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Plastics Technology, 2004-03-23, NPE 2000 News Wrap-Up: Compounding
Compounding news at NPE included a wealth of new batch and continuous machines to mix in high loadings of wood flour, glass fiber, carbon black, and more exotic fillers. One new batch mixer can melt b...

Plastics Technology, 2004-03-23, NPE 2000 News Wrap-Up: Engineering Thermoplastics
NPE 2000 saw the debut of many new nylons, ranging from 6 and 66 types that are tougher, easier to process, and lower in density to a brand-new class of branched nylons with outstanding physical and r...

Plastics Technology, 2004-03-25, "Electrically Active" Compounds Surge In Performance
Plastics are meeting stiffer demands for ESD and EMI protection, electrostatic paintability, and also improved colorability and mechanical strength, thanks to ICPs, IDPs, nano-carbons, and new pitch c...

Plastics Technology, 2004-03-31, Automotive Innovation Trend-Setting Technologies Garner SPE Awards
Paintless in-mold film decorating and carbon-fiber composites are making inroads in appearance and structural parts. Blow molding is finding new interior applications. And long-fiber thermoplastics ar...

Plastics Technology, 2004-06-01, Lava-Based Fibers Reinforce Composites
Reinforcing fibers spun from basalt lava rock were one of the more unusual developments exhibited at the JEC Composites Show in Paris in April. Other news in reinforcements at the show included high-t...

Plastics Technology, 2006-01-04, SPE Automotive Awards Highlight Materials and Processing Advances
What"s new in plastics on cars? Some of the answers are nanocomposite alloys, natural-fiber composites, Class A carbon-fiber composites, lots of in-mold decorating, and a surprising amount of exp...

Plastics Technology, 2007-02-01, Extruding Biopolymers: Packaging Reaps Cost Benefit of Going "Green"
Plastics made from renewable carbon chains, not fossil carbon from oil or gas, are suddenly a solid commercial reality. The draw isn"t just "green" marketing, but the "green" ...

Kunststoffe international, 3D Printing with Pellet Extruded Plastics on Metal
Additive manufacturing processes count as future-oriented manufacturing techniques. Numerous studies and award-winning demonstrators underline the interest of the industry. Nevertheless, up to now there are only a few plastic-based applications with significant quantities. Today, screw-based additive manufacturing is a ‧solution for the economic and technical challenges and has the potential for series production. The debate surrounding the conditions for cost-effective and scalable additive man...

Kunststoffe international, Almost like Human Bone
One awkward movement during football training and a cruciate ligament can be torn. The traditional treatment for such injuries, involving the use of metal implants, has a number of disadvantages, especially for the patient. To support an improved process for patient healing, Evonik has developed three bioresorbable polymer composites with ceramic additives that simulate the human bone. For more than 30 years, bioresorbable polymers have been used in orthopedic surgery for medical devices such as...

Kunststoffe international, An Impact Way beyond its Small Market Share
Although fluoroplastics only make up a very small part of the overall plastics market, they are an indispensable component of many applications. These materials play a central role in today’s megatrends of digitalization, clean-energy generation and modern mobility concepts. In fluoroplastics, the hydrogen atoms of the main carbon chains are completely or partially replaced by fluorine atoms. Because these carbon-to-fluorine bonds are very stable, fluoroplastics exhibit a special combination of ...

Kunststoffe international, Correctly Assessing the Energy‧Efficiency of Heating Systems
It is often claimed that temperature control units featuring heaters with no direct contact to the heat transfer medium are at a disadvantage in terms of energy efficiency. While this may seem correct at first glance, a different picture emerges when the whole system is taken into consideration. A lifetime warranty on the heater – this promise, which was made by HB-Therm AG, a St.Gallen/Switzerland-based manufacturer of temperature control units and which is unique within the industry, recently ...

Kunststoffe international, Delivering Efficiency Even in Harsh Environments
Across many industry sectors, the quest for enhanced performance of applications and cost-efficiencies is on. In addition to these traditional requirements, societal and environmental trends, such as the need to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and maintaining a healthy and active ageing population, are important needs that must be addressed as well. Due to its high-performing properties polyetheretherketone thermoplastic polymer is being used more and more frequently in many products. In c...

Kunststoffe international, Easier to Reach the Destination
Weight reduction is one of the major requirements of automotive components. Regardless of the vehicles in which they are used. One of the lightest materials that can be considered is polypropylene (PP). With the right reinforcements, it is also suitable for demanding vehicle components. This is demonstrated by its use in ‧vehicles such as the NIO ES8. The industry is undergoing transformation on a scale not seen for decades. Trends such as connected vehicles, autonomous vehicles, powertrain elec...

Kunststoffe international, Exhibitors See Green
Starting with the systematic design of manufacturing processes and the precise simulation of part manufacture, through smart tooling technology and sophisticated melt guidance, to efficient mold temperature control, numerous exhibitors have many innovations in the field of tooling technology on offer at K 2019. The current debates concerning marine pollution as well as anthropogenic climate change and its consequences seem to be having an effect at this world-leading trade show for plastics proc...

Kunststoffe international, From the Sea to Electronics
Plastic waste in the sea has been shaping the negative image of the industry for several years. Various ‧initiatives and mergers of companies have therefore launched projects to tackle this Ocean-bound Plastics (OBP). Components made of OBP could become a symbol for a sustainable use of plastics. For many demanding applications, however, such recyclates must also have the necessary flame retardant properties. A recycling project in Haiti shows how these properties can be achieved. According to c...

Kunststoffe international, Green Shape Changers
Shape-changing structures (smart structures) are able to change their shape in response to external stimuli. The change of shape is self-induced and requires no artificial energy input. In view of the increasing demand for efficiency and resource conservation, shape-changing (smart) materials offer a sensible approach to integrating functionalities into a component without giving rise to additional energy and material costs. Even greater sustainability is achieved if the components are produced ...

Kunststoffe international, Influences on Microdamage Strain Limits
The quality of a part design or a strength proof depends to a large extent on how well the material property in question meets the design conditions. For this paper, information about the influences exerted on the strain limits of “microdamage”, as a criterion for mechanical material failure, was compiled from the literature, evaluated and prepared for application as far as possible. Strength testing of thermoplastic parts proves to be quite simple if it is strain-based and if micromechanical d...

Kunststoffe international, Laser Substitute Manual Work
Carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP) are being used in more and more components. Their production is also becoming more and more effective. In the event of damage, however, business continues to be carried out ‧manually. For this reason, greater automation is desirable when repairing CFRP. Automated laser processes could be one way of doing this. Carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP) have become increasingly established in lightweight construction. It is used extensively, especially in avia...

Kunststoffe international, No Chance for Dust and Contaminations
LSR optics offers a wide range of applications due to the optical brilliance, the possibility to produce undercut shapes not to mention the competitive pricing. The adhesive surface which is almost impossible to clean however makes the LSR parts vulnerable against contaminations. This characteristic however limits the possible ‧application fields. To overcome this limitation Wilhelm Weber has partnered with Fraunhofer IFAM in a recent research project. The numerous advantages explain the large p...

Kunststoffe international, Polypropylene Beats Aluminum
Batteries in electric vehicles must be specially protected to counter the risk of fires. Battery trays made from aluminum frequently offer insufficient protection. The automotive supplier ElringKlinger has therefore developed underbody protection manufactured from glass fiber-reinforced PP. Until now, battery trays for electric vehicles have been produced mainly from aluminum. Recently, however, a number of vehicles have caught fire after objects lying in the road were flung up at high speed aga...

Kunststoffe international, Present in a Multitude of Trends
Lightweight construction, functionality and design are characteristic of material development in all areas of ‧application for PC compounds, composites and films. The range of materials has enormous opportunities when it comes to the mobility of the future, lightweight structural construction with continuous fiber-reinforced composites, 5G technology and medical technology. During the course of 2018, the high demand for polycarbonate (PC) had already slowed down considerably in comparison with ...

Kunststoffe international, Replacing Metal in the Gearbox
Anyone seeking to replace a metal component by a plastic one, to reduce the number of component parts from eight to three and simultaneously cut both the weight and manufacturing costs needs to take great care to ‧ensure that all specifications are met – especially if the component is used in a hot gearbox and is subject to high mechanical stress. For developing a new shifter fork, GK Concept and its customer Koki Technik were awarded the 2019 GKV/TecPart Innovation Prize. When drivers of a manu...

Kunststoffe international, Starting up under the Shadow of Corona
For almost two decades, an expert committee, meeting once a year, has supported Kunststoffe magazine in determining the state of play in the plastics industry and identifying current technical developments. This time, the traditional spring meeting gave it an opportunity to debate the consequences of the Corona virus. There were a lot of things different at this 18th session of the Kunststoffe editorial advisory board. It is not only that Dr. Rüdiger Baunemann, who had supported us for a decade ...

Kunststoffe international, Strong in Medicine and Sanitary Applications
In recent years, society’s view of plastics has shifted. The actual material advantages have been overshadowed by the plastics waste debate. Uncommon times, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, remind society of the outstanding contribution of plastics materials. Polyethylene is particularly strong in medical and hygiene applications. Polyethylene (PE) has replaced and continues to replace more traditional materials, (i. e. glass) as it relates to sterile fluid holding containers. Obvious reasons for...

Kunststoffe international, Sustainable Growth
Because of its good temperature resistance, impact resistance and aesthetics appearance, acrylonitrile-‧butadiene-styrene is often used in household goods and in the automotive industry. The development of a ‧circular economy also shows successes. More and more ABS materials used in a range of applications are ‧containing a contribution of recyclates. Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) is the largest-volume engineering thermoplastic resin, offering an excellent balance of heat, chemical, and ...

Kunststoffe international, Sustainable Growth
The central issue in all polyurethane applications is the conversion from the past linear economy into a ‧circular economy, and the use of sustainable raw materials in manufacturing. To do so, manufacturers are ‧taking measures such as using bio-based raw materials, chemical recycling, and CO2 as a synthesis component. Digitalization, electromobility, autonomous driving and the construction industry are also driving PU development. In 2019, global demand for polyurethane (PU) saw a significant b...

Kunststoffe international, The One that Shears, Splits, and Folds Material
The patent on the operating principle of the co-kneader was applied for three quarters of a century ago. Compared to other extruder technologies, it features a clearly higher mixing effect while it processes the raw ‧materials gently. Current applications for its further development range from reactive, shear-sensitive plastics to the compounding of high-performance engineering plastics. August 20, 1945, the day when graduate engineer Heinz List (Fig. 1) applied for a patent on the principle of...

Kunststoffe international, The Role of Chemistry in Plastics Recycling
Today plastics recycling is usually only classified as being either mechanical or chemical. This view ‧ignores the fact that the main difference between the two is whether physical or chemical reactions are taking place. However, precise differentiation is crucial for any assessment of the possibilities and limitations of plastic ‧recovery processes and whether materials are actually being recycled or merely their raw materials recovered. Plastics recycling has been enjoying a considerable boom ...

