PVC proves its greencredentials

Polymer prices:Review and Outlook

The next challengefor UK recycling

THE MONTHLY MAGAZINE FORBRITAIN’S POLYMER PROCESSORS

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UK plastics recyclingtakes to the spotlight

but only if it changes its approach.“Recycled plastics are a resource - not awaste product. There is the potential formajor environmental and economicbenefit such as attracting new jobs andinvestment to the UK,” he commented.

The potential creation of new greenjobs in the sector is encouraging news forthe next generation of workers due toembark on a career in the plasticsindustry. Earlier this month I visited thePolymer Training and Innovation Centrein Telford for a summit onapprenticeships. The event, attended byrepresentatives from industry, tradeassociations and the sector skills council,highlighted the need to change the wayin which apprenticeship schemes aredelivered in the polymer industry in termsof funding, course content, deliverymethods and assessment. By speakingup as an industry as to what is neededfrom the schemes, we can ensure thatsuccession plans are in place so thatworkers with the appropriate level oftraining and skill are filling the new jobsbeing created. You can read the fullreport on page 28.

Enjoy the issue.

Leanne Taylor — Editor

The subject of plastics recycling isnever far from the agenda, however, thismonth has seen some importantannouncements in terms of where theindustry could be headed. In this issue,we look at how changes made by DEFRAto recycling targets in the UK need to bemirrored by the introduction of otherregulatory amendments in order toensure, as a nation, we reap the benefits.

In our reclamation and recyclingfocus, Jonathan Short, Managing Directorof ECO Plastics, shares his opinion on aneed to review the current PRN/PERNsystem in order to create a level playingfield for UK plastic reprocessors andChris Dow, CEO of Closed Loop Recycling,praises DEFRA’s decision to introduce anew MRF Code of Practice to improve thequality of dry recyclates from co-mingledcommercial and local waste streams inthe UK.

In addition, MBA Polymers recentlycalled on the Government for anexemption or reduction in VAT on recycledplastics to help stimulate consumerdemand and encourage investment inthe UK’s plastics recycling industry.MBA’s Chief Executive, Nigel Hunton, saidat an event in Westminster on the futureof plastics recycling that the UK couldbecome “a world leader” in the sector,

Associated organisations

www.britishplastics.co.uk

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BRITISHPLASTICS&RUBBER

EDITORIALEditor: Leanne Taylor

T: +44(0)1244 680222 E: leanne@rapidnews.com

SALESGroup Advertising Manager: Lisa Montgomery

T: +44(0)1244 680222 E: lisa@rapidnews.com

ARTProduction & Design Manager: Samantha Hamlyn

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SUBSCRIPTIONSSubscriptions Manager: Tracey Nicholls

T: +44(0)1244 680222 E: tracey@rapidnews.com

PUBLISHERMark Blezard

T: +44(0)1244 680222 E: mark@rapidnews.com

British Plastics & Rubber is available on free subscription to readersqualifying under the publisher’s terms of control. Those outside thecriteria may subscribe at the following annual rates: UK: £80 Europe and rest of the world: £115

British Plastics & Rubber is published monthly (10 times/year) byPlastics Multimedia Communications Ltd, Unit 2, Carlton House,Sandpiper Way, Chester Business Park, CH4 9QET: +44(0)1244 680222 F: +44(01244 671074

© 2013 Plastics Multimedia Communications Ltd

While every attempt has been made to ensure that the informationcontained within this publication is accurate the publisher accepts noliability for information published in error, or for views expressed. Allrights for British Plastics & Rubber are reserved. Reproduction in wholeor in part without prior written permission from the publisher is strictlyprohibited.

ISSN 0307-6164Incorporating Polymer Age and Rubber and Plastics Age.

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As of 2012, Resinex had 400 employees and sold600kt of polymers with a turnover of €1 billion inEurope. The company states the key to this success isthat it has remained true to its core values as acustomer service focused, quality orientated andreliable plastics distributor. Matthew Marsh, ManagingDirector of Resinex UK Ltd, said: “I am proud to be involved with a company that hasflourished in recent years, cementing its status as theoriginal and still the best plastics distributor.”

ProductsWorking with long term partners, Resinex provides first class

products from the world’s leading suppliers such as Dow, Styron,Ticona, Braskem, Sabic, DSM, Arkema and Solvay, to name but afew. Resinex has a broad portfolio, including PP, PE and PS, alongwith engineering thermoplastics (PA, ABS, PC, POM) and specialitymaterials (TPE, PPS, LCP, PA46, PA12, PEI), as well as a full range ofsynthetic and natural rubbers.

Resinex is also a leading supplier of polymers for the rotationalmoulding industry, offering branded natural polymers from itspartner, Dow Chemicals, and its own range of natural, black andcoloured resins. In addition it offers a range of speciality polymers,such as semi-conductive, foaming PE and flame-retardants.Technicians have also created a range of special effect polymers.Based on standard RX branded materials, Resinex states theseeffects help customers differentiate their products from theircompetitors.

Alongside these 'brand name products’, Resinex also suppliesan extensive range of tailor made customer compounds, sourcedfrom the Ravago Group compounding operations. Thesecompounds can range from prime-based to recycled materials; inshort, it says, whatever the customer requires.

Founded in 1988, Resinex is part of the €5 Billion Ravago Group, specialising inthe supply of raw materials to plastic and rubber convertors around the world.

THE BIG STORYSpotlight on Resinex: Distributing a well-rounded plastics portfolio

Resinex UK offers a next-day delivery service

ServicesResinex UK says it was the first plastic distributor in the UK to

appreciate the time constraints that many manufacturers face insourcing material. It is for this reason, the company says, that itbecame the foremost UK distributor to offer a next day deliveryservice. It was able to do this by acquiring an 8000m2 warehousefacility in Northamptonshire in the UK, where most materials arestocked, offering a next day delivery service from 25kg lots to fulltruck loads.

The team at Resinex prides itself on going the extra mile to keepcustomers satisfied. The company says that when a customer callsthe sales office, they will speak to a dedicated, technically qualifiedsales specialist, who will endeavour to provide as much support asnecessary. Employees are trained in material specification,technical development, tool design and even MoldFlow support.

IndustriesResinex supply materials into numerous industries. In the

automotive industry, the Resinex Group has a dedicated team ofprofessionals cooperating with OEMs and tiers as well as withmoulders on automotive developments and projects. In the medicaland pharmaceutical industries, Resinex says it is a trusted partner,as a broad portfolio of unique polymers is available to meet the

requirements of this strongly regulated market. The dedicatedtechnical service team devoted to this particular industry is

also said to be able to provide close cooperation duringevery step of product development, from material selection,suggestions for tool design, MoldFlow analysis, regulatorycompliance, production guidelines and by providing therequired certificates for the several approval processes

required for medical and pharmaceutical applications. •Resinex says the dynamic nature of the plastics

industry means the business is constantly evolving, resultingin a steady change in the way that society and industrythinks about plastics used for packaging and manufacturing.The company states it has responded well to thesechallenges by offering such a wide range of materials, thatprocessors and end users now have a huge choice ofmaterials based on cost, performance behaviour andenvironmental credentials.

Further Information:www.resinex.co.uk

The Resinex team can offeradvice on MoldFlow support

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contentsFEBRuary 2013

38-41FEATURE

Testing and InspectionTesting and characterisation of materials for

medical plastics

REGULARSENGINEERING MATERIALS 30

INJECTION MOULDING 36

FROM THE FRONT LINE 42

CURRENCY CORNER 43

SOFTWARE 43

BUYERS’ GUIDE 44

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on the coverSpotlight on Resinex:

Distributing a well-rounded plastics

portfolioFounded in 1988, Resinex is part

of the €5 Billion Ravago Group,specialising in the supply of rawmaterials to plastic and rubber

convertors around the world.See page 4

3EDITOR’S LETTER

Future of UK plastics recyclingtakes to the spotlight

8-11FEATUREBiodegradables

Clearing the myths: Compostable,Biodegradable, Oxo-Biodegradable

and Bio-Based plastics

12-15FEATURE

PackagingDedicated machine launched for

the packaging sector

16-19]FEATUREReclamation and

RecyclingPRNs – the next big challenge for

UK recycling

20-22FEATUREAutomation and

RoboticsInvestment provides robotic boost

for UK moulder

24-27FEATURE

VinylsPVC proves its green credentials

28FEATUREApprenticeships

Generation plastics: Makingapprenticeships work for the

polymer industry

29FEATURE

Mo’s CornerWhat is meant by ‘dosing’ in the

context of injection moulding?

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Biodegradable plastic developedfrom wheat straw developed forE&E appliances

The Technological Institute of Plasticsin Spain (Aimplas) claims it is developing afully biodegradable plastic producedentirely from wheat straw, which has theproperties required to be used in themanufacture of white goods andhousehold electronics.

The development of the bioplastic isbeing co-ordinated by Aimplas as part of‘Bugworkers’, a 48-month long projectinvolving 15 European companiesincluding Fermax and the Basquetechnological centre, Tecnalia.

The plastic is produced from bacteriathat are fed with sugars derived fromwheat straw, with the cellulose fibres fromthe same residue being used to providethe necessary rigidity for the material’s usein electronic and electrical appliances.

Wheat straw is an agro-industrialresidue, however, Aimplas states withinthis project it will considerably reduce themanufacturing cost of a biodegradableplastic and therefore increase its value.The wheat straw was chosen for its lowcost and its high availability, especially inCentral Europe.

So far the Bugworkers project hasachieved good results with regards toprocess efficiency and therefore will beproduced on an industrial scale. Aimplas

the Bugworkers project is getting verypositive results in this respect,” said AnaEspert, Technical Coordinator of the projectat Aimplas.

further information:www.aimplas.es

states the results will lead to furtherdiscussions regarding cost and competitiveproperties.

“We need high performance in theprocess of synthesis of bioplastic by usingbacteria to be able to talk about acompetitive product in terms of costs, and

Biodegradable plastics get thecold treatment

A famous Italian ice-cream maker is tocompletely replace its disposable plasticitems with Mater-Bi, the biodegradableand compostable bioplastic fromNovamont.

Grom, which has 57 sales outletsacross Europe, Japan and the Americas,has taken the decision to use Mater-Bi tomake all of the disposable items at itssales outlets, including spoons, cups,refuse sacks and carrier bags. Grom isalso using specially made Mater-Bimulching film for growing strawberries andmelons at its farm.

Novamont states Mater-Bi is becomingone of the reference materials for foodpackaging and catering due to itsbiodegradability and compostability, which

represent added value for productscontaminated with food scraps that wouldotherwise be difficult or uneconomical torecycle.

Last year, fast food giant McDonaldschose Mater-Bi to provide its customers at

London 2012 with cutlery, straws, cupsand lids made of biodegradable plastics.

further information:www.novamont.com

The project is developing plastic developed from wheat straw

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Oxo-biodegradable anddegradable additives driveinvestment at Wells Plastic

Specialist masterbatch manufacturer,Wells Plastics, has received a £1.5 millionfollow-on investment from private equityhouse Key Capital Partners and currentshareholders.

The Staffordshire-based firm says itwill use the additional funding to invest innew machinery to increase productioncapacity and offer more flexibleproduction. Following the funding, thebusiness is planning to increase output byaround 25 percent to support its growthplans.

‘Reverte’, Wells Plastics’ line of oxo-biodegradable and degradable additivemasterbatches and compounds, is said tobe one factor driving the increase in

demand. After recent contract winswith a number of blue chipcompanies, sales volumes ofReverte are said to have increased20 percent over the past twelvemonths alone.

Key Capital Partners made itsinitial investment in Wells Plastics inFebruary 2011, alongside seniordebt facilities from longtimebanking partner, NatWest.

Chief Executive of WellsPlastics, Dr. Neil Partlett, said: “Thefollow-on funding is great news forthe development of Wells Plastics. Itwill help us develop the productionfacilities we need to support the futuregrowth plans of the business.

Mark Buttler, Director at Key CapitalPartners, said: “Despite the difficultconditions in the manufacturing sector,Wells Plastics has maintained a strongposition. We remain on the lookout for

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opportunities to expand and continuepushing into new markets.”

Wells Plastics employs over 40 peopleat its manufacturing site in Stone and hasa reported turnover of £10m.

further information:www.wellsplastics.com

Flying the (potato) flag for UKbiotechnology

A potato-based bioplastic andreportedly fully biodegradable Union Jackflag was flown during proceedings at theUK’s largest showcase of industrialbiotechnology in Westminster last month.

As the global bio-economy continuesto expand, ‘Leading IB: A UK Showcase’(hosted by the Industrial BiotechnologyLeadership Forum, IBLF) examined thesuccess the UK has achieved in industrialbiotechnology, highlighting exemplarprojects, processes and products in thefield.

Manufactured by Biome Bioplastics, aUK producer of starch-based bioplastics,the flag was commissioned by ChemistryInnovation and Biosciences KnowledgeTransfer Networks as an example of thebio-based materials and products beingdeveloped in this country.

Biome Bioplastics’ CEO, Paul Mines,commented: “Modern bioplastics canalready be used in a wide range of

sometimes-surprising applications, theflag is just one example, but withemerging technologies we can take thiseven further. For example, BiomeBioplastics is currently exploringopportunities for the manufacture of bio-based materials through the use ofsynthetic biology, an area which offersexciting commercial and technicalpossibilities.”

To highlight the potential of bio-basedmaterials, the Chemistry Innovation andBiosciences Knowledge Transfer Networkshave also commissioned a short filmillustrating the production of the flag,which was screened for the first time atthe event.

Further Information:www.biomebioplastics.com

The bioplastic flag flying over Westminster

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Compostable, biodegradable, oxo-biodegradableand bio-based plastics ---

Gordon Thompson, Technical Manager at theRenewable Energy Association, writes for BP&R on

the definitions, differences and distinguishing factorsin order to clarify an often misunderstood area.

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Compostable, biodegradable, oxo-biodegradable and bio-based plastics are now in increasingly common use.Unfortunately in many cases the definitions are confused andmisused. These are probably some of the most highly definedand yet misunderstood subjects in the plastics industry. Inorder to bring some clarity to this situation, it is necessary tounderstand what the various terms mean and how they relateto the management of waste plastic and packaging materials.

In order for any plastic or packaging material to beaccepted for composting on a site producing compost to thePAS 100 standard and Compost Quality Protocol, the plasticor packaging material must be independently certified asmeeting the EN 14995 (plastic) standard, EN 13432(packaging) standard (or another similar, accepted standard),or criteria for home compostability. Currently, DIN CERTCO (inBerlin) and Vinçotte (in Belgium) are the leading Europeanorganisations that assess and certify material as complyingwith these standards (in the UK, Renewable Energy AssuranceLimited provides certification services in partnership with DINCERTCO and Vinçotte).

