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Latest News January 2010 Chemtura exiting PVC additives business Chemtura, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last year, said that it will make SK Capital the lead “stalking horse” bidder for its additives business in the auction sale. Other companies can also make bids for the business. The PVC additives unit makes tin stabilisers, liquid and solid mixed metals, liquid phosphite esters, epoxidised soybean oil, thiochemicals, organic-based stabilisers and impact modifiers. It has plants in the US and Europe, including facilities in Lampertheim, Germany, and Taft, US. In 2008, the business had sales of US$374 million. SK Capital also owns Aristech Acrylics and Ascend Peformance Materials, which it bought from Solutia. Elastogran has a new name First gas-phase PP produced in China The Unipol technology that produced Aim grade PP resin marked a major breakthrough for the two companies. “The successful trial-run of the first Unipol PP unit in China is a tremendous achievement for Datang and for Dow and is a direct result of our continued strong commitment to the plastics industry in the region,” says Dave Jerger, Senior Improvement Leader for Unipol PP Licensing & Catalyst. The Datang plant located in Duolun County, Xilinguole, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is also the first large scale coal to olefin plant in China. Once fully operational, the plant will produce 460,000 tonnes of PP per year. “Since 2006, seven PP plants in Asia have chosen Unipol technology. The simple and safe design, low investment and extremely economical production process of this technology makes it an attractive solution,” says Jerger. DSM expands footprint Carpet manufacturer Shaw Industries and DSM Chemicals North America were previously joint venture partners in NPC. With this acquisition, DSM is able to fully integrate with the PA6 chain, including caprolactam, polymer and compounded products in the US. DSM is also the only company to produce the entire PA6 chain in China. Speaking of the acquisition, Koen Devits, President of DSM Engineering Plastics Americas said that it helped the company to fully exploit its backward integration at the American site, where DSM also produces caprolactam, a key raw material for Akulon PA6. He added, “The acquisition is also needed to support the additional sales opportunities we have generated, especially in the automotive, furniture and packaging industries." More petrochemicals in the Middle East To be housed in Ras Laffan Industrial city, Qatar Petroleum and ExxonMobil’s project will include the 1.6 million tonnes cracker, two 650,000 tonnes gas phase PE plants and a 700,000 tonnes ethylene glycol plant. Start-up of the proposed facility is estimated in late 2015. The project will use ExxonMobil’s proprietary steam cracking and PE process and utilise feedstock from gas-development projects in Qatar’s North Field, which is the largest non-associated gas field in the world. ExxonMobil says its proprietary steam cracking furnace technology boosts ethylene yield, allows greater feedstock flexibility, reduces energy consumption and extends time periods between maintenance. ExxonMobil’s olefins plants throughout the world utilise the technology and the company licenses it as part of the Score ethylene process. Meanwhile, Equate’s US$2 billion complex for producing paraxylene (PX) and benzene (BZ) is located in Kuwait’s Shuaiba Industrial Area. The current capacities are 829,000 tonnes/year of PX and 393,000 tonnes/year of BZ. PX is the main feedstock in the production of PET. The complex’s PX output will be marketed by Petrochemical Industries in selected markets while the BZ will be used locally for the production of styrene monomer by the Kuwait Styrene Company (TKSC). Thai company sued by Eastman Chemical Indorama, which is currently starting up a new PET plant in the US and in 2008 purchased Eastman’s PET plants in the UK and the Netherlands, said in a statement that the lawsuit relates to “certain patent, technology licensing and trade secret matters” while not elaborating further. The company’s units that are affected include Alphapet, Indorama Polymers Rotterdam and Indorama Polymers Workington. The company also said that it believes these claims are without merit and it intends to vigorously defend against the claims. US-based Eastman Chemical filed the lawsuit late last year alleging patent infringement, breach of contract and trade secret misappropriation. The patent