Kunststoffe international, Turning Old into New
Due to their good feed characteristics and self-cleaning properties, twin-screw extruders enable even contaminated post-consumer polystyrene to be depolymerized continuously and efficiently. This opens up a promising recycling route in terms of industrial implementation via renewed polymer synthesis to produce plastic granules with a quality approaching that of virgin material. Polystyrene is used to produce a wide variety of food packaging and also for thermal insulation in construction. Especi...

Kunststoffe international, Ultrafast 3D Printing
3D printing is a fast-growing market, opening up completely new product and manufacturing options for ‧customers and industry. The newly developed SEAM process significantly extends the options for the efficient manufacture of printed components. An impression of this is conveyed by the example of a fiber-reinforced clamping fixture. The SEAM process (screw extrusion additive manufacturing) takes a new approach to high-speed additive manufacturing of plastic components. With printing speeds of u...

Kunststoffe international, Zero-Waste Concept for Carbon SMC
Composite materials are often the key to lightweight design for many applications. However, these hybrid ‧materials face a major challenge where recycling is concerned. There is still no solution to the recovery of long and continuous fiber-reinforced materials. Where it is possible at all, only downcycling has been feasible until now. Four research partners have therefore set themselves the goal of developing a new press forming technology as part of a zero-waste project. Whether for automotive...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Acceleration is Not Everything
Acceleration is Not Everything Automation Concerns the Entire System Herbert Hofmair, Dietach/Austria The key to the shortest possible handling time lies in improving the entire system consisting of injection moulding machine, mould and handling system. To genuinely accelerate production, the production cell and the mould must be designed for automation. Judicious synchronisation of individual movements can reduce the demoulding time by almost 50 %. Automation or handling systems have by...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Additives
Additives Trends and Perspectives Walter Hohenberger, Villach/Austria Additives have become an irreplaceable constituent of plastics. They increase the added value of plastics by improving their processability, stability, and appearance, plus a great deal more. They therefore increase the cost-benefit ratio in overall terms. The trend in additives is towards easy-to-handle, environmentally-compatible products. Tailor-made solutions are providing evidence of closer customer proximity on the...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Airbus to Fly with PPS
Airbus to Fly with PPS Plastic Composites replacing Aluminium in the Wings Henning Küll, Frankfurt am Main/Germany Glass-fibre reinforced laminates with polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) as the matrix material are being used to substitute aluminium in the wing section of the Airbus A340-500 and A340-600 - a development that is set to continue in the light of the cost and weight savings. Around 40 % of the components for the Super-Airbus A380 scheduled for 2004 will probably be made of fibre-rei...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, All-plastic Hybrids: Thermoplastic Hybrid Structures
Reinforced Plastics Thermoplastic Hybrid Structures All-plastic Hybrids. Light alloy hybrids were yesterday, the future belong to plastic-plastic combinations. Hybrid structures made of thermoplastics with continuous fibre-reinforced reinforcement elements have high integration variability with low weight and good economy at the same time. Ralph Funck Markus Steffens Light, lighter, lightest. The use of light alloys and highly specialised steel alloys is natural today. What will be the next inn...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, All-rounders: Industrial Gases in Plastics Processing
Gas Technology Industrial Gases in Plastics Processing All-rounders. Industrial gases such as nitrogen and carbon dioxide offer interesting varied uses for injection moulding, extrusion and polyurethane technology. The range of applications extends from foaming through cooling right through to material displacement. Ursula Resgren Andreas Praller There are various ways in which industrial gases can be used in plastics processing. For one thing, they are used in the manufacture of foamed prod...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Application and Recovery: Plastics in Electric and Electronic Appliances
Application and Recovery: Plastics in Electric and Electronic Appliances With their versatile and highly adaptable properties, polymers are ideal construction materials for electric and electronic appliances. Both the tremendous complexity of the corresponding waste generated as well as the strict regulations of the European WEEE directive call for a new approach for the establishment of an eco-efficient waste management. Klaus Vorspohl, Ingo Sartorius The market for electric and electroni...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Attractive and Robust
Attractive and Robust Protective and Decorative Films based on Polyamides Michael Beyer and Jörg Lohmar, Marl/Germany Films in semi-crystalline polyamide 12 are noted for their high transparency and scratch resistance. With classical or modern designs printed on them, they provide highly-stressed sports articles, such as snowboards or skis, with protection and with an attractive appearance. A large number of new processes have been developed over the past few decades for surface decorati...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Automotive Conference: Lightweight Construction as Magic Phrase
Automotive Magic Phrase: Lightweight Construction Automotive Conference. The automobile is more than ever the number 1 technology driver for plastics. This was also confirmed by the experts at this year’s VDI-K “Plastics in Automotive Construction” held in Mannheim. Foremost among the forward-looking topics covered in their papers were lightweight construction and process stability. Wolfgang Kircher The history of plastics in the automobile is as old as the automobile itself. It began with in...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Automotive Industry Revives Business: Thermosets
Trend Report Crosslinking Plastics Thermosets Automotive Industry Revives Business. Improved thermal/mechanical properties and long-term resistance in conjunction with more economical production processes are often the driving force behind new thermoset developments. The industry is enjoying gentle growth at present and inclined to be optimistic. The innovative automotive sector is making an important contribution to this. Eva Bittmann Globalisation and consolidation among manufacturers of ther...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Automotive Industry: Innovative CFRP Technology for Volume Production
Automotive Industry: Innovative CFRP Technology for Volume Production A new CFRP technology has the potential to be used for the first time in volume production in the automotive industry for the manufacture of lightweight parts of carbon fibre-reinforced plastics. In motor sports and in aircraft construction, load-bearing parts of carbon fibre-reinforced plastics (CFRP) have been used for many years to keep weight down. The prime reason for the outstanding lightweight properties of these ma...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Barely Affected
Barely Affected The Colouring of Polyamide 6 Rainer Schewe, Kerpen, and Giuseppe Lapresa, Cologne/Germany Colourants have very little effect on the processing behaviour or mechanical properties of polyamide compounds. Any negative surface effects such as a change in gloss occur primarily as a result of the presence of glass fibres. For colourists, one of the more demanding tasks is to colour polyamide, because polyamide's chemical aggressiveness to colourants, its high processing tem...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Better-Quality Rubber Products
Better-Quality Rubber Products International Conference on Rubber Processing Two large-scale research projects jointly conducted by the Institut für Kunststofftechnik (Institute for Plastics Technology), in Paderborn/Germany, and industrial partners are examining the processes that occur during the compounding and extrusion of rubber compounds. The results will be presented at an international conference to be held in Paderborn on 9/10 January 2002. Rubber industry do not obtain their raw ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Biodegradable Materials
Biodegradable Materials A Status Report Johannes Schroeter, Rosenheim/Germany In the last decade of the 20th century, deliberate use was made of a property of plastics that had hitherto been considered a drawback: biodegradability. On the one hand, biodegradability creates access to a cheap method of disposal, namely composting. On the other, it enables a materials cycle to be built up that imitates Nature. This will probably prove to be the most important aspect of the technology. Stone...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Blown Film Extrusion Today
Blown Film Extrusion Today Versatility and Flexibility are Required Jens Spirgatis and Johannes Wortberg, Essen/Germany Because of the increasing demands being imposed on film products, e. g. in the area of food packaging, a continuing trend towards coextruded film is evident. In addition, the market requires high production flexibility on the part of film manufacturers. As a result of this, new requirements have arisen in relation to plant technology, to which the machinery manufacturers ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Bonding of Plastics
Bonding of Plastics An Overview Werner Gruber, Korschenbroich/Germany Bonding technology is growing particularly in importance for lightweight designs. The use of two-pack adhesives will continue to increase in the future. Elastic PU adhesives and PU hotmelts are forecast to grow at the fastest rates. To date, the use and growth of plastics has been and still is linked to the demands on the part of the processors to be able to join these materials during processing by suitable techniques...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Bonding of Plastics
Bonding of Plastics Applications, Training, Trends Otto Diedrich Hennemann, Bremen/Germany Bonding is a joining process that enables high added value to be created. For confidence in the bonding of plastics to be boosted, there is a need to develop adhesives even further, among other things. Plastics Processors will also have to train skilled employees in the future. This will allow the possible applications of this joining technology to be fully exploited in fields with a promising future...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Brilliant Surfaces: A Large Order Secures Technical Leadership
Brilliant Surfaces: A Large Order Secures Technical Leadership Decorative parts for the automotive industry must have their surface sealed with a lightfast and scratchproof coating. CCM technology offers a very high quality, economic alternative to conventional methods. The company Novem Car Interior GmbH of Vorbach/Germany is continuing to extend its PU activities with CCM (clear coat moulding) technology. Following its purchase of a PU line from Krauss-Maffei of Munich in Spring 2002, the ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Carbon Nanotubes
Carbon Nanotubes High-Strength Reinforcing Compounds for Composites Bernd Lahr, Dublin/Ireland, and Jan Sandler, Hamburg/Germany A novel "carbon fibre" is the stuff of fantasy for American scientists: the tensile strength of carbon nanotubes is reputedly high enough to allow a "space lift" to be made from a polymer nanotube composite that could transport materials and personnel to space stations orbiting the Earth. Far removed from this vision, nanotubes exhibit outstandi...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Coloured PPVC Films: Colour Makes the Difference
Additives Colour Makes the Difference Coloured PPVC Films. The influence of coloration on the weathering resistance of plasticised PVC films was studied. While UV stability is significantly improved by the addition of carbon black, this increases surface temperature at the same time, leading to high plasticiser losses. So under what circumstances is coloration an advantage and what colours should be used? Martin Bonnet Plasticised PVC (PPVC) is one of today’s best known and most researched mate...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Combined Process: Foamed Parts with Excellent Surface Quality
Combined Process: Foamed Parts with Excellent Surface Quality The aim of applications engineering must be to combine two special processes in such a way that the combined process can be technically mastered under practical conditions, that the advantages of both processes are exploited and that the user, in an ideal case, gains an added benefit. An impressive example is the combination of Monosandwich and MuCell processes. Jörg Dassow In injection moulding, many special processes often com...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Composite Constructions: Industrial Production of Structural Components Made from Fibre/Plastic Composites
Lightweight Construction Industrial Production of Structural Components Made from Fibre/Plastic Composites Composite Constructions. The economic production of large, complex, spherically curved fibre/plastic composites for machine and automotive construction requires the development of basic processing principles. In this article, the entire process chain is described from design through production of a preform contoured closely to the shape of the final part to impregnation of the component. ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Compostable Material: Thermoformed Packaging Made of PLA
Compostable Material: Thermoformed Packaging Made of PLA Polylactides (PLA) represent a new group of thermoplastics for packaging applications obtained from renewable resources. In extensive tests, the functional and thermoforming properties of PLA were compared with those of other polymers. Luc Bosiers, Sven Engelmann Polylactides (PLA) represent a new group of thermoplastics for packaging applications obtained from renewable resources. PLA’s properties make it suitable for various thermo...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Compounding: The Intelligent Alternative
Extrusion The Intelligent Alternative Compounding. Bimodal polyolefins pose a new challenge to compounding lines. The two components, comprising long and short chain molecules, with widely different viscosities, must be homogenised to produce a uniform pellet stock, free of fish eyes. The novel ZSK-NT combination opens up new routes to this difficult compounding task. First melting is carried out in a specially designed twin-screw kneader, and the melt is then transferred to a second twin-screw ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Compounds and Blends Made to Measure
Compounds and Blends Made to Measure Made to Measure Materials through Compounding and Blending Philipp Werner, Kurt Napientek, Hamburg/Germany Luvocom products with tailored material solutions based on modification of high tech plastics from Lehmann & Voss & Co. have been established on the market for 18 years. Thorough know-how in the field of high-performance polymer blends has extended the available range of material parameters. Thus in addition to using classical compounding with addi...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Concave Structures for the First Time
Concave Structures for the First Time Thermoplastic Tape Placement: Reversible Adhesion Solves First Layer Problems Guido Beresheim, Peter Mitschang and Manfred Neitzel, Kaiserslautern/Germany The serial production of components made from fiber-reinforced composites by the tape placement process has so far been prevented by a failure to solve the problem of the first layer. For this reason, IVW has developed a process that both permits the first laminate layer to be applied onto the mold a...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Continuous Growth: Polyarylether Ketone (PAEK)
Trend Report: High Performance Plastics Polyarylether Ketone (PAEK) Continuous Growth. Continuous growth is being reported in the use of high-performance plastics from the PAEK family in all sectors of industry. The balanced and high-grade property profile of this material enables developers and designers to come up with innovative solutions and thereby respond to the constant call for cost reduction, functional optimisation, weight reduction, a longer service life and optimised safety and com...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Convertible Top Systems: Convertible Top – Lightweight and Made Easy
Convertibles Convertible Top – Lightweight and Made Easy Convertible Top Systems. Innovative and economic solutions can be developed by using plastics for convertible tops and associated systems. Particular advantages are in possible function integration and weight minimisation. In the article some exemplary applications are described. Thomas Lemckau Oliver Moritz The quantities of convertible vehicles produced can vary from 20000 to 200000 units depending on vehicle class with running times bet...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Conveying, Dosing and Mixing
Conveying, Dosing and Mixing A Survey of the State of the Art Thorsten Schroer and Johannes Wortberg, Duisburg/Germany To prevail on the market, plant manufacturers and plant operators in the plastics producing and processing industry must be able to utilise existing potential for cost saving. Even the choice of processes and equipment for conveying, dosing and mixing can form the basis for successful production. Product cycles on the plastics processing market are becoming shorter, as d...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Cooling in Miniature