The certification schemes aligned to the standards canaward two levels of recognition — registration andcertification. Registration applies to non-finished items inthree categories: raw materials (e.g. plastic granules),intermediates (e.g. plastic film), and additives (e.g. inks, dyes,

pigments, adhesives and coating substances). Certificationapplies solely to finished products, such as bags and kitchencaddie liners.

In order to gain recognition, non-finished items andfinished products must pass a series of tests to demonstratetheir compostability. These tests measure thebiodegradability, disintegration, ecotoxicity and the levels of11 chemical elements contained in the sample.Biodegradability is a measure of how much the sample isbroken down by microbial action into CO2, water and biomass.Disintegration quantifies the extent to which the sample fallsapart into pieces greater and less than 2mm. Ecotoxicityinvestigates whether the residue from the disintegration testhas any adverse effects on plant growth and finally, chemicalanalysis determines the concentrations of 11 elements thathave the potential to cause harm to the environment. As canbe seen from the above, biodegradability is only one elementof the tests and assessments carried out to determinewhether a non-finished item or finished product iscompostable.

In addition to the standards referred to above, there are‘OK compost HOME’ criteria defined and published by Vinçotteand this organisation operates a certification scheme gearedto these criteria. Although similar to the EN 13432 standard,

DIN CERTCO and Vinçotte are the leading Europeanorganisations that assess and certify materials

Only finished products that havebeen certified as (commercially)compostable or homecompostable are allowed todisplay the relevant certificationmark

what are they?

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reparameters for the biodegradability and disintegration tests

are different, being designed to reflect the smaller mass andvolume of home composting heaps and their less intensivemanagement (compared with commercial scale composting).

It should be noted that in order for a finished product to becertified as (commercially) compostable or homecompostable, all of the components of that product mustthemselves be compostable/home compostable.

Whilst any item that gains recognition under thecertification schemes referred to above will be given a uniqueidentification number, only finished products that have beencertified as (commercially) compostable or home compostableare allowed to display the relevant certification mark.

Oxo-biodegradable plastics are oil-based (polyolefin)plastics to which metal salts, filler and stabiliser substancesare added. The metal salts play a key role in early stage breakdown of the polymer chains, reducing the discarded productfrom a single, large item to a marginally lower total mass ofmacroscopic fragments. Further degradation will occur overtime, the rate being influenced by temperature, ultravioletlight, oxygen, moisture and microbes (species diversity andpopulation size) in the degradation environment. It should benoted that although oxo-biodegadable plastics are eligible fortesting for compliance with standards for (commercially)compostable and home compostable criteria, they tend totake much too long to reach a highly biodegraded state, andcertification bodies are not aware of any oxo-biodegradableplastic product that has complied with all of the criteria.

Bio-based plastics are plastics, potentially manufacturedfrom fossil derived materials that contain a bio-basedconstituent. This could potentially be a percentage of bio-polymers or bio-based filler within the plastic. Bio-basedplastics are defined and certified according to their non-fossilcarbon content, on a percentage basis. Non-fossil carboncontent is quantified by measurement of two carbon isotopes:Carbon 12 and Carbon 14. All living things absorb bothisotopes throughout their lives and absorption ceases atdeath. The amount of Carbon 12 contained within the body ofan organism will remain unchanged after death but theamount of Carbon 14 will gradually decrease after death. Bymeasuring the ratio between these isotopes it is possible, inmost cases, to establish the time since death of the organism.The exceptions to this are where the living organism hasreceived its carbon intake mainly from fossil, lentic or deepmarine sources.

It is possible for there to be a bio-based constituent inalmost any product, for example a car steering wheel couldhave a significant amount of bio-based content (e.g. 85percent). Whilst bio-based plastics can justifiably claim thatthey contain an identifiable content derived from renewablecarbon sources, they are not necessarily compostable. Forexample, crop-derived carbon can be made into polyethylene,which is not compostable.

Renewable Energy Assurance Limited1 works in closecooperation with DIN CERTCO and Vinçotte, the certificationbodies that manage schemes for the recognition of non-finished items and finished products as compostable andhome compostable. REAL and DIN CERTCO are currentlysetting up a cooperation agreement to provide a service forassessing and certifying bio-based materials.

further information:www.organics-recycling.org.uk

1Renewable Energy Assurance Limited is a whollyowned subsidiary of the Renewable EnergyAssociation.

Vinçotte operates a certificationscheme for home composting

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Dedicated machine launched forthe packaging sector

Injection moulding machinemanufacturer, Arburg, has launched newversions of its electric and hybrid‘Allrounder’ machines specifically for theproduction of packaging.

Arburg states due to the packagingindustry’s need for fast, high-volumeproduction, it has launched the two high-performance machines, the AllrounderAlldrive (A) and Hidrive (H), specificallywith higher productivity and reducedenergy consumption in mind.

The machines are tailored forpackaging requirements, with featuressuch as adaptation of the distancebetween tie bars, clamping force andopening stroke to suit the requirements ofthe packaging industry.

The Allrounders 570 A and H feature aclamping force of 1,800 kN, Allrounders630 A and H 2,300 kN, Allrounders 720 Aand H 2,900 kN, Allrounders 820 A and H3,700 kN and Allrounders 920 A and H4,600 kN.

The rigid, longitudinal steel machinebase is said to support heavy mouldweights and compensate for high loadchanges during mass movements. TheFEM-optimised mounting platens combinerigidity with low weight. Arburg statestogether with servo-electric toggle-typeclamping units, this facilitates extremelyfast opening and closing movements,leading to shorter overall cycle times.Energy recovery during braking ensuresthat the energy applied is used even more

efficiently, and the company states energysavings totalling up to 30 percent can beachieved in comparison with hydraulicclamping systems.

Servo-electric dosage drives are said toensure fast operation across cycles, shortdosage times and maximum productivity.The use of barrier screws ensureshomogeneous melt preparation and a highmaterial throughput. Injection involveseither servo-electric or hydraulicaccumulator technology via position-regulated screws. Using a dynamic fillingprocess, active acceleration anddeceleration is achieved. Together withhigher injection speeds of up to 500 mm/s,this is said to enable the short injectiontimes required in the packaging sector.Arburg states if production sequencesneed further optimisation, injection can bestarted simultaneously with the mouldclosing movement as standard.

For the production of thin-walled itemsand screw caps, special features areavailable that enable the packaging

The packaging version of the hybrid Allrounder 720 H issaid to meet the high demands of the packaging sector

Allrounders to be adapted to the particularapplication.

The equipment for producing thin-walled items is said to includepreparations for connecting an external in-mould labelling system or other removalsystem. In addition, the extension of therobotic system interface is said to enablethe robotic system to advance as themould opens.

For screw-cap production, a servo-electric ejector with hydraulic boosterfunction is available. Arburg states thisreduces problems during demoulding,even with shrunk-on closures.

Dropping of the moulded parts canreportedly be adjusted with precision tokeep the mould opening times short.Higher screw circumferential speedsenable correspondingly short dosagetimes.

Further Information:www.arburg.com

Petainer invests in Husky for PETpackaging

Petainer, the specialist PET packagingfirm, is to invest millions in Husky injectionmoulding equipment to boost itsproduction capacities at the Group’s plantin Lidköping, Sweden.

The firm states that investment in thenew Husky HPP injection equipment willenable the plant to run more ecologically,allowing it to provide environmentally -friendly PET packaging solutions.

Group CEO, Nigel Pritchard, said: “Thisinvestment follows on the heels of ourinitial investment plan from the secondhalf of 2012, and we will be following thisup in 2013 with yet further investments.

This is an exciting time in our developmentand the investment in the latest technologyis a demonstration of our confidence in ourLidkoping business.”

Further Information:www.petainer.com

Petainer’s plant in Lidköping

SELECT 40 to 600T www.billion.fr

1 % COST EFFECTIVE01908 223344

High performance counts! 7.3 million cycles per year on an ALLROUNDER

HIDRIVE: performance becomes high performance. This is what really counts in the packaging sector.

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ARBURG Ltd.Tachbrook Park DriveWarwick CV34 6RHTel.: +44 (0) 1926 457 000Fax: +44 (0) 1926 457 020e-mail: uk@arburg.com

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New static control bar forlabelling, packaging andconverting

Meech has launched the latestaddition to its static control range, theHyperion 971, which it says is ideal for usein labelling, packaging and convertingapplications.

“The decision to update our range ofstatic elimination equipment is a directresult of customer feedback,” explainedBusiness Unit Director for static control,David Rogers. “We pride ourselves onbeing flexible and having the capacity torespond rapidly to change.

“A lot of the companies that employour equipment work in dustyenvironments. The airborne contaminantsbuild up on ionising bars and cause a dropin performance. The bars need to be

designed to minimisethe effects of thecontamination and tohelp reduce the amountof cleaning required.”

Featuring theexisting pulsed DCtechnology used by thepopular 976 bar, Meech saysthe 971 has an improved design that ismore resilient to the build-up ofcontamination that naturally occurs duringuse, and therefore allows for easiercleaning. Like previous designs, theemitters can be removed for offlinecleaning or can be replaced individually,without the need to substitute the wholebar. Furthermore, Meech says theHyperion 971 features an integrated andimproved compressed air-boost system,which permits better long-rangeperformance in particularly difficultapplications.

GCS Group hits 2000 conveyorsGlobal Closure Systems, a provider of

plastic closure solutions for the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) market,has chosen Berkshire-based UPM as itspreferred supplier of belt conveyors.

The Group, which includes majormoulding companies Zeller Plastik, Obrist,UCP and Massmould, now has over 2000conveyors for automation of producttransfer with integration to the mouldingmachine.

Following on-site meetings with GCS,UPM custom engineers each belt conveyorto a detailed specification, resulting indimensioned drawings using 3Dmechanical solid modelling designsoftware for creating 3D digital prototypesusing the design visualisation andsimulation of products.

UPM invested around£50k in the new software,which includes assemblystress analysis, allowingUPM to input driving loads,friction characteristics anddynamic components to runsimulation tests to see how aproduct would work under realproduction conditions. This isthen followed by intensive pre-production testing at UPM toensure the equipment is deliveredto the respective site for ‘plug andgo’ operation.

GCS has six branded divisions,each serving markets regionallyand globally with a range of closingand dispensing systems for standard andcustom wide mouth closures, push-pullsports caps for carbonated and noncarbonated soft drinks, as well as child-

resistant closures.

New packaging is easy squeezy RPC Containers Corby, based in

Northamptonshire, has developed acustom-designed squeezable 300mlbottle for a range of accompanimentsfrom General Mills’ Old El Paso brand.

The multi-layer polypropylene bottle

A conveyor from UPM

The Hyperion 97

has been designed for easy handling andsqueezing for the consumer, as well asaccurate portion control.

The lightweight polypropylenestructure incorporates a layer of EVOH toprovide an effective barrier against oxygeningress and deliver the required extendedshelf life for the products.

Further Information:www.rpc-corby.co.uk

Whilst providing very powerfulionisation performance, the 971 static baris said to have shockless emitters, whichmake it safe for operators to handle.Available in a choice of lengths of up to4m, the bar operates up to 15KV asstandard and provides highly effectivelong-range ionisation typically fromdistances of 200 to 1000mm.

Further Information:www.meech.com

Old El Paso productsin the new packaging

from RPC Corby

SELECT 40 to 600T 1 % COST EFFECTIVE

Further Information:www.upmconveyors.co.uk

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Plastic packaging firm improvesefficiency and saves space

Thermoformed rigid plastic packagingmanufacturer, Phase 3 Plastics, says it hasimproved production efficiency and savedspace with the acquisition of a Ridat8040AVF automatic vacuum-formingmachine.

Prior to commissioning the machine inJune 2012, manufacturer Ridat made avariety of customisations to the machine tofulfil Phase 3’s requirements, from theoverall size of the machine to its colour.

Southampton-based Phase 3 Plasticsneeded a machine with a large formingarea, however, the available space withinits facility could only accommodate a smallmachine footprint. Phrase 3 says Ridatwas the only manufacturer it approachedthat was able to meet its requirements.

The 8040AVF machine was reduced to4740mm x 1144mm overall size,compared with other machines thatrequired 4740mm x 2070mm, a space

saving of over 40 percent without the needto sacrifice the forming size of the2000mm x 1540mm.

The goal for Terry Lucas, ManagingDirector of Phase 3 Plastics, was toimprove production efficiency. “Ridat havebeen exceptionally flexible in theirapproach to this project, the adjustmentsthey made to the machine enabled us tostreamline our manufacturing process,” hecommented. “The size of the machine wasa major consideration, having found asolution we discussed how the machinewould fit within our existing productionprocess to give us complete in-linemanufacturing.

“Ridat, unlike other equipment OEMswe spoke to, were able to change theconfiguration of the machine to run right toleft and utilise the same narrow webmaterial as our other machines. Wewanted to be able to run the machinecontinuously using a roll of film, whichRidat accommodated by adding apneumatic lifter to the end of the machine.These customisations have significantly

boosted our ability to manufacture medicaldevices efficiently.”

The Ridat 8040AVF’s special featuresinclude a clamping system for materials upto 12mm thick. It has top and bottomheating with a closed loop digital heatingcontrol system providing accurate zonetemperature control. Features such asautomatic sag control, photo-electric safetycurtain, quick cooling of formed product,bubble facility, quick mould changes and auser friendly micro-processor system thatassists with fault faulting are alsoincluded.

Further Information:www.ridat.com

Case Study:

The Ridat 8040AVF vacuum-formingmachine

www.billion.fr 01908 223344

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John Lewis partners Liverpoolrecycler for new plasticsrecycling strategy

The John Lewis Partnership hascommitted to developing a ‘closed loop’waste plastics strategy through apioneering new contract with Liverpool-based recycler, Centriforce Products — amove believed to be a first for any UKretailer.

The new arrangement will guaranteethat thousands of tonnes of plastic wastefrom Waitrose and John Lewis shops arerecycled into useable products byCentriforce, a UK independent plasticsrecycler.

The retailer is also said to be exploringopportunities to reuse Centriforceproducts, such as plastic planks andsheeting, in its new store constructionprogramme to achieve a true ‘closed loop’in its plastics waste stream.

Centriforce will collect more than3,000 tonnes of plastics waste from JohnLewis and Waitrose distribution centresacross the UK annually and bring the

waste to its Liverpool manufacturingcentre.

“We want to be completely transparentin our approach to waste managementand ensure that as much as possible isrecycled and then reused in our ownbusinesses,” said Mike Walters, Recyclingand Waste Operations Manager for theJohn Lewis Partnership. “We arecommitted to keeping ownership of ourwaste all the way to its final destination,rather than selling it to the highest bidder,or losing control over what happens to it.”

