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Plastics Technology, 2004-07-13, Injection Molding Troubleshooter: Common Mistakes in Long-Fiber Molding
...ld cavity - keep in mind this fundamental principle: You must preserve the fiber length in order to retain the benefits of using long glass in the first place.

Plastics Technology, 2004-07-13, Injection Molding Troubleshooter: Common Mistakes in Long-Fiber Molding
...ld cavity - keep in mind this fundamental principle: You must preserve the fiber length in order to retain the benefits of using long glass in the first place.

Kunststoffe international, Maintaining Clarity Long-Term
...5]. Material failures are costly. They should be prevented by selecting suitable materials during product development and maintaining healthcare products as recommended.Test Methods for Chemical ResistanceTo ensure that plastic healthcare components retain the very best chemical and mechanical properties when exposed to the action of chemical agents, the industry is continually developing more rigorous methods of chemical resistance testing. The effectiveness of disinfectants depends on the conc...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Air Ducts under the Bonnet
...f decoupling can be achieved. The good vibration-damping properties of Grilon ELX also provide better sound-deadening. Another property in which Grilon ELX comes out significantly better than TEEE is heat ageing. For example, both Grilon ELX grades retain 90 % of their tensile strength after 1000 h heat ageing, while the corresponding value for TEEE under the same conditions drops to 40 %. The two Grilon ELX grades also come out well in comparison with AEM-rubber: their half-life period for tens...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Airbag Module in PA 6 Recyclate
...following prior storage in cold or heat. All tests produced exclusively positive results: the PA 6 recyclate housings display neither incipient cracks nor fractures. The large-scale environmental simulation, aimed at showing that Infinity housings retain their performance characteristics over their accelerated service life, similarly produced only positive results. Conclusion According to the current proposal for an EU End-of-Life Vehicle Directive, the recycling quota for scrapped cars is to ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Competing Materials
...ions, will be held for the third time, together with the Materials Week Congress, from September 25-28, 2000 at the new exhibition site in Munich. Because of the significant increase in the numbers of exhibitors and visitors, Materialica 2000 will retain the concept that proved so popular at the last two events, and will expand specific areas where demand requires. Dr. Joachim Enßlin, Managing Director of Messe München GmbH, is convinced "that Materialica's concept of providing an over...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Composite Parts: Flexibility in Rigid/Flexible Combinations
...se, the temperatures for processing thermoplastics are on the low side (60–80°C). The phase in which the thermoplastic moulding has silicone injected round it is a critical one. The thermoplastic part is not allowed to melt again and must retain its shape, while allowing the LSR sufficient time to crosslink. Subsequent annealing can improve adhesion still further. As a rule, the LSR component is applied to the initial thermoplastic moulding in the second operation. The two LSR components are...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Cost-efficient Extruder Degassing
...um separator. A simple volumetric separator protects the piping and liquid ring vacuum pump from entrained melt and other particles. The separator before a rotary slide vane vacuum pump can on the other hand be designed to be multi-stage in order to retain condensate as well as particles. Every separator clogs up and must be cleaned at regular intervals. The more complex the design of the separator the higher the cleaning costs. From the users’ viewpoint, the liquid ring vacuum system is the bes...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Custom-tailored Engineering Materials: Polyphenylene Ether (PPE)
...an PP and ABS, which facilitates extrusion and thermoforming. Furthermore, applications using (PPE+PP) alloys can easily be combined with other PP-based product and recycled. Compared to PP-based thermoplastic polyolefins (TPO), (PPE+PA) resins retain their broad stiffness and impact strength profiles even over a wider temperature range. This performance characteristic opens up design freedom for applications that require greater stiffness at elevated temperatures in addition to better creep and...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Economic Compounding: Nanocomposites
...machine with enlarged free volume – and so cut production costs. In the cable sheathing compounds, the nanofiller assists fire retardancy through crust formation and the barrier effect. Both these effects impede ingress of oxygen, while retaining fire gases. As a result of the 11 to 16% reduction in ATH content, the cable sheathing compounds can be processed very easily on standard cable coating extruders with high output. In addition, the insulation has considerably better mechanical prop...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Engineering Network: Additional Knowledge Instead of Competition
...ees. Managing director, Dr. Marcus Ruf, now regards consolidation as the top priority following a period of strong growth. The target he cites is "growth of the order of magnitude of 10%". The company's goal is to retain its strength, which derives from innovation, and to systematically expand the business without losing the company's focus on its own core competencies. When it comes to future projects, all that Johannes Jacob will hint at is that "thermoforming and composit...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Experimental Testing: Ring-shaped Reinforcements Made of Fibre-reinforced Composites
...ransmitting medium. The fluid [1] is sealed in by a sealing ring placed in the gap between the test specimen and fixture (Fig. 3). Under the internal pressure, the ring-shaped specimen shrinks axially and enlarges the gap. The sealing ring must retain its sealing action even under high pressures and must not extrude through the gaps between the test specimen and fixture. The sealing action is based not only on the inherent reinforcement by the sealing ring, but also on a certain preload with whi...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Fibre Composites: Bonding Automotive Bodies
...led to adhesive bonding as the preferred method to join the aluminium radiator for the 610 horsepower V8 biturbo engine of this racing car to the CFRP frame. For this bonding task, the adhesive must meet extreme requirements. It must retain high strengths at the peak temperatures of 130°C, and reliably withstand sudden mechanical loads and vibrations. It must also still have adequate toughness to compensate for the different thermal expansions of the joint counterparts throughout the operating t...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Flame-retardant Curing
...iveness of Flame Retardants Microencapsulated red phosphorus, ammonium polyphosphate (APP), aluminium hydroxide (ATH), magnesium hydroxide or tetrabromo-bisphenol-A (TBBA) are used as flame retardants in epoxy resins, in different applications. To retain the important mechanical properties in carbon-fibre-reinforced laminates (CFRP) or adhesives, tetrabromobisphenol-A-containing epoxy resins are used here. To provide adequate flame protection, the systems must contain 10 to 15 % bromine and 2 t...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Flexible and Inexpensive
...on is much shorter (of the same order of magnitude as the flight clearance). Machinery Engel supplies optimised plastication units (D=90 and above) for processing PP-LGF under the name of Fibermelt. These ensure gentle material processing and retain the potential of the long glass fibre reinforced thermoplastics to the greatest possible extent. Fibre length retentions of 6–7mm can be achieved. It is crucial to use a special-purpose screw of a specific length (L/D=26) which has been optimised f...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, From Plastic to Branded Article
...and tradition that creates additional value for the customer and thus a specific attractive force. However, in the long run brands will not be simply managed, no, they must be properly produced because only then can successful brands also create and retain value on a long-term basis. With Coca Cola, for example, the customers do not buy a caffeine rich concentrate with a red and white signature, but rather a refreshing beverage associated with the younger generation. The Author of this Article ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Functional Plastics: Materials Research as Technical Investment
...pecially, reduced production costs. The goal was no longer completely new applications requiring new materials, but rather new regional markets based on globalisation of the existing range of products. A change in strategy was necessary in order to retain over the long term an acquired product segment in the market. Today we are experiencing the logical consequence of this reorientation. Companies merge or acquire others, production facilities that are no longer competitive are closed, and small...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Glazing: Coating Ensures Clear View
...e market. Now the KRD Group has developed Uvirex polycarbonate-based multi-layer glazing that offers this combination for the first time. These products are heat-stable and chemical-resistant, withstand weathering and other environmental effects and retain good impact strength and flexibility. Until now, it was not technically feasible to produce a system that met all these requirements. High UV protection could previously only be obtained with thick coating layers. However, such coatings tended...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, High Throughput and Flexible Systems
...re flexibility is required in compounding. Short change over times for formulation and colour changes with simultaneously increased stringent observance of specifications require sophisticated engineering. For many operations it is not economical to retain specialists in equipment technology whose expertise is used only in connection with new installations. In the USA many machine manufacturers offer complete systems including engineering as turn key systems. The user must only define his requir...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, High-output Compounding
...d powder coatings. The aim in developing quantec was to significantly increase the profitability of the plant operation by at least doubling specific output and cutting installation costs at site. In developing the quantec, it was important to fully retain the acknowledged high product quality achievable with the Buss Kneader. It was therefore clear that the quantec should operate on the same principle as the Buss Kneader (see box). This processing technology has proved excellent in practice for...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, High-quality Recycling
...he use of special additives, the recyclates in many cases attain virtually the same properties as the virgin material. Right from the moment the "scrap" is supplied in the form of reject parts, sprues and runners or regrind, care is taken to retain the excellent condition of the starting product. This is irrespective of whether the material is to be recycled for a customer or will serve as a raw material for the company's own production. In the subsequent compounding process, a recyc...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Improved Processing and End-use Properties
...eased resistance to automotive fuels and better barrier properties to fuel permeation than the fluorine rubbers currently used in automotive fuel systems Fig.2. O-rings and other seals made from fluorine rubbers with improved polymer architecture retain their sealing efficiency at temperatures from way below –40°C to over +150°C, in contrast to the fluorine rubber seals currently used

