded or machined copper or aluminium. Lati of Italy and CoolPoly of the USA have produced conductive compounds intended for the injection moulding of LED heat sinks.
Machining stock for medical devices
Stock shapes in engineering plastics have been added to the Ensinger range of materials for medical device manufacture.
GF nylons have improved mechanical performance
Higher mechanical performance over similar nylons is claimed for new glass-reinforced nylon 6 and 66 compounds from TechnoCompound of Germany.
More performance from specialist nylons
Additional grades of Ems Chemie high performance nylons are available from Performance Plastics. The company has added A V0 flame retardant Grivory and a high temperature Grilamid TR.
Chrysler backs nylon for second high volume rocker cover
The thermoplastic rocker cover designed for Chrysler Group's new in-line 2·0 and 2·4 litre, 4-cylinder world engine went 'from art to part' (from CAD drawing to commercial launch) in 12 months. It is moulded in a heat-stabilised grade of Zytel nylon 66 developed by DuPont specifically for use in hot oil applications.
Injection moulding process developed for too-viscous polyester
Development work with a high performance PET from Quadrant CMS has enabled a critical pump part to switch from machined extruded rod to injection moulding to keep up with demand volumes.
High flow reinforced PBTs for automotive use
GE Plastics has added a high flow series to its Valox PBT range. Super High Flow, a family of glass- and mineral-filled PBTs, is aimed at automotive applications.
Acrylic cap stock 'has lower heat build-up'
An infra-red-reflecting acrylic for use as a cap stock on PVC, PC, ABS and ASA extrusions has been introduced by Degussa's Molding Compounds business.
New SMC formulated for HVAC applications
IDI Composites International has developed a UL-approved sheet moulding compound specifically for the heating, ventilation and air conditioning market in applications such as air conditioning drain pans and components of central heating boiler equipment.
Sterilisable PPSU rods in medical code colours
Ensinger has extended the colour range of its Tecason P MT polyphenylsulphone rods with the addition of six bright new colours designed for colour-coding in medical applications.
Style doesn't stop because it's under the bonnet
The high bursting pressure of BASF's Ultramid B3WG6 GP 30 per cent glass fibre reinforced nylon 6 contributed to the design of a futuristic vehicle engine cover with an integrated air filter.
PACKAGING MATERIALS
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New polystyrene gains flow without losing melt strength
Total Petrochemicals in the USA has introduced a high-heat crystal polystyrene for demanding requirements in foam sheet extrusion, oriented polystyrene and blown film applications, providing improved flow characteristics without sacrificing melt strength.
One-material solution for silicone release films
Borealis has developed a one-size-fits-all siliconisable polypropylene film that it says opens up new opportunities for the cost-effective production of film for adhesives and packaging applications.
Dow expands Versify product line
Dow Chemical Company has added eight grades of Versify propylene-ethylene copolymer plastomers and elastomers. Versify uses a novel catalyst technology, matched with Dow's Insite polymerisation process, to create a molecular architecture that gives the polymer features and property combinations 'previously unavailable'.
PLA lidding film extends sustainable source range
A peelable film of PLA licensed from Rockwell Solutions has been added to Amcor Flexibles' NaturePlus range of packaging materials from sustainable sources.
Basell polypropylene for form-fill-seal packaging
Basell's Clyrell RC 514 L polypropylene is now available with enhanced transparency and other performance features for form-fill-seal applications that have historically been the domain of PET and polystyrene.
PIPE & PROFILE
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Cincinnati Extrusion adds spirally wound pipe packages
A co-operation in the production of spirally-wound pipe lines has been set up by Cincinnati Extrusion of Austria and Bauku of Germany.
SMS sells all its pipe and profile equipment businesses but stays in film and sheet
The Battenfeld and Cincinnati pipe and profile extrusion system companies are being sold by their parent, the German industrial conglomerate SMS, to Triton, an independent European private equity investor.
Wavin shows how profitable extrusion can be
Pipe and building profiles manufacturer Wavin has shown that in some sectors extrusion is still a licence to print money. The company achieved record sales and profits in 2006 from growth in the construction industry across Europe.
Wavin buys telecom cable duct maker
Wavin has bought Polyfemos, a Norwegian supplier of cable duct systems for telecom access networks.
Naylor recoups investment in Maguire blenders
Yorkshire-based Naylor Drainage has seen a 12 months pay-back through improved quality and the control of colours and other additives on the installation of four Maguire blenders from Summit Systems.
ASTM publishes standard for polypropylene siding
The plastics-based siding industry developed around the use of PVC but the last two decades have seen the introduction and uptake of polypropylene as an alternative. The change prompted work on a new standard which has culminated in the recent approval of D7254, Specification for Polypropylene (PP) Siding.
TEMPERATURE CONTROL
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Temperature controllers - consider the options to get the right result
Selecting the right temperature control system can boost productivity, and save energy and money says Ray Stocker, Tricool's director for Temperature Control Products.
