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PIPE & PROFILE
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The future for pipe and tube die design: helix or spiral?
Spiral distributor dies are widely used for multi-layer pipe and profile production, but there is growing interest in an alternative design which Peter Fischer of ETA Kunststofftechnologie in Troisdorf, Germany, describes here.
Complex rubber sealing line for Chinese VW.
A line delivered by Berstorff to a Chinese automotive supplier produces a sealing profile with five components - compact rubber for the profile body, sponge rubber for the hose, coloured compact EPDM rubber for the transition to the internal roof lining, a steel core for enhanced stability, and two Kevlar threads as textile tension elements.
Battenfeld puts down deeper roots in China.
Battenfeld has increased its stake in the Chinese extrusion equipment market with the buy-out by its parent SMS Plastics Technology Group of its partner in Battenfeld Chen Extrusion Systems. One outcome of the Battenfeld Chen co-operation has been the development of the techBEX complete systemised profile line which Battenfeld plans to sell in Europe.
Price competitive lines from Poland.
Extrusion Machinery Supplies has taken on the UK and Ireland agency for IMG Plastec's range of pipe and profile extrusion lines from Poland.
Cincinnati stretches single screws to 37 D.
Monos is a new series of long barrel single screw extruders from SMS subsidiary Cincinnati Extrusion in Austria. Extending the barrel to 37 D has increased output by up to 30 per cent compared with the preceding Proton series.
Tooling developed for natural fibre composites.
The US-based sister company to Battenfeld Extrusion, American Maplan, has developed tooling for extruding profiles with natural fibre reinforcement of PVC, polyolefin and engineering polymer based compounds with fibre content of 30 - 70 per cent.
Getting more cost performance from composites pipe.
The high temperatures, pressures, and levels of chemical corrosion in oil and gas exploration and chemical processing have created a substantial and rapidly growing market for filament-wound composites pipe. Owens Corning has introduced a reinforcement designed specifically to increase performance in high-pressure pipe applications.
More gearless extruders and PVC resistance from Reifenhäuser.
The REItorque series of gearless direct drive extruders from Reifenhäuser has been extended by models with 60, 80 and 90 mm screws having L/D ratios of 25 and 30.
QuickSwitch now for PVC.
Krauss-Maffei's QuickSwitch dimension change system, already used in polyolefin pipe production, has now been modified for use with PVC.
Fast winding with no reel handling.
Winding speeds for extruded pipes and profiles of up to 250 m/minute are claimed for the new Meltech Engineering semi- and fully-automated twin head machines. Need for change-overs and manual reel handling is eliminated.
New blenders focused on extrusion use.
Three gravimetric blenders have been added to the Piovan series for use on extrusion lines for which Piovan claims quick and simple maintenance and cleaning.
Improved fluoropolymers for cable insulation.
New applications of fluoropolymers in the manufacture of electrical insulation for cables and wires have been developed by DuPont Fluoropolymer Solutions.
Enhanced ultrasonics.
Beta LaserMike has enhanced its Snap hardware and software technology to improve the performance of its ultrasonic wall thickness measurement instruments.
D-S spares move to Oldbury.
Spare parts supply for Davis-Standard's pipe, profile and tubing equipment has been transferred to the D-S Brookes facility in Oldbury.
Medical tubing can be configured on the fly.
A process that changes the structure of medical tubing while it is being extruded has been developed in the USA. The Geo-Trans process can vary the ID, OD and shape and the number and location of multiple lumens, without joints, connectors, seams, adhesives, couplings or secondary connections.
FILM & SHEET PRODUCTION
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Kiefel uprates film with MD stretch and enhanced cooling.
A machine direction orientation module has been developed by Kiefel for installation in-line with film extrusion, or off-line with a rewinder. Kiefel has also developed an Enhanced Cooling Package that can be integrated in all its Kirion series blown film lines for form, fill, seal bag production to give continuous output of more than 300 kg/hr.
W & H expands Maxicone to nine layers.
Windmöller & Hölscher has produced a nine layer version of its Maxicone blown film die which gives converters more flexibility to produce new barrier film structures.
US water-soluble films group buys more European penetration.