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Integrative Processing Technology: Injection Moulding Processes – Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
...h costs no higher than for a soft-painted part. As a result of this initial development, many promising new applications are currently being considered, especially where new surface qualities are required. Retain and Refine Know-how Research and development in the plastics industry occur largely in a customer-oriented and product-specific manner. Considerations are focused on the moulded parts and their production, that is, on the process technology. Ideally, the end user, processor, material s...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, It All Depends on the Blend
...t importance is therefore attached to the development of laminates with a low tendency to delaminate. Fibre composites are lightweight structural materials and therefore subject to a wide variety of shocks. As far as possible, they are required to retain their initial properties under such conditions. Impact is one of the most important of the mechanical loads occurring during normal service. In multilayer laminates, impact perpendicular to the laminate surface between layers with different fi...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Less Water
Less Water Polyamides with Lower Water Absorption Jose Poch Parramon, Iserlohn/Germany When incorporated into polyamides, thermosetting plastics reduce their water absorption and improve their rigidity. At the same time, the polyamides retain their normal processing properties. Among engineering thermoplastics, polyamides play a key role, with a consumption in western Europe of some 650,000 t/a. The automotive industry in western Europe alone uses around 250,000 t/a of this material, and...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Low-volatility or Solid?
...nd covering is considerably improved. Molten foam acts as an adhesive when pressed against, e. g. textile fabric. One of the halogenated flame retardants, Firemaster BZ-54, is very thermally stable. Foams containing Firemaster BZ-54 were observed to retain their colour during curing on a commercial scale as well as during flame lamination. Foams containing TDCP were observed to scorch, resulting in cured or flame-laminated foams that were more yellow or brown in affected areas. Flammability Re...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Market News
...info@ik-verband.de. Italtech Acquisition Italtech spa, the Italian producer of high-volume injection moulding machines with its head office in Brescia has been bought up by the Pegoraro Group, Padua. As reported in a press release, Italtech is to retain full independence in respect of its strategic alignment and decision powers. Restructuring measures have already been implemented in the wake of the acquisition, with Adelio Grasselli being appointed Managing Director. Grasselli founded Italtech...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Marking Plastic Products
...lity of the marking. Future Marking Trends The requirements for plastics marking are quite clearly moving in the direction of greater flexibility, higher resolution, easy handling and complete solutions. This means that ink jet printing will retain and increase its importance for plastics marking. In terms of speed, resolution, handling and software support of the system, this method is still capable of development. But laser marking, too, will occupy a prominent place in the future. This meth...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Nanoscale NIR Absorbers: Permanently Mark Highly Transparent Plastics
...kable through use of nanoscale metal oxides that absorb in the near infrared (NIR). In the course of development, numerous metal oxides were tested as to their applicability. It was found that the metal oxides must be nanoscale in size in order to retain the high transparency. In addition, only a few metal oxides are capable of absorbing the laser energy adequately. Various methods were investigated as to their suitability for dispersing the NIR absorbers homogeneously in the polymer matrix. It...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, PBT Compounds
...mfortable vehicles which will lead to an increased substitution of established materials (metals) and new developments in automotive engineering such as "drive-by-wire". The consumption of PBT compounds in this main area of application will retain a strong growth rate. New multifunctional gear systems (Easytronic) for example, are made from PBT compounds. At present, lead-free alloys for soldering are being considered for introduction to the market for electronics/electrical applications...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Plasticising in Critical Areas
...e IMC injection moulding compounder, the fibres enter the melt downstream. The matrix material has already melted when the fibres are incorporated so that they are not exposed to any further shear stress and retain their original length. Through a specifically coordinated geometry of the twin screws, fibre clusters can also be reliably broken up. In the case of large machines where extremely high plasticising performance is required, e.g. specific plasticising rates ≥700g/r (revolution), the...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polycarbonate Multiwall Panels: Transparency Coupled With Good Thermal Insulation
... 4102. Neither strong sunlight nor frost damages the panels, because they remain dimensionally stable across the extreme temperature range of -100 to 120°C. Nor do the polycarbonate panels become brittle with increasing age and they also retain their strength. After 10 years have elapsed, they still have a tensile strength of 50MPa. The tensile strength is determined in accordance with the tensile test of ISO 527 at 23°C as the mean value of measurements on five plane-parallel, unscratched spec...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polyurethanes Every Step of the Way
...Lyondell into Bayer's own range. From Lightweight to Simpler Production What are the current trends in the market for polyurethane soles? Lightweight products are greatly in demand at present. The material must therefore have a low density but retain its mechanical properties. For this purpose, Bayer offers integral foams based on polyether systems based on its "impact technology" developed in-house. This is characterised by high shock resistance. However, it is not only the shoe c...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Process Optimisation: Running Smoothly
..., the slip-stick effect is accompanied by smoke evolution, indicating thermal degradation of the additives. Precise control of cylinder temperature is therefore essential to ensure reliable processing of the material, and to retain the desired lubrication effect in the final product. From the curve of specific heat capacity against temperature (Fig. 6), it can be seen that the transition from the semicrystalline to the molten state takes place in a very small temperature range. The transition r...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Single-source Project Implementation: Cleanroom Production outside the Cleanroom
...ditioned air is distributed through generously-dimensioned ducts. It flows through the large-area, Class H13, Hepa suspended-matter filters that are fitted into special cassettes over the whole cleanroom ceiling. These filters retain 99.9995% of all airborne particles and germs of 0.5µm in size. The air enters the cleanroom at the very low speed of 0.45m/s in order to avoid turbulence. The return air ducts necessary for the 40-fold air exchange are located in the cleanroom wall, close to the flo...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Special Grades Required: PET Compounds
...t distortion temperature [HDT (A)] and the increase in stiffness/strength can be achieved most efficiently with glass fibres, most PET compounds are supplied with glass fibre reinforcement. Their low water absorption ensures that parts made of PET retain their dimensional stability. This property, coupled with flame-retardant treatment, makes PET compounds particularly attractive for high-performance parts in the electrical/electronics industry too. There are also grades which attain a UL tempe...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Stabilization - Doping for Recyclates
...le to "heal" heavily damaged or completely degraded material solely through restabilization [6, 7]. The aim with the automotive applications under discussion here was to make the recyclate suitable for renewed, high-grade application, and to retain the long-term stability at this level. An assessment of recyclate quality can be carried out by subjecting differently stabilized specimens produced from grinding up new components to an accelerated form of artificial ageing. The regrind mixtu...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Strategies for Cooling Moulds
...lity of the moulded part (Fig.1). Non-uniform mould temperatures are accompanied by differences in local cooling conditions and local shrinkage. Users need to consider providing suitable means of cooling moulds if they are to cut cycle times but retain optimum part quality. For this reason, cooling strategies have been steadily improved and new ones devised over the years. Nowadays, users can avail of a large number of different strategies for cooling injection moulds. These include those relati...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Stringent Demands on Quality and Operation
...nd water field - being required to repeatedly come up with new ideas and product improvements. The materials employed too, are also required to meet up to stringent demands. In general, the components used in fittings and sanitary installations must retain their shape in hot water too, may only display a low tendency towards calcium deposits and must offer favourable surface slip characteristics. Above all, however, the materials must comply with the full range of provisions laid down by the app...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Strong Growth in Polyamides: Polyamide (PA)
...rmade PA grades, e.g. Easy Flow and Xtreme Flow Durethan formulations highly filled with glass fibres, which are very lightweight and therefore economic to process. Easy Flow and Xtreme Flow formulations have outstanding flow properties but retain largely the same good mechanical properties as the standard grades. As a result of their good flowability, the processing temperature, for example, can be reduced, which leads to faster cycles. In addition, these grades open up the possibility of signi...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Styrene-butadiene Block Copolymers: Combining Haptics and Design
...on systems, together with multiflow taps for infusions, connecting pieces and filters for respirators or blood-pressure measuring units (Fig. 4). Alongside the optical properties, the stylists and design engineers of household appliances must also retain an overview of the mechanical characteristic values of the materials employed. This is because robust service properties are an absolute must for household appliances - whether for electric shavers, housings for cyclone-technology vacuum cleane...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Submicron and Nano
...shown that the production of semi-permeable films becomes possible through adding fine, surface-treated calcium carbonate with a narrow particle size distribution. Such films are typically employed in the hygiene sector (e. g., baby diapers) as they retain water but allow water vapour to pass back and forth. Such fillers also enhance mechanical properties and ease of processing, and this greatly improves the economics. The fillers are generally incorporated as masterbatches since a maximum fille...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Substitution of Metal Components in Microscopes: Plastics in High-precision Applications