Centriforce has capacity to recyclemore than 20,000 tonnes of plastic wastea year to produce plastic sheets, boardsand profiles. These offer a durablealternative to wood and traditionalmaterials and could find a wide range of

uses in store.Mike continued: “We are working

with Centriforce’s innovations team toexplore ways in which we can reusemore recycled plastic products in ourstores in future, especially for new storeconstruction. We already have recycledplastic furniture made by Centriforceoutside most of our Waitrose and JohnLewis stores.”

All waste plastics from John Lewisand Waitrose stores — from warehousepackaging and pallet films to usedWaitrose ‘Bags for Life’ — aretransported to central distribution

centres by returning delivery vehicles.“We have had a policy of backhauling

our waste through the space available inempty vehicles for a number of years. Itprovides the perfect starting point forrecycling,” added Mike. “We have declaredour aspiration to achieve zero waste tolandfill with a diversion target of 95percent by the end of 2013. Plastics wasteplays an important role in that, but evenmore exciting is the possibility that it canbe recycled into products we can useagain.”

Centriforce has been working with theJohn Lewis Partnership to recycle aproportion of its waste for more than fiveyears. However, in the new contractCentriforce will reprocess all of the JohnLewis Partnership’s soft plastics. Thecontract follows Centriforce’s recentinvestment in its own mixed plasticssorting line, a facility vital to guarantee theprocessing capacity needed by the JohnLewis Partnership.

“By working with Centriforce, the JohnLewis Partnership can ensure it avoidslandfill costs and makes an income fromits waste arisings. Furthermore, it ispioneering closed loop arrangementsprovide the perfect demonstration of totalwaste ownership as well as underpinningthe company’s sustainable corporateresponsibility,” said Centriforce’sManaging Director, Simon Carroll.

Further Information:www.centriforce.com

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Returning delivery trucks are used totransport waste

Waste plastic from Waitrose and JohnLewis is transported to Centriforce

Benches made from Centriforce recyled plastic are used outside many John Lewis and Waitrose stores in the UK

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University spin out pioneers fuelfrom mixed plastic waste

University of Warwick spin outcompany, Recycling Technologies, hascompleted an equity financing deal withthe Wroxall Investors Group (WIG), aMidlands-based business angelsyndicate.

Recycling Technologies was formed tocommercialise a process developed at theUniversity of Warwick that can transformMixed Plastic Waste [MPW] into heat andelectricity using an advanced FluidisedBed Reactor, called the WarwickFBR.

Adrian Griffiths, Managing Director at

Recycling Technologies, commented: “Weare really pleased with this deal. It notonly secures the funding we need at thisstage in our growth but simultaneouslyhas expanded the experience that we candraw on as we develop the business.”

Martin Lusby, one of the investors, willbe taking a position within the companyas Chairman of the Board to fully supportthe business as it develops.

“Recycling Technologies is at anexciting stage in its development,” saidMartin. “The concept of a machine thatcan be installed into existing recyclingfacilities to turn what most people still

regard as waste plastic into electricity andheat in a CHP (Combined Heat and Power)plant is timely given the increasing costsof landfill and energy prices. With the firstmachine due to go into production in2014, the WIG investment will allow theteam and company infrastructure to beexpanded at the Swindon base to ensurethis commercial opportunity is fullyexploited.”

Further Information:www.recycling-technologies.co.uk

The Warwick FBR new technology

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Closed Loop’s Chris Dow haswelcomed the Code of Practice forMRFs

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DEFRA unveils MRF Code ofPractice consultation

DEFRA has unveiled a new MaterialsRecovery Facility (MRF) Code of Practiceand Quality Action Programme designedto improve the quality of dry recyclatesfrom co-mingled commercial and localwaste streams in the UK.

The new code of practice, which wasunveiled on 1st February by ResourcesManagement Minister, Lord de Mauley, isnow open for consultation. It is hoped theplans will increase quality as well aspromote a stronger market for recycledmaterials.

Commenting on the new MRF Code ofPractice, Chris Dow, CEO of Closed LoopRecycling, said the announcement was“the Government’s first major steptowards realising its plans to become thegreenest government ever.”

He continued: “We at Closed LoopRecycling agree with the ESA and otherindustry leaders that all aspects of the

scheme must be mandatory andenforced via the Environmental Permitregime. It is absurd to believe that theillegal exporters would join the scheme ifvoluntary. We also believe thatindependent audits should beunannounced and should includephysical sampling by the independentauditor. Without this check, illegalexporters would be able to create falsebut seemingly compliant samplingdocumentation. The audit might alsoinclude a holistic view of ISO systemsdocumentation and customer feedbackregarding quality.

“With a mandatory MRF Code ofPractice, greater enforcement of theTrans-Frontier Ships Regulations and areview of the PRN/PERN system, UK re-processors will feel confident to invest inadditional capacity, which will lead to thecreation of substantial numbers of greenjobs and will reduce the UK's imports ofvirgin raw materials.”

Further Information:www.defra.gov.uk

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In March 2012 DEFRA made thenecessary move of introducing mandatoryrecycling targets. As a result, the UKexpects to recycle 57 percent of itspackaging waste by 2017. ECO Plasticsand other leading players in the marketwelcomed the announcement as a stepforward for both the reprocessing industryand the wider green economy. However,we were very clear that the targets wouldnot deliver the necessary changes for athriving domestic sector on their own.They must be accompanied by otherregulatory amendments, most importantlya review of the Packaging Recovery Notes(PRN) and Packaging Export RecoveryNotes (PERN) regimes.

The current system for PRNs andPERNs does not provide a level playingfield. UK plastic reprocessors can onlyclaim a credit after their feedstock hascompleted the wash phase, or in extremecases the melt phase. Process losses ofup to 30 percent of the original feedstockthrough the removal of dirt, moisture andother contamination can be expectedthrough these stages. No suchrequirement is needed to claim PERNs,with exporters realising 100 percent of thetonnage simply by exporting containers ofunprocessed material — feedstock thatcontains waste paper, dirt, glass, liquidand organic residue.

As it stands, the Government’sapproach is clearly encouraging the exportof waste plastic at the expense ofdomestic processors. Not only are UKplayers at a commercial disadvantage, butmore importantly, the lack of financialreturns will hinder much-needed

investment in domestic reprocessinginfrastructure. With increased levels ofmixed plastics at home and the Far Eastmarket for plastic waste steadilysoftening, investment in our own supplychains must be the priority. The alternativeis that we will be left with a mass ofmaterial that we can neither recycle norexport.

We are advised by DEFRA that revisingthe PRN/PERN system to allow for theseanomalies risks being ruled as anti-competitive under EU laws, yet it stillappears to be okay to disadvantage UKmanufacturing. In my view there are twosimple alternative solutions toacknowledge the contamination levels inthe price of PERNs:

Firstly, exporters should be required tofollow the same stringent audit trailsexpected by the EA of the domesticreprocessing industry and to clearlydemonstrate the quality of every loadplaced in a container.

Secondly, perhaps an easier answer isto allow domestic re-processors to claimon all UK tonnage (including the inherentcontamination).

Additionally, the revenue from PRNsand PERNs must be utilised exclusively forinward investment in reprocessingtechnology and infrastructure, or forconsumer education programmes. Again,with strict audit checks on how thePRN/PERN funds have been utilised.

Although there has been previousengagement with manufacturers on howto manage packaging waste through the

Courtauld agreement, these targets arethe first set of mandatory regulations andwill undoubtedly drive up the value ofPRNs. The higher the value, the moredisadvantaged the domestic reprocessingsector becomes.

There are other challenges facing thesector, but changing the PRN/PERNsystem is the easiest issue to tackle, withsimple legislation and no need foradditional funds, widespread stakeholderengagement or campaigns. Naturallythere must be desire to make the changeand I see little evidence of that desire.

The UK recycling industry is now at acrossroads. If we continue on our currentpath of neglecting the domestic marketand shipping our waste, it is only a matterof time before we are forced to reopenlandfill sites. The reform of the PRN/PERNsystem is key to encouraging investmentin domestic markets and ensuring thedevelopment of a self-sufficient recyclinginfrastructure.

Further Information:www.ecoplasticsltd.com

PRNs -the next bigchallenge forUK recyclingJonathan Short, Managing Director ofLincolnshire-based ECO Plastics, writes for BP&Ron how changes made to recycling targets in theUK need to be mirrored by the introduction of otherregulatory amendments, including a review of thePackaging Recovery Notes (PRN) and Packaging ExportRecovery Notes (PERN) regimes.

Changes to recycling targets need to

be mirrored by other regulatory

amendments, says Jonathan Short

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The TX340 SH 6-axis robot issuitable for shelfmounting oninjectionmouldingmachines.

High performance shelf mountedrobot benefits injectionmoulders

Stäubli Robotics has introduced a six-axis shelf mounted robot into its range offour-axis and six-axis robots specificallydesigned for the plastics market. TheTX340 SH can be mounted on top of aninjection moulding machine and is said todeliver excellent reach and payloadcapability; increasing production flexibilityand providing a smaller footprint thanconventional gantry robots.

Stäubli states its six-axis robots areideal for injection moulding applications,as not only can they provide high-speeddemoulding but, with six degrees offreedom, are able to perform manysecondary operations at the side of themoulding machine, such as desprueing,part inspection, assembly tasks andpackaging — usually all within themachine’s moulding cycle. Stäubli’s robotrange has been developed in close co-

operation with end users in the plasticsmarket to ensure that the robots areresponsive and easy to use, meeting allthe demanding real-time operationalrequirements of injection moulding.

The latest introduction to the range isthe TX 340 SH, a shelf mountable, six-axisrobot that can be positioned on top of theIMM. Stäubli states mounting on top ofthe IMM reduces the cell footprint andallows the robot to operate effectively onboth sides of the machine. The robot canhandle payloads up to 165kgs and has areach of 3680mm, making it suitable formost moulding shop tasks.

Designed with IP65 protection, thismachine can reportedly operate at speedsup to 12 metres/second while stillmaintaining a repeatability of +/- 0.1mmover its full working envelope.

Stäubli states the economic benefitsof automation by using six-axis robotshave never been clearer. While labourrates continue to rise and availability ofskills provides on-going difficulties, thereal cost of robots has been decreasing.Payback times of 18 months and less are

achievable through increased productivityand reduced wastage of materials, inaddition to the benefits of operator safety.

Further Information:www.staubli.com/en/robotics

High cavitation take-out systembeats required cycle time

Leicestershire-based DB Automationrecently completed an order for theproduction and installation of a highcavitation take-out robot and automationsystem in Mexico.

The client wanted to unload from astack tool, 16 plus 16 products, placethem in an area for cooling and presentthem for packaging at a later stage. DBAutomation designed a system capable ofa cycle time of 11.5 seconds.

The system comprised of a high-speedservo driven side entry take-out robot, withdownstream palletised cooling conveyor,which afforded the required cooling timefor the product. An added complexity tothe system was the incorporation of amanual unloading area where the parts

would be packed for onwardshipping.

The system wasdesigned, built, programmedand tested at DBAutomation’s new premisesin Broughton Astley. Initialparts arrived in late Augustand the machine was on testfor customer approval by themiddle of November 2012.

The system is based on aB&R control system, whichDB Automation states offersthe operator or supervisorintelligent screens on a user-friendly HMI unit to controlspeed and functions as wellas diagnose errors or faults.

Final installation was completed in lateDecember and DB Automation states thatthe system out-performed the initialrequirements and has been operating at a

cycle time of 10.5 seconds, below therequired 11.5 seconds.

Further Information:www.db-automation.co.uk

With a reach of3680mm and payload

capacity of 165kgs theTX340 is suitable formost moulding shop

tasks.

The system was designed, built and tested at DBAutomation’s UK headquarters

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Engel expands Viper range oflinear robots

Engel Austria recently expanded itslinear robot series with the addition of the‘Viper 120’, which, with a nominal load-bearing capacity of 120kg, is said to bethe largest linear robot in its competitivefield.

Now available in seven sizes (from anominal load-bearing capacity of 6kgupwards), Engel states the linear robots inits current Viper generation are ideallysuited to automation tasks in the injectionmoulding field whilst also ensuring veryhigh clamping forces. With a mould take-off stroke of 3000mm and a reach of3550mm, Engel believes the Viper 120 is

reaching new heights in linear robotics. Engel states common characteristics

across the Viper series of robots includemaximum stability, dynamism and ease ofuse combined with lightness. The robotsare said to benefit from an innovativedesign that utilises laser-welded steelsections to keep the dead weight of therobots low, enabling the load-bearingcapacity to be raised.

Smart software packages are said toreduce the structure-borne vibration of therobots — even with longer axis dimensions— and optimise their movement anddynamic values, resulting in enhancedefficiency. Engel states the Viper robotstherefore make a crucial contributiontowards the reduction of cycle times andthe increase of productivity for a range ofapplications, whilst also demonstrating

Investment provides roboticboost for UK moulder

Technical plastic injection moulder,Certwood, has revealed that investment intwo new six-axis robots from Fanuc UK hashelped it become a more competitiveoption to offshore trade moulders and ishelping it retain large contracts in the UK.

Certwood, based in Luton, is a busytrade moulder producing 500,000components per month for three coresectors. It is a tier one supplier oftechnically complex interior mouldings forthe automotive industry, a manufacturerof plastic stadium seating, as well as itsown storage tray system used by schoolsand laboratories.

All 20 moulding machines at Certwoodare equipped with robots to unloadmouldings. The two new Fanuc M-10iArobots have six-axis arms providingincreased flexibility over conventional‘Beam’ three-axis robots commonly usedby the plastics industry.

Steve Dennis, Managing Director ofCertwood, explained: “An automotivecustomer asked us to look at a processimprovement on a current product with aview to introducing it later into a proposednew product. The original process involvedmanually applying a label to a mouldingthat we first had to cool down to allowgases to fully disperse. Time taken toaccurately position the label and the riskof it bubbling were two key areas toaddress.

“We worked with plastics automationspecialists Hi-Tech Automation to identifysolutions and focused on In Mould

Labelling (IML) which is more common inthe food packaging sector. The processoffers a neat solution as the label ispositioned in the mould tool and the partis moulded around it making it nonremovable, an essential requirement for asafety critical component, and the need tocool down the moulding is eliminated.”

The six-axis Fanuc robot is equippedwith end of arm tooling to handle a label,a moulding and a static discharge device.The robot vacuum grips a label from adispenser cassette and waits for themould tool to open. When it opens therobot tooling grips the ejected product andmoves the label to within 5mm of itsposition on the tool. A static charge is thenapplied that allows the label to be heldaccurately in place once the robot haspositioned it. The robot moves out of themould tool and the moulding cyclecontinues.