Direct or indirect?
Temperature controllers can be fitted with direct or indirect cooling systems. Both offer advantages and disadvantages. This technical note from Regloplas compares the two systems.
Spare air blast capacity can be diverted to help the chiller
Nova Frigo's new Integrated Energy Saving System divides the capacity of the factory air blast cooling system between hydraulic cooling and mould cooling functions, to reduce the load on chillers when there is sufficient ambient cooling.
Green Box adds extra parameters to temperature control
For applications where control of more than just the fluid temperature is needed Green Box of Italy has introduced a series of temperature controllers giving control of inlet and outlet pressures, inlet and outlet temperatures, pressure between inlet and outlet of the mould and temperature between inlet and outlet of the mould.
Shini brings more TCUs and chillers to Britain
The full range of Shini mould heaters is now available in Britain. Also new from Shini UK are the SIC series air-cooled water chillers.
Oil and water TCUs added by Sella
Two oil and water temperature controllers have been added to the R Sella series sold by Colortronic (UK).
Improvements to Basic controller
The Wittmann Tempro Basic 90 temperature controller has been updated as the Basic C90 with detail improvements.
Tool-Temp tames flow control and builds it into the TCU
It's not just the temperature of the water or oil that is important in mould temperature control, the rate of flow through all parts of the tool is as critical. Tool-Temp has integrated the two functions in its latest series of temperature control units, and says that it has done what 'some months ago any expert would have said was impossible'.
Chillers are customised to the need
A customised chiller at series production prices is being offered by Rittal.
REACTION PROCESSING
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Mixing head for small volumes
A mini volume mixing head for throughputs down to 5 g/s has been developed by Krauss-Maffei to meet needs for units capable of high precision at low output rates and smooth laminar flow pour.
Dow to buy Hyperlast from British Vita
British Vita is planning to sell its British-based Hyperlast and Autothane polyurethane elastomer systems businesses to Dow Chemical.
Bayer to adopt new TDI technology to increase Chinese plant capacity...
The new technology for TDI production developed by Bayer MaterialScience is to be used at the plant it is building at Caojing near Shanghai in China to increase its capacity from the planned 160,000 tonnes to 300,000 tonnes.
...and plans to unify PU systems businesses
All of Bayer MaterialScience's polyurethanes systems businesses are being pulled together under a single brand, BaySystems.
ROTATIONAL MOULDING
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Leonardo boosts Polytank production and cuts costs
Two fully automatic Persico Leonardo roto moulding machines have been installed by Polytank Group, doubling the capacity of the Freckleton site.
PROCESS CONTROL
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No amplifier needed for melt pressure transmitter
Jumo 4 ADM-35 melt pressure transmitters are now available with a standard pre-amplified analogue 4 - 20 mA signal or digital CANopen signal.
COMPOSITES
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New rovings for pultrusion and SMC
New glass roving products for pultrusion and sheet moulding compound have been introduced by Johns Manville.
FILM & SHEET CONVERSION
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Modified flexo press runs wet-on-wet for higher resolution
The first Fischer & Krecke CI flexo press designed for the WetFlex process has been delivered to UV-Flex in Germany. WetFlex is a process in which radiation cured inks developed by Sun Chemical are applied wet-on-wet to the substrate.
Films association merger goes ahead
A merger between the Flexible Packaging Association and The Packaging and Industrial Films Association planned last May is to go ahead, creating the Packaging and Films Association (PAFA).
Add-on modules make blister sealer more flexible
A new blister sealing machine has been introduced by Ridat based on its model 1518BSP.
Klöckner Pentaplast quits flexible film
Klöckner Pentaplast has pulled out of flexible film after only two years. It has sold the two Finnish packaging film companies it bought early in 2005 which took it into flexible film.
Retailers take voluntary steps to cut the environmental impact of carrier bags
The UK's biggest supermarkets and other major retailers are combining to reduce the environmental impact of carrier bags. Retail associations and individual retailers have joined with government departments and the recycling association WRAP in a three-part campaign to reduce the environmental impact of each individual carrier bag; encourage customers to significantly reduce the number of carrier bags they use; and to enable the recycling of more carrier bags where appropriate.
Die upgrade cuts coating line costs by 20 per cent
Upgrading a 15 years old Davis-Standard Egan extrusion coating line with an automatic internal deckle die has cut profile tolerance and reduced costs by at least 20 per cent at US fabric coater Propex.
US performance and effect films on sale in Britain
Film and sheet from Rowland Technologies in the USA is now available in Britain through Rosewood Associates. Rowland specialises in polycarbonate and other high performance engineering thermoplastics.
FILM & SHEET PRODUCTION
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Brückner adds pallet stretch wrap with marketing deal
Germany's Brückner cast film and sheet machinery group, which earlier this year bought Kiefel, has added stretch film equipment through a sales and marketing deal with Adtech Provera of Rovato in Italy.
