British Plastics & RubberON-LINE  This month's magazine



PREVIOUS ISSUE SUMMARIES - OCTOBER 2004


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FILM & SHEET PRODUCTION
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Die and cooling innovations seek to remove variations in blown film.
The DR-PAck group in Hungary has identified what it thinks of as deficiencies in the established technology for blowing film and has developed its own way round them.



FILM & SHEET CONVERSION
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Robots can bring cost savings to thermoforming.
Thermofomers can halve labour costs, improve the working environment and shorten changeover times with a new series of robots developed by ATM Automation.

Technical former designed for maximum flexibility.
A fully modular thermoformer from FRIMO-Huber of Germany has been designed to allow simple and fast upgrading with optional assemblies or peripheral equipment.



REACTION PROCESSING
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Pneumatics replace hydraulic needle valve control for economy and simplicity.
Cannon has introduced a fully pneumatic system for control of the needle in the head of its ReCo foam injection equipment which has simplified it and lowered the cost compared with hydraulics.



BLOW MOULDING
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In the booming water cooler market Alkam is having a ball.
Equipment for making a lightweight disposable PET water cooler bottle has been designed by Alkam of Italy.



ENGINEERING MATERIALS
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New polymer chemistry behind improved TPVs.
The Uniprene XL series from Teknor Apex contains not just a rubber domain dispersed in polypropylene, but this rubber domain itself incorporates dispersed polystyrene.

High performance claims for conductive compounds.
Ionphase of Finland has developed a range of conductive polymer materials known as IPE (Ionomer PolyElectrolyte) which can have a precisely defined and uniformly distributed level of conductivity.

Rotomoulding polyethylenes 'outperform any others'.
New materials from Nova Chemicals made using its Sclairtech technology with a single-site catalyst.



ADDITIVES
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Research into anti-microbials pays off for AddMaster.
Several years of development of an anti-MRSA masterbatch are bringing NHS approvals that are ramping up sales.

New light shed on clarity.
Milliken has carried out research that shows a consumer preference for transparent bottle closures, and has completed a study into the effects of UV light on the contents of containers moulded in PET.



COMPOUNDING
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W & P adds extruders for reactor and general purpose compounding.
Coperion Werner & Pfleiderer has introduced a two stage compounder for use with bimodal polyethylene, and has uprated its MEGAcompounder to increase throughput by 20 per cent.

Uprated replacement barrels extend extruder life span.
Xtrutech is supplying improved screws, screw shafts and elements, barrels and heater bands for several well-known makes of co-rotating twin screw extruder.



INJECTION MOULDING
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Feeding process changes back into part design.
How BASF is gathering information on the practical effects of fibre incorporation, and using this data to improve prediction of moulded part properties.

More melt without losing precision.
Billion claims to have removed the interdependence of shot volume, plasticising rate, injection pressure and precision.

Steel sheets glued together to make moulds.
Laminated Object Manufacturing is being used by Georg Kaufmann in Switzerland to assemble moulds from thin sections of laser-cut steel, fused together by the epoxy coating on the steel.



AUTOMATION
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New robots and systems software from Stäubli.
The company has added a series of general purpose six-axis robots. Its customers can now write their own programs without specialist training, and can adapt standard application templates.



PIPE & PROFILE
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New single screw series from Boston Matthews.
The Logic range is designed to maximise energy efficiency.

K-M in steel-reinforced spirally wound pipe partnership.
Krauss-Maffei has joined with Plastream of Australia to offer turnkey plant to make non-pressure drainage pipe, wound from extruded profiles with a steel reinforcing strip.



TOOLING
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Pathtrace updates EdgeCAM Strategy Manager.
An improved version of the company's program for defining and capturing the way in which parts are machined.

FINISHING
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All the colours at once.
Lawrence Wild of Edlon Machinery describes the dry offset printing process, which he terms the most successful and universally used method for the high speed decoration of three dimensional products by direct printing.

