s.a. plastics '012 02 smaller 1

Summit Publishing cct: +27 (21) 712 1408

f: 086 519 6089c: +27 (82) 822 8115

e: [email protected] Suite 42, Private Bag X16,

Constantia 7848, Cape Town, South Africa70 Newton Drive, Meadowridge, Cape Town

www.saplastics.co.za

GAUTENG Lowrie Sharp

t: (011) 793 4691f: (011) 791 0544c: 082 344 7870

e: [email protected]

KZN Lynne Askew

t: (031) 764 2494f: (031) 764 0676


Europe & UKEddie Kania

RGH International, High Peak, Englandt: +0944 1663 750 242


Printed by: Tandym Print, Maitland, Cape Town

SA Plastics Composites + Rubber Technology is published six times a year and focuses on these industries in South

and southern Africa. We welcome news, articles, technical reports, information in general and photographs about

events and developments related to the plastics industry. The views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher. Views expressed are not necessar-ily those of the Plastics Converters Association, Institute of

Materials or Association of Rotational Moulders either.

Copyright: All rights reserved.

ISSN number: 1684-2855 (ISDS Centre, Paris)

Summit Publishing: CK 9863581/23

VAT reg: 4600187902

Plastics Institute of Southern Africa

PET Plastic Recycling South Africa

Plastics Federation of SA

Association of Rotational Moulders of South Africa

Plastics Converters Association

Institute of Materials

Publisher: Martin Wells([email protected])

Editor: Tessa O’Hara([email protected])

Editorial assistant: Heather Peplow([email protected])

Financial manager: Lisa Mulligan([email protected])

Designer: Bronwen Moys (Blinc Design)

Rhino horns smuggled out with scrap plastic

by the way ...

Concealing illegal goods within plastic scrap ap-pears to have become quite common. There have been at least three cases involving the smuggling of rhino horn or elephant tusks out of Africa in the last six months. Suppliers should hence avoid selling such materials to unknown buyers. On backtracking to fi nd the source, police usually fi nd the exporters’ details to be bogus

CUSTOMS offi cials in Hong Kong intercepted a large number of smuggled rhino horns concealed in scrap plastics in a shipping container in November, a development which is not likely to be welcomed by recycled material sup-pliers. The 33 horns were detected when custom offi cials used x-ray equip-ment to examine the container.

Concealing illegal substances in containers marked as ‘used plastic’ or ‘recycled craft plastics’ appears to be the modus operandi for smugglers at present. Dr Richard Thomas, communications coordinator for TRAFFIC International (wildlife trade monitoring network) in London, said a number of large consignments of ivory packaged this way had been intercepted recently. In other incidents, customs offi cials in Malaysia intercepted two containers holding large quantities of elephant tusks (over 1300 tusks of Afri-can elephants) in August and September last year, in both cases concealed under plastic scrap.

Dr Thomas said enforcement authorities were interested in establishing whether there had been collusion from anyone inside the plastics recycling and shipping industries.

“As I understand it, Guangzhou is a major plastics recycling centre and receives plastic scrap from all over the world, much of it shipped in via Hong Kong. Consequently, if criminals were trying to conceal something being shipped from South Africa to mainland Asia, a container-full of scrap plastic would be an obvious option. There have been a number of wildlife goods (such as ivory) concealed within shipments of other commodities – not just plastic for recycling.”

According to Annabé Pretorius, chairman of SAPRO (Plastic Recyclers Organisation), there have been similar cases before, involving the illegal trade in perlemoen from South Africa. In the previous case, a recycler got an inquiry from a trader seeking a container load of material for export. The recycler was paid, but some weeks later received a call from police at Dur-ban Harbour, where it was found that the plastic material had been used to conceal a quantity of perlemoen.

There are presently no regulations covering the export of plastic scrap to the Far East, said Annabé. Every now and then, China changes the rules to ensure that they stay competitive, she added.

“For example, some years ago, you were only allowed to export PS chip if it was to a ‘related’ factory in China, but nowadays they are desperate for material and just about all goes.”

About 2% of all the plastic material recycled in SA in 2009 was exported, and that fi gure increased in 2010 and again in 2011. Based on the esti-mated total quantity of material recycled in South Africa of 241 000 tons in 2010 (SAPRO fi gures), it can be extrapolated that about 5000-6000 tons of recycled material is currently being exported from South Africa a year.

The biggest growth at present is in exports of pelletised recycled materials from SA into the rest of Africa, she added.

… IF YOU HAVE

SOMETHING TO SAY

Look at the bright side: if you

have some gem of wisdom to

impart, please write to us at

[email protected]

… for large injection moulds, extruders, rollers, autoclaves and other processing equipment

set-point and actual value

indicating elements

heating contactor

made of non-rusting materials, hence long service-life

REGLOPLAS

High-performance temperature control units

Type 90 Smart

Temperature control units for water up to 90°C

JENOWILL SERVICES

Type 150 Smart

Temperature control units for oil up to 150°C

FEBRUARY - MARCH 2012

Contents

www.colormatrix.com

www.polyone.com

ON THE COVER

PolyOne Corporation of the USA, a global provider of specialized polymer materials with revenues in 2010 of $2.6 billion, has bought ColorMatrix group, a Europe-based supplier of additive technologies and liquid colorants. ColorMatrix’s performance-enhancing specialty additives, liquid colorant and dosing technologies are used in rigid beverage and food packaging, performance moulding and fi bre. Here we see containers produced with custom colour dispersions from ColorMatrix; see page 60. (COVER PHOTO BY POLYONE CORPORATION)

Find out more at www.saplastics.co.za

14

92

6

81220

3338

57

486676

81

90

94

INDUSTRY NEWSTranspaco installs latest 7-layer cast line

Borealis Wire & Cable AcademyQAPCO opens SA offi ce

ASSOCIATION NEWSIOM³: Adhesives have been around for 5000 years

SAVA AGM: How to be competition compliant

COMPANIESRavago group celebrates 50 years

TECHNOLOGYEnergy management: ‘Final frontier’

Arburg machine in constant operation since 1966New energy-effi cient PET reactor

WORLDInt’l design competitions attract top entries

DIARYEvents coming up in 2012

SPORTSMobii’s multi-functional GPS device gets to pole

57

Volume 10 Issue 1

THIS issue we bring you some uplifting stories and ones with lessons that we hope you can use effectively!

The story about Ravago group (p57) is an example of how a business, even from humble origins, can through good organisation achieve incredible things. Ravago was started as a part-time recycling and scrap collection opera-tion in Belgium in 1961. By the time of the celebration of its 50th ‘birthday’ last year, it had grown into a €3-billion turn-over operation that is now one of the world’s top polymer and rubber material supply operations. It is also involved in compounding and the supply of fi nished products.

This success didn’t happen by coincidence or magic. The core of the operation appears to be that of the culture fostered by the late founder, Raf van Gorp, a man who even with the successes achieved by the group in the early decades, retained simple values.

Such was Van Gorp’s style and the legacy of the systems he helped create, that his successors have been able to continue the development of the group, possibly even further than he would have expected.

The article on energy management (p48) by Dr Robin Kent, an Australian researcher now resident in Britain, is a more comprehensive version on the same topic published by us previously. Following the original publication, we noticed that most of the companies in the industry were continuing to struggle with increased electricity and energy costs, and complaining about that … but without seem-ing to heed any of the strategies proposed by Kent. In a nutshell, what he suggests is that, in order to bring energy costs down (and not only for electricity), you need to do something actively about this.

Step one is to apportion responsibility for this to some-one at your plant, to be tasked with recording energy performance. Not all factories around the country would necessarily have someone suited to this type of work, in which case you may have to do this yourself! Kent says

Faster faster! – Specialised Plastic Industries of Cape Town is realizing the benefi ts of the latest injection moulding technology with its recently installed Engel 350-ton machine: it is producing fl ower pots at cycle times of just 6.8 seconds, which is a good result for the 204g shotweight items. Let’s face it, faster cycling equipment is a massive advantage. Full story – page 14

Martin Wells, Publisher

TO YOUR ADVANTAGELESSONS YOU CAN USE

COM

MEN

T

that even a few percent saving on energy costs can be the difference between success and failure for many compa-nies, so do not ignore this article!

Plastics|SA fundingEnthusiasm for the proposed refunding structure for the industry’s governing body, Plastics|SA, may have cooled somewhat. At the outset at the meeting at Monte Casino in Johannesburg in winter 2010 there was general, if not unanimous, agreement that the way forward was a levy on material sales. That meeting was attended by many of the top stakeholders in the industry, including converters and material suppliers. These people have substantial interests in the industry – in terms of invested capital, work force, machinery, property and much more – and their priorities need to be taken seriously.

Now we hear that at least some of the material suppliers are reluctant to be tasked with including the levy in their invoices. The proposed levy was R100 per ton of material, although that fi gure could change. Some converters have mentioned that they see this ‘environmental levy’ as not being their responsibility either. In some cases, compa-nies have active environmental programmes around their plants, at the schools of employees’ children, as voluntary programmes in their related communities and suchlike, in which case one imagines they could motivate for exemp-tion from the levy.

Most of you will agree that Plastics|SA’s role as the industry overall representative is vital, but it’s also becom-ing apparent that a lot is at stake – and that achieving an outcome that is fair and a structure which is effective will be complicated. If you can, we suggest you participate in the process in the year ahead.

THIS ISSUE

4 FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012

Thermo Scientific microPHAZIR PC is a handheld NIR material analyzer designed for rapid on site plastic material identification. The 2.75 lb (1.25 kg) analyzer is battery powered and completely self-contained for portable analysis. Ergonomically designed for the expert and non-technical user alike, microPHAZIR PC utilizes the power of near-infrared spectroscopy to save you time & money.

Thermo ScientificmicroPHAZIR PC Handheld Plastics Analyzer

Key Benefits Include:Save Time: Rapid and accurate results displayed within seconds.

Easy to use: Designed for non-expert users, the analyzer is fully automated and requires no user input.

Portable: Small and lightweight for fast identification of materials in the field or at the sorting facility.

Safe: No sample preparation or burn test necessary, NIR is fast, safe and nondestructive.

Identification of common plastic types, including:PLA, PET, PP, PS, ABS, PI, PSO, PE, PPS, TPV, PTT,PC, PMP, PBT, PA (nylon), PETG, SAN, EVA, PB, PPO, CA, PMMA, PUR, PI, PVC, PLA, Ionomer, Styrenic terpolymer,Elastomer, POM, Nylon+ABS

Accurate: Fast: Reliable: Plastic identification

www.ustech.co.za

For more information please contact Anna Tshwene at United Spectrometer Technologies

DISTRIBUTOR

A & E NEL Plastics is manufacturing one of the largest technical blow moulded items seen on the market in recent years. The 60-litre ‘Lifebuoy’ container is designed to house a buoy-ancy ring and 30m rope for sea rescue or rescue on any large expanse of water.

With a 6.5kg shotweight, the container is produced on a 40-litre Kautex machine. But that’s standard activity for Anton Nel of the Cape Town company, who says he “likes a challenge”. The mould was built from a CAD drawing, and the consistent wall thickness and structural integrity achieved has been approved by client Southern Ropes, whose SA opera-tion also supplies Southern Ropes UK, which has the marketing rights for Europe.

The Lifebuoys are supplied to lifesavers and sea rescue organisations and are mounted in visible spots on beaches or on boats to assist with sea rescues. Anyone who’s ever tried to rescue an individual at risk of drowning at sea will be aware of the vital need of a lifebuoy, the risk for the rescuer without such a device being extremely high.

The success with the product has been very satisfying for Anton and his team, who have made a business of fi nding creative solutions for blown and injection moulded items.

A & E Nel Plastics makes a range of domestic items such as buckets as well as technical products such as road cones and traffi c safety items. It was also involved in the develop-ment of the vuvuzela.

The company was started by Anton’s father Eric in 1991, and Anton has been running the business in Stikland since he passed away in 2000.

Big technical blow moulding for sea rescue from Cape moulder

Life saver – Anton Nel with one of the 60-litre Life-buoy housings. Produced in HDPE, the housing has a hinged lid which can be readily opened to allow quick access to the buoy for emergency rescue

The container is used to house a buoyancy ring and attached rope

www.nelplastics.co.za

60-litre item is biggest yet from A & E Nel Plastics

News Plastics SA exco teamPlastics SA executive team – PSA director Anton Hanekom (second from left) with the representatives elected on to the industry governing association’s executive committee at its AGM in Midrand in November, including Philip de Weerdt of Nampak Rigid Plastics, Bernhard Mahl of Safripol and Jeremy Mackintosh of Polyoak Packaging. Mackintosh was reelected as chairman, with De Weerdt and Mahl being vice-chairmen. Philip is also the chairman of the Plastics Converters Association. The exco team is representative of both the converting and supply sectors, which is a positive sign as far as the partnership process being promoted by Anton and the PSA team is concerned PHOTO: LOWRIE SHARP

INDUSTRY NEWS


JUST BRIEFLY

Tightrope act for material importers

THE worst case scenario for any material supplier is not being able to supply customers. With issues such as plant problems, ‘sched-uled’ maintenance that almost always takes longer than anticipated, shipping hold-ups, exchange rate fl uctuations and credit matters, as well as other delays, it’s incredible that most polyolefi n users around the country were kept supplied in the last quarter of 2011.

After Sasol Polymers encountered a second outage problem at its Secunda plant in early November (following the production interrup-tion event in August), the onus suddenly fell on importers of LD and LLDPE and possibly HD to meet demand. Given that the rand had depreciated by approximately 10% against the dollar at almost exactly the same time, the challenge for the importers was multiplied.

Fortunately for the market, some of the importers had stock in warehouses or were able to react quickly and place orders from the international suppliers. But, although the importer may have the order, or be relatively confi dent of being able to move the mate-rial, completing the fi nancial and insurance documentation for even an order of 1000 tons (which is possibly just 1% of the monthly vol-umes converted in this country) is a signifi cant fi nancial undertaking with parallel high risk.

Warehousing large quantities of material is also unattractive to suppliers: it’s costly, equates to capital that is tied up, and ex-change rate fl uctuations of even a few percent can result in losses. Besides that, the local polymer manufacturers may get their plant problems sorted out, recommence production and undercut import price at very short notice.

For the petrochemical manufacturers, ethylene is a by-product of the main process and converting that into polyolefi n material is hence a comparatively minor saving, as opposed to ‘fl aring’ the ethylene at the plant. Of the overall output from petrochem plants, polymer production accounts for less than 10% of turnover, possibly less. The bulk of the output goes to petrol, diesel, other fuels and waxes – polymers being relatively low on the list after that.

Although the raw material suppliers do from time to time achieve good outcomes, it’s essentially a tightrope act. The one trend we observe in the market of late is that, to back up their commitment to supply customers, mate-rial suppliers are even obtaining material from so-called rival suppliers for their top customers. Losses made with defaulting customers may have steeled suppliers to ensure supply to their top credit-worthy customers irrespective.

Suppliers fi ll gap unexpectedly created by Sasol production interruption

• A & E NEL PLASTICS: PHONE 021 945 1045

Global plastics industry launches marine litter action planPlastics associations’ global meeting takes place In DubaiPLASTICS industry representatives from across the world met in Dubai in November to create a global action plan for solutions on marine litter. Approximately 100 projects have been identifi ed which will be carried out in 32 countries, in addition to the global activities supported by all signatories.

Anton Hanekom, Executive Director of Plastics|SA, who represented South Africa at the global meeting, said it was “a great step forward by these plastics industry representatives through committing to the global action plan for solutions on marine litter”.

The ‘Declaration for Solutions on Marine Litter’ has been adopted by 54 plastics industry organisations. It outlines a six-point strategy for industry action, and advocates close cooperation with a broad range of

stakeholders to shape solutions for the ma-rine environment. For example, initiatives where SA’s plastics industry has already been involved include the annual Interna-tional Beach Cleanup which took place in South Africa late last year. These activities will serve as a catalyser for further action in other regions.

Amongst the activities the industry is implementing within the joint declaration is a partnership with The Joint Group of Experts on the Scientifi c Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP). GESAMP is an advisory body to the United Nations system on the scientifi c aspects of marine environmental protection. The plas-tics industry will support GESAMP’s effort to evaluate the sources, fate and effects of micro-plastics in the marine environment.

www.plasticsinfo.co.za www.marinelittersolutions.org

International delegates at the meeting of global plastics associations in Dubai were Douw Steyn (direc-tor for sustainability at Plastics|SA), Ahmad Khairuddin Sha`aban ( Malaysian Plastics Forum), Frank Alcantara (Braskem SA, Brazil), Miguel Neto Bahiense (Plastivida, Brazil), Tsuguo Katsuura (Japan Plastics Industry Federation), Vijay Merchant (Plastindia Foundation, India), and Gaurav Paul (Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemical Association)

PLASTICS|SA, the umbrella body representing the plastics industry of South Africa, was awarded the 2011 Enviropaedia Award for Recycling at the inaugural Eco-Logic Awards ceremony in Cape Town in November in partnership with The Green-est Event expo.

“We are honouring companies and individu-als who are helping us fi ght both the symptoms and the causes of environmental problems,” said David Parry-Davies, the editor of The Enviropae-dia, South Africa’s leading reference to the green revolution and the driving force behind the awards.

Plastics|SA impressed the judges with its ongo-ing commitment to increase public awareness about the importance of plastic recycling through its various Enviromark activities. Under the aus-pice of its Sustainability Director, Douw Steyn, this non-profi t organization has launched and driven numerous annual activities through the years, including initiatives such as National Recycling Day, Clean-Up South Africa Week and the interna-tional Coastal Clean-Up Day which takes place in September every year.

The Enviromark and its team of ‘eco-warriors’ have also become a familiar sight at large international sporting events such as the annual Cape Argus/Pick ‘n Pay Cycle Race and the Two Oceans Marathon where they pick up and recycle the litter that gets left behind by participants and supporters.

“Used plastic packaging or discarded plastic products shouldn’t end up in landfi lls,” said Steyn at the awards. “We have a thriving, innovative and successful plastic recycling industry in South Africa that creates new products from virtually every type of plastic. We are tremendously proud of the Enviropaedia award because it proves to us that our efforts are being recognized. We will continue with our efforts to impact society with our message that ‘waste is not waste until it is wasted’ and plastics are too valuable to waste.”

www.enviropaedia.com

Waste is not waste until it’s wasted

SEWER cleaning company Jetvac of Cape Town is using a new system from Trelleborg to repair pipe defects which has proved considerably more cost-effective than other comparable solutions.

Jetvac used the Epros® DrainPacker

Rehab system for defects in fl exible pipe

Plastics|SA Sustainability Director, Douw Steyn, ac-cepts the 2011 Enviropaedia Award for Recycling from Casper du Plessis of HP

7

Jetvac repairs Cape Town sewers using a reliable, no-dig solution

www.trelleborg.com

www.jetvac.co.za

system from Trelleborg to repair multiple defects in a 4km-long sewer pipe in Cape Town. Using conventional technol-ogy would have meant installing a cured-in-place pipe lining between each set of manholes along the pipe – at a cost that would have bust the annual budget for such work several times over.

The Epros DrainPacker system consists of two products: a silicate resin and a fi breglass sheet, which combine to make sectional repairs of damaged pipes and sewers. The resin is applied to both sides of the sheet, and once the sheet is impregnated and folded into three layers, it is rolled around an infl atable packer. The packer is lowered into the sewer pipe and pulled into position, where it expands, pressing the patch against the pipe wall. The resin cures, creating a strong and impermeable bond.

Epros® DrainPacker packer and sheet are manoeuvred through a manhole into the sewer pipe

Plastics|SA wins Enviropaedia award

TRANSPACO Specialised Films has recently installed and commis-sioned an impressive 7-layer cast fi lm line confi rming its position as the largest cast fi lm manufacturer in South Africa, and boosting its technological ability to compete against imported stretch fi lms. This business is located in Bronkhorst-spruit, Ekandustria near Pretoria.

From Dolci Extrusion of Italy, the new line can produce 2000mm wide fi lms at up to a whopping 1500kgs an hour. The impres-sive throughput is extremely important for Transpaco to remain competitive. The machine uses fi ve extruders (1x180mm, 1x105mm and 3x65mm) to produce the seven layers. The FCL 7-2000 machine – from Dolci’s ‘Stratocast’ range – is designed for the production of exceptionally strong multi-layer fi lm structures, referred to as ‘Plywood’ stretch fi lms by Dolci. The new 7-layer technology is the most advanced line in South Africa based on 5 extruders with an advanced Clorien 7-layer feed block system which allows for very specifi c product formulations, especially for high-performance applications.

The increased number of layers and im-proved molecular adhesion between the lay-ers gives the fi lm the following advantages:

FCL 7-2000 machine is designed for production of exceptionally strong multi-layer fi lm structures … at 1500kgs/hr!

Transpaco installs latest,7-layer cast fi lm line

High-output line – The ‘Stratocast’ line from Dolci installed at Transpaco Specialised Films at Ekandustria, Bronkhorstspruit, near Pretoria, can produce 2000mm wide 7-layer fi lms at astonishing rates of up to 1500kgs an hour


• allows for signifi cant fi lm down-gauging, while maintaining the mechanical characteristics of the thicker fi lm;

• superior puncture resistance, which prevents the fi lms from tearing on sharp corners of pallets;

• increases the holding strength of fi lms on wrapped pallets; and

• increases the ‘Elmendorf Tear’ properties (resistance to tear).The local demand for the more advanced

LLDPE stretch wrap fi lms, particularly for pallet-stabilization applications prompted the R24-million investment, complimenting Transpaco’s existing business infrastructure. The three manufacturing facilities in Ekan-dustria are adjacent to one another, enabling Transpaco to accommodate the dimensions and power requirements of the cast lines into a single world-class manufacturing site.

“Transpaco’s loyalty to Dolci Extrusion is due to the tremendous support that we have received over the last couple of years, as well as their technological know-how,” said Ken Harris, joint-managing director with Steve Harmse, of Transpaco Specialised Films. Transpaco’s initial Dolci machine was installed in February 2008 at a cost of R16-million. Its fi rst machine, from TCE, was installed in October 2004 at a cost of R13 million.

“The synergy between the three machines is complete and we are able to meet all the

required sizes and specifi cations that the South African market demands. The additional capacity will enable Transpaco to improve service, cater for increasing demand for the next three to four years and provide a cost effective alternative to the imported product,” said Harris.

“Transpaco has been inundated with enquiries for the new 7-layer product, which we have tested with extremely good results,” he added.

Transpaco is the only cast fi lm manu-facturer in South Africa that has a TÜV Rheinland accredited facility with ISO 9001:2008 certifi cation.

“We are a quality driven company with certifi cation that was accredited as far back as 2005, which was not long after our initial startup with our fi rst cast line installation,” said Harris.

“With the dynamics of the existing market we can expect that it will not be too long before the new extrusion line is running at full capacity,” he added.

The investment in the correct technology has allowed Transpaco to remain competitive and from its humble beginnings in 2004 elevated Transpaco Specialised Films to the market leader in cast stretch-wrap, with consistent quality and internationally accepted product specifi c tolerances.

INDUSTRY NEWS

is a local leading manufacturer, recycler and distributor of plastic and paper packaging products within its core focus areas of packaging. Since listing on the JSE Main Board in 1987, Transpaco has expanded and diversifi ed its operations to entrench its footprint as a national leader in the packaging industry. The group’s head offi ce is in Johannesburg with operations across South Africa.

Currently rated as a Level-5 B-BBEE contributor, the Transpaco group is intent on enhancing and developing transformation to elevate this platform for long-term sustainability and at the same time meaningfully contribute to the South African economy as a whole.

www.transpaco.co.za www.dolciextrusion.it

Transpaco

The fi rst cast fi lm machine installed at Transpaco Specialised Films in 2004, when the business was established, was from TCE (also of Italy)

The previous Dolci machine installed at the Transpaco plant, in 2008, was also a multi-million rand investment

FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012 9

For any queries, please contact joint managing directors:• Ken Harris on 013 933 3554 | • Steven Harmse on 011 493 5220

Transpaco operates branches countrywide to service the needs of the market nationally. The national sales manager, Wessel Victor, can be reached at 011 493 5220. Each branch operates its own infrastructure with regards to stockholding, administration and deliveries. The branch managers can be contacted at:

Gauteng: (011) 493 5220 – Gideon GeyserBloemfontein: (051) 430 0081 – Ferdie KrugerPolokwane: (015) 292 1479 – Alan PosseltCape Town: (021) 982 5624 – Veronica Rees Gibbs/Claudine SlamertDurban: (031) 705 5220/1/7 – Jana Venter/Lynn VorsterPort Elizabeth: (041) 486 3156 – Joe Lemley

INDUSTRY NEWS

Lomold launches its 1st product machine

Demonstrating the new Lomold production machine, showcasing the new award-winning thermoplastic reinforced composite pallet

THE LOMOLD Group ended off 2011 on a high note with the offi cial open-ing of its fi rst ever Lomold production machine in South Africa. According to Wouter du Toit, marketing and com-munications manager of the Lomold Group, the launch of this machine is the culmination of 15 years of research and development.

Representatives from major fi nancial institutions, the Department of Trade and Industry and strategic partners joined the Lomold family in Bellville South, Cape Town, for the launch celebrations.

“Our company started small but with a big dream in 1998. Today we employ more than 300 people and are proud to see the realization of our dream to become a world leader in our fi eld”, said Pieter du Toit, CEO of the Lomold Group.

Guests at the launch were treated to a live demonstration of the new machine in which the process and production of the thermoplastic reinforced composite pallets was showcased.

GETTING a solid grip on things is becoming serious business for Erosion Technology of Alberton, Johannesburg. Founded in 1991 to produce components to combat soil erosion in mines, the company has developed into a fully-fl edged mould making business as well as product development centre with extensive injection moulding production capability.

Its latest component goes one step further: the ‘Grip ‘n Go’ off-road tracks enable 4x4 enthusiasts to get out of sticky situations such as clawing mud, loose rock, or soft sand, often at daunting angles … which is the kind of thing the 4x4 fraternity enjoy. In fact, they aren’t happy unless they’re getting stuck! However, they also need to get unstuck, which is where the Grip ‘n Go system comes into play. The tracks provide a good solution to overcome severely eroded situations, which is often the case on 4x4 routes and for vehicles travelling overland in remote areas.

The interlocking design of the Grip ‘n Go al-lows the assembled track to withstand extreme stress beneath the tyres of heavy vehicles at extreme torque. They fold up neatly for easy storage within the vehicle.

Erosion Technology was established by Eddie Tartt, who arrived in South Africa from Liverpool in 1982. He had already completed a 5-year toolmaking apprenticeship. Eddie fi rst worked at building and engineering group Murray & Rob-erts as a tool maker, and then moved into the automotive component manufacturing sector.

At the outset, in 1991, Erosion Technology manufactured plastic components to replace parts which had up till then been produced in steel or wood, mainly for safety on the mines.

Erosion Tech does all its own mould making, with four CNC machines, and operates a bank of 14 injection moulding machines from 25 to 300 tons clamp force.• [email protected]

www.erosiontech.co.za

The management team at the Alberton company includes Aadrian Van Zyl, Kelley

Matthews and the entrepreneurial Eddie

Erosion Technology is on track as it celebrates its 21st!

www.lomold.com

www.lomotek.com


Eddie Tartt of Erosion

Technology with samples of the Grip ‘n

Go mould-ings being

moulded by the Alberton

company

Material substitution – Erosion Technology has continued to produce plastic parts to replace metal or even wood for over two decades, not least because plastic items offer particular ad-vantages in the underground mine environment. This fi re engine hose coupling was previously manufactured in brass, whereas its glass-fi lled nylon solution has proved an ideal substitute; it has been successfully tested up to 20bar

The tracks are produced in a reinforced nylon and have successfully completed severe test-ing, to the point where bricks placed below the mouldings cracked … and they didn’t!

OUR WINNING FORMULA SETS US APARTCarst & Walker has developed sustainable partnerships with leading international suppliers and valued customers for more than 70 �� Rubber and Plastic industries.

Within the Polymers Division, the following business units provide the customer with the ultimate polymers solution:

ELASTOMERS PLASTICS & COMPOSITES FILLERS & ADDITIVES AUXILIARIES & SERVICES ANCHOR CHEMICALS

Johannesburg:Bill Taylor Jenny WarnerKevin ClarkTel: +2711 489 3600Fax: +2711 489 3601

Durban:Jaco SmithRon DunwoodiePaul RoseTel: +2731 313 8500Fax: +2731 313 8518

Website:www.carst.co.za

Cape Town: Tel: +2721 506 4560Fax: +2721 506 4561

Port Elizabeth: Kathy GardeTel: +2741 397 3600Fax: +2741 397 3601

A HOBART COMPANY

��"#'��"��*<��=>?��=QZ�[��\��>?��>��#Z�]>?��?��[?��^�?��

��?[�� #"��[��"Z��=\#[�^�_##[��>��#?Q��#��#Z��Q#"�^�Q#Z��Q#`

�� #��?��{��?��}��*�� =��{�� ~��{��^�#"��*��#��#��{{�� [��[��[��~��

��?��~��[��[��

��}��?��[�� #��*��{��#��Q��

SOUTH AFRICAPolymers Division

customized solutions

innovativetechnology

world class

quality products

sales support

technical expertise

service excellence

leading international

manufacturers


turns spotlight on SA power, data transmission sector

Africa’s electricity, although it also uses 40% of that power. Ironically, SA is not the largest manufacturer of cable on the conti-nent; Algeria, Egypt and Morocco all have substantial cable making capacity.

As global long-term reliable partners in the plastics-based solutions for the wire and cable industry, Borealis and Borouge provide a broad range of innovative and quality solutions for low to extra high-voltage power cables and all major types of communication cables that improve productivity for their customers. Together they have pioneered advances in insula-tion systems and jacketing solutions for both energy and communications cables through various global brands, which include Supercure™, Visico/Ambicat™, Borcell™, Borstar® and Casico™.

Eskom plansOne of the presentations which attracted most interest at the event was that by local speaker Pervelan Govender of Eskom, chief engineer for transmission grid plan-ning at Eskom, on the power utility’s plans for the near future.

In a presentation titled ‘Transmission Development Plan (2012-2021),’ Govender said the expansion of Eskom’s network

Power talk – Pervelan Govender (right) of Eskom Transmission, who gave a comprehensive presenta-tion on the planning and future expansion of Es-kom’s power grid around South Africa, with Recardo Zwane and Prabesh Bagrath of African Cables

Organisers – Darryl Bunyan, Natasha Mblalo and Brian Prestedge of Chemimpo organised the local arrangements for the seminar, including the hosting of the many international guests

Experts – Dr Dirk van Hertem of the Uni-versity of Leuven, Belgium; Thomas Steffl and Anne Watson, both application and technical service engineers at Borealis

The speakers and delegates at the function in Johannesburg; delegates came from across southern and east Africa

12

Wire & Cable AcademyBorealis and Borouge

INDUSTRY NEWS

LEADING wire and cable industry experts gave an insight into the specifi c energy growth and future cable requirements of the South African market at the Borealis/Borouge ‘Wire & Cable Academy’ in Johannesburg in November.