infringement claims relate to three Eastman patents that encompass PET manufacturing technology. The breach of contract and trade secret claims arise from Indorama’s unauthorised disclosure and use of information covered by a license agreement between Eastman and several European Indorama entities. Ticona expands LFT business FACT or Future Advanced Composites Technology is a business unit of the Ravago Group and producer of LFT used in injection moulding, extrusion, compression moulding and blow moulding applications. The acquisition will support Celanese's Advanced Engineered Materials business segment of which Ticona is a unit and build upon its LFT process technology by broadening specific product offerings. FACT has a workforce of around 60 at Kaiserslautern while Ticona makes Celstran LFT at Kelsterbach. Ticona has set up a new company that will combine its existing Celstran business with that of FACT and will shift its production into FACT's plant by mid-2011. Reliance ups offer for LyondellBasell According to the story in the Indian Business Standard, this is more than the previous offer of US$12 billion in cash. Meanwhile another story in the Wall Street Journal, says that LyondellBasell's board had rejected Reliance’s revised offer saying that the company is worth US$15.5 billion. A controlling stake in the Netherlands-based LyondellBasell, which is the world's third largest independent chemical company and the largest polyolefins maker, would allow Reliance access to the US market. South Korean firm makes bid for Styron A Dow Jones report, quoting an unnamed Lotte spokesperson, said that the company had not made a final decision yet. The report also said that the deal is worth between US$1 to US$2 billion. Lotte is involved in the plastics industry through Honam Petrochemical that produces HDPE, PP and MEG. December 2009 Ferromatik sales plunge Husky sets up in India High flow LDPE The Lupolen 1800U grade professes to have better processing characteristics than LLDPE, which is widely used in packaging, housewares and caps and closures. “At 60 g per 10 minutes, the grade achieves the highest melt flow rate that has ever been produced within our European portfolio of LDPE grades,” said Christof Justus, PE Manager at LyondellBasell. With its high flow rates, the resin can also be considered for use in additive masterbatches and as a viscosity modifier for compounds. The grade also contributes to good dispersion and homogenisation of pigments and additives, says Justus, adding that it achieves thermal stability without the use of additives unlike LLDPE. The grade will be produced on a commercial scale in LyondellBasell’s European Lupotech T plants. November 2009
Covering for components The company opened a CoverForm Competence Centre in Darmstadt, Germany, recently for this process. KraussMaffei developed the machine technology while Evonik developed the required product combination of a speciality compound (Plexiglas cf moulding compound) and a multi-component solvent-free reactive system on an acrylate base for the functional coating. The CoverForm solution is said to substantially cut fabrication costs for scratch-resistant and chemical-resistant components since no coating is required. Targeted applications include the automotive and lighting industries, in optics or in communications and display applications. The centre will also be used to further develop reactive systems as well as new anti-reflective or electrically conductive coatings, said the company. The solution will be launched in Europe first and will be available in the US and Asian markets in 2010. Haitian shifts European hq Haitian Europe, which intends to capture a larger market share in Germany, will from June next year be based near Nuremberg. It will market its Haitian and Zhafir machines in Europe. Based in Ebermannsdorf, Germany, about two hours drive from Nuremberg, Zhafir Plastics Machinery is a wholly owned company of Haitian that was set up in 2005. The machines its produces are designed and assembled in Germany. Having invested over EUR10 million into its German operation, Zhafir recently completed the expansion of its facility, after less than eight months construction. With the completion of the assembly building, the first model of the all-electric Venus Series will roll off the production line in November. Zhafir will also be producing its new high performance Mercury machine series at its Ebermannsdorf facility from next year and expects to showcase this model at the K2010 show.