Certwood states automating theprocess has provided an aestheticallyimproved moulding with a more accuratelypositioned label that cannot be peeledaway. Production time has reportedly beenreduced and storage issues removed withthe elimination of the need to cool prior tolabelling.

“We met our customer’s request toresearch improvements in this labellingprocess delivering both quality andeconomic advantage,” continued SteveDennis. “IML is now an established part ofour service offering, it illustrates thatmanufacturing innovation gives addedvalue to our customers and also givesCertwood a process that takes it up a leveland supports customer retention.”

Further Information:www.fanucrobotics.co.uk

Two new Fanuc M-10iA robots have been installed at Certwood

their high level of energy efficiency. Engel states it has significantly

increased its sales and market shares inthe linear robotics range since introducingthe viper series at Fakuma 2009.

Further Information:www.engelglobal.com

The Engel Viper 120

Case Study:

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A comprehensive selection of new andrecently released Wittmann robots,injection moulding machines and otherprocess technologies will be on display atWittmann Battenfeld’s Competence Days,an event held at its expandedKottingbrunn plant in Austria onWednesday April 24 and ThursdayApril 25 2013.

Wittmann built upon its robot portfolioat Fakuma 2012, where two new models,the W808 and W822, were launched. Thenew W832 was launched just beforeChristmas 2012 and further robot productlaunches are expected this year in the runup to October’s K 2013 exhibition inDusseldorf, Germany.

The company states its W808 model(pictured) represents a significantimprovement over the previous model,W801. The W808 servo robot is designedfor the shortest cycle times, which aretypically found in smaller machine

applications up to about150 tonnes. This model is

equipped with a fixedkick-axis with a reachup to 600mm. Thehorizontal axis isavailable in lengthsof 1,250mm,

1,500mm or

2,000mm, while the vertical axis isavailable in either 600mm, 800mm or1,000mm. The W808 can handle amaximum payload of 3kg and comes as astandard with the Wittmann R8.2 robotcontrol.

Another new introduction to theWittmann group is robot model W822. Itfeatures a special vertical design withinthe W82x robot series of Wittmann. Thiscomprises a rack and pinion, making theW822 robot able to handle payloads up to15kg with strokes of 1,000mm and1,200mm. The optional vertical axis of1,400mm still offers a payload of 12kg.Otherwise, the model W822 features thesame mechanical dimensions as theW821. This robot model thus provides areach in the kick-axis of 780 mm and ahorizontal traversing stroke of up to4,000mm.

Wittmann states both of thesenewcomers are equipped with the robotcontrol R8.2, offering high flexibilitycoupled with a user-friendly interface. TheW822 model also demonstrates a newreal-time function, which is called‘DynamicDrive’ and directly affects thecontrol of the drives. DynamicDrivemonitors by default in the background theload limit of each axes motion of therobot. This feature was originally designedfor the Ultra High-Speed Horizontal Robotfrom Wittmann and has now beenadjusted to the standard series.

In the deactivated state ofDynamicDrive, a warning is displayed incase the maximum load limits are

exceeded. In the activated state,however, DynamicDrive governs theacceleration and deceleration profilesof each axes motion of the robot.

Witmann states this real-time function

developed for the complete range ofrobots with R8.2 control therefore servesas a protection for the mechanicalstructure and drive control, as well as forthe optimisation of each movement of therobot.

Wittmann has also developed a W821UHS robot model from the Ultra High-Speed series, which will also be presentedat the open day, which is said to betypically designed to operate with openingtimes of up to and around one second.With a factory-set payload of 3kg tailoredto high acceleration and decelerationprofiles, Wittmann states the UHS robotscan specifically take advantage of theDynamicDrive functionality. Wittmann’sUltra High-Speed series also features theW837 model, which can be deployed in ahorizontal arrangement, operating with InMould Labelling (IML). The last Fakumaexhibition, 2012, saw this arrangementproducing credit cards and the Groupstates many further applications are beingplanned. The W837 model is said tohighlight the benefits of highestacceleration and deceleration as well asintelligent signal exchange with theinjection moulding machine. Thesefeatures reportedly enable fast cycle timesand very low power requirements.

The April 2013 Wittmann GroupCompetence days will feature these robotsin action within production cells at theKottingbrunn plant. UK moulders have alimited number of places reserved for theirattendance at this event and interestedcompanies should now apply directly toBarry Hill, MD of Wittmann Battenfeld UKin order to reserve a place.

Further Information:www.wittmann-group.co.ukThe newly launched

W808 model

KUKA finds a new research role inUK

Kuka Robotics UK has signalled itsambitions to help develop innovative, newautomated production processes for thehigh-value manufacturing sector.

The Black Country-based industrialrobot supplier is now a member of theMTC (Manufacturing Technology Centre) atCoventry’s Ansty Park.

Kuka has supplied two of its highpayload KR 240 robots for a variety ofresearch projects at the centre, a uniquecollaboration between a group of leading

universities and technology organisationsin the UK.

The company will work alongsidefounder industrial members, whichinclude Rolls-Royce and Airbus, in a bid todevelop new technologies aimed atimproving productivity and lowering costs.

“The centre provides a uniqueenvironment and we fully support itsobjective of raising the UK’s competitiveadvantage through innovative research,”commented General Sales Manager, IanWalker.

Kuka is also lending its roboticsexpertise to another top research body asa member of the University of Sheffield’sAdvanced Manufacturing Research Centre(AMRC).

KUKA robots are being used to exploreautomated assembly solutions for theaerospace industry as part of a majorresearch project at the Rotherham-basedestablishment.

Further Information:www.kuka-robotics.com

Ian Walker, General Sales Manager atKuka Robotics UK, seated, with KenYoung, MTC’s Technology Director.

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Evonik launches new generationof PVC plasticisers

Evonik has announced it plans tolaunch a new generation of PVCplasticisers to include phthalate-free andbio-based varieties.

Alongside the company’s portfolioexpansion, Evonik states it will alsodevelop a new brand of products as well asbroadening its range of sustainableplasticisers.

Production of the phthalate-freeplasticiser 1,2-Cyclohexane dicarboxylicacid diisononyl ester is expected to beginin the second half of 2013, with anexpected annual production of 40,000metric tonnes at its facility in Marl,Germany.

Evonik states it will undergo researchto successively add additional products to

the new generation of plasticisers,including the launch of bio-based varieties.

“With our new plasticisers, ourcustomers will soon be able to choose theplasticisers that meet their exactrequirements from an even wider range of

Date for your diary: The 12thInternational PVC Conferencereturns to Brighton in 2014

In 2014 the triennial PVC conferencewill return to Brighton, UK. The conferenceis said to be the world’s largest and mostreputable forum to support the future ofPVC globally and is a leading platform forthe exchange of information, educationaldebate and discussion.

The 2011 event welcomed more than70 presentations and 400 delegates fromall over the world, including the UK,Europe, North and South America and theMiddle East and Far East.

Evonik will start producing phthalate-free plasticisers at its chemicals plant inMarl

The event has built a reputation for itsbroad appeal, contrasting speaker contentand high quality papers, in which specificindustry areas are explored anddiscussed. The conference calls forabstracts for consideration for theprogramme by 1 May 2013.

In order to maintain the quality of theprogramme, authors will be asked toensure the paper they present is new orupdated work that has not beenpresented (or scheduled for presentation)elsewhere. The conference will covermarket, application and technicaldevelopments.

PVC 2014 is organised by PVCprofessionals for the PVC industry inconjunction with IOM Communications Ltdon behalf of the Polymer Society (adivision of the Institute of Materials,Minerals and Mining) and the BritishPlastics Federation. The event is alsosupported by the European Council ofVinyl Manufacturers and the Society ofPlastics Engineers.

PVC 2014 will be held at HiltonBrighton Metropole Hotel 1–3 April 2014.

Further Information:www.pvc2014.org

products," explained Dr. Rainer Fretzen,Head of Evonik’s PerformanceIntermediates Business Line.

Further Information:www.evonik.com

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PVC-U recycling facility makessustainability its focus

Dekura, the recycling arm of PVC-Uand PVC-Ue window manufacturer, EpwinGroup, has undergone a reorganisation inorder to meet increased in house demand,as well as increasing the amount ofrecycled products in the group’s portfolio.

Dekura recycles and reprocessesavailable UK PVC-U waste from itsdedicated collection plant in Telford.

“Recycling has never been moreimportant to us and in our systemsthinking approach to sustainability,” saidDavid Wrigley, Managing Director ofEpwin’s window systems division.

“We deliberately tried to find otherexternal customers in non-windowmarkets in 2010 and 2011. Now, with ourin house demand rising, we recognised weneeded to refocus Dekura on our ownneeds. This meant looking at the businessmodel and making some changes to howwe collected both post-industrial and post-consumer waste and how we flexedproduction within our recycling capacity.That process was completed in the finalquarter of 2012.”

Epwin Group states the Dekurarecycling facility makes an importantcontribution to supply chain stability. “Raw

material prices have been stubbornly highsince 2009 and in that year the industryalso experienced real shortages of thesupply of resin. A material stream ofrecycled product helps mitigate, to someextent, both high virgin material costs andpotential supply shortages,” continuedWrigley.

The Epwin Group plans to incorporatenew products incorporating recycledmaterial in the near future. “Britain is

bound by statute to reduce its CO2emissions from their 1990 levels by 20percent by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050.Our Systems approach is to minimisewaste, minimise carbon footprint andmaximise recyclability, whilst usingsustainable materials in our process,”Wrigley added.

Further Information:www.dekura.co.uk

After granulation recycled PVC-U iscolour sorted and further refined byDekura to produce pellets of PVC-Uready for use in new products. Credit:Epwin Group

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PVC-U is proving its ‘green’ credentialsas the recycling infrastructure continuesto develop in the UK and moremanufacturers realise the environmentaland cost-saving benefits of incorporatingrecycled content in new products.

The latest audited figures show thatend-of-life windows and profilescomprised 25,480 tonnes (52 percent) ofthe total 48,544 tonnes of waste PVCrecycled in 2011. Other materialscollected and recycled through theRecovinyl programme included pipes andfittings, cables, flexible PVC and rigid PVCfilms. New verified data for 2012 isexpected in April.

Recovinyl estimates that this windowsand profiles fraction, which does notinclude doors, would equate to roughly1.25 million frames or enoughreplacement windows for around122,000 houses and flats — almost asmany as the 137,000 new dwellings builtin the UK throughout 2011.

The assumption is based on theweight of an average PVC-U window frameand taking out 5,000 of the 25,480tonnes that would include other waste

PVC building products fromrefurbishments, such as roofline,cladding, window boards and ducting.

These figures are an impressiveachievement and clearly demonstrate thesustainability credentials of PVC as abuilding material that can be easilyrecycled and re-used, as well as the on-going industry commitment to moresustainable practices.

Thanks to the real efforts being madeto collect these waste frames and theinfrastructure now in place to recyclethem, waste PVC-U can be diverted fromlandfill and successfully turned back intouseful new products.

Other examples of broad industryprogress in PVC-U window recycling aredocumented in the British PlasticsFederation's publication 'PVC-U WindowsRecycling in Action — Some Case Studies’.

Jason Leadbitter, Chairman of theVinylPlus Controlled Loop Committee,said: “Importantly, we are not claimingthat all of the one million window framesare being manufactured into new windowframes, but we are claiming that morethan one million window frames are being

recycled into second life products for long-term use in the construction industry,including new windows.”

Godfrey Arnold, of PVC marketresearch company D & G Consulting,acknowledged the figure as a‘conservative estimate’, adding:“Nonetheless, these statistics present avery positive picture of the PVC industry’srecycling success. Given the growingdemand for recycled content in new PVCproducts, we can only expect thesevolumes to rise in the future.”

Increasing use of recycled PVC-Ucontent in a variety of new buildingproducts, from cladding and rooflineproducts to reinforcement for PVC-Uwindows, and the growth of new endmarkets has contributed to Recovinyl’scontinued success since the scheme’s2005 launch in the UK.

“This recycling record addsconsiderable strength to the role of PVCwindows in sustainable construction,”commented Philip Law, Public andIndustrial Affairs Director at the BritishPlastics Federation. “The numbers aretruly outstanding considering the long-life

PVC proves itsgreen credentials:

Recovinyl recycles morethan one million PVC-U

windows a year in the UK

This month it was announced more than one million PVC-Upost-consumer window frames are being recycled in theUK every year through Recovinyl, the PVC industry’srecycling scheme. Project Manager Jane Gardner of AxionConsulting, Recovinyl’s UK agents, explains further.

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The latest audited figures show that end-of-life windowsand profiles comprised 25,480 tonnes of the total 48,544tonnes of waste PVC recycled in 2011

of PVC windows, the rate at which they enter the wastestream and the flat market conditions in the constructionsector.”

Recovinyl remains at the heart of the PVC industry’s drivefor greater sustainability and to encourage more companiesto recycle, rather than landfill, their PVC-U waste withassociated economic and environmental benefits.

Commenting on the outlook for 2013, Ian Murray,Managing Director of PVC Recycling, an independent PVCrecycler, said: “This year we are encouraged by orders andintent from UK manufacturers as opposed to the Europeanmarket, which has been successfully using PVC in all mannerof products for some considerable time.”

He added: “The cost and quality advantages in therecycled material is key as manufacturers are underpressure to deliver savings in a market place where tradingis still very tough. However, we believe that our status as anindependent recycler will be attractive to potential customersand we look forward to developing further UK sales thisyear.”

As the PVC industry’s recycling scheme, Recovinyl is alsoan initiative of VinylPlus, the ten-year Voluntary Commitmentof the European PVC industry, which is tackling thesustainability challenges for PVC and delivery of freshrecycling targets to 2020. These targets include 800,000tonnes to be re-used in all European countries by 2020 —with 700,000 tonnes mechanically recycled and the restusing new technologies for more difficult-to-recycle orcontaminated PVC.

Further Information:www.axionconsulting.co.ukwww.recovinyl.com

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Making apprenticeships workfor the polymer industry

So, we’ve all heard about the skillsshortage, but the reality is that manycompanies in the UK plastics and rubberindustries are more than a little concernedabout succession planning. With theimage of manufacturing being describedas “dirty and mucky”, sixth-formers beingtold that the only way forward is universityand a distinct lack of awareness of thistype of programme, it’s obvious that it’sgoing to be a steep mountain to climb.

So where do we start with all of this?Well, you might say, the Government ispushing many millions of pounds intoapprenticeship schemes in the UK, sosurely there is a pot of gold just waiting tobe tapped into? It would appear not. Thereis a lot of money being pumped intoapprenticeships, but where is it and how isit being used is in need of review, not tomention additional factors such asdelivery models, retention rates andgetting the right person for the job in thefirst place.