An overview of diode laser transmission welding.
Richard Icke of Warwick Laser Systems describes the benefits and differences of the various laser welding techniques for plastics.

MATERIALS HANDLING
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Making pipelines safer for pellets.
A pipeline elbow developed by Pelletron of the USA is intended to reduce damage to pellets travelling through high speed conveying systems.

TEMPERATURE CONTROL
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Chillers work at higher ambient temperatures.
A new series from Tool-Temp uses R134a refrigerant to operate without problems up to 45 degC.



TESTING & INSPECTION
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Time and temperature scanning rheometer comes home.
A 'competitively-priced' time and temperature scanning rheometer can generate research-quality data.



RECLAMATION & RECYCLING
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Upgraded Munchy is joined by the Muncher.
Boston Matthews has injected more of its own extruder technology into the recycling machines made by its Munchy division, and has added a new machine for recycling hard-to-feed materials.



SOFTWARE
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STL wizardry is Magics.
Clive Maier explains how the stereolithography file format is at the heart of a new software co-operation.

Taking a view on CAD.
A free viewer from Delcam reads most file formats and puts those who need to know but don't need to fiddle into the product design picture.



OTHER DOWNLOADABLE SECTIONS AND REGULAR FEATURES

Go!  Update, Prototyping, Materials Marketplace (277 KB)
Go!  Classified Advertising, Company Report, Buyers' Guide (1,339 KB)


FACTFINDER CONTACTS FOR THIS MONTH'S ISSUE






101 ATM Automation Ltd
        Winchester Avenue,
        Blaby Industrial Park,
        Leicester
        LE8 4GZ
        0116 277 3607
        E-mail: atm.automation@dial.pipex.com
        Web site: www.atmautomation.com

102 ATM Automation Ltd
        Winchester Avenue,
        Blaby Industrial Park,
        Leicester
        LE8 4GZ
        0116 277 3607
        E-mail: atm.automation@dial.pipex.com
        Web site: www.atmautomation.com

103 Coperion Ltd
        Andrew House,
        26 Mellor Road,
        Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire
        SK8 5AU
        0161 482 6600
        E-mail: busswaeschle@compuserve.com
        Web site: www.coperion.com

104 Tappex Thread Inserts Ltd
        Masons Road,
        Stratford-upon-Avon,
        Warwickshire
        CV37 9NT
        01789 206600
        E-mail: sales@tappex.co.uk
        Web site: www.tappex.co.uk

105 Krauss Maffei UK Ltd
        Europa Boulevard,
        Gemini Business Park,
        Warrington
        WA5 7TR
        01925 644100
        E-mail: info@kraussmaffei.co.uk
        Web site: www.kraussmaffei.co.uk/

106 Rainbow Engineering Services
        Shaftesbury Industrial Centre,
        Icknield Way,
        Letchworth Garden City, Herts
        SG6 1RR
        01462 480442
        E-mail: sales@rainbow-dukane.demon.co.uk
        Web site: www.rainbow-dukane.com

107 AddMaster (UK) Ltd
        Darfin House, Priestley Court,
        Staffordshire Technology Park,
        Beaconside, Stafford
        ST18 0AR
        01785 225656
        E-mail: info@addmaster.co.uk
        Web site: www.addmaster.co.uk

108 PolyOne
        Rue Melville Wilson 2,
        B-5330 Assesse
        Belgium

109 Engelmann & Buckham Ltd
        Buckham House,
        Lenten Street, Alton,
        Hampshire
        GU34 1HH
        01420 82421
        E-mail: eb@buckham.co.uk
        Web site: www.buckham.co.uk

110 Engelmann & Buckham Ltd
        Buckham House,
        Lenten Street, Alton,
        Hampshire
        GU34 1HH
        01420 82421
        E-mail: eb@buckham.co.uk
        Web site: www.buckham.co.uk

