Factor - PA6, PA66, PP - Celanese

Plastics Technology, 2007-02-02, The Impact of Processing Aids on PLA Extrusion Performance
...ronmentally friendly material. Marketability of disposable products is certainly enhanced by either factor. This paper will give the results of a data collection effort on a single screw extruder that...

Plastics Technology, 2008-04-25, Thermal Cycling of Injection Molds Boosts Surface Quality
In the injection molding process, tool temperature is an important factor in achieving high-quality parts. It is generally believed that higher tool temperature often results in better surface quality...

Kunststoffe international, Absorption of Water by Molded Plastics
...to the heat transfer process (see Box p. 44) which is employed in classical temperature field calculation and can serve as an analogy. This approach makes it possible to describe the diffusion process with simple means and to factor it into the part design. This paper explains this approach, from the obtaining of material values to numerical simulation through to evaluation. Standards and Guidelines DIN EN ISO 62 [2] can be used for the experimental determination of the diffusion coefficient and...

Kunststoffe international, All about Plasticizing Screws
... that no wrong choice is made when selecting the machine, a large number of key parameters must first be identified and included in the calculation. Particular attention must be paid to the plasticizing unit (Fig. 1), since it is a vital success factor in manufacturing high-quality products. The requirements these aggregates have to meet are extremely complex, but by carefully balancing the different aspects already at the stage of designing the equipment, it is possible to eliminate conflicts o...

Kunststoffe international, Alternatives to Gluing and Mechanical Joining
...various pretreatment and joining methods in respect to ageing behavior and performance following thermal direct joining of metals and plastics. Interplay between Surface ‧Pretreatment and Joining Process Suitable pretreatment is a decisive factor for achieving long lasting connections between thermally joined partners. Bond strength is largely influenced by the energetic state, morphology, geometry, and chemical structure of the surface. Surface pretreatment aims at activating the surfaces, an...

Kunststoffe international, An Impact Way beyond its Small Market Share
...r very low to very high temperatures, inherent resistance to UV, and weather, fire and abrasion resistance. They also have a low refractive index as well as excellent electrical properties such as a strong insulating effect and low dielectric loss factor. Fluoroplastics further exhibit low surface energy, resulting in a correspondingly very low wettability and adhesion, a low friction coefficient and excellent tribological properties. An estimated 380,000 t of fluoroplastics will be consumed aro...

Kunststoffe international, Award-Winning Packaging Solution ‧Increases Productivity
... supports in the manifold. The very space-saving arrangement of the valve gate drive units also helped to reduce the dimensions and weight of the center block. In the end, this flexibility was the decisive factor for us to choose Ewikon”. Despite the weight reduction, however, additional measures were required to stabilize the mold, which is operated by four rack drives, on the machine. For example, the central block is guided in the reinforced machine bed and additionally supported by an adjus...

Kunststoffe international, Correctly Assessing the Energy‧Efficiency of Heating Systems
... the environment and thus is lost that is crucial. The external temperature of the heating component in direct and indirect systems is very similar by virtue of the insulation. Thus, the size of the heating registers is the decisive factor. The corollary of this is that more-compact assemblies have an energy advantage. This applies to each of the various components, and ultimately also to the energy balance of the overall unit. The temperature control units supplied by HB-Therm achieve a high le...

Kunststoffe international, Fine Adjustment of the Melt Flows in the Hot Runner by Means of Melt Rotation
...ality of the molded parts is not being attained, then it is critical to examine beforehand how great the influence of the other assemblies and functional areas of the mold is. Only when it is evident that shear is the dominant factor in this process and other errors can be ruled out and/or rectified, is making the switch then a worthwhile consideration.Similarly, as with every production planning exercise a cost-benefit analysis also needs to be used as the basis for implementing melt rotation. ...

Kunststoffe international, Influences on Microdamage Strain Limits
...in – the largest positive strain from the three principal strains ε1, ε2, and ε3 must be compared with the permissible strain εperm [3–5]. εperm is calculated from the critical strain εcr as a basic material value, the safety factor S ≥ 1.0 and an influencing factor C, which reflects the dependence of the critical strain on load duration, temperature, media etc. as realistically as possible. If it is assumed that there are no interactions between the individual influences Ci, they overlap multi...

Kunststoffe international, Maintaining Clarity Long-Term
...nfectants and lipids and are recommended for components requiring gamma ray, electron beam, or ethylene oxide (EtO) sterilization. Effect of Solvents and DisinfectantsHealthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are complex. They are not only a high cost factor in healthcare but also a preventable cause of death. The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) published data from the first EU-wide survey of HAIs in acute-care hospitals. The prevalence of patients with at least one HAI w...

Kunststoffe international, Medical Applications of Additive ‧Manufacturing
...s, new materials, more sustainable products, and a broadening of applications. Humans are now starting to join technology in the spotlight as a designing factor. While many companies are pioneers, the mainstream remains guarded: in 2019, 71 % of companies stated that a lack of expert knowledge was the greatest factor against 3D printing when it came to choosing alternative methods of manufacturing. But in contradiction, 79 % of companies stated that the number of parts manufactured by 3D printi...

Kunststoffe international, No Chance for Dust and Contaminations
...ysis (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) of the modified part surfaces it was demonstrated that the oxygen concentration in the molecule structure is more than doubled, while the carbon concentration was reduced up to a factor of 10. Therefore it was proven that the majority of molecules in the surface layer were modified. By binding oxygen radicals from the surrounding atmosphere onto the silicon molecule fragments a glass-like surface is created. The thickness of the layer in the micrometer ran...

Kunststoffe international, No More Weight Problems
... a sensor is needed for every individual cavity. It must be noted that a cavity pressure sensor delivers accurate data only as long as the plastic surrounding it remains liquid. Correct placement of the sensors is a decisive factor, since the complex flow paths of the melt inside the cavity must be taken into account. Optimum positioning is not always possible, because the appropriate installation space must be available. A Question of Distribution Figure 2 shows the results of the test run. The...

Kunststoffe international, Paying Attention to Layers in-between
...ontent; the lower that content (% mol), the better the barrier properties. Ethylene content also affects the viscosity of the molten polymer. This last aspect is crucial because it can be a limiting factor for a specific forming technology; a compromise therefore needs to be found between viscosity, barrier effect and the thickness the polymer must have in the final product to obtain the desired insulation. As can be seen in Table 1 showing oxygen transmission rates (OTR) for ‧commonly available...

Kunststoffe international, Present in a Multitude of Trends
...y laser direct structuring. Small cells and antennas will be omnipresent in the future. Therefore, besides functionality, an attractive design is also an extremely important factor. Covestro, Deutsche Telekom AG, Bonn, Germany, and the Swedish Umeå Institute for Design at the University of Umeå therefore have recently developed creative designs for the housings of base stations and antennas based on the PC Makrolon in a pilot project (Fig. 4). A particularly impressive proposal is designed in t...

Kunststoffe international, Protective Coat for Electronics and Body
...cc. to DIN EN ISO 10993 for cytotoxicity. The sample sizes were n = 5 for solder mask and ENIG coating material composite respectively, of which i = 3 eluate samples each were drawn and placed in cell contact for three days. Decisive factor hereby was the material layer thickness applied on the electronics (Fig. 1). The dry layer thickness was applied according to the respective manufacturer specifications, and was determined in a layer thickness study (wet to dry layer thickness).Apart from the...