Cooling in Miniature Effective Cooling of Particularly Small Areas Improves Production Conditions in the Injection Moulding Tool Siegfried Stitz, Klaus Schink, Manfred Popp, Würzburg/Germany As part of a research project at the Süddeutsches Kunststoff-Zentrum (SKZ), various possibilities were examined for effectively cooling particularly small areas of the mould where the wall thickness or diameter is less than 6 mm. This article describes the second part of the results. The cooling effe...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Cooling Injection Moulds
Cooling Injection Moulds Effective Cooling of Very Small Areas Siegfried Stitz, Klaus Schink and Manfred Popp, Würzburg/Germany The ways and means of cooling mould cross sections less than 5 mm thick are described and compared. Equipment to measure cooling efficiency is available to study the cooling effect of different cooling systems. In medium-sized moulds today, easily accessible mould regions with large cross sections are cooled by cooling channels 8 to 10 mm in diameter that are in...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Cooling Time Reduction by Foam Injection Moulding: It Can Be Done Faster
Cooling Time Reduction by Foam Injection Moulding: It Can Be Done Faster Production time influences unit costs directly. A reduction in the production cycle time represents a cash saving. Processors can achieve this aim in principle by using foam injection moulding. This article presents the potentials of the process and the reasons for its improved efficiency over conventional non-foam injection moulding. Walter Michaeli, Sasan Habibi-Naini, Erhard Krampe If appropriately employed, the ch...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Cost-effective Modifier for Tailor-made Properties
Cost-effective Modifier for Tailor-made Properties Karlheinz Hausmann, Geneva/Switzerland, Bernard Rioux, Paris/France, and Manfred Schinken, Bad Homburg/Germany A new family of ethylene-acrylate copolymers is suitable for improving the impact strength of engineering plastics and as a universal carrier material for masterbatches. The new grades, produced in a tubular reactor, are economical to use and offer high functional efficiency, a combination welcomed by compounders and processors alik...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Custom-tailored Engineering Materials: Polyphenylene Ether (PPE)
Trend Report: Engineering Plastics> Polyphenylene Ether (PPE) Custom-tailored Engineering Materials. Modifications with various engineering resins and reinforcements as well as additives permit polyphenylene ether to be employed as an engineering material for any required application. Even elastic products can be produced in this way and have recently become available for use as wire and cable insulation. Edward N. Peters Mukund Parthasarathy The amorphous thermoplastic poly-2,6-dimethylphenyl...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Determining Wear Mechanisms
Determining Wear Mechanisms Solid-particle Erosion of Plastics Egon Moos, Nektaria-Marianthi Barkoula and József Karger-Kocsis, Kaiserslautern/Germany The solid-particle erosion behaviour of fibre-plastic composites (FPC) is typified by high wear rates. On the other hand, many polymers, especially elastomers, have low wear rates. Studies on the erosion behaviour of selected polymers and FPC were conducted to establish the correlations between material and wear properties. Erosive ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Developing Customised Compounds
Developing Customised Compounds Albis Provides a Reference System for Economic Material Solutions Tailoring plastic compounds to a specific catalogue of demands continues to be a severe technical challenge. Albis, a compound developer and producer with many years of experience, keeps a modular reference system in reserve for selecting the right material, tailored to its customers needs. In past years, increased costs and reduced margins have forced plastics producers to reduce their produc...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Development Trends: Composites for Aircraft
Transportation Composites for Aircraft Development Trends. The benefits of fibre-reinforced composite technology in aircraft construction are leading to increased substitution of the currently used aluminium alloys. In the future, however, weight savings and improved performance alone will not decide on the success of this plastics technology, but also cost reductions for materials and manufacturing as well as better environmental compatability. Jürgen Brandt Klaus Drechsler Klaus Schmidtke ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Dies for Multi-Layer Pipe Extrusion
Dies for Multi-Layer Pipe Extrusion Designing Spiral Mandrel Dies Peter Fischer, Troisdorf/Germany Spiral mandrel dies have significant advantages over other systems for the production of multi-layer pipes. In fact, some product developments have only really become possible as a result of this concept. Multi-layer pipes can be produced not only by the coextrusion technique, but also by sheathing with crosshead dies. Here, too, spiral mandrel dies have certain advantages. This article deals...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Diode Lasers: Joining Plastics with High Productivity and Reliability
Joining Joining Plastics with High Productivity and Reliability Diode Lasers. Besides the high economic potential of the process workflow, the diode laser offers a range of other advantages for joining thermoplastic parts. For example, the part is hardly affected by heat transfer. The welds are also so inconspicuous that they can be applied in exposed regions of the parts. Michael Nagel Particularly in the field of automobiles diode lasers are establishing themselves more and more in joining p...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Driving the Automotive Industry: Engineering Elastomers
Trend Report Crosslinking Plastics Engineering Elastomers Driving the Automotive Industry. Within the elastomer-manufacturing industry, there is increasing concentration and focus on product groups. Regardless of this, the trend towards relocating production of standard products within the expanded European Union continues to advance. In the future, China and India will also increasingly emerge both as markets and production locations for engineering elastomer products. Werner P. Lauhus The Eu...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Economical in Long Series
Economical in Long Series Centrifuged FRP Pipes with Thermoplastic Matrix Max Ehleben, Wolfsburg/Germany, und Helmut Schürmann, Darmstadt/Germany A newly developed procedure based on centrifugation technology makes it possible to manufacture continuous fibre-reinforced precision pipes with thermoplastic matrices. The centrifuged pipes are almost free of eccentricity and have outstanding internal and external surfaces. They are therefore particularly suitable as drive shafts, bearings or hyd...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Electrically Conducting Compounds: New Functional Material for the Automotive Sector
Automotive - Functional Materials New Functional Material for the Automotive Sector Electrically Conducting Compounds. Electrically conducting components used in the automotive sector, are generally made in complicated multi-stage processes. An alternative is offered by a new material in which a low-melting alloy is incorporated along with copper fibres into a thermoplastic matrix. Electrically and thermally conducting components are becoming more important in the automotive sector. Electrica...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Electronic Components and Displays: Intrinsically Conductive Polymers
Special: Electronics Intrinsically Conductive Polymers Electronic Components and Displays. The importance of intrinsically conductive, that is, self-conducting, polymers is growing in many areas of the electronics industry: these materials are already finding use in through hole plating of printed circuit boards and as the counter electrode in polymer-based capacitors. Polymer electronics and polymeric light-emitting diodes (PLED) are being predicted as growth areas for the future. Stephan K...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Engineering Network: Additional Knowledge Instead of Competition
On the Spot Additional Knowledge Instead of Competition Engineering Network. Over the past 30 years Jacob Kunststofftechnik has made the move from being a classical thermoformer to a system developer with a high level of know-how whose product innovations have received several awards. In the process, the company has benefited from being part of a plastics engineering network, which it helped to set up. Clemens Doriat Is it possible to thermoform and stamp films under clean-room conditions? An...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Europe is the Largest Market: Polyaryletherketones (PAEK)
Special: World Market Polyaryletherketones (PAEK) Europe is the Largest Market. There is sustained growth in the use of high-performance plastics from the PAEK family in all sectors of industry. The balanced, high-quality property profile of these materials enables product developers and designers to achieve innovative solutions in response to the constant demand for cost saving, functional optimisation, weight reduction, longer service life and maximum safety and comfort. The world’s largest q...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Exhaust-Air Purification in Laser Technology
Exhaust-Air Purification in Laser Technology Catalytic Exhaust Gas Treatment Reduces Emissions in the Laser Processing of Polymers Jens Bliedtner, Jens Haupt, Hartmut Müller and Harry Schreiber, Jena/Germany Unlike metals, polymers and composite materials undergo profound physical and chemical changes under the effect of a laser beam. Equipment concepts that take into account mutual interactions ensure an optimum and stable process that can also be automated. The laser processing of orga...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Exterior Vehicle Body Parts: Films instead of Painting?
Exterior Vehicle Body Parts: Films instead of Painting? The trend towards flexibilisation and modularisation in automotive engineering is increasing. There is a demand, particularly in the exterior body parts sector, for surface and material technologies that are economic yet also produce attractive finishes. The BASF Group offers a complete range of products (ASA, ABS and SAN films) and services for the challenging new concepts in vehicle body manufacture. Achim Grefenstein, Kaan Kaymak T...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Fast and Reliable
Fast and Reliable Welding Three-dimensional Parts by Laser Edmund Haberstroh, Reiner Lützeler and Jan Schulte zur Heide, Aachen/Germany Contour welding can be used to weld complex part geometries without contact. The welded parts have very low leakage and high bursting pressure. In addition to the frequently used welding processes such as ultrasonic welding, hot tool butt welding and vibration welding, various laser welding techniques have succeeded over the last few years in becoming es...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Fibre Composite Parts: Automated Preform-RTM Production
Fibre Composite Parts: Automated Preform-RTM Production Experience acquired in automated textile engineering and plastics technology, coupled with software developments that can be implemented in different branches of industry, make it possible to optimize automated processes and achieve considerable savings potential. Thanks to the many years’ experience acquired in the mass production of textile clothing and the high market volume involved, these production processes are now run in an exte...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Fibre Composites in the Global Limelight
Fibre Composites in the Global Limelight New Developments and Trends at JEC 2000 Karlheinz Hörsting, Kraichtal-Gochsheim/Germany Fibre-reinforced plastics are increasingly displacing classical materials, especially in individual applications, small series and high-performance parts. This trend was highlighted by the JEC Composites 2000 trade fair in Paris, which recorded 17,000 visitors from 87 countries. A highly positive market mood is basically prevailing amongst the manufacturers of ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Fibre Composites: Bonding Automotive Bodies
Fibre Composites: Bonding Automotive Bodies In small to medium-sized series vehicle, fibre composites are increasingly used materials for exterior body panels. Adhesive bonding is raising in importance as it often is the only suitable joining technology. Jochem Sauer Plastics currently make up 13 to 18% of a motor car. This is predicted to grow at an annual rate of 4.7% in the West European automotive industry. Plastics applications are distributed between the car interior – by far the gre...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Fibre Reinforced Plastics: Tailor-made Reinforcing Textiles
Fibre Reinforced Plastics: Tailor-made Reinforcing Textiles Textile semi-finished products for fibre composites can be made up by employing conventional sewing techniques. Special mechanical properties can be achieved in sewn and resin-impregnated parts in this way. Kai Klopp, Thomas Gries Due to their complex nature, fibre reinforced plastics (FRP) have a very high potential for solving specific strength problems. Continuous fibre reinforced plastics are employed in aeronautics and aerosp...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Filter Cups Made from Polyamide: Transparency for Water Filters
Engineering Plastics Transparency for Water Filters Filter Cups Made from Polyamide. Modern filter systems would be inconceivable without plastics. The transparent filter cups in water filters made by Carbonit Filtertechnik are produced from Grilamid, a thermoplastic polyamide 12 that absorbs virtually no water and is approved for food and drinking-water contact applications. Peter Westerbarkey Engineering plastics play a key role in professional filter systems. They allow the greatest possible...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Flame Retardants: Flame-retardant Epoxy Resins
Transportation Flame-retardant Epoxy Resins Flame Retardants. While phosphorus-based flame retardants in epoxy resins often showed inadequate processing and material properties, recent work has succeeded in developing phosphorus-containing resins, curing agents and additives with significantly improved properties. Based on an organophosphorus compound, halogen-free, flame resistant epoxy resin systems can now be produced with good mechanical properties. There is no let up in the trend towards u...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Flame-Resistant GRP Systems
Flame-Resistant GRP Systems Fire-Proofing for the Construction and Rolling Stock Industries Michael Sommer, Wesel/Germany Halogen-free flameproofed SMC systems containing added wetting agents meet the specifications of fire regulations. As the EU proceeds with harmonisation of plans and standards for fire protection in different application areas, the scope for SMC applications is also increasing. As a result of the efforts of the EU to establish uniform fire-protection plans in various ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Flame-retardant Curing
Flame-retardant Curing Halogen-free Flame Retardant Modification of Epoxy Resins Hauke Lengsfeld and Volker Altstädt, Bayreuth/Germany, Stephan Sprenger and Rainer Utz, Hamburg/Germany Flame retardants have until now been introduced into the epoxy resin systems via the resin itself or as additives. However, recent developments use combinations of reactive organophosphorus curing agents, which already have built-in flame retardancy. Advanced composites based on glass, carbon and aramid fi...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Foam Injection Moulding: It's Not the Bubble Size that Counts
Injection Moulding It's Not the Bubble Size that Counts Foam Injection Moulding. The familiar advantages of the microcellular foaming of engineering thermoplastics have to be set against drawbacks such as a poor surface structure on the moulded parts and a reduction in their mechanical characteristic values. The latest investigations show that microcellular foamed parts even possess poorer mechanical properties than fine-cellular foam parts with an integral foam structure. By foaming the...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Framework Principle: New Production Process for Fibre-reinforced Composite Components
Composite Material New Production Process for Fibre-reinforced Composite Components Framework Principle. Economic production of high-load-bearing, lightweight structural components is now possible in a one-stage process. This process is a combination of the established method for producing components from long-fibre thermoplastics with the strategic use of complex multiple inserts of unidirectionally oriented endless fibres. Long-fibre-reinforced thermoplastics (LFT) are now widely used for la...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Fuel Cell for Alternative Propulsion
Fuel Cell for Alternative Propulsion The Demands Made on the Plastics Frank Reil, Frankfurt am Main/Germany Drive assemblies powered by fuel cells have the potential of becoming the alternative to the combustion engines of today. It is logical that completely new criteria will then apply to the materials used for such applications. The special demands made by fuel cells are satisfied above all by engineering plastics. Our mobile society is based on vehicles powered by combustion engines....