...rom precisely manufactured metal parts in order to fulfil the high specifications regarding precise static and dynamic positioning demanded by scientific applications. In addition, components have to display good wear resistance to ensure that they retain these characteristics in the long-term and to ensure that the microscope can be operated at its highest resolution throughout its service life. These microscopes are manufactured in sufficient quantities to justify primary shaping in moulds as ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPE)
...chnische Produkte, Melsungen/Germany, has developed highly-loadable, foamed panels in “Microzell” Hytrel, which can be used for laying railway tracks, for example. Contrary to the case for foamed, crosslinked polyurethane, these materials retain their elasticity under all ambient conditions – at -20°C and +50°C alike – without suffering premature hardening. They also withstand attack from lubricants and other media over the long term. And if they have to be replaced after a prolonged period in s...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Thermosets
...king (Fig.5). Amine moulding materials with very good flowability for injection moulding are now available. They can be used to produce thin-walled mouldings that offer excellent impact and notched impact strength but still retain typical thermoset characteristics such as electrical insulation properties and heat and fire resistance (Fig.6) [9]. For urea injection mouldings, such as sockets and power circuit breakers, there is a moulding material that allows more cost-effective processing with i...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Thin-wall Injection Moulding: Miniaturisation of Microplates
...dules for automated testing. Highly-integrated Microplates The two key requirements are thus to reduce the volume of the specimen and achieve a higher integration density. Since the microplate was designed as an open platform, it was necessary to retain the basic dimensions of the standard plate with 96 wells that had been used up until then. In an initial stage, the number of wells was quadrupled to 384, coupled with a reduction in the sample volume from 370 to 120µl and a halving of the centr...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Top Performance
...ration and the product becomes transparent if cooled rapidly. If it is cooled more slowly, a certain opacity returns, but the supramolecular structures are much smaller than before. If processing is carried out under gentle conditions in order to retain as many supramolecular structures as possible, they act as a filler in the melt and in the film. The supramolecular structures project from the film surface and act as spacers, greatly reducing the blocking tendency. With other spacers, such as i...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Trend Report: Colour Management for Global Production
...h in all plants of all the participants in a production or supplier network. The reality is, though, that all kinds and makes of instruments are used in practice. It is time-consuming and expensive in the fast-paced world of today to practice and retain the conventional and very laborious methods of instrument management. One remedy here is to use rapid internet solutions, such as the Enterprise Color Management (ECM) from GretagMacbeth (Fig. 1). ECM increases the efficiency of colour developmen...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Two-component Technique for Cup Holders: Greater Ease of Operation
...d. Taking the Curve with the Coffee Cup The cup holder insert is similarly a two-component part. A shell in TPE is injected onto a frame in PC on an index-platen mould. The soft part of the insert is equipped with flexible studs which will securely retain different-sized beverage containers (Fig.3). The studs additionally guarantee that the appropriate amount of energy is required to insert or remove the containers. This is achieved by having a relatively rigid material, with a wall thickness o...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Wide Range of Applications: Styrene Copolymers
...tive applications, 36% to the electrical industry, 5% to solutions for the construction sector, 3% to packaging, 11% to leisure products and 22% to other applications. ABS as Volume Resin When plastics are expected to remain dimensionally stable and retain their shape under high load and in addition must withstand severe temperature fluctuations, the designers often select ABS. In automotive just as in many other applications in the electrical, electronics, toy, leisure, household and office sec...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-01-26, Interview: Worldwide Investment Boom
... you bringing it to Germany too? Gronies: The machine is also being sold in Germany, with a good measure of success, although we only started at the last K fair. But we consider it important to retain a very clear distinction between these segments. Kunststoffe: Are you taking further measures to secure your company's future success? Gronies: We introduced the Megacompounder generation in 1995 and filed a patent application not for the machine but for the operating process. At the start of ...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-02-21, Nanocoating: Seat Coverings: Soil-repellent and Comfortable
...f nanotechnology to the development of new automotive seat coverings will open up new market opportunities for textile manufacturers and finishers that will extend way beyond the automotive sector. Easycare, antistatic seat coverings that retain their attractive appearance and comfort in the long term are at least as relevant for highly stressed applications in public transport or the aviation sector. Acknowledgement We would like to thank the Forschungskuratorium Textil e.V. for financing the...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-03-23, Lanxess: Moving Boldly into the Future
...ctor is suffering from excess capacity. Lanxess has two big styrenics production facilities in Europe – one in the Spanish city of Tarragona and one in Dormagen, Germany. Both are running at only just above 50% capacity. Lanxess intends to retain these sites and realign them, concentrating the production of specialities on Tarragona while capacity at Dormagen is to be reduced, and the plant will concentrate on the production of high-grade products specially tailored to Bayer MaterialScience. The...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-04-27, Economic Development: Ontario – Home to Highly Advanced Technologies
... Minister Cordiano. "With our new programme, we are investing first and foremost in our highly educated and skilled workforce and thus making a contribution towards ensuring that companies are able to keep abreast of technological progress and retain their leading position amongst the global competition." Prime Minister Dalton McGuinty, who is also Minister for Research and Innovation, hopes that the initiative will produce new ideas. "If we are to really keep ahead in the global ...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-05-23, Innovative Potential: Additives Now and in the Future
...sing degradation and potential odours due to degradation products are reduced. By using CGX NC 66, the good properties of nanocomposites, i.e. significantly increased elastic modulus combined with good impact strength and high elongation, are retained during processing and in long-term service. Additives were recently described that permit the production of PP nanocomposites without the usual ammonium modification and without another compatibiliser. With 5% filler loading, this new method leads...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-06-02, News
...H LLC of Nashville/TN, USA, acquired all assets of Wegener North America Inc. Originally installed as a representation of Wegener GmbH of Aachen/Germany in 1981 the supplier of thermoplastic welding lines changed its name to Wegener Welding LLC but retained its headquarters in Burr Ridge III/USA. The representation of Wegener GmbH will also be maintained. BBG Expansion in Asia Mould, machine and line manufacturer BBG GmbH & Co. KG of Mindelheim/Germany founded P-PEQ, a 100% subsidiary with hea...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-07-12, Editorial: The Customer's Always Right!
...e years before. The big, globally-oriented companies have been compensating for this development for many years through rationalisation, restructuring, mergers and concentrations. Only in this way can they alleviate the pressure on their margins and retain their global competitiveness. Less profitable business is being transferred to independent company units, both in Germany and abroad. And there are plenty of examples to prove this. BASF, for instance, realigned its styrene specialities on the...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-07-31, UV Protective Coatings: A Clear Thing?
...ed as an additive, but also is chemically bound to the polysiloxane polymer. This not only ensures that the absorber can no longer be leached or can migrate into the substrate, but the chemical bonding also makes it possible to largely retain the fine balance of other components in the coating, which have already proved their worth in the coating of glazing for police vehicles. UV Absorber Bound to the Polymer. Compared with other UV-stabilised polysiloxane coatings, KASI-SunFlex offers a compe...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-08-06, Stabilisers (Part 1): Alternative Stabiliser Systems for PVC
...e now works in the pharmaceutical industry. Ing. Henk Huisman, born in 1958, heads the Research Section for Germany in the Chemson-Polymeradditive AG-Gruppe; henk.huisman@chemson.com Title photo. Yellow-coloured PVC pipes retain their colour quality, even when exposed to high thermal stresses over an extended period of time Thermal stability Fig. 1. Comparison of the static thermal stability values of PVC pipes with different stabiliser systems at 180°C Fig. 2. Brown PVC pipes containing Ca/Z...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-09-08, Natural-fibre-reinforced Plastics: Considerable Potential for Improvement
...chel MischSysteme GmbH because of its good mixing and venting efficiency. The best results are obtained here with modular machines, in which the optimum combination of processing elements for the particular task at hand can be assembled. To retain the positive properties of the polymer matrix, the wood fibres must be coated as completely as possible by plastic. For this purpose, they are side-fed directly into the melt. The moisture content should be 3% at most. Then pelletisation or the product...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-09-27, Situation Report: Engineering Plastics in the Chinese Market
...in-dustry also there are important applications of EPs, for example for hollow panels made of PC and for thermally insulating functional parts made of PA66 for windows. In summary it may be concluded that electronics and domestic appliances will retain their key position in the application segments for EPs right up to 2010. Disproportionately high growth is expected in automotive engineering, in the building industry, for technically demanding packaging systems, for sports and fitness equipment ...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-11-28, Form-fitting Aid: Plastic-metal Press Fits
...ially on one side and provided with six bores into which corresponding drive pins of the test device could engage (Fig. 7). For application of a moment through tangential forces on the outer contour it would not have been possible to retain the basic cylindrical geometry and the state of stress would have been altered in uncertain and complex fashion. Previous experience allowed the test to be limited to two periods of 10 and 1000 hours. In this way three decades were captured and the total numb...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-01-22, Extended Product Range