Kunststoffe international, Symbiosis of Toolmaking and Serial Production
...aining of a capable algorithm. The objective is to predict failures, i. e. violations of the predefined control limits, in order to be able to initiate corrective measures preventively (Fig. 4). Training of the algorithm is a key factor for ensuring a high prediction quality and thus for obtaining the desired functionality of the predictive maintenance solution. In particular, the supervised learning approach is suitable for the training of the algorithm, since the training data includes not onl...

Kunststoffe international, The Potential of Redesign and Part Consolidation
... (high speed cutting), which, as is known, is suitable for rapid machining of surfaces. With this procedure, it is important to realize that, due to the combination of processes, the process chain is extended with an additional factor, but also becomes more challenging. It is already becoming clear that there is no moldmaking process for rapid manufacturing of injection molds that could really satisfy all the demands. The conditions applying to machining only allow high-speed operation to a limi...

Kunststoffe international, Ultrafast 3D Printing
... 20 h for 1 kg of printed component mass, corresponding to a mass output of only 0.1 to 0.2 kg/h. Since standard plastic pellets are processed instead of an expensive FLM filament, there is a huge material cost saving, e. g. a factor of 200, for PA6-CF compared to familiar FLM/FDM (fused layer and fused deposition modeling). Different plastics, such as thermoplastic elastomers, polypropylene and, as here, a polyamide 6 with 40 % carbon fibers (PA6-CF) have already been tested. These are materia...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, 150 Years of SIG: From Freight Car Construction to Packaging Expert
...parable history. Any member of this venerable club has already demonstrated a maximum amount of entrepreneurial flexibility and innovativeness. Gerhard Gotzmann SIG was founded in 1853 as the “Schweizerische Waggonfabrik” (Swiss Freight Car Factory) in the immediate vicinity of the Rhine waterfall in Neuhausen. A crucial factor in this choice of location was the energy that could be harnessed from the waterfall. As Dr. Roman Boutellier, CEO of SIG Holding AG, recently noted to the press, th...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, 30 Years of Playmobil: Investing in the Future
...ea Schauer. An effective marketing strategy will be deployed to further communicate the attractiveness of Playmobil and to boost demand. Approximately EUR 11 million has been earmarked for sales promotion. The company believes that a further factor in its success is a focus on core business. This entails accommodating real-life themes (Fig. 2), inspiration drawn from children’s wish-lists (Fig. 3) and supplying toys that are fun to play with and that excite children’s imagination and increase th...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, 3D Simulation: How Accurate are Warpage Predictions?
Simulation How Accurate are Warpage Predictions? 3D Simulation. Warpage predictions are an important factor in injection moulding simulations in order to avoid expensive and time-consuming corrections to the injection moulding tool. On the other hand, false predictions can result in high costs and a considerable loss of time. For this reason, it is very important indeed to identify the factors that govern the reliability of a warpage prediction. Tom Bröcher Jakobsen Steen Hermann Henriksen Rei...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, A Comparison of Drive Technologies
...he process parameter profiles are the dynamics of the drive axes, in particular the dynamics of the injection movement, which strongly influences the part formation. The power consumption can be used to determine the particular energy consumption, a factor that is still not paid enough attention by processors in Germany. However, in view of the imminent introduction or raising of environmental taxes, this factor should not be neglected. Linked to the machine power consumption is the electricity ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, A Comparison of Hybrid Machines
...several ways, are plasticization, injection and mould opening. They are highly important for the cycle time, energy consumption and part quality. Core pullers, ejectors and nozzle advance are important for the process as a whole, but not determining factors in cycle time, energy consumption and part quality. They are therefore termed "secondary movements". A Judicious Combination of Electric and Hydraulic Drives Metering or plasticization is a rotary movement. An electric motor is best...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, A Comparison of Temperature Control Systems: Optimum Thermal Design of Injection Moulds
...ce: IKV) Temperature profile Fig. 4. Temperature curve of the different cooling concepts of the moving mould half with standard cooling at the nozzle side (source: IKV) Possible theoretical cooling time saving Fig. 5. The quoted factor refers to the moving mould half and indi-cates the possible saving compared with the standard insert in per-cent (source: IKV) Fig. 6. The thermographic images show the various inserts at the moving half (source: IKV) Effect of cooling on part weight Fig. ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, A Home Game for the Italian Plastics Industry: Rendezvous in Milan
...aneously (Fig.17). For this, the device is equipped with two or more capillary bores. The ratio of capillary length to diameter varies. If the same polymer is examined in capillaries of different length, the so-called Bagley correction factor can be calculated from the shear stresses. The correction factors can be determined very precisely because the determinations are carried out under exactly the same conditions. A further application of the Rheologic 5000 Twin is the simultaneous examination...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Adding Value through Quality and Technology
... customers at the start of the project. As early as the design phase, recourse is made to material databases, 3D-CAD, rheological simulation programs and various rapid prototyping techniques. The underlying RKT project plan takes into account every factor affecting the process chain. Thinking in Influential Parameters A rugged manufacturing process is ensured by applying various methods of defect prevention. The permanent goal is for all employees in the simultaneous engineering process to thi...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Additional Quality Control: Integrated Quality Testing for PET Bottle Production
...efore be ejected in advance, considerably increasing the efficiency of bottle production on the blow moulding machine and reducing downtimes (Fig.1). Online Wall-thickness Measurement by Means of PETWall Plus Uniform material distribution is a key factor in the quality of PET containers. Many container properties, such as gas permeability, deformation, pressure resistance or base deformation are directly dependent on the material distribution in the container wall. With the PETWall plus proces...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Airbus to Fly with PPS
..., impact strength and excellent chemical resistance. From - 40 to + 240°C, this material maintains constant hardness, rigidity and dimensional stability. Its inherent flame retardancy without the need for flame retardants is an essential safety factor in aircraft operation. Through its use in automotive engine technology, for example, polyphenylene sulphide has demonstrated its resistance to aggressive chemicals such as engine and hydraulic oils, fuels, solvents and antifreeze mixtures milli...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Anisotropic Parts Design: The Right Orientation
...ng replaced by injection moulded articles made from heat-resistant thermoplastics. One example of this is the glass fibre-reinforced PA exhaust gas return valve discussed in this article. When designing structural mechanical parts, the designer must factor in the fibre orientation, as otherwise the parts will be useless. Reinhard Haag Thomas Brinkmann As a way of reducing vehicle weight and fuel consumption, plastics are continuing to be substituted for metals in the automotive industry. Just a...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, As Good As New
As Good As New Quality is an Important Factor in Second-Hand Machinery Many plastics processors think that trying to buy good quality second-hand machinery is rather like trying to win a lottery. After all, it is very difficult to assess the condition of a machine that has been used in production for several years. And not all second-hand dealers are trustworthy. But, as the following examples show, it does not have to be like this. Garant Maschinenhandel GmbH, Lengerich, was set up as far...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Automated Injection Moulding and Welding of Bumpers
... normal working hours, i.e. without overtime payments for evening, weekend or public holiday working. After these preparations, the plant can be changed over to spare part manufacture within a few hours - the mould changing time is the determining factor. DAT Automation Systems with Jointed-arm-Robots DAT Automatisierungstechnik GmbH of Pappenheim, Germany, which was founded by Dipl.-Ing. Otto Leiritz in 1996, specializes in automation systems for the plastics industry. The company has grown ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Automated Manufacture of Mobile Phones
...ions allow in addition the production of mobile phones in virtually unmanned production halls. Users of industrial robots now expect not only the supply of individual components, but a complete solution to their production engineering challenges. Factory automation is essential to the success of manufacturing in industrial companies. Through automation, companies can meet the continually intensifying demands on product quality while remaining flexible enough to cope with the enormous forces fo...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Automation: Maximum Networking of Manufacturing Processes
...tries can respond to this situation is by keeping the execution of complex manufacturing processes at their sites while at the same time integrating different production sequences into manufacturing cells. Efficiency thus becomes the determining factor in protecting a site’s future. This strategy includes complex mould constructions and multicomponent technology, as well as employing novel materials and material combinations, but also the interlinking of different sub-operations into a complete ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Automotive Applications: Thermosets Get Going
...utlet (Fig.4). Thermoset moulding compounds additionally have a high resistance to cold flow, enabling them to be mounted directly on other parts, such as the engine block, without expensive metal inserts. In many cases, this is the decisive factor in favour of thermosets [4]. No Type Approval without a Recycling Concept The Directive on End-of-life Vehicles that came into force more than two years ago specifies that more than 85% of the materials employed in cars must be re-used or recycled a...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Automotive Conference: Lightweight Construction as Magic Phrase
... to be taken into account: Absorption of 1% moisture produces a change in length of 0.3%. Accordingly, a special attachment method had to be developed to accommodate such changes (Anja Maier, BMW Landshut/Germany). Painting is a very large factor in overall economics. Naturally, online painting would be ideal in this regard. However, the heat resistance of the blends is not yet high enough to allow this. SMC is used for the tailgate. This was the only thermoset capable of allowing the antenna to...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Babylonian Confusion?
... dealing with prototypes and models. The basic requirement here is that the shape is designed to comply with plastics-specific rules, i.e. in terms of production (e.g. allowance for undercuts) and given materials (e.g. material accumulation). These factors must be analysed by the CM or capable of being visualised appropriately. Requirements Imposed on Communication Managers Even minor details in respect of basic functions make the difference between the right and the wrong software solution. F...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Bank Rating: Corporate Financing in the Shadow of Basel II
...re of particular importance for assessing the likelihood of insolvency. The main figures are, for example, the equity ratio, the repayment ability, the liquidity ratio (liquid and current), inventory turnover rate etc. The qualitative factors will depend on the size of the loan and include all kinds of figures on such topics as (Fig.2): - the market and branch of industry: e.g. the industry’s current development, position of the company on the market, - products, - company situation: legal form...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Bank Rating: Leadership – An Important Rating Factor
Market Leadership – An Important Rating Factor Henry Weber Bank Rating. The performance and commitment of the workforce depend very much on the method of leadership. Staff motivation and staff skills affect the corporate result and thus count as "hard" success factors. Another assessment criterion for the bank rating is the style of leadership, which will affect the future financing of the company's activities. To be in a better position to appraise loan default risks, companies a...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Behind Bars
...l components very well (Fig.5). The title photo shows the model of the back door lock housing. Optimising the Acoustics Since the acoustic designers at DaimlerChrysler judged the bolting device noise of the first prototypes to still be unsatisfactory, different steps were taken to optimise the noise. One such step was to improve the acoustics of the belt buckle cover since in its original design the oscillations produced in the housing could not be decreased. For this purpose a natural frequen...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Blown Film Extrusion Today
...ayers to be exchanged before they are smoothed out by the spiral (Fig. 5). The result is a much narrower residence time spectrum and far shorter purging and material changeover times. Film Cooling Film cooling is still the output-limiting factor in the production of blown films and also has a great influence on the quality of the product, since inhomogeneous cooling conditions can have an adverse effect not only on film gauge but also on transparency and gloss. Air cooling is still state-of-th...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Bonding of Plastics
.... The structure of the adherends remains virtually unchanged and deformations or internal stresses due to heat incorporation are a rare occurrence. Even plastic-metal bonds are possible, a feat that not even welding can achieve. Bonding as Economic Factor Bonding technology has now become an economic factor that should not be underestimated, neither by users nor by adhesive manufacturers. Adhesives permit a level of wealth to be created that was not possible before. Bonding is the only way to ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Boost for the Economy: Becoming More Competitive through Co-operation
... for the companies for co-operation projects were certainly a help as "kick-off financing", but neither the amount of money (up to 25 % of the personnel costs) nor the funds in general were a key factor in carrying out the projects. The intensive support (in terms of both time and personnel) given to the companies by the cluster teams is certainly one of the main reasons for the high level of target attainment, but another of the most important reasons is without doubt the close contacts...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Brilliant Surfaces: A Large Order Secures Technical Leadership
...is innovative polyurethane process, lightfast, scratchproof surface sealing with high brilliance can be applied in a single operation without elaborate secondary finishing. This puts Novem at the cutting edge, since interior luxury is increasingly a factor in a car’s purchase. CCM Technology Meets High Demands Decorative wood, aluminium and carbon fibre parts are normally subject to extensive pre-treatment and given up to ten coats of unsaturated polyester lacquer until they have the required...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Business Culture: Successfully Establishing a Foothold in China
...d knowledge of the Chinese language of the managing director of the SimpaTec proved to be a great advantage as well as the energetic support of his Chinese wife, who at the same time is managing director of SimTech Beijing Ltd. Here is a crucial factor for the success of the enterprise, because only through close connection between the two companies and the deep cultural understanding on both sides is it possible to pass along also specialised technical information and experience to the Chinese ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Calculation of Plastic Parts: Stress Appearance during Creep
...operties in unreinforced thermoplastics under compressive and tensile loading. The model is extended on the basis of test results and finite element simulations. Following this, the concept of stress intensity is introduced. From the value of this factor, it is possible to assess whether the information available in the databases is sufficient for an error-free part design. Material Characteristic Values and Models When plastics are used as structural materials, it is necessary to have precise...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Calculation of Snap Beam Forces
...l just hold the snap fit. For sufficiently large angles α2 the connection cannot be released due to self-locking. According to the laws of mechanics the relation between these forces is given by ((Formula_1)) In it η1,2 is the conversion factor for the static friction coefficient µ0 between the contacting parts. Values in accordance with the new computing model for the joining and retaining angles α’1 and α’2 of the deformed snap beam [1] should be used....