With a close to 50-year heritage in the manufacture of materials for cable produc-tion, dating back to its commencement in 1965 of the production of LDPE grades for insulation and jacket-ing, Borealis and its partner Borouge are the global leaders in the production of ma-terials for the sector.

The focus of the event was on opti-mised cable produc-tion, although several of the presentations looked at factors af-fecting the cable mar-ket. The main drivers in the cable market include replacement of aging infrastructure; ‘going green’ and the simple fact that elec-tricity demand is continuing to grow.

Power systems and infrastructure have been stable for probably the four decades before the end of the last millennia, but – as experienced in South Africa over the last few years – interruptions to supply and spiraling power costs are now a reality in many countries. The advent of alternative power solutions, such as wind energy or solar power, has meant that suppliers of materials to cable manufacturers have had to come up with new solutions.

The biggest factor in the global power and cable market at present is the mas-sive growth underway in Asia, specifi cally in China and India. Figures for Africa are far smaller, but manu-facture of electrical power in South Africa looms large, by com-parison, in Africa.

There is a major need for greater

access to electricity across sub-Saharan Africa where about 75% of the people do not have access to electricity. SA is a key player in the area, producing two-thirds of

Borealis and Borouge provide a broad range

of innovative and quality solutions for low to extra

high-voltage power cables and all major types of

communication cables that improve productivity for

their customers.

Lieve Michiels, application marketing manager for wire & cable at Borealis; and Mikko Lahti, R + D director at Maillefer Extrusion, an extruder manufacturer in Finland, gave presentations

Sander Silvis of Silcom, the Pretoria-based cable manufacturer, was at the conference

did include wind and solar solutions, with a staggering proposed budget of R210-billion. It appears that Eskom is making provision for a signifi cant increase in wind power.

A key part of his presentation focused on the potential for the installation of 400kV underground cable.

Other speakers included:Franz Daenekas, senior wire and cable consultant who has over 40 years’ experi-ence in cable production, gave a presen-tation about optimised cable production. Daenekas outlined many of the dangers encountered in cable production and fol-lowed up with recommendations on how to resolve these issues.

Dr Dirk van Hertem, a lecturer in the electrical engineering department at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium, discussed “changing power system, before liberalization and the rise of the renew-ables”. Deriving power from renewable energy sources creates other problems for the grid, not least the need to balance the network.

Mikko Lahti, R + D director at Maillefer Extrusion, an extruder manufacturer in Finland, outlined the ultrasonic melt tem-perature technology being introduced by Maillefer.

Thomas Steffl , application and techni-cal service engineer at Borealis, discussed

Int’l speakers, African delegates

THE ‘Wire & Cable Academy’ seminar in Johan-nesburg in November was the latest in a global series organised by material manufacturers Bo-realis and Borouge. Events had previously been hosted in Russia, Brazil and the United States, with the most recent having taken place in China in November.

The two-day conference, hosted by Chemimpo South Africa, was an advanced training seminar in the fi eld of power and communication cable manufacturing, technologies and future markets tailored to the region’s needs. It was a virtual ‘who’s who’ of the local cable and wire manufac-turing market, with representatives of most of the cable manufacturing companies in South Africa as well as from many countries in east and southern Africa present.

Sponsoring partners Borealis and Borouge are among the world’s leading providers of innovative, value creating plastics solutions for the wire and cable industry. The companies’ solutions are de-signed to satisfy the industry’s evolving demands for higher technical performance and can be found in the most challenging extra-high voltage (EHV) and high-voltage (HV) cable applications, as well as medium-voltage (MV) and low-voltage (LV) energy transmission and distribution cables, building wires, and communications cables.

The Wire & Cable Academy global concept was initiated by Borealis and Borouge three years ago to facilitate knowledge sharing between key value chain stakeholders as well as enhance industry standards and support future developments of innovative wire and cable solutions.

“Supporting a secure future for the wire and cable industry through our own pioneering de-velopments and investments and as a long-term reliable partner is fundamental to our strong com-mitment to this market,” said Marc Hubert, vice-president for wire & cable products at Borealis.

Who’s who of the power cable market in east, southern Africa at Joburg seminar

Otto Brinkmann, MD of Chemimpo South Africa, which hosted the W&C Academy, with Marc Hubert, vice-president for wire & cable products at Borealis in Europe

www.borealisgroup.com

www.borouge.com

www.waterfortheworld.net

13

W&C Academy – The auditorium at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg, venue of the Borealis/Borouge Wire & Cable Academy seminar on 22-23 November

specifi c cable grades for the commu-nication and fi bre optic sectors; and Anne Watson, application engineer at Borealis, spoke about the evolution of power cable. The fi rst power cable, by the way, was introduced in 1810!

‘Enlighten’ AfricaAccording to Lieve Michiels, applica-tion marketing manager for wire & cable at Borealis of Borealis, massive growth is being encountered in the communication cables sector in Africa. Internet traffi c in Africa is expected to increase by as much as 45% between now and 2014, although wireless activ-ity is resulting in only minimal growth in the fi xed line area. Data cable (mainly in buildings) demand is growing at about 5% and fi bre optic cable by about 2%.

Wind energyEurope appears to be the leader by far in the global wind energy market, with about 43% of the 197GW cur-rent global installed capacity. Current developments need to link into power grids, which has ironically resulted in several proposed projects not gaining approval.

Wind energy installations are signifi -cantly outstripping the nuclear option at present. Almost 50% more new wind power capacity was installed in 2010 alone compared to new nuclear capac-ity for the entire last decade.

Trends at present include the preference to run cables underground as well as for the development of solu-tions for offshore wind farm projects.


SPI speeds up production

Going green … and fast! – Machine setter Wayne Morris with the new Engel at Specialised Plastic Industries in Retreat, Cape Town

SPECIALISED Plastic Industries (SPI) of Cape Town is realizing the benefi ts of the latest injection moulding technology with its recently installed Engel 350-ton machine: it is producing fl ower pots at cycle times of just 6.8 seconds, which is a startling result for the 204g shotweight items.

Charles Retief of SPI said they could probably operate even faster, and cycle at 6sec or possibly lower, but more electrical power would be required to achieve that. The machine ‘platform’ is very stable at the current rate, he added.

The pots are moulded in polypropylene, with mould fi ll taking just 0.2 seconds, which in itself is highly impressive for a comparatively large thin-wall product.

Working 24/7, the machine completed an order for 60 000 pots in one week. Charles has been involved in injection moulding for over three decades, so not much remains to surprise the man – but this did. The faster cycle times have also enabled SPI to reduce unit production cost.

SPI also operates the mould making business Cape Mould Services, although in this case the mould was bought along with the machine, from a local recycling business.

• SPI: PHONE 021 701 3521


INDUSTRY NEWS

6.8 second cycle for 204g fl ower pot

Quadrant companies streamlineIN A move that will enable the plastics group to focus more strongly on its core competen-cies, Quadrant Engineering Plastic Products has divested of its fi ltration products business through a management buy-out process, completed at the

end of October 2011. With effect from 1 November 2011 the group has put its two fully-owned South African units Quadrant PHS (Pty) Ltd and Quadrant Chemplast (Pty) Ltd under the common

leadership of Johan van der West-huizen, who has served as MD of the Chemplast business since 2007.

Van der Westhuizen has been active in the plastics industry for 27 years and is excited about the direction the com-pany is taking. “These developments will certainly enable us to enhance our focussed and prominent approach towards servicing the market,” he said.

Kobus Boshoff, former MD of Quadrant Poly Hi Solidur (PHS), has purchased and will now be heading up FiltAquip (Pty) Ltd, and as such will be responsible for bringing to market the full range of solid and liquid fi ltration products previously available through Quadrant PHS.

Quadrant Chemplast is a specialist

producer of engineering plastics for heat and corrosive applications and in-dustries serviced include the industrial, mining and chemicals sectors as well as food, beverage, pharmaceutical and consumer product manufacturing.

Quadrant PHS is a forerunner in the processing of PE, cast nylon, acetal and GEP products or components, and – like Chemplast – employs research and production teams highly skilled in delivering machinable, formable or fi nished plastic parts for a wide range of industrial applications.

www.quadrantplastics.com

Johan van der Westhuizen takes over as MD for both Quadrant PHS and Quadrant Chemplast.

Brothers reunite!

ROY Retief (left) has recently joined brother Charles Retief at Specialised Plastics Industries in Retreat, Cape Town, where he has been appointed business manager responsible for both SPI and Cape Mould Services. The brothers originally started Plastech, an injection moulding operation in Cape Town, in 1979, but sold the business to Harwill group in 1992. Fol-lowing that, after a restraint of trade period, Charles started SPI in 1994. Roy remained with Harwill group for a period, but later started Swift Plastics in Montague Gardens. He’s been kicking his heels since selling Swift in 2006, but that process reached its conclusion recently when he took up Charles’ invita-tion to rejoin. Combined, the brothers have close to 70 years’ experience in injection moulding, which is no mean feat for these still fi t-looking gentlemen. SPI is busy with a number of new products, including a new, unique tamper-evident seal which allows for complete cap removal from the cup lip.


The refurbished Bell Tower at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) campus

MOULDFORM has been awarded the prestigious Master Builders Association 2011 Award for Restoration Projects.

Leading the operation is Tony Hol-mes who also does all the designing and manufacturing. He is ably assisted by his two right-hand men, Moses Mdletshe in production and Lee Breakwell who heads up the fi xing team.

Mouldform KZN cc, a glassfi bre mould-ing company operating out of Durban since 1982, was commissioned in 2010 to remake and install the Bell Tower at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) campus. The previous Bell Tower was 100 years old and made from wood and cop-per. Mouldform designed the moulds from which a new Bell Tower could be manufac-tured from glassfi bre.

Over the years Mouldform has built an excellent reputation for itself on projects around South Africa as a ‘small operation which takes on big projects, and does them well’.

The Plastic Convertors Association is proud that one of its members has won this prestigious award and Garth Taylor, PCA Regional Manager for KZN and East London, said “it is a feather in small busi-ness’ cap that this award was presented to Mouldform.”

Delicate taskThe task of removing the old structure and replacing it was an extremely delicate one.

The original Bell Tower was removed and sections were re-assembled at the contractor’s factory. Fibreglass moulds were then taken from the sections and silicone moulds from the more complex shapes, for instance, the column heads. As the original copper was missing, a new pattern was made for the dome and base.

“The Bell Tower was very old and it needed to be dismantled in sections, taken to the workshop before reassem-bling the original part and making a mould from it. Where there were rotten places these had to be constructed to look like the original,” explained Tony.

Mouldplas tendered against a wood and copper clad replacement and came in more cost effective. As the City Campus is a listed building, a request to replace the bell tower in fi breglass was referred to AMAFA (KZN Heritage Agency). The DUT approved the request and will spend what they save on the tender to refurbish the building’s interior.

“The laminate comprised an external isopholic polyester gel coat, and in place of exposed timber, a brown pigment gel coat was used. For the copper, a 75% fi ne copper powder to 25% gel coat mix applied at a rate of 1,25kg/m² was used,” he added.

The structural laminate was a minimum of four layers of chopped strand mat sand-wiching in fl at surfaces, a 10mm end grain balsa and impregnated with fi re retardant

polyester resin. To achieve the green copper patina, the gel coat was abraded to expose the copper particles and acid washed to produce the green patina.

Biggest challengeThe Bell Tower was assembled into various sections and delivered to the site where it was hoisted by crane and at-tached to a steel structure by Mouldform’s fi xing crew.

Tony said that the biggest challenge of the project was to replicate the wood and copper of the original.

“We have developed a method of producing the green copper patina by incorporating 75% copper powder in the external gel coat and once removed from the mould abrading to expose the copper powder and acid wash,” he explained.

Mouldplas have also worked on projects which include domes at Cae-sars Palace Casino and the Lost City, tower domes at DiData Campus and the Emerald Casino, domes and mouldings at the Pavilion Shopping Centre in Westville, Durban, numerous temple and mosque domes, and facia mouldings at the Gate-way Shopping Centre in Umhlanga.

• MOULDFORM TEL: 031 461 3124

Mouldform wins construction award

INDU

STRY

NEW

S

The Bell Tower was assembled into various sections and delivered to the site where it was hoisted by crane and attached to a steel structure by Mouldform’s fi xing crew

A co-operative affair! – Prof Lewellyn van Wyk (senior Researcher, CSIR – Built Environment), Prof Walter Bodzick (Dept of Civil Engineering, University of Pretoria), Dr Dieter Kovar (BASF MD), Belinda Bangisi (market development, BASF), Gala Munsamy (head of market development, BASF) and Gustav Nel (director, Helm Construction)

The standard home at the CSIR Built Environment Innovation Site in Pretoria, which uses an alternate insulation technology based on BASF’s Neopor®. The CSIR has also embarked on a programme of evaluating innovative technologies to determine its contribution to enhanced construction performance. This low-income house of 40 m2 is used as the basis in each case to ensure comparability

Climate Smart!THE Climate Smart Cape Town Pavilion at COP17 won the best

outdoor and best overall stand in the COP17 Climate Change Response Expo in Durban, held late November. The stand, a temporary structure constructed out of 1 884 plastic milk

crates and over 22 000 plastic milk bottles supplied by Polyoak Packaging, was a temporary structure that was dismantled

after the climate change conference and all the materials re-used, lowering its impact on the environment.

www.climatesmartcapetown.co.za

www.basf.co.za

BASF South Africa and the Council for Scientifi c and Industrial Research (CSIR) further strengthened their co-operation by together demonstrating the benefi t of pas-sive insulation in a building.

The project entailed building a standard home, at the CSIR Built Environment Innovation Site in Pretoria, using an alternate insulation technology based on Neopor®, an insulation material by BASF, and the solution for homeowners who want to reduce energy costs by apply-ing thermal insulation. Neopor sets new standards for effi cient thermal insulation and environmental compatibility. It reduces thermal losses wherever applied, be it the exterior or inner walls, fl oors or the roof. The showcase building is further enhanced with double glazed windows.

Helm Construction built the house using an Agrément Certifi ed Imison Walling System.

The CSIR has also embarked on a programme of evaluating innovative technologies to determine its contribution to enhanced construction performance. A low-income house of 40 m2 is used as the basis in each case to ensure comparabil-ity. The construction process is monitored,

and records are kept for type and extent of labour used, materials used (quantities and costs), waste generated, and building costs.

“A life cycle analysis is performed on each building, and an energy simulation is run. In this way it is possible to determine what technologies deliver what benefi ts at what costs,” said CSIR’s Llewellyn van Wyk, senior researcher.

“The BASF project is of particular inter-est because it represents one of the most highly insulated houses that one could build in South Africa. The results of this research will provide a best-case scenario for energy effi ciency in the residential sector. It will enable validated fi gures to be used, for example, in any future updating of SANS 10400 Part XA: Energy Ef-fi ciency in Buildings,” added Van Wyk.

Dr Dieter Kovar, Head of Business Centre South Africa and Sub-Sahara, explained: “This technology showcase is one example where functionality and energy effi ciency compliment each other. BASF and CSIR will continue exploring new solutions for sustainability in the built environment. Importantly, this project will demonstrate how to accomplish greater

energy effi ciency and how to reduce energy costs. Thus, it promotes climate protection.”

Agrément South Africa is the national technical assessment agency that certifi es innovative and non-standard construction products and processes through its certi-fi cation scheme. It is managed by CSIR Built Environment.

Neopor is an advanced version of the classic white insulation material Sty-ropor®. BASF manufactures the black, expandable beads from polystyrene. Pro-cessors foam up the beads and process them into silver-gray blocks and moulded parts for various applications, in particular for insulating buildings.

Insulation materials made from Neopor are silver-gray because they contain fi nely distributed graphite particles which act like miniature mirrors refl ecting the thermal radiation and thus reducing heat losses. The insulating effect is thus increased by up to 20%. This saves heating costs and enhances the value of buildings in an environmentally friendly way.

explore passive insulation in buildingShowcase with best-case scenario for energy-effi cient buildings of passive insulation

BASF and CSIR


INDU

STRY

NEW

S

Your Plus for Plastics

Profitable protection for agricultural films!

Are you looking for agricultural plastics that withstand UV radiation, heat andagrochemicals? Tinuvin® NOR™ 371 and Tinuvin® XT 200 light and thermalstabilizers protect greenhouse covers against the effects of strong solar radiationand make them highly resistant to severe and critical levels of agrochemicalsand sulfur. They also provide lasting protection against the heat that builds upon greenhouse supports. And that’s not all: optimum light conditions all yearround help to increase yield and enhance the quality of crops.

Put the plus into agricultural plastics with BASF light and thermal stabilizers.

Plastic additivesfor agriculture

BASF South Africa852 Sixteenth RoadMidrand, P O Box 2801Halfway House 1685South Africa

Tel: +27 11 203 2400

www.basf.co.za

uppe

mar

keti

ng A

0610

1

INDUSTRY NEWS

QAPCO of Qatar opens SA offi ceNew Middle East polyolefi ns supplier opens offi ce to service SA market

A NEW polymer supplier from the Middle East, Qatar Petrochemical Company (QAPCO), opened its SA offi ce in Cape Town in January.

Established in 1974 as a multi-national joint venture between Industries Qatar (80%) and the Total group of France (20%), QAPCO has been manufacturing material since 1981. Sourcing its feedstock from the major gas fi elds in the Persian Gulf to the north of the Qatar Peninsula, as well as oil fi elds to the west of the peninsula, QAPCO has become one of the leading Middle East producers of ethylene, low-density and linear-low polyethylene. Its LDPE and LLDPE are sold under the brand Lotrène®. It also produces high-density, under the Marlex® brand.

QAPCO operates two crackers in Qatar, a 1.3 million ton a year unit at Ras Laffan (one of the largest ethane crackers in the world), on the northern tip of the penin-sula, as well as a 720 000 ton/yr unit at Mesaieed on the eastern coast. It currently has estimated capacity of 450 000 tons a year for LLDPE, from the Mesaieed plant, which was commissioned in 2009, and 400 000 t/yr of LD. It is due to start com-mercial production of a new 300 000 ton/year LDPE plant at Mesaieed early in 2012, raising its total LDPE capacity to 700 000 tons per year.

SupplyOne of QAPCO’s advantages is that, with its plants in close proximity to the Gulf, it

operates its own jetty facilities and transport network enabling easy export of its products.

Addressing guests at the inauguration event in Cape Town on 12 January, QAP-CO vice-chairman and CEO Dr Mohammed Yousef Al-Mulla said his group was commit-ted to building a global marketing network and supporting its new customers in South Africa as well as around Southern Africa. The Cape base could potentially also be used as a logistics centre to supply custom-ers in South America, he added.

The Cape Town offi ce is QAPCO’s third such venture in Africa, where it already

operates offi ces in Egypt and Morocco. Besides the Middle East, QAPCO has maintained a focus on Asia and the Far East, with a number of offi ces in China and India.

QAPCO’s global marketing network con-sists of 28 overseas self-operated offi ces and six regional warehouses.

The QAPCO South Africa business is managed by Christo Tolken, a man with some 20 years experience in the polyolefi n and polyurethanes supply sector.

Christo, who has been with QAPCO since June last year, said: “Qapco’s Lotrène LD is well-known in Africa and, with the

Cutting it! – The ribbon, shaped in the form of Table Mountain, was cut by Dr Bashir Al Sherawi, Qatar’s ambassador to South Africa, assisted by the QAPCO CEO and Dr Vincent Zulu, SA’s former ambassador to Qatar

Aerial view of the QAPCO plant at Mesaieed, one of the two plants it operates on the Qatar Peninsula in the Gulf

QAPCO has its own jetty facilities and transport network, enabling easy export of its entire range of products worldwide

20

Qatar is a sovereign Arab state in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the north-easterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its territory surrounded by the Persian Gulf. A strait of the Persian Gulf separates Qatar from the nearby island state of Bahrain

Persian Gulf

Persian Gulf


Qatofi n Lotrene LLDPE, is becoming in-creasingly popular in Southern Africa, so we are excited about the sales potential of the new operation.”

QAPCO follows other materials suppliers from the Gulf who are involved in the SA market, including SABIC and Borouge, as well as international suppliers such as Exx-onMobil and Dow which have production in the Gulf region.

BackgroundQatar occupies the small Qatar peninsula on the north-easterly coast of the much

larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its territory surrounded by the Persian Gulf. Its capital is Doha. A strait of the Persian Gulf separates Qatar from the nearby island state of Bahrain.

Qatar has been ruled as an absolute monarchy by the Al Thani family since the mid-19th century. Formerly a British protec-torate noted mainly for pearling, it became independent in 1971 and has become one of the region’s wealthiest states due to its enormous oil and natural gas revenues.

Qatar has the world’s largest per capita

production and proven reserves of both oil and natural gas. In 2010, Qatar had the world’s highest GDP per capita, while the economy grew by 19.4%, the fastest in the world. The main drivers for this rapid growth are attributed to ongoing increases in pro-duction and exports of liquefi ed natural gas, oil, petrochemicals and related industries. Qatar has the second-highest human devel-opment in the Arab World after the United Arab Emirates.

www.qapco.com

Kathleen Naylor and Nadia Tesnar of QAPCO South Africa at the banquet at the Crystal Towers Hotel in Century City after the ribbon cutting (below)

Christo Tolken is the manager of QAPCO’s new operation in South Africa, based at Century City in Cape Town (middle)

QAPCO chief executive Dr Mohammed Yousef Al-Mulla and Alan Winde, the minister for fi nance, economic devel-opment and tourism in the Western Cape province, who welcomed the QAPCO entry to the local economy (left)

The QAPCO inauguration attracted VIP

representatives from local gov-

ernment as well as from Qatar

(right)


JOHN Byett, a lecturer in packag-ing technology at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (who once also presented the Introduction to Plastics course at the same institution) set out from Cape Town in January on Kawasaki KLR 650 motorbikes with three compan-ions, to travel through Africa to Cairo,and from there, heading north and east, end-ing up in Singapore four months later.

Joining John are the three Taylors, father Mal, son Julian, and daughter Shannon.

John Byett was brought up in Bu-lawayo, studied in the U.K. and has worked in education for the past 30+ years. His love affair with motorbikes

4 Bikes 4 Singapore

1. The winning fourball included Phil Johnson of Masterbatch SA, Herman Steyn and Marius Scholtz of Dunlop Industrial Products and Warren van Rensburg, also Masterbatch SA

2. Among the runners-up were Rod Lochhead,(Orion), Grant Rosettenstein (West African Group), Brent Hean (Metmar/WAG) and John Laskarides (Bandag SA)

3. Rob Macnab (WAG), Harold Dlamini (Bandag SA), Pieter Delport (Polar Retreading Products) and Reg Michaels (Continental Printing Inks)

4. Pierre Fourie (PJF Transport), Lowrie Sharp (‘SA Plastics & Rubber’ magazine), Gareth Jefferson (National Rubber Matmin) and Rory Taylor (Palogix International) had a good round too

3 4

DUNLOP Belting Products were one of the award recipients at the recent Anglo American 2011 Supplier Awards following the Supplier Conference in London on 8 Novem-ber. This is Anglo American’s fourth Supplier Conference aimed at sharing success and lessons learned so stakeholders can improve performance and recognise and celebrate the excellent work undertaken by people from both Anglo American and suppliers.

Dunlop Belting Products received an award in the ‘Recognising Excellence in Partner-ship’ category, nominated by Lucky Sakonta, Category Specialist in Supply Chain. Pictured here are Dunlop Belting Products’ CEO Thorsten Wach, Dries van Coller, sales and marketing executive and Bright Rwodzi, technical manager - proudly holding their win-ner’s certifi cate and trophy at the company’s year-end function.

SHOUJU Thinwall Group’s managing director, Michael Chiang, and technical director, Billy Chen, were recently in South Africa where they met with existing and potential customers to discuss their mould making capabilities in the three areas they specialise in:• Thinwall products such as margarine, yogurt and ice cream tubs, which wall thicknesses typically are around 0.5mm with relatively long fl ow paths, and most importantly prod-ucts with in mould labelling.

• Automotive, with customers including the likes of Mercedes, Lotus, Honda, Audi and Volkswagen etc.

• Medical apparatus, where precision moulding is required for articles such as syringe needle covers and complex valve assemblies.Thinwall recently successfully completed a

complete range of Unilever products for Mar-com Plastics, which was concluded in record time and at exceptionally competitive prices compared with their European counterparts. The product was a success and all products have passed the qualifi cation testing.

ORION Engineered Carbons hosted a successful golf day at Ebotse Golf & Country Estate in Benoni in November at which some of the country’s top users of carbon blacks contested the ‘American Scramble’ format event.

The day provided a relaxed and enjoyable networking opportunity, while allowing Orion personnel the opportunity to express their appreciation to their rubber and pigment black customers for their support throughout the year.

Orion was formerly known as Algorax and more recently as Evonik SA, the Port Elizabeth-based manufacturer of carbon blacks and long-time supporter of the tyre and technical manufacturing sector in Southern Africa. The switch in ownership came about as a result of the sale of Evonik’s global carbon black business to Orion Engineered Carbons, which is co-owned by Rhone Capital and Triton Partners. Orion is the premium global supplier of carbon black.

PEOP

LE

OrionEngineered Carbons golf day

1 2

Dunlop honoured at Anglo American awards

Mouldplas host VIP guests

John Bayettt with fellow bikers Julian, Shannon and Mal Taylor

Keith Reading, Mouldplas sales manager, with Shouju Thinwall Group’s managing director, Michael Chiang

goes back a long way.John said that aside from the

‘adventure part’ of the bike trip, the group would be raising funds and awareness for The Children’s Hospital Trust of The Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital.

“The hospital is the only remaining specialist paediatric hospital left in Southern Africa and what funds we raise will go towards their planned Paediatric Infectious Diseases Cen-tre,” he said.

Follow John’s blog at

www.4bikes4singapore.wordpress.com

MBT South Africa

Rob Wainright 082 801 7373 Carlotta Stafford 082 600 7403Lance vd Merwe 082 901 0477 Paul Gripper 082 456 6659Helga Classen 083 769 4543

Unit 14, Eastwood Office Park, 11b Riley Road, Bedfordview.PO Box 751775, Gardenview 2047, South Africa.Tel: 27-11-455 2889Fax: 27-11-455 2937www.mbtsa.co.za

Cape Town Office4 College House

Village WalkParklands

For all your Polymer Raw Material Requirements

Bought a pulveriser ?Need to buy coloured pellets ?

Rotomoulding from

We also sell

Natural Pellets

Natural Powder

Colour Compound Powder

Imported, stocked and distributed by:

The Tube-Q hot air welding device is a universal welding device for welding all types of thermoplastics. The simple and sturdy design, combined with the low weight, allows professional and effi cient welding in the highest quality.

The device has a heating power of 1500 Watt 230 V and constant and absolutely reliable control electronics for temperatures up to 700 °C.

The collector carbons are very durable and display a carbon service life of up to 1500 hours. Furthermore, the carbon brushes are equipped with a shutdown feature and can be used several times.

The air-cooled heating element pipe fi ts several different types of nozzles.

The universal device for welding all thermoplastics. These include:

fl ooring materials

engineering industry

Terramin Head Offi ce:

www.terramin.co.za

Tube-Q


PEOPLE

O N T H E M O V E

Lily Wu joined Mouldplas early last year and was recently in South Africa to meet both Mouldplas staff and their customers. Lily runs Mouldplas’ China offi ce based in Hangzhou. Lily has spent many years working with Zhongya, one of Mouldplas’ many principals in China, a specialist manufacturer of IBM and EBM machines, working in their international department sales and

is now working full-time for Mouldplas assisting with customer visits and liaising with Mouldplas’ full network of suppliers.

Linda Venter recently joined Mouldplas as Internal Sales Assistant. After matriculating in 2009, Linda spent a couple of months pursuing her dream of becoming a farmer, before realizing it was ‘not her passion’. She spent the next few years studying and working before joining Mouldplas in November.

Douglas Austen has joined Mouldplas as product manager for the Moretto agency, as well as general sales on all of Mouldplas marketing’s agencies.

Douglas started his career in the plastics industry after matriculating in 1995. He did his apprenticeship as technician with a plastics converting machinery supplier in 1996 on injection moulders, blow moulders, screen and pad printers, pipe and profi le extrusion and blown fi lm lines. Douglas left the plastics industry for a while to pursue a medical sales career, before returning to plastics in 2009.

Supporting World Aids DayZANOGEN Machine Knives employees acknowledged World Aids Day on 1 December by joining in a minute of silence to remember loved ones and colleagues lost to HIV/Aids. Wellness committee members (from left), Joseph Ntuli, Rochelle Glynn, Nicoleen Lange, Caireen Hains, Carrie-Anne Cleworth and Graham Trollip (absent: Jacinto Mulate and Phineas Mkhwanazi.) ensured their message was clear - ‘Know your status! Get tested!’

Zanogen Machine Knives manufactures, supplies, re-grinds, sharpens and reconditions industrial machine knives/blades and related products for the steel, paper, reclamation and timber industries.

Johannesburg: Tel: (011) 824 0350/1/2 • Fax: (011) 824 0353• email: [email protected] • 153 Haring Road, Wadeville, Ext 2

Durban: Conrad Pillay 082 358 4727 • Cape Town 021 552 4433 •

COLOURS OUT OF THIS WORLD

DEKRAEN ISO 9001:2000

MERCURY PLASTICS (PTY) LTD

Established 1990

21YEARS

For all your colouring requirements of masterbatch and pigments.Discover new horizons with Mercury Plastics. With the latest

computerised colour matching facilities and 21 yearsexpertise. Our highly skilled staff is at your service.

Impossible just won’t do!

TRAINING

BASF launches Kids’ Lab experiments in PECommunity-based programme fosters science literacy

CHILDREN at the Missionvale Care Centre Academy experi-enced the ‘hands-on’ excitement of chemistry for the fi rst time when global chemical company, BASF launched its Kids’ Lab programme in Port Elizabeth in January.

BASF Kids’ Labs was developed by BASF as a community-based programme that fosters science literacy by encouraging children aged 6-12 to gain a better understanding and interest for the dynamic world of chemistry. They are introduced to how chemistry is all around us and how BASF creates chemistry.

Grade 3 and 4 learners took part in two water experiments to inspire them to further their interest and enthusiasm in natural sci-ences. Using BASF products, these experiments focus on water storage and water purifi cation while highlighting the key role of chemistry in providing clean and safe water.

www.basf.co.za

WHAT DO a retro rock and classic South African pop band and plastics have in common? We wish we could tell you, but a group of 20-something-year-olds with a sound that has been described as funky, jazzy, rocky, and entirely original, has dubbed their band The Plastics.

According to one music journalist, The Plastics have “a retro-chic vibe which brings you back to lazy days in the California sun, waxing your surfboard while you wait for

www.theplasticsband.com

Plastics rock!

CAPE-based Tuffy, the pioneers in 100% recycled refuse bags, are providing daily meals to learners at Athlone High School for a year in 2012.

Tuffy is partnering with the Pen-insula School Feeding Association (PSFA), who aims to combat short-term hunger in school children, and in doing so promote their learning and potential. The organisation was established in 1958 and over the past 53 years has provided 1.3-bil-lion meals to children in need.