“The funding for polymerapprenticeships is unfeasibly lowcompared to other courses,” saidCharmaine Bowers, Operations Managerat the PTIC. “This is bad news so I starteda campaign two to three months ago to tryand enforce change.

“Employers and businesses need tofeed back as to what they need from anapprentice, across every area fromfunding to delivery methods to costs tobusiness. By the industry raising its voiceand outlining what needs to change withapprenticeships, the trade associationscan echo concerns and recommendationsto the powers that be to try and change it.It is critical that we as an industry takeaction now as so many companies need toensure succession plans are in place.”

Dan Freckingham, Polymer Lead atCogent, the sector skills council, explained

that the way the funding has beencalculated is specific to the course and italso comes down to supply and demand.“We need to get colleges interested indelivering the apprenticeships and weneed feedback from industry as to whatshould go in the course,” he commented.

Aside from funding issues, Charmaineexplained the polymer apprenticeshipcourses, of which there are currently two,are only delivered by between five and sixcolleges across the UK. “If we don’tengage the industry, this won’t change,”she continued.

For the polymer industry, cost tobusiness and ROI are two key areas ofconcern, as well as the fact that courseframework, delivery and content needs tobe suitable for business. Day release,operational down-time for mentoring ortraining, as well as candidate suitabilitywere all thrown up as factors and barriersthat were preventing businesses fromgetting what they needed from anapprentice.

Knowledge sharing and successionplans are vital for successful industrycontinuation. In Europe, there areconcrete routes in place to ensure that thenext generation of workers benefits fromskills passed on by the current workforce.The apprentices being hired arepotentially going to be the next managersas well as project leaders, so thefeedstock needs to be good, with traineesbeing bright, work-ready and with goodinterpersonal skills. But how does theindustry go about attracting the best

students? The image of manufacturingneeds to change, said Philip Watkins, BPFPresident. “We need to change theperception of manufacturing as dirty andlet it be known to young people that auniversity degree is not the only routeavailable to them,” he commented.

Far from it being all doom and gloom,the event highlighted the positive effectsthat apprentices can bring to a businesswhen the balance is right. ClaireSchallcross from Schoeller Allibertexplained that despite having to overcomethe issues involving funding, additionalcosts and course delivery, the company isextremely pleased with the threeapprentices it has currently. “One of ourapprentices solved a blow mouldingproblem that even the most experiencedworkers were shaking their heads over,thanks to a fresh pair of eyes and new wayof looking at things,” she commented.“This, to us, means he has paid forhimself already.”

The conclusion from the event is thatindustry needs to shout up in order toensure workers of the future are skilledand succession-ready. British Plastics andRubber will be reporting on futuredevelopments with regards to any changesin the apprenticeship scheme forpolymers in coming issues. Furtherinformation on the current programmes isavailable through the PTIC.

Further Information:www.wolvcoll.ac.uk/polymer/

Generation plastics:

Words: Leanne Taylor

At the end of January, the Government announced apprenticeship starts had topped half a million in the UK. It said inthe 2011/12 academic year, 520,600 people started an apprenticeship. This is an increase of 13.9 percent on thepreceding year and 86.1 percent since 2009/10. There was particularly strong growth in the engineering sector, figuresrevealed, with starts up 21.5 percent to 59,480. Whilst this is encouraging news, in the polymer industry it would seemthe reality of finding an apprentice to ensure succession plans are made, training is suitable and return on investmentis achieved, is somewhat a bleaker, not to mention a moreconfusing, picture. Leanne Taylor attended an ‘ApprenticeshipSummit’ at the Polymer Training and Innovation Centre (PTIC)in Telford earlier this month to find out more about the currentsituation and how it can change.

Apprenticeships arevital for

succession planning

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Q: What is meant by “dosing” in the contextof injection moulding?

A: Mo says: dosing is a way of combiningtwo or more components in theright ratio.

The great benefit of plastic is itsversatility and flexibility. By alteringingredients and additives, you can createprecisely the right compound for a givenapplication — changing the material’smechanical properties, resistance tochemicals or its colour.

There is a downside to thesepossibilities, however. On the one hand,because there is such a vast array ofingredients to choose from, it makes littleeconomic sense for the raw materialsindustry to individually customise theirofferings to the many diverse wishes ofplastics processors — especially as the lotsizes they want to buy continue to shrink.Yet on the other hand, plastics processorsare faced with demands from their endcustomers, who in light of ever-shorterproduct lifecycles are clamouring for newmaterials to be made available rapidly.The solution? Plastics processors caneither buy ready-made compounds orcreate them themselves.

Ready-made compounds are usuallynot the most cost-effective solution, as apremium is often charged for small lotquantities. Moreover, they leave little roomto manoeuvre if you want to change thecomposition at short notice.

For greater flexibility, it makes sense tomix the material yourself. There are twoways to do this: blend the recipe centrally(manually or automated) or dose and mix

directly at the throat of the processingmachine (automated). Whichevermethod you choose, it isimperative that you followthe recipe to the letter: allquantities and ratios mustbe exactly right.

When mixing therecipe manually, theindividual components areweighed by hand before beingcombined, often with a cementmixer. On the face of it, there isnothing wrong with this method.But there are serious drawbacks —in terms of wastage and materialsegregation issues, for example. Itcan be difficult to correctly estimatehow much of the mix you willultimately need. And if you get therecipe wrong, you can be left with asignificant amount of expensive butuseless leftovers.

In contrast, working automatically atthe throat of the processing machineoffers multiple advantages. It allows you tomix recipes on demand and at shortnotice. Changing the recipe is quick andeasy, and results are visibly fast. Surplusmaterial is kept to a minimum and recipescan be easily reproduced.

Dosing is an essential stage of thisprocess — combining two or morecomponents in precisely the right ratio.

Whether the ingredients aregranules, powders, paste or

liquid, a number of basicprinciples apply. A dosing device in

the dosing and mixing unit draws anexact amount of material from a supplyhopper or similar container and transfersit to a reservoir or directly into the throat

of the processing machine. Because it isresponsible for measuring theingredients with pinpoint precision,

the dosing device plays a crucialrole in the final outcome.

The choice of dosingdevice depends on the type

of material and itsproperties. As solids tendto be the preferred materialfor injection moulding, themetering device must beable to dose granules, micro-

granules or powders. A number of material properties

must be taken into account. Rheology —that is, how the ingredient flows — isparticularly important: powder can, forexample, be free-flowing, sticky or canfluidise. In addition, granules can be rigidor flexible, and they can be brittle andeasily damaged. Regrind has its owndosing issues as it usually lacks a uniformconsistency and contains more dust.

Dosing screws are suitable for the vastmajority of applications. Other forms ofdosing device include cone valves, discdosing elements, slide-gate valves, dosingchambers and rotary valves. One dosingdevice that will be familiar to everyone isthe measuring cup used for baking. Andjust as in baking, one rule matters aboveall else — whatever you are manufacturing,accuracy is everything: components mustbe measured with 100 percent precision.

Further important factors includewhether the dosing system is volumetricor gravimetric, and how the ingredientsare mixed — these points and many morewill be explained by Mo in more detail inupcoming columns.

Further Information:www.motan-colortronic.com

feature

Dosing unitin the home

Dosing unit forplastics processing

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Energy-generating polymer filmpowered by water vapour

Scientists at the MassachusettsInstitute of Technology (MIT) have createda new polymer film that can reportedlygenerate electricity from water vapour.

The new film is made from aninterlocking network of two differentpolymers. One of the polymers, polypyrrole,forms a hard but flexible matrix thatprovides structural support. The otherpolymer, polyol-borate, is a soft gel thatswells when it absorbs water. The filmsharvest energy found in the water gradientbetween dry and water-rich environments.

When the 20-µ-thick film lies on asurface that contains even a small amountof moisture, the bottom layer absorbsevaporated water, forcing the film to curlaway from the surface. Once the bottom ofthe film is exposed to air, it quicklyreleases the moisture, somersaultsforward and starts to curl up again. As thiscycle is repeated, the continuous motion

converts the chemical energy of the watergradient into mechanical energy.

The MIT states that harnessing thiscontinuous motion could drive roboticlimbs or generate enough electricity topower wearable electronics.

Further Information:www.web.mit.edu

Centre for research onGraphene to be created atCambridge

A centre for research on graphene is tobe created at the University of Cambridgein order to engineer real life applicationsfor the material, which has the potential torevolutionise numerous industries, rangingfrom healthcare to electronics.

The Cambridge Graphene Centrestarted its activities on February 1st 2013,with a dedicated facility due to open at theend of the year. Its objective is to takegraphene to the next level, bridging thegap between academia and industry.

The Centre’s activities will be fundedby a Government grant worth more than£12 million, complemented by strongindustrial support, worth an additional £13

million, from over 20 partners, includingNokia, Dyson, Plastic Logic, Philips andBaE systems. A further £11 million ofEuropean Research Council funding willsupport activities with the GrapheneInstitute in Manchester and LancasterUniversity.

Graphene is a one-atom thick layer ofgraphite with remarkable properties. It isexceptionally strong, yet also lightweight

The new film harnessesenergy from water vapour

A printed graphene device.Credit: Andrea Ferrari.

and flexible, enables electrons to flowfaster than silicon and functions as atransparent conductor. Researchers inindustry and academia are keen toharness its potential to make significanttechnological advances. This work mightlead to numerous new devices andapplications that could then becommercialised by industry and help toboost economic growth.

Peter Davis, Director General of theBritish Plastics Federation, recentlyhighlighted the need for the UK to developthe potential of graphene in order to staycompetitive, as well as highlighting theimportance to the plastics industry.“Plastics will be an important carriermaterial for this ground breaking product,”he stated.

Further Information:www.cam.ac.uk

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news

Bac2’s latent acid catalyst wins ‘materials’category in top innovationaward

A UK polymermaterials companyhas beenannounced thewinner of the‘RawMaterials’category bythe JECGroup for itswork incompositesinnovations.

Bac2, basedin Romsey nearSouthampton, haswon the awardfor developingits CSR familyof latent acidcatalysts tomake pre-polymericmixeseasier to store,transport, handle andprocess.

The JEC Group states the juryselected the best composite breakthroughs based on theirtechnical interest, market potential, partnerships, financial andenvironmental impact and originality. The winners will bepresented with their awards in a ceremony at the JEC Europecomposites show and conferences on 12th March 2013.

Using CSR catalysts, the storage life of pre-polymeric mixesused in SMC and BMC processes has been extended fromminutes or hours to over three months, simplifying materialshandling, storage and transportation. In pultrusion, processefficiency gains of more 100 percent have reportedly beenachieved, coupled with a 30°C reduction in curing temperature.The latter dramatically reduces both manufacturing costs andCO2 emissions. CSR catalysts also enable the manufacture ofinherently flame-retardant mouldings by enabling the productionof stable phenolic and furan-based pre-polymeric mixes.

Mike Stannard, Bac2’s CEO, commented: “Coming shortlyafter we received the Composites UK Innovation Award inNovember 2012 for CSR, it’s further confirmation that this is agroundbreaking family of materials capable of transforming theproductivity of many composites manufacturing processes.Equally important, it’s enabling companies to significantlyreduce their energy consumption and costs.”

Further Information:www.bac2.co.uk

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Polymer

rawmaterialprices:

Looking ahead to 2013, there is, of course, a strong need toemphasise the phrase ‘what may happen’, since the globalpolymer market is incredibly volatile and prices are ofteninfluenced by a wide range of both obvious and sometimessubtle drivers.

Given that the cost of the polymer raw material can oftenrepresent between 40 and 70 percent of the input costs for aplastics processor, and that over the last four years the cost ofour ‘Polyolefin Basket’ of products has varied by almost 100percent, it is clear that managing the volatility is a key factor indetermining profitability.

Plastic processors commonly face the additional burden thatsince polymer pricing is heavily influenced by oil prices, high rawmaterial costs commonly coincide with high energy and transportcosts, so resulting in additional margin pressures.

From a business perspective, the whole environment wasdominated by the woes of the global economy, with Europe andAmerica struggling to recover from the impact of the 2007economic crisis.

Whilst the UK avoided the pressures faced in the SouthernEuropean countries, many parts of the economy struggled.

Through a lack of economic growth, the country found itselfin the grips of a ‘double-dip’ recession, albeit that the UKeconomy returned to growth in the final quarter largely basedupon some special factors.

In the manufacturing sector there was a very mixed picture,where demand for non-durables appeared to be quite robust. Inthe durables sector the automotive industry was exceptional withrecord numbers produced, more cars exported than importedand strong demand from the private buyers.

Exchange rates are a significant factor affecting both exportsand imports and the devaluation of Pound vs. Euro following the2007 economic crisis has been a major factor influencing UKmanufacturing.

Following the drop from €1.50 down to a low of €1.05, thePound remained relatively stable against both the Euro and theDollar throughout 2012.

The influence of the Euro vs. Dollar will be discussed later, but,as the graph depicts, there was a period of significant weaknessresulting from the issues in the Eurozone PIIGS countries.

The devaluation of sterling has been a major factorinfluencing the UK plastics sector. Following an extensive periodin which, from a manufacturing perspective, sterling was over-valued and UK plastics manufacturing declined, more recentlywe have seen that a weaker sterling has helped UKmanufacturing become more competitive on the global stage.

This, along with the issues raised by the Japanese Tsunamiand flooding in Thailand, has served to highlight the fragility ofglobal supply chains, helping to ensure that new productsmanufactured in the UK are more likely to be supplied withdomestically-produced plastic components.

As a consequence, there has been an increased tendency to‘re-shoring’, as existing components can be manufactured morecompetitively here in the UK.

Another major influence in the plastics sector is the cost ofcrude oil, as in the long-term there has been a strong correlationbetween oil and polymer prices. Oil prices have been robust,averaging almost $112 per barrel (2011 $111 per barrel) andonly averaging below $100 per barrel in June 2011 when theEurozone crisis was most severe.

High oil prices are a key influence on polymer feedstocks thatare predominantly derived from oil and hence, in turn, aninfluence on polymer producers.

Exchange Rates 2012

Exchange rates are asignificant factor affectingboth exports and imports

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As 2013 gets underway, Plastribution’s Mike Boswell takes a look at theUK polymer market and aims to provide an assessment of what hashappened over the past year and what may happen in the year ahead,particularly in terms of the outlook for polymer prices.

2012 Review & 2013 Outlook

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REHowever, at what point polymer producers acquire and

indeed realise the cost of their raw materials is matter of greatsignificance and commonly of great influence when it comes tomatters of profitability.