...ther recent additions to the portfolio of Borealis polyolefins supplied by Resin Express include Borcom microcomposites, which have lower density and significantly reduced emissions compared with standard PP, and high-impact Xmod PP compounds, which retain their rigidity, even at engine compartment temperatures. The Dow range of EPDM rubbers comprises the product families Nordel IP and MG. Both are very pure materials, whose good processing and blending properties have been even further improved...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-03-15, A Billion in the Medium Term
...that worry you? Neumann: I think that the European industry – and that doesn’t just apply to the injection moulding machine manufacturers – needs to be very alert. Only if all of us retain a certain volume of business here will we be able to secure our technology leadership. It has been the partnership between processors, OEMs and the plastics machinery companies that has provided the basis for this leadership. Today, we are unfortunately seeing that big companies, in particular, are frequently ...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-06-18, Improving Product Properties by Cutting Back on Material
...aterials. Given the rising prices of raw materials this end use is still of some importance. Fillers, however, can also be used to modify the properties of materials. Thus, despite being used to save on expensive polymeric material they can help to retain or even improve desired properties in the final product. Financial savings on materials can be made only when improved physical properties specific to the material are achieved. It would also be conceivable to improve the properties of a materi...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-07-18, Untrammeled All-Round Vision
...signed such that the heat generated in the instrument can be dissipated without active cooling. It must be possible for one person to carry the perimeter and, naturally, parts of the housing may not thereby become detached. Mechanical modules must retain positional stability in the event of any transport stress. A high-impact, flame-resistant polystyrene is used for the production of the plastic parts. In order that the requisite accuracy of fit as well as the uniformity of the shadow joints co...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-08-14, To the Limits of the Possible
To the Limits of the Possible Metal Replacement High-performance polyamides based on polyphthalamide (PPA) have excellent strength values, which are also retained at high temperatures. This product class significantly widens the opportunities for metal replacement, while at the same time offering the classic advantages of plastics processing such as functional integration, weight saving and lower costs. Thomas Jeltsch Thermoplastic semi-crystalline polyamides based on PPA have long been ...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-09-19, Energy Efficiency Taking on Increasing Importance
...echnyl XT and Technyl XCell. High Fluidity polyamides 66 permit shorter cycle times without impairing the favorable thermal, chemical and mechanical properties of the PA66. They also offer a high level of stiffness and retain their mechanical performance even at elevated permanent service temperatures. Technyl SI combines exceptional impact strength with good stiffness and is aimed at optimizing mechanical performance in especially harsh service environments, particularly in applications such as...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-09-19, Tailored to Your Timeline
...in PP fibers that permit cost savings in this critical application as well. When used in blow molded bottles, the amount of expensive resin can be reduced while maintaining the same bottle weight. Bottles reinforced with these fillers retain their mechanical properties such as puncture resistance and stackability, while the resistance to environmental stress cracking improves. From Color Masterbatches to Functional Compounds The Grafe Gruppe, Blankenhain, Germany, is focusing this year entirel...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-10-19, Low-Density Polyethylene (PE-LD/PE-LLD)
...hanical properties are often associated with more difficulty in processing; nor does the higher price compared to standard grades enhance the attractiveness of these products in a mass market. Metallocene PE-LLD will no doubt retain its specialty status for some time to come. Outlook For 2007, experts expect PE-LLD consumption to be about 19.1 million t worldwide (+5.5%, Western Europe: +4.7%); it can be assumed that strong growth on this order of magnitude will continue. The 25 million t thre...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-11-21, Pipe Systems in the Engine Compartment
...BCF 30X H2.0 is a good example of such an electrically conductive thermoplastic. This new PA6 is already being used for series production of an antistatic-modified fuel filter housing. The challenge in developing this material was to retain high toughness and good weldability, despite the electrical conductivity additive. Its flowability is comparable with that of a standard PA6 with 30% glass fiber content. The Authors Dr. Detlev Joachimi, born in 1963, is Durethan Product Development Manage...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-11-21, Vacuuming in Style
... parts because the vacuum cleaner chassis are made by thermoforming silkscreen-decorated plastic panels: once the heated panels have attained an elastic state, they are sucked onto the thermoforming tool by a vacuum. The thermoformed panels retain their shape on cooling. One of Proma’s tasks in this project was to additionally develop a blueprint for assembly of the different chassis types. The overriding criterion was that the various upper sections of the vacuum cleaner had to have the same co...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-01-15, Elastomer Industry Has Understood
...e, an important greenhouse gas. The Pebax Rnew family is supplied in hardness grades of 25 to 72 Shore D and offers the same outstanding properties as Pebax: light weight, stiffness, toughness and rebound resilience. And it retains this excellent property profile over a wide temperature range. At K2007, thermoplastic polyurethanes specialist, Merquinsa of Barcelona, Spain, featured its first TPU elastomers produced from renewable resources, which are now available on the market. Merquinsas Pearl...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-02-17, Acquisition Poker and Dramatic Upswings
...s development, and evidently surprised by the hefty reactions, Adcuram hastened to reverse its actions. Sale that Caused a Sensation The original plans of once-again owner, Adcuram, and hence of Battenfeld’s biggest creditor were to simply retain the machine manufacturer’s profitable spare parts and service business (annual sales: approx. EUR 30 million).This was why the planned sale specifically excluded Battenfeld Kunststoffmaschinen Service GmbH, which is currently preparing a move from Kot...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-02-29, Hot Forming instead of Compression Molding
...Curing of the prepreg material for 2 h at 120–180°C is the rate-determining step in the part production process. For this reason, the forming and curing steps have been separated, because, in contrast to the forming tool, the curing tool must retain dimensional stability at elevated temperatures. The forming tool was fabricated from solid wood to keep the manufacturing costs low and permit reworking of the tool with little effort or expense if necessary. In addition, this material absorbs consid...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-04-14, Straps Demand Extremes
...ooled, to generate particular molecular structures, a certain degree of crystallinity. The special know-how actually consists in not making the structure too crystalline; there must be a sufficient amorphous content for it to retain its flexibility. The factors determining quality are not only the tensile strength and elongation. There are other influences as well: you can lay two straps side by side with absolutely identical tensile strength and elongation, and when you wind them around a packa...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-04-14, The Correct Material Choice
...while normal gamma-ray sterilization is completed within a few hours. Radiation techniques may influence the mechanical properties of plastics to a limited extent. Although many engineering thermoplastics such as PC, PBT and PEI generally retain their mechanical properties, manufacturers should always approach their material suppliers to ask about the material’s reaction to radiation. Also, color changes can occur, which are usually stronger with transparent plastics. To counter this effect, spe...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-07-15, Metal on the Outside, Plastic on the Inside
...ts of tests on cantilevered beams of nanometal/polymer hybrids, in which the thickness of the substrate (Zytel HTN PPA from DuPont) varies. The positioning of the metal layer allows further optimizations to be tailored. The nanometal/polymer hybrids retain their very good mechanical properties, even when pure plastics are already undergoing marked failure. Figure 5 shows the results of dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Clearly evident is not only the much higher initial modulus (expressed by th...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-08-14, Planting without Shards
...o not contain any metallic pigments, are finally given a protective coating of scratch-resistant lacquer which hardens under UV light. The high-grade ceramic and metallic-look paints retain their brilliance for many years. ”This high-end painting is virtually on a par with the finish achieved in the automotive sector – these are absolutely top-rate surfaces,“ explains Benker. And precisely surfaces such as these require flawless injection moldings.” Anyone who thinks that paint covers up flaws i...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-09-23, The Energy Crisis is Playing into our Hands
... and expensive, that wouldn’t make any sense. After all we offer the EX for the complete range of special solutions. Both machine ranges together cover a much wider spectrum of the market. As an aside it can be said that the hydraulic CX will retain its role. Hydraulic two platen machines will be replaced to a much smaller extent by electric machines than for example hydraulic toggle lock machines. Thus we have at KraussMaffei three products for this market segment that complement each ot...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-10-17, Polyoxymethylene (Polyacetals, POM)
...n equipment, cosmetics packaging, sporting goods, automobiles, building hardware and others. New, impact modified POM grades from Ticona or DuPont have clearly higher toughness and weld line strength, even at low temperatures. At the same time, they retain other materials properties such as high stiffness and strength, as well as the same yield strength. Moreover, DuPont’s new Delrin specialties can be processed quite efficiently due to their relatively low melt viscosity. This means redu...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-11-20, Problems with the Mold are no Longer the Responsibility of the Buyers
...sive factor on the market, with finishing work, modifications and alignments all posing problems in China. This is an advantage that we will doubtless retain for a long time Is there a future for mold building in Germany? Jahn: Yes, at all events. The main point here is that the mold builder must also take a critical look at the article geometry and the production process if they are to be an equal-ranking discussion partner – and they must do this at a very early point in time, so as to keep th...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-11-20, Tailor-Made Illumination
...g lights. At the same time with a reflectivity of up to 94 % they provide for an efficient and uniform illumination. Polymers such as ABS, PC, (PC+ABS) blends, PBT and PP can be modified to give the required properties. This allows users to retain the advantages of particular materials for each application. Demanding requirements in terms of, for example, dimensional stability and heat distortion can be safely met. The design and production of components can be simplified through the eff...