Tuffy feeds school kids

www.pfsa.org.za

www.tuffy.co.za

R E A C H I N G O U T

UV specialists from 1st-Metz Germany will be in South Africa in March to present a series of workshops around the country. Hosted by Heiko Schmidt of GVS TechniQuip, the work-shops will focus on a wide variety of practical information on printing and UV curing.

Topics will include the use of UV with LED, substrates, UV hardware, heat management, UV drying and curing, UV lamp technology, UV offset principles, energy consumption, re-fl ector technology, methods and applications, ink and coating technology, and theoretical

and practical troubleshooting.The full-day workshops, from 8.30am to

4.30pm, will be held in Johannesburg on 26 March at the Aviator Hotel; Durban on 27 March at the Blue Waters Hotel; and in Cape Town on 29 March at the Clara Anna Fontein Game Reserve.

For more information, contact Heiko Schmidt at tel: 011 478 0842, or email [email protected]

www.gvs-tech.co.za

will focus on printing & UV curing!

PEOPLE


the surf to pick up – even if you were never there.” Or if you read another review, “retro blend of bluesy indie, disco-punk sound”. In a very short time they have carved themselves a huge niche, and built a loyal army of devoted (and mostly very attrac-tive) fans.

It would be great if the plastics industry could claim the same!

In sound, The Plastics pay homage to retro-rock and clas-sic pop imagery. The Plastics are a live performance orien-

tated band and have already performed with the majority of South Africa’s most sought after musical acts. In their fi rst year on the local music scene, The Plastics claimed 1st prize at The Redbull Radar competition at Rocking the Daisies in 2008 and were fi nalists in ‘The Road to V-Fest’ competition for the best unsigned band in SA.

Comprised of brothers Pas-cal (vocals, guitar) and Sasha Righini (drums), and Arjuna Kohlstock (guitar) and Karl Rohloff (bass guitar) - The Plas-tics started in late 2007 when the Righini brothers decided to expand their old punk band HOAX, and reform it with a fresh take on music.

UV workshop

The Plastics – retro rock and classic South African pop band

It’s bananas!

A ZSK twin screw extruder from Coperion GmbH, Stuttgart/Germany, formerly Werner & Pfl eiderer, will soon go into service in Uganda for the production of pre-gelatinized matooke fl our from non-storable plantains, also known as green or cooking bananas. The fl our is simply stirred into hot or cold water to make matooke, which is a staple and easily digestible Ugandan meal.

The ZSK 54 MEGAvolume PLUS twin screw extruder has been purchased by the Presiden-tial initiative for Banana Industrial Development (PIBID), which is part of a project aimed at promoting the sustainable production of plantains in Uganda, increasing local added value and at the same time improving the nutrition of the population.

The new production process, which has been specially tailored to the capabilities of local farm-ers, targets the production of fl our which will be transported and stored at the PIBID production centre at Bushenyi, where the new ZSK MEGA-volume PLUS twin screw extruder, equipped with 54 mm diameter screws and a seven-barrel

www.savinyls.co.za

A LANDMARK decision in October last year to withdraw the Mat-7 PVC Minimisa-tion credit from the Green Star SA rating system by the Green Building Council of SA (GBCSA) will impact signifi cantly on PVC’s future in the construction and decorating industries.

The withdrawal of the Mat-7 PVC Minimi-sation credit from the Green Star SA rating system acknowledges the progress SAVA (Southern African Vinyls Association) has made to date. It will also serve as further impetus in addressing the historical environ-mental concerns of PVC and improve the environmental performance of PVC.

A green building rating tool sets stan-dards and benchmarks for green building, and enables an objective assessment to be made as to how ‘environmentally-friendly’ a building is. The rating system sets out a ‘menu’ of all the green measures that can be incorporated into a building to make it green. Points are awarded to a build-ing according to which measures have been incorporated, and, after appropriate weighting, a total score is arrived at, which determines the rating.

Initially a PVC Expert Reference Panel (ERP) was formed, which acted as an advi-sory group to the GBCSA and assisted with technical matters on domestic and interna-

tional best environmental practice initiatives related to the manufacture, use and end-of-life of PVC building products. In particular, the panel advised on the applicability of the revised Australian Green Star PVC credit to the South African context.

To this end, the GBCSA then engaged with SAVA who coordinated an industry questionnaire on behalf of the GBCSA. This, together with recommendations by the ERP, resulted in a platform for the GBCSA Technical Steering Committee (TSC) to hold a constructive debate and recognise the voluntary progress made in the Southern African context in terms of long standing vinyl issues.

“SAVA aims to assist members, relevant authorities and experts to understand, char-acterize and address issues associated with the life cycle of PVC products through our Product Stewardship Programme (PSP),” says SAVA CEO Delanie Bezuidenhout.

“SAVA members are committed to the responsible and sustainable use of addi-tives, the implementation of a sustainable recycling programme and the promotion of a healthy vinyls industry. We are proud of the fact that our efforts resulted in a transi-tion that has been deemed to be similar to that of the Australian PVC industry,” she added.

PVC gets the go-ahead from Green Building Council

28

INDUSTRY NEWS

Brian Wilkinson, CEO of the GBCSA, commended SAVA for developing and implementing a voluntary stewardship programme. “We will continue to engage with SAVA with regards to representing the views of our membership, supporting their values of green building practices and driving continued market transformation. We look forward to watching this initiative develop further, producing meaningful improvements to the PVC life cycle with regards to environmental performance and human health impacts”.

Green Star SA rating tool - Mat-7 PVC minimisation credit removed

Extrusion of pre-gelatinized fl our from plantains

process section, is to be installed. A solids conveying and metering system

feeds the plantain fl our into the extruder, while a fi ne jet of water is injected into the second barrel of the process section. The cooking extrusion process now commences and the plantain fl our is extruded at a typical temperature of between 140 and 150°C into a modifi ed, pre-gelatinized fl our.

Downstream of the extruder’s process

section is a modifi ed version of the Coperion ZGF 70 centric pelletizer, which is axially displaceable. This way the knife rotor can be attached to the die plate while the extruder is in operation. Due to the vernier adjustment with scaling an absolutely precise cut is possible.

The pelletizing system produces a directly expanded extrudate that can then be readily milled into soluble matooke fl our after it has been dried.

www.coperion.comwww.pibid.org

The ZSK 54 MEGAvolume PLUS for the processing of plantains into highly nutritional pre-gela-tinized fl our underwent its factory acceptance test in Coperion’s food test lab in the presence of representatives of PIBID (from LEFT), Jörg Prochaska, Project Manager Chemicals, Food and Pharmaceutical Extrusion and Uta Kühnen, Process Engineer Food Extrusion, both of Coperion; John Kawongolo, PIBID; Rev Dr Florence Muranga, Director, PIBID; Oliver Beiser, Business Segment Manager Chemicals, Food and Pharmaceutical Extrusion, Coperion; Dr. Albert Esper, Innotech Ingenieursgesellschaft mbH) PHOTO: COPERION, STUTTGART/GERMANY

Exper ience

PREMIER POLYMER SOLUTIONS

with extens ive

APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT

and expert

TECHNICAL SERVICES

Visit www.plastamid.co.za for further information.CPT 021 �� I JHB 011 922 1600 I DBN 031 701 9546 I PE 08000 75 278

T H E P O L Y M E R S O L U T I O N S C O M P A N YPlastamid, a member of the Chemical Services Group,

has brought premier polymer solutions, extensive

application development and technical service to the local

and international polymer markets for over 35 years.

Plastamid plays a leading role in the manufacture and

supply of thermoplastic compounds to a diverse range of

industries.

Automotive ElectricalIndustrial

Packaging Consumer Compounding Service

INDUSTRY NEWS

Aerontec now distributor for General PlasticsSpeciality high-density PU foam products, across diverse applications

CAPE Town based Aerontec, supplier and distributor of composite materials and related technologies, has been awarded the agency and distributorship for General Plastics Manufacturing Company of the USA.

General Plastics, based in Tacoma, Washington, is a pioneer in the devel-opment and manufacture of speciality high-density polyurethane foam prod-ucts, including Last-A-Foam®. Aircraft manufacturers have been using General Plastics’ PU foams since the 1950s. GP is renowned for tackling tough projects in the aerospace, marine, nuclear, tooling and other industries.

Brian Sweeney, international manager at General Plastics, visited South Africa recently to meet Aerontec MD Graham Blyth and with some of Aerontec’s custom-ers. Sweeney was impressed with Blyth’s understanding of the composite market-place and the competitive products offered in South Africa. Discussions took place and Aerontec was awarded the distributorship and agency rights.

General Plastics has only awarded distributor rights to two other companies outside of North America, in the UK and Japan, so this is quite a breakthrough for Aerontec. General Plastics have distribution in Montreal (Canada), Japan and Birming-ham (UK).

The Cape Town-based Aerontec will now be able to offer its customers GP’s special-ity polymer foams. Aerontec also supplies honeycomb, balsa and PVC core materials, epoxy resin systems, fi breglass and carbon fi bre fabrics, vacuum bagging materials, as well as resins and foams for the thermo-forming industry.

Blyth, who has been active in the com-posites and related industries for more than 20 years, said he had been astounded at the breadth and diversity of applications in which General Plastics’ PU products were used – from aircraft wingtips, fl ight deck pads, nuclear containers, blast mitigation

structures and architectural design models to building signs, thermal insulation blocks, solar panels and ice hockey stick blades.

New high temp tooling boardsAerontec plans to focus initially on distribut-ing General Plastics’ tooling boards. These versatile boards, which are highly solvent and chemical resistant, are available in a wide range of densities and block sizes. Full technical and test data support is also avail-able for all products and ‘cradle-to-grave’ tracking on all foam batches made.

Blyth explained that high temperatures can be a challenge for tooling boards: “Most just can’t handle the heat, which increases your processing time and slows production.”

GP’s new FR-4700 series high-temp tooling boards can withstand peak tem-peratures up to 200°C and continuous-use temperatures up to 170°C, signifi cantly more than other products on the market. The tooling boards offer excellent machin-ability, competitive pricing, thicknesses up to 355mm and are available in densities of 288, 481 and 641 kg m3 .

“The biggest advantage is that they are

cast, and not extruded, like other tooling boards. Usually an extruded tooling board warps when machined. General Plastics’ boards are cast and also undergo a 3-week post-cure ‘maturation’ process, ensuring there are no stresses in the fi nished board and therefore no warp,” said Blyth.

Technical expertise as well“We pride ourselves not only on the distri-bution and supply of composite and related products, but also on the technical service we offer throughout South Africa,” said Blyth. And this technical service translates into an expertise that has seen Aerontec involved in various sectors in the market, mainly marine and aerospace, but also including aircraft, offshore, automotive and plastic tooling amongst others.

• AERONTEC WILL CELEBRATE ITS 10TH ANNIVERSARY IN MARCH.

The tooling boards from General Plastics are cast (not extruded) and undergo a 3-week post-cure ‘maturation,’ enabling the boards to withstand continuous-use temperatures up to 170°C, making them suitable for the casting of a wide variety of resin materials and for thermoforming moulds

Foam cores in high-spec applications such as airliner wing tips are provided by General Plastics

General Plastics foams were used to create the supporting panels that hold the mirrors of a solar parabolic collector in place

30

General Plastics high-density urethane (HDU) foam is the leading choice to replace wood in sign manufacturing

www.aerontec.co.za

www.generalplastics.com

N o w a l s o a g e n t a n d d i s t r i b u t o r f o r G e n e r a l P l a s t i c s M a n u f a c t u r i n g C o m p a n y o f U S A .

TELEPHONE +27 (0) 21 671 2114 / + 27 (0) 21 674 6325

FAX + 27 (0) 21 674 6622 EMAIL [email protected]

ADDRESS 14C Warrington Road, Claremont, Cape Townwww.aerontec.co.za

Supplier and distributor of composite materials and related technologies:Composite Syntactic Foams

Vacuum Bagging Materials

Tooling materials

Epoxy Resin Systems

Fibreglass, Carbon & Kevlar Materials

Composite GFRP Rebars

Speciality Foams & Core Materials

Speciality Coatings


AERONTEC of Cape Town has recently designed and built a computer-controlled rigid foam cutting machine which can cut to an accuracy of up to 200 microns.

“We always imported our foam sheets in standard sizes, but would get requests from customers for foam that wasn’t standard – and then we’d have to import bits and pieces, which took time and wasn’t cost effective,” said Aerontec MD Graham Blyth.

Combining their considerable technical know-how, Blyth and Aerontec technical manager Lawrie Droomer designed the system specifi cally to cater for requests for custom foam sizes. Hannes Pretorius of PSD Engineering of Somerset West built the machine, which has been installed and busy at Aerontec’s premises in Clare-mont for the past six months.

“The beauty of this foam cutter is that we can now import foam blocks of up to 60mm thickness and cut to any size our customers want,” said Blyth.

www.aerontec.co.za

Around the world in 40 daysCO-OWNERS of the South African based The Airplane Factory have completed an around-the-world trip in the Sling, a sports aircraft that makes signifi cant use of composites.

Mike Blyth and James Pitman successfully completed their 40-day trip on 27 August after fl ying through 13 countries and covering a distance of 45 150 km.

The Sling 4, designed and built by The Airplane Factory, uses glass/epoxy composites in the main undercarriage, wheel cov-ers/spats, the engine cover and the struts, the nose cone of the prop, engine cowling, heat defl ector in the engine compartment, landing gear and parts of the canopy. All the composite materials for tools and moulds used in the Sling were supplied by Cape Town based Aerontec.

When fully loaded with fuel, pilots and their luggage, the Sling 4 weighed just 900 kg and had a cruisingspeed of about 90 knots indicated air speed.

Cutting edge! – Graham Blyth and Lawrie Droomer of Aerontec with their new foam cutting machine. The system solves the headache of requests for non-standard foam sizes, which can now be cut readily

Graham Blyth (Aerontec) with brother Mike, Sling 4 pilot and co-owner of The Airplane Factory

www.aerontec.co.za www.airplanefactory.co.za

Aerontec develops foam cutting system

Adhesives have been around for 5000 years, yep!

Hi-Tech Elements (Pty) Ltd designers & manufacturers of heating elements to suit your specific application.

Electric Heating & Control

HEATING ELEMENT DESIGN & MANUFACTURE

Johannesburg (Head Office) Tel: 011 894 3937 Fax: 011 894 3954 [email protected] www.hi-techelements.co.za

KwaZulu Natal Tel: 031 701 1053 /63 Fax: 031 701 1062 [email protected] www.hi-tech.edx.co.za

CPE WEIFANG

FLUORO ELASTOMERS CHENGUANG

PER FLUORO ELASTOMERS

TPE ,TPV AND TPR ELASTRON TURKEY

EPS SHINHO ,TAITA, HYUNDAI ENGINEERING

PLASTICS (DONGBU) ,

SUSHOU CHANGLE(DONGBU

Technology)

PS & HIPS HYUNDAI ENGINEERING PLASTICS

(Dongbu)

LDPE & LLDPE HANWHA

EVA

HDPE PIPE PE 80/100

SILICON RUBBER Shanghai Hongshen

MAGNETITE

ENGINEERING POLYMERS

REWORKED AND REPALETIZED

MATERIALS

DH POLYMERSCC


Bonding’s as old as the Flintstones!The Northern Branch held its fi nal meeting for 2011 on 23 November at La Campana Country Venue, Brentwood Park, Benoni. The speaker was Bernd Dietz, head of production line management at the Rema Tip Top plant in Poing, Germany. Rema Tip Top operates a branch in South Africa and has expanded its activities in the region.

Bernd’s talk was on ‘Adhesives for Install-ing Rubber Sheeting’ and in his introduction he stated that bonding has been known for over 5000 years – at that time fl intstone spearheads were bonded to wooden shafts using bitumen.

By defi nition an adhesive is a non-metallic material that can bond substrates by surface adhesion and inner cohesion. Bernd contin-ued by explaining the mechanism of bonding, including the roles played by adhesive forces between the bondline and the substrate and the cohesive forces in the bondline.

There are a number of criteria that are necessary in order to achieve and sustain bonding. Among these are cleanliness; sur-face preparation, either by degreasing, sand blasting, grinding, buffi ng or a combination of these processes; optimal thickness of the bonding layer which must be evenly applied over the surfaces to be bonded and not too

thick; and climatic conditions such as dew point, wind strength and sunlight, which must also be taken into account.

Likewise, the surface of the rubber must also be prepared. This can be done with a cleaning fl uid followed by buffi ng. The speed of the buffi ng machine must not be above 2800rpm. The thickness of the bonder layer and the depth of roughness are also important, with a depth of 30-80 μm giving the optimum bond strength.

RTT adhesive systems are 2-component solvent-based contact adhesives and three independent bonding mechanisms are involved:1. Evaporation of the solvent – physical.

The drying time must be controlled and will vary with the type of adhesive, substrate, ambient conditions and fi lm thickness;

2. Crosslinking with the hardener – chemical reaction;

3. Application of pressure to the adhesive – physical.IOM³ Northern branch chairman Spike

Taylor gave the vote of thanks to Bernd and to Rema TipTop/Dunlop for sponsorship of the event.

ASSOCIATION NEWS

www.rema-tiptop.co.za

BY DAVE HUNT

Bonding – Lorenz Appel, (Dunlop Industrial Products), Bernd Dietz (Rema Tip Top, Germany), Bright Rwodzi (also Dunlop IP), Werner Schulz (also RTT, Germany) and Dr Claus Zengerle (alfa Development GmbH) at the IOM³ function in Benoni in November

National ChairmanHans Strydomp. 011 425 3241c. 082 449 [email protected]

Eastern CapeDeon Riekertp. 041 360 2084c. 082 940 [email protected]

Eastern Cape SecretaryDiane van Rooyenp. 041 486 1505c. 083 255 [email protected]

Institute of Materials:Southern Africa Region

KwaZulu-NatalAndré Corneliusc. 071 682 [email protected]

NorthernSpike Taylorp. 011 928 4172c. 082 456 [email protected]

www.iom3.co.za

www.iom3.org


TDM industry’s revitalisation programme successfully rolled-out

THE Toolmak-ing Association of South Africa (TASA) has successfully started a revitalisa-tion programme for the tool, die and mouldmaking (TDM) industry in support of the Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP) 2, but much still needs to be done to make the industry globally competitive.

Addressing the TASA Gauteng AGM in Midrand, outgoing chairman Bevan Davis said the importing of R6 to R11 billion worth of tools per annum

and the issuing of 80 000 work permits to artisan immigrants in 2011 are hard proof of the fi erce competition that the local tooling

industry is facing. Strong participation from foreign countries such as China, Germany, and indeed Europe, is also to be expected at a leading industry expo and conference this year.

“The need for the South African TDM industry to adapt, innovate and work smarter is crucial in 2012. TASA is the only vehicle in the industry capable of unlocking government funding through Public Private Partnerships” Davis said. “The Gauteng Tooling Initiative (GTI) and the National Tool-ing Initiative Programme (NTIP) are shining examples of success”.

He pointed out that TASA Gauteng man-aged to obtain signifi cant funding from the Gauteng Department of Economic Devel-opment over a period of two years, ending in December 2012, to fund students in the TDM Powered Apprenticeship Programme.

“This will ensure that the pipeline of toolmakers merging from the programme continues in 2012. The Gauteng Regional Academy provided funding for social support of students and enabled the GTI to place 252 students at 100 companies for on-the-

ASSOCIATION NEWS

Industry still faces many challenges

Outgoing TASA Gauteng chairman Bevan Davis

Ron MacLarty, newly elected chairman of TASA (Gauteng)

www.tasa.co.za

job-training at no cash cost to the compa-nies in 2011”.

“Financial support by the Gauteng Enterprise Propeller (GEP) enabled TASA Gauteng to benchmark 13 companies in the province against their counterparts in Germany, China and Brazil. In 2012 the remaining funds will be applied to create business plans, based on best practice, for these companies,” Davis said. “Fur-thermore funding supplied by the Gauteng Department of Economic Development will be used by the GTI to save local TDM companies in distress (and consequently a signifi cant number of jobs) by supplying bridging fi nance and fi nding international and BBBEE investors to take the compa-nies forward”.

Davis emphasised that ‘clustering’, or joint association of toolmakers, and the mar-keting of South Africa as a tooling source need to be focal points in future strategic moves to advance the local TDM industry.

Members of the new executive commit-tee elected at the AGM are: Ron Maclarty (chairman), Bevan Davis, Markus Funk, Shaun Lane, Victor Stiehler, Mickey Scheepers, Hester Gyzen, Louis Avenant, Jan Swanepoel, Makhosana Phill Siphen-gane and Jim Plester

TM

OHSAS 18001:2007ISO 14001:2004ISO 9001:2008

JHB 011 975 0222 CT 021 552 0627 KZN 031 700 2464PE 083 974 2074 www.masterbatch.co.za EL 083 282 8850

“FOUR SEASONS” BY NEIL PAUW OF THE PARLOTONES

Manufacturers of masterbatches, pigments and additives for the Plastics Industry

OHSAS 18001:2007ISO 22000 :2005OHSAS 18001:2007OHSAS 18001:2007


+27 (0)31 765 5720

0086 151 685 69018

+27 (0)82 821 4775

[email protected]

or [email protected]

ASSOCIATION NEWS

www.wbba.co.za

www.ctbi.co.za

www.plasticsinfo.co.za

New chairman for PCALOUTJIE de Jongh of Mpact Plastic Containers of Atlantis, Western Cape, has been elected as the new chairman of the Plastics Converters Association, tak-ing over from Philip de Weerdt of Nampak Plastics.

In his end-of-year message, Loutjie said, in spite of the PCA’s on-going negotiations aimed at establishing a Plastics Wage Schedule within the MEIBC (which were not concluded in 2011), the PCA’s main focus would continue to be serving the day to day needs of its members.

Loutjie said the PCA would continue to expand its commitment to the envi-ronment. The association has been an active participant in the revamp of the Plastics Federation into to PlasticsSA, including the devising of a model where funds are collected at source. A large portion of these funds will go towards changing the perception of plastics to the public, he added.

Loutjie de Jongh is the new chairman of the PCA

Executive DirectorJohan Pietersep. 011 314 0019c. 082 904 [email protected]

Regional Manager (KZN/E Cape)Garth Taylorc. 084 924 [email protected]

Western CapeAndy van Tonderc. 084 543 [email protected]

Executive Offi cerMike Bullockc. 082 888 [email protected]

www.pcasa.co.za

Plastics Convertors Association

First students graduate from composites training initiativeTHE fi rst group of students enrolled in the Whisper Boat Building Academy (WBBA), the Cape Town Boatbuilding and Technol-ogy Initiative (CTBI) and Plastics|SA pilot project to equip deaf students with the skills to work with composites and the art of boat building, received their certifi cates of competence in lamination at a graduation ceremony held in their honour in December.

According to Vanessa Davidson, Skills Development Facilitator for the Cape Town Boatbuilding and Technology Initiative (CTBi), this is the fi rst time that accredited vocational training in boat building has been offered to deaf students.

“Thanks to grants offered by the Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Education and Training Authority (merSETA), which paid for their training, these students learned valuable skills over the past six months that will help them become active and contributing members

of our nation’s workforce”, she said.Mike Harvey of the Whisper Boat Build-

ing Academy – a non-profi t organization that has been teaching deaf students from disadvantaged communities the art of boat building in Khayelitsha since 2004, said the project had been a steep learning curve for all involved, but also very rewarding.

“Although the learning process is ongo-ing, these graduated students are now in the ideal position to be employed as ap-prentices”, he added.

The next six-month training period for deaf students will begin in February.

Marthinus du Toit and Loretta Welcomets (both Plastics|SA), Mike Harvey (Whisper Boats), Claudell Smit, Dirk Smit (student),

Delycia de Hewitt (student), Jo Fitzell (Plastics|SA), Vanessa Davidson (Cape Town

Boatbuilding & Technology Initiative) with one of the boats built by the deaf students at

the new Whisper Boat Building Academy’s premises in Epping, Cape Town


COST COMPETITIVE ON A GLOBAL SCALE

ENTRIES will soon be open for this year’s SAPRO’s ‘Best Recycled Product’ competition. The competition closes on 24 August and winners will be announced on 13 September. The aim of the competition is to acknowledge products that are made from post-consumer recycled materials and to encourage brand owners and industrial designers to consider recycled plastics as a material of choice.

Entry forms and competition rules can be obtained from www.sapro.biz

National ChairmanAlain Berichonp. 031 461 2990c. 082 888 2429e. [email protected]

National Vice-ChairmanMartin Wells p. 021 712 1408c. 082 822 8115e. [email protected]

National SecretaryDavid Rulep. 011 452 6940c. 082 552 0726e. [email protected]

KwaZulu-NatalGarth Taylorc. 084 924 4551e. [email protected]

NorthernPixley Makhubop. 011 458 0719c. 083 628 5215e. [email protected]

Western CapeBilly MacMillanc. 082 453 7070e. [email protected]

Plastics Institute of Southern Africa

www.pisa.org.za

Start thinking about your entry for the SAPRO ‘Best Recycled Product’ competition

Fire safety conferencePISA’s Northern region will host a conference on ‘Fire safety of plastics materials’ on 21 February at the Bytes Conference Centre; Midrand, in association with Great Lakes Solutions. Also presenting at the conference are the SABS, the Fire Protection Association, CSIR Firelab and BASF.

The organisers hope the conference will:• Create awareness of the current incidence

of fi res in South Africa, the cost of fi res to the country and the effect on human life

• Create awareness of issues surrounding fi re safety of plastic materials in particular

• Summarise the current status of legislation, specifi cations and testing of fl ame retardancy as they pertain to plastic materials in different applications

• Identify where shortcomings and opportunities exist to improve fi re safety in South Africa, reduce the cost of fi res and reduce loss of life

• Give all interested individuals, associations

and organisations the opportunity to form a national organisation concerned with the fl ammability of plastic materials (similar to SPI and BPF)To book, contact Elmarie at email:

[email protected], tel: 011 314 4021, cell: 086 515 4253

DELANIE Bezuidenhout has accepted the full-time position as CEO of the Southern African Vinyls Association (SAVA).

Delanie has been working with SAVA since January 2011 when she was seconded by Plastics|SA (who she had worked for from 2008) to SAVA as part-time CEO.

“Positive developments and a coordinated future strategy for the vinyls industry in SA led the SAVA management committee to the decision that a full-time CEO will be required for the execution of strategic decisions for SAVA matters,” she explained.

“I also would like to make use of the oppor-tunity to thank the Plastics|SA Executive and all employees for their support during my time with them. Because of the common objec-tives and close relations between SAVA and Plastics|SA, I will continue to interact closely with Plastics|SA in future,” she added.

www.savinyls.co.za

SAVA’s CEO, Delanie Bezuidenhout

SAVA GETS FULL-TIME CEO

Competition compliance

membership base with an effective marketing plan.Delivering progress on the PSP is critical

to the association’s success. They have set realistic timeframes and goals for the delivery of key undertakings in the produc-tion and storage, the safe and sustainable use of these additives, waste management thereof, and research and public reporting.

“SAVA is ideally positioned within the local plastics industry and has representa-tion on the Recovery Action Group (RAG),

the Act include dealing with agreements between competitors and between parties at different levels in organisations in the ‘value chain’; regulating dominant fi rms; and regulating mergers.

In 2011, the Competition Tribunal ap-proved 216 mergers (apparently 98% of the commercial transactions which it was required to judge on) and levied penalties of R794-million.

The risk of failing to comply with the terms of the Act can result in fi nes of 10%

ASSOCIATION NEWS

www.savinyls.co.za

Companies need to follow procedures to avoid anti-competitive practices

THE 24 members of the Southern African Vinyls Association (SAVA) have committed themselves to the responsible and sustain-able use of PVC with the signing of the industry’s Product Stewardship Programme (PSP) at the Association’s AGM held in Midrand in January.

“Our PSP is a series of achievable commitments that address the indus-try’s environmental issues and forms the cornerstones of the Association’s focus and activities”, explained Delanie Bezuidenhout, CEO of SAVA.

Proof of the fact that the industry is seri-ous about making good its promises and commitments, SAVA members voluntarily signed the PSP which consists of fi ve key areas:• responsible and sustainable use of

additives• responsible and sustainable vinyl

recycling programme • open and effective communication to

correct perceptions about the science, reality and local applicability of PVC

• industry health through product, market and application opportunities

• ensuring a fully functional industry initiative that adds value to both members and the industry by growing a sustainable

FEAR of falling foul of the Competition Tribunal has created another area of responsibility for manufacturers, that of being ‘Competition Act compliant’.

Jac Marais of Pretoria legal fi rm Adams & Adams gave a presentation at the SAVA AGM on the topic, ‘Competition Law: Making Compliance Work,’ which outlined the advantages and some of the possible pitfalls of the process of trying to avoid anti-competitive practices and behaviour.

According to Jac, the main sections of

the Packaging Council of South Africa (PACSA) and the Plastics SA Sustainabil-ity Council. It is our goal to ensure that our members are represented on a broader platform and we are confi dent that we will be able to create an even bigger impact and reach within in our industry as we strive to double our membership by the end of 2012”, Bezuidenhout added.

Industry leaders and members of SAVA have committed themselves to the responsible and sustainable use of PVC with the signing of the association’s Product Stewardship Pro-gramme (PSP). Amongst the signatories are: Front (from left), Maria Stephanu (SASOL), Pat Govender (NCT Chlorchem), Andy Hall (Floorworx), Charl Fourie (Capital Polymer Additives), Mark Halters (Isegen), Nico Scheepers (Scinergy). Back (from left), Frank Lovell (Arengo Plastics), Peter du Plessis (Polyfl or), Tandy Coleman-Spolander (Polyfl or), Gary van Eyk (Sun Ace and Chairman of SAVA), Kumar Naidoo (Scinergy), George Dimond (Continental Compounders), Delanie Bezuidenhout (CEO of SAVA)

of gross turnover, which can be more than net profi t for many businesses. Besides that, negative attention that could be at-tracted by a Competition fi ne will almost certainly be adverse for a company.

Adams & Adams assists companies by training staff to follow compliant prac-tices, which can take place at any level of an organisation (i.e. not only at senior management level). One of the problems is that fear of attracting the attention of the competition authorities can inhibit staff, whereas the goal is to achieve a self-regu-lating environment in your business.

ChairmanGary van Eckp. 011 552 6200c. 082 882 3333e. [email protected]

CEODelanie Bezuidenhoutp. 011 653 4798c. 082 444 6866e. [email protected]

Southern African Vinyls Association (SAVA)

www.adamsadams.com

Time to comply – Jac Marais of Ad-ams & Adams, following his presen-tation on competition compliance, and SAVA CEO Delanie Bezuiden-hout at the AGM in January

Welcome - Ralph Mosikidi of Marley Pipe Systems helps to make new SAVA mem-bers Kumar Naidu and Nico Scheepers of Scinergy Chemicals of KZN, with Andy Halls of FloorworX Africa of East London.