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Car Production in Germany: The Chances for Germany as a Location for Car Production
...n car companies and scientific institutions are evidence of our commitment in this field. When we look at the competitiveness of Germany as a location for car production, the organisation of our labour market is another key factor. The reforms that have now been initiated could be the first step (although we are still a long way from a situation in which we can take the term ‘labour market’ literally). The strike in eastern Germany was anathema for the still young automotive segment in the forme...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Characteristic-value functions: The Mechanical Fingerprint
...s for the nonlinear stress-strain behaviour. The Young’s modulus profile corrected in this way is approximated over the measured temperature range with the aid of an empirical formula (Fig.2). Taking the approximation parameters obtained, factor k, which remains constant over individual ranges, is determined in order to make allowance for the time/temperature shift. It is now possible to determine the relaxation strain et either from reference tensile tests or directly from the approximation par...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Choosing Plugs: Plugs for Forming Cups
...re is no distinct effect that can be measured and no simple parameter for characterising changes in wall thickness. These relationships are illustrated in Fig.2, which compares a cup and blister packs made by thermoforming [4]. Consequently, a full factorial series of experiments has to be carried out. All the parameters that were combined into factors are summarised in Table1. Figure3 shows the plugs used for pre-stretching. The geometric features of the plugs deviate substantially from the gen...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Coloured PPVC Films: Colour Makes the Difference
...hydrochloric acid, substituting labile chlorine atoms and complexing with allyl chloride groups in the PVC [3]. Photolytic degradation means ageing by the action of light. The resistance of plastics to the action of light is an extremely important factor governing their potential use, since light is the main reason for the degradation of plastics in outdoor use under natural climatic conditions [4]. Ageing not only causes changes in outward appearance but also in numerous physical properties suc...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Colourfast Window Profiles
...r weathering (1,000 h artificial weathering, equal to approx. 1 year outdoors) [2]. A further criterion for window frames is the notched impact strength. In the case of PVC window profiles, a notched impact strength of 25 kJ/m2 has proved to be satisfactory. The notched impact strength of the ASA grade selected for extrusion of the window profiles is slightly below this figure. Tests carried out on coextruded profiles of ASA and ABS have nevertheless shown that the impact strength of the composi...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Comparative Study: Virtually Equal in Terms of Precision
...the com-parative tests, the specific injection pressure determined by screw-force measurement was compared with that obtained by direct melt pressure measurement in front of the screw. The weight scattering (overall rank-ings) is reduced by a factor of 5 (Fig.4). The variation coefficient of the part weight fluctuations is lower by a factor of 3.8 for direct measurement. Electric and Hydraulic Drive Technologies are Close Together The difference in weight constancy of the parts between the all-...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Competing Processes: Is Plastic Laser Welding Economical?
... are qualitatively superior. The reason is that the welding process does not change the chemical or physical properties of the plastic, whereas the adhesive’s own behaviour (toxicity, ageing, embrittlement) constitutes an additional uncertainty factor. In plastic laser welding, the requirement for online process control is fulfilled with joining-travel monitoring (Fig.1). By contrast, the success of bonding can only be checked at the end, i.e. after the adhesive has been applied, has cured and t...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Compounding: Flexibility for Compounders
...he analysis to devise one's own creative response. Apart from the standard requirements for quality and through-put, there is an increasing demand for flexibility. Richard Steiner In today's world of compounding, there are primarily three factors that decide on success: delivery time, order size and price. Not forgetting, of course, quality. This is far too frequently taken as a "given", but does represent the fourth success factor. On the other hand, markets are changing. If...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Compounding: Maximising Use of Machine Potential
... a finite element program [4]. To obtain meaningful results that were as generally applicable as possible, dimensionless constants were created. These are shown in Fig.3. The material law used was the power law (equation (4)) with the consistency factor K and the power law exponent n: > In Fig.4, by way of example, the curves predicted for the dissipative energy component are compared with the results of flow simulations. A good description of the energy components can be seen over the entire...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Compounds: Flame Proofing and Light Stabilisation of Polypropylene
...lame retarder component in TinuvinFR is characterised by good thermal and photolytic stability. After the best possible flame retardant has been chosen, the long-term light stabiliser system must be optimised. Until now, there has been no satisfactory solution available for flameproofing plastics articles for outdoor applications with acceptable light stability. Conventional light stabilisers based on hindered amines (HALS) have so far not satisfied these requirements. The degradation products o...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Compression Moulding: Highly Precise and Fully Automated
...her calculation stages, further stages of the simulation, such as calculating fibre orientation, are expected to improve. The Carreau parameters that are additionally needed to describe the elongational viscosity and the wall slippage factor of the compression moulding compounds can be determined with the aid of the squeeze flow rheometer developed at the IKV. A crucial factor in obtaining an exact simulation result is that the simulation be performed by a trained user who is familiar with both...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Conduits for Fibre-optic Cables
...e or spraying of friction-reducing agent into the conduit. For marking the conduits with external colored stripes, both designs of die can be fitted with color spray rings. Cooling Zone The available cooling zone length is a particularly important factor in the production of cable conduits from PE-HD on existing extrusion lines. The pipe produced at the end of the cooling zone must be sufficiently cold to resist deformation by external forces such as the contact pressure of the caterpillar hau...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Consumption Stabilises: Low-density Polyethylene (PE-LD/LLD)
...certain market segments. Changing Capacities and Manufacturer Structures PE-LD capacity in Western Europe fell from 5.70 million t in 2001 to 5.55 million t in 2004 (Tables 1 and 2). As a result, utilisation of capacity remained relatively satisfactory despite the decline in consumption. Up until 2007, there will be no significant changes in capacity. In 2008, Huntsman is due to put a 400000t plant on stream. Sabic's scheduled PE-LD capacity in 2009 (380000t) still has project status. In co...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Control Functions with Artificial Intelligence
...achieving evaluation and direction within a few milliseconds. The complex control operations of the injection moulding machine are assisted by master control functions with artificial intelligence. The Electromechanical Drive Concept An important factor in the level of control quality is achieved by carefully matched drive and control components. This is guaranteed at Fanuc, since all components come from the same company (Fig.1). Fanuc have supplied the vast majority of electric machines now...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Controlling Movements
...cts etc. on 80 injection moulding machines. Production is carried out in 3-shift operation, in some cases over a seven-day week. With this high machine utilization, the most important point is reliability of the individual components. Reliability Factor It was not just the saving in downtime costs that persuaded Gardena to change to a different type of linear transducer. Since the company also supplies the automotive industry, reliability of delivery also had to be improved. Overall, it was th...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Cost-effectiveness: In-mould Decoration on Modified Standard Machines
... the surfaces that are visible to and within reach of the passengers. In the past, elaborate designs for such surfaces were reserved exclusively for top-of-the-range vehicles. Now, though, the automotive industry has realised that comfort is a major factor for closing sales with prospective buyers. So, sophisticated interior design is now coming to the compact car range, too. This poses new challenges for system suppliers. For, although series volume increases because the market for small vehic...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Costs and Benefits: Recycling Plastics from Electrical and Electronic Products
...ng of mobile phones. Efficiency … In the following analysis, successful long-term business activity is taken as the sole yardstick for evaluation. Ecological aspects are ignored because they require another perspective [see: 2 to 5]. The decisive factor here is therefore the present and expected future comparison with the cost of thermal energy recovery or feedstock recycling or the achievable market price for the recyclate. In Germany, thermal energy recovery from mixed plastics fractions in ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Crash Simulation: Computer Modelling
...turing conditions. Not only the different nominal initial stiffness but also nominal yield stress and nominal elongation at break are dependent on orientation. In the example shown – PA-GF 30 – the curves for the two specimens differ by a factor of nearly two. In Fig.2, the calculated elastic modulus in the unstressed condition for different fibre orientation distribution densities can be seen in a spatial schematic representation. From left to right, Fig.2 shows three-dimensional isotropic, pla...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Customer-oriented Globalisation: Process Technology as Strategic Instrument for Developing New Markets