111 Engelmann & Buckham Ltd
        Buckham House,
        Lenten Street, Alton,
        Hampshire
        GU34 1HH
        01420 82421
        E-mail: eb@buckham.co.uk
        Web site: www.buckham.co.uk

113 Qualconvey
        11 Lidget Lane Industrial Estate,
        Albion Drive,
        Thurnscoe, Rotherham
        S63 0BA
        01709 881490
        E-mail: general@qualconvey.com
        Web site: www.qualconvey.co.uk

114 Boston Matthews Ltd
        Navigation Road,
        Diglis,
        Worcester
        WR5 3DE
        01905 763100
        E-mail: sales@bostonmatthews.co.uk
        Web site: www.bostonmatthews.co.uk

115 Munchy International Ltd
        Navigation Road,
        Diglis,
        Worcester
        WR5 3DE
        01905 763100
        E-mail: sales@munchy.co.uk
        Web site: www.munchy.co.uk

116 PL Plastics Machinery Ltd
        Unit 7 Telmere Industrial Estate,
        Albert Road,
        Luton, Beds
        LU1 3QF
        01582 429224
        E-mail: sales@pl-plasticsmachinery.co.uk
        Web site: www.pl-plasticsmachinery.co.uk

117 Billion UK Ltd
        2 Fitzhamon Court,
        Wolverton Mill,
        Milton Keynes
        MK12 6LB
        01908 223344
        E-mail: sales@billion-uk.co.uk
        Web site: www.billion.fr

118 Coolmation
        7, Millstream Trading Estate,
        Ringwood,
        Hampshire
        BH24 3SD
        01425 478971
        E-mail: sales@coolmation.co.uk
        Web site: www.cooling4industry.co.uk

119 Tool-Temp Ltd
        Unit 2, Plant House,
        Royal Oak Way North,
        Daventry
        NN11 5PQ
        01327 704406
        E-mail: sales@tool-temp.net
        Web site: www.tool-temp.net

121 TM Robotics (Europe) Ltd
        Unit 15, The Weltech Centre,
        Ridgeway,
        Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire
        AL7 2AA
        01707 871535
        E-mail: sales@tmrobotics.co.uk
        Web site: www.tmrobotics.co.uk

122 Xtrutech Ltd
        Marsh Lane,
        Ellenhall,
        Stafford
        ST21 6JQ
        01270 627769
        E-mail: sales@xtrutech.com
        Web site: www.xtrutech.com

123 Husky Injection Molding Systems UK Ltd
        Siskin Drive,
        Middlemarch Business Centre,
        Coventry
        CV3 4FJ
        024 7651 8900
        Web site: www.husky.ca

125 Variohm Eurosensor Ltd
        Williams Barns,
        Tiffield Road,
        Towcester
        NN12 6HP
        01327 351004
        E-mail: sales@variohm.com
        Web site: www.variohm.com

126 Textron Fastening Systems
        Mundells,
        Welwyn Garden City,
        Hertfordshire
        AL7 1EZ
        01707 668668
        Web site: www.textronfasteningsystems.com

127 Bollhoff Fastenings Ltd
        Midacre,
        Willenhall,
        West Midlands
        WV13 2JW
        01902 637161
        E-mail: enquiries@bollhoff.co.uk
        Web site: www.bollhoff.com

130 3M (UK) plc
        3M Centre, Cain Road,
        Bracknell,
        Berkshire
        RG12 8HT
        01344 858000
        E-mail: tapes&adhesives.uk@mmm.com
        Web site: www.3m.com/uk

131 Optimation Ltd
        PO Box 5479,
        Derby
        DE1 9HX
        0115 930 6000
        E-mail: helen.mitchell@ukonline.co.uk

132 ABB Ltd
        Auriga House,
        Precedent Drive,
        Milton Keynes
        MK13 8PQ
        01908 350300
        E-mail: colin.jakes@gb.abb.com
        Web site: www.abb.com