Showing support - Maria Stephanou of Sasol Polymers showing her support for the industry’s PSP, with SAVA CEO Delanie Bezuidenhout

Exhibitor – Gerda Bouwer and Abena Danso, part of the Pre-toria fi rm’s legal team, fi elded questions at their stand at the event in Midrand

responsible, sustainable use of PCVVinyls industry commits to

38

A-PETwhere quality is action

Tonnages recycled in 2009 and 2010 Recycling operating costs to process one ton in 2010

Plastics recycled in South Africa in 2010


Recycling rate of plastics has increased to 18 %

rates for PE-LD/LLD (e.g. pallet wrap, shrink wrap, shrouds, liners, bags, form-fi ll and seal packaging, general fl exible packag-ing, protective wrapping, bubble wrap) and PET beverage bottles. The total amount of plastics packaging in the waste stream was recorded as 605 000 tons in 2010. The derived recycling rate for plastics packaging is therefore 30,1%.

Plastics packaging recycling rates will be even be higher, thanks to Tiger Brands’ decision to stop using oxo-biodegradable bread bags. SAPRO (South African Plastics Recycling Organisation) welcomes this decision as all bread packaging can now be recycled, a development which will improve the recycling rates for PE-LD/LLD.

Provincial representationThe 2010 survey results indicated that the average tonnage per recycler has increased in Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga, as well as in the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape.

The overall tonnage increased by 17% from 2009 to 2010 in the Western Cape and the tonnage per recycler by 10%. A number of separation-at-source collection systems are in place in the Western Cape and the

Recycling plastics up in SA

INDU

STRY

NEW

S

THE recycling of plastics in South Africa has shown a steady increase with the latest statistics gathered by Plastics|SA revealing that the 194 recyclers operating in 2010 managed to recycle 241 853 tons of plastics, provide 4 800 jobs and create 35 000 indirect jobs with an annual payroll of R240 million.

A complete survey of the plastics recy-cling industry in South Africa was concluded in 2009 by Plastics|SA, with the updated estimates for 2010 just released. (The recycling fi gures for 2010 were updated by interviewing the 32 larger recyclers from 2009. Together they contributed 60% of the tonnage recycled in 2009.)

The most recent survey shows that the recycling rate of plastics (all plastics convert-ed) has increased to 18 %. “These statistics clearly show that there is a growing demand for recycled plastics that has proven it to be versatile, economic and reliable,” said Anton Hanekom, Executive Director of Plastics|SA.

Similarly, the growth in virgin material con-sumption showed a 4,7% increase (from 1

280 thousand tons to 1 340 thousand tons) during the same period.

The growth can mainly be attributed to the three most common plastics: PE-LD/LLD increased by 9 073 tons, PET by 5 985 tons and 3 186 tons more PE-HD was recycled in 2010. Small increases were found for fl exible PVC, rigid PVC and ‘other’ which is made up of PC, POM, PETG and TPU.

Materials that were recycled in smaller volumes include PS and PS-E, reduced by 133 tons, ABS (180 tons), PMMA (23 tons) and PA (177 tons). Of these, PP showed

the biggest decline with 4 386 tons. The demand for recycled PP continued to surpass the supply but the availability of PP materials for recycling declined, i.e.

it became more diffi cult to fi nd suitable PP for recycling.

Plastics packagingOut of the 241 853 tons of plastics that were recycled, 182 032 tons was plastics packaging. This is an increase of 6% which is mainly due to the increased recycling

We believe that the largest growth potential in recycling lies in post-consumer, household

recyclables.

German collector, sorter installs top recycling systemTrend for curbside collectors, sorting companies to install own recycling technology

WRZ-HÖRGER of Sontheim, Germany, has launched a new post-consumer fi lm recy-cling line, extending its ability to supply large volumes of high grade recycled material. With the new wash/separation line, this recy-cling plant is now able to increase capacity to up to 7000 tons per year. DSD fi lm waste is recycled into high-quality agglomerate or regrind.

The turnkey plant delivered by Herbold Meckesheim, also of Germany, consists of a wet size-reduction step with an upstream

separation device for extraneous materials, separation technology based on a hydrocy-clone and a mechanical/thermal drying step. A downstream plastcompactor is used to transform the fi lm material into agglomerate with excellent fl owing properties and high bulk density. The material can be used for the production of moulded parts.

WRZ-Hörger has the entire ‘recycling chain’ on site, from collection to sorting and recycling, in line with the current trend in which curbside collectors and sorting com-

The end product: agglomerate with high bulk density and excellent fl ow properties

40

Provincial breakdown of plastics recycled for 2009 and 2010

Source of recyclable waste in South Africa in 2010 for top 60% recyclers

increased tonnage could be a result of more recyclable material of improved quality that became available in 2010. Similar initiatives have also started towards the end of 2010 in Gauteng and it remains to be seen if the recycled tonnage will increase as a result of more and cleaner available recyclables.

Source of recyclable plasticsInterestingly, the survey also reveals a defi nite change in the source of recyclable plastics waste from 2009 to 2010. Pre-consumer ma-terials increased by 38% and post-industrial materials increased by 44%. Post-consumer and landfi ll materials dropped by 14 %.

Hanekom said consumers, recyclers and the industry as a whole have a huge role to play in helping the recycling statistics to increase.

“We believe that the largest growth potential in recycling lies in post-consumer, household recyclables. However, the costs of washing and drying are prohibiting recyclers from sourcing more post-consumer and land-fi ll recyclables”, he explained.

Capital investmentThe survey also revealed that capital replacement value of plant and equipment is calculated at R570 million for the top 60% recyclers. This is equal to R4 540 per ton recycled in 2010. The recyclers interviewed invested another 11,8% in plant and equip-ment in 2010.

ChallengesChallenges facing local recycling operations include the high cost of water and electricity, wages, transport, repairs and maintenance required on the recycling plant and its equip-ment.

“Whilst a number of larger recyclers were able to overcome these obstacles by invest-ing heavily in their recycling plants in order to improve effi ciencies of their washing and drying facilities, we need government’s sup-port and a collective effort to fi nd more energy effi cient solutions in the years to come”, Hanekom said.

The operating cost of recycling will continue to increase with the cost of electricity that con-tributes 22% of the overall operating costs.

Alternative recycling methods are being re-searched and trial facilities have been built for the generation of diesel from plastics waste. Market economics will protect the mechani-cal recycling market as the diesel market cannot pay the same amount of money for recyclable waste. It will however, infl uence the recycling rates in the next couple of years. The pyrolysis process lends itself to the use of non-recyclable and diffi cult to recycle materi-als. The increased demand for plastics waste may also have a positive result on the collec-tion, baling and transport costs of recyclable plastics waste.

There is also an increasing need for more and cleaner recyclable materials. A number of private organisations, as well as local govern-

ments in the larger metropolitan areas, are investing in ‘separation at source’ projects to be able to divert more recyclable materials from landfi ll.

The Packaging and Paper Industry Waste Plan submitted to the Department of Environ-mental Affairs earlier this year stated an over-all plastics packaging recycling rate of 35% by 2015. The last updated statistics for 2010 indicates that this could be achieved, as long as the current growth rates are maintained.

• THE COMPLETE RESULTS OF THE SURVEY CAN BE PURCHASED FROM PLASTICS|SA.

How does PLASTICS|SA defi ne recycling?

For the purpose of the abovementioned sta-tistics, recycling is taken as the re-process-ing of plastics waste into a product that is sold to a product manufacturer. The plastics industry regard the in-house recycling of factory offcuts and scrap as good manufac-turing practice and does not include them in the plastics recycling fi gures.

www.plasticsinfo.co.za

panies are installing their own recycling technology. By the same token, proces-sors of recycled materials are also install-ing their own reclamation technology.

This adds to the effectiveness of the recycling process, and the operator ben-efi ts in terms of value creation from two or even three steps, from collecting to the manufacture of the end product.

The agglomerates produced by WRZ-Hörger meet the highest quality require-ments. The company operates three shifts.

WRZ-Hörger has been involved in the fi eld of municipal waste management and disposal of operational waste from indus-try, commerce and trade since 1970.

The washing plant from Herbold Meckesheim

installed at WRZ-Hörger in Germany

• THE AGENT HERBOLD MECKESHEIM IN SOUTH AFRICA IS L.V. INDUSTRIES, TEL LAURENCE LIEBENBERG: AT 082 707 3375

www.wrz-hoerger.dewww.herbold.com

41

www.cempre.org.br

www.petco.co.za

landfi lls and want opportunities to assist waste generators and collectors in waste separation.

What is Cempre?Cempre is a non-profi t association founded in 1992 by 13 multinational and Brazil-ian corporations (including CocaCola, Mercedes-Benz, Nestlé and Pepsi-Cola) to promote recycling.

In 1989, it helped found one of São Paulo’s oldest and largest recycling co-ops, Coopamare, which collects 100 tons of recyclables a month at signifi cantly lower cost. From eight paper pickers and one cart, Coopamare has grown to over 150 members, with land to process and store collected materials and a trained and paid staff. Members earn an average of US$300 a month, twice the Brazilian minimum wage, partly due to their ability to sell directly to large scrap brokers.

How co-ops benefi t waste pickersIn the early 1990s, cooperatives be-gan uniting into regional, national, and transnational coalitions to increase their political voice and economic leverage. In March 2008, delegates from 30 countries gathered in Bogotá, Colombia, for the fi rst World Conference (and Third Latin American Conference) of Waste Pickers (WEIGO 2008).

Brazil waste pickers co-ops could be answer for SA

One of the key issues discussed was the global trend of privatization and concentration of waste management systems. Normally, privatization is thought of as the handover of government func-tions to the private sector, but in this case, privatization often means the transference of services formerly provided by informal waste collectors to private fi rms.

Opportunities for implementation in South Africa, some already taking shape

A typical landfi ll in one of Brazil’s larger cities

PETCO’s fi nal seminar of 2011 proved to be particularly fascinating and relevant, packing in close to 90 individuals who had come eager to learn from guest speaker Andre Vilhena, director of Cempre, Brazil, who discussed his organisation’s experi-ence with a co-operative model for selec-tive waste pickers, with specifi c focus on how the informal sector are integrated.

In Brazil, Cempre (translated it means ‘the Brazilian Recycling Commitment’) have helped about 60 000 waste pickers to organise into cooperatives or associa-tions with formal employment contracts. Revenues of individuals within the co-ops are more than double those of collectors who are not part of co-ops, which assists with poverty alleviation.

Remarkably, municipalities are allowed to enter into agreements with co-ops with-out embarking on a formal tender process

and the Brazilian Development Bank has allocated $250-million to sup-

port waste picker projects.In South Africa about 88 000 waste pickers

work South Africa’s ‘one-stream’

One of the close on 800 000 waste pickers in Brazil, of who approximately 60 000 have been organised into co-operatives with the help of Cempre

PETCO’S Cheri Scholtz fl anked by Brazilian guest speakers Andre Vilhena, director of Cempre, Brazil, and Victor Bicca Neto, director of govern-ment initiatives for Coca-Cola in Brazil

WHAT IS PETCO’S VIEW ON THE FEASIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTING A MODEL SIMILAR TO CEMPRE’S IN SA?

When selective waste picking is supported – ending exploitation and discrimination – it represents a perfect illustration of sustainable development that can be achieved in developing countries: jobs are created, poverty is reduced, raw material costs for industry are lowered (while improving competitiveness), resources are conserved, pollution is reduced, and the environ-ment is protected.

PETCO is supportive of the Cempre model. A cooperative is jointly owned by its members and gives them the possibility to democratically control its operations. It is also an empowerment tool towards advocacy for legal rights, recogni-tion and inclusivity in the SWM programmes in their communities.

42

WHAT ARE THE MAIN OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPLEMENTATION IN SA?

The starting point is to get the numerous stakeholders involved in waste management to talk to each other and agree to investigate the feasibility of starting waste cooperatives in SA.

A study tour to Brazil by South Africa’s Recovery Action Group (RAG) has already been undertaken. Amongst those on the trip were Simon Mbata of the South African Waste Pickers’ Association, myself (Cheri Scholtz) and Belinda Booker of PETCO, Gavin Glick from Tedcor, Shabeer Jhetam from The Glass Recycling Company, Bertie Lourens from Wasteplan and Andrew Marthinusen of the Packaging Council of SA (PACSA).

Everyone seems confi dent that co-opera-tives can work in SA and there is a pilot project

underway in the Vaal Triangle. What is important is how waste pickers can be incorporated into formal waste management programmes in SA.

WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE MAJOR CHALLENGES TO IMPLEMENTATION?

In Brazil, in 2007, the Basic Sanitation Law #11.445/07 altered the Public Administration Bid and Contract Law, allowing the hiring of waste picker organisations without bidding for service provision in municipal recycling schemes.

Getting this to happen would be a major chal-lenge in SA but would make a huge difference in terms of feasibility. Another challenge is sup-port from communities in terms of sorting and separating their municipal waste into wet waste for the landfi ll site and recyclables for collection and re-processing. Another challenge is getting the space needed for buildings for storage and sorting.

PETCO confi dent waste picker co-ops can work in SASA PLASTICS spoke to Cheri Scholtz, CEO of PETCO …

INDU

STRY

NEW

S

IREL

AN

D/D

AVEN

PO

RT

688

24

While most banks only see obstacles when it comes to funding, we are different. ReichmansCapital has a team of specialists that work together to create unique solutions to even the most complex challenges. We will provide you with alternative, yet viable sources of funding, specifically designed to provide practical finance solutions for your business. ReichmansCapital has been providing trade and asset finance for over 30 years.

Call 011 286 8275

or visit www.reichmanscapital.com

No obstacle to performance

Reichmans Holdings Limited. Reg No. 1974/000813/06. Reichmans (Pty) Ltd is an authorised financial services provider. A member of the Investec group.

68824 S.A Plastics Ad 279x210 .indd 1 2012/01/12 9:32 AM

SADARA, a joint venture between Dow and Saudi Aramco, was recently established in Saudi Arabia. When the giant complex, which will consist of 26 integrated chemi-cal plants, is commissioned in 2015 it will produce about 3 million tons of chemicals and polymers per year with about 70% of the volumes destined for export.

In December 2011 Sadara announced they had signed an agreement with the Saudi Arabian Railways to build a rail network between their complex and the nearby port, eliminating 500 trucks per day that would otherwise be needed to transport their products to the port.

By 2015 Saudi Arabia is expected to produce 100 million tons of petrochemicals, chemicals and polymers, mostly for export. In a country with hardly any rail infrastruc-ture that will require over 16 000 trucks to move products every day. Even today around 2 500 six-metre containers are required per day just to move the 13 million tons of polymer produced in Saudia Arabia per year.

With the majority of this production exported, and large volumes of polymers also being exported from the other Gulf countries, the challenge for the Middle East petrochemicals industry is not fi nancing projects, it is not producing petrochemicals, and it is not even the sales and marketing. The real challenge is for the supply chain managers responsible for the logistics involved in transporting the goods, in import-ing the necessary process materials (such as catalysts and additives) and exporting the fi nal products.

Import of the process materials and

equipment requires effi cient goods handling, customs clearing and forwarding at the ports. The failure to get catalysts or additives to plants, missing spare parts or a lack of empty containers or space to store polymer before shipping could all potentially lead to production being halted.

The risks associated with supply chain disruptions, whether port congestion, delays with customs clearing or even natural are, fortunately, taken seriously by each of the polymer producers who take measures to mitigate such problems. Unfortunately they have to as port congestion and delays in customs clearance are inevitable in a region where capacity grows faster than the infra-structure can be upgraded.

Exporting the massive volumes of petro-chemicals faces an additional risk, one that supply chain managers have very little con-trol over. All the Gulf countries rely on their Persian Gulf ports for most of their imports and exports. Shipping from the Gulf to world markets is via the strategically important, but narrow, Strait of Hormuz between Oman and Iran.

As tensions rise between the West and Iran regarding Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the vulnerability of these Gulf countries to the Strait being closed is signifi cant. For the fragile world economy, with 20% of the world’s crude oil and large volumes of natu-ral gas being shipped through this seaway, the impact of the Strait being closed even for a short time would be catastrophic.

The good news is that it is unlikely that Iran would militarily close the Strait (this would be seen as extremely provocative even by those countries unwilling to impose

stricter sanctions on Iran). The bad news is that the shipping lane narrows to 3 km wide and with an average of 28 oil tankers pass-ing through it in each direction each day, as well as various container ships, bulk carriers and fi shing trawlers, there is a chance that a shipwreck or a collision could disrupt shipping. This could have a serious impact on the pet-rochemical supply chains, affecting product availability and prices.

For supply chain managers’ relief is in sight. Investments in infrastructure are planned and in progress; rail networks and improved infra-structure (including oil pipelines) connecting petrochemical complexes to ports in the Red Sea or Arabian Sea will reduce the risks of a blockage of the Strait of Hormuz.

At the same time expansions to the Persian Gulf ports are planned to meet the require-ments new plants being built and to reduce congestion. So hopefully by the time Sadara is on-line in 2016 there will be fewer trucks on the road, making those supply chain manag-ers happy even on their drive home!

NIALL CAN BE REACHED AT: [email protected]

FEAT

URE


All the Gulf countries rely on their Persian Gulf ports for most of their imports and exports. Shipping from the Gulf to world markets is via the strategically important, but narrow, Strait of Hormuz between Oman and Iran

Trucks lined up to go through customs into Saudi Arabia. Around 2 500 six-metre containers are needed per day to move the 13 million tons of polymer produced in Saudia Arabia per year

in Middle East petrochemicals industry

SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGERSFACE MAJOR CHALLENGE

BY NIALL MARSHALL

producers who take measures to mitigate such problems.

Niall Marshall, our man in Bahrain, reports that the risks associated with

supply chain disruptions are taken very seriously by the polymer

Dr Niall Marshall was formerly based in Johannesburg where he worked with Sasol and Ciba. He subsequently moved to Bahrain in the Middle East and joined Everspring Middle East, one of the largest manufacturers of polymer stabilisers and X-ponent Three, which supplies a complementary range of additives and pigments and provides technical and business consulting services

TEL: +27 (0) 11 462 2990

FAX: +27 (0) 11 462 8229

e-mail: [email protected] MACHINERY (PTY) LTD

SALES AND TECHNICAL

STAFF VACANCIES

CONTACT US NOW!

GN Thermoforming Equipment of Canada is celebrating its 30th anniversary as a leading global manufacturer of servo-driven, roll-fed thermoforming machines for the production of food packaging.

“The company is immensely proud of working with many of its customers on a long-term basis,” said Jerome Romkey, marketing manager for GN. “This is a tribute to our leadership role in the thermoform-ing industry and our targeted focus on new products and strong customer service.”

From the beginning, GN Thermoforming Equipment has been an export-driven com-pany, recognizing quickly that more stable sales growth could be achieved by selling into various markets, thus minimizing the impact of regional economic slowdowns.

“We quickly embraced the export busi-ness and became very good at it,” said Romkey. At the outset, GN focused on the USA, Mexico, UK and Russia – today it derives more than 90% of its business from exports all over the world.

Where it all startedGN started out in 1981 as a manufacturer of contact-heat machinery and in 2000 made an entry into radiant-heat, plug-assist equipment to spur future growth. The com-pany, whose workforce has grown from six employees to over 100 today, has enjoyed signifi cant and steady growth over the last 30 years. Products have been exported to

GN Thermoforming

Georg Nemeskéri, originally from the Czech Republic, established GN Packaging in 1981. After arriving in Canada, he fi rst operated in the converting area, but moved into machine manufacture in 1981; today GN employs over 100 people and has supplied machines to 66 countries – over 1200 of its thermoformers are in operation worldwide

66 countries and more than 1200 thermo-formers have been installed worldwide.

It all started in Vienna, Austria, where Georg Nemeskéri, still in his teens, began experimenting with form and structure and the early stages of building thermo-forming machinery in his father’s factory. After pursuing his interest and studying in mechanical engineering, Georg immigrated to Chester, Nova Scotia, on the east coast of Canada, to start a new venture, Chester

Plastics, and process thermoformed pack-aging products.

Georg made the shift from converting to equipment manufacture in 1981, when he started another company, GN, in order to provide high-quality pressure forming machinery for the plastics industry. Over the past three decades, Georg has further expanded the business to meet the grow-ing demand of other consumer product manufacturers. Chester Plastics was sold in

AGRI-INDUSTRIAL Plastics Company (AIP) has bought two new Kautex blow moulding machines, a KBS241 and KBS61Smart, which will be used to produce 6-layer fuel tanks that meet the latest EPA emission regulations for non-automotive products such as lawn and garden equipment, ATVs, snowmobiles, off-highway motorcycles and marine applications.

The KBS241 machine is equipped with a 900kg/h 6 layer head, 1,200kN single clamp, multi-layer extrusion system, 6 axis parison transfer robot

and Blow Command 4 microprocessor control with integrated PC HMI.

Both machines will be manufactured in Bonn, Germany and will be delivered in the late summer of 2012.

AIP’s announcement to further expand production capacity follows the company’s 2009 purchase of a Kautex KBS61Smart 6-layer co-extrusion blow moulding machine. With these latest additions, AIP will have a total of 24 blow moulding machines supplied by Kautex, 5 of which are equipped for the produc-tion of 6 layer fuel tanks.

www.agriindustrialplastics.comwww.kautex-group.com

yearmarks

Kautex blow moulding machines produce 6-layer fuel tanks

EQUIPMENT


More than 90% of its business from exports all over the world

Machines such as the GN 2220 contact heat thermoformer, with a relatively small ‘footprint’, have proved very successful for the Canadian machine maker

www.gncanada.com

www.bre-innovations.co.za

2001, from which point he focused on only machine production.

Besides its headquarters in Chester, GN established GN Europe in 2004, a sales and service division which operates from the Czech Republic. An extensive network of 22 manufacturers’ representatives is also strategically located throughout the world.

GN in South AfricaIn South Africa, GN is represented by BRE Sustainable Packaging, which has sup-plied many of GN’s machines to thermo-

The GN Advantage Delivering Bottom Line Results

Improve Your Profitability

Te l : ( 0 2 1 ) 6 7 1 5 2 5 3 | E m a i l : t i m @ b re . c o . z a | We b s i t e : w w w. b re - i n n o v a t i o n s . c o . z a

even extrusion lines.” GN’s full range of contact-heat cut-in-

place thermoformers meets the demands of both small- and large-volume applica-tions. They are all ideally suited to produce high-quality food packaging from a range of materials including OPS, PVC, HIPS, PET, PP, and a range of bio-based materi-als including PLA.

A global network of sales and techni-cal service personnel support OEMs and processors that produce plastic packaging for the bakery and confectionery markets. Key applications include clamshells, cake domes and bases, margarine tubs, muffi n and cookie trays, egg trays, cups, yogurt containers and other food containers. Other more limited uses include trays for the medical/pharmaceutical industry and blister packaging for the industrial market.

• BRE SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING IS THE SA AGENT FOR GN OF CANADA.


forming companies around the country.Tim Forshaw of BRE said: “Working with

GN has been a great pleasure for us. It is not often that one fi nds a supplier with

such a good service attitude and record. And on top of that to be able to offer the best and most competitive technol-ogy in thermoforming makes selling the machines so much easier. As a result of

our relationship with GN we are able to offer customers a complete thermoforming solution including tooling, materials and

“This is a tribute to our leadership role in the

thermoforming industry and our targeted focus on new products and strong

customer service.”

ENERGY SAVING

Industries around the world faced with rising energy costs

Energy management –fi nal frontier for cost management

BY DR ROBIN KENT

to 30% and increase profi ts by up to 30% through simple management, maintenance and investment actions.

There are two ways to reduce the cost of energy:ü Reduce the amount paid for the energy

(the Rand per kWh approach). ü Reduce the amount of energy used in

the factory and the process (the kWh per kg approach).

The second approach is more produc-tive because a kWh saved is a total saving whereas a kWh at a reduced price is only a partial saving.

Instead of complaining about things that are mostly beyond your control why don’t you actually take actions that are within your control to reduce costs?

Energy use in plastics processing is a com-bination of two components: Total energy use = Base load + process load

The base load is the fi xed element of energy use, it is incurred irrespective of whether production is taking place or not and it does not change as output changes. This is the load used for heating, lighting, air leaks from compressors and pumps operat-ing when there is no production at all.

The process load is the variable element of energy use and for most plastics pro-cesses it varies directly with the production volume. This is the load used to actually run injection moulding machines, extruders or other process machinery.

The base and process loads can be eas-ily found using available information: Record the energy usage (in kWh) and the related production volumes (in kg) for at least 12 weekly or monthly periods. Plot these using a scatter chart and fi nd the equation of the best-fi t line for the data. The best-fi t line is the Performance Characteristic Line (PCL) and a typical result for most processes will be as shown in Figure 1:

The equation of the best-fi t line can be used to separate the base and process loads:ü The base load (in kWh) is the intersec-

tion of the best-fi t line with the vertical axis. The example site has a base load of 152 440 kWh/month. This is nearly 30% of the site energy use and is primarily due to operating machinery or services with no productive output. Re-ducing the base load is possible without affecting operations in any way and is extremely profi table.

ü The process load (in kWh/kg) is the slope of the best-fi t line. This is the


RISING energy costs and decreasing security of energy supplies are worldwide concerns and plastics processors around the world are suffering from decreasing margins as cost increases cannot be passed on to customers. Many companies complain about this and negotiate hard with power suppliers – often to little effect.

Despite this, few companies have car-ried out even the most basic actions to reduce their energy consumption. Yet this is one of the easiest actions that they can take to reduce costs and improve competi-tiveness. It appears that most companies would rather ‘talk the talk’ than ‘walk the walk’.

The plastics processing industry regards energy as a fi xed and uncontrollable overhead cost but this is untrue. Energy is a variable and controllable cost and most processors can reduce energy usage by up

Energy is a variable and controllable cost

The simple PCL approach

Dr Robin Kent is the author of ‘Energy Management

in Plastics Processing and MD of Tangram Technology

Ltd, consulting engineers specialising in energy

management in plastics processing

Figure 1: A Performance Characteristic Line for an injection moulding site


average energy used to process each kg of plastic and shows the processing ef-fi ciency of the site. The example site has a process load of 1.5751 kWh/kg.

The PCL shows that energy use varies directly with production volume and can be used to assess a site’s energy performance. Simply feed the production volume into the equation for the PCL and the result is the predicted energy usage for the given production volume. For the site shown in Figure 1, if the production volume is 200 000 kg, then the predicted energy use will be: kWh = 1.5751 x 200,000 + 152,440 = 467,460 kWh

Production accountability for energy use is possible by comparing the predicted and actual energy use for the actual monthly production volume. The simple PCL ap-proach provides a vital tool that can be used to set targets and assess performance of any plastics processing site based on a historical performance. The PCL can also be used to forecast a site’s future energy use based on the sales forecast. Simply trans-late the sales forecast into monthly production volumes and use the PCL to predict the energy use and cost by month.

The PCL gives plastics processing site vital information on where to start look-ing for energy usage and cost reductions. Sites can: ü Reduce the base load to reduce the

fi xed costs – this mainly involves switching something off and is a sure way to make savings because the energy used is not production related.

Some examples are: idling machines with no production, compressors run-ning with no production, etc.

ü Reduce the process load to reduce the variable costs – this involves improving production effi ciency and is something we should always be trying to do.

Trying to summarise energy management in a short article such as this is an unenvi-able task and we will therefore restrict ourselves to giving the top tips for reducing costs in a range of plastics processing methods. There are many other ways to reduce costs – those given here are simply some that are easy to carry out and gener-ally have quick returns.

Understanding where a site is using energy is fundamental to managing usage. For most plastics processing sites the approximate energy use distribution is as

shown in Figure 2.The main electri-

cal energy users in plastics processing are motors and drives, heaters, cooling systems and lighting.

A simple site ‘energy map’ will show where energy is being used. This is generally eas-ily prepared by the site electrician. (See Figure 3)

If you are using a single meter it may be cost effective to use sub-meters to get fur-ther information on the areas of high-en-ergy use. Sub-metering allows you to start to calculate the cost of energy for each operation and to identify areas of high-energy usage – a key factor in reducing

energy costs. Producing an ‘energy map’ of your site will allow you to locate areas for monitoring and possible improvement. Don’t forget to include compressors and chillers as these are often major energy users.

Energy management is the same as the management of any other resource. If you are not managing it then it is managing you and measurement is fundamental. Measurement leads to management: but only if it is on the real management agenda.ü TIP: Make someone responsible and

give them targets.ü TIP: Report the results widely, it shows

that you care.ü TIP: Get the whole company involved

by showing the results and rewarding performance.

ü TIP: Use the experience of the workforce and use workshops to develop their expertise through ‘go-see’ exercises.

ü TIP: Use the data from the PCL to set targets for performance.

Maintenance is not simply the mainte-nance of the machinery. It is a whole range of activities that do not require signifi cant investment and yet can have a remarkable effect on energy usage and costs. Mainte-nance is about how the site is operated.ü TIP: Using large machines for small

products always wastes energy. Check that all jobs are on the appropriate

The real secret is not in the technical aspects - it is in the management

attitude.

Top tips1. Management

2. Maintenance

Figure 2: Approximate energy distribution in plastics processing Figure 3: A typical site energy map

Total energy usage

Chilledwater

Process

Lighting Lighting

Processes

Offi ces

3% 8%

12%

6%

4%

10%

2%

77% 67%

General services

Compressed air

Process AssemblyPlasticsprocessing

Processing66.0%

Chillers11.0%

Compressed air10.0%

Water pumps5.0%

Lighting5.0%

Offi ces / IT 1.0%

Heat / Cool2.0%


machine. The energy effi ciency of plas-tics processing machinery decreases as the operating conditions move away from the design conditions.

ü TIP: Optimized machine settings reduce energy use. Get machines set right, record the settings and don’t change them unless absolutely necessary.

ü TIP: Use Statistical Process Control to control machine settings and operations.

ü TIP: Machines use energy even when idling and this can be anything from 52% and 97.5% of the full energy consumption. An idling machine is not ‘free’. Idle periods of greater than 45 minutes may make it cheaper to switch off and restart. Find the minimum stand-by settings and establish setting sheets so that operators always leave machines in this condition when not producing.

ü TIP: Develop and use effective start-up, stand-by and close-down sheets to formalize machine settings and operations.

ü TIP: Stop supplying services, e.g. compressed air and cooling water to idle machines and tooling.

ü TIP: Switch off heaters and ancillaries between runs.

ü TIP: Monitor machine energy use to identify machine deterioration.

For any service, the best approach is to ‘minimize the demand and then optimize the supply’.ü TIP: Up to 40% of the compressed air

generated at sites is lost through leaks. The ‘ssssss’ noise that can be heard at a site is profi ts leaking away.

ü TIP: A simple survey, with leaks tagged and repaired as soon as possible, can greatly reduce leakage. The only tools needed are a good sense of hearing, some soapy water and a brush.

ü TIP: Stop using compressed air for ventilation, cooling or conveying mate-rial or products – any other method is cheaper.

ü TIP: Check that compressed air is not being generated at a higher pressure than required.

ü TIP: Check that cooling water is at the maximum temperature and minimum quality.

ü TIP: Check that cooling water is ef-fi ciently treated and distributed.

ü TIP: Air in the cooling system reduces cooling effectiveness. Degassed and

pressurized systems can reduce cycle times and energy usage.

ü TIP: Set downstream handling sys-tems to operate ‘on-demand’ – link the controls to the machine operation.

On conventional hydraulic machines the system needs peak power for only a very limited time and is overrated for most of the time.ü TIP: The use of accumulators can allow

signifi cant reductions in the size of the hydraulic motor needed.