American water-soluble film group MonoSol, which owns the former Aquafilm company in this country, has bought Greensol of France.
Vacuum drum and hidden knife give clean cut off.
A vacuum contact drum has been developed by Windmöller & Hölscher for its Filmatic winders to enable a right angled cut to be made when starting a new roll and achieve wrinkle-free winding with no fold-back.
Direct drives power the whole line.
Macchi has produced what it claims to be the world's first co-extruded blown film line with direct drives.
FILM & SHEET CONVERSION
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Rewind slitter has increased capacity.
The latest Parkland Series III SM150 duplex centre rewind slitter has greater capacity than previous models and can slit web widths up to 2,050 mm.
British manufacturer secures thermoformer sales at home and abroad.
Greenbox of Droitwich has ordered a Ridat 4848ATF thermoforming machine at a cost of £80,000 to produce components used in the construction of energy recovery plant for ventilation systems, while a Ridat 1004 ASP form, fill and seal machine has been installed at the Dubai factory of Super-Max, described as the second largest manufacturer of razor blades in the world.
Programme trimming operations without using the trimming machine.
The Italian-made Friul programming arm for CNC trimming is now available exclusively in the UK and Ireland from Swanstone.
Second TFT former for Leeways.
Leeways Packaging has installed a second TFT FC780E form-cut-stack thermoforming machine at its Gloucester factory.
AAC adds another Geiss.
AAC Cyroma has installed a Geiss T8 vacuum forming machine with a robotic sheet loader, representing an investment of more than £170,000.
ADDITIVES
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G-C adds PET-specific colorants and additives.
A full range of PET additives has been brought to market by Gabriel-Chemie. The range goes beyond colouring and includes an acetaldehyde scavenger, chain extender, anti-block and slip masterbatches, and a UV absorber.
Ultramarine beats the bottle top blues.
Ultramarine Premier BC and Premier BC-R from Holliday Pigments have been specially developed for the coloration of food contact plastics used in particularly sensitive applications, such as caps for mineral water bottles, and have been independently verified as being free from any organoleptic effect.
FCN approval for blue pigment.
BASF's pigment preparation Eupolen PE Blue 69-1501 has received Food Contact Notification approval from the American Food and Drug Administration.
Thermochromic additive helps motorists dip and win.
A thermochromic additive was used in a Shell Oil competition to sell oil on the forecourt by changing the colour of a 'dipstick' on contact with the engine.
Substantial savings claimed for use of new black for fibres.
A masterbatch said to enable black polyester fibre producers to extend filter life has been added to the Cabot Black Pearls range.
Clariant adds red and yellow pigments.
Clariant has expanded its range of organic pigments with high-performance reds based on diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) chemistry.
Birthday card from Hampton.
A shade card showing its Anniversary Range of 39 universal colour masterbatches has been produced by Hampton Colours.
Guess what I had in the back of my cab the other day...
Delivery by taxi may seem a little excessive for customer service, but that's what Performance Masterbatches arranged when one of its customers ran dangerously low.
Silberline links with Chinese pigment producer.
Special effect pigment supplier Silberline has joined forces with Chinese pearlescent pigment producer Taizhu in marketing and technical co-operation. Silberline will also distribute Taizhu's pearlescent pigments worldwide outside China.
'Difficult' Rubine Red added to Swan pigment range.
A pigment Red 264, 'one of the most challenging colours to produce', has been added to the Thomas Swan Performance Colours Casacolour pigment range through the use of a new production process.
Nucleating agent improves PE film blowing.
A nucleating agent to improve the processability of polyethylene is being introduced by Milliken.
PP nucleating agents cut processing costs.
US-based Mayzo has developed a range of beta nucleant modifiers for use in PP. They reduce density during film production so lead to a higher yield of film per kilo of polymer.
The new Irgastab NA 287 nucleating agent for polypropylene from Ciba Specialty Chemicals is said to yield material savings, increased choices in coloration, reduced scrap, and reduction in cycle time.
Non-fogging release for high impact and soft-touch TPOs.
A new processing aid from Axel Plastics Research Laboratories is intended specifically for moulding high impact and soft-touch TPO materials leaving parts free of residues.
Flame retardants for rigid PU foams at low dosage levels.