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Functional Plastics: Materials Research as Technical Investment
Market and Management Materials Research as Technical Investment Functional Plastics. "The future belongs to the technopolymers and special polymers that will probably be produced in smaller quantities, but are essential for humanity to advance", Paul J. Flory (Nobel Prize winner 1974). Jürgen Stebani Plastics are starting to age. Most of the resins belonging to this material class that we encounter every day are, in the meantime, over 50 years old. This does not mean, however, that pl...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Gas - Not just because of the Cell Structure
Gas - Not just because of the Cell Structure Economical Structural Foam Moulding for Customised Component Properties Christof Wurnitsch, Rudolf Wörndle and Bernhard Spiegl, Leoben/Austria, Georg Steinbichler and Peter Egger, Schwertberg/Austria Ever greater use is being made of plastic foams due to increasingly stringent weight reduction requirements and tighter specifications on component tolerances. Foams combine improved thermal, acoustic and electrical insulation properties and high sp...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Gas-assisted Injection, Temperature Control, Foaming: Industrial Gases as Aids During Injection Moulding
Injection Moulding Industrial Gases as Aids During Injection Moulding Gas-assisted Injection, Temperature Control, Foaming. The use of nitrogen or carbon dioxide for injection moulding applications provides noteworthy economic and technical benefits and, for these reasons, continues to grow. This article describes areas where the potential for industrial gases can be developed further. Ursula Resgren Andreas Praller The range of possible applications for industrial gases in injection mouldin...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Germ-free Precision Pumps: Dosing without Side-effects
Medical Technology Dosing without Side-effects Judith Hein Germ-free Precision Pumps. Preservatives in nasal sprays can trigger allergic reactions and damage nasal mucosa. The alternatives are mechanical, preservative-free dosing systems for repeated application. Despite demonstrable side-effects, such as damage to nasal mucosa and allergic reactions, nasal sprays containing preservatives are still being sold over-the-counter in pharmacies. Adequate alternatives are available in the form of...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Handling of Deformation-sensitive Inserts:
Software Handling with Velvet Gloves Handling of Deformation-sensitive Inserts. Fully automatic loading of an injection moulding machine with sensitive filter material for the production of oil filters, and the reduction of the defect quota in this multistage process to almost zero – can that be possible? This article explains how successful this ambitious project was. Katja Welte Dieter Steinhauser The focus of this report is on the production of an oil filter with a size of about 10mm and its ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Healthy Sleep . . .
Healthy Sleep . . . . . . on Profiles Made of Natural Fibre Composite Materials Klaus Jansen, Christian Gensewich and Melanie Menges, Bremervörde/Germany In bed systems developments lead from wood slat bed bases to elastic bed bases made of plastics. Also the glass fibre reinforced battens made using the precise pultrusion technique today can be replaced by natural fibre profiles in future. The market of elastic bed bases has been moving away from wood slat battens for about three years....