...to provide access to new markets are overlooked. For instance, in addition to China, Vietnam also plays an important role in Asia. Besides the proximity, the many cultural connections between the two countries are a contributing factor. The Republic of Cyprus presents itself as a link to Arabic countries. And Africa, with the exception of South Africa, represents a completely neglected continent to date. While it is true that the general political conditions play an important role in all expan...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Dashboards Meet Highest Requirements
...lity perception" play an important role. Of course the materials used to achieve these ambitious aims must also satisfy the price requirements of the automotive industry. Generally speaking, only the price/performance ratio can be the deciding factor in prudent and responsible material selection. Decorative Materials and Processes For the production of these surfaces, there are only a few competing plastics, processed by a variety of methods. The main contenders are thermoplastic polyolefi...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Decoration on the Front, Attachments on the Rear
...out this requiring any alterations to the mould, the cycle time or the process parameters for the compression moulding. This includes coverstocks based on TPO or PVC, and with a textile visible surface, or in artificial leather. The decisive factor here is careful coordination of the diving edges and the specification of the decorative coverstocks. A problem-free changeover of this type is an indispensable condition for cost-efficient production, particularly for the inserts with its frequent ch...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Design of Single-screw Extruders
Design of Single-screw Extruders Simulation Is Not Easy Walter Michaeli and Andreas Imhoff, Aachen/Germany Correct dimensioning of the screw is a vital factor for the cost and quality of extruded products. Designing single-screw extruders is only possible if a large number of simplifications and assumptions are made. Most machine manufacturers have specific know-how in certain areas of application when it comes to selecting the screw geometry. This well guarded knowledge is part of a compa...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Designing Injection Moulded Parts with FEM
...ion is a criterion of failure developed for metal materials. It does not take into account the less pressure-sensitive behaviour that is typical of plastics. The "cone" failure criterion takes adequate account of this behaviour, although the factor m has to be determined by experiment. (The case m = 1 converts the "cone" criterion into the "von Mises" criterion.) When using the "cone" criterion, compressive stresses are depicted less critically, enabling better ut...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Detecting Contaminants: Product Safety in the PET Loop
...e evaporating substances are absorbed in a cold trap. After all the volatile components have been purged from the material, the sample is thermally desorbed and analyzed gas chromatographically. This method lowers the limit of detection by a factor of around 100. The method is therefore well suited to evaluating odorous interferences in recycled PET that is intended, e.g., for fibres or mats in vehicle interiors. To be able to detect moderately and difficultly volatile substances, both swelling...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Development and Trends: Plastics – a Mature Industry?
...y different structures at the micro- and nano scales, as can be seen from transmission and electron micrographs (Fig.3). Another way of designing the properties of materials is to combine different polymers as so-called polymer blends. The crucial factor here is not only which polymers to mix, but also how to obtain a stable, optimised microstructure that offers the desired combination of properties. The addition of so-called compatibilisers plays an important role here, as is shown by the four-...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Development Trends: Composites for Aircraft
...rcedes C Class. Or: in some similarly exposed areas in aircraft severe problems are still encountered today. Through incorporation of about 30% nanoparticles in the top coat, these can be eliminated, since abrasive wear is improved by a factor of 3. Carbon nanotubes: Epoxy-resin systems exhibit poor thermal and electrical properties, as do most plastics. These deficits can be reduced through modification with CNTs. With a suitable improvement in electrical conductivity, it could be possible to ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Die Cutting Equipment for Plastics Processing
...he best strip steel dies that they are sufficient for parts with dimensional tolerances of ± 130 µm. However, experience has shown that the tolerance range is usually between ± 180 and ± 250 µm. Investment costs are thus not the only factor to be considered. The most sensible approach is to always invest in punching machines that can work either with strip steel tools or with male-female dies. Thus the highest possible flexibility is maintained and appropriate response to any order o...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Dimensioning Parts: Non-linear Viscoelasticity
...viour of Plastics Apart from elasticity, thermoplastics exhibit viscoelastic and plastic behaviour. Especially where long-term stress is concerned, the viscous and plastic components can no longer be neglected. There are different ways nowadays to factor them into simulations. The common ones utilize modified elastic equivalent characteristics, creep laws and linear viscoelastic models. The simplest way to describe the material behaviour of plastics under a long-term static load is to substitute...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Direct Compounding: New Directions in Plastics Processing
...irements. What are needed, though, are not only expensive specialty products. Depending on the application, these can be produced by blending in polymer fillers, and the properties desired in the end products are achieved at a minimally satisfactory level for reasonable costs. These methods are known already to many processors who mix the components while metering into the extruder. This is the first step on the path to direct extrusion. Compounding at independent compounders represents an inter...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Double Belt Plants: Flexible Production of Various Insulation Panels
... a production optimisation system to minimise the efforts on retooling, given the order-based nature of production, - a stacking optimisation system for the finished insulation panels, where the length of the panels is a key factor with a decisive influence on the production sequence. The production optimisation system takes in all the orders that have been received and assesses them on the basis of urgency. It then establishes the most economic production sequence for the individual orders, opt...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Drafting Tolerances for Moulded Parts
...ts can undergo dimensional changes during service that cause them to malfunction. Due to uncertainty in allowing for these relationships, the specified tolerances are frequently so narrow that so-called safety tolerances arise. Tolerances as a Cost Factor When specifying tolerances, designers should be aware that setting narrow limits greatly increases the cost of producing the parts. They should therefore always adopt the maxim: "Make the tolerances as tight as necessary, but not as tight...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Drive and Applications Technology: All-Electric Broadside
...d the first Elektra evolution 110 at Wolf for the production of these retaining plates. At the time, Dr. Lutwin Spix, manager of Wolf GmbH, saw the low energy consumption of the all-electric machines as the deciding factor – particularly in view of rising electricity prices. After early positive experiences with the cost efficiency of the process and quality of the parts, Wolf has so far brought 24 all-electric injection moulding machines on stream. The high precision and reproducibility, with l...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Drive Technology: Reproducibility and Costs Are Primary Concerns
...ectric/hybrid machines than was the case with process parameters (Fig.13). Different studies have already shown that in using alternative drive technologies, lower scatter of component properties can also be expected [4–7]. Survey of Cost Factors Analysis of past data and assignment of cost factors did not provide any significant results, since only a few processors were able to supply data. Either the fully electric/hybrid machines had not been in service long enough to be able to yield meani...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Driving the Automotive Industry: Engineering Elastomers
...cities, for example, have now been expanded – mainly in Europe and Asia – to some 480kt/a to meet forecast short-term demand of about 400kt/a. In the CR sector, current global demand is around 320kt/a, which also represents a satisfactory balance between demand and plant capacities (DuPont: 100kt, Lanxess: 80kt after planned expansion, Polimeri: 40kt, Denka: 48kt, Tosoh: 30kt, Showa: 20kt, the latter all in Japan). Here, once again, the key question is the projected size of the annual increase ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Dynamic Frictional Data
...ol dissipates the heat generated during the measurement by friction of the plastic against the test cylinder. The modular construction allows test cylinders of different geometrical dimensions and materials to be used, in order to determine friction factors in cylinders of different surface areas and sizes. By means of a test cylinder with a grooved surface, the boundary conditions can be adjusted to resemble those in grooved feed-section extruders. The radial pressure is measured by means of th...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Dynamic Growth: Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP)
..., to develop an LCP composite for the hydrogen tanks that will be used in the next generation of the space shuttle. In addition to the extremely good barrier action with respect to hydrogen, which even diffuses through steel, a major factor in this regard was the exceptionally high impact strength of LCP, which is retained even at extremely low temperatures. Since LCPs are finding more and more applications in medical technology with its ever more intelligent systems, Ticona, as the leading manu...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Ecological Beneficial Composites