Flame retardant systems meeting European and European/US standards have been introduced for rigid polyurethane foams by Israeli company ICL Industrial Products.
Biocidal additive keeps Hush Puppies smelling sweet.
Hygienilac biocidal additive made by Premier Finishes is being used by Hush Puppies to impregnate foot bed insoles of BodyMoc men's shoes.
Starch-free biodegradation.
Viba of Italy has developed systems which can make polyolefins biodegradable, but without the use of starch.
New additives improve the use of silica to reduce the rolling resistance of tyres.
Silica tyres have been attracting the attention of additives manufacturers. GE Advanced Materials has been looking at the silane coupling agents that are used in the manufacture of silica tyres and Lanxess company Rhein Chemie has announced new accelerators and processing agents for silica rubber compounds.
Conair cleans up blender design.
The latest gravimetric blender from Conair, the TrueBlend series, is vaunted as the answer to 'outdated' technology which it says is blighted by material leaks, old-fashioned mechanical switches and wheels, cryptic codes and complicated key sequences for routine adjustments, and cluttered hoses and electrical runs.
Gravicolor 'is 10 times more accurate than most' says Motan.
A metering accuracy of ten times better than the majority of batch blenders on the market today is claimed by Motan for its new Gravicolor 60 gravimetric blender. It has an average throughput of up to 90 kg/hr and can meter and blend to a blend accuracy of 0·01 per cent.
Modular masterbatch doser simplifies installation.
The MDP masterbatch doser from Piovan has been developed for applications on small tonnage injection moulding machines, and the company's latest volumetric doser, the MDP2, covers applications where three components are to be blended.
Automated small ingredients system just got faster.
The Smart Cart automated mobile handling system developed by John P Waterhouse Co and installed at the Berwin Polymer Processing Group in Manchester has been speeded up in a Mark II System for Rhein Chemie Rheinau of Germany.
INJECTION MOULDING
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Beaumont to launch '3d-Molding technology'.
Beaumont Technologies, the developer of the MeltFlipper flow imbalance correction technology, has a new '3d-Molding technology' which allows processors not only to dynamically optimise mould balance from cavity to cavity, but also to change and control the actual filling pattern dynamically within a given cavity.
MCP to sell Toshiba moulding machines.
Japanese injection moulding machine builder Toshiba has appointed MCP Tooling Technologies as its European sales agent.
Synventive plans European consolidation.
Hot runner manufacturer Synventive Molding Solutions is to cease manufacturing at its 's-Gravendeel plant in the Netherlands and consolidate its European operations at Bensheim in Germany.
European support investment by Husky.
Husky Injection Molding Systems is to build four service and sales offices in Austria, France and Germany and expand the services from its Luxembourg Technical Center.
Trexel simplifies MuCell licensing.
Trexel will no longer sell separate licenses for the MuCell microcellular moulding process but is to bundle licenses in with equipment purchases.
All-electric multi-component machine now from Engel.
Engel's all-electric multi-component machine announced towards the end of last year is now available. The E-Motion Combi series is being built in four basic sizes - 100, 150, 180 and 225 tonnes.
Housewares manufacturer gives Britain the Thumbs Up.
Garden products and housewares manufacturer Thumbs Up of Bury is installing six new moulding machines, robotics and ancillary equipment as it expands its manufacturing plant to follow the recent opening of a new distribution centre.
Mould insulation plates can be used with magnetic clamping.
Hasco has introduced mould heat insulation plates comprising a thermal insulation sheet sandwiched between two steel plates.
Protection for cavity pressure sensors.
New Priamus miniature cavity pressure sensors are protected by a housing and calibrated after assembly, protecting the sensor from side load sensitivity loss effects.
AUTOMATION & ROBOTICS
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Engel ramps up its automation facilities in Britain.
Engel has increased the level of support it is offering for automation systems in the UK with a new division at its St Valentin plant in Austria with specific resource to serve the UK market, a strategic alliance with Kuka UK to offer articulated arm systems and an automation survey service.
Option pod gives safe access to guarding.
Fortress Interlocks has introduced an option pod with key switch for its amGard modular safety gate switches to enable an operative to enter a potentially hazardous area only when it is safe.