133 B A Thorne (Machinery) Ltd
        Eagle Road,
        Moons Moat North,
        Redditch, Worcs
        B98 9HF
        01527 584714
        E-mail: bat@bathorne.co.uk
        Web site: www.bathorne.co.uk

135 BASF UK Ltd
        PO Box 4, Earl Road,
        Cheadle Hulme,
        Cheshire
        SK8 6QG
        0161 485 6222
        Web site: www.basf.com

136 Whitaker Technical Plastics Ltd
        G4 Redwood Court, Springwood Way,
        Tytherington Business Park,
        Macclesfield, Cheshire
        SK10 2XH
        01625 612571
        E-mail: g.whitaker@btconnect.com
        Web site: www.whitakertechnicalplastics.co.uk

137 Vita Thermoplastic Compounds Ltd
        Middleton,
        Manchester
        M24 2DB
        0161 655 2605
        E-mail: mwright@britishvita.com
        Web site: www.vtc.britishvita.com

138 Croda Chemicals Europe
        Cowick Hall,
        Snaith, Goole,
        East Yorkshire
        DN14 9AA
        01405 860551
        E-mail: pa-europe@croda.com
        Web site: www.croda.com/europe/pa

139 BASF UK Ltd
        PO Box 4, Earl Road,
        Cheadle Hulme,
        Cheshire
        SK8 6QG
        0161 485 6222
        Web site: www.basf.com/lightstabilizers

141 Licom Systems Ltd
        Licom House,
        8 Davenport Road,
        Coventry
        CV5 6PY
        024 7671 3434
        E-mail: sales@uk.licom.com
        Web site: www.licom.com

143 Brookfield Viscometers Ltd
        1 Whitehall Estate,
        Flex Meadow, Pinnacles West,
        Harlow, Essex
        CM19 5TJ
        01279 451774
        E-mail: sales@brookfield.co.uk
        Web site: www.brookfieldengineering.com

144 Celsum Technologies Ltd
        Willow House,
        17 Braemar Close,
        Mountsorrel, Leicestershire
        LE12 7ES
        0116 210 6319
        E-mail: sales@celsum.com
        Web site: www.celsum.com

145 Mettler Toledo Ltd
        64 Boston Road,
        Beaumont Leys,
        Leicester
        LE4 1AW
        0116 234 5074
        E-mail: enquire.mtuk@mt.com
        Web site: www.mt.com

146 Mecmesin Limited
        Newton House,
        Spring Copse Business Park,
        Stane St, Slinfold, West Sussex
        RH13 0SZ
        01403 799979
        E-mail: info@mecmesin.com
        Web site: www.mecmesin.com

147 MAPRA Technik Co
        63 Spring Grove,
        Loughton,
        Essex
        IG10 4QE
        020 8508 4207
        E-mail: info@mapra.co.uk
        Web site: www.mapra.co.uk

148 Malvern Instruments Ltd
        Enigma Business Park,
        Grovewood Road,
        Malvern, Worcestershire
        WR14 1XZ
        01684 892456
        E-mail: salesinfo@malvern.co.uk
        Web site: www.malvern.co.uk

149 Lloyd Instruments Ltd
        Forum House,
        12 Barnes Wallis Road,
        Segensworth East, Fareham
        PO15 5TT
        01489 486399
        E-mail: general@lloyd-instruments.co.uk
        Web site: www.lloyd-instruments.co.uk

150 Polymer Laboratories Ltd
        Essex Road,
        Church Stretton,
        Shropshire
        SY6 6AX
        01694 723581
        E-mail: PLinfo@polymerlabs.com
        Web site: www.polymerlabs.com

151 Moldflow (Europe) Ltd
        Central Court,
        Knoll Rise, Orpington,
        Kent
        BR6 0JA
        01689 878111
        Web site: www.moldflow.com

162 Staubli Unimation Ltd
        Stafford Park 17,
        Telford,
        Shropshire
        TF3 3DG
        01952 292148
        E-mail: connectors.uk@staubli.com
        Web site: www.staubli.com







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