...Thus for instance in thermosetting polymer moulded parts a weight reduction of up to 30 % compared to glass fibre reinforced components can be realised. Furthermore, low machine wear is a result of the non-abrasive character of the natural fibres, a factor that saves substantial cost particularly in the case of extrusion and injection moulding processes and in addition in the following manual processing. Reservations about the natural fibres because of inevitable quality fluctuations are to a la...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Economic Compounding: Nanocomposites
...bers, have characteristic dimensions in the micron range and the particles are dispersed in the compounder and enveloped in the polymer melt. The processes involved in incorporating nanoparticles – where at least one dimension is smaller by a factor of 103 – into a polymer matrix must on the other hand take place at a molecular level. For this reason, besides the processing technology used, the compatibility of the nanoparticles with the matrix polymer plays a crucial role. The start...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Economic PVC Pelletisation
Economic PVC Pelletisation Quality of the Pellet Stock is the Decisive Factor in Downstream Processing Operations Detlef Kühlborn, Munich/Germany Economic production of PVC pellets requires an optimised plant concept. Processors demand reliable production reproducibility and place importance on processing the widest spectrum of materials with maximum quality. This can be achieved with carefully matched processing units, allowing full control over the process. PVC pellets are easier to store and ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Economical Production of PU Parts
...mits. Since such optimisation is virtually impossible by conventional means because of the very large experimental work required, modern experimental design techniques are employed at the system development stage. These include complete and reduced factor experiments, composite designs or Taguchi methods and the corresponding evaluation processes, such as multiple regression analyses, neural networks etc. For some of the technical developments, a laboratory machine has been designed, with which ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Editorial: Benefiting from Partnerships
...igating the role played by trust between partners in successful business. Paul Zak, a research economist from California, and Stephen Knack, an economist with the World Bank in New York, recently published a study that shows that trust is even a key factor in the economic success of a nation. Based on the responses from a survey of people living in 41 countries, they calculated that the income of a country's population rises in line with the level of trust existing between partners, fellow c...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Editorial: Welcome to the EU
...easons, to shift their production to a low-wage country. Admittedly many a management hides behind pretences, but to insinuate that managing boards are betraying their country, as we all witnessed only recently, is distorting the truth. One decisive factor for relocation measures is the weak German consumer market. Most companies need growth for the survival of their production sites, and this includes domestic facilities. At present, this growth is mainly generated in non-domestic markets. We a...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Elastomers
...elastomers. The close intermeshing of scientific and applications-based research in the field of raw materials production, elastomer processing and machinery – despite the continuing debate about high wage levels – is still the most important factor for its present and future success in these technologies. To provide intelligent solutions, elastomer processors must increasingly look to the wider world. This applies to materials, but also to machinery and process engineering. The global consolida...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Energy Consumption: How Much Energy Does a Drive System Need?
...es to the entire injection moulding cycle, which is short compared with the measuring period of the meters. All this means that, at the end of the day, the mean power consumption throughout the cycle (as shown in Fig.2) is the decisive factor for the power value. The only point to be borne in mind when using a 1/4 hour meter is that not all the machines are switched on simultaneously at the beginning of the week and that the heaters and temperature control units are not all switched on at once e...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Engineering Plastics as a Growth Market
...ss Unit as follows: To recognise the customer's problems and help him to solve them. "Marketing excellence" and "Supply chain excellence" are the new buzzwords. They cover everything from optimum material supply (time and quality factor) and fast, effective technical support (know-how and specialist expertise) to minimising component costs (system solutions). Setting up a global knowledge management system is therefore one of the tasks which the company has set itself for the...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Enterprise Transparency: Success Factor Business Process Management
Market and Management Success Factor Business Process Management Enterprise Transparency. In recent years it has turned out that controlling business processes is probably the most important factor for entrepreneurial success both in the manufacturing industry and in service industries. The following report describes how a medium-size enterprise organises, structures and supervises its processes. Peter Felber Due to the strong demand for IML technology (see box "In Profile") in the tele...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Europe is the Largest Market: Polyaryletherketones (PAEK)
...ts. This was one reason why the Japanese company Shoei opted to use PEEK as the housing material for its PetitCap aluminium electrolyte capacitors. In addition to PEEK’s excellent heat resistance, its good dimensional stability was also a key factor in this decision. Another reason for selecting PEEK was the patented design of the electrolyte capacitors, which makes it possible to achieve a combination of very compact component size and constant capacity simply by encapsulating the complete unit...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Even Smaller: Adhesive Layers on a Molecular Level
... converting operations. As a rule, this involves application of a liquid primer to the polymer surface by means of rollers, followed by drying or curing in a second step. Typical amounts applied are on the order of 1g/m2 at a thickness of 1µm. Cost factors for application of such a primer include not only the substance applied – high-quality primers cost up to several Eurocents per gram or m2 – but also the application method itself. A roller-type application system can represent a not inconside...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Exterior Vehicle Body Parts: Films instead of Painting?
...SA, ABS and SAN films) and services for the challenging new concepts in vehicle body manufacture. Achim Grefenstein, Kaan Kaymak The automotive industry’s interest in in-mould film lamination has steadily increased in recent years. The driving factor for this was initially the idea of cost saving. Film-laminated components have penetrated automotive interior applications over the last 10 to 15 years, mainly because they have been able to replace expensive, clear-varnished wood components or ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Extrusion Technology of the Future
...defect and zero-tooling time in extrusion technology really feasible or just an ideal goal? Innovation cycles are getting shorter while cost pressures on extruders are intensifying. The competitiveness of an extrusion manufacturer is determined by factors such as a wide range of products, excellent quality, short delivery times, a favourable cost structure and well thought-out semi-finished products that can be combined into systems. To successfully meet market demands, the processor must be a...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Fillers: Improved Properties and Processing
Trade Fair Report Improved Properties and Processing Fillers. The trend that was obvious during the past decade continued at this year’s K-Show. The consequences of the increased price of energy, especially oil, together with developments regarding the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar, have had a significant effect on all materials, but especially the filler industry because of the very high freight costs in relation to the value of the product. Increasing transportation costs, in particular, pr...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Flame-retardant Curing
...;C (Table 4, System A). A specimen cured at 120°C is post-cured at a higher temperature, increasing the Tg to up to 65 %. Post-curing may be carried out either continuously or subsequently by conditioning (Figures 4A and 4B). The most important factor is that an incipiently cured system should build up a sufficiently high modulus, which ensures sufficient "green strength" of the material. The curing cycles can be reduced in an autoclave, and high glass transition temperatures produce...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Fluoropolymer Prevents Flow Instabilities
... measurements in the slit die at various z positions after 12-hours' extrusion that wall slip occurs at all positions (Fig. 6). Nevertheless, the slip velocity declines with increasing z, i.e. the nearer we get to the die exit. Another striking factor is the asymmetry of the profiles. The observed behaviour both of the velocity profiles and of the pressure can, in turn, be explained by differences in the extent to which the fluoropolymer layer has been worn away. This leads in turn to variat...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Foaming: Automatic Gasketing in a Five-second Cycle
...nd eliminates warehousing costs. A new automation concept allows automotive suppliers to seal 1.9million headlamp backcaps per year with only one employee. Peter Fischer, Dieter Koch In the processing of chemical gasket systems, a very important factor is the quality of the gasketing material, and the metering and mixing unit used for the processing of these materials. Fully automatic application of the sealant directly onto the part, known as FIPFG (formed-in-place foam gasket), is already ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, For All Eventualities