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Heat Treatment: Drying with Infrared Radiation
Processing Drying with Infrared Radiation Heat Treatment. Coated safety materials, such as those used e.g. in airbags, have to meet high quality standards. When infrared radiators are used for drying and preheating, the process can be controlled individually and the scrap rate diminished significantly. Airbags International in Great Britain produces airbags and other safety materials from polyamide 66 (PA66). Coating them with silicone reduces surface friction and allows the material to unfol...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, High Fitting Accuracy
High Fitting Accuracy Moulds for Aircraft Components Made of Prepreg Materials Thomas Nägeli, Güttingen/Switzerland, Reinhold Krause, Burgdorf/Switzerland, Karl Heinz Sprenger and Gerhard Musch, Vaihingen/Enz, Germany In the course of the work carried out in the aviation industry to increase performance, very specific aerodynamic and structural improvements have to be made to the individual components used in aircraft construction. This results in correspondingly high demands on the manufa...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, High-Modulus Polyamides
High-Modulus Polyamides Val A. Kagan, Morristown, NJ/USA High-modulus polyamides with high fibre-glass reinforcement are on the way to replacing polymers that can sustain high mechanical loads, such as polyarylamide, polyphenylene sulphide and polyphthalamide. Not only do they have comparable long-term properties, but they are also cheaper and easier to process. In practical applications, most fibre-glass reinforced PA-6 polymers contain up to 33 wt. % glass fibre. The maximum content is a...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, High-performance Polymers: Metal Substitution and Miniaturisation
Trade Fair Report Metal Substitution and Miniaturisation High-performance Polymers. Fuel cells, short-term implants, miniaturised electronic components and even baking moulds – high-performance plastics are to be found almost everywhere. Designers always choose members of this small group of specialty polymers for parts that require high thermal stability or special properties such as chemical resistance, high light transmission or biocompatibility. Visitors to K2004 were able to discover numer...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, High-temperature Thermoplastic Films: Flexible Printed Circuits
Special: Electronics Flexible Printed Circuits High-temperature Thermoplastic Films. Flexible printed circuits (FPC) are growing in popularity. These FPCs are based on polymer films. In addition to the already established materials, the spotlight is increasingly falling on heat-resistant thermoplastic polymer films for this application. Christian Seidel Larissa Zirkel Helmut Münstedt The advantages of flexible printed circuits (FPCs) over rigid circuit board solutions are plain. The relative...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Hybrid Technology: Tailor-made Thermoplastics with Layer Structures and Continuous Fibre Reinforcement
Hybrid Technology: Tailor-made Thermoplastics with Layer Structures and Continuous Fibre Reinforcement Novel, complex, multi-layer thermoplastic composite parts for lightweight applications in the transport sector are being manufactured on an application-specific basis by multi-layer/sandwich injection moulding with embedded reinforcements made from continuous fibre preforms. Optimised microstructure and interfacial adhesion are crucial to the outstanding mechanical properties of this new clas...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Hydraulic pellet conveying: Probationary Phase Successful
Hydraulic pellet conveying: Probationary Phase Successful Within only two weeks Coperion Waeschle took the world’s largest hydraulic pellet conveying system with a capacity of 40t/h for a conveying route of 800 m into operation. The plant’s distinguishing features are low investment outlay and power consumption, and minimum fines generation. Bernhard Stark From the end of 2000 until the beginning of 2002 Shanghai Petrochemical Co. Ltd. (SPC) planned and erected two plants for the productio...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Induction Welding of Carbon-fibre-reinforced Plastics
Induction Welding of Carbon-fibre-reinforced Plastics Predicting Process Parameters by Modelling Reiner Rudolf, Peter Mitschang and Manfred Neitzel, Kaiserslautern/Germany Continuous induction welding is very suitable for joining components made from fibre-reinforced plastic composites. Thermodynamic models that describe the process reduce the cost of determining suitable process parameters. Induction welding is a jointing technology specially tailored to the fibre-reinforced plastic com...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Injection Moulding by MuCell Technology: Pole Position
Injection Moulding by MuCell Technology: Pole Position Technically complicated plastic parts, e.g. for applications in automotive engineering, can now be produced by physical foaming. The advantages that this brings for injection moulders are described in this empirical report, which describes the practical application of this innovative process. Ursula Schröder Plastics processors are naturally always interested in new technologies that yield clear cost savings or better process reliabili...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Injection Moulding Microstructured Functional Surfaces
Injection Moulding Microstructured Functional Surfaces Correct Temperature Control is Half the Battle Walter Michaeli and Alrun Spennemann, Aachen/Germany Precise temperature control is crucial to obtaining accurate reproduction of surface detail when injection moulding microstructures. The choice of material is also important for dependable moulding. Studies by the IKV confirm that dynamic temperature control is the most effective and best solution to this problem and show which materials...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Injection Moulding of Long-Fibre-Reinforced Thermoplastics
Injection Moulding of Long-Fibre-Reinforced Thermoplastics Process Parameters Influence Fibre Length Martin Metten and Markus Cremer, Darmstadt/Germany Fibre reinforcement improves characteristics of plastics such as strength and stiffness. To make full use of the strength of a fibre its length must be above a critical value. The influence of different processing parameters is described. Plastics are reinforced with fibres to improve the composite material by making use of the high stren...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Injection Moulding of Microcellular Foams
Injection Moulding of Microcellular Foams The Designs Behind the Methods Walter Michaeli, Oliver Pfannschmidt and Sasan Habibi-Naini, Aachen/Germany Methods for injection moulding microcellular foams are increasingly crowding onto the market. The foam is the same but the underlying concepts differ enormously. This article surveys commercially available systems and innovative methods. Injection-moulded integral foams, both conventional and microcellular kinds, are finding more and more wi...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Injection-Moulded Packaging
Injection-Moulded Packaging Requirements and the Solutions Provided by New Machine Technology Nikolaus Kudlik, Näfels/Switzerland On the whole, all areas of the packaging market have enjoyed above-average growth in recent years. At the same time, the requirements imposed on packaging have continued to rise. This is particularly true of foodstuffs packaging. Makers of injection-moulding machines and moulds are remaining on the ball through far-reaching developments. The standard of living...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Inline Compounding of Long-glass-fibre-reinforced Thermoplastics
Inline Compounding of Long-glass-fibre-reinforced Thermoplastics Direct Process Increases Output and Cuts Costs Richard Brüssel and Heinrich Ernst, Eppingen/Germany Frank Henning, Pfinztal/Germany Compounding of long-glass-fibre-reinforced thermoplastics (LFT) with variable glass contents leads to higher output and cuts costs by up to 40 %. PC line control ensures an optimised processing operation with comprehensive process control. The result is a long-fibre-reinforced plastic extrudate w...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Innovation through New Processes
Innovation through New Processes Walter Michaeli and Edmund Haberstroh, Aachen/Germany Many technical developments in the automotive industry, aeronautical engineering and the electrical and communications sectors would be inconceivable without the specifically tailored application of polymeric materials. Material and process development have to go hand in hand here to achieve the required advances. This gives rise to a constant demand for new or modified processing and simulation technologi...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Innovative Direct Processing of Natural Fibres
Innovative Direct Processing of Natural Fibres Fibres for Reinforcing Polypropylene Joachim Ruch, Hans-Gerhard Fritz, Stuttgart/Germany, and Erwin Bürkle, Rainer Zimmet, Munich/Germany This article describes the development and practical implementation of a single-stage compounding and moulding process for generating natural-fibre-reinforced PP composites and shaping them into thin-wall technical parts with just one heating step. All kinds of processes are employed in industry and resear...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Innovative Solutions from VDI-K: Outside and Under the Bonnet
VDI-K Outside and Under the Bonnet Innovative Solutions from VDI-K. The VDI-K “Plastics in Automotive Construction” congress held in Mannheim/Germany is the forum for automotive engineers seeking to learn more about plastics innovations that have proved themselves in initial series applications. The following report from this year's congress deals with applications in bodywork and the engine compartment. Wolfgang Kircher The widely known advantages of plastics, such as weight savings, func...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Interview: "Economical On-Line Coating"
Interview In combination with a mix of steel and aluminium, plastics can help achieve design wishes and lightweight construction in vehicles. Kunststoffe asked Dr. Wolfgang Wittig, head of Polymer Technology at DaimlerChrysler, for his view of the economic potential that plastics offer as a bodywork material. Economical On-Line Coating Dr. Wolfgang Wittig on the demands facing the use of plastics in bodywork and their advantages over steel Kunststoffe: Dr. Wittig, high demands are imposed on th...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Interview: "Innovations are Required to Make our Vehicles Attractive!"
Interview In view of the increasing individualisation and amount of customised equipment in cars, plastics hold a high potential in the competition amongst the different materials. In an interview with Kunststoffe, Dr. Rudolf Stauber, Head of the Operating Strength and Materials Department at the BMW Group Munich, describes the future innovations with plastics that he envisages for the automotive sector of tomorrow, and explains what still has to be done in cooperation with the plastics industry...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, It All Depends on the Blend
It All Depends on the Blend Reducing the Impact Sensitivity of Fibre Composites Andreas Kessler and Andrzej K. Bledzki, Kassel/Germany, Horst Frenzel, Dresden/Germany Fibre composites are used as lightweight materials in a wide number of applications. However, a drawback to the use of such materials is their susceptibility to damage under impact perpendicular to the laminate surface. Great importance is therefore attached to the development of laminates with a low tendency to delaminate. ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Joining Polyamide Inexpensively
Joining Polyamide Inexpensively Laser Welding of Engineering Plastics Val A. Kagan, Morristown, NJ/USA A new, attractive variant has been added to the established welding processes for applications in engineering plastics and is playing a growing role for automotive components in polyamide, in particular. The following contribution describes the requirements and advantages of laser transmission welding. Laser Transmission Welding (LTW) is based on the energy transmission of a laser beam ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Joining Technologies: Lightweight Hybrid Structures