Kunststoffe international, 2009-01-26, Burden or Opportunity
...ith and without risks will be found in both halogenated and halogen free flame retardants. Within the coming compulsory registration under REACH companies should try not to orientate themselves exclusively on EU criteria, but rather also retain a view of other international chemical directories. In this way REACH can also be seen as a global opportunity. Conclusion In conclusion it should be seen that a timely and gradual preparation is essential in order to deal properly with the risks and oppo...

Kunststoffe international, 2009-02-17, Passes the Tensile Test
... also important whether the strapping tends to split or not. The tests for simulating this behavior show a splitting tendency that is noncritical for practical purposes for all the PET strappings listed in Table 1, i. e. the strappings retain their tough elastic behavior despite stretching of well over 500 % (in the worst case, only two out of 20 samples broke in the buckling test). Material No. 5 in Table 1 is an example that, with the Vacurema inline strapping line, even materials that are not...

Kunststoffe international, 2009-04-16, In-Line Color Measurement Directly in the Melt
...screwed from the probe sleeve and calibrated on the basis of the black and white standard. A green control standard is employed to check the validity of the calibration. The calibration is a function of the surrounding conditions. The system can retain its stability for up to three months before a renewed calibration is required. The actual color measurement is performed in a spectral photometer using CCD technology. The spectral photometer employed covers the wave range between 360 and 780 nm, ...

Kunststoffe international, 2009-10-14, For the Third Industrial Revolution
...nd at the interface between micro and macro dimensions are many and varied. Dental technology, in particular, provides a vivid example of how new technologies can stimulate established sectors with mature products and permit them to retain their competitiveness, or make them competitive. This also shows that, while the machine constitutes the centerpiece of the process, viewed in overall terms, it is simply a link in a process chain that needs to be tailored to generative production in all respe...

Kunststoffe international, 2009-10-14, From Rotation to Swiveling
...e robots, including laser monitoring. The hot-runner systems of PA6-GF30 and TPE are very effectively thermally separated by the swivel platen. By extending the tie-bars it was possible, despite the large and complex mold construction, to retain the same size of injection molding machine, with 420 t clamping force. Before retooling, the company used 1-component technology and manually fitted the clips and the sound-insulation felt. Thanks to the cube technology and automatic clip mounting, cycle...