IML labelling for thinwall cups The high speed results from the interaction of a manufacturing cell consisting of an Engel 180/55 injection moulding machine and a hot runner mould from Glaroform. The four-cavity mould from Glaroform loads the Engel machine with a shot weight of 41 g. With a wall thickness of 0.5mm, each cup has a net weight of 10.25 g. By means of a side handling, Beck Automation places the labels and simultaneously takes out the completed cup. October 2009 Giant in the hot runner controls business Set up in 1974, PMS supplies controllers to a number of hot runner system suppliers, including Mold-Masters. "Mold-Masters and PMS have worked together for many years in the development and supply of the highest quality and performance micro processor based temperature controllers." said Jonathon Fischer, President and CEO of Mold-Masters. "This seamless working relationship has enabled our two companies to take the next natural step and become a single company. We believe strongly in the strengths of PMS and together we will create additional value for our growing customer base." said Fischer. Mold-Masters will also be retaining the PMS distributor network, which includes IMSI. Multi-component moulding made easy In the technology known as SCPS (servo-cavity positioning systems), the entire control sequence of the mould, including the drives for all other injection units, the hot runner control equipment and core pullers, is handled by the mould's own control system. All movements are servo-driven and independent from the machine hydraulics. The mould is built with the progressive stages through the injection sequence stacked on top of one another. The indexing components move up through each stage and when they reach the top they are transferred from one mould half to the other and returned down to the first stage, operating like a paternoster conveyor. The indexing components are carried up by a spindle in the moving half of the tool. Injection takes place simultaneously at all stations. After the mouldings have passed through the final injection station they are lifted clear of the top of the mould for removal by a robot. When the mould closes, each indexing component is transferred to a spindle in the nozzle half and on the next opening stroke is carried down to the bottom of the mould where on closing it is once more located on the upward spindle. The time taken to open the mould, index to the next station and close again is around 3 seconds. Mould cavity processes combined RocTool has an induction heating process where the induction coil is wrapped around the mould while Indumold uses induction heating circuits integrated in the mould. Development of both systems will continue and both will be available for demonstration at Lüdenscheid and at the Pôle Européen de Plasturgie in France. RocTool also recently launched an induction heating technology known as 3iTech – Integrated Internal Induction Technologies. Hot runner companies to cross-sell products The two American companies have been working together since 2003 with Beaumont providing hot runner designs with the MeltFlipper balanced manifold technology exclusively under license to Incoe for its Opti-Flo hot runner systems. Beaumont will also provide cold runner technology, including design services, and the new Rheological Control System (RCS) mould inserts. With this new partnership, Beaumont will be able to offer its customers hot runner systems from Incoe including Direct-Flo Gold and the recently introduced Quick-Flo.
German set-up in India September 2009 New paint line to reduce production times
The next stage in injection moulding machinery manufacturer KraussMaffei’s investment in a synchronised production flow line, which it is implementing at its production plant, is a paint line. The German company is investing EUR4 million on a surface treatment centre to replace the existing painting line at its biggest production plant, located in Allach on the outskirts of Munich. The goal was to synchronise the painting of machine parts with the assembly and return them to the assembly line as they are needed. With this, the company says it will reduce production times and also allow for a higher surface quality. The new line consists of an indexing system and a combined unit. In the indexing system, an overhead conveyor will feed parts that are 4 m long, 3 m wide, 3 m high and weighing up to 32 tonnes. The combined unit will be used to paint parts that are too big for the indexing system. This unit can handle parts up to 12 m long and up to 80 tonnes in weight. Preform moulds perform to a new tune Sold under the brand name of iPET Systems, the product range includes new moulds, conversions, retrofits, refurbishments, spare parts and service from five manufacturing locations and 40 sales and service offices globally. The moulds and hot runners are directly interchangeable with existing PET mould platforms and fit in all makes of injection moulding machines. Available from 2 to 192 cavities, the moulds come with up to four positions of post-mould cooling technology and offer new features. The proprietary design of the iFlow hot runner manifold has less pressure drop, fills more uniformly and generates less preferential shear stress than conventional