Transportation Lightweight Hybrid Structures Joining Technologies. The development of loadbearing hybrid structures has a key role to play in the competitive use of continuous-filament- and textile-reinforced plastics for high-performance products made by lightweight construction. The joining technologies required for this must be optimally matched to the material structure of the joint components to ensure transfer of high load forces. Werner Hufenbach Lothar Kroll Olaf Helms In modern lightw...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Joining, Texturing, Modifying: Selecting the Right Laser
Special Selecting the Right Laser Joining, Texturing, Modifying. While the use of laser technology was often limited to expensive products in the past, inexpensive diode lasers and more compact Nd:YAG lasers are finding an ever-wider field of application in the plastics industry. For every specific application, the question always arises as to what is the right laser beam. Arnold Gillner Applications within the field of plastics range from products for packaging, electronics, household appli...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Laminating PVC Window Profiles without Solvents
Laminating PVC Window Profiles without Solvents High-quality Bonding by Precleaning and Flame Treatment Jörg Gehrke and Horst Kleinert, Dresden/Germany, Horst Hoffmann, Bopfingen/Germany A completely new, solventless method has been developed for the production of film-laminated PVC window profiles, which is based on the combined use of a biodegradable alkaline cleaning agent and flame treatment. In Germany, around 1 million tonnes of unplasticised PVC are processed every year. Some 20 %...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Laser Technology: A Flexible Tool for Structuring, Marking and Joining
Special A Flexible Tool for Structuring, Marking and Joining Laser Technology. Lasers have long been an established component of innovative production solutions in manufacturing technology. In plastics processing, marking can be regarded as the biggest market segment. Welding has crossed the threshold to industrial application. Arnold Gillner Ulrich Russek While laser welding of metals is established for many products in electronics, the household appliances industry and automotive technology, ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Laser Welding A Mature Joining Technique
Laser Welding A Mature Joining Technique Practical Uses Christian Bonten, Ernst Schmachtenberg and Carsten Tüchert, Essen/Germany Laser welding technology is developing at a ferocious pace, especially laser transmission welding. Numerous examples have borne out the practical implementation and application of this recent, yet mature, laser welding technology. The advantages of joining engineering plastic parts by means of laser welding are vibration-free, non-contact warming of the joint ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Laser Welding Transparent Parts
Laser Welding Transparent Parts Wide Area of Application. Up until now, laser-welding of clear-transparent components was not possible, because these materials did not absorp the laser beam. A new method involving the application of a special dispersion yields almost invisible welding seams. Gareth McGrath In plastics processing there are a variety of methods for joining plastics, including mechanical and chemical joining methods and welding. Each method has its own advantages and disadvan...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Laser Welding: Laser-adapted Construction for Plastic Welding
Laser Technology Laser-adapted Construction for Plastic Welding Thomas Renner Michel Sieffert Laser Welding. An important aspect of this joining technique is that the parts to be welded are 'laser-friendly'. This means, for example, that the plastics should have good optical scattering and absorption properties, that the gap specifications are appropriate, and that the relevant geometries enable optimum application of the contact pressure. The use of lasers has become firmly establ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Lightweight Construction: Natural Fibres in Automotive Interiors
Lightweight Construction: Natural Fibres in Automotive Interiors Jochen Gassan For technical, environmental and economic reasons, almost all automotive manufacturers are increasingly using wood-fibre and natural-fibre reinforced plastics as the backing material in automotive interior trim, such as door panels, seats and parcel shelves. The reasons for this are that - these material systems are economically sound and efficient, - they offer excellent lightweight properties (i.e. parts based ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Lignin - Tailor-made
Lignin - Tailor-made Use as Non-toxic Biostabiliser Hansjörg Nitz, Hinnerk Semke and Rolf Mülhaupt, Freiburg/Germany and Alfred Abächerli, Lausanne/Switzerland Besides their use as a filler, lignins in the form of low- to higher-molecular-weight, meltable, soluble products can be specially tailored for plastics and rubber compounding. Lignins are suitable for use as non-toxic biostabilisers to prevent attack from microorganisms and extend the service life of biodegradable materials. For ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Lotus-Effect – Now and in the Future
Lotus-Effect – Now and in the Future Gernot T. Dambacher, Marl/Germany Back in the 1980s, the botanist Wilhelm Barthlott discovered the much quoted lotus-effect. Since the mid-1990s, a number of companies have been working on the industrial exploitation of this effect. But what products are actually available now? And what products can we expect in future? In most cases, “the Teflon frying pan” is the spontaneous answer that people give when asked what achievement from the early days of sp...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Low-Pressure Mixing Technology in PUR Processing
Low-Pressure Mixing Technology in PUR Processing The Relationship between Mixing Quality and Process Parameters Axel Hannemann, Bad Oeynhausen/Germany, Manfred H. Pahl, Paderborn/Germany, Klaus Freese, Achim/Germany The quality with which PUR components can be mixed together in a high-frequency mixer depends on various process parameters, such as throughput, rotary frequency and mixing position. An objective assessment of the mixing quality can be obtained by colouring the components and s...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Low-volatility or Solid?
Low-volatility or Solid? Developments in Flame Retarding Flexible Polyurethane Foam Richard Rose, West Lafayette, Indiana/USA, David Buszard, Manchester/UK, and Patrick Jacobs, Herentals/Belgium Non-halogen, thermally stable and low-volatility flame retardants are being increasingly used for polyurethane flexible foams in the automotive industry. The reasons for this are the limit values specified for fogging and scorch in automotive interiors. In the furniture sector, commercial considera...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Many Variations
Many Variations The Biaxial Orientation of Expanded Films Martin Wolf, Johannes Sänze and Klaus Stopperka, Siegsdorf/Germany The importance of industrial films is increasing. For holographic and semi-permeable films, foamed films, synthetic papers and blend formulations, growth rates of 15 % and more are forecast. It has now become possible for the first time, using a new process, to biaxially orientate expanded films with functional layers. Biaxially oriented films that can be produced ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Market and Trends: Nanomaterials: Opportunities and Risks
Nanotechnology Nanomaterials: Opportunities and Risks Market and Trends. Nanotechnology represents an attractive link between bioscience and materials science and is a driving force for material innovations in the future. It also presents numerous opportunities for developments in plastics. However, the new nanocomponents must become more affordable and readily available to industry. This trend report points out potential approaches and opportunities. Rolf Mülhaupt Nanotechnology is the key to...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Materials and Processes: Electrical Engineering in Transformation
Materials and Processes: Electrical Engineering in Transformation Electrical engineering is in a state of change throughout the world. This results in individual trends in plastics applications and processing technology to meet demands. The wide variety of product groups are highly differentiated. Thilo Simonsohn, Gerold Malin The hierarchical structure of power distribution grids – from power stations, via transformer stations, to the consumers (industries, private homes and street lightin...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Materials Recycling
Materials Recycling State of the Art and Future Concepts Peter Wiedemann, Neuburg/Donau/Germany The recycling of thermoplastic materials and composites with thermoplastics is state of the art. Increasing automation will bring further growth in this segment during the coming years. In comparison, the recycling of crosslinked materials is currently not economically viable. Recyclate used in the construction of new cars stems predominantly from production scrap. Very little material from ol...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Materials with Multiple Functions
Materials with Multiple Functions Plastics in Telecommunication and Information Technology Gerhard Gotzmann, Vierkirchen/Germany The importance of polymeric materials in telecommunication and information technology continues to increase. Although originally not conceived as conductive materials they currently fulfil functions as electrical conductors and semiconductors as well as light emitters. Based on this characteristic potential, new electronic components like organic light emitting d...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Metallised Synthetic Fibres: Shielding Electromagnetic Radiation
Shielding Electromagnetic Radiation Metallised Synthetic Fibres. According to the Electromagnetic Compatibility Regulations, manufacturers of electrical appliances are required to design electrical equipment with housings that shield against electromagnetic interference from outside and minimise as far as possible the emission of electromagnetic radiation to other systems. Composites based on metallised synthetic fibres are suitable housing materials that can now compete with materials based on...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Micronising Polyether Imide
Micronising Polyether Imide Producing PEI particles by the PGSS process Bernd Nienhaus, Frankfurt am Main/Germany Very small polyether imide particles can be produced by a special process which also gives a very narrow particle size distribution at the same time. The material which has so far been produced on a pilot scale is now to be produced in larger quantities, to tighter specifications. High-performance plastics made of polyether imide (PEI) are noted for their high strength and he...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Mixing, Conveying, Metering: From Silo to Screw
Trade Fair Report From Silo to Screw Mixing, Conveying, Metering. The trend among plastics processors is to operate centralised material-supply systems. However, small flexible systems and specialty solutions are also in greater evidence. Either way, communications interfaces for integration into production planning and control have now become the standard. Helios GmbH, Rosenheim/Germany, presented its new HE series of mixer conveyors. They can be optionally mounted directly on the feed sec...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Modified Polyphenylene Ether (PPE)
Modified Polyphenylene Ether (PPE) Henk Perree, Bergen op Zoom/Netherlands Blends based on polyphenylene ether (PPE) combine the properties of plastics such as polypropylene, polystyrene and polyamide with the familiar high heat resistance, high dimensional stability and good hydrolysis resistance of PPE. Applications are to be found primarily in the automotive sector. Modified PPE blends are well known for their high heat resistance, high dimensional stability, very low water absorption a...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Modified Polyphenylene Ethers (PPE)
Modified Polyphenylene Ethers (PPE) Jos van Gisbergen and Wim Minderhout, Bergen op Zoom/Netherlands Modified PPE materials have been on the market for more than 35 years and are well established among engineering plastics. PPE polymer is well known for its high heat resistance, high dimensional stability, low water absorption and good hydrolytic stability. For these reasons, PPE is an important blending partner for other polymers. Polyphenylene ether - also known as polyphenylene oxide (P...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, MuCell Process: Microcellular Parts from the Injection Moulding Machine