Kunststoffe international, 2009-11-19, Water Makes It Lighter
..., especially the nonpolar polyolefins, because of its polar molecular structure. In order to nevertheless foam such resins with water, natural fiber particles are employed as a carrier for the water. Even when they are moist, these particles retain their pourability. Because of the high “blowing” action, small amounts of both components are already adequate. Similar to the Principle Used in a Pressure Cooker To facilitate use of the process, an appropriate mixer that can be adapted for connectio...

Kunststoffe international, 2010-08-19, Environmental Awareness as a Business Plan
...bon nanotubes (CNT). Conclusions Whether on the basis of their own initiative or societal pressure, all five manufacturers have become more environmentally aware than ever. The idea of sustainability has become the wellspring for a strategy to retain existing customers and gain new ones. As a consequence, plastics processors in the automotive, construction and consumer goods industries etc. now have the opportunity to from a series of halogen-, boron- or lead chromatefree additives. Above all, t...

Kunststoffe international, 2010-09-24, A Motley Range of Innovations
..., composites and rubber. In recent years, the trend has been to meet increasing technical requirements with regard to commercial feasibility. In the polyolefin sector, this always meant increasing the amount of added calcium carbonate, while retaining, if not improving, the material properties. Consequently, significant investments were made in Omya and Omyacarb products in order to provide solutions for applications such as blow molding, injection molding, and all extrusion methods. The calcium...

Kunststoffe international, 2010-09-24, Designer Products Based on a Modular Approach
...rimary development objective was to further increase the “toughness efficiency” of these products in mixtures with GPPS (Fig. 2). Here, the expression “toughness efficiency” stands for the ability of SBS block copolymers to retain a good, useful toughness even when mixed with relatively high amounts of GPPS. The Styrolux brands with very high toughness efficiency thus permit economical production of transparent packaging. With intentional synthesis of mixed, so-called “smeared” block transitions...