ü TIP: Heat transfer to the barrel from barrel heater bands is improved by pre-seating the heating element to the barrel, by using fl exible metal bearing compounds and by using insulated heater bands.

ü TIP: Uninsulated barrels have poor thermal effi ciency that can be easily be improved by barrel insulation (see Figure 4).

ü TIP: Plan tool changes into produc-tion schedules and use rapid set-up methods.

ü TIP: Set the extruder to run at its most effi cient speed (usually the maximum

design speed) and control the screw speed to give an extrusion rate as close to the maximum as possible and still produce good product.

ü TIP: Check extruder controls to make sure that the heating and cooling are working effi ciently together and not competing with one another.

ü TIP: Find the maximum acceptable extrudate temperature after cooling and set the maximum cooling water tem-perature to achieve this. Do not overcool the product.

ü TIP: Controlled, accurate and minimized wall thickness and parison length will improve both energy effi ciency and ma-terials usage. Effective and controlled process optimization can have rapid payback.

ü TIP: Set the polymer melt to the mini-mum temperature that it actually needs.

ü TIP: The amount of ‘tops and tails’ pro-duced has a direct effect on profi tability and energy use and varies from under 10% to nearly 80%. Improvements will generate immediate productivity and cost benefi ts. Tops and tails may be recycled but the production capacity and energy used are lost forever.

ü TIP: Excessive air pressures for blow-

ENERGY SAVING

3. Services

4. Injection moulding

Figure 4: Uninsulated barrels heat the atmosphere and raise process loads

5. Extrusion

6. Extrusion blow moulding

Dr Robin Kent is the author of ‘Energy Management in Plastics Processing’, published by Plastics Information Direct (ISBN 978-1-906479-03-9) and Managing Director of Tangram Technology Ltd., consulting engineers specialising in energy management in plastics processing.

ing or holding wastes energy. Reduce the pressures used to the minimum required. Even small reductions in pressure can save signifi cant amounts of energy.

The real secret is not in the technical aspects - it is in the management attitude. A desire to reduce costs through good energy management and an effective implementa-tion and monitoring programme will always produce the results and the commercial benefi ts.

The cost of the energy used during the lifetime of almost any piece of capital equipment will be more than the initial purchase cost and the initial purchase cost or payback should not dominate the decision-making process. Instead focus on the ‘whole life’ cost of the investment and look at the long-term cash fl ow to fi nd the product with the greatest benefi t. Improved

energy effi cient technology now makes it possible to re-equip a factory for perma-nently lower operating costs. Potential areas for investment include:ü Energy effi cient motors and inverter

controls for pumps and fans.ü Cooling water treatment using free

cooling.ü Compressors and controls.ü Polymer drying.ü All-electric injection moulding machines.ü Inverter controls for hydraulic injection

moulding machines.ü Lighting schemes and controls.

These are all projects where the technol-ogy has improved rapidly and has proven energy saving benefi ts. Typical projects have paybacks from under four years and often as low as nine months. Investment in energy effi ciency projects can signifi cantly improve profi ts.ü TIP: Make ‘energy effi ciency assess-

ment’ an essential part of the capital expenditure approval process. No assessment of operational energy use = no capital expenditure approval.

ü TIP: Get proof of the energy effi ciency of equipment and check that it is ap-plicable to your project and needs.

ü TIP: Be prepared to pay slightly more for energy effi cient products but be prepared to reap the benefi ts over the life of the equipment.

ü TIP: Look for projects where the rules can be changed and make energy sav-ing automatic.

Energy management is not rocket science and does not need to be driven by a desire to save the environment. It is good basic management of the process and good fi nancial sense. Start today and increase your profi ts (and be good to the environ-ment as well).

Investment

The real secret

51

www.tangram.co.uk

Big mould, small machineATEK in Moravská Třebová/Czech Republic uses moulds with dimensions up to 1100 x 1100 mm on an Engel victory 3550/500 tech injection moulding machine with a clamping force of 500 tons. Thanks to the tried-and-trusted tie-bar-less technology of the victory model range, the automotive supplier can deploy a far smaller machine than legacy approaches would need for a mould of this size, and this means massive cost savings.

Atek is the fi rst adopter of the new Engel victory 500 machine.

Among other products, Atek produces premium class A surface parts for BMW, Porsche, Audi, Volkswagen, Seat, Škoda and Mercedes vehicle interiors. Right now, 16 Engel injection moulding machines, most of them Engel victory machines with clamping forces between 50 and 2300 tons, are deployed in the production shop, and four of them are combimelt machines for multi-component injection moulding. Linear devices from the former Engel ERC model range and new Engel viper robots are used for automation. Atek has ordered three new machines, the fi rst of which was commis-sioned in September.

Since the clamping unit in the Engel vic-tory machines operates without tie-bars, the mould can project beyond the edges of the mould fi xing platens. This allows for the use of particularly bulky moulds on comparative-ly small machines. Atek are able to save on

cost of investment, and a smaller machine needs less energy during operation, and less fl oor space.

Atek creates trims for centre armrests for rear seat benches on the new Engel victory 3550/500 tech injection moulding machine. To make optimum use of the large mould fi xing surfaces offered by the victory machines in vertical direction, too, Atek uses T-shaped mould designs in some cases. In other words, the lower mould area is narrower to fi t between the machine frame, while the mould uses the full width of the mould fi xing platens at the top. As an example, the largest mould used by Atek is 1100 mm wide at the top, and 950 mm wide at the bottom. Its height is 1100 mm.

• ENGEL IS REPRESENTED BY MARITIME MARKETING IN SA

The new machine design keeps things tidy and clear-cut with space for a laptop, clipboard and additional

control units right next to the control unit. The fl ow controllers are positioned

behind a fi xed safety cover on the non-operator side

(PHOTOS: ENGEL AUSTRIA)

www.engelglobal.com

Automotive supplier Atek in Moravská Třebová/Czech Republic manufactures trims for centre armrests for rear seat benches on the new Engel victory 500 injection moulding machine

www.objet.com

OBJET Ltd has launched a new High Temperature Material (RGD525), avail-able for use on Objet Connex500 and Eden500V 3D printers. The High Tem-perature Material is capable of simulating the thermal performance of engineer-ing plastics and provides outstanding dimensional stability for static 3D models and prototypes. Objet plans to make the High Temperature Material available on additional platforms during 2012.

DemaPlasTech Rapid Prototyping invited existing and potential clients to a demonstration of the new Objet High Temperature Material in December at their premises in North Riding, Johannesburg.

“We are very excited about the latest addition to our growing range of materials for simulating engineering plastics. The High Temperature Material allows our customers to perform genuine thermal

functional testing of 3D printed parts and prototypes,” said Zehavit Reisin, head of Consumables Line of Business for Objet.

The High Temperature material produc-es 3D models and prototypes combining high thermal functionality with outstand-ing dimensional stability. The material’s temperature resistance makes it highly benefi cial for thermal testing of static parts such as hot air-fl ow or hot water-fl ow in taps and faucets.

When jetted off the Objet Connex multi-material 3D printer, the High Temperature Material can be simultaneously printed with Objet’s Tango family of rubber-like materials to simulate over-moulded parts such as air-fl ow vents used in automotive, defense and household appliances.

Genuine thermal functional testing of 3D printed parts and prototypes


MATERIALS

Gilad Bet-Halevi explains the important benefi ts

of the Objet High Temperature Material

(RGD525), available for use on Objet Connex500

and Eden500V 3D printers

Nadav Sella (Objet Israel), Jacques Kleynhans and Grant Ravenscroft (DemaPlasTech) with Gilad Bet-Halevi of Objet Israel who gave the presentation at DemaPlasTech’s premises in Johannesburg

A versatile range of products that have been built/printed on Objet machines

The new Objet High Temperature Material (RGD525) has a Heat Defl ection Temperature (HDT at 0.45MPa) of 65°C out of the printer and 80°C after a short oven-based, post-thermal treatment. With these new additions, the number of Objet 3D printing materials is brought to a total of 68, including 51 composite materials (Digital Materials), enabling a wide range of rapid prototyping usages, from realistic product visualization to advanced functional testing

New high temp materialfor simulating engineering plastics

Objet Eden Family

Objet Desktop Family Objet Connex Family

The Power to Create

www.objet.com [email protected]

Objet Blog

Can you believe this came out of a printer?

Yes, this entire hair brush, was produced in a single print job on the Objet Connex multi-material 3D printer.

Objet’s 3D printing systems give designers, engineers and manufacturers the power to rapidly create functional prototypes straight from a CAD or 3D file. Using this technology you gain a true idea of how an intended product will look, feel and perform before it’s produced for real – saving your company both time and money. With Objet’s 3D printing systems you can more easily perfect your product designs and get them to market faster than ever before. Now that’s power! For more information on Objet’s 3D printing systems call 011 462 2990

......................................................................................................................................................................................................................

OBJET – The Innovation Leader in 3D Printing for Rapid Prototyping and Additive Manufacturing

011 462 [email protected]

www.durethan.com

www.lanxess.com

WITH CLIMATE change in the head-lines, the automotive industry is doing everything it can to drastically lower fuel consumption and reduce the amount of CO2 emitted by vehicles. As a result, the demands made on the polyamide 6 and 66 (PA 6 and 66) used to manufacture components located near the engine – above all the pipe systems for air manage-ment, fuel supply, and oil and cooling circuits – are rising. Lanxess has specia-lised the range of Durethan polyamides for these applications and extended it with products offering, for example, improved processing, higher heat resistance and better chemical resistance.

For parts used in engine air manage-ment, such as air supply lines, charge-air pipes and intake air lines, Lanxess has de-veloped a broad range of pseudo-plastic PA 6 and 66 grades. These high-impact modifi ed materials are noted for their ex-cellent heat aging resistance and are ideal as a substitute for specialty polyamides. They can be processed by extrusion blow moulding, sequential extrusion blow moulding or suction blow moulding. The

PA 66 grades can withstand peak loads of 200°C.

The non-reinforced PA 6, Durethan DP BC 600 HTS, which has an elasticity modulus of only 350 MPas (conditioned), has particularly good cost-reducing poten-tial. By means of suction blow moulding, it can be used to manufacture charge-air pipes with integrated fl exible bellows as a single-material solution.

Durethan DP AKV 30 X HR EF is a new PA 66, tailor-made for the produc-tion of cooling water pipes using water injection moulding technology (WIT). This material is particularly easy-fl owing and hydrolysis-resistant. Because of its good melt displacement behaviour, very thin walls are possible. It also produces very smooth inner pipe surfaces, benefi ting the fl ow conditions in the cooling circuit.

The gasoline/diesel lines and fi lters of new engine generations can become statically charged as a result of higher in-jection pressures and speeds. When fuel bubbles form, there is a risk of fi re caused by sparks. Durethan DP BCF 30X H2.0 suppresses this risk. The new polyamide

6 is conductive and prevents any electro-static build-up without any compromises regarding the mechanical properties. This readily weldable thermoplastic is already being used in the production-line manu-facture of an anti-static fuel fi lter housing.

• PLASTICHEM HAS BEEN APPOINTED THE DISTRIBUTION AGENTS OF LANXESS’ KELTAN® EPDM RANGE IN SOUTH AFRICA

COMPONENT testing will always be an important aspect of product development and quality control and continues to be a major requirement for OEMs at some point during the development and manufacturing of products.

Component testing includes simulation of loading conditions representative of potential and likely conditions a product may encounter when in use. An example would be to apply a constant load to plastic lumber with a 4-point bend test over a period of time to measure creep. The test would be to ensure the plastic lumber does not permanently deform under the weight of a heavy object or other struc-ture. Data generated from component tests could very well infl uence the design and material used in a product.

Component testing is also important in QC settings to ensure products coming off a line perform as expected.

For information on quality solutions for automotive plastics testing, contact Ad-vanced Laboratory Solutions on 086 0000 ALS (257) or [email protected].

Component testing includes simulation of loading conditions representative of potential and likely conditions a product may encounter when in use

Quality solutions for automotive plastics testing

www.instron.com www.advancedlab.co.za

In hybrid technology, ‘smart’ material combinations

help reduce weight. The aluminium hybrid front end

of the Audi TT is 15% lighter than the equivalent made with

sheet steel. The material is 6 Durethan BKV 30 H2.0

Prototype charge air tube made from Durethan DP BC 600 HTS

54

Excellent heat aging resistance, ideal substitute for specialty polyamides

High-impact modifi ed plastics for under the hood

MATERIALS

www.exxonmobilpe.com

Polysaf Shore

[email protected], [email protected] and [email protected] (Cape Town)


FEATURE

RAVAGO group of Belgium, one of the top international polymer supply businesses, has recently celebrated its 50th year in operation.

The success of polymer and rubber supply groups such as Ravago has in some cases preempted the sales and distribution roles of the major material suppliers, to the extent that some of the big material groups are even handing over responsibility for sales and market-ing to these operators entirely.

In the case of Ravago, its story from small beginnings to becoming one of the international leaders in the polymer business – turnover for 2011 was expected to exceed €3-billion – is especially interesting.

Ravago founder Raf van Gorp worked originally at a gunpowder factory oper-ated by Pouderies Réunies de Belgique, part of the conglomerate Generale Maatschappij van Belgie, in Arendonk, Belgium. Benefi ting from the commercial and fi nancial experience gained at the company, Van Gorp became involved in buying and selling industrial scrap after-hours, moonlighting as such. Items collected included the likes of cardboard and paper, fabric from used chairs and even used buckets, but at that stage in 1961 the undertaking was probably more of a leisure nature for the young entrepreneur.

The product ‘portfolio’ gradually expanded to include polyethylene fi lm, PVC pipes and fl ooring, with the focus gradually narrowing on the polymers area. Van Gorp’s fi rst colleagues were mainly people he knew, so trust was not an issue; they included fellow staff from the gunpowder business, card-playing friends and family members. Although it was a part-time enterprise, the ties Van Gorp was creating with future suppliers were later to become very important.

Initially they operated out a garage, but as volumes increased warehouse space in Arendonk was rented. The fi rst forklift was purchased only after 10 years, so the

Part-time recycling operation now an international polymer and rubber material and fi nished goods supplier

Ravago team would have been keeping fi t at the same time.

Van Gorp began working fulltime at Ravago only in 1964, and one of the breakthroughs for the small business came unexpectedly from the closure of the gunpowder factory in 1966, when he was offered the factory site at a bargain price. The Ravago head offi ce and main warehouse still operate from the same site in Arendonk. Van Gorp had the habit of naming each of the sites purchased successively as a ‘brug’ (bridge) – so ‘Brug 1’ was the head offi ce site, and, for example, ‘brug 4’ became the centre for fi nished goods and ‘brug 5’ the centre for raw materials.

Numerous other ‘brugs’ have since been developed and, fi guratively speak-ing, passing by on each of the bridges came to symbolize real progress by the group. By 2011, when Ravago celebrated its 50th ‘birthday,’ the group had become international, involved in north and south America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East as well as in Asia and the Far East. The only area where the group is not involved appears to be Australia. In South Africa, Ravago is represented by its subsidiary Plastomark.

In the 1950s plastics were considered more of a scientifi c development than a viable commodity for the future. At the time of Ravago’s entry to the market in the early 1960s, Van Gorp and his team were involved in the purchase of industrial scrap, reconverting this material and selling it back in granular form to plastic products manufacturers in Belgium. Van Gorp was probably seen as something of a commercial daredevil, but his drive saw Ravago becoming established as one of the leading suppliers of plastic materials in Belgium.

Recycling was then seen as an activity reserved for outlaws, as the supply by the large petrochemical companies of prime, virgin materials was the market norm. But the offer to collect plastic scrap was widely welcomed since it enabled conver-tors to reduce disposal or incineration costs. Among the sources of such scrap at the time were manufacturers of nylon armchairs, fl ooring and Tupperware.

So, although the business model at that stage may have appeared tenu-ous, Ravago group possessed all the ingredients required for success, such

Int’l materials supply group

Ravago celebrates 50yrs

Why plastics?

Ravago founder Raf van Gorp in what was the core of the business, one of the sheds where scrap materials were collected before reprocessing and compounding. Van Gorp devised the operational structure which has seen Ravago group becoming a global leader in polymer supply. He died at age 62 in 1993

Humble beginnings


as confi dence among its customers in its good intentions, consistent compliance with contracts and a healthy fi nancial position … plus one other very important factor: service.

At that time, business activities were conducted without email or the internet, and service required specifi c attention on the part of sales personnel backed with ef-fi cient supply structure to ensure on-time delivery. Ravago came up with the idea of manufacturing its own wooden boxes which were then delivered to manufac-turing businesses to serve as ‘skips’ for plastic scrap. The boxes were collected when full and then replaced.

Confl ict in the Middle East in the early 1970s, with the Yom Kippur War of 1973, led to a dramatic increase in oil prices and soaring infl ation. The price of the feedstock for polymers rose sharply too, together with the oil price. Suddenly Van Gorp’s business model became far more substantial; to the extent that Ravago group was able to attempt its fi rst foreign expansion.

A major advantage for Ravago at the time was the linguistic ability of its mainly Belgian staff. Being at something of a crossroads with borders with France, Ger-many and Holland, and England across the Channel, Belgium’s citizens have long prided themselves on their ability to speak at least some or even all of the languages of their neighbours, which eased the Ravago team’s interactions with foreign clients. France was chosen as the location of Ravago’s fi rst international venture.

In 1979 Ravago opened an operation in Spain and also purchased the UMAC Midwest company in the United States, through which it also became a rubber supplier. The Ravago expansion in Eu-rope continued throughout the 1980s, with subsidiaries opened in Germany, Greece and Italy. And, with the crumbling of com-munism in the Eastern bloc, culminating with the symbolic fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, Ravago was able to formalize and expand its operations in Eastern Europe from there on.

To an outsider, the difference between distribution and resale may seem a mere marketing stunt, since both terms signify the process of buying and selling a product without any transformation. For Ravago, however, the conceptual distinction between the two activities ap-

FEATURE

peared to be vital: the business concepts defi ning each term had already been established in the 1980s.

The initial activities in terms of raw ma-terials consisted of pure resale business: Ravago purchased any kind of poly-mer at a ‘profi table moment’ in order to sell at a maximum profi t. Many suppliers were approached simultaneously, spot deals were con-cluded and the exact momentum of buying a large volume would determine the fi nal earnings. With the growth of the company’s international prestige in the fi eld of plastics and rubber trading, the bond between Ravago and the larger petrochemical companies became even stronger. Slowly but surely, the distribu-tion concept was taking shape.

Regular purchases of smaller volumes, despite market price fl uctuations, a fi xed customer base per product grade and the presence of a virtually exclusive sales channel became a key characteristic of the distribution model.

By this time Ravago’s earlier activi-

Five decades later, Ravago has developed its contract recycling business into a tanker-scale operation, as a major compounder and supplier of polymers and rubber internationally

Dramatic increase in oil prices

ties – such as trading of coal, fuel, yeast and even cigars – was fading out and, instead, it began to commercialise plastic

commodities, the next step in the process which had essentially been underway since the 1970s. Also, it had moved on from its original activ-ity of washing and granulating scrap materials and, with the boom in plastics demand from the 1980s, was obligated to improve quality standards. As a consequence,

it became increasingly involved in compounding. This required investment in fi xed assets and greater cooperation with foreign partners in the compounding sector.

The direct result of this was that the petrochemical groups began to rely increasingly on it: Ravago was becoming increasingly involved in the distribution and additional compounding of virgin materials, a far cry from its origins as a recycling business. The volume of the vir-gin market also beckoned because it was far larger than that for recycled grades.

Distribution versus resale

The shed in Arendonk, Belgium, where Ravago’s group’s activities commenced in 1961. At that stage the company was involved in the collection of scrap goods for recycling

The Ravago story is a classic case of how a

small business can, by exercising intelligent planning, achieve on-going growth. Raf van

Gorp, founder of Ravago in 1961, could never

have imagined that the business would achieve a turnover of over €3-billion

fi ve decades later.

NOW

THEN

By the early 1990s Ravago could no longer be considered a small company and the culture and systems created by Van Gorp had begun to reap dividends. Sadly, he was not to see the fulmination of his humbly inspired plan: he died at the relatively young age of 62 in 1993. Although people in the industry had be-gun to see him as something of a ‘guru’ in the material supply market, Van Gorp was a regular guy to the end: he still played cards with friends in Arendonk, wrote weekly sport columns for the local newspaper and visited the chip shop near the Ravago offi ces.

Fortunately for Ravago, a succession plan was in place: his daughter Gunhilde van Gorp and her husband, Theo Rous-sis, took over the management of the business.

Roussis, who hailed from Greece originally and who initially struggled with the language, at fi rst faced unspoken prejudices. But Roussis rose to the occa-sion and, with astute business acumen, set out to continue the work of his father-in-law. The partnership of Roussis and Gunhilde van Gorp proved very success-ful for the Ravago group: where Roussis focused on the strategic side of the business, Van Gorp’s daughter offered a sympathetic ear to colleagues and, if anything, the business culture created by Raf van Gorp blossomed fully.

During the 1990s, and virtually unchanged by the passing away of Raf Gorp (which is probably the greatest achievement by any leader), Ravago continued along its chosen path, that of growth. Acquisitions and joint ventures around the world followed: among the entities which came into being were Entec in the USA, Ravago Hong Kong, Polymed (Middle East) and Ravago Turkey, as well as Plastomark in South Africa which joined the network in what was clearly becoming one of the most successful material supply operations in the industry.

On the manufacturing side, Ravago invested in and expanded its compound-ing activities and also improved its capabilities in the areas of engineering plastics and specialty products. The fact that it had customers in different regions and was able to move materials around among the group companies effectively meant that it was able to support its customers very convincingly.

Ravago’s wide spread activities in-volved the continuous supply of:• producer-branded polymers;

The next chapter

Semi-processed scrap material is today possibly as popular, or even more popular, than in the 1960s; Reprocessing of scrap material from petrochemical plants is an important part of the group’s service

• global brand of certifi ed prime polymers;

• eco-friendly products• custom-formulated polyolefi n

compounds• wide specifi cation polymers• post-industrial and post-recycled

materials.Besides material compounding,

recycling and supply, Ravago is also a supplier of a wide range of fi nished products, including insulation, geotextiles and roof membranes, building panels, extruded sheet, pipes and fi ttings and building fi lms and bags. As in the case with material supply, Ravago’s specialty remains its high level of service: namely the effective and reliable supply of these goods.

Transition

Ravago was able to make the transi-tion from manual management into the computer era, which took place largely during the 1990s, along with introduc-tion of internet-based operations, with comparative ease.

The acquisition of Muehlstein group in 2006 strengthened the group signifi -cantly. Founded in 1911, Muehlstein was the pioneer of polymer distribution in North America and its integration into the Ravago group made it very clear that Ravago had become one of the world leaders in the sector. The fact that these mergers went off so successfully is probably also testament to the work of founder Van Gorp, as well as the diplomatic nature of the Belgians.

• THE RAVAGO COMPANIES IN SOUTH AFRICA INCLUDE THE MATERIAL SUPPLY OPERATIONS PLASTOMARK AND ULTRA POLYMERS.

www.ravago.com

One of the warehouses operated by Ravago group companies

Theo Roussis, originally from Greece, and his wife Gunhilde van Gorp have carried on the work started by Raf van Gorp that has seen the company develop even further


www.novosystems.de

www.bolta-industrie.de

COSTS of changing colours, on-going reduction in batch sizes, optimized cleaning and the use of colour pigment carriers are all factors to be considered when colouring profi le extrusions. Ger-man company Bolta, is one of the fi rst companies in the plastics industry to deploy Novopearls, a wax-based micro-granulate which assists with all these factors.

With headquarters in Schönberg, Bolta has made a name for itself extrud-ing profi le sections ranging from fl oor and building applications to specialized technical profi le sections for the furni-ture industry, mechanical engineering products and for manufacturers of white goods.

Bolta deploys approximately 1 000 moulds to produce profi le sections to its own recipes with various types of poly-mer from PVC to POM on 32 extrusion production lines. 150 recipes for PVC products alone make up to the repertoire of the company’s own mixing plant.

A core component of Bolta is its own creation of polymer recipes for extrusion. The in-company mixing plant is of great importance in terms of execution and documentation, delivering mixtures with

PolyOne fi nalizes acquisition of ColorMatrixPOLYONE Corporation, a premier global provider of specialized polymer materials, services and so-lutions, has completed the acquisition of ColorMa-trix Group Inc, a highly specialized company with a premier suite of additive technologies and the leading market position in liquid colorants.

“This acquisition marks a signifi cant milestone in PolyOne’s transformation to a global, specialty company,” said Stephen Newlin, CEO of PolyOne.

“We now expect to derive more than 50% of our earnings from our specialty platform. I am confi dent we will be able to expand our leading market positions as we leverage ColorMatrix’s proprietary technology and PolyOne’s commercial resources and global scale.”

ColorMatrix is a leading manufacturer of performance-enhancing specialty additives, liquid

colorant and dosing technologies that serve diverse niche markets, such as rigid beverage and food packaging, performance moulding and fi bre The organisation owns an intellectual property portfolio of 162 patents and 107 pending applica-tions worldwide. Its solutions in packaging, in particular, offer customers exceptional performance attributes such as increased product shelf life, taste preservation and improved recyclability.

Further, ColorMatrix is a leading provider of colorant for fl uoropolymers and provides specialty additives that support fl uoropolymers’ unique high-performance properties such as lubricity, high-level heat insulation, static dissipation and x-ray opaqueness.

PolyOne will be backing up its materi-als supply business with the colour technology it has now accessed through its purchase of ColorMatrix(PHOTO BY POLYONE CORPORATION)

www.polyone.com

reliable processes quickly to the produc-tion lines.

Producing a wide variety of colours cost effectively In comparison to conventional master batch in granulate form, liquid colours and the new micro-batch enable much quicker colour changes. According to Stefan Beer, production manager at Bolta, several mould and colour changes on each production line have to be calculated in the daily schedule.

“The trend towards smaller batches, short-term material planning and reduc-tions in stock have a direct impact on manufacturing – we have to be very fl exible and ensure that colour changes, re-fi tting and cleaning costs are kept under control”, he explained.

The new Novopearls micro-batch from Novosystems bridges the gap between liquid colours and macro-batches. The colour carrier possesses physical char-acteristics which combine the benefi ts of solid carriers with the well-known advantages of liquid colours.

When it came to colouring profi le sec-tions black, liquid colours were prob-lematic, resulting in colour swirls in the

Stefan Beer, production manager at Bolta: “The new Novopearls micro-granulate ensures improved homogenization in dual screw extrud-ers for perfectly solid-coloured profi le products”

Novopearls micro-granulate: 400 μm diameter wax-based colour pigment carrier

Profi le extrusion factory at Bolta: 32 extrusion production lines use some 30 tons of polymers every day

Optimizing colouring processes

MAT

ERIA

LS

cross-section and insuffi cient coloration. Adjustments to the recipe and degree of volumetric colour fi ll did not result in the required effect. Lumps often formed at the front feed.

What followed was a test with the Novopearls micro-granulate with satisfy-ing results. The low melting point of 85°C and a suffi cient dwell time in the screw chamber led to the required homogeni-zation of the colour pigments with the basic polymer in the melt. The degree of colour fi ll could be signifi cantly reduced in comparison to other pigment carriers. The spherical micro-granulate also re-sulted in excellent low friction properties.

“The cleaning effect is a striking advantage in comparison with other colour pigment carriers, but above all, in comparison with macro-granulate, this helps us to lower mould changing times. When we can halve the time for a colour change, this helps us cut costs,” added Beer.

60

Tubing in fashion

POLYVANCED are looking for creative answers to the question: “How can tubing be best used in fashion design?” Robert Mayr, manager of Polyvanced, a tubing manufacturer in Osnabrück, said the best ideas will be rewarded with a professional photo shoot and assistance in putting the design into practice. A specialist jury will evaluate the originality, aesthetics, and practicability of the designs. Entries close on 17 February 2012.

The ‘Polyvanced Design & Media Award’ promotes communications about tubing technology. Tubing can be used to create interesting effects in fashion, and there are many possibilities for doing so – from tubing hats and capes through decorative fashion jewellery to belts and sandals made of tubing.

Polyvanced GmbH is located in Osnabrück and produces approximately 55 million metres of tubing per year. Its key markets include automation engineer-ing, the bathroom fi ttings and construction industry, environmental technology and the automotive, health care, and leisure segments. The company cur-rently employs over 130 people in Europe.

PRODUCTS

A fi ne example of what can

be achieved in fashion with plastic

tubing – the ‘Luna Shoe’ – Created by Alejandro Ingelmo

using armrest leather trim and

clear plastic tubing

Polyvanced offers prizes for original ideas on using tubing in fashion

www.polyvanced.com

BOREALIS’ fi rst PP grade for squeezable cosmetics tubes, Borsoft™ SL600MO, is the material innovation behind an inspirational, sustainability-focused packaging solution for the cosmetics sector called Clube®.

Developed by Plasticum Group, a leading European manufacturer and designer of innovative plastic packaging solutions, Clube is a one piece squeezable tube with an integrated closure and in-mould

label (IML) that cuts material usage by up to 40%. Clube is unique in enabling all three elements to be produced in one single bi-injection moulding production step, instead of the traditional three, for more effi cient production and a series of knock-on productivity, design and environment-related benefi ts.

Borsoft SL600MO was created specifi cally by Borealis for this project. Tailored to meet the needs of the production process and the tube,

Squeezable tube innovation a CLUBE® – one-piece tube with integrated

closure(PHOTO: PLASTICUM

GROUP)

Ford Australia’s next-generation LPG system uses PPA fuel railFORD Australia’s new EcoLPi Falcon model boasts next-generation liquefi ed petro-leum gas (LPG) technology which delivers impressive fuel effi ciency and reduced CO2 emissions. The EcoLPi system’s in-line six-cylinder engine features a thermoplastic fuel rail made of Amodel® polyphthalamide (PPA) resin from Solvay Specialty Polymers USA, LLC.

The part has a very complex geometry. The overall dimensions are 5cm x 5cm x 25cm in length. The fuel passage is around 1.3cm.

This unique application is a key part of Solvay’s automotive strategy which focuses on the development of sustainable solu-tions, according to Brian Baleno, Amodel PPA product manager for Solvay Specialty Polymers. The cornerstone of the EcoLPi engine is the new LPG injection system which uses a new injector-based, high-pres-sure fuel rail that delivers liquid-state LPG fuel directly into the intake port. Preliminary testing reveals a 12%-15% improvement in fuel effi ciency and CO2 emissions for liquid phase LPG injection technology compared

to the previous E-Gas venturi-style LPG vapor system.

Amodel A-1133, a 33% glass-fi lled PPA grade, provides strong static burst strength and fatigue resistance at high temperatures and withstands ozone gas. The material is a proven alternative to metal in this highly pressurized fuel injection application. It withstands static burst pressures up to 13.8 MPa at room temperature and 6.9 MPa at 120°C.

The EcoLPi liquid phase injection LPG system produces 27% more power and



A STYRENE plastic manufactured by Styrolution, the new joint venture between BASF and INEOS, is now being used by Skoda for its vehicle exteriors. Luran® HH 120 is a modifi ed SAN (styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer) that combines the advantages of classic SAN with improved temperature and weathering resistance.