...king to a very small extent, however. Despite pronounced differences in the lubricants presented, they nonetheless display similarities when it comes to their improvement of TPU flow (Figs. 5 and 6). If improving the flow of a formulation is the key factor, then either the montan waxes or the amide wax can be selected. This makes it possible to avoid an excessively pronounced release effect if a flow improvement is the main concern. At the same time, however, consideration must also be paid to t...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Friction Behaviour of Thermoplastics
...ermoplastics Test Method to Determine the Friction Coefficient between Plastics and Moulding Surfaces René Muschalle, Guimarães/Portugal The friction behaviour of plastics in contact with the surfaces of injection moulds is a key factor that must be considered in designing the ejection system. As part of the "Mouldfriction" programme at the University of Minho, Guimarães/Portugal, a test apparatus was developed that simulates the conditions encountered in an in...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, From a Trading Company to an Assembly Supplier
...-building facilities. Compound development is performed in cooperation with local partners. Success Through a Consistent Division of Tasks The product-oriented division of tasks within the Schieffer Group is a key factor that contributes to its success. Hose production takes place primarily at the Israeli subsidiary, while the hose systems are made upon a regional basis, with fabrication facilities in Lippstadt/Germany, Israel and the USA. Rubber moulding production is concentrated on the two ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Functionality is the Key Factor
Functionality is the Key Factor Plastics Drive Medical Progress Martin Weller and Peter Eyerer, Stuttgart/Germany The ever increasing functionality of medical products and, in parallel with this, the mounting complexity of such articles are making a significant contribution towards raising the value added in the use of plastics for medical applications. This, in combination with the enormous pressure on costs in the health care sector, is providing the driving force for innovative developm...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Gas - Not just because of the Cell Structure
... the gas in the mixing zone, - Injection into the mould at high speed and induction of thermodynamic instability, leading to nucleation, - Cell growth in the mould due to the precipitated gas and shrinkage compensation without holding pressure. The factors affecting foam formation during injection moulding, such as melt temperature profile, injection speed, gas content and mould wall temperature, form a complex system of dependences and cannot be seen in isolation. Up to 50 % less Material Need...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Good is Not Enough: From Initial Idea to Successful Product
...event deposits for lower fuel consumption and emissions (Fig. 5), and water-based vehicle coating systems with a low heavy-metal content. Innovation-friendly Conditions are Vital Having the right underlying conditions is a decisive factor in the chance of success of an innovation and thus of long-term economic growth. The desire for "creative destruction", scientific curiosity and conditions that give chance an opportunity are not enough if, at the same time, innovation is not regarded...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Granules and Recyclate: Direct Processing of PET without Pre-drying
...ghput of 2000kg/h (Table4). For this throughput, at least a 200mm screw would be necessary in the case of a single screw unit and, because of the energy input through heat conduction, non-molten areas can form. Venting is the Decisive Factor for Quality Figure 2 shows the typical structure of a twin-screw compounder for the processing and direct extrusion of PET. The gravimetric metering systems that are designed for the relevant components feed the materials into the feed opening. 100% virgin...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Growing Profitably: BASF: "Offering Customers Clear Advantages"
...omers." Against the background of the restructuring measures already introduced, Feldmann sees good prospects for BASF plastics business. In addition, global growth in plastics consumption of about 5% per annum is expected up to 2015. A decisive factor in this will be the predicted rise in living standards, which will be accompanied by increased global demand for plastics. This will apply particularly to the growth markets of Asia, in which BASF has been operating successfully for many years...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, GRP Parts
...operties The dynamic stiffness and damping properties of the material are determined not only by its temperature and moisture content, but also by the degree and direction of fibre orientation. Fig. 1 shows the effective Young's modulus and loss factor as a function of temperature for two specimens of polyamide 6 (grade: Ultramid B3WG6, manufacturer: BASF), which were sawn from injection moulded sheets parallel to and across the flow direction. Fig. 2 shows the sampling places for the test s...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Headlamp Bonding: Warm Reactive Bonding
...rruptions, short maintenance time and lower costs), - lower initial cost (e.g. no furnace or paternoster) as well as - smaller number of rejected parts. Influence on Handling Strength The handling strength, an important factor in the leakage test, depends to a large extent on the reactive, warm-hardening adhesive. RWMs usually contain rubber-like thermoplastic components or a crystallising resin. These are defined in Fig.6 and 7. Instant-fix RWM. “Instant-fix” RWM makes possible a handling s...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Heat Management
...hick insulating core, a heat transition coefficient of only 0.23 W/(mK) is achieved. Flat Roofs PU rigid foam slabs are also extremely suitable for insulating flat roofs. For laying of flat roofs, the thermal stability of the material is the main factor. PU rigid foams can be briefly heated to up to 250°C. That means that these insulating layers can be readily laid in hot bitumen. The long-term service temperatures can range between - 30 and + 90°C. PU rigid foam can thus withstand the...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, High Output or Flexibility?
... the same as previously familiar versions. Despite higher torque, the new drive concepts lead to considerably shorter drive designs. The total installed length of the drive and the floor space for the entire machine have been significantly reduced. Factors such as floor space problems often play an important role in the purchase of an extruder. Through the more compact drive designs, higher outputs can be achieved with smaller machine size. Special attention should be paid to ensuring that the m...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, High-efficiency Polymeric Foam: Improving Occupant Safety
...es in detail the ideal behaviour an energy absorber should exhibit to minimise acceleration- and intrusion-driven injury measurements for an ES-2 dummy during side impact events. The absorber characteristics were described by two parameters: a shape factor (m) and a stress factor (a). The shape factor (m) represents the shape of the stress-strain response, while the stress factor at 50% strain (a) is used to shift the stress up and down. The lower the parameter m, the higher the EA countermeasur...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, High-output Compounding
...thout Detriment to Quality Peter Franz, Pratteln/Switzerland The new quantec single-screw, high performance kneader has a considerably enlarged feed section and a much improved conveying efficiency. As a result, specific output is increased by a factor of two to three while compounding quality remains unchanged. This has a correspondingly favourable effect on specific compounding costs. The single-screw Buss Kneader from CoperionBussAG, Pratteln/Switzerland has been used successfully for m...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, High-Performance Polyamides
... be recommended without reservation for the processing of Grivory HTV. Use of the barrier screw (grade: HiMelt) improves the results of the mechanical strength and toughness tests even further. Thus the special screw constitutes a potential quality factor for critical moulded parts. The assertion that the barrier screw causes up to 15 % more damage to the glassfibres than the three-zone screw was disproved. The additional screw flight and the degressive temperature profile do not appear to impai...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, House Shows: Show of Expertise at Coperion
...with an unchanged screw configuration, and required less than one kilogram of material for start-up. The user benefits and mode of operation of the quantec were explained in several presentations given by experts from Coperion Buss. The decisive factor for the increased throughput is the change from the three-flight screw geometry used in the predecessor model (the MKS) to a four-flight geometry in the quantec. As a result, the kneading blades on the screw overlap to give high conveying stabilit...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, How Much Drive Would You Like Then?
...signed and how? The approach to be adopted is illustrated with practical examples taken from blow moulding and injection moulding technology in a bid to permit the development of efficient, electro-mechanical drives. Production Process the Decisive Factor In terms of the type of operation and the drive technology, the different processing methods can be divided up into continuously and discontinuously operating machines. With continuously-running processes, a virtually constant power consumpti...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Hydraulic and All-electric Injection Moulding Machines in Practice
... by upstream or downstream processes, such as drying and ambient conditions in storage. Ultimately, improvements in machine-side reproducibility will only become effective if every sub-process in the process chain is optimised. Other cost factors turn out to be just as complicated. In the absence of experience, it is difficult to know how to go about justifying the greater investment needed for the purchase of an electromechanical injection moulding machine. In such cases, it can be extremely he...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Hydraulic pellet conveying: Probationary Phase Successful
...chmarking, as the transport infrastructure (roads and trucks) which would be required in addition to normal works traffic would have meant high investment outlay as well as considerable personnel and servicing costs for ongoing operation. The factors which were given priority when making the choice between a pneumatic and hydraulic conveying system were the investment and operating costs, the operational reliability, even with products which are difficult to convey, and also pellet purity, i.e....