Kunststoffe international, 2010-09-24, Facilitating Technical Life
...uel Technology (ZBT), Duisburg, Germany. Ticona is taking the example of a fuel cell from the ZBT to show how its high-performance materials can be used here. The advantage of these materials is that they are resistant to corrosion and retain their shape even at temperatures of up to 240°C. The polyphenylene sulfide, Fortron PPS, is thus employed as a matrix for bipolar plates, which constitute the electrodes of the fuel cell. PPS replaces conventional materials, such as goldcoated stainless ste...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-01-25, Appealing to (almost) all the Senses
...for medium and high voltage applications (Fig. 3). Zeon Chemicals, Tokyo, Japan, has expanded its range of hydrogenated nitrile rubbers (HNBR) with Zetpol EP. It was developed in order to reduce processing times for injection molded products, whilst retaining the high level of mechanical properties. Especially with complex shapes the new HNBR shows a clear improvement in flow properties. All the grades in the range also have optimized temperature and media resistance as well as very good dynamic...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-01-25, Clearly Transparent
...re a clever engineering approach when it comes to attachment to steel elements and thus a stylistic break for the glass structure. The reason is not the poor strength of glass components, but rather the requirement that the entire structure itself retain adequate residual structural integrity even if the glass components are damaged – according to legal regulations, this residual structural integrity must be large enough to provide enough time for evacuation of the building even in the event of ...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-01-25, Three Steps to a Good Marking Result
...ilable for the individual parameters on the TruMark meant that, despite the comprehensive training offered by Trumpf, the manufacturers (see box on page 16), those new to laser marking in particular, found it difficult to the correct settings and to retain an overview at times. To improve the quality of a marking, the user has to translate the desired result (such as greater contrast) into technical parameters. Expressed in terms of an everyday object like the car, this would mean that drivers w...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-05-12, More Flexural Strength for Thin Films
...ir haptic (softness), ease of use on machinery and function (e. g. in stand up pouches). If the thickness of a multi-layer structure is to be reduced in order to save material and subsequent disposal costs whilst a certain minimum stiffness is to be retained, two things are needed: a good working knowledge of how material mechanical properties affect stiffness as well as the availability of suitable materials with appropriate stiffness. Beam Bending at the Core of the Concept Beam theory from tr...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-05-12, Packagings Doing the Balancing Act
...fill the highest demands placed on convenience packaging. The ready-for-use side gusset bag offers a wide variety of consumer applications. Seal seams along the sides make the FlexZiBox stable and help it retain its shape. The sides and bottom can be printed all around for optimum presentation at the point of sale. Air-tight reclosure systems keep the packaging content fresh for a long time and allow for easy opening, pouring, and closing. All FlexZiBox sizes can be equipped with zippers or slid...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-10-17, Styrene Copolymers (ABS, ASA, SAN, MABS, and ABS Blends)
...f the ABS market, it is characterized by a less dynamic price development and shows a growth similar to the automotive market itself. SAN Styrene-acrylonitrile was able to assert itself well in its niches in recent years and has retained its specialty character. Besides Styrolution, another SAN manufacturer of world importance is primarily Trinseo (formerly Styron LLC, Berwyn, PA, USA, founded by Dow Chemical Company) (Tyril); Polimeri SpA, San Donato Milanese, Italy, (Kostil) focuses chiefly on...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-11-18, New from Old
...rds through them, it is possible to remove up to 5 % of the paint, but at the expense of considerable material losses. The paint particles that were able to pass through the screens and remain in the thermoplastic are dispersed through the bulk, but retain the original thickness of the coating. Notched and unnotched impact strengths of the re-compound are dramatically reduced by these paint particles. On top of that these particles tend to float to the surface during injection molding of the pol...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-01-30, Sustainable Production Pays Off
...with the material supplied almost via silos. While the existing plant had continually been partly modernized, it was based on a system designed many years ago for lower throughputs and other requirements. Nevertheless, the specification was to retain as much equipment as possible from the existing conveying systems, comprising a total of about 150 conveying points and five drying systems with a total of 29 dryer bins. The primary goal of modernization was holistic optimization according to human...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-02-24, Putting the Seal of Quality into Handling
...dards on packaging and labeling. This includes, e.g., the date of manufacture and documentation of the processing conditions. Nowadays, seamless documentation of the production history is a must. It is therefore very important to retain a set of samples that are representative of production and, if necessary, permit retroactive tracing. To this end, as well as for manual random sampling, the operator removes the parts via a “quality drawer”. This ensures that the parts are always matched up to t...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-04-20, Avoiding Moisture Damage
...n molding tool can be brittle and unusable. However, at temperatures under 100°C the damaging effect of moisture only makes itself noticeable later on. Under typical terrestrial climatic conditions even PBTs without any special modification can retain practically constant properties over many years. However, in automobiles at least sometimes temperature and moisture conditions that are much more demanding than natural weathering can be found. For this reason many specifications require testing a...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-11-26, Inliner for Automotive High-Pressure Natural Gas Tank
...is involves a real balancing act, because barrier properties and toughness modification run counter to each other. Nevertheless, Lanxess has recently succeeded in producing low-temperature-modified polyamide 6 variants for blow molding, which retain their excellent barrier effect against natural gas at the same time. Such materials are 100 times less permeable to natural gas than high density polyethylene (HDPE) – as determined on 200 µm film (Fig. 1). Their barrier behavior is some 10 times bet...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-11-26, Reinforcing with Steel Cord
... This captures the fact that the application for these components is found in safety relevant areas where on the one hand energy absorption is required, but on the other the part should not be completely destroyed under collision loading, but rather retain its integrity as a functional component. The first mass produced components of the forerunner compression molding technology based on GMT won the 2008 AVK Innovation award. After this the three companies concentrated on classic injection moldi...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-11-26, Some Like it Hot
...reamid-A3H7.2G7 (PA66GF35 – heat-stabilized, radiation curable) and VCreamid-A3H7.3G7 (PA66GF35 – heatstabilized – PTS shielding technology, radiation curable) to be developed, two new PAGF compounds which in combination with radiation curing retain at least 70 % of their high strength values even after 3,000 hours in the long-term test at 200 °C and 220°C, respectively (Fig. 1). The advanced H9.1 hydrolysis stabilizer in Creamid-A3H9.1G10 (PA66GF50 – hydrolysis and chemicals stabilized) and in ...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-04-14, Aliphatic Polyketones: Tailored, Stable, Environmentally Friendly
... if the stress is subsequently relaxed to a permissible holding force [5]. PK are therefore particularly designfriendly for the production of non-detachable snapfits. The glass transition temperature of the PK known so far is about 15°C. They retain their properties, even at low temperatures. For example, PK absorb virtually the same impact energy as polycarbonate in the impact test. Between room temperature and -30°C, only a few differences can be ascertained. In relation to this, Figure 4 comp...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-10-10, Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA)
... but also more cost-effective. PMMA still offers unmatched durability in this segment as comparative investigations with current competitive products made from styrene acrylonitrile (SAN) show. For instance, Plexiglas 8N (9V022) from Evonik retained its smoothness and high gloss almost unchanged in a weathering test, the xenon test to DIN EN ISO 4892-2, after 3,000 h, while the comparable SAN product became matte and brittle. While vehicle parts are constantly exposed to severe stresses such as ...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-10-10, Polyurethanes (PU)
...t development trends are concentrating on using viscoelastic PU foams to further improve the comfort when lying down. There are also ongoing efforts to optimize heat and air circulation within PU mattresses. Additional developments are targeted at retaining the viscoelastic properties of viscoelastic foams at lower temperatures. More recently, sustainability and end-of-life considerations have started to play an increasingly important role in the mattress market. In France, for instance, the Éco...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-11-26, Compensation of Stresses in Intermediates
...usion direction (Figs. 1 and 2).… the Contour Definition …Internal stresses in thermoplastics are only effectively relieved in melt state. This is never the case during thermoforming, however, as the intermediate has to retain its shape as a film or sheet until it is formed. The lower the forming temperature, the lower the stress relaxation in the intermediate, and the higher the stretch during forming, the more stresses are created in the molding. This has an impact on the contour definition of...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-11-26, Keeping a Clear View
...ade from the new Plexiglas molding compound has already met these strict requirements with flying colors. The molding compound has also passed a mandatory heat-resistance test of the ability of polymers approved for road vehicles to retain their original shape over a certain temperature range. After all, temperatures in parked cars can exceed 80 °C in certain circumstances. The new impact-modified PMMA molding compound has a Vicat softening temperature of 105 °C – a figure that puts it on a par ...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-02-28, Fibers Skillfully Concealed
...ntrast with glass fibers. However, thanks to optimum stabilization, it has been possible, even with red colors, to limit the color change after 2,000 hours of accelerated UV aging (Suntest) to a ΔE value of 3. Both colors shown, red and green, retain an excellent value of 4 to 5 in visual gray scale assessment after 2,000 hours (the scale ranges from 5 = no change to 1 = very marked perceptible change). In the case of compounds without a specific light stabilizer package, a change in color loca...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-02-28, Less Is More
...e.ConclusionRed phosphorus has been used in flame retardants for nearly 40 years. Thanks to their excellent mechanical and electrical properties, BASF Ultramid A3X2 products that have been flame-retarded with red phosphorus still retain their leading position among flame-retardant PA66 brands many years after they were launched. WFig. 3. Values for notched-impact strength (dry) and elongation at break in the tensile test (dry) show that polyamide which has been flame-retarded with red phosphorus...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-05-21, Replacement of Conventional Elastomers
...h high strain rates or frequent strain.The aim of the work described here was to reduce both effects by partial chemical crosslinking of the soft phase. The degree of crosslinking is restricted so that only branched polymers are produced in order to retain melt processability. Crosslinking MethodsTo achieve a defined and reproducibly low degree of crosslinking, the starting point for irreversible chemical crosslinking of the soft phase was to link the individual polymer chains via the remaining ...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-07-20, Liquid Masterbatch Systems
... to market conditions. In view of the many available and newly developed machine systems on the market, it is essential for regular contact to be maintained with machine manufacturers. That is the only way to ensure that the pigment systems retain their functionality in all kinds of processes.The carrier system must not adversely affect the process or the properties of the end product in any way. New carrier systems were continually developed in the past as a way of ensuring this. Compatible sol...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-08-17, Conductive and Highly Filled
...s < 5 µm is greatly reduced), which is excellent for highly filled polymer compounds.Blends of different fillers were also studied. It was found that both conductivity values and mechanical properties could be improved [3]. The idea is to retain graphite as the main filler and blend it with smaller amounts of other carbon-based materials such as carbon black (e. g. Ensaco 250G from Imerys Graphite & Carbon [4]), carbon fibers or carbon nanotubes (CNT) [3, 5]. In these blends, the carbon black pa...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-08-17, Zero Waste versus Dire Need
...the food spoils predominantly at the consumer’s. Supplying the increasing world population with food cannot be achieved with less packaging but only through the use of ever better packaging. Packaging protects food during transport, helps retain the nutrients in products and improves their availability. Plastics make a big contribution to ensuring that top-quality food can reach as many people as possible. Gerhard Gotzmann gerhard.gotzmann@hanser.de Pay us a visit at Fakuma: Hall B3, booth 3...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-10-12, Inventiveness Ensures Growth in Machine Manufacturing
..., together produced 40 percent by value of all the processing machines manufactured worldwide for the industry in 2014. This represents sales of EUR 13 billion on an overall market of EUR 32.5 billion. The Euromap countries have thus been able to retain their individual shares, despite the pronounced increase in the shares accounted for by China over the past few years. And Euromap’s 50 percent share of world exports has also been successfully defended over the past five years. Following growth ...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-12-17, Improving the Quality of Recycled Materials
...high stability is achieved in this case if long-term stabilization with antioxidants/HALS is augmented with a repair system (Recycloblend 660, see below) to deactivate the filler.Reactive Molecules and Repair SystemsStabilizers can generally only retain their existing properties for a certain length of time, albeit an extended one. It is therefore not possible to heal a damaged polymer that, for example, has suffered from molecular weight degradation. However, polycondensation polymers, e. g. p...

Kunststoffe international, 2016-02-17, Electrifying Lightweight Design
...rend towards the use of CFRP only represents a small portion of current developments. The OEMs surveyed in the Forel study expect a diverse mix of materials in the future, in which, besides reinforced and unreinforced materials, metals will also retain their place (Fig. 1). There is thus de facto no single "lightweight material of the future." Those suppliers and manufacturers with flexible, resource-efficient process chains and material-appropriate joining processes are thus best equipped to ta...

Kunststoffe international, 2016-03-08, Polyamides also Like it Hot
With the advent of lighter-weight, quieter, higher-performance automotive drives, the temperature that components have to withstand under the hood is also increasing. In such applications, plastics have to sustain high performance over many thousands of hours. Polyamides are able to meet these challenges thanks to new heat stabilization technology, as demonstrated by the example of quick connectors for brake vacuum lines. The reduction of CO2 emissions from motor vehicles continues to be the fo...

Kunststoffe international, 2016-04-05, By the Sweat of One’s Brow
...oisture. Permeability of the FilmsThe monolithic structure allows moisture vapor diffusion, while at the same time acting as a barrier to fluids. Even when in contact with fluids that lower surface tension, such as alcohol or soaps, the textiles retain their properties. This is particularly important for surgeons, who often have to work intensively for hours in the operating theatre. They need a comfortable and functional surgical jacket that does not impede them in any way.With perforated membr...