This sensitivity can be further influenced depending uponwhether the feedstocks are acquired on a spot or contract basis(in which case ‘take or pay’ contracts can further affecteconomics).

Many polymer producers suffered reduced profitability in2012 and those buying monomers faced the greatest difficultyas margins were often negative.

Oil price also has a significant bearing on both transportationcosts and energy prices.

These are also of significance in the polymer supply chain,where transport is a significant factor in moving raw materialsand finished goods around the world and energy is a significantcomponent of polymer production and subsequent conversion.

So in terms of manufacturing cost, the high cost of crude oilwould suggest that from the supply side prices of both plasticraw materials and plastics converted into finished or semi-finished components should be high.

However, the other side of the equation is the economy,which on a global basis was very weak. The net outcome of highinput prices and poor demand is invariably weak margins andthis was particularly evident in the case of lower margin, moreprice sensitive plastics applications.

Almost two price cycles were completed in just 12 months,although the second peak is smaller and less severe. Thechange in oil price that took place at the beginning of June andsuddenly stimulated buying interest is very clearly evident, as isthe variability between the finished polymer, monomers, thecommon intermediate Naphtha and of course crude oil.

Price volatility was strongly influenced by the tactics of bothbuyers and sellers. Buyers typically tried to capitalise when theybelieved that prices had bottomed by increasing order volumesin order to build inventory.

Sellers limited sales volumes and often closed order booksearly to curtail such pre-buying. In the end, sellers were moresuccessful than buyers but the overall situation becameantagonistic with the net outcome of creating the high levels ofvolatility that neither party wanted.

It was also notable that due to producers reducing outputrates from around September, there was not the typical spree ofseasonal offers, as producers needed to shift inventory down thesupply chain in order to create warehouse capacity for volumesproduced in December when off-takes are low from convertersdue to the Christmas shutdown in Western Europe.

In the case of Styrenics, butadiene was again a key theme. In2012 there was a significant reversal in the price trend for thisimportant monomer as demand from the automotive sector fortyre production slumped and supply improved for the productionof styrenic polymers including HIPS and ABS.

However, as can be seen from the graph, Benzene prices,which are really influential in the pricing of styrenics including PSand ABS, commenced a strong upward trend in the final quarterpushing prices up.

In the case of polystyrene, the market perceives prices ashigh relative to competing polymers such as PP and PET and thiswill continue to be an influence on demand going forward.

Polyolefins 2012

Styrenics 2012

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As the graph clearly demonstrates, the margin over feedstockand oil price for engineering polymers is much greater than forstandard thermoplastics, as such prices tend to be less dynamicand are more heavily influenced by the global economicsituation.

Whilst from a European perspective the expectation would befor prices to fall on the back of a poor economic situation, on aglobal basis there was GDP growth and the price stability of theengineering polymers portfolio reflects this.

As with styrenics, the recent increase in benzene costs is aconcern for producers of Nylon 66 and particularly PC producerswho typically have much finer margins.

Outlook 2013: The key drivers of polymer pricing are likely toremain — exchange rate, crude oil and feedstock prices, as wellas the global economic situation.

Needless to say, all of these factors are fragile and oftensubject to change at short notice. On this basis, no relianceshould be placed upon the information provided.

In particular, a slight strengthening of the GBP against theEuro will bring some relief on polymer prices, which are mainlyEuro derived. Stability of the Euro vs. USD will ensure thatexchange rate is not a factor influencing the European cost ofcrude oil.

Oil price is possibly much harder to predict, although it isunlikely that the shale gas revolution in the US is going to haveany major influence on oil prices in 2013, especially consideringthe economics of oil derived from more recent sources such astar sands and deep water drilling are significantly higher thanmore conventional sources.

The probability of Brent Crude remaining above 100 USD perbarrel is pretty high and we are again likely to see an averagearound $110.

There is little doubt that there is another tough year inprospect. Across the whole UK economy even a one percentgrowth in GDP looks like a tough ask. However, the renaissancein the manufacturing sector, as a result of exchange rate andgovernment policy, looks set to continue and this will certainlyinfluence the plastics processing sector.

Overall, in terms of the major influences on polymer prices, itlooks very much a case of more of the same. Whilst this will havea similar bearing on polymer prices, further detail is provided onwhat may be in store for both some of the main polymer groupsas well as individual polymer types at the Plastribution website.

Further Information:www.plastribution.co.uk/price-know-how

Engineering Plastics 2012

This report is produced based upon the followingfundamentals: -

• Euro-based pricing for feedstock and polymer pricing• Conversion of Euro and USD based prices at

prevailing exchange rates• Product baskets weighted according to UK

consumption

High oil prices have had aneffect on polymer producers

newsMilacron LLC acquires Mold-Masters for $975 million

Plastics machinery manufacturer,Milacron LLC, has announced theacquisition of Mold-Masters, a global hot-runner manufacturer, in a deal reportedlyworth USD $975 million (approx. £623million).

The new, combined company willconcentrate its capabilities across fivebusinesses: Milacron (Plastics Machinery),Mold-Masters (Hot Runners), DME (MouldBase Technologies), Aftermarket (Partsand Service) and CIMCOOL FluidTechnology (Metalworking Fluids andServices), according to a press releaseannouncing the news).

The combined entity will reportedlyprovide its customers with “market-leadingtechnologies, superb global engineeringand R&D leadership.” The statement saysthat through their complementary productlines, Milacron and Mold-Masters will beable to offer a “broader portfolio ofexceptional products and services,providing solutions for customers’ complexplastics needs.”

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Industry News: New Chairman atPMMDA

Nigel Flowers has been appointed asthe new Chairman of the PolymerMachinery Manufacturers andDistributors Association (PMMDA), afterTim Peet stepped down from the role andtook over as President.

The PMMDA was originally formed in1966 by eight founder companies that setout to agree a range of standards for bothUK manufacturers and distributors offoreign machinery. Now nearly 40members strong, in 2010 the PMMDAjoined forces with the PPMA (Processing

and Packaging Machinery Association) tomake a combined total of 400 UKequipment manufacturers anddistributors, all with common goals andchallenges.

Flowers commented: “It was clear toboth parties that a united front wouldresult in benefits for its members,including networking opportunities, crossfertilisation of ideas and most importantlya louder voice in Westminster with whichto lobby government for support for theUK plastics industry and manufacturingas a whole.

“Within my new role, I will also do my

best to see that members benefit fromthe services and opportunities availableto them including free technical advice,support with overseas shows, access toprospect agents and discounted businessservices, to help their businesses prosperand grow.”

As well as the new PMMDA Chairman,Flowers is responsible for health andsafety issues and chairs the ShadowTechnical Committee for TC145 & ISO 270(CEN/ISO Plastics & Rubber Machines).

Further Information:www.pmmda.org.uk

In addition, with enhanced financialand operational strength, reducedcyclicality and a diverse internationalfootprint with a strong market position inhot runners in Asia, the combinedcompany will reportedly have “greateropportunities for global expansion.”

Tom Goeke, Chief Executive Officer ofMilacron, will lead the combined entityand Bill Barker, President and CEO of MoldMasters, will continue to lead thatbusiness.

Goeke said: “The acquisition creates aglobal leader in the plastics industry withthe scale, technological leadership,international presence and competitivepositioning to deliver a wide range ofproducts and services to more customersin more markets around the world.

“Mold-Masters’ expertise in the high-growth hot-runner market is second tonone and we are excited by the uniquecustomer value proposition and numerousopportunities for growth that will resultfrom this combination. Bill Barker, hismanagement team and all of hisemployees share our commitment toexcellence. We are thrilled that they willcontinue to lead the Mold-Mastersbusiness going forward and are excited to

welcome them to our team.”Barker said: “We are also very excited

to join Milacron and become part of anindustry-leading company known forproviding high-quality plastics processingequipment and products, as well asexceptional customer service andaftermarket support.”

Further Information:www.milacron.com

Engineering Passion

The transaction, subject tocustomary closing conditions, isexpected to close in the firsthalf of 2013.

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newsA new face at BMB Plastics Machinery Limited

Italian injection moulding machine manufacturer, BMBPlastics Machinery Limited, has a new face heading up its UKand Ireland division in the form of former Netstal ManagingDirector, Nigel Baker.

BMB manufactures an extensive range of injection mouldingmachines with clamp force ranging from 500kN to 35000kN formarket sectors including packaging, caps and closures,technical, medical, automotive and PET.

The range includes hydraulic, hybrid and all-electricmachines, with the company’s latest all-electric machine rangeavailable up to 8000kN (800t) and equipped with powermonitoring screen display as standard displaying kWhr/kg.

Nigel said: “I met the company owner, Marco Bugatti, lastyear in Brescia, Italy. We hit it off immediately and are bothexcited to penetrate the UK and Irish market with new initiatives.Decisions are made quickly - the benefit of a family business -and we can be more responsive to the customer. This is asignificant benefit and will make a big difference in the longterm.”

The company is hoping to establish a strong UK sales andservice organisation and is looking to purchase a premises in theMidlands area. “We will soon recruit a dedicated BMB Serviceteam complete with spare parts stock holding for our important

Husky kicks off World Tour 2013Husky Injection

Moulding Systemshas kicked-off of its‘Husky World Tour2013’, a new seriesof global customerevents that will takeplace throughout2013.

The tour startedwith an eventdedicated tobeverage packagingin Korea lastmonth. Upcomingevents include a specialty closures day in Europe, a beveragepackaging day in Latin America and additional tour eventsthroughout the year for customers in the packaging, closures,medical and hot runner markets.

Husky states its World Tour is a first-of-its-kind for the injectionmoulding industry, giving current and prospective customers moredirect access to Husky’s latest technologies at a local level.

Tour events will include presentations and technicaldemonstrations from Husky and industry experts. Serving asHusky’s primary method to introduce innovations to the industryfor 2013, the company is foregoing its participation in tradeshowsfor 2013, including Drinktec and K2013.

Further Information:www.husky.ca

UK and Irish customers. Stewart Leng, who has been with BMBmany years, will work with me as Sales Manager,” Nigelcontinued.

As well as welcoming new enquiries and projects throughBMB, Nigel will still hold his position as Director on the PMMDAadvisory board.

Further Information:www.bmb-spa.com

www.kraussmaffei.com

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L-R Nigel Baker — MD UK and Ireland, Adriano Zucchelli —Sales Director BMB SpA, Marco Bugatti — President BMBGroup, Stewart Leng — Sales Manager UK and Ireland

Husky’s Karl-Heinz Hoefert, VP ofSales, Husky South Asia, Japan andKorea welcomes the attendees withan opening speech

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Testing the toughness of Lego In a recent test commissioned by the

BBC, the Open University carried out aload test on a hydraulic testing machine tofind out how many 2x2 Lego bricks,stacked one on top of the other, it wouldtake to destroy the bottom brick.

The test found the average maximumforce the bricks can stand is 4,240N,equivalent to a mass of 432kg. Divided bythe mass of a single brick, which is1.152g, the grand total of bricks a single

piece of Lego could support was revealedto be 375,000.

So, 375,000 bricks towering 3.5km(2.17 miles) high is what it would takebefore the bottom brick experiencedmaterial failure.

“That's taller than the highestmountain in Spain. It's significantly higherthan Mount Olympus and it's the typicalheight at which people ski in the Alps,” IanJohnston, an applied mathematician andlecturer in engineering, told the BBC.

Further Information:www.open.edu

Testing and characterisation ofmaterials for medical plastics

The medical industry is one of thefastest growing areas for plastics. Ofincreasing importance is the evaluation ofraw materials used in medical plastics.

Testing and characterisation ofmaterials used in medical plastics arenecessary to assure quality and safety. Inaddition to meeting biocompatibilityrequirements, medical plastics must alsomeet international standards andmanufacturer specifications.

“The characterisation of raw materialsplays an essential role in enablingmanufacturers to maintain the high levelsof quality required by the medicalindustry,” said Erik Berndt, MedicalIndustry Manager at Zwick/Roell in Ulm,Germany.

Subject to rising levels of regulation,companies are placing greater emphasison quality standards. Ensuring theintegrity of incoming raw materials throughtesting allows manufacturers to certify theperformance of their products. “This canbe a differentiating factor in a competitivemarket,” Berndt said.

According to Zwick, medical plastics,because they are utilised in products thatcome into direct contact with the patient,should be tested for durability as well asbiocompatibility. Material testing is one ofthe cornerstones of understandingbiocompatibility, as indicated by ISO10993, Part 1. Zwick offers a suite ofsolutions applicable to the testing ofmedical plastic materials as well ascomponents, Berndt said. “Our Zwicki-Lineand ProLine product platforms supporttensile, compression and bend tests

across a wide range of maximum loads,from 0.5 kN to 100 kN,” he commented.

Flexibility of test equipment isnecessary to keep pace with the fastmoving medical market requirements.“Many tests are not standardised,” Berndtsaid. Normally, the legal producer has toguarantee that patients and users are notharmed by the product. There could bestandards — but often for new products —new testing methods have to be designed,he said.

Berndt explained keeping track ofrecords is also important in anincreasingly strict regulatory environment.Zwick has reportedly invested in its suiteof testing systems to support customerneeds in this area, including theintroduction of an expanded traceabilityfeature in the testXpert II measurementand control software.

Designed for medical devicemanufacturers and their suppliers subjectto FDA 21 CFR Part 11 and Annex 11 ofthe EU GMP directive, testXpert II’sElectronic Records function is said toenable testing labs to capture and

preserve documentation of all actions andmodifications performed in testXpert II.“We have also incorporated an ElectronicSignatures function, which documents theassumption of responsibility and deliverspaperless record keeping by replacing thephysical signature with a digitalsignature,” Berndt continued.

Zwick states another important trendin the medical industry is cost reduction,as new innovations become high volumeproducts. Proper selection and evaluationof raw materials enables manufacturers tomeet these requirements.

Further Information:www.zwick.co.uk

The Zwicki is a low force capacity,single column tensile testing machinecommonly, used for testing plasticspecimens

The Open University's engineeringdepartment found a 2x2 Lego towercould be made 2.17 miles high beforethe bottom brick failed

Testing and characterisation of materials used in medicalplastics are necessary to assure quality and safety

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newsIndustry event demonstrates thelatest in materials testing

Last month the British Society forStrain Measurement (BSSM) hosted adedicated event at Instron’s EuropeanHeadquarters in High Wycombe, UK.

Instron, a supplier of testing andinstrumentation equipment, offeredvisitors the chance to tour its facilities aswell as visit several exhibitors includingPhotron, LA Vision and SmartFibres. Theevent attracted over 100 visitors acrosstwo days, with a programme of seminarsproviding a platform for informationexchange and debate for attendees.