Dura Automotive Systems GmbH, is also a development partner for this material. The company manufactures A-, B- and C-pillars and has recently started using Luran HH 120 for the serial production of the B-pillar cladding of the Skoda Superb. In compari-son to PMMA, the plastic that was used until now, the advantage of the Styrolution plastic is its very high heat defl ection tem-perature: Luran HH 120 has a Vicat value (softening temperature) of 120°C [248°F]. The high transparency and the gloss of this

material also allow it to be dyed in what is called piano black, yielding a glossy, rich, jet-black tone.

• STYROLUTIONS PS, ABS AND COPOLYMER MATERIALS ARE SOLD BY PLASTICHEM.

High-gloss SAN application in automotive industry

Piano black is the name of the jet-black, uncoated Luran® HH 120 made by Styrolution. This SAN material (styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer) has been tailored to meet the requirements made by the automotive industry in terms of weathering resistance and colour depth. The product also compares favorably to PMMA because of its high heat defl ection temperature. This specialty styrene plastic is now being used by Styrolution’s development partner Dura Automotive for door pillars of the Skoda Superb

www.styrolution.com

www.chemimpo.co.za


the grade was optimized for outstanding fl owability, good fl exibility, excellent contact transparency and outstanding environmental stress crack resistance (ESCR).

The material’s excellent fl ow and easy processing characteristics enable the formation of a soft tube body capable of supporting an integrated closure. From a sustainability perspective, potential elimination of the tube shoulder creates signifi cant savings in material usage. Less waste and rejections occur, and the PP

reality for cosmetics packagingtube and cap material are fully recyclable.

The all-in-one closure and tube construction offers unlimited design differentiation possibilities to brand owners. Injection moulding allows more fl exibility of tube shape, for example, two chamber, oval, square or triangle shape, combined with the high quality imaging of in-mould labelling. Silver contour and metallic surfaces as well as the use of bi-colour are among the creativity options available to designers.

Additional partners in the CLUBE

Luran HH 120 SAN to replace PMMA at Skoda for vehicle exteriors

10% more torque than previous E-Gas LPG vapor systems, while at the same time reducing fuel consumption by 12%-15%.

Amodel PPA is one of the industry’s most specifi ed materials for automotive under-the-hood applications. For more than 20 years, it has been known for its high fl ow/fast cycling, high HDT for lead-free soldering, excellent chemical resistance, low moisture absorption/strong dimensional stability, and impact performance for practical toughness

www.solvayspecialtypolymers.com

The cornerstone of the EcoLPi engine developed by Ford in Australia is the new LPG injection system which uses a new injector-based,

high-pressure fuel rail made from Amodel A-1133, a 33% glass-fi lled PPA grade from Solvay that delivers liquid-state LPG fuel directly into the

intake port. The moulding is approximately 27cms wide

development process were machinery and moulding specialists Engel, Otto Hofstetter AG and Beck Automation.

• REPRESENTED IN SA BY CHEMIMPO SOUTH AFRICA

PRODUCTS

Film technology can be used for effi cient protection of 3-D surfacesDUPONT™ Surlyn®, a highly-transparent packaging polymer, and specially-modifi ed skin packaging equipment form the basis of a new energy-, cost- and material-saving fi lm technology that can be used for the effi cient protection of susceptible, three-dimensional component surfaces.

The process is the result of joint de-velopment work between the machinery producer Zappe Verpackungsmaschinen (Witten, Germany), the fi lm producer jura-plast (Reichenschwand, Germany) and DuPont.

One of the fi rst benefi ciaries of the new technology is the household appliance manufacturer Miele at its plant in Waren-dorf, Germany. There, the fi lm is used to prevent high-gloss, thermoplastic bezel for washing machines from becoming scratched as they make their way through the fully-automated assembly line to retail and, ultimately, to the end-user’s home.

The tailored skin packaging process helps prevent rejects and the correspond-ing waste of raw material. Beyond this, the use of Surlyn allows for signifi cant savings in terms of energy and raw material in the skin fi lm process when compared to converting polyethylene, which was the material used in an early development

Applied using a modifi ed skin-fi lm process, the combination of a highly-transparent base fi lm derived from Surlyn and a specially tailored ad-hesive resin, both from DuPont, provides reliable protection for susceptible components – from their production and assembly right through to their fi rst use by consumers – and saves material as well as process energy compared to alternative polyethylene fi lms. PHOTO: DUPONT

www.dupont.com

www.plastamid.co.za

stage. The skin-fi lm itself, and its production residue, can be recycled in the PE waste stream.

The development of this fi lm has resolved two issues: the special formula-tion of the base layer made from Surlyn ensures that there is no formation of air bubbles between the component surface and the fi lm, which would otherwise spoil the high quality appearance of the bezel.

Thanks to its combination with a modi-fi ed adhesive resin from DuPont, adhesion between the component and the fi lm is suf-fi ciently high for the fully-assembled wash-ing machine door, weighing around 5 kg, to be transported using vacuum grippers.

The consumer is still able to easily peel off the fi lm without leaving any residue behind. The Surlyn based fi lm weighs about one third less than an alternative polyethylene fi lm.

• DUPONT REPRESENTED BY PLASTAMID IN SA

bottles get day in the sun

www.extrupet.com

THE use of recycled post-consumer plastics in food packaging is rapidly gaining momentum in South Africa, with Woolworths’ new plastic juice bottles winning two awards at the SA Plastic Recycling Organisation’s recent Best Recycled Product Competition.

Supplied by packaging manufacturer Polypet, a division of Polyoak Packaging, the 1.5 litre juice bottles contain up to 30% recycled PET (rPET), supplied by Germiston recycler Extrupet.

Extrupet became the fi rst plastic recycler in the world to gain the sought-after British Retail Consortium (BRC) certifi cation for its food-grade products back in 2010 and was recently rewarded the accreditation in October 2011. This means the recycled plastic – mostly old drink bottles – from its food-grade recycling plant meets the UK’s stringent food safety standards, and can be used

in fruit punnets and drinking bottles by Britain’s top retailers like Sainsburys, Tescos and Marks & Spencer.

Chandru Wadhwani, executive director at Extrupet, said he expects other packaging companies, retailers and well-known FMCG companies to follow Polyoak Packaging and Woolworths’ example soon.

“Driven by demands from their retail clients, local packaging manufacturers will need to step up their use of rPET if they are to compete with the likes of Marks & Spencer, which uses various percentages of rPet in 84% of its food packaging,” said Wadhwani.

“We see a steep increase in the adoption of recycled materials in the production process in South Africa in the short to medium term.”


Extrupet became the fi rst plastic recycler in the world to gain the sought-after British Retail

Consortium (BRC) certifi cation for its food-grade products back in 2010 and was recently

rewarded the accreditation in October 2011

Extrupet recycled drink

AS THE the highlight of the ‘50 years of Allrounder’ anniversary, Arburg held its ‘Economic Miracle’ anniversary competition at the Fakuma 2011 trade fair. The aim was to fi nd the oldest All-rounder in original ownership, still being used in production. The prize was a new electric Edrive series machine. It went to the company Wilh. Wissner, Göppingen (Germany), which has been using its Allrounder to produce clips for suspenders for 45 years.

“I’m delighted that our technology of the day still works and is in reliable operation today,” said Partner Eugen Hehl during presentation of the anni-versary machine. “With our new electric Allrounder E 370, more application options will be available to you in the future.”

“That’s very much in line with our intentions. The high-quality Edrive machine fi ts perfectly into our plans,” replied the delighted Wissner Manag-ing Director, Dr. Andreas Lederer. “Because we know that Arburg offers sophisticated technology and perfect service, we will continue the Allrounder success story and keep this machine in

operation for several decades too,” he added with a smile.

At the time the original Allrounder 150 was commissioned (1966) to pro-duce suspender clips, Wissner devised a solution for feeding the fabric strip onto which a plastic component was injection moulded. And the Allrounder 150 has been producing the same product to this day, 45 years later.

The high performance and durability of the fi rst Allrounders is also evidenced by the fact that 160 companies – from Germany, Europe, the US and even South Africa – participated in the anniversary competition. All of these continue to use their Allrounders in in-jection moulding production to this day.

In 1961, the invention of the Allround-er principle revolutionised conventional ideas regarding injection moulding. For the fi rst time, production was possible in different working positions using a pivoting clamping unit and inter-changeable injection unit. New, modern application processes were thus made possible.

Over the years, the unique modular-ity of the Allrounder injection moulding

machines has developed from the Allrounder principle. Whereas in 1961, the Allrounder was a single machine for all applications, today, thanks to the unique modularity, the ideal machine can be individually confi gured for any application.

At Wissner, around a dozen Allround-ers are in use today, including models from the fi rst generation. In addition, the company regularly invests in new machines. It produces components with supporting, shaping, holding, adjusting and fastening functions for lingerie and orthopaedic products.

In addition to suspender clips, these include bikini clips, bra underwires and bandage accessories. With the new Allrounder 370 E, the company wants to develop and produce new orthopae-dic and medical technology products among others.

• HESTICO IS THE SA AGENT FOR ARBURG

Allrounder 150 has produced suspender clips for 45 years

EQUIPMENT

www.arburg.com

‘Economic miracle’Allrounder in operation since 1966


Arburg Partner Eugen Hehl (right) congratulates Dr Andreas Lederer, MD of Wilh. Wissner in Göppingen/Germany. The company entered the ‘Economic Miracle’ anniversary competition with an Allrounder dating from 1966 and won an electric Allrounder 370 E as the main prize. PHOTO: ARBURG

ecoSTABTM

LEAD-FREE STABILISERSTomorrow’s PVC Solutions Today from Sun Ace

VITESSE

F-SERIES

K-TEC

ELEKTRA

MAXIMA

IDENTIFICATION of plastics and polymers is a critical step in the proper sorting and recycling of post-industrial and post-consumer materials. The ThermoScientifi c microPHAZIR PC is a cost-effective polymer identifi cation analyzer that streamlines inspection without compromising accuracy.

Recyclers, and in fact anyone involved in polymer processing, will from time to time have trouble identifying a polymer, whether it’s in pellet form or as a moulded product. In the case of recyclers, the problem is compounded by the greater variety of moulded products arriving at their plants as well as the increased percentage of multi-material items (such as coex fi lms or assembled products). Many in the industry have used unconventional means – such as biting a pellet sample, or cutting or burning … as well as range of other actions – to identify materials.

The hand-held polymer analyser bridges this gap: it is a powerful tool to enable rapid screening and identifi cation of plastic types. The 1.25kg handheld NIR (near infrared) analyser is completely self-contained and can perform accurate on-site analysis in seconds.

Key benefi ts include rapid and accurate results displayed within seconds and no sample preparation or burn test necessary. NIR is fast, safe and non-destructive. The analyser is also designed for non-expert users, fully automated and requires no user input. It is also small and lightweight for fast identifi cation of materials in the fi eld or at the sorting facility.

• THE THERMOSCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS ARE SUPPLIED LOCALLY BY UNITED SPECTROMETER TECHNOLOGIES, PHONE 011 795 1900.

EQUIPMENT

materials in seconds

Handheld plastics analyser identifi es

www.ustech.co.za

The 1.25kg handheld microPHAZIR polymer identifi er allows for easier, quicker and more

accurate identifi cation of polymer items, enabling improved sorting and as a result a

higher quality of reprocessed material


SA PLASTICS: WHAT IS THE MAIN APPLICATION FOR THE POLYMER IDENTIFICATION UNIT?

The Thermo Scientifi c microPHAZIR PC analyzer is a powerful tool that enables rapid screening and identifi cation during the sorting of plastic materials, such as post-industrial plastics with no identifi cation marks. It is often used to enhance the quality control of materials being put into the feed-stream prior to processing.

SA PLASTICS: WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TECHNOLOGY?

The microPHAZIR PC is powered by Near Infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, which is a proven analytical technique used in laboratories for quality analysis and material identifi cation in many industries. Digital Transform Spectroscopy is a new technique in which the spectrum collected from a sample is dispersed across a diffractive micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) chip. The MEMS chip is programmed to block light in specifi c regions of the spectrum while refl ecting others. The refl ected light is then collected and recombined onto a single photo-detector. When the transform is fully collected, it can easily be inverted to produce the near infrared spectrum. Our patented MEMS NIR technology is the foundation for a new generation of portable and in-line near-infrared systems which are smaller, more reliable, and more portable than ever before. This technology is rapidly expanding the role of NIR in many markets including agriculture, pharmaceutical, polymer and many others

SA PLASTICS: WILL THE ANALYSER BE ABLE TO SEPARATELY IDENTIFY DIFFERENT GRADES WITHIN POLYMER GROUPS, SUCH AS HIGH-DENSITY, LOW-DENSITY AND LINEAR-LOW-DENSITY POLYETHYLENE?

The microPHAZIR PC can measure PLA, PET, PP, PS, ABS, PI, PSO, PE, PPS, TPV, PET, PTT,PC, PMP, PBT, PA, PETG, SAN, EVA, PB, PPO, CA, Nylon, PMMA,

PUR, PI, PVC, PLA, POM, PS, nylon+ABS blend, Ionomers, styrenic terpolymers and elastomers.

SA PLASTICS: WILL THE ANALYSER BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE MAKE-UP OF A MULTI-LAYER FILM, SUCH AS A 5 OR 7-LAYER CO-EXTRUDED STRUCTURE?

Multilayer polymers can be analysed with sample preparation.

SA PLASTICS: HOW CAN USERS BEST INTERPRET AND USE THE DATA GENERATED?

The microPHAZIR PC analysers simple point-and-shoot operation requires very little operator training and delivers straight-forward results that require no interpretation. The analyser was designed to make an analytical instrument available to the non-technical user for use outside of the laboratory. Furthering its ease of use, the microPHAZIR PC includes automated data analysis software which can be transferred to a PC via USB connection.

One common application is for a recycler/processer to use the microPHAZIR PC as a QA/QC inspection tool to ensure that the correct material is fed into the extruder. To keep material costs low, many processors use recycled materials, which are much less expensive than raw materials. However, the pro-cessor must identify and sort the incoming (recycled) materials to be sure the correct polymer type is used during processing. Different polymers melt at different temperatures, and an incorrect material fed into the extruder will not only make bad parts, but can shut down the extruder for cleaning, or even damage the extruder, resulting in further delays and lost revenue. The microPHAZIR PC is used to identify and confi rm that the materials in the feed stream to avoid the troubles and delays that result from processing non-compatible materials.

www.thermoscientifi c.com/rmid

SA Plastics spoke to Alyssa Knightly, marketing manager with Thermo Fisher Scientifi c, who manu-facture the microPHAZIR polymer analyser

MATERIALS

THANKS to crash mats with a core of Neopolen® E providing greater safety on ski slopes and downhill runs, skiers and snow-boarders will be sure of a soft landing both on and off the snow this winter season.

These mats, which are made by the Aus-trian sporting goods manufacturer Berger, can be used for example to cushion ski lift uprights, rock walls, and barriers. Berger’s crash mats contain a specially-designed Neopolen E hollow chamber system. On impact, the BASF foam provides optimum shock cushioning, thus helping to protect skiers from injury.

Neopolen E is a closed-cell, physi-cally cross-linked polyethylene particle foam (EPE). As a core material for mats,

Neopolen E is not only stable but fl exible and durable, and it also has an excellent shock-absorbing effect. This means that the material provides outstanding absorption of the energy striking the mat in case of impact. Moreover, it returns to its original shape after the load is re-leased. This allows even repeated loads to be reliably cushioned. Because of the light weight of Neopolen E, these crash mats can be eas-

Safe on the slopesBASF foam crash mats for winter sports

www.neopolen.de

Non-treated fabric

ily transported and set up on ski slopes.Furthermore, Neopolen E offers another

decisive advantage on the ski slopes: unlike other foams, this material absorbs virtually no water. Neopolen E retains its properties over a broad temperature range from 70 to 90 degrees Celsius.

Crash mats with a core of Neopolen® E provide greater safety on ski slopes and downhill runs. The mats contain a specially-designed Neopolen E hollow chamber system. On impact, the BASF foam provides optimum shock cushioning. PHOTO: BASF

Breakthrough in durable fi re retardant fi nishesTHE NEW Pekofl am® system from Clariant is a fundamental breakthrough in durable fi re retardant (FR) fi nishes and heralds a new generation in the production of FR protective textiles.

The innovative, bi-component system, Pekofl am ‘ECO’ and Pekofl am ‘SYN’, meets the needs of the textile industry for a more sustainable and high performance FR application that can be used with exist-ing equipment and is free of Oeko-Tex® restricted materials commonly still found in certain FRs.

The Pekofl am process is based on a synergistic application of phosphorus and nitrogen. The new bi-component Pekofl am system – ECO for ecological and economic, SYN for synergy – has

a very low impact on the fabric strength to which it is applied. Importantly, it also has excellent wash fastness in domestic laundry situations and good performance in industrial applications. Unlike some sys-tems, processing can be done on common fi nishing lines with HT (high temperature) curing and a suitable wash range.

The new Clariant chemistry is not simply another product on the market: it provides a fundamental and far-reaching change to the way the producers of FR fabric have been forced to work. The new system doesn’t contain any SVHC² restricted chemicals, commonly used in FR.

www.clariant.com

(PH

OTO

: CLA

RIA

NT)

Fabric treated with Pekofl am®

PCC (Plastics Colour Corporation) of the USA, supplier of colour concentrates, compounds and additive masterbatches for the plastics industry, has introduced a new non-brominated fl ame retardant system for PP. The product line, FlamaSol FR™, was developed at PCC’s Solutions Centre in Ashe-boro, North Carolina.

FlamaSol FR contains no decabrome or antimony, two harmful chemicals, yet demon-strates better extinguishing results than the company’s previous fl ame retardant. Both of these chemicals are being phased out of fl ame retardants by the end of 2012.

FlamaSol FR is ideal for use in construc-tion materials, warehouse products, personal electronic equipment and other applications where extreme heat may cause ignition. It surpasses testing standards of UL 94 and ANSI 4996 for plastic pallets and performs better than PCC’s previous fl ame retardant systems (see graph). FlamaSol FR PP is ap-propriate for use in injection moulding, extru-sion and blow moulding applications.

FlamaSol is available in white, black and natural masterbatches and PCC can custom-formulate it for any colour. PCC is currently working on a FlamaSol product for PE. www.plasticscolor.com

Safer fl ame retardant for PP


MATERIALS


Film for fl ame-resistant insulation blankets

CHASE-Facile’s Insulfab® 4000 thermal acoustic insulation blanket (TAIB) cover fi lm made with Halar® ECTFE fi lm from Ajedium™ Films, a division of Solvay Solexis, Inc., a Solvay Specialty Polymers company, has been qualifi ed to meet Boeing BMS 8-377 for both Class 00 and Class 1 Types I & II and has been offi cially added to the Boeing Qualifi ed Products List (QPL). This qualifi cation allows the Insulfab 4000 product, manufactured by Chase-Facile, a division of Chase Coating & Laminating, to be used as a drop-in replacement for the previously qualifi ed Tedlar® polyvinyl fl uoride (PVF) based styles of TAIB.

This new product, which consists of a lamination of fi lm made from Halar® ECTFE (a 1:1 alternating copolymer of ethylene and chlorotrifl uoroethylene), nylon fabric, and a proprietary adhesive, expands Chase Facile’s line of lightweight, heat-sealable barrier fi lms.

Thermal acoustic insulation blankets are typically installed behind airplane interior panels to protect passengers, cargo, and equipment from thermal and acoustic extremes associated with environmental conditions and engine noise sources.

8-micron thick Halar® ECTFE fi lm is extruded on a 72-inch wide die at Ajedium

Breaking new groundSABIC’s Innovative Plastics business unit have released an industry fi rst: new one-piece, reusable concrete forms made from the company’s high-performance LNP Verton long glass fi bre-reinforced composite. The new corrosion-resistant composite forms were developed by SABIC and Meccano de Mexico, a top Mexican construction supply company, to replace heavy traditional multi-piece steel forms, reducing weight by up to 40%, cut-ting cycle times from three hours to only a few minutes and helping to reduce overall construction costs for more-affordable housing.

“Using LNP Verton composite, our new concrete forms can give contractors exceptional benefi ts including signifi cant time savings, easier handling and durabil-ity for repeated use. These moulds have the potential to change the way concrete panels are formed on the job site, helping to streamline construction and provide a competitive advantage for Meccano and its customers,” said Salvador Jalife

Lozano, chief innovation and development offi cer, Meccano de Mexico.

Meccano’s new forms are used to mould concrete panels for houses; on average, 500 panels are required for a typical row house. The forms are available in a wide range of sizes and confi gura-tions: the average height is 1100 mm and different widths of 200 mm, 300 mm and 600 mm are available.

SABIC’s LNP Verton structural com-posite, featuring long glass fi bre reinforce-ment, can reduce system costs, cycle time and weight vs. metal, while providing exceptional mechanical performance, including the dimensional stability, strength and resistance to humidity needed for de-manding concrete work. The fabrication of traditional metal forms requires assembly of as many as 30 different components and can take up to three hours.

By eliminating the need for assembly with a one-piece design, Meccano’s forms are ready in minutes, increasing through-

put, and potentially allowing more contrac-tors to build homes more quickly and reduce overall costs. This is particularly important for construction of government-subsidized housing or other projects where containing costs is a concern.

In addition, the light weight of LNP Ver-ton compounds compared to metal (20% lighter than aluminium and 40% lighter than carbon steel) allows the forms to be transported and maneuvered on site more easily and without the need for specialized equipment or cranes.

www.sabic-ip.com

Meccano de Mexico’s new one-piece reusable concrete forms made using SABIC’s LNP Verton long glass fi bre-reinforced composites(below left)Concrete Wall Made Using Meccano’s Concrete Forms Made from SABIC’s LNP* Verton* Composites (below right)

Thermal acoustic insulation fi lm meets specifi cation for aircraft interior applications

www.chasecorp.com www.solvayspecialtypolymers.com

MATERIALS

EXPERTS estimated the world’s installed capacity for concentrating photovolta-ics (CPV) at 23 megawatts in 2010. The market research company GTM Research expects annual demand to rise to more than a gigawatt by 2015. Gone are the days of small pilot plants.

But a major prerequisite for building the solar panels is a supply of the required high-quality lenses. Evonik Industries supplied Plexiglas® Solar Fresnel lens parquets, manufactured from PMMA*, for over 10 MW of electricity from concentrating photo-voltaics in 2011, proving that the company can produce lenses for multi-megawatt projects.

Plexiglas is used for the primary lenses in the solar panels. These high-quality lens parquets can be supplied with an edge length in excess of 1 metre. Customers have confi rmed an optical effi ciency of over 87%. Key properties include high light trans-mission and an accurate mould surface reproduction of the high-precision Fresnel structures. Added to this is the longevity of the material that retains its excellent trans-parency even in permanent use.

PMMA solar lens for large-scale photovoltaicsPlexiglas® solar lenses for more than 10 megawatts of photovoltaics

ü Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is a transparent thermoplastic, often used as a light or shatter-resistant alternative to glass. It is sometimes called acrylic glass. Chemically, it is the synthetic polymer of methyl methacrylate. The material was developed in 1928 in various laboratories, and was fi rst brought to market in 1933.

Evonik Industries supplied Plexiglas® Solar Fresnel lens parquets, manufactured from PMMA*, for over 10 MW of electricity from concentrating photovoltaics in 2011

www.evonik.com

BOREALIS has introduced the latest addition to its range of BorPure™ random polypropylene (PP) copolymers with improved organoleptics. BorPure™ RJ766MO is intended primarily for transparent injection moulded, thin walled food packaging. Its excellent organoleptic proper-ties mean that it will not transfer taste or odour to the packaged product.

BorPure RJ766MO is the product of a combination of Borealis’ Borstar® PP polymerisation technology and Borealis Nucleation Technology (BNT). Together these technologies produce a material with a tailor-made molecular weight distribution (MWD) and crystalline structure resulting in fast crystallisation and a good balance of stiffness and impact properties.

Energy savings are also achieved thanks to the material’s excellent fl ow characteristics, which enable processing equipment to run at lower temperatures than is possible with many competing materials with suf-fi cient organoleptic properties. The new grade is the third in Borealis’s

BorPure random PP family. BorPure grades RG466MO and RJ377MO have melt fl ow rates of 30 and 45 respectively. These materials have helped Borealis to strengthen its po-sition as a market leader in thin wall consumer packaging in Europe.

High performance PP for thin wall packaging

www.borouge.com

PC-ABS blends for automotive exteriorsA NEW application of PC-ABS blends is premiering together with the new Mercedes SLK. The base version of the convertible is equipped with an electrohydraulic vario roof system having a roughly 0.8m2 roof element of Bayblend® T85 XF from Bayer MaterialScience.

“The roof element, which is coated in the body colour offl ine, demonstrates that our high-performance material makes it possible to take thermoplastic exterior bodywork parts installed horizontally to an entirely new dimension with respect to size, while still satisfying the very stringent requirements for comfort, optical quality and dimensional accuracy,” says Stefan Schulten, key account manager for Daimler and head of the Exterior Seg-ment in the Automotive Team at Bayer MaterialScience. The vario roof that collapses fully automatically into the trunk of the Mercedes SLK, transforms it into a convertible in less than 20 sec-onds. To give drivers an unobstructed view, even with the roof up, the modular roof system is also sold with a transparent panoramic roof element from Webasto, manufactured from Makrolon® AG 2677 polycarbonate from Bayer MaterialScience


www.bayermaterialscience.com


ENERGY conservation is often the most economical solution to materials shortages and rising production costs. Most economists expect continued energy price increases over the next several years. Conservation not only helps preserve the planet’s limited resources, it also makes economic sense at a very fundamental business level. That is why Octal made the decision to expand its capacity using the most energy-effi cient technology available: The direct-to-ship and direct-to-sheet process.

The Octal reactors are the world’s largest reactors of melt-to-resin technology. Phase two of the complex, which will be commissioned in June 2012, will add an additional 527 000 MTPA of production, making Octal the world’s largest producer of PET resins on one site.

Octal is already the world’s largest producer of PET sheet. The comple-tion of its second phase of expansion later this year will put Octal well on the way to achieving US$1.5 billion in annual sales in 2011.

Both reactors have proven to be suitable for the production of PET and have been especially successful for the production of high viscous melts. Additionally, it has proven to be extremely energy effi cient.

These new reactors provide Octal with the most advanced technology available, enabling the company to continue to produce high quality PET-material while still maintaining superior energy effi ciency.

All of these qualities support Octal’s mission to produce a superior prod-uct and to meet high standards of sustainability. The PET resin and sheets produced are acclaimed by international experts to have the lowest carbon footprint, paving the way for others in the industry to follow the company’s pioneering footsteps.

MATERIALS

New energy-effi cient PET reactors for Octal plant expansion

Longevity to Estonian power plant pipesDURABILITY and effi ciency were the determining factors behind the choice of PE100 BorSafe™ HE3490-LS from Bo-realis for renovation of a crucial cooling water circulation system at the world’s two biggest oil shale-fi red thermal power plants.

Estonian Energy, referred to locally as ‘Eesti Energia’, owns and operates the large production facilities at Narva, close to Estonia’s northeast border with Russia. The Narva thermal power plants have a power generating capacity in excess of 2 300 MW.

After discovering extensive pipe cor-rosion in the system as part of an ongo-ing improvement programme at Narva, Estonia Energy turned to independent Estonia-based specialist plastic pipe producer Krah Pipes OŰ to upgrade the approximately 40-year-old steel cooling water pipes.

Borealis’ bimodal HDPE BorSafe HE3490-LS was identifi ed as the pipe material offering the optimum balance of

properties to meet the project’s criteria. Three installation techniques - open trench, relining, and prefabricated seg-ments for horizontal and vertical bends – were required at Narva because of the complexity of the system, which includes a 30m section beneath a concrete platform supporting 120-ton transformers. Here electro-fusion welded pipes were pulled through and positioned in the pre-existing metal pipeline.

The consistent quality of BorSafe HE3490-LS allows for easy processing of both straight pipe sections and bends. The PE100 material creates smooth in-ner pipe surfaces and therefore a lower roughness coeffi cient than metal. As a result, Krah Pipes was able to produce spiral wound pipes with a reduced in-side diameter of 1400mm, compared to the 1580mm of the previous steel pipes whilst maintaining the same fl ow. A wall thickness of 20mm was used to deliver the necessary ring stiffness to ensure www.borealisgroup.com

BorSafe™ HE3490-LS installation

Octal reactors the world’s largest of melt-to-resin technology

www.octal.com

The raw material storage silos put into place in Octal’s PET resin facility in Oman

pipe integrity at the weld lines.The Estonian Energy Narva plant pipe

system renovation project commenced in September 2010 and was completed, system-tested and reactivated in November 2010.



RUBBER

Pallmann partners with GMN in tyre recycling joint ventureTWO market leaders have come together to provide a new concept for tyre recycling. The German Pallmann Group, one of the world’s largest developers and producers of innova-tive size reduction technologies, has formed a partnership with Spanish company GMN, a well-established and successful tyre recycler. Together, the two companies intend to de-velop, construct and sell complete plants for shredding and reprocessing vehicle tyres.

Pallmann Group has been supplying GMN with the most advanced and effi cient tyre shredding plants since 2004. The two companies have been working together to optimize costs per ton, fi nal product qual-ity, and output rates. The tough operating conditions at GMN provide full proof of the effi ciency and reliability of the plant compo-nents. Rubber, steel and textile fractions are extracted and sorted from used car and truck tyres, the separated materials are then profi t-ably marketed for reprocessing into various applications.

Against this background of extensive experience in plant construction, optimization and operation, GMN and Pallmann are now cooperating closely to come to the market under the Ecotrec banner. Ecotrec is a global provider of complete systems that encom-pass all modules necessary for recycling car and truck tyres. These include shredders (Lion and Tiger units), granulators (Pan-ther), and separators (Eco-Sep), as well as complete conveyor and control technology, including appropriate know-how. Initial focus will be on Europe and North America.

Pallmann partners with GMN in tyre recycling joint venture

www.pallmann.eu

REDISA extends deadline of waste tyre plan

V4XP• Travel: X 1050mm

Y 535mm Z 560mm

• Max Spindle MotorOutput: 30 Hp

• Spindle Speed:11000 rpm

• Rapid Feed X/Y/Z36/ 36/ 25 m/min

Unit 2, Greenview Park, 30 Nipper Rd,New Germany, Durban, KZN

PO Box 1785, Hillcrest, 3650

Tel: 031 705 7514 or 083 276 0128Fax: 031 705 8254Email: [email protected]

CONTACT MARTIN HASLAM


THE implementation of the Integrated Indus-try Waste Tyre Management Plan (IIWTMP) by the Recycling and Economic Develop-ment Initiative of South Africa (REDISA) is to be extended so that Government can re-ga-zette the plan. This will also allow REDISA to make provision for the inclusion of additional parties; to accept further public comment, in line with regulations; and accommodate the huge demand for its services. All industry stakeholders were supposed to register by 31 January.

No date had been given for the extension at the time of going to print.