Borealis invests in melt blown development
Borealis has bought polyolefin melt blown equipment for product development in the non-wovens field. This includes the installation of a pilot line at its international innovation centre in Linz, Austria and other laboratory equipment.
INJECTION MOULDING
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Low headroom rubber machine now in series production
The Ergo top-injection rubber moulding machine from Maplan has now gone into series production with clamp forces of 280, 460, 630 and 800 tonnes.
Magnetic clamping resists rubber moulding temperatures
High temperature versions of the Hilma magnetic clamping system are now available from Roemheld. The M-TECS 210 operates at up to 210 degC so is suitable for rubber moulding, and there is a 240 degC version that has been developed for die casting machines.
Complete cell for pallet production
Last year Negri Bossi declared a strategy of moving away from building standard injection moulding machines and towards integrated systems. The company has recently built a production cell for Venezuelan moulder Pequiven for which it took responsibility for the mould, automation, material handling and cooling.
Bourdon and Miller leave Ferromatik Milacron
Milacron's global head of injection moulding machinery Dr Karlheinz Bourdon is leaving the company and, nearer to home, Erwin Miller is leaving the UK subsidiary that he has run since its foundation.
Sales changes at Fanuc Roboshot
Increased effort is being put into European sales of electric injection moulding machines by Fanuc Roboshot Europe with a new sales manager responsible for the company's direct sales in Britain, France and Germany, and a new man in charge of the UK office.
Tex invests to improve efficiency
Tex Plastics is expanding its medical moulding facilities with a recently-installed Demag injection moulding machine, and an automation package from Summit Systems.
Elkay adds four more Ferromatiks
Elkay Electrical Manufacturing, part of Cable Management Products, has invested more than £250,000 at its Newtown, Powys factory with the installation of four Ferromatik Milacron K-Tec 60-265 injection moulding machines and robot systems.
Husky to consider sale or merger
Husky is to consider whether it should put itself up for sale or merge with another company.
On-line injection technology training
Beaumont Technologies of the USA, a developer and provider of injection mould and process technologies including the MeltFlipper flow correction system, is to offer its web-based training and seminars worldwide.
Hot runner specialist adds conformal cooling
The Contura conformal mould cooling process is now available in Britain from Günther UK.
Imtech goes 3D with Moldflow
Moldflow practitioner Imtech Design has uprated its capabilities with 3D solids simulation for complex thick walled injection mouldings.
Latch lock extended to bigger moulds
Hasco has supplemented its Z174 latch locking units for multi-plate moulds with products designed for higher loads, longer strokes and optionally longer delays.
AUTOMATION & ROBOTICS
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Let the Scorpion be your robot's eyes
Users can now integrate their own automation and vision systems, by using Toshiba Machine SCARA robots, Sony Scorpion smart cameras and Scorpion open software from TM (Robotics) Europe.
MATERIALS HANDLING
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Centralised materials handling makes sense for small installations as well as large
To show that a central materials handling system can bring benefits in a totally atypical situation Piovan UK has installed one at what must be one of the country's most varied injection moulding shops, G&A Technology's training and development site at Orton Southgate near Peterborough.
Remote silo monitoring works with existing level sensors
Remote monitoring of silo contents over the internet is possible with a remote inventory management system called Webflex developed by Hycontrol.
Drier is designed for small throughputs
The new Wittmann Drymax ES-40 material drier has a dry air flow of 40 m³/hr.
TOOLING
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GTMA initiatives to boost competitiveness
GTMA, the UK trade association for toolmaking, metrology, precision machining, rapid product development and tooling technologies, is involved in two new initiatives to promote the sector: Business Work-spaces, which will help GTMA members to collaborate in projects on-line, and KnowEDM, to develop knowledge-based automated EDM technology.
RECLAMATION & RECYCLING
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Pre-sorting WEEE scrap 'would improve recyclate quality'
Axion Polymers' technical director Keith Freegard says that 'intelligent streaming' of product types from waste electrical and electronic equipment is crucial for maximising material recovery rates, as well as meeting the fundamental aims of the WEEE Directive.
London plant will reclaim PET for food packaging
A PET recycling plant is to be opened in London in December of this year to divert an annual 35,000 tonnes of reclaimed bottles from export or landfill to food grade PET packaging.
SOFTWARE
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Electronic paper and digital print
Clive Maier moves away apace from his usual polymer industry software review to look at how you may be reading this article in five years time.
Moldflow upgrades CAD connectivity and collaboration tools
Moldflow Corporation has introduced new versions of its CAD connectivity and collaboration programs in the shape of Moldflow CAD Doctor 3.0, Moldflow Magics STL Expert 3.0, and Moldflow Communicator 1.1.
Tente Ireland to implement Barco wireless MES
Castors and wheels manufacturer Tente is installing a Barco Plantmaster manufacturing execution system at its plant in Ballymote, Co Sligo, Ireland.
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