The following day, Instron took theopportunity to stage an event of its ownfor customers and interested parties,setting the tone for an informal discussionforum amongst leading figures in thesector.

The brand new ‘ApplicationsLaboratory’ (pictured) — a purpose-builtfacility hosting new and existingtechnologies — allowed Instron to

showcase a range of recentproduct releases that have beenwell received in severalapplication areas, including theplastics industry.

Visitors to the Instron facilitywere given the chance to tour themanufacturing facility, includingdemonstrations of the CEAST droptower impact system usedpredominantly for ISO and ASTMstandards within the plasticsindustry, as well as specimenpreparation and melt flowmonitoring equipment to theplastics sector.

Dan Bailey, Senior ApplicationsEngineer at Instron, said: “The purpose ofthis event is really to concentrate on thenewest technology and how we integratewith external companies. The equipmentin the lab shows how our computersoftware can be integrated with externalsystems to provide the necessaryinformation required.”

As well as showcasing a range ofmaterials testing machines focused on theplastics market, Instron had key speakers

from the composites industry whodiscussed developments in the aerospaceand automotive sectors.

“The biggest area of growth that weare seeing for our machines iscomposites,” Bailey continued. “We areseeing there is more testing being doneon polymer raw materials that willeventually be used in composite parts,especially in the aerospace industry.”

Further Information:www.instron.co.uk

The new Applications Laboratory at Instron’sHigh Wycombe facility

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CNC milling machine dedicated to polymermaterials

Test equipment manufacturer, Ray-Ran, has manufactureda range of CNC Profile Cutting machines that are said to beideal for producing test samples from polymer and plasticmaterial over 5mm thick. The company states a typicalexample is to cut dumbbell samples from underground thick-wall pipes that are generally 50mm or more thick.

Metal cutting machines have not generally proven suitablefor polymer materials that require very high cutting speeds —in the region of 2,400 to 24,000 rpm — to give the desiredsurface finish and ensure that the temperature at the cuttingsurface does not affect the material characteristics.

Ray-Ran states itsdedicated CNC millingmachine can offer X, Yand Z axis combinationsto cater for most testsample sizes. Prewrittenprograms are availableand training in thedemonstrationdepartment is available.

The ball screws andslide ways are said toprovide excellent

positional accuracy and low frictions drives that are ideallymatched to the stepper motor drive systems. The AdvancedMicro-Stepping feature is said to give optimum cutter controlwhen machining contours.

Special polymer cutting tools are available that reduce thecutting surface temperature and give optimum surface finish.

The Ray-Ran Model 1 CNC milling machine comes with anX axis of 290mm, a Y axis of 260mm and a Z axis of 100mm,and the Model 2 machine has a X axis of 600mm , Y axis of300mm and a Z axis of 175mm. Ray-Ran can alsomanufacture larger machines upon request.

Further Information:www.ray-ran.com

Extended range of test kits for surface energylevels

Dyne Technology, a specialist in plasma and corona surfacetreatment technology for manufacturers in the plastic and rubberindustries, has extended its family of test kits and now offers a newrange containing up to 12 bottles of test fluid in one carry case.

Dyne states the extended range has been adopted to offerengineers a wide range of Dyne levels within the sets to use on awide range of materials with different surface energy levels.

The new range of kits includes the QA Set, which has beenadapted to enable users to purchase one kit that holds thecomplete range of Dyne test fluids from 30mN/m (Dynes/cm) up to72mN/m. It is said to enable the user to have the full range of Dynetest fluids on hand, thus allowing measurement of a wide range ofmaterials with different surface energy levels at the same time.

The company states its Dyne test method plays a big part inprocess control for many manufacturing companies, especially inthe automotive and printing industries where surfaceenergy/tension levels must be controlled in order to maintainquality standards.

The low surface energy of polymer-based substrates often leadsto poor adhesion of inks, glues and coatings. When applying theDyne test fluid, if it remains as a film for three seconds, thesubstrate will have a minimum surface energy of that ink value,expressed in mN/m (Dynes). Should the Dyne test liquid reticulateor draw back into droplets in less than one second then the surfaceenergy of the substrate is lower than that of the liquid itself. Theexact surface energy (Dyne level) can be determined by applying arange of increasing or decreasing values of Dyne test ink.

Also in the new range is the ‘Self Select Kit’ for users who wantto build their own kit, the ‘Standard Kit’ and a ‘Value Set’.

Further Information:www.dynetechnology.co.uk

The new test kit from Dyne

The Ray-Ran Model 1 CNCmilling machine

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Polypropylene film put to the testUK-based specialist in temperature

controlled microscopy, Linkam ScientificInstruments, has been chosen as thesupplier of a TST350 stage for the Complex Fluids andPolymer Engineering division, National Chemical Laboratory,India, to study the mechanical properties of dimethyldibenzylidene sorbitol (DMDBS) on polypropylene.

Most commercial PP is isotactic with all methyl groupsorientated on the same side of the backbone of the polymerchain. This orientation of the methyl groups within thepolymer relative to each other directly influences the ability ofthe polymer to form crystals.

DMDBS (dimethyl dibenzylidene sorbitol) is the butterflyshaped molecule that is used as a nucleating agent in themanufacture of PP via extrusion form casting. It formscrystalline nanofibres (approx 5nm diameter) when itprecipitates out of a hot melt of isotactic PP (iPP). Thesenanofibres form a mesh. At cooler temperatures, iPP (α-form)crystals nucleate on the surface of these fibres.

Guruswamy Kumaraswamy and a group of scientists fromthe National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) of India have used aLinkam TST350 tensile testing temperature stage to look atthe influence of this semi-crystalline morphology on themechanical characteristics of the film. NCL India is aresearch, development and consulting organisation with afocus on chemical sciences. The scientists have investigatedthe effect of concentration on the yield stress and tensilemodulus of the PP film. They have tested films created atdifferent processing conditions and with differentconcentrations of DMDBS.

Homopolymer iPP pellets were coated with DMDBS usinga DMDBS solution in acetone. These pellets, with 0.2, 0.4, or0.8 percent (by weight) DMDBS, were extruded through aThermoHaake PolyLab single screw extruder. This created afilm of a constant thickness of 0.45mm as the film was takenup on chill rolls (10°C). To achieve six different draw ratios,the speed of the chill rolls was varied.

These films were tested using the Linkam TST350 stage.The stage is built to maintain uniform vertical and horizontalalignment during testing. Temperature control ranges from196°C to 350°C with 0.1°C control and up to 60°C perminute heating rate.

It was observed that at TDIE=200°C voids form within the0.8 percent DMDBS film during extrusion. This, the scientistshypothesised, was the reason why the 0.8 percent filmexhibited a decrease in yield stress and modulus valuescompared with neat iPP film and the 0.2 percent and 0.4percent films. The 0.2 and 0.4 percent DMDBS PP filmsexhibited an approximated 50 percent increase in modulusand yield strength compared with neat PP. This is observed tobe higher in the transverse direction.

Further Information:www.linkam.co.uk

Linkham Scientific Instruments tensile testingtemperature stage was used in the study of PP film

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FROM THE FRONT LINE

The British Plastics Federation (BPF)has recently returned from Moscow, whereit exhibited at the Interplastica exhibitionalongside other UK companies, ListgroveLtd and Longfield Chemicals, on its ‘BritishPavillion.’

This is the first time the BPF hasorganised a pavilion at the Russian show,held from January 29th – February 1st.The exhibition, which is held annually, wasthe 16th edition of the fair and is thelargest plastics and rubber exhibition inRussia.

The event attracted over 20,000visitors with a high number ofinternational visitors in attendance (theorganisers reported that visitors camefrom more than 28 countries). Theexhibition is growing year on year, withover 700 exhibitors taking part in 2013,an increase of more than 150 from theprevious edition of the fair.

Ryan Kirby from Listgrove Ltdsaid of the show: “It is obvious thatRussia is an expanding market andoffers incredible potential for thosewho operate across the plastic andpackaging sectors. The countryoffers many opportunities due to alack of processing capability and/orthe need for improved facilities.”

In spite of global economicuncertainty, the Russian plasticsindustry continues to grow and isone of the largest developingnational plastics industries in theworld. The Russian plastics market iscomprised of around 4,000 plasticsprocessors with the main centresincluding Moscow, St Petersberg, NizhnyNovgorod and Samara, with Moscow aloneaccounting for around one third of totalindustry revenue. Around 4.7 milliontonnes of plastics are processed eachyear in Russia, with 3.5 million tonnesproduced in the country itself.

In other news, earlier this month theFederation announced the retirement offormer President and current HonoraryTreasurer, Brian Mann.

Mr Mann, who is 67, will be stepping

As part of the Rubber and PlasticResearch Association’s (RAPRA) serviceoffering, it has enlisted a network of‘Preferred Service Providers’ to assist withenquiries relating to research anddevelopment of innovative uses forpolymers.

Lancashire-based LPD Lab ServicesLtd has been a RAPRA preferred providersince the middle of 2012 followingrecommendation of the company’sservices from a number of RAPRAmembers.

LPD Lab Services provides one man-hour of discussion and consultancy toRAPRA members free of charge, involvingconfidential discussion of problems andhelping to focus efforts, scope andgenerate a plan of work targeted atproviding solutions. The inquiring companymay then choose to go ahead with anysuggested work.

LPD Lab Services offers a range of

bespoke technical problem solvingsupport through its materials andchemical experience coupled with adiverse range of in-house physical andchemical analytical techniques.

RAPRA states the combination ofindustrial problem solving skills, practicalproduct development experience andpragmatic approach makes LPD an idealfacility for the association to have onboard. “LPD are called upon to tackle the‘unusual’ problems, where timely,competent analysis and consultancyfocused on containing and solving issuesmindful of cost and downtime impact isrequired,” said a RAPRA spokesperson.

In the field of paints, coatings, rubbersand plastics, LPD has dealt with materialsfailure investigations, embrittlement andleaching issues, degradation and polymerswelling, adhesive and cohesive failure,interfacial contamination,depolymerisation, paint delamination

problems, wetting and mixing issues,amongst others. Customers usingpolymers and rubbers, or their customersin turn, use them in association with othermaterials like metals, ceramics andcomposites where unforeseen problemscan be associated with chemicals andmaterials interaction. Problems can besmall or large and work is scopedaccordingly.

“We are extremely pleased to haveLPD as a ‘Preferred Service Provider’, theirresponse is always prompt and efficientand geared to giving the very best serviceto the client and RAPRA. We are receivingan increasingly diverse range of enquiriesand having a facility such as LPD greatlyincreases our ability to service thoseenquiries,” said the RAPRA spokesperson.

Further Information:www.rapralimited.org

This month’s update from theBPF reports on a snowy butsuccessful overseasexpedition and the retirementof a key industry figure.

down from his BPF roles at the time of hisretirement as Managing Director of RostiMcKechnie Ltd in January 2014. He waselected President of the BPF in 2002,serving for two years. He continued as amember of its key Strategy and FinanceCommittee, before becoming HonoraryTreasurer in 2010.

Mr Mann was awarded the BPF’s ‘GoldMedal’ for service both to the Federationand to the plastics industry in 2010.

Further Information:www.bpf.co.uk

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RAPRA enlists the help ofLPD Lab Services

The BPF stand at Interplastica

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As BP&R has previously highlighted, the K trade fair, Europe'slargest trade show, will be taking place again this year. AlthoughOctober may seem a way off, there are plenty of factors that willincrease your costs come that time, so it is wise to start planningyour attendance now.

Obviously flights and accommodation can book out early, andlast minute bookings (if available) are generally expensive, sobooking early means you won't miss out or pay a fortune.

Equally, if not more important, are your finances. SinceChristmas, the Sterling/Euro exchange rate has moved eight centsand is not expected to settle any time soon. Additionally, Germany isdue to face a general election around the time of the show, whichcould cause noticeable volatility in the Euro's value. If travelbookings are already causing you headaches, currency movementscould be even more painful if not planned in advance.

You will also need to have access to funds in order to placeorders at the show. It can be both expensive and time-consuming toaccess such funds last minute, whereas having capital readilyavailable will mean you can take full advantage of special showoffers.

Finally, if you do take the opportunity to plan this far out, you mayfind that your business qualifies for government grants to offsetattendance costs through UKTI. However the application process canbe lengthy, and may not necessarily be applied retrospectively –meaning you should investigate this sooner rather than later.

For more details on this and how you can look to plan yourfinances in advance call Smart Currency Business on 020 78980500.

www.smartcurrencybusiness.com/bpr

Are you OK for K?This month’s view from Smart Currency

software directorymanufacturingmanagement directory

ENTERPRISE RESOURCEPLANNINGSolarsoft Mattec Real-time MES(Microsoft Windows™ PC Servers& “Web Based”)Solarsoft Business Systems MEIDivision (Europe)T: +44 (0)1909 479 886E: andy.jewell@solarsoft.comModules: Production Monitoring,“Drag and Drop”,Scheduling/Planning, “FamilyMoulding”, PreventativeMaintenance, Bar Coding/Parts,Trace-ability, Operator Visual Aids,Process Parameter Profiling, E-mail/Tannoy Alerts, Stand-alone,“Drag and Drop” Scheduler, Stand-alone, SPC “Machine Analyzer”,Machine Energy, Monitoring, KPIDash-boards, VisualManufacturing (Large LED/LCDDisplays), Automatic DataImport/Export Functions (forIntegration to ManufacturingSystems &Other SoftwarePackages).

Solarsoft iVP ERP SAASManufacturing Software (forPlastics’ Processors)Solarsoft Business SystemsT: +44 (0)1909 479 886E: andy.jewell@solarsoft.comSolarsoft’s iVP ERP (SAAS)software for the plastics’converting industry covers the fullrange of back office operationsfrom on-line and off-line sales andquotations to production planning,inventory management andfinance through to logistics, ware-housing and distribution. Itseamlessly integrates withSolarsoft-Mattec’s Real-time MESto provide a single system thatoffers a complete quote-to-cashsolution for the plastics’ industry.

REAL TIME PRODUCTIONMONITORING, SCHEDULINGAND PROCESS MONITORINGintouchT: 01604 646144F: 05601 506253 E: enquiries@intouchmonitoring.comReal-time production monitoringsystems. Designed to be easy touse and providing affordablesolutions to all sizes ofbusinesses. Productionmonitoring, scheduling, reporting,data import/export, databases forparts, tools and operators,integration with other softwarepackages.