REDHISA planned to recycle millions of tyres, create 15 000 jobs and generate R600 million a year. A statement issued by the organisation just six days before the 31 January deadline said: “Given that 681 inter-ested entrepreneurs and small businesses have already registered and shown their

support for the REDISA plan, this extension affords REDISA the opportunity to address the overwhelming interest the announce-ment of the plan has provoked. While this delay is very disappointing, REDISA will use the time to refi ne delivery of the plan so that the waste tyre problem in South Africa is on the road to recovery.”

REDISA is a not-for-profi t organisation independent from the SA tyre industry. They proposed a levy of R2.30 per kilogram which would apply to all tyres either manufac-tured or imported on or after 1 February 2012. According to REDHISA, the income generated from the levy would be used to help stimulate start-up businesses around the collection, transportation, storage and recycling of the waste.

Setting the record straightHowever, the process in awarding the management of the plan has been met with opposition from the tyre industry. In its recent statement REDHISA said that there had been media coverage that included unfounded allegations concerning REDISA’s CEO, Hermann Erdmann.

“Erdmann, with the full backing of REDISA, its supporters and associates, repudi-ates these defamatory remarks. They have no foundation and they are untrue. REDISA has and will continue to conduct its business in a fully transparent, honest, open and fair manner with all stakeholders. REDISA’s sole aim is to create a sustainable solution to the real waste tyre problem by including the informal sector, which, until now, has been marginalized.”

Erdmann previously owned a retread tyre company, is a former chairman of the Tyre www.redisa.org.za

Dealers and Fitment Association (TDAFA) and was on the board of the Retail Motor Industry (RMI) until last year. He relinquished his ties with the tyre industry on the advice of the Competition Commission to spearhead and oversee the REDHISA operation, which is required to be independent of the tyre industry.

TDAFA, which represents manufactur-ers, importers and distributors of major tyre brands, said regulations stated there could be more than one recycling plan, but it ap-peared REDHISA had been given the sole mandate to deal with up to 10 million tyres a year.

The South African tyre industry produces more than 10 million scrap tyres every year and it is estimated that anything between 60-million and 100-million scrap tyres are stockpiled in South Africa. Waste tyres pose an environmental problem, however, there is as yet no effective technology for disposing of tyres in an environmentally-friendly yet economically viable way.

The levy charged to the manufacturer will effectively subsidise the collection and

recycling processes. By giving the tyres a value for recycling, entrepreneurs will be able to build a busi-ness out of collecting tyres from their com-munity and delivering

them to a collection point. REDISA says a network of collection

depots and recyclers will be established and REDISA will provide training and support for the SMMEs that respond to the opportunity presented by the initiative. A full programme of interventions will be rolled out by REDISA to inform and advise the trade of its activities.

REDHISA plans to recycle millions of tyres, create 15 000 jobs and generate R600 million

a year.

RUBBER

Wheels of change kicks up dust

HXF HYBRID

Going GREEN.

• Servo driven hydraulics• Low noise• European servo technology• Latest microprocessor• Machines up to 168 tons

available ex stock• CE rated• From 88 to 1600 TON

your power consum

ption.Saving of up to

on70%

FOLLOWING the fi nalisation of the purchase of the EPDM business of Royal DSM by Lanxess, Plastichem has been appointed the distribution agents of the Keltan® EPDM range in South Africa with effect of 1 January 2012.

The Technical Rubber Products business unit of Lanxess, produces the synthetic rubber ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM) under the brand names of Buna® EP and Keltan®. Lanxess has plants based in Germany, Texas, Netherlands and Brazil.

Lanxess is strengthening its commitment to produce premium synthetic rubbers from

bio-based raw materials and its commercially produced ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM) from bio-based ethylene is the fi rst form of bio-based EPDM rubber in the world.

EPDM is conventionally produced using the petroleum-based raw materials ethylene and propylene. Alternatively, Lanxess plans to use ethylene derived purely from the renew-able resource sugar cane. This bio-based form of ethylene is produced by dehydrating ethanol from Brazilian sugar cane. The com-pany Braskem S.A. will supply the bio-based ethylene via pipeline to Lanxess’ existing EPDM plant in Triunfo, Brazil.


www.lanxess.com

www.lanxess.comwww.plastichem.co.za

PLASTICHEM AGENT FOR LANXESS EPDM

LANXESS expects a boost in demand for high-performance rubbers due to the European Union tyre labelling legislation that comes into effect in 2012.

“To meet the new legislation and the expected customer demand, our high-tech materials are essential. As the world’s largest partner for the tyre industry, we have adapted to the trend on time. We have made the right strategic investment decisions and have strengthened our capacities,” said Chairman of the Board of Management of Lanxess, Axel C. Heitmann.

According to the latest forecasts, around 2 billion tyres will leave the manufacturer’s production lines by 2015 compared with around 1.6 billion at present. This is an increase of some 25% for the tyre industry.

Because of the European Union tyre labelling initiative, the market share of ‘green tyres’ made of high-performance rubber will increase from its present 35% to around 50% of the overall tyre market.

Lanxess is meeting these challenges. In 2010 alone, expenditures for research and development increased by 15%. In 2011, research expenses were raised by a further 15% to about €130 million.

In South Korea, too, there are plans to introduce compulsory labelling based on the EU-model in 2012. In Japan, a volun-tary obligation by the industry to label tyres has existed since 2010, and regulations of this kind are currently under discussion in the United States and Brazil. China is yet another country, where tyre labelling is the subject of debate.

Less CO2 through lightweight constructionIn addition to ‘green tyres’, the consistent de-ployment of lightweight car design also helps to cut fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. What is needed, above all, are particularly intelligent material concepts based on light-weight plastics.

The plastic-metal composite technology invented by Lanxess based on metal and Durethan polyamide will be instrumental in keeping weight down. Hybrid parts of this kind are normally 20–30% lighter with comparable performance. In the meantime, over 30 million of these lightweight, highly load-resistant parts have been manufac-tured from sheet steel and various grades of Lanxess’ Durethan polyamide for more than 100 models of car.

Fuel fi lter from Durethan – The fuel fi lter’s housing and lid are made of Durethan DP BCF 30 X H2.0, a polyamide 6 from Lanxess that is reinforced with 30& by weight glass and carbon fi bres. Unlike die-cast aluminium, this electrically conductive resin yields components that require little secondary fi nishing.

Lanxess well equipped for boom in demand for ‘green tyres’

MATERIALS


TEKNOR Apex Company has developed three systems for bonding tubing made from its Medalist® medical elastomers to traditional connectors.

The new technologies broaden the applicability of Medalist MD-500 Series compounds as the fi rst practical TPE alter-native to PVC in medical tubing, according to Elliott Pritikin, senior medical market manager. They enable common-size TPE infusion tubing to achieve bonds exhibiting a retention force signifi cantly greater than the minimum required by device manufac-turers, with 99.7% confi dence that failures will not occur below the threshold of 35.6 Newton force.

“Commercially available adhesive and solvent systems used with PVC tubing either do not enable most TPE tubing to achieve this bonding strength, or do not permit suffi cient work time for ease of assembly,” Pritikin said. “Teknor Apex has

overcome these limitations for TPE tubing in the 65 to 85 Shore A range with develop-ment of two patent-pending adhesive systems and one patent-pending solvent bonding system.”

In tests of bonds between traditional connectors and tubing extruded from a 75 Shore A Medalist elastomer, the new adhesive systems exhibited ‘minus 3 sigma average retention force values’ of 50.6 and 41.0 N, respectively, and the solvent bond-ing system exhibited a force of 43.7 N (see bar graph). The breakthroughs in bonding technology remove remaining barriers to use of Medalist MD-500 Series elastomers in medical tubing. Compared with PVC, the Medalist compounds exhibit comparable crystal clarity and mechanical properties; provide similar clamp resilience and resis-tance to kinking and necking; have a similar feel; and are substantially more fl exible and signifi cantly less dense than PVC.

Bonding tubing to standard connectors

PQ CORPORATION, a leading USA producer of inorganic specialty chemicals and engi-neered glass materials, has launched Advera® Ti for partial replacement of titanium dioxide in coatings, plastics paper coatings and other markets. This next-generation product expands PQ Corp’s line of Advera products with a cost-effective replacement for TiO2 at comparable performance.

“This new product is a highly viable alterna-tive to titanium dioxide and meets the perfor-mance requirements of the market,” said Flavio Ribeiro, commercial development Director for PQ Corp.

Advera Ti features a small particle size, easy dispersion, and a crystal morphology which facilitates optimum TiO2 spacing. It also ex-hibits strong whiteness and brightness (hiding power).

Primary application uses include industrial and architectural coatings and plastics such as PVC resin. Advera Ti is manufactured at PQ Corp’s plant in Indiana. The material is commer-cially available and samples can be requested for customer trialing.

PQ offers an extensive line of Advera products targeted for the plastics, wood/polymer and warm-mix asphalt markets.

Foam has major benefi ts for aerospaceSABIC’s Innovative Plastics strategic busi-ness unit has launched its low moisture ab-sorption Ultem PEI foam for composite air-craft structures. Ultem resin’s low-moisture absorption is critical in that it helps address two major aircraft OEM challenges: reducing weight for fuel conservation and emissions reduc-tion, and lowering systems costs while delivering equal or better performance than traditional materials.

Low moisture absorption combined with the proven fl ame-smoke-toxicity (FST), dielectric, acoustic and thermal performance of Ultem foam underscores the pioneering work of SABIC in engineer-ing thermoplastic solutions for the aircraft industry.

Ultem foam products, available in three densities, are manufactured as boards for use in skin-core-skin composite structures.

Testing involved exposing Ultem foam and PMI foam boards to elevated heat (70˚C) and humidity (85% relative humidity) in an environmental chamber. Results demonstrated that the Ultem foam absorbed less than 0.5% moisture www.sabic-ip.com

www.pqcorp.com

• ADVANCED POLYMERS IS THE SA AGENT FOR TEKNOR APEX

New replacement for titanium dioxide

Reduces cost while offering comparable performance

by weight at 1000 hours. In contrast, PMI absorbed 5% to 6% moisture by weight at just 150 hours and maintained those results through 1000 hours.

On average, an aircraft will burn about 0.03 kg of fuel per hour for

each kilogram carried on board. Given that the

total commercial fl eet fl ies about

57 million hours per year, cutting one

kilogram per fl ight can save roughly 1 700 tons of

fuel and 5 400 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year.

Ultem foam is compatible with metals and thermoset laminate

materials, potentially eliminating adhesives and other secondary

operations that are common to the aircraft industry.

Ultem foam has a density of 10 to 30 times less than the traditional resin. It exhibits the outstanding FST performance of Ultem resin and offers excellent dielectric and acoustic properties, including dem-onstrated noise reduction coeffi cients of greater than 0.3.

Tubing and connectors

SABIC’s Ultem* PEI low moisture absorption foam

www.teknorapex.com

www.advancedpolymers.co.za

Composites design fl air!

INDUSTRIAL CATEGORY WINNER

Dieffenbacher GmbH has developed an innovative Direct SMC (sheet moulding compound) technology, in which long fi bre reinforced plastics can for the fi rst time be manufactured in a continuous process be-ginning with the raw materials and ending with the pressed parts in a closed process chain. This bypasses the cost-intensive steps of storing, banding and transporta-tion that used to be required for SMC semi-fi nished parts.

Faserinstitut Bremen has developed an innovative open ring-pattern leaf spring made from CRP. The leaf spring is constructed from a laminate which has a variety of fi bre orientations and changes continuously. This makes it possible to vary the resistance of the spring infi nitely from very hard to very soft, simply by turning the round open ring-pattern leaf spring in its bearing.

The new springs can be used in almost all spring-mounted systems such as seating and reclining furniture, vehicle seats, vehicle suspension systems, bicycle seat supports, active wheelchairs and many other applications.

EppingerDieffenbacher GmbH in cooperation with DSM Composite Resins and the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology of Germany:

New direct process for manufacturing high quality SMC parts

Bremer Faserinstiutute.V, the Bremen University of the Arts and InnoWi GmbH:

The looped composites spring leaf

ENVIRONMENTAL CATEGORY WINNER

ZajonsLogistik is the developer of Com-poCycle, a European wide take-back and recycling system for fi bre reinforced plastics. Together with its partner Zajon-sZerkleinerungs GmbH, the company has developed a system that permits 100% re-cycling of GRP and CRP waste products. The process takes waste GRP and CRP and mills them in a new multi-stage, dust-reduced process. This is all performed in an industrial plant that required an invest-ment of approximately € 6 million. The recycling plant has a capacity of 60 000 tons per year.

Zajons Logistik and Zajons Zerkleinerungs GmbH, Hamburg:

CompoCycle – Initiation of an Euro-pean wide take-back- and recycling system for fi bre reinforced plastics

THE coveted Innovation Awards presented by the AVK (German Federation of Reinforced Plastics) this year have once again recognised outstanding developments in the area of reinforced plastics. This year the awards were granted in three categories: industrial, environmental and university.

www.avk-tv.de

WORLD NEWS

UNIVERSITY CATEGORY WINNER


MATERIALS


SABIC’s Innovative Plastics business has released its new patent-pending Lexap-anel PC sheet standing seam technology to give architects and builders exceptional fl exibility when creating sustainable trans-lucent roofi ng and other glazing elements.

Lexapanel sheet was developed in collaboration with AmeriLux International, LLC, an authorized North American distributor of SABIC’s Lexan Thermoclear and Thermoclick sheet products. The new offering provides customers with far more glazing options, including choice of width, thickness, coating, colour, structure and type of connection.

Lexapanel sheet delivers the strength, weatherability, clarity and thermal insula-tion of SABIC’s Lexan PC multiwall sheet. The Lexapanel sheet standing seam sys-tem joins Lexan multiwall sheet panels of

Endless fi bre-reinforced skin layers can be combined with lightweight foam cores to yield high-quality sandwich structures with exceptionally good specifi c part stiffness and good insulating characteristics in combination with low weight

Thermal acoustic insulation fi lm meets specifi cation for aircraft interior applications

virtually any length and width with a choice of connectors, including U-shaped, tongue and groove and custom confi gurations. Customers can specify the structure, thick-ness and colour of the Lexan sheet, as well as the coating they require, including unique enhanced ultraviolet (UV) resistant coating.

In addition to roofi ng, Lexapanel sheet standing seam systems can be used for walkways, canopies, skylights, and shelters.

The material is durable, impact-resistant and strong and complies with CC1 (ASTM D635) and Class A (ASTM E-84) smoke and fi re ratings. Both sides of Lexan sheet are treated with proprietary UV protection against outdoor weathering.

www.sabic-ip.com

Focus on new composite technologiesBASF has established a lightweight composites team to focus on the development of marketable materials and technologies suitable for manufac-turing high-performance fi bre-reinforced automotive parts.

“We can build on BASF’s know-how in the areas of epoxy, polyurethane and polyamide chemistry and will be making a double-digit million euro investment in development in the coming years”, said Willy Hoven-Nievelstein, BASF’s head of the Engineering Plastics Europe business unit.

The processing technology behind the new materials is ‘Resin Transfer Moulding’ (RTM), used to produce large and complex composite components in a single press-form operation. This in-volves placing multilayer fi bre structures in a heated mould mounted in a press. A liquid resin is injected into the mould, wetting the fi bres completely and then curing in a controlled manner.

In the newly established RTM labora-tory in Ludwigshafen and at polyure-thane research in Lemförde, BASF experts are working on the chemical and technical challenges posed by the new matrix solutions.

The new polyamide systems that are currently under development can be welded easily and also recycled as ther-moplastics. Compared to conventional metal components, they will contribute to a weight reduction of about 50%.

www.basf.com

Lexapanel sheet was developed in collaboration with

AmeriLux International, LLC, an authorised

North American distributor of SABIC’s

Lexan Thermoclear and Thermoclick

sheet products

Sheet standing seam solution for glazing

Boosting the thermal performance of ABSIN A recent benchmark analysis of heat boosters, Polyscope Polymers has highlighted the benefi ts that can be obtained by the use of readily available Xiran® SMA copoly-mers as a modifi er in thermoplastic polymers.

Because Xiran SMA has a high glass transition temperature, it is able to signifi -cantly boost performance and value of various virgin and recycled resins, particularly ABS and PMMA. Xiran can improve thermal stability to widen the application window, make parts easier to bond, paint or print on, at a cost signifi cantly below that of several other additives and proprietary polymer modifi cation techniques. The material can also act as excellent compatibilizer between resins that are normally immiscible, such as PA/ABS.

SMA is a unique polymer: Styrene maleic anhydride has long been established as a high performance thermoplastic in its own right. Increasingly, it is now being used as a functional additive and compatibilizer in other amorphous and to some extent crystal-line thermoplastics. Xiran SMA’s high glass-transition temperature (Tg) range of 145-175°C makes it a cost-effective means of boosting high temperature per-formance in PMMA and ABS resins. The addition of between 1.5 and 3.3% SMA typically raises the Vicat softening point by around 1°C. Compounders and recy-clers can take lower value, standard- or scrap-grade ABS and transform it into value-added high-heat ABS using SMA resin, which is less costly and far more accessible than many other additives.

www.polyscope.euXiran® SMA boosts the temperature performance of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) polymers. (PICTURE: POLYSCOPE: PSPR006)


BASF TO BUILD SPECIALTY PLASTICS PLANT IN KOREABASF will build a new plant to produce Ultrason® polyethersulfone (PESU), one of BASF’s high-performance thermoplastics, at the company’s site in Yeosu, Korea. The annual capacity of the new plant is 6 000 tons. Construction of this specialty plastics plant will start in early 2012 and production is expected to begin by early 2014.

BASF plan to invest about 2.3 billion in Asia Pacifi c from 2011 to 2015 to achieve its goal to produce 70% of its sales in the region. Ultrason is sold to customers in the electronics industry, as well as the automotive and aerospace industries for the production of heat-resistant light weight components and to the water treat-ment industry for manufacturing of water treatment membranes. www.basf.com

BEST SUPPLIER OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE PLASTICS THE Semi-Crystalline Products business unit of Lanxess has been honoured as the best supplier of high-performance plastics and presented with the ‘2011 Global Supplier Award’ by Mann+Hummel. The Ludwigsburg-based fi ltration specialist honours its best suppliers with the prize in recognition of their outstanding performance or achievements. “Besides our product quality and innovative capability, our delivery reliability and fl exibility were also singled out for praise. Thanks in part to our production facilities throughout the world, we were able to ensure the reliable supply of material to our partners at all times, even under complex logistical conditions and tight deadlines,” said Egbert von Platen, Head of Marketing and Distribution, including for the Europe region, at Semi-Crystalline Products.

Lanxess supplies Mann+Hummel with tailored Durethan poly-amides, which are used in the fabrication of a wide range of plastic oil modules, fuel fi lter housings and oil fi lter wrenches, for example.

SABIC, KAUST LAUNCH POST-DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP AWARDSWITH the primary goal of supporting talented scientists and encouraging technology development in Saudi Arabia, SABIC and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) launched the SABIC Post-Doctoral Fellowship Awards at an inaugural awards function at the university campus in Thuwal, near Jeddah, in November.

The inaugural awards went to 15 outstanding post-doctoral fellows from across KAUST’s three academic divisions. The win-ning fellows’ research interests span the critical areas of new and renewable energies, water research, advanced materials, catalysis, scientifi c computational services, renewable feedstocks, materials engineering, and nanotechnologies. www.sabic.com

WINNERS at the 2011 Plastics Industry Awards, held in the London Hilton – the 11th annual event to be run by Plastics & Rubber Weekly (PRW) included designers of a washable, hygienic adjustable rowing shoe and a student who designed a grow box enabling residents in high rise fl ats to cultivate their own vegetables.

AROUND THE WORLD

Consumer Product Design of the Year:Won by John Ewans Design for designing a washable, hygienic adjustable rowing shoe, now sold throughout the world and worn by the UK National Rowing squad.

Agentdraw Young Designer of the YearWon by Barty Rowland-Orme who is studying product design at Brighton University. Barty developed ‘Urban Greens’, a hy-droponic growing aid which allows inner city dwellers to successfully grow their own vegetables over balconies or outside windows.

Supplier Partnership: Prime MachineryWon by Engel UK and Ambic Equipment for a mould shop overhaul which resulted in aver-age operating effi ciency rising from below 60% to 86%.

www.plasticsawards.com

For all the winners, visit

Industrial Product DesignWon by FSW Design for TroBord, a lightweight blow-moulded ballast board developed for the rail industry.

UK plastics industry honoursthe best of the best

WORLD NEWS

BOOKS

PE fi lm extrusion recovers from recession

DETAILS OF OVER 1240 PE FILM EXTRUDERS IN EUROPE

LEADING plastics industry consultant, AMI, has just published the ninth edition of its Guide to The Polyethylene Film Extrusion Industry in Europe. As can be expected with recession hitting Europe in 2008, the PE fi lm extrusion industry took a downturn. Between 2007 and 2009 PE fi lm production fell by 1 million tons. About half of this lost volume was recovered during 2010 and the industry continues to make steady progress in 2011. With a vol-ume demand in excess of 7.5 million tons for 2010 PE fi lm extrusion still represents one of the largest plastics processing sectors, accounting for 19% of polymer consumption in Europe during 2010.

Inevitably the recession has had an impact on the number of companies operating in Europe. Compared with the previous edition of AMI’s report there are 5% fewer companies listed with France, the UK, Benelux and Scandinavia seeing the greatest decline in numbers. Produc-ers of carrier bags, heavy duty sacks and building fi lms were worst affected while food packaging suppliers generally per-formed better as there was less contrac-tion in demand from this sector through

the downturn. A signifi cant change has been the

growing demand for more sophisticated multi-layer fi lms and technical coextru-sions which now account for 9% of PE fi lm production in Europe, compared with just 5% in AMI’s previous edition. In the guide approximately 10% of the compa-nies listed are capable of manufacturing fi ve or more multilayer fi lms.

Italy still has the largest amount of PE fi lm production with Germany a close second. However, in terms of number of companies operating there are over 100 more in Italy compared with Germany, re-fl ecting the more fragmented structure of the industry in Italy. Poland leads the way in Central Europe, accounting for around 50% of fi lm production in the region and the largest number of fi lm extruders.

As the industry moves out of recession AMI forecasts that production will move in line with underlying GDP growth for Eu-rope. An annual average growth of around 2-3%/year would result in an industry pro-cessing over 8.7 million tonnes by 2015.

iSMITHERS Rapra Publishing has released the ‘Handbook of Polymers in Paper Conservation’, describing the latest developments in paper conservation by using polymeric materials. A short introduction on polymer chemistry is given to highlight the polymer character-istics and properties. The book is then dedicated to the conservative problems and issues in the fi eld of paper artworks.

This practical book identifi es the importance of each type of polymer, related to its nature and proper-

ties, from the point of view of paper conservation. With the help of schemes and tables, the polymers are classifi ed in terms of char-acteristics and fi nal uses in respect to this very complex material.

ACCORDING to AMI’s recently published Euro-pean Plastics Industry Report 2011, 2010 saw a recovery in demand for most thermoplastics, after two of the worst years the industry has seen since the oil shocks of the 1970s.

After a drop in demand of over 15% over the period of the recession, volume demand showed a modest 4% recovery in 2010, bring-ing total demand to just over 37 million tons. While most sectors reported continuing growth in the fi rst half of 2011, by mid-year signs of a slowdown were beginning to emerge and full year was expected to pan out at about half the rate achieved in 2010 and only slightly ahead of GDP. Another impact of the downturn has been

a shrinking in per capita demand of thermoplastics (based on plastics conver-sion, rather than the demand for plastic goods). Per capita use of polymer in 2011 stands at just short of 74kg/head compared with over 82kg/head in 2007.

Paper conservation using plastics

Uncertain outlook for European plastics industry

www.amiplastics.com

www.polymer-books.com www.amiplastics.com


THE fi ller market will grow by about 2.5% per year according to Ceresana Research who has fully revised

the worldwide fi rst market study on fi llers. The market research institute forecasts the global fi ller market to earn revenues of approximately US$22.5 billion in 2018.

Manufacturers, traders and pro-cessors will benefi t from Ceresana’s in-depth presentations and analyses of all important data and facts: 21 types of fi llers as well as profi les on 26 countries, 7 regions, and 5 ap-plication areas.

Additionally, Ceresana provides a clearly-arranged list of producers, including 339 profi les of fi ller manu-facturers. The reference volume comprises over 1000 pages, 132 coloured graphs and 160 tables.

The extensive report offers readers the decisive advantage by providing 8-year reviews as well as price, revenue and demand fore-casts – split by application areas – up to 2018.

Quality advantage through fi llers

www.ceresana.com/en/market-studies/additives/fi llers-new/

In 2009, construction began on a project to link Hong Kong with Macau and the main-land Chinese city of Zhuhai. The impres-sive Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau fi xed-link project will be one of the region’s most technically complex engineering projects ever. It includes a 30km dual three-lane carriageway with a 23km bridge, an almost 7km tunnel and two artifi cial islands. The tunnel will be the world’s longest deep-water immersed tunnel for road traffi c.

In October 2011, Trelleborg Infrastruc-ture signed a contract with China Com-munications Construction Co. Ltd. (CCCC) for the tunnel’s sealing system. The seals were chosen for their innovative design that will ensure water-tightness even in

the event of seismic activity. The joints will be sealed with a Trelleborg sealing system consisting of Gina gaskets, Omega seals and waterstops as well as other seal designs.

An immersed tunnel consists of several large, long concrete elements that are con-structed onshore. Seals are used between the sections to keep the water out of the tunnel. Each element is towed by barges to its fi nal position and then immersed in the water.

With 33 large elements submerged at depths of more than 40 meters below the surface, the project pushes the boundaries of what is technically possible.

Trelleborg is the world’s leading manu-

facturer of gaskets and seals for tunnels. In tunnels its Gina gaskets are used as pri-mary seals, while its Omega seals are the secondary seals, used mainly for backup to ensure everything is 100% watertight.

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau tunnel project will contain 34 Gina gaskets with circumferences of around 90 metres. They are produced in a mould, each weighing nine tons, and must be transported in a 12m open-top container.

There will also be 34 large and 219 smaller Omega seals as well as rubber waterstops with vulcanized steel strips to make the concrete sections watertight.

Installation of a Gina gasket on a tunnel elementThe Gina seal is installed with a special clamping system

The Gina and Omega sealing system

Visualisation of bridge and tunnel

www.trelleborg.com

Sealing the world’s longest immersed tunnel

WORLD NEWS

EVONIK DOUBLES PMMA MOULDING COMPOUNDS CAPACITYTHE last quarter of 2011 saw phase-two expansion of Evonik’s PMMA plant in Shanghai completed and put online, doubling its regional manufacturing capacity for moulding compounds made of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) to around 40 000 tons.

The PMMA facility, part of a world-scale methacry-late complex, originally commenced with production of PlexiglasS® moulding compounds for the Chinese and all other Asian markets in 2008.

Evonik began investing in the region as an early mover

when it set up its methacrylate complex — a project entailing total expenditure of more than 200 million. www.evonik.com

STARLINGER LINE FOR CHINESE CHEMICALS SUPPLIERSTARLINGER supplies production machinery for the Shi-hlien chemical production facility in Huaian. The worldwide production of AD*STAR® block bottom valve bags has reached more than four million bags per year since its market introduction in 1995. The prestigious project in Ji-angsu Province will further add to this impressive number.

Chinese chemicals producer Shihlien Chemical Industrial (Jiangsu) Co. Ltd., a member of Taiwan Glass Group, opted for high-end machinery from Starlinger for manufacturing AD*STAR® block bottom valve bags for packaging their products. The scope of delivery comprises a tape extrusion line, tape winders, circular looms, a coating/lamination line, a printing line, two ad*starKON conversion lines including a qualiSTAR quality control unit, as well as auxiliary equipment. The production output will be 40 million AD*STAR® bags per year for packaging two million tons of soda ash and ammonium chloride.

www.starlinger.comAROU

ND T

HE W

ORLD



Honouring the bestINNOVATION

CATEGORY: BODY EXTERIOR

Twin-sheet thermoforming replaces blow moulding to create the structure and ribbing of this tough storage box with lid. The result is a more uniform, more dimensionally accurate part whose length was increased from 1,7m to 2m, requiring greater emphasis on the ‘heavy-duty’ nature of the structure’s design and materi-als of construction. A special new grade of GR-PP eliminated the need to upgrade to heavier and more costly PA 6/6, avoiding a 9% weight and 20% cost increase.

RAM BOX ASSEMBLY WITH LIDOEM Make & Model: Chrysler Group LLC 2012 MY Dodge® Ram® pickupTier Supplier/Processor: Penda Corp. / Penda Corp. (lid), Evco Plastics (bin), River Bend Industries (end caps)Material Supplier / Toolmaker: Asahi Kasei Plastics North America Inc. / Cavalier Tool & Mfg. Ltd. (injection-moulded bin); Tooling Technology LLC (thermoformed lid)Material / Process: Thermylene® P8-40FG-4611 (box), P6-15FG-0741 (lid); P6-15FG-0754 (end caps) PP / Twin-sheet thermoforming

CATEGORY: BODY INTERIOR

The injection-moulded PP design reduces part count from 5 to 1 / seat, piece cost $0.56 USD per seat, tooling costs $288,000 USD, and per-vehicle mass by 1.93 kg vs. the previous design. The single-piece design provides wire harness routing and retention, seat-cushion and back-trim retention, and climate-control system retention – functionality that previously required 6 parts to achieve. Now there are 5 fewer parts to manage, control, and install and fewer opportunities for potential failure modes.

OVERMOULD-CUSHION SUSPENSIONOEM Make & Model: Ford Motor Co. 2012 MY Ford® Escape® SUV & Kuga® CUVTier Supplier/Processor: Flex-O-Lators Div. of Leggett & Platt Inc.Material Supplier / Toolmaker: Washington Penn / Advanced Mould Engineering Inc.Material / Process: PPC5UF0 PP / Injection moulding

GRAND AWARD WINNER

CATEGORY: PROCESS / ASSEMBLY / ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES

MUCELL® INSTRUMENT PANELOEM Make & Model: Ford Motor Co. 2012 MY Ford® Escape® compact SUV & Kuga® compact CUVTier Supplier/Processor: FaureciaMaterial Supplier / Toolmaker: SABIC Innovative Plastics & Flint Hills Resources / LamkoMaterial / Process: Stamax® EXRP-49 30YK270 & AP3335-HF long glass / 30% talc-fi lled PP / Microcellular injection moulding

This is the largest automotive component moulded in the patented MuCell injection-moulding process and the fi rst instrument panel to be moulded in this process. By creating the part in microcellular foam, weight is re-duced by over 0.5kg, mechanicals are improved, cycle time is reduced 15%, and clamp tonnage is reduced 45%, saving an estimated $3 US / vehicle vs. solid injection moulding.

THE Automotive Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE®) recently named the winners of its 41st-annual Automotive Innovation Awards Competi-tion, the oldest and largest recognition event in the automotive and plastics industries.

The SPE is ‘home’ to nearly 20 000 plastics professionals in more than 70 countries around the world. SPE’s Au-tomotive Innovation Awards Program is the oldest and largest competition of its kind in the world. Dozens of teams made up of OEMs, tier suppliers, and polymer producers submit nominations describ-ing their part, system, or complete vehicle and why it merits the claim as the ‘Year’s Most Innovative Use of Plastics’. This annual event typically draws 600 to 800 OEM engineers, automotive and plastics industry executives, and media.