gun drilled manifolds. The valve gate has been purpose engineered for moulding PET so it generates less PET dust, reduces crystallinity in the gate and makes in-press service easy. A patented technology called iCool, allows iPET moulds to cool more evenly and more efficiently. "We have recently spoken with a number of moulders and machine suppliers about iPET and they have been extremely positive about our approach. The market is looking for another global supplier of PET moulds and we believe that iPET will fill this need and provide the industry with new levels of performance," said Patrick Bennett, Executive VP of Mold-Masters. Husky offers sustainability to PET packaging The American company displayed its HyPET Recycled Flake (RF) system running a blend of 50% virgin and 50% rPET at the recent Drinktec show in Germany. The 72-cavity system produced a 34.7 g EcoBase preform at the same 10.5 second cycle that would be expected running 100% virgin PET. Enabling 2.5% additional resin savings, the EcoBase preform design was first introduced at NPE 2009 in Chicago earlier this year. System enhancements include in-line melt filtration to eliminate black specks and other contaminants that might otherwise affect bottle quality as well as a new extruder design for improved processing of pellet and flake blends. The company says these new features will encourage the use of rPET in the packaging industry. Husky has also been examining the complete life cycle of beverage packaging, including bottle and closure, to determine ways to improve the manufacturing process to make it more sustainable. It is working with the Allied Development Corporation, a third party consulting and publications company, to conduct life cycle analysis studies. These show how the environmental footprint and greenhouse gas emissions of manufacturing and transporting PET bottles relate to alternative forms of packaging. Besides the reduction in preform weight, Husky has also recently introduced its HyCAP system for high speed beverage closure manufacturing, in particular the lightweight, one-piece closures that are becoming increasingly common in beverage packaging. At Drinktec, Husky demonstrated the production of a 2.3 g PCO 1881 closure in a 72-cavity mould running at less than 3.9 seconds, which is lighter and faster than what Husky says was the previous industry standard of 2.8-3 g running at a cycle time of 4.8-6 seconds. The HyCAP is based on Husky’s Hylectric machine, with modifications to accommodate the requirements of viscous and closure materials that are difficult to mould.August 2009 Demag ties up with Sepro for robot The agreement is specifically for Sepro’s SDR three-axis robots that are offered in six models. These will be fitted on Sumitomo Demag’s Systec and IntElect machines from a clamping force of 35 to 2,000 tonnes. The SDR series is controlled by means of Visual 2 and this control system communicates with the machine via the Euromap-67 interface. Sumitomo Demag says it will add on its new NC5 control system in the future. The German machine company also uses another robot supplier, Wittmann, and will continue to offer the DR7 and DR8 series developed together with the Austrian supplier alongside the Sepro robots. Expansion of foam cell applications in Japan A key facet of this alliance will be research conducted by both companies to help develop high gloss Class A automotive parts using the MuCell process. Microcellular foaming technology was originally conceptualised and invented at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and in 1995 Trexel was granted an exclusive worldwide licence for the further development and commercialisation of the technology. Examples of MuCell products include electrical components, electronics connectors, internal business equipment and printer components, a variety of packaging applications and a broad array of automotive products including HVAC components and door trim and panels. July 2009
Window of opportunity with large machine The machine has been installed with localised clean room areas around the cavity, robot and packaging zones at BMS's Leverkusen plant in Germany and is capable of producing 3D roof modules measuring up to 1.2 sq m along with other complex glazing components. The facility is also designed for back-injecting pre-formed, printed films to integrate additional functions such as heating, antennae and IR reflection in roof modules, rear windows and other glazing applications. The Engel machine has a central swivelling platen for two-component injection, with shot a capacity of 1-6 kg for the first component and 0.2-3 kg for the second. It can operate injection-compression and is ready for the installation of MuCell for the second component, as well as for direct skinning and direct coating. It is also equipped with 17 temperature control units since high optical quality is required. The swivel platen is controlled separately with ten water feeds for 24 temperature control channels. BMS says, apart from research, it expects to use the machine for mould proving and production troubleshooting for its customers as part of its full service approach to supplying automotive glazing systems. Husky promotes benefits of PET packaging To support this goal, the firm is participating