New Dal Maschio robots bring Increased programming flexibility.
Two programming methods are available with the new Dal Maschio Platinum robot systems offered by Sandretto UK. A simple preset mode dispenses with need for programming knowledge and the second option permits programming line by line in any sequence required.
Automatic product handling is integrated with warehouse management.
Automatic product handling for unattended production has been installed by FloPlast at its new 100,000 ft² green field manufacturing and distribution facility at Sittingbourne in Kent.
Light curtains from £350.
The latest 1000 Plus infrared light curtains from Smartscan have a safety integrity rated to Category 3 as defined in European Standard EN954 and are priced from £350 including connecting cables for transmitter and receiver.
BLOW MOULDING
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Uniloy adds bottle and engineering machines.
A new suction blow machine for engineering parts, and a double-station shuttle bottle machine have been added to the Uniloy Milacron range.
ROTATIONAL MOULDING
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New PEs offer shorter cycles and easier processing.
Dow Chemical has added two rotational moulding grades to its Dowlex range of polyethylenes.
ENGINEERING MATERIALS
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PP challenges stainless steel in appliance interiors.
A new reinforced polypropylene from Borealis is intended specifically to replace stainless steel in dishwasher and washing machine interiors.
Quinn moves into moulding materials with acrylic grades.
Acrylic sheet supplier Quinn Plastics is moving into the moulding material field with three grades of acrylic for injection moulding and extrusion.
Japanese fuel tank grade of HDPE now made by Ineos.
Ineos Olefins & Polymers USA has commercialised Novatec HB111R high density polyethylene, a fuel tank grade that it is exclusively licensed to produce and market by the developer, Japan Polyethylene Corporation.
Wood plastics composites set for growth in Europe.
According to a new report from the Hackwell Group, there are signs that the European market for wood/plastics composites is taking off in a way that could begin to emulate the extraordinary growth of these materials already seen in North America.
Cross-linked PUR increases heat resistance of hoses.
Industrial hose specialist Norres Schlauchtechnik of Germany has developed a process to manufacture premium polyurethane hose systems with improved resistance to heat and ageing through a proprietary cross-linking process.
Easy-flow PC/ABS blend for thin-wall components.
Bayer MaterialScience has developed a new easy-flow blend of polycarbonate and ABS.
FINISHING
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Transparent bonds for acrylic and PC.
The latest transparent adhesive from Intertronics is Dymax 3099, an adhesive for high quality displays which require clean transparent bonds on PMMA, PC and glass for screens or structural elements.
One-coat rubber bonding agent is lead-free.
Cilbond 20 lead-free one-coat bonding has been developed by Chemical Innovations for NR and Vamac G compounds.
COLOUR MANAGEMENT
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Automated spectrophotometer has embedded profiling.
GretagMacbeth has introduced a fully automated spectrophotometer with embedded profiling for precise digital colour control which it says is the only spectrophotometer on the market with the profiling function embedded in the instrument.
Black specks detected by colour and shape.
Black specks in plastics reclaim can be detected down to 0·1 × 0·1mm in size at a claimed 99·998per cent success rate by new mobile plant for optoelectronic sorting developed by Separation of Belgium.
PROCESS CONTROL
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Mattec upgrades ProHelp monitoring system.
New or improved features in Mattec Corporation's ProHelp EPM Version 7.0 include RFID or bar code label support, just-in-time production scheduling capabilities and seamless integration with advanced ERP systems.
PROTOTYPING
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New prototyping materials mimic ...polypropylene...rubber...and polycarbonate.
Three new prototype-building materials from MCP-HEK Tooling, RedEye RPM and 3D Systems.
TESTING & INSPECTION
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In-line leak tester out-runs food packaging lines.
The new Leak-Master Inline micro leak detection system from German gas technology specialist Witt is intended for continuous quality control of modified-atmosphere food packaging.
Portable non-destructive thickness gauges.
AGR International has added two new portable and non-destructive thickness gauges to its portfolio of measurement products.
SOFTWARE
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SIMPOE sets its sights on mainstream moulding.
Clive Maier tries out a full-facility moulding simulator from Taiwan via Paris that sets out to make moulding simulation a tool for everybody.
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