The mission of SPE is to promote sci-entifi c and engineering knowledge relat-ing to plastics worldwide and to educate industry, academia, and the public about these advances. SPE’s Automotive Divi-sion is active in educating, promoting, recognizing, and communicating techni-cal accomplishments for all phases of plastics and plastic-based-composite developments in the global transporta-tion industry. Topic areas include applica-tions, materials, processing, equipment, tooling, design, and development.

WORLD NEWS

in automotive plastics

THE SuperPlug® integrated composite door-hardware module—which fi rst debuted on 1997 model year (MY) Chevrolet Venture and Malibu, Pontiac Transport, Oldsmobile Silhouette and Cutlass, and Opel Sintra vehicles from then General Motors Corp was selected as the 2011 Hall of Fame winner of the Automotive Division of the SPE’s 41st-annual Automotive Innovation Awards Competition. To be considered for a Hall of Fame award, an automotive-plastic component must have been in continuous service in some form for at least 15 years and preferably have been widely adopted within the automotive or ground-transportation industries.

As the fi rst all-plastic integrated door-hardware module, it reduced components and fasteners by up to 75% by moulding features into a single gas-assist injection-moulded composite frame that literally ‘plugged-into’ the inner door on the vehicle-assembly line, improving ergonomics and quality, saving labor time and costs, and reducing warranty claims.

Superplug® door hardware module is 2011 Hall of Fame winner

This power-window motor changed from a steel output pinion to a new injection-moulded polyester one for a quieter/lighter motor to meet customer targets while still complying with window velocities. It is industry’s fi rst plastic output pinion that en-sures functionality. Additionally, the design allows for regulator plug-‘n-play capabil-ity into the power drum for better motion control. Packaging of the involute onto the spline gear to the accommodating drum spline was critical to the customer. The ap-plication saved $450,000 USD direct and $250,000 indirect cost savings annually.

POWER-WINDOW MOTOR OUTPUT GEAR & SHAFT

OEM Make & Model: Ford Motor Co. 2011 MY Ford® All Focus® compact cars (globally)Tier Supplier/Processor: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KG / Mitsuba Corp.Material Supplier / Toolmaker: DuPont Automotive / Camo-plast Inc.Material / Process: Hytrel® TPC-ET polyester / Injection moulding

CATEGORY: CHASSIS / HARDWARE

This is the fi rst automotive use of PA 10/10 and the fi rst bio-based PA 10/10 application. It is used in a diesel fuel line replacing PA 12. The bio-based resin provides superior temperature and chemical resistance, as well as heat-aging performance in biodiesel fuel blends vs. PA 12. This specifi c composition also contains a mini-mum of 60% bio content by weight for a more sustainable solution.

RENEWABLY SOURCED PA FOR BIODIESEL FUEL LINES

OEM Make & Model: Fiat S.p.A. 2011 MY Fiat® Diesel engines, various modelsTier Supplier/Processor: HutchinsonMaterial Supplier / Toolmaker: DuPont Automotive / Not StatedMaterial / Process: Zytel® RS 1610 PA 10/10 / Extrusion

CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENTAL



WORLD NEWS

THE interiors of the 2011 model year Chrysler® 200 and Dodge® Avenger® mid-size sedans, which were developed and launched as part of vehicle facelifts in just over a year, won Chrysler Group LLC and its interiors sup-plier, Faurecia, the 2011 Vehicle Engineering Team Award (VETA) from the Automotive Division of the SPE as part of the group’s 41st-annual Automo-tive Innovation Awards Competition.

Unlike other SPE executive awards, VETA recognizes the technical achievements of entire teams comprised of automotive designers and en-gineers, tier integrators, materials suppliers, toolmakers, and others whose work – in research, design, engineering, and/or manufacturing – has led to signifi cant integration of polymeric materials on a notable vehicle. This is the fi fth time in eight years that the award has been presented. The fi rst winner was Porsche AG for the 2004 MY Porsche® Carrera GT supercar, and Ford Motor Co. has won in three previous years with, respectively, its 2009 MY Ford Flex™ cross-over-utility vehicle (CUV), 2010 MY Ford® Taurus sedan, and 2011 MY Ford® Explorer sport-utility vehicle (SUV).

CATEGORY: POWERTRAIN

Thermoplastic battery frames are an integral part of electric-vehicle thermal management, channel-ling coolant to and from the cells. The use of injection-moulded hydrolysis-resistant PA 6/6 for thermal-cycling management is a lightweight enabling material for this design, which required exact-ing manufacturing consistency and high levels of repeatability and reproducibility.

BATTERY PACK

OEM Make & Model: General Motors Co. 2011 MY Chevrolet® Volt® extended-range EVTier Supplier/Processor: General Motors Co. / MANN+HUMMEL GmbHMaterial Supplier / Toolmaker: BASF Corp. / Omega Corp.Material / Process: Ultramid® 1503-2F PA 6/6 33% GF, HS / Injec-tion moulding

RALF technology is an optimized instrument panel / passenger airbag door system that uses a reinforced structural 3D-skeleton of PET mesh textile and polyure-thane foam lid. RALF replaces the traditional metal or plastic airbag lid door and offers much improved airbag lid positioning with less risk of windshield breakage. It offers signifi cant weight savings over traditional foam-in-place airbag construction and is cost-neutral.

REINFORCED AIRBAG LID IN FOAM (RALF)

OEM Make & Model: Ford Motor Co. 2011 MY Ford® Focus® compact carTier Supplier/Processor: Faurecia Interior SystemsMaterial Supplier / Tool-maker: Not stated / Not statedMaterial / Process: PET & PUR / Not stated

CATEGORY: SAFETY

This lightweight, injection-moulded PP pillar trim provides the texture and appearance of more costly fabric-wrapped trim through use of a unique fi ller combination consisting of volcanic rock, fi bre pile, and glass spheres replacing talc-fi lled PP and fabric-wrapped PP. No special tooling was required but process control was impor-

tant so as not to crush the glass spheres and to distribute the fi bre pile evenly during compounding and moulding. A 10% weight and a 50% direct cost savings was achieved. Other benefi ts gained from using the volcanic mineral are that it emits negative ions (to reduce pollutants) and far-infrared energy.

VOLCANIC-FILLER PILLAR TRIM

OEM Make & Model: Hyundai-Kia Automo-tive Group 2011 MY Kia® Pride subcompact & Optima® mid-size sedan and Hyundai® Elantra® compact carTier Supplier/Processor: Plakor Co. Ltd.Material Supplier / Toolmaker: Hyundai EP Co. Ltd. / Not StatedMaterial / Process: Supol® HL345CL PP / Injection moulding

CATEGORY: MATERIALS

www.speautomotive.com/innowww.speautomotive.com/awawww.4spe.org

Chrysler Group wins 2011 Vehicle Engineering Team Award

Insurance Financing ofEquipment

Forex

Funding of Debtors

Funding of Imports

Forwardingof Goods

& CustomsClearing

Financeto Pay Supplier Forex Forwarding/

ShippingInsurance WarehousingCustomsClearing Distribution Sales Payment from

Customer


75 years of global PU industry75 YEARS after Prof Otto Bayer’s initial patent marking the advent of polyurethanes chemistry in 1937, the organisers of Utech Europe 2012 taking place in Maastricht, The Netherlands from 17-19 April, have confi rmed that the exhibition will be the biggest ever staged.

The Utech Europe 2012 exhibi-tion and conference offers materials specialists the perfect opportunity to see global advancements in polyure-thane technology, including all the latest products and machines. Among more than 100 exhibitors are industry leaders Bayer, BASF, Huntsman, BorsodChem, Wanhua, Shell, Repsol, Baule, Dow, Silcart and Evonik as well as systems houses, technical consultancies, and test laboratories.

Opening the three-day conference will be a keynote presentation from

Ding Jiansheng, Chairman of Yantai Wanhua Polyurethanes Co Ltd, China, leading into a Plenary Session focused on celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the invention of polyurethanes chemis-try. Other presentations look back over the history of the industry and assess its prospects for the future. Experts will discuss the development of the key raw materials and processing equipment used to make these versatile materials.

Presentations also look at the devel-opment of and prospects for the global markets amid the current turmoil in the world’s leading economies, including a special report on the development of the polyurethanes industry in Indonesia, as well as the latest advances in ‘green’ chemistry, raw materials based on renewable resources.

www.utecheurope.eu

ChinaPlas 2012 in AprilCHINAPLAS 2012 (The 26th International Exhibition on Plastics and Rubber Industries) will return to Shanghai, PR China at Shanghai New International Expo Centre from 18-21 April.

ChinaPlas 2012 will introduce advanced products, technologies and so-lutions from all around the world. At the fairground, the integration

of new technologies, new concepts, new designs and low energy consumption solutions into various industries

will be demonstrated. A wide range of high-end ma-chines, value-added new materials and innovative

products will be showcased to satisfy diversi-fi ed purchasing needs of both Chinese and overseas buyers.

The total exhibition area is expected to hit a new record high of 200 00m2, enjoying an increase of 33.3% over the last edition held at Shanghai in 2010. The 4-day exhibition will attract over 2 600 exhibitors from 35 countries and regions. In addition, the hot

topics conference and more than 70 technical seminars will be concurrently.

www.chinaplasOnline.com

DIAR

Y

POLYESTER & PET CHAIN 2012: 14-16 Feb Swissotel, Zurich, Switzerland: www.amiconferences.com

MEDICAL DESIGN & MANUFACTURING (MDM): 14-16 Feb: Annaheim, California: www.MDMwest.com

GRASS YARN & TUFTERS FORUM 2012: 20-22 Feb Swissotel, Zurich, Switzerland: www.amiconferences.com

PLASTEX 2012: 26-29 FebCairo-Egypt: www.plastex-online.com

PIPELINE COATING 2012: 27-29 Feb Vienna, Austria: www.amiplastics.com/Events

TYREXPO AFRICA 2012: 6-8 MarchSandton Convention Centre, Jhb: www.eci-international.com

ENERGY STORAGE SUMMIT: 13-14 March Düsseldorf, Germany: www.energy-storage-online.de

LATEX & SYNTHETIC POLYMER DISPERSIONS: 13-14 March: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysiawww.polymerconferences.com

MEDTEC EUROPE: 13-15 MarchStuttgart, Germany: www.medteceurope.com

GREEN POLYMER CHEMISTRY: 20-22 March Maritim Hotel, Cologne, Germany: www.amiplastics.com

PVC FORMULATION 2012: 20-22 March Dusseldorf, Germany: www.amiplastics.com/Events

WORLD PULTRUSION CONFERENCE: 22-23 MarchIstanbul, Turkey: www.pultruders.com

TUBE 2012: 26-30 MarDusseldorf, Germany: www.tube-tradefair.com

WIRE 2012: 26-30 MarDusseldorf, Germany: www.wire-tradefair.com

NPE 2012: 1-5 AprOrlando, Florida, USA: www.npe.org

PLASTICS JAPAN: 11-13 AprilTokyo Big Sight, Japan: www.plas.jp/en

INDOPLAS 2012: 11-14 April Jakarta, Indonesia: www.indoplas.com

UTECH EUROPE 2012: 17-19 April Maastricht, Netherlands: www.utecheurope.eu

IISRP AGM: 16-19 April Venice, Italy: www.iisrp.com

4TH PAINTEXPO: 17-20 Apr Germany: www.paintexpo.com

CHINAPLAS 2012: 18-21 Apr Shanghai, China: www.chinaplasonline.com

DIEMOULD INDIA: 19-22 Apr Mumbai, India: www.demat.com

POLYMERS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS 2012: 24-26 Apr Maritim Hotel, Cologne, Germany: www.amiplastics.com

ZIMBABWE INT’L TRADE FAIR: 24-28 Apr Bulawayo, Zimbabwe: www.zitf.net

SPE THERMOFORMING CONFERENCE: 25-27 Apr Venice, Italy: www.e-t-d.org

DRUPA 2012: 3-16 May Dusseldorf, Germany: www.drupa.com

BIOPLASTICS COMPOUNDING&PROCESSING: 8-9 May Miami, Florida, USA: www.amiplastics-na.com/Events

WAITEX: 8-10 May Lagos, Nigeria: www.exhibitionsafrica.com

AFRICA INFRASTRUCTURE: 8-11 May ExpoCentre, Johannesburg: www.africainfrastructure.co.za

PLAST 2012: 8-12 May Fiera Milano, Milan, Italy: www.plastonline.org

PLASTPACK GHANA 2012: 10-12 May Accra, Ghana: www.plastemart.com

ARABIAMOLD 2012: 14-17 May Expo Centre Sharjah, UAE: www.euromold.com

Children’s toys as well as protective fl oor covers,

among a massive range of other products, are fre-quently produced in PUs

Utech 2012 celebrates

2012 EVENTS

GREEN POLYMER CHEMISTRY 2012THE Green Polymer Chemistry 2012 conference will take place from 20-22 March at the Maritim Hotel, Cologne, Germany. The term ‘Green Polymer Chemistry’ is used here to describe the production of established thermoplastics and elastomers from renewable sources, including PE, PP, PVC, PET, PA, epoxy resin and polyurethane.

All the major polymer producers are looking at the viability of renewable sources and R&D is rap-idly developing in this area. There is an exceptional level of research taking place around the world on green chemistry, for example at the VTT Technical Research Centre (Finland), Materia Nova (Belgium), York University and the National Non-Food Crops Centre (NNFC, United Kingdom).

The international forum wil debate Green Poly-mer Chemistry covering market drivers, agriculture crop availability, potential production methods and case studies of materials that have reached the marketplace. www.amiplastics.com

PVC FORMULATION 2012MARKET trends and technical developments in PVC additives and compounding will be debated at the PVC Formulation 2012 conference from 20-22 March at the Maritim Hotel, Düsseldorf, Germany.

PVC is one of the oldest, most established and predictable materials for many key applications including construction, medical devices, food pack-aging and automotive. Its properties and durability have led to many decades of use with extensive benefi ts to mankind. The next generation of recipes will establish a foothold for the industry for the 21st century. PVC Formulation 2012 in March in Düsseldorf brings together expert compounders, material suppliers, international researchers and members of the industry supply chain to debate the market trends and technical developments across the world. www.amiplastics.com

WORLD PULTRUSION CONFERENCETHE 11th World Pultrusion Conference will take place from 22-23 March in Istanbul. Organiser, the EPTA, European Pultrusion Technology Asso-ciation, says that the conference will cover innova-tions in the area of pultruded reinforced plastics and presentations will be practically oriented. Topics will include market development in USA, Asia, Europe; innovative applications, sustainability; raw materials; development of fi bres; development of resins; construction, testing and calculation; and processes.www.pultruders.com

PLASTIC JAPANTHE fi rst and only annual event for the plastics industry in Japan will be held from 11-13 April. Plastic Japan is a comprehensive show that gathers all the raw materials for highly-functional plastics and the world’s highest plastic-related technologies. The show provides great opportuni-ties to meet decision makers from EV & HEV, Smartphone, FPD, photovoltaic, LED, medical instrument, aircraft manufacturers and more.www.plas.jp/en


IISRP 53RD AGM IN VENICETHE International Institute of Synthetic Rubber Producers, Inc. (IISRP) 53rd AGM will be held in in Venice, Italy, from 16-19 April. ‘The SR Industry: Sustaining the Future’ will be the theme of the Institute’s fi rst meeting in Venice. A outstanding programme of speakers has been assembled, with some high level speakers focusing on sustainability within the rubber industry. www.iisrp.com

INDOPLAS 2012INDOPLAS is a specialized exhibition for the plastic materi-als processing, plastic machinery, components and raw material sectors in Indonesia. The show presents a com-plete offering of machinery for injection moulding, welding expanded resins extrusion and productions, recycling auxiliary materials and devices. Semi-fi nished products, technical parts and reinforced plastics are also on display.

Accompanying the growth of Indonesia’s plastics and rubber industries, INDOPLAS has become an essential meeting and business platform for the plastics and rubber industries and is widely recognized as one of Indonesia’s most prominent exhibition. The show is taking place from 11-14 April in Jakota, Indonesia.

AFRICA INFRASTRUCTURE IN 2012DEUTSCHE Messe is expanding its foreign activities and will be organizing its fi rst-ever event in South Africa in 2012. The trade fair, Africa Infrastructure, will take place from 8-11 May at the ExpoCentre in Johannesburg.

Involving a combination of both exhibition and conference, Africa Infrastructure will focus on keynote themes such as energy, water and waste water management, construction, transport and logistics, as well as telecommunications.www.africainfrastructure.co.za

Deadline for NPE design competition extendedTHE deadline for the second International Plastics Design Competition (IPDC), ex-pected to be a highlight of the NPE show – in Orlando, Florida, USA, from 1-5 April – has been extended to 29 February.

Entries from any end market and any country in the world are welcome.

Entries may be submitted online at www.plasticsdesign.org and can be for fi nished products or components and can be submitted by any individual or company along the supply chain, designer, toolmaker, processor, material supplier, equipment builder, or OEM.

The IPDC is organized by the SPI (Soci-ety of the Plastics Industry), the founder and producer of the triennial NPE plastics exposition.

The show has relocated from Chicago

to Florida, in the warmer south of the USA. It is expected to be bigger than the last NPE in 2009, with larger booths, more equipment operating on the exhibit fl oor, and many fi rst-time participants drawn to the new venue.

The trade show portion will include 2 000 companies exhibiting on 93,000m² and is expected to be visited by industry professionals from 120 countries.

Co-located events will include SPE ANTEC® 2012, the world’s largest plastics technical conference; SPI’s Business of Plastics Conference; and the second annual International Plastics Design Competition.

NEW WEST AFRICAN EXPOSOUTH African based Exhibition Management Services (EMS) will be launching the West African International Trade Exhibition for Retail Products (WAITEX) in the country’s capital, Lagos, from 8-10 May.

The show will be modelled on the successful Southern African International Trade Exhibition (SAITEX), held in Johannesburg annually for the last 18 years. This year’s SAITEX show attracted almost 500 exhibi-tors, with 54 countries participating. SAITEX’s many international clients have requested a similar platform to access the booming West Africa market. Nigeria is Africa’s most populous nation and is the continent’s second-biggest economy; growing at an incredible 10% per year by the time WAITEX takes place in 2012.www.exhibitionsafrica.com

PLASTPACK GHANAPLASTPACK Ghana, an international exhibition for the plastics, rubber and packing industry, will be held from 10-12 May at the Ghana Trade Fair Company, Accra. www.plastemart.com

PLASTIVISION ARABIA 2012THE launch edition of Plastivision Arabia will be held

at Expo Centre Sharjah from 14-17 May. The Middle East, during the last decade, has fast emerged as a serious player in the global market owing to the twin benefi ts of low raw material and feedstock prices and proximity to the highly lucrative Asian market.

Plastivision Arabia will aim to bring together raw material producers, primary processing and auxiliary equipment suppliers and traders, leveraging on the high growth potential of the UAE plastics industry. www.plastivision.ae

ZIMBABWE SHOW IN APRILZITF 2012 scheduled for 24-28 April will be the 53rd consecutive Trade Fair to be held in the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre. In May 1960 the fi rst ‘Central Africa Trade Fair’ was launched in this site that has been used as a venue for trade and/or agricultural shows since 1899.

The Zimbabwe International Trade Fair is the largest intra-regional trade fair South of the Sahara. An annual exhibition which offers exposure to both trade and public visitors, the multi-sectoral, multi-national expo provides the largest, most convenient trade hub in the region. Its location in Bulawayo, the centre of Southern Africa, is at the crossroads of the regional trade and

transportation routes.Its extensive, 17-hectare permanent exhibition

centre offers over 58 000 sq.m of developed exhibition space. ZITF and the specialised exhibitions hosted an-nually at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre provide ideal venues at which to meet the deal-makers and the new industrialists fi rst-hand. www.zitf.net

INTERPLAS THAILAND 2012INTERPLAS Thailand, the only plastics & rubber manufacturing machinery and technologies in Thailand, will open its 20th edition from 21-24 June at BITEC, Bangkok, Thailand. Organisers are expecting around 370 exhibitors from 15 countries.

The exhibition will showcase the latest technologies from 370 leading exhibitors and synergize with fi ve major manufacturing industries, attracting over 38 000 buyers from ASEAN countries. The ‘Manufacturing Expo 2012’ is composed of four shows - InterPlas Thailand, InterMold Thailand, Auto-motive Manufacturing, and Assembly Technology, as well as two co-located shows, Industrial Components & Subcontracting, and Electronics Assembly and two featured pavilions, Industrial Energy & Environment and Composite Thailand. www.interplasthailand.com

A huge variety of technologies and products will be on show at the NPE

show, which has moved from Chicago in the north of the USA to Orlando, Florida,

a far warmer venue in the south

2012 EVENTS


www.npe.org

DIARY

Medtec in MarchPhillips-Medisize of Finland will show a number of its developments at the Medtec show in Stuttgart, Germany, from 13-15 March, including this peristal-tic pump. A tube is actuated by contraction to inject a contrast medium into a patient’s vein. The commercialisation of the product, from the prototype right through to the injection moulded and ultra sound hermetically sealed pump, took place within the company.

www.medteceurope.comwww.medisize.com

From more large-scale, running machines than ever before to solutions that cover the entire plastics industry lifecycle, the advancements that deliver a competitive advantage can only be found this April at NPE2012, the world’s largest plastics conference, exposition and technology exchange. Join your peers in Orlando to Break the Mold — and reshape the paradigms that will lead to a more successful future. Showcasing innovations from more than 2,000 globally focused exhibitors, NPE features:

Don’t wait — connect with the entire lifecycle of plastics this year and uncover the solutions needed to move your company, products and career forward.

ATTEND NPE2012!

Orange County Convention CenterOrlando, Florida USA

The International Plastics ShowcaseApril 1– 5, 2012 | www.npe.org

Co-located at NPE2012:

2+ million square feet of tomorrow’s solutions, today

More large-scale, running machines in action

Interaction with 75,000 industry peers from more than 120 countries

Access to hundreds of timely educational programs and daily emerging technology demos

And much, much more!

READY TO RESHAPE YOUR FUTURE

REGISTER NOW AT NPE.ORG

210x297mm_General.indd 1 06/01/12 7:22 AM


performs at South Pole

SA team retraces steps of one of most epic journeys ever … aided by Nova GPS system from Cape supplier Mobii

THE fact that the South African team in the recent race to the South Pole didn’t win what must have been one of the most gruelling adventure events ever wasn’t surprising, but their use of a new multi-purpose GPS navigational and remote communication tool from SA company Mobii Systems was.

The event re-enacted the 1911/12 cen-tenary of the journeys of Norwegian and British teams to reach the pole, then one of the last unreached frontiers on the planet (that is aside from the altitude conquest of Mt Everest, which took place in 1953). Roald Amundsen and his Norwegian team reached the pole fi rst, on 14 December 1911, 34 days before Captain Robert Scott and his British team. The Norwegians had departed from the edge of the Antarctic ice shelf on 20 October 1911, just 10 days before the British team, but they had used dogs to tow their sleighs and made far more rapid progress than Scott’s team, who arrived at the Pole over a month after them, on 17 January 1912. Tragically, Scott and the members of his gritty team perished on the return journey. Just as tragic, in fact, was the fate of the Norwe-gians’ dogs, most of them didn’t make it back – they were eaten by the team members.

The re-enactment was a somewhat streamlined repeat of the mission of yore:

for a start, they followed a completely dif-ferent route and, besides, the 21st century contestants were airlifted for the fi rst sec-tion of the route, meaning that they had approximately half the distance to cover. Nevertheless, 740kms on ice with high winds and temperatures plunging as low as -50ºC is a seriously extreme test and even though the contestants did receive some support, and in fact were pursued by a fi lm crew, errors or accidents could easily have proved fatal.

The Norwegian team proved far faster in 2012 too, streaking ahead and fi nishing in 15 days. Although the SA team took 24 days (fi nishing joint third), they performed outstandingly, given that neither of the team mates, Braam Malherbe or Peter

van Kets, were familiar with ice skiing or with the extreme cold conditions. The SA team also assisted a member of one of the British teams, slowing their own prog-ress. Besides the extreme emotional and physical demands, Malherbe and Van Kets had embarked on the challenge to create awareness about climate change and the effect it is having on Antarctica.

Multi-functional GPS systemThe SA team used a unique new GPS tool, the ‘Motion Nova,’ a hand-held global positioning system which, besides calculating their position, made it possible for the team’s progress to be charted on the internet internationally, in real-time. The Nova unit, an extension of manufacturer

Pole race – If they weren’t fi ghting severe cold, the South African adventurers Braam Malherbe, 54, and Peter van Kets, 45, were battling the risk of sun burn … but they didn’t miss the opportunity to hoist the fl ag. The SA extreme athletes made use of the Motion Nova multi-functional GPS units, which also allowed them to communicate via Twitter, on their 742km trek to the South Pole (PHOTO: URBAN BREW STUDIOS)

Mobii ‘Nova’

SPORTS

Production and assembly at the

Mobii factory

Mobii team – The development team at Mobii in Cape Town includes Roderick Barrett (production), Anna Barrett (mechanical engineer), Brendan Barrett (software) and Michael Don Thacker (electronics and fi rmware)

CONTINUED ON PAGE 96

Advertisers: FEB / MARCH 2012


Aerontec 31BASF 19BRE Innovations 47Carst & Walker 11Dema Plastech 45, 53DH Polymers 33Hestico 15Hi-Tech 33Hosaf 39IDC 71Jenowill 03Karbochem 77Maritime Marketing 32Masterbatch SA 35MBT 23Mercury Plastics 25MGMW Trading 21Miracle Mould 36, 37MJH Machine Tools 78, 79Mouldplas OBCNPE 2012 93Performance Colour Systems 27Plasquip 01PLAST 2012 91Plastamid 29PlastiChem IFCPlasticolors 17Plastomark 56Polysaf 55Protea Polymers IBCRawmac 34Reichmans 43Relloy (Reiloy) 75SAPY Colours 65Sasfi n 81, 83, 85, 89SES 68Sun Ace 67Terramin 24Ultra Polymers 61United Spectrometer 05UTP Mould & Die 73West African International 09

For Sale

FOR SALE1400mm Bottom Sealer

Arvor in very good running condition.

For more details contact: 032 944 2860

Mix colours H/D ideal for refuse and thin guage fi lm @ R 6-00 p/kg

+ vat ex Durban

Mix colours L/D ideal for refuse and thin guage fi lm @ R 6-00 p/kg

+ vat ex Durban

Material is all fi lm grade in house fi rst generation de-gased

Contact Ian084 732 2323

For Sale

Kamaguchi K125 Plastic Injection Moulding Machine

in Johannesburg – R60 000.00 neg.

Contact: Ken 084 500 1000 or Neville 083 442 4002or tel: 011 828 9920 or

fax: 011 828 9746

FOR SALE

Customer disposal stock

GREENLAND OILSMichael Engels072 125 4323

Tel: (011) 903-8084Fax: (086) 665-4323email: mengels1@

telkomsa.netPO Box 1220

Walkerville 1876

How to advertiseTo place a classifi ed advert please

Fax: 086 519 6089 orTel: 021 712 1408 or

E-mail: [email protected]

3 x TMC injection moulding machines1 x TMC 150E – R170 000 + full range of spares1 x TMC 120E-1 – R180 000 + full range of spares1 x TMC 120FS – R210 000 + full range of sparesExcellent condition

Contact: Michael

Tel: 011 943 2596Cell: 083 488 8100

FOR SALE

SUBSCRIBE TO SA PLASTICS, COMPOSITES & RUBBERSA Plastics, Composites & Rubber is published six times a year and is available to people involved in the plastics and polymer industry in South Africa on a subscription basis at a

cost of R200 a year. It is available in other countries in Southern Africa at a subscription cost of ZAR400 per year. International subscription, supplied by airmail, is ZAR600.

If you’d like to subscribe, email your details to [email protected] or visit our website at www.saplastics.co.za

www.coldsweat.tv

www.mobii.com

Mobii Systems’ ‘Motion’ package, allows for a range of training information – includ-ing position, speed, distance, elevation, pace, stride, tilt and even g-force – to be recorded.

Some of this data was not required in the Antarctic, but the Mobii team faced dif-fi cult additional challenges with the Motion Nova units to:• enable the competitors to communicate

by sending ‘tweets’ on Twitter;• achieve extended battery performance

without recharging; and• continue to perform in extremely cold

conditions.Although Mobii injection moulds many of

its components at its premises in Durban-ville in Cape Town, the short-run for the Nova meant this was uneconomical. For the main housing for the Nova unit, they used FDM technology (fused deposition modelling), which operates by ‘growing’ a component by depositing layers which fuse onto each other.

Some of the layers were solvent-fused using methylene chloride (brushing it on in certain vertical sections). They also experi-mented with infusion epoxies, to make the parts stronger, but this didn’t prove suitable.

Battery performanceAA lithium batteries were used for the task. Enough battery power had to be available to have enough surge current at very low temperatures to fi re up the satellite modem and GPS receiver. Four packs with four batteries each (16 batteries per Nova) were used. A circuit in each unit monitored battery consumption and ensured that the load was shared to avoid stress on any single pack.

The entire hardware was thermally tested to -63 degrees at the Mobii factory, proving that the unit was still able to transmit data

via the Iridium network at such drastic temperatures.

Finally, the components received a poly-urethane coating that retains strength at sub-zero temperatures and made the parts waterproof. The coating had a high elastic-ity in normal conditions, but hardened slightly in lower temperatures.

The SA adventurers reached the pole 100 years and a few days after Scott had arrived at this most southerly point. They had been on the ice for just 24 days, in itself a major achievement. The 1911/12 teams had taken far longer to reach the point: Amundsen’s team took just less than two months, and Scott’s team had been on the ice for two-and-a-half months by the time they reached the indiscernible landmark.

The stark contrast between the eras is that, even after the long return journey of a further two months, Amundsen and his team were only able to inform the public of their success still weeks later on arriving in New Zealand, whereas the current explor-ers, aided by technology such as the Nova from Mobii, could keep followers informed in real time, a massive technological achievement turnaround in just one century, a pinprick in time of the history of Earth.

SPORTS

Although the SA team took 24 days (fi nishing joint third), they performed outstandingly, given that neither of the team mates,

Braam Malherbe or Peter van Kets, were familiar with ice skiing or

with the extreme cold conditions (PHOTO: URBAN BREW STUDIOS)

The battery packs and comm systems in the Nova units underwent thermal testing, covered in dry ice, to -63º … and still continued to perform

Growing up! – FDM (fused deposi-tion modelling) technology was used to ‘grow’ the housings for the Nova units. A controlled ‘climate box’ for the RapMan 3.1 unit was created which, by maintaining a temperature of 60ºC, prevented the compo-nents from warping. The machine, from 3D Systems of Pretoria, ‘prints’ PVC, HD/LDPE, ABS and other materials to grow prototypes or, as in this case, short-run products and components www.3d-printer.co.za

Brendan Barrett and Michael Thacker testing the communication capabilities of the Motion ‘Nova’ units prior to their use in Antarctica

96

FROM PAGE 94 ...

Documents

s.a. plastics '012 02 smaller 1