Kunststoffe international, 2016-04-08, Compressed Air Dryers in the Cleanroom
...be considered that parts are produced under GMP and FDA-compliant conditions in GMP-class D cleanrooms. Planning for the next expansion began in 2010, this time with the aim of increasing annual capacity to 44 million. "We originally wanted to retain the successful concept of the existing production lines with centralized dry-air dryers, a centralized material supply system with coupling station and a dry-air conveyor," recalls Volker Andres, responsible project manager for the fields of injecti...

Kunststoffe international, 2016-05-18, Elastomers Come to Life
...s the film surface. Both effects, i. e. the decrease in thickness and the surface enlargement, can be utilized actuatorically.One possible actuator form consists of a flat elastomer film pre-strained in all directions, which is clamped in a frame to retain the pre-strain. Only a part of the film surface is coated with electrodes. Figure 3 shows this type of film actuator with a pre-strained elastomer film in a circular frame with circular electrodes in the center and the electric connections. Wh...

Kunststoffe international, 2016-10-17, Bioplastics
...rtia. Ultimately however this does not harm the bioplastics industry. Only once market development builds a solid foundation will it be adequately supported by politicians, consumers and critics. Then it can also attract and retain new investors. WTypeBio-based content [%]Manufacturer (total number)Production capacity (t/a; global 2015)CommentsPolyolefinsPEEthylene (85-100)Braskem (1)200,000HDPE, LDPE and LLDPE types available PE = PolyethylenePolyestersPETMono-ethylene glycol (bio-MEG) (30)Ind...

Kunststoffe international, 2016-10-17, Fluoropolymers
... tetrafluoroethylene. They are characterized in particular by their high resistance to media. As opposed to PTFE and the fluorothermoplastics, fluoroelastomers require a chemical cross-linking after molding, as a result of which the components retain their final shape and the material obtains its actual property spectrum.The era of thermoplastically processable fluoroelastomers has not yet begun on a technical scale. It remains to be seen how long it will take for the development engineers to su...

Kunststoffe international, 2016-10-17, Polypropylene (PP)
...ower wall thicknesses and intelligent designs in these applications is continuing, with the packaging continually having to meet new and specific requirements. Not least for this reason, plastic packaging has become indispensable in food retaining (Title figure).If, for example, besides stiffness and processability at wall thicknesses below 0.5 mm, toughness over a wider temperature range is necessary, impact copolymers with a special design are necessary. One example is the material type BJ998M...

Kunststoffe international, 2016-10-17, Styrene Copolymers
... steam because of their limited temperature resistance (less than 100 °C), they are resistant to alternative sterilization methods (gamma ray or electron beam irradiation as well as ethylene oxide sterilization). This is demonstrated for example by retaining good engineering properties, high color consistency as well as very rapid decrease of the yellow coloration after γ-irradiation.Control and limitation of volatile, low molecular weight substances from plastic parts is an essential requiremen...

Kunststoffe international, 2017-02-23, Organoclay Imparts Scratch Resistance
...r a surface. "Abrasion" is the grinding away of material from a surface, while wear marks affecting color, gloss or haze but involving no significant loss of material are denoted "marring". There is therefore a need for more resilient surfaces which retain their aesthetics over an extended period [1]. Scratch resistance may be achieved either by hard coatings which are applied during [2, 3] or after [4] processing or by using specific additives. However, hard coats, such as solvent-based, UV- or...

Kunststoffe international, 2017-09-20, The Digital Revolution in Production is Imminent
...tion, too. What, precisely, this will look like, is still subject to negotiation. Networking between science and industry is doubtless a more appealing approach than having an IT company stake its claims and set the standards. Anyone wishing to retain control over more than just their process data would be well advised to start looking into this. Dr. Clemens Doriat clemens.doriat@hanser.de Pay us a visit at Fakuma: Hall B3, booth 3202

Kunststoffe international, 2017-12-21, Long-Chained and High-Viscous
In cast polyamides, the catalyst is retained and remains active, causing the material to degrade during processing in the molten state. To preserve the high-value properties of the material after recycling, specific additives are required. Trials show that it is possible to produce high-viscosity polyamides that can find future use in, for example, thermoforming. The most frequently used polyamide is polyamide 6. It is produced from the monomer ε-caprolactam via two different synthesis routes, w...

Kunststoffe international, 2018-03-09, Multi-Material Mix Gets a Carbon Fiber Twist
...-treatment for assembly steps. Lastly, the rear panel sub-assembly is bonded with fast-curing Betaforce 9050 structural adhesive from Dow.Finally, during the sub-assembly and assembly processes, structural adhesives were important to retain the integrity of the CFRP rear panel. This joining technique helped achieve the torsional stiffness improvement and contributes to part stiffness. Betaforce 9050 was applied to the sub-assembly through a fully-automated process at Voith and again during final...

Kunststoffe international, 2018-05-15, Optically and Haptically Effective Chrome Surfaces
...rs level out structures and alter the optical effect. The haptics remain in tact, of course, but the detailed mold structure no longer has a decorative function. This also applies to parts with molded structures when they are electroplated. To retain the brushed structure in spite of the fact, these surfaces are sometimes brushed mechanically. This approach is very elaborate and must be regarded critically with respect to part quality for adhesion and corrosion tests, because mechanical brushing...

Kunststoffe international, 2018-09-19, Elegant Surfaces with Visible Natural Fibers
The use of natural fiber-reinforced composite materials is currently gaining new impetus in the form of decoratively finished designs which retain a natural appearance. A newly developed finishing technology from Yanfeng Automotive Interiors (YFAI) makes natural fibers visible. with a new compression molding process attractive and individual surfaces with natural fiber are possible. The result is the new EcoCor Premium surface technology, which was developed at the Yanfeng Automotive Interiors (...

Kunststoffe international, 2018-12-19, Guiding Light with High Precision through LSR
...p parts too must be produced in compliance with all specified tolerances and reliability in delivery. The systems operate fully automatically on low beam and high beam. The installed parts must therefore also be manufactured with great precision and retain their functionality over the entire product life cycle. For Wilhelm Weber GmbH & Co. KG, Esslingen, this entailed manufacturing a mold of high surface quality and building up a complex manufacturing cell. The specifications governing mold tech...

Kunststoffe international, 2019-04-25, Apps in Individual and Small-Series Production
...cy for rapid and improved decision-making is to use apps. In a high-wage location like Germany, it is essential for companies with injection molding production to technologically differentiate themselves in the competitive landscape if they are to retain their long-term success. They are enabled in this principally by means of injection molds, which are produced as one-off models or in small series by highly skilled employees. The planning and avoidance of errors are a challenge in tool and mold...

Kunststoffe international, 2019-07-17, Control Complex Processes Easily
...mpletely, since he may already have been informed by his colleagues or through a training course. In this manner it is possible to efficiently ensure that even large teams are on the same knowledge level. Quickly Record and Retain ‧Information A prerequisite for a high usability value is that the information imparted via the tutorials must be learned very quickly and efficiently. Consequently, the scope is strictly limited and the operator can move through the pages at his own pace. The tutorial...

Kunststoffe international, 2020-08-11, Color as a Messenger of Sustainability
... products, pigments also contribute to the more sustainable use of plastics. Suitable pigments prevent degradation of polymers by increasing their light protection. Light and weather-resistant pigments offer high color stability and thereby retain the perfect appearance of products. This increases their longevity. Pigments thus offer processors additional opportunities to use plastics in a more environmentally friendly way. We can hope that industry will actually make use of these and other capa...