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Ideal for Laboratory and Production
...l as in production. It can be used for various development functions as well as for production of small lots, either masterbatches or compounds. Quick stock availability, high product quality and market prices - optimal combination of these three factors is a key to success for among others manufacturers of masterbatches, compounds of engineering plastics or powder coatings. The compounder is the determining factor, usually a twin-screw extruder. The machines must be suitable for a wide variet...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Impact Modification Of Thermosets
...rs, after which the rubber is present as a disperse phase in the thermoset matrix. The size of the dispersed rubber particles is then in the range between 0.5 and 10 µm, although the size and the size distribution also depend on various other factors such as the percentage by weight of the rubber and the curing rate of the resin. Complete phase separation only occurs up to about 20 % by weight of rubber. With a higher percentage, a mixed phase of rubber and resin can occur, or the rubber c...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Improved Efficiency and Quality
...f continuous innovation, and thereby forming the basis for new investment decisions. For machine manufacturers, this means a continuing trend towards ever better efficiency of production technology, and represents a permanent challenge. An important factor in the economy of an extrusion line is output performance. The 70s and 80s saw a linear increase in output for the production of PVC profiles on parallel twin-screw extruders. In the mid 90s, however, there were dramatic expansions in output (...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, In-line Plasma Treatment for 3D Plastics Parts
...a treatment. The mean process gas pressure is the actual reason for the different effects. The treatment speed can be raised significantly, and saturation of the effects is reached at a very high level after only a few seconds. This is a significant factor, contributing to the durability of the plasma treatment. Short process times mean in turn that the volumes being treated can be increased, which has a positive effect on the cost per item. Over and above this, the plasma technology is linked i...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Increased Demand: Polyoxymethylene (Polyacetals, POM)
...markets are increasing. Serving these markets will require increasing flexibility and speed. Globalisation continues. Business is shifting to Asia and East Europe. Cost-effective solutions remain an important factor in achieving win-win situations that can ensure long-term survival. Prospects for the continuing growth of the POM market remain bright overall. In the period from 2004 to 2008, average annual world growth will be about 5%. This value is also expected for Europe and America (Table2)....