in several projects dedicated to providing accurate information about the safety, sustainability and recyclability of PET. “Recently, there has been increased public interest concerning the safety and environmental impact of plastics. Our goal is to educate the media and consumers so that they can make informed, fact-based decisions about PET packaging,” said Jeff MacDonald, Husky’s Vice-President of Marketing. He continued, “Studies have shown that PET is one of the most lightweight and recyclable packaging materials. As PET technology continues to advance, it is becoming an increasingly attractive packaging alternative for many applications.” In April 2008, Husky partnered with others in the plastics industry to launch the Facts on PET (www.factsonpet.com) campaign. The goal of Facts on PET is to dispel any misleading information such as the confusing information linking PET plastic products to those that contain bisphenol-A (BPA). The company says Facts on PET has been successful in correcting misleading reports and educating the mainstream media on the safety, recyclability and convenience of PET containers. Netstal offers used machines By running its own second-hand machine business, Netstal wants to give its existing and new customers the opportunity of acquiring injection moulding machines directly and thereby operating equipment revised by the original manufacturer. With this in mind the company has set up a department dedicated to the buying, overhauling and selling of used machines. Advantages are that the company has access to the original manufacturing documents and original spare parts, thus delivering machines in a condition nearly as new. Depending on the scope of the revision such moulding machines will be covered by a works warranty of up to 12 months. More information is available from www.netstal.com/2ndhand Engel acts like a bank to offer loans The flexible leasing and financing model involves a simplified approval procedure so that customers need not go through difficult negotiations with a bank. The Austrian company is also using its independent family-owned status to help customers raise money. After the usual credit checks, Engel can offer international customers loans to help cover current investment planning. In doing so, the company says it acts like a local bank, quickly and unbureaucratically closing financing gaps to beat the credit crunch. Ferromatik delivers large order to China The first delivery, comprising seven machines from Ferromatik’s high performance K-Tec and Maxima models with clamping forces of 350 to 650 tonnes, will be commissioned at Hayco’s facility in Shenzhen, Guangdong, before the end of the year. The machines will be used in the production of parts for the company’s liquid purification and dispensing products. The machines to be delivered include one for multi-component moulding while the others come with special features such as extended tiebars and modified machine interfaces. In business for 25 years, Hayco manufactures electro-mechanical products for a range of end markets, including oral and personal care, liquids delivery and household cleaning. The company already has 200 moulding machines ranging from 30 to 850 tonnes and its customers include Procter & Gamble and Wal-Mart Stores. June 2009 Moving forward in Asia Nissei has set up offices in India and Vietnam to strengthen its customer support. Until recently, the company has operated from a Mumbai agency but by establishing a representative office in Gurgaon near New Delhi means that it is able to deal with customers directly. The office in Hanoi, meanwhile, will be established as a branch of a foreign incorporated subsidiary located in Ho Chi Minh City. UK-based Cinpres Gas Injection has appointed Plastic Solution in Thailand to market its gas-assisted moulding technology. Cinpres is the only company in the world licensed to sell the Plastic Expulsion Process (PEP) and External Gas Moulding (EGM). Expanding flexibility in injection moulding Sumitomo cancels Indian jv and strengthens German plant Previously into hydraulic and all-electric machines of up to 210 tonnes, the Wiehe plant will now manufacture the German all-electric IntElect for the European market as well as the Japanese SE machine range. Company spokesperson Tetsuya Okamura said the move was a strategic decision taken against the background of the current market crisis, to maintain and to strengthen both Demag plants in Schwaig and Wiehe. He said the company was expecting a strong and early demand for smaller all-electric machines globally once the markets recover. The Japanese/German alliance has also ended its Indian joint venture agreement established with Larsen & Toubro (L&T) in 1999. Known as L&T-Demag Plastics Machinery, it operates a facility in Chennai. The stake in the joint venture was taken over by Sumitomo when it bought German Demag in March last year. It has now sold this stake to its partner L&T. This, the company says, is in line with the announcement it made last year to establish a subsidiary in India.
May 2009
New BMW installed with black panels
Sporty look to vehicle March 2009 India to impose hefty duties on Chinese imports Surface pressure indicating sensor film
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