ProHelp EPM (for MicrosoftWindows™ PC Servers)Mattec LtdT: 01909 561544F: 01909 560675E: a.jewell@mattec.comReal-time Modules: ProductionMonitoring, ‘Drag and Drop’Scheduling/Planning, PreventativeMaintenance, Bar Coding/PartsTraceability, Operator Visual Aids,Process Parameter Profiling,Pager/Tannoy Alerts, Stand-alone‘Drag and Drop’ Scheduler, Stand-alone SPC Machine Analyzer,Automatic Data Import/ExportFunctions (for integration toManufacturing Systems and othersoftware packages).

PlantMasterBMS Vision LtdT: 01254 662244,E: sales.bla@visionbms.comWebsite: www.visionbms.com/plastics.Affordable and flexible MESsystem for the plastics/rubberindustry. Real-time productionmonitoring features wireless dataunits and OPC Ethernet machineconnections. “Drag & drop” jobscheduling supports frame/insertlevel family tooling plus KAN BAN.ERP system integration, SPC/SQC,Touch Screen Data Units, MachineMaintenance, Operator Tracking,Traceability, DNC, EnergyMonitoring, Bar Coding, PagerAlerts.Easy to use systems from a€600m company with over 30 years experience.

SYSCON-PlantStarMTec Services LtdT: 0114 2476267F: 0114 2476267E: mt@mtec-services.co.ukW: www.mtec-services.co.ukW: www.syscon-intl.comPlantStar systems providecustomised, scalable applicationsthat deliver real-time plant floordata from any machine, shift, andplant anywhere in your business.Affordable systems available for allsize of processor.

Browser-based software andhardware, and wireless ethernettechnology make for highlyversatile and configurable systemsproviding information whereverneeded. Standard systems includereal-time alarms, downtime &reject analysis, capacityscheduling, ERP integration andmore. With options includingSPC/SQC, Labour tracking andScheduling, Family Tooling,Material traceability, bar-coding.

A listing in the Software Directory costs £140 per programme per year.

Call Lisa on 01244 680222 for details.

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materials

equipment

polymer distributors

COMPOUNDING

wanted

colour masterbatch

Units 3E + 3F, Hillam RoadIndustrial Estate, Bradford, West

Yorkshire, BD2 1QNT: 01274 731552F: 01274 738118

E: sales@eclipsecolours.comW: www.eclipsecolours.com

Polymer Specific andUniversal Colour and Additive

Masterbatches. Fastmatchcolour matching service.

1 mm Easysperse MicroPellets to4 mm MaxiPellets.

Standards second to none.

fastenings and fixingsAEROSOLS

ancillary

For TemperatureControl Rental

turn to the experts• FLUID CHILLERS• BOILERS• AIR CONDITIONING• HEATING• DRY COOLERS/

FREE COOLING

0800 026 4717

Rental Systems

Branson Ultrasonics158 Edinburgh Avenue, Slough,Berkshire SL1 4UET: 01753 756675F: 01753 551270E: bucuk.sales@emerson.comW: www.branson-plasticsjoin.com

Machine Techniques LtdUnits 3-5, Sutton Court, BathStreet, Market Harborough,Leicestershire LE16 9EWT: 01858 434059F: 01858 433638E: davidchatterton@ymail.comW: www.mactec.co.uk

assemblyhot plate welding

masterbatch

Motan Colortronic LtdMatilda House, Carrwood Road,Chesterfield Trading Estate,Chesterfield S41 9QBT: 01246 260222F: 01246 455420E: sales@motan-colortronic.co.ukW: www.motan-colortronic.co.uk

chillers/temperaturecontrollers

temperature control

Kistler Instruments LtdT: 01256 741550 F: 01256 741551E: sales.uk@kistler.comW: www.kistler.comPressure transducers and associatedmonitoring/control equipment fornew and existing injection mouldingapplications.

control systemsand equipmentquality monitoring control

Cannon Shelley UK agents forBelotti 5 axis CNC machinesT: 01480 453651F: 01480 52113E: sales@cannon-shelley.co.ukW: www.cannonforma.comW: www.belotti.comW: www.shelley.biz

CNC ASSEMBLYMACHINES

Branson Ultrasonics158 Edinburgh Avenue, Slough,Berkshire SL1 4UET: 01753 756675F: 01753 551270E: bucuk.sales@emerson.comW: www.branson-plasticsjoin.com

spin welding

pulse staking

Branson Ultrasonics158 Edinburgh Avenue, Slough,Berkshire SL1 4UET: 01753 756675F: 01753 551270E: bucuk.sales@emerson.comW: www.branson-plasticsjoin.com

ultrasonic plastics assemblysystems

InControl Ultrasonics Ltd(FFR Ultrasonics Ltd)The Swan Centre, 8A Swan Street,Sileby, Leicestershire LE12 7NWT: 01509 816507E: enquiries@ffr-ultrasonics. co.ukW: www.ffr-ultrasonics.co.uk

ultrasonic welding

Telsonic UK Ltd Units 14 & 15 Birch Copse,Technology Road, Poole, Dorset,BH17 7FH T: 01202 697340 F: 01202 693674 E: sales@telsonic.co.uk W: www.telsonic.co.ukBlog: www.telsonicuk.wordpress.com

mould releasebuyer’s guide

TBA Electro ConductiveProducts Ltd

Unit 3 Transpennine Trading EstateGorrells Way, Rochdale, OL11 2PXT: 01706 647718F: 01706 646170E: info@tbaecp.co.ukW: www.tbaecp.co.uk

conductive plasticsand coatings

Branson Ultrasonics158 Edinburgh Avenue, Slough,Berkshire SL1 4UET: 01753 756675F: 01753 551270E: bucuk.sales@emerson.comW: www.branson-plasticsjoin.com

vibration welding

H.T.E Engineering Services LtdUnit 9, St Ives Enterprise Centre,St Ives, HuntingdonCambridgeshire, UK, PE27 3NP

T: +44 (0) 1480 467321M: +44 (0) 7435 967632E: john@hte.ieW: www.pulsestaker.com

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extrusion systems

heating equipment

Elmatic (Cardiff) LtdWentloog Road, Rumney, CardiffCF3 1XH T: 029 20 778727F: 029 20 792297E: sales@elmatic.co.ukW: www.elmatic.co.uk

hot runner systemshot runner controllers

Cooper Plastics MachineryUnit 12, Harmill Industrial Estate,Grovebury Road, LeightonBuzzard, Bedfordshire LU7 4FFT: 01525 850610F: 01525 218008E: cooperplastics@googlemail.com W: www.cooperplastics.co.ukExtruders, extrusion tooling, waterbaths, haul-offs, fly knife cutters,conveyors/tip tables, in-line punches, coilers etc. New andused. Repairs, servicing or rebuilds.UK agent for Lyons Electronics.

extruders and downstreamequipment

dryers/dehumidifiers

Energy Saving Dryers

GATE CUTTERS

granulators

MF Induction HeatingUnit 5, Martindale, Hawks Green, Cannock, Staffs WS11 7XN Replacement CoilsNew platensT: 01543 570642F: 01543 574460E: sales@mfinduction.comW: www.mfinduction.comBS EN ISO9001: 2000 registered.BS EN ISO9001:2008

induction heating for platensand tools

infra red systems

injection moulding

www.pmmuk.netTel: +44 (0) 1296 658 638

World ClassRobotics from Max Robot

In Partnership with PC Moulding & Automation

Motan Colortronic LtdMatilda House, Carrwood Road,Chesterfield Trading Estate,Chesterfield S41 9QBT: 01246 260222F: 01246 455420E: sales@motan-colortronic.co.ukW: www.motan-colortronic.co.uk

Motan Colortronic LtdMatilda House, Carrwood Road,Chesterfield Trading Estate,Chesterfield S41 9QBT: 01246 260222F: 01246 455420E: sales@motan-colortronic.co.ukW: www.motan-colortronic.co.uk

To advertisein this space

contact lisamontgomery01829 770037

thermocouples

Ridgeway Co-Extrusion Technology LtdUnit 22, W & G Estate, Challow, nrWantage, Oxfordshire, OX12 9TFT: 01235 760435F: 01235 763021E: frankh@ridgewaycoex.co.ukW: www.ridgewaycoex.co.uk Optimised monolayer die heads,coating die heads up to 4 layers,multi-layer die heads up to 7 layers,for pipe/tube sizes from 1 mm O/Dup to 200 mm O/D; multiple tubedie heads for mono and multi-layerproducts; multi-layer, multi-parisonblow moulding die heads up to 7layers; multi-layer sheet and profiledies up to 5 layers. R & D andproduct development projects; lineconversions; turnkey systeminstallations.

co-extrusion die heads andsystems

www.pmmuk.netTel: +44 (0) 1296 658 638

World ClassAncillaries from FASI

hopper dryers

materials handlingand storage

PLASTICOLORB A Thorne (Machinery) Ltd 19AImex Business Centre, OxleasowRoad, East Moons Moat, Redditch,Worcestershire B98 0RET: 01527 584714F: 01527 584784E: bat@bathorne.co.ukW: www.bathorne .co.uk

gravimetric/volumetric blending

Motan Colortronic LtdMatilda House, Carrwood Road,Chesterfield Trading Estate,Chesterfield S41 9QBT: 01246 260222F: 01246 455420E: sales@motan-colortronic.co.ukW: www.motan-colortronic.co.uk

hopper loaders

Motan Colortronic LtdMatilda House, Carrwood Road,Chesterfield Trading Estate,Chesterfield S41 9QBT: 01246 260222F: 01246 455420E: sales@motan colortronic.co.ukW: www.motan-colortronic.co.uk

LABORATORY machines

metal detection &separation equipment

nozzles & nozzle tips

Motan Colortronic LtdMatilda House, Carrwood Road,Chesterfield Trading Estate,Chesterfield S41 9QBT: 01246 260222F: 01246 455420E: sales@motan-colortronic.co.ukW: www.motan-colortronic.co.uk

Motan Colortronic LtdMatilda House, Carrwood Road,Chesterfield Trading Estate,Chesterfield S41 9QBT: 01246 260222F: 01246 455420E: sales@motan-colortronic.co.ukW: www.motan-colortronic.co.uk

mixing, feeding, drying

screws and barrels

printing machinespad

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buyer’s guide

testing equipment

MAPRA Technik Co — BAREISSUnit D13 The Seedbed Centre,Langston Road, Loughton, Essex IG10 3TQT: 020 8508 4207F: 020 8502 5107E: info@mapra.co.ukW: www.mapra.co.uk

hardness - IRHD and shore

MAPRA Technik Co – MARCELAUBERT – DOSS – KAFERUnit D13 The Seedbed Centre,Langston Road, Loughton, Essex IG10 3TQT: 020 8508 4207F: 020 8502 5107E: info@mapra.co.ukW: www.mapra.co.uk

inspection & measurement

ANGLO PLASTICS LTDBuy/Sell Used Plastics MachineryRutland Road, Scunthorpe, DN16 1HXT: +44 (0) 1276 470910T: +44 (0) 7740 632907E: information@angloplastics.comW: www.angloplastics.com

Plasplant LtdUnit 4, Oakhanger Farm,Oakhanger, Bordon, Hants GU35 9JAT: 01420 473013F: 01420 475152E: plasplant@aol.comW: www.plasplant.com

Rawmec (EEC) LtdRawmec Industrial Park, Plumpton Road, Hoddesdon, HertsEN11 0EET: 01992 471796F: 01992 471797E: rawmec@btconnect.comW: www.rawmec.com

TransXL International LtdThornhill, South Marston, WiltshireSN3 4TAT: 01793 827666F: 01793 823826E: sales@transxl.co.ukW: www.transxl.co.uk

secondhand andreconditioned

Arrowquint LtdUnit 5 Sanders Close, FinedonRoad Industrial Estate,Wellingborough,Northamptonshire NN8 4HQT: 08450 655455F: 08450 655456E: sales@arrowquint.co.ukW: www.arrowquint.co.ukStatic control solutions,equipment sales and rental,repairs and on-site servicing.UK/Eire agent for Eltex – marketleaders in static control systems.

Ray Ran Test Equipment LtdKelsey Close, Attleborough Fields Industrial Estate,Nuneaton, Warwickshire CV11 6RST: 024 763 42002F: 024 766 41670E: Polytest@ray-ran.comW: www.ray-ran.com

static control

WATER FITTINGS

thermoformingequipment

DM Machinery LtdUsed Injection Moulding MachineStockists40 Thorne Lane, WakefieldWest Yorkshire, WF1 5RRT: 01924 290206E: sales@dmmachinery.co.ukW: www.dmmachinery.co.uk

Cannon Shelley Sales and service forthermoforming equipmentT: 01480 453651F: 01480 52113E: sales@cannon-shelley.co.ukW: www.cannonforma.comW: www.shelley.biz

DTL Machines We Buy / Sell all Makes, Age andSizes of Injection MouldingMachines & AncillariesTool room machines and alsocomplete factories / plantsFactory Clearance ServicesDismantling / Removal of obsoleteplant and machineryT: 01925 596170M: 07838138342E: douglastrading@gmail.com

Industrial Plastics LtdUnit 13 Canterbury Industrial Park,297 Ilderton Road, London, SE15 1NPT: 020 7252 9600F: 020 7252 9601E: sales@ipl-london.co.ukW: www.ipl-london.co.uk

screen changers services

injection moulding

mouldmaking

Gammadot Rheology Testing &Consultancy ServicesUnit 5C, Leaton Industrial Estate,Bomere Heath, Shrewsbury,Shropshire, SY4 3APT: 01939 291677E: enquiries@gammadot.comW: www.gammadot.comProviding independant testingsolutions to all your quality control,failure analysis & flow simulationdata needs

printersprinters of plastic mouldings

testing/consultancy

Total Print LtdSpecialist Pad PrintersStation Road, Gedney Hill,Lincolnshire PE12 0NPT: 01406 330122F: 01406 330123E: info@totalprintltd.comW: www.totalprintltd.com

pad

mouldflow analysis

InjectionMouldingExtrusion

• Hot Runners• Nozzles• Moulds• Dies• Filters • Screws

Cleaning service for processorsRemove all polymersTel:- +44 121 511 1203Fax:- +44 121 511 1192

Email:- LesH@claytonholdings.com Web:- www.claytonholdings.com

Contract cleaning WANTED

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tool making

WANTEDPLASTIC SCRAP

T: 0121 328 5222F: 0121 328 3555

E: sales@bsplastics.co.uk

We are looking to purchase LDPE post

production scrap.Can take over 100 Tonne

a week.

Payment terms: COD

TAMPO.SCREEN.FOILContour Marking Co LtdAlbert house, Gledrid IndustrialPark, Chirk ,Wrexham, LL14 5DGT: 01691 770093F: 01691 770023Sub Contract Tampo, Screen & Foil Printing to the plasticmoulding industryE: sales@contourmarking.comW: www.contourmarking.com

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