MuCell Process: Microcellular Parts from the Injection Moulding Machine The MuCell1 process was originally developed for and employed in the extrusion process. Certain recent applications are indicating that this process can also be used on an industrial scale for injection moulding. Bernhard Rief ,Jürgen Gundrum Almost all well-known injection moulding machine manufacturers [1] are cooperating with Trexel Inc. (USA) to market injection moulding machines adapted to the MuCell process. One ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Multi-component Processing: Plasma Makes for a Strong Bond
Multi-component Processing: Plasma Makes for a Strong Bond In-line activation of polymer surfaces by plasma treatment directly in the injection mould enables positive-joint composites to be made from polymer combinations that were hitherto unable to adhere to each other, markedly improves adhesion of compatible combinations and can be easily integrated into a process chain. Simon Amesöder, Agnieszka Kopczynska, Gottfried W. Ehrenstein Major growth is still being forecast for multi-componen...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Nanocomposites - En Route to Application
Nanocomposites - En Route to Application Rolf Mülhaupt, Freiburg/Germany, Thomas Engelhardt and Norbert Schall, Moosburg/Germany New families of nanofillers and nanocomposites are opening up unexploited performance potential in plastics, rubber and dispersions. Just small percentages of nanofillers are sufficient to afford major changes of the property profiles of polymeric and effect materials. The range of applications extends from new structural materials through to a variety of functiona...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Natural Fibres in Plastic: Compression Moulding of Natural-fibre-reinforced Thermoset Prepregs
Automotive – Compression Moulding Compression Moulding of Natural-fibre-reinforced Thermoset Prepregs Natural Fibres in Plastic. The use of natural-fibre-reinforced plastics continues to increase, particularly in the automotive industry. Natural-fibre-reinforced thermoset prepregs can be compression moulded with fast cycles to produce components with low density and good acoustic properties. Natural-fibre-reinforced composite materials have become established in the automotive industry because ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Natural Thermosets
Natural Thermosets Biologically Degradable Plastics made of Gelatine and Natural Fibres Dietrich Braun, Darmstadt/Germany, and Axel Braun, Kassel/Germany For the first time natural thermosetting polymers can be made from gelatine-linseed oil blends. As composite materials with natural fibres they can compete in their mechanical characteristics with conventional thermosetting polymers and are problem-free biologically degradable. Biologically degradable plastics [1, 2] are of increasing i...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, New Developments and Trends: Functional Fillers
Trend Report Fillers Functional Fillers New Developments and Trends. Fillers are acquiring increasing importance as key constituents of plastics. On the one hand, they generally make it possible to achieve an excellent price-performance ratio and, on the other, it is only through the addition of functional fillers that standard plastics can be used in technical applications. Walter Hohenberger Plastics are versatile and generally low-cost materials with a unique combination of processing and ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, News
Cincinnati Extrusion First Pipe Plant in Turkmenistan The Turkish company Erku International Ltd. of Ankara ordered four pipe extrusion lines from Cincinnati Extrusion GmbH of Vienna/Austria. The order includes one mono-line and two co-extrusion lines for the production of polyolefin pipes and an irrigation pipeline for a new plant near Azkaban, the capital of Turkmenistan. The lines are suitable for the production of pipes with diameters of between 20mm and 630mm. With about 3000 employees, t...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, One Step Closer to Nature
One Step Closer to Nature EPDM-Based Infill Granules for Artificial Turf Birger Kuck and António Neto, Melle/Germany Artificial turf systems are increasingly being designed to take rubber-granule infills, particularly in cases where they are used for sports applications. A grade of EPDM granules that has been specially developed as an infill and satisfies the ecological and functional considerations (Fig. 1) offers playing properties similar to those of natural turf. Artificial turf syst...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Optimised Process Control: Laser Welding in Computer Simulation
Materials Laser Welding in Computer Simulation Optimised Process Control. A computer model for calculating the weld temperature, temperature profile and melt depth in the laser welding of thermoplastics was developed and subsequently checked by experiment. It is shown that the software can help to optimise the process parameters if data is available on the material, weld dimensions and welding speed. Sam D. Rostami Ian A. Jones Craig D. Norrey The laser welding of thermoplastics is gaining ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Optimising Safety Systems: Modern Chainmail
Modern Chainmail Optimising Safety Systems. Chainmail was not only used as combat armour in Ancient Rome and the Middle Ages. It is still used today, but with a different function. The combination of chainmail technology and ultramodern composites opens up new fields of application, for example in the security industry or as protection against stones. Jörg Wellnitz Chainmail was used by the ancient Romans. In the Middle Ages, armourers made chainmail shirts (known as hauberks), hoods, gloves ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, PBT Oligomers: Always in Good Form
Engineering Plastics Always in Good Form PBT Oligomers. A recently developed technology is based on the fact that cyclic butylene terephthalate (CBT) oligomers – i.e. thermoplastic precursors – allow the economic production of reinforced PBT compounds under both thermoset and reactive thermoplastic processing conditions. By varying the process and process conditions, tailored PBT products covering a broad range of properties and applications can be produced. Martin Rösch The semicrystalline the...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Pellet Conveying: Water Absorption from Polymerisation to Processing
Compounding Water Absorption from Polymerisation to Processing Pellet Conveying. Between the polymerisation stage and the machine hopper, plastic pellets can absorb moisture at many points. Comparative studies have shown that the Karl Fischer titration method can provide a reliable value for low pellet moisture contents. Bernhard Stark Olaf Hustert Predrying of engineering plastics is necessary to manufacture high-quality products. Residual moisture in plastic pellets has the following effec...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Pelletised and Powdered Rubber: New Feedstock from Old Tyres
Recycling New Feedstock from Old Tyres Pelletised and Powdered Rubber. In a new tyre recycling facility, post-consumer tyres can be broken down into their constituents. The rubber content is then ground to pellets and to high-quality powdered rubber. Powdered rubber is the product of a cryogenic process which involves the use of liquid nitrogen as a cooling agent. Ursula Mertig The official launch of a unique tyre recycling line located at Ohlsdorf/Austria by Gummi Verwertungs GmbH (GVG) in the...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Permanent Antistatic Behaviour
Permanent Antistatic Behaviour Electrically Structured Inhomogeneous Conductivity in Carbon Black-filled Epoxy Resins Torsten Prasse and Wolfgang Bauhofer, Hamburg/Germany To selectively control electrical resistance, an electrical field is applied to form networks of carbon black-aggregates in low-viscosity epoxy resin dispersions. Thermosets modified in this way have antistatic behaviour together with good mechanical properties. Electrically conductive carbon black-filled thermosets ar...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Permeation Measurement: Plastic Bottles and Closures
Packaging Plastic Bottles and Closures Permeation Measurement. Permeation of organic substances through plastic bottles or closures can impair the quality of the filled products. Permeation measuring technology therefore plays an important role in packaging development. Johann Ewender Frank Welle By permeation, we mean transport of a substance through the packaging. Permeation can take place both from the packaging into the environment and also from the environment into the inside of the packagi...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Personal Expertise: Trends and Visions in Injection Moulding
Personal Expertise: Trends and Visions in Injection Moulding Whenever there is talk of making injection moulding production economically viable, constructional and engineering aspects have to take a back seat. In the highly competitive landscape of tomorrow, all-embracing expertise in process engineering will be absolutely vital because cost cutting and design requirements will be the future drivers of development. Hans Wobbe Three years ago, in an article entitled “Trends in injection mou...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Perspectives at the Start of a New Millennium
Perspectives at the Start of a New Millennium Delphi '98 and Plastics Kerstin Cuhls, Karlsruhe/Germany, and Anton Weber, Frankenthal/Germany A study of the future of plastics and their markets as viewed from applied-technology and social-science aspects. The Delphi '98 study of the global development of science and technology serves as a starting point for identifying promising areas. Although the name alludes to the Oracle of the Ancient Greeks, the methods involved have definit...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, PET Bottles Success Story: Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)
Special: World Market Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) PET Bottles Success Story. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is the plastic that has experienced the biggest growth in demand over the past few years. This development has been prompted by the use of PET as a substitute for glass in bottles for carbonated beverages and mineral water and, increasingly, for beer too. Above-average growth rates are also expected for PET over the years to come. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) has been used...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, PET in Packaging
PET in Packaging Prospects and Limitations Horst-Christian Langowski, Frank Welle, Freising/Germany Over the years, no other packaging material has presented the industry with such high growth rates as polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The positive market development is due primarily to the increasing popularity of PET bottles. And the growth is continuing unabated. Now that glass bottles have been substituted to a large extent for mineral water, PET manufacturers and bottle producers ar...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Physical Blowing Agents: Foaming Plastics with Inert Gases
Foaming Foaming Plastics with Inert Gases Physical Blowing Agents. Inert gases are increasingly being used as blowing agents in the production of foamed plastics. Carefully thought-out supply and metering concepts make it easier for processors to switch to these ecofriendly blowing agents and facilitate gas handling. Andreas Praller The advantages of foamed products are undeniable and have led to their widespread and growing use. In addition to low raw material consumption, they offer positive...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Plastic, the All-purpose Material: Function in Form
Plastic, the All-purpose Material: Function in Form The correct plastic for a particular requirement and function can now be found in almost all sport and leisure applications. With its almost unlimited mouldability and colouring, this multitalented material is often used as a substitute for metal, glass or wood products. Gudrun Klein Sport and leisure applications are particularly influential in plastic’s popularity. This is partly due to the commitment shown by the plastics industry as r...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polyaryletherketones (PAEK)
Polyaryletherketones (PAEK) Wolfgang Reimer and Ralf Weidig, Hofheim/Taunus, Germany Polyaryletherketones are among the most effective high-temperature thermoplastics. Consumption has almost doubled in the past five years. Applications can now be found in almost all industrial sectors, including medical technology. Polyaryletherketones (PEEK) has a continuous service temperature according to UL 746B of 260°C, a melting point of 340°C and a glass transition temperature of 143°C....