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Influence of Processing on the Degradation of PA and PP
... the chemical structure of the molecular chains. Chemical degradation, by contrast, leads to changes in the chemical structure (e. g. cleavage of the polymer molecules with or without subsequent crosslinking). The influence of oxygen is the decisive factor in the thermo-oxidative ageing of polymers, a major effect of chemical ageing. In polymers, oxidation often involves a free-radical chain mechanism [2-4]. Since polymers are particularly susceptible to oxidation, the degradation mechanism is u...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Influencing Product Properties: Additive Masterbatches for Foam Film
...equirements regarding processing and incorporation of additives have also changed. The density of a foamed film is controlled via the amount of gas introduced. The weight per unit volume can be reduced from that achieved with chemical foaming by a factor of 10 (see also Table 1). The polymer melt must be capable of dissolving the gas well. In this regard, there is an optimum viscosity range that is affected by not only the gas but also by the temperature, the melt index of the polymer and the ap...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Injection Moulding (2): Increasing Productivity and Cost Efficiency
...rket, which has recorded notable steady growth rates over the past few years. The increasing demand for injection moulding technology is due to the greater freedom of design offered by this technology compared with other processing methods – a factor that is taking on ever-greater importance in packaging. In addition, the share of product costs accounted for by the machine is considerably lower in the packaging sector than in other market segments, which means that a correspondingly higher price...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Injection Moulding Simulation: Balancing a Family Mould
...Fig. 10. Change in filling time differential: "PA" three-cavity family mould balanced through adjustment of the cold runners; deterioration due to modified technical parameters or geometric changes (multiplication factor = 1 for the unchanged parameters) Fig. 11. Flow pattern for the non-balanced "PA" three-cavity family mould (geometry PA00.mfl); cold runner uniform length=65mm, diameter=5mm Fig. 12. Flow pattern for the automatically diameter-balanced "PA" three-cav...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Injection Moulding Simulation: Support for Component Development
...ng the injecting speed improves the results in simulation and in practice. According to simulation a negative aspect is the expected sink marks far from the sprue. In order to be able to reduce and/or avoid them, the complex interaction of several factors must be studied. In order to increase the holding pressure far from the sprue the sprue diameters should be implemented as large as possible. On the other hand optical quality impairment comes with too large sprue markings after separating the ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Injection Moulding Trends: Increased Complexity and Tighter Specifications
... manufacture without having to accept facilities that they will not be using. It is also important for customers not to be offered expensive special-purpose machines but appropriately-priced, flexible, series-produced machines. Another key factor is that processors must be able to use existing moulds and mould functions (such as core pullers) on new, state-of-the-art machines without need for major adjustments. System Suppliers Called For Although the supply of individual standard machines wi...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Injection Moulding under Clean Room Conditions: Machine and Process Technology for Medical Products
...rid solutions in which various drive types are possible for the individual axes (Fig.1). The processor can select the type of drive for the machine components on the basis of product requirements. The sum total of the benefits should be the deciding factor in this decision. With a modular machine concept, the supplier can offer flexible solutions that address various clean room requirements. Technology and economics then have the right relationship to one another. Injection moulding machines wit...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Injection-Moulded Packaging
...hile this is certainly still an exception, it shows what is technically possible nowadays. High Plastifying Speed is Needed As the injection moulding machine essentially determines the cycle time, it is still very much at the heart of production. Factors that can help to reduce cycle time are the use of parallel movements, a high plasticizing rate and injection speed. Parallel movements can reduce cycle times by between 20 and 50 % (Fig. 5). This is a crucial factor in the use of multi-dayligh...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Integrated Automation: Manufacture Economically – Exploit Resources
...us possible to minimise the strokes of the clamping unit in conjunction with the short mould open time. The robot executes all handling operations during the only 6s long injection moulding process and is thus not a time-determining factor. In addition, the flexible articulating arm robot permits fast, uncomplicated conversion to alternative products and types of packaging. Reliable Production Even with Complex Sequences The Neureder robots are employed for highly complex insert loading operati...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Integrated CAE Solution: Proper Simulation of Fibre Reinforcement
...n the one hand consisted of a solution based purely on post-processing, i.e. the rigidity analysis was performed irrespective of possible material failure (no reduction in rigidity) and the resultant stress values were used to calculate stress factors for the chosen fracture criteria (Puck, Tsai/Hill, Tsai/Wu, Azzi/Tsai/Hill). On the other hand, a much broader variant was generated. It dispenses with an existing material chart for the rigidity analysis, and rather uses its own material descripti...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Integrative Processing Technology: Injection Moulding Processes – Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
...s are the objective. If, however, combinations of incompatible materials are involved, adhesion can be achieved through use of primers, flame treatment, corona- or plasma treatment (Fig. 1). The desired properties are the deciding factor, for instance, - sink-free surfaces, - combination of different colours, - improved tactile properties (haptics), - integration of seals or vibration-damping elements. Currently, multi-material injection moulding is concentrated primarily on integration of fu...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Intelligent Use of Prototypes
Intelligent Use of Prototypes System Suppliers for Prototypes Provide Process Know How Andreas Daunderer, Feldkirchen/Germany, and Claus Hornig, Grainau/Germany In product development processes, the critical factors are speed, efficiency and quality. That is especially true for prototyping. In prototyping, it is essential to have a full understanding of the properties of the prototype products, the technology and the way it is modified, and the methodology used. The intelligent use of prot...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Interview: The Benefits of Joining Ranks
...to move forward. The decisive parameter for decisions of this type must be the manufacturing costs per item, while still meeting the quality specifications. It should not be the level of investment that is the crucial factor in the decision – and this is something that frequently gets forgotten. We are in contact with a