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polycarbonate (PC)
Polycarbonate (PC) Hans-Joachim Laue and Hartmut Loewer, Leverkusen/Germany The consumption of polycarbonate has enjoyed continuous, above-average growth since the “invention” of this material nearly 50 years ago, attributable in no small part to the discovery of an ever-increasing number of applications for it. This development will continue, so that, after a brief period of stagnation due to the sluggish economy, demand is likely to pick up again in 2002. For the majority of its varied a...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polyethylene Tanks: Contaminated Plastics in a Closed Material Loop
Commodity Plastics Contaminated Plastics in a Closed Material Loop Polyethylene Tanks. A consortium of eight companies and four research institutes has developed a process for channelling the material used for heating oil tanks and automotive plastic fuel tanks into a closed material loop in a research project sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The soiling caused by the penetration of hydrocarbons is removed in an environmentally-compatible and cost-efficient m...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)
Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) ... For Packaging Karsten Fritsch, Gersthofen/Germany, and Frank Welle, Freising/Germany In recent years, PET has shown above-average market growth and the forecasts are that it will continue to grow. This is primarily due to the favourable properties of PET packaging, such as break resistance, low weight, transparency, brilliance, mechanical strength and barrier characteristics. The success of PET in the packaging sector is being boosted by the build-up of...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polyoxymethylene (Polyacetals, POM)
Polyoxymethylene (Polyacetals, POM) Mark Noatsch and Frank Reuter, Frankfurt am Main/Germany Polyacetals (POM, polyoxymethylene) have a proven track record in numerous demanding technical applications. This is because of their exceptional combination of high strength and stiffness, good resilience and high surface hardness. POMs also have good processing properties and can be modified to selectively improve their processing properties. By far the greatest proportion of polyacetals - over 9...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polyoxymethylene (POM)
Polyoxymethylene (POM) Stefan Disch, Sznezana Jurcec and Nenad Katalenic, Kelsterbach/Germany The polyacetals (POM, polyoxymethylene) have proved their worth in numerous demanding technical applications. This is due above all to their exceptional combination of high strength and rigidity, good resilience and high surface hardness. On top of this, they have good processing characteristics. Furthermore, the possibility exists of specifically improving the application properties of POM through ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polypropylene-Cellulose Compounds
Polypropylene-Cellulose Compounds High Strength Cellulose Fibres Strengthen Injection Moulded Parts Peter Weigel, Johannes Ganster and Hans-Peter Fink, Potsdam-Golm/ Germany, Jochen Gassan, Nentershausen-Dens/Germany, and Kurt Uihlein, Obernburg/Germany Under certain conditions high strength cellulose fibres can replace glass fibres as reinforcing materials for polypropylene. They have weight, abrasiveness, recyclability and disposal advantages. Presently there is an intensive search for...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polyurethanes (PU)
Polyurethanes (PU) Hans-Joachim Kogelnik, Leverkusen/Germany It is the fact that polyurethanes are so versatile that makes them so valuable as all-round specialists. The amazing growth of the polyurethanes market has come about in particular because of the never-ending series of innovations in this segment, something that was again very much in evidence last year. Key developments included the increasing exploitation of the efficiency-enhancing potential that polyurethanes offer plastics pro...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polyurethanes (PUR)
Polyurethanes (PUR) Heimo Lüdke, Leverkusen/Germany, and Stefan Albus, Herne/Germany The subdued economic growth of last year has not left the polyurethane market unscathed. Although the feared collapse never materialised, the industry was characterised by restraint. Technically speaking, too, consolidation was the order of the day. Innovations only occurred in certain important details. Last year, the polyurethane market – like the world economy overall – saw an interruption in its growth...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Pressure Filter Test: Quality Recipe for High-quality Masterbatches
Testing Quality Recipe for High-quality Masterbatches Pressure Filter Test. European standard EN 13900-5 for the first time provides a standardised method for determining the pressure filter value in the production of masterbatches. The Treffert-Gruppe Polymer-Technologie is one of the first plastics processors to already employ an EN- compliant extruder and is thus able to make the quality of its products more transparent. Carsten Lüdtge Masterbatches are one of the most important factors i...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Pressure Vessels: A Question of Curvature
Automotive A Question of Curvature Pressure Vessels. Compressed air reservoirs for trucks should be light, tight and reliable. Inwardly curved bases are the secret of a new vessel design method that can now possibly help fibre reinforced component technology make a break-through in the truck range as well. The AVK TV Innovation Prize 2003 was given for the development work for the "best university work in the year 2003". Markus Schulz Helmut Schürmann Reservoirs, more or less in the for...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Process Integration: Fibre-reinforced Sandwich and Profile Structures in One Step
Compression Moulding Fibre-reinforced Sandwich and Profile Structures in One Step Process Integration. An interval hot pressing process has been developed for in-situ production of fibre-reinforced sandwich and profile structures in one step. With this process, it is possible to produce sandwich structures of any length. In addition, production of the cover layer as a separate manufacturing step is eliminated. Stefan Giehl Peter Mitschang Continuous fibre-reinforced thermoplastic composites h...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Profitable Innovations in a Weak Automobile Economy
Profitable Innovations in a Weak Automobile Economy In the automobile and automobile supplier industry important choices will be made in the coming years. For automobile manufacturers the concentration phase is nearing an end. The number of the businesses on each tier of the supply pyramid is shrinking. E-automotive accelerates the concentration process and drives supplier growth. The pressure of competitive exclusion weighs on the industry. The slackening US economy and new rounds of supplier...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Quality and Process Optimisation: Taking Stock of SMC Technology
Thermosets Taking Stock of SMC Technology Quality and Process Optimisation. SMC technology has continued to develop steadily from its manual origins. In Europe, some 270000 tonnes SMC are manufactured and processed each year. The quality requirements of the automotive industry are compelling SMC manufacturers and processors to make constant improvements in process control and monitoring. In a joint project between resin/SMC manufacturers and SMC processors/end users, significant improvements in ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Radiation-induced Crosslinking: Crosslinked PA6 for Circuit Carriers
Electronics Crosslinked PA6 for Circuit Carriers Radiation-induced Crosslinking. By post-crosslinking with an electron beam, it is possible to prevent engineering thermoplastics such as polyamide 6 from softening or melting. A definite improvement in the stability during soldering is the result. The crosslinking of plastics provides a very effective method for modifying the properties of engineering thermoplastics, particularly with regard to the current lead problem for the production of circui...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Railroad Rolling Stock: On Track with Lightweight Construction Techniques
Transportation On Track with Lightweight Construction Techniques Railroad Rolling Stock. Plastics make trains lighter, are economically producible and can fit the many special requirements on rolling stock construction. Also individual parts can be manufactured economically with modern production technologies. Since many functions can be integrated in fibre reinforced composite materials, they meet requirements on a high degree of modularity. Eva Bittmann The size of the world-wide railway tec...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Recycled CRP as Reinforcement for Thermoplastics
Recycled CRP as Reinforcement for Thermoplastics Thermal Decomposition of the Matrix Thomas Schubert, Gottfried Ehrenstein, Erlangen/Germany Thermal decomposition of the matrix material offers a simple way of recovering the relatively expensive reinforcing fibres from a fibre-reinforced laminate. The demand or wish for mechanical recycling together with legislation were instrumental in the development of recycling methods for fibre composite plastics containing a thermoset matrix. Added ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Reducing Cooling Time with Water-assisted Injection Moulding
Reducing Cooling Time with Water-assisted Injection Moulding Advantages over Gas-assisted Injection Walter Michaeli, André Brunswick and Christian Kujat, Aachen/Germany The water injection technique (WIT), developed at IKV, Aachen/Germany, is a further variation for producing injection moulded hollow articles. Recent trials show that, due to the superior cooling effect of water, cooling times can be considerably reduced compared with the gas-assisted injection moulding (GAIM). Whe...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Reliable Measurement of Particle Content
Reliable Measurement of Particle Content New Testing System Streamlines the Pressure Filter Test Heinrich Collin and Günter Müllerferli, Ebersberg/Germany The use of an innovative test head with a melt bypass valve and cassettes to hold the filter screens can simplify and speed up the pressure filter test. A standardised procedure for carrying out the test, plus a powerful new software program can significantly extend the possible applications for this particle content test. The so-calle...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Remote Control in Production: Vision or Reality
Blow Moulding Vision or Reality Remote Control in Production. The basis for a reliable and effective control of machines through teleservice systems is a reference architecture common to all manufacturers. Such an architecture will be developed in a group project including partners from industry, research and development. Michael Hermann The use of teleservices or generally of on-line services still does not find broad acceptance on the part of product manufacturers. The teleservice systems dev...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Replacing Metals
Replacing Metals Automotive Gear Wheels of PEEK Ralf Weidig, Hofheim/Taunus, Germany With the trend towards high operating temperatures and miniaturisation in the engine compartment, gear wheels must be made of a material that can withstand such extreme conditions. Thanks to its well-balanced range of properties, the high temperature thermoplastic PEEK has proved valuable in many applications. Plastic gear wheels have long been among the more innovative automotive solutions. Materials su...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Retrofits: No Fear of Foaming
Injection Moulding No Fear of Foaming Retrofits. Functional integration, productivity gains, quality improvements – these buzz words characterise specialised injection moulding techniques. Although the benefits are obvious, many processors fear high investment costs and significant hurdles when introducing such technology. However, this does not have to be the case, as this injection moulding technique for foam illustrates. Sasan Habibi-Naini Most structural foam injection moulding techniq...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Roll Systems: Precision is Everything
Extrusion Precision is Everything Roll Systems. According to whether a product is to be rolled, polished, calendered, calibrated, laminated and/or embossed, different machine systems are used in plastics and rubber processing. This overview shows which machine concept is applicable to which product. Georg Reisswig Bernd Poltersdorf Adolf Seide The first continuous sheet vulcanising machine system (Auma) was completed by Berstorff in 1929. Today over 500 Auma machines have been sold world-wide, ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Routes to Microcellular Foam
Routes to Microcellular Foam Principles of Material and Process Control Walter Michaeli, Oliver Pfannschmidt and Sasan Habibi-Naini, Aachen/Germany Thermoplastic foams are nothing new. Nevertheless, new developments in the field of microcellular foams today can lead to new application areas. The differences between these and conventional foams lie primarily in process control. This article, together with one to follow later, takes a look at the principles behind microcellular foams and at ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, RTM Parts with a Class A Surface
RTM Parts with a Class A Surface Emission-free Processing Method for Unsaturated, Liquid Polyester Resins Peter Merz, Hamburg/Germany In the past, switching a production line from open moulds to closed moulds was prompted either on emission grounds or by production engineering considerations. Through the introduction of a new unsaturated polyester resin system, it is possible to produce parts with a Class A surface for the automotive industry by means of the RTM process. Unsaturated poly...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Separating, Sealing, Sliding
Separating, Sealing, Sliding PEEK Thrust Washers in Automatic Transmissions Ralf Weidig, Hofheim/Germany The remarkable properties and cost advantages offered by the high performance polymer PEEK have won it an established position in automatic transmissions for the automotive industry. New material modifications provide greater freedom of design. Recent years have seen steady growth in the numbers of automatic vehicle transmissions in Europe. A major contributory factor to this growth h...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Silicones: Preserving a Heritage
Silicones: Preserving a Heritage In a world of high tech and future visions, a renaissance is taking place in our interest in the values and works of former ages. Conserving and preserving our cultural heritage are thus ongoing concerns, in which silicones have a firmly established position. Doris Wacker Silicones are familiar to us from many different fields of application. They perform their services in the automotive industry, in plastics and rubbers, textiles and paper and in the elect...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Simulation Tools: Vibro-acoustic Design of Composites
Automotive Vibro-acoustic Design of Composites Simulation Tools. Multi-layered plastic composites are simply predestined for the complex requirements encountered today in lightweight structures. Moreover, in the future, modern lightweight applications will have to satisfy increasingly demanding vibro-acoustic requirements. Full exploitation of the acoustic potential of lightweight structures – especially fibre-reinforced multi-layered hybrid composites – requires suitable simulation tools for ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, SMC/BMC in the Automobile
SMC/BMC in the Automobile Review of the JEC Composites Show 2002 in Paris Composites and automobile design were the focuses of the automobile forum held at the JEC. So far automotive manufacturers have mainly employed SMC/BMC materials for small series and sports cars – principally for reasons of cost and design. But that is likely to change. Automotive engineering was undoubtedly one of the central themes at this year’s JEC Composites Show in Paris. This year, the international trade fair...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Special Aspects of PET Film Extrusion
Special Aspects of PET Film Extrusion Special Polishing Method Ensures High Film Quality Peter Rieg, Bad Oeynhausen/Germany PET is a material which everyone immediately associates with blow-moulded bottles for soft drinks and mineral water. Due to its outstanding material properties and, not least due to falling raw material prices, PET is also gaining increasing importance in other sectors. PET film, in particular, which has low permeability to water vapour, oxygen and flavourings, in add...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Sports Equipment: Plastics at all Events
Sports and Leisure Plastics at all Events Sports Equipment. Of course, the ball is still round – but is it still made of leather? No, and it has not been for a long time. Basically, all sports equipment nowadays is made of high-tech materials – plastics. And polymers sometimes almost have to perform miracles if they are to help the athletes to victory. Putting together an ingenious combination of suitable plastic types is the well-guarded secret of all sports equipment manufacturers. Kristin...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Stereolithography: Prototypes for Neonatal Surgery
Prototypes for Neonatal Surgery Stereolithography. Parts production can be shortened from a matter of months to a few days. This is a great advantage for optimising precision parts in several phases in the run-up to series production. The Italian medical technology manufacturer Dideco, a world leader in the development and production of oxygenators and external blood circulation systems, has been using rapid prototyping in its production process for 10 years. The company initially collaborated...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Strategies for Cooling Moulds
Strategies for Cooling Moulds An Overview with Practical Insights Martin Koch, Aachen/Germany Which cooling strategies are standard today and how do the various cooling systems perform in practice? The author visited plastics processors to find out. Injection moulding of thermoplastic materials is characterised by a complex interaction between materials, equipment and process engineering. First, the thermoplastic moulding compound to be processed must be melted in order that it may be in...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Strong Upturn: Polycarbonate (PC)
Trend Report: Engineering Plastics Polycarbonate (PC) Strong Upturn. Following a period of subdued growth from 2001 to 2003, during which prices dropped dramatically, the global market for polycarbonate has been growing strongly since mid-2004. Thus, consumption is outstripping growth in capacity. Polycarbonate blends and film are becoming increasingly important, especially in the IT and automotive sectors. In 2004, some 15 million t of engineering thermoplastics were consumed worldwide. Arou...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Styrene Copolymers: Both Tough and Transparent
Packaging Both Tough and Transparent Styrene Copolymers. Interest in transparent materials is growing and demand for crystal-clear, brilliant products is exceptionally high. An important application segment for these materials is food packaging. Styrene-butadiene (SBS) block copolymers have been established in this market for 20 years. Nevertheless, they still have potential for innovation and can be continually improved. Daniel Wagner A combination of high transparency and brilliance with goo...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Submicron and Nano
Submicron and Nano Revolution in Fillers and Compounds Walter Hohenberger, Villach/Austria Enhanced and new technologies have led to an abundance of new fillers, the use of which has necessarily led to the development of new compounds. The reverse situation is usually the exception. Some of the new fillers are such highly advanced products that this title hardly does them any justice at all. A much more appropriate name for them would be mineral additives. The history of the development ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Tailor-made Compression Moulding Process: Automatic Compression Moulding Machines for Powder Materials
Tailor-made Compression Moulding Process: Automatic Compression Moulding Machines for Powder Materials The charging and densification of powders in moulds requires a great deal of skill from producers of semi-finished goods and high-performance parts. The necessary level of density distribution in the part is just as critical as geometrical accuracy. Stefan Herzinger Charging and compression systems have to be able to process a wide range of materials. Materials suitable for compression in...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Tailor-made Properties: Modification of Polyamides
Engineering Plastics Modification of Polyamides Tailor-made Properties. With new long-chain dicarboxylic acids, it is possible to specifically influence the process temperatures, process cycles and mechanical and chemical properties of polyamides. They can also exert an effect on the appearance of these engineering plastics. Thorsten Roloff Ulrich Nagorny Ulrike Erkens The properties of engineering plastics can be customised through the selective synthesis of polymer building blocks. In this...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, The Crucial Question in Fire Protection
The Crucial Question in Fire Protection Flame-retardant Thermoplastics – Product Strategy and Development François de Bie, Bergen op Zoom/Netherlands What is your stance on polybromine? The use of flame-retardant plastics in electrical engineering and electronics (E&E) is frequently a compromise between economics and technical feasibility. This article outlines the topic from the point of view of a raw material producer and describes modern solutions. The choice between halogenate...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, The Material Determines the Result
The Material Determines the Result How the Optical Properties of a Material Influence its Weldability Dirk Hänsch, Stefan Jung and Thomas Ebert, Aachen/Germany Laser transmission welding stands and falls with the optical properties of the plastics. To provide an overview of weldability, a systematic approach has been developed by which plastics suitable for transmission welding can be identified and categorised. Transmission welding of plastics with lasers is based on the transmission of...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, The Right Software Brings Success
The Right Software Brings Success Design of a Golf Caddy Ralf Steck, Friedrichshafen/Germany A standardised CAD data structure very often determines the competitiveness of a company. In this article, we look at a golf caddy to illustrate the advantages of a standardised CAD data structure in the design and construction of high-quality, continuous-strand-reinforced injection moulded parts made of carbon fibre. With the Thermoshape process, a fusible-core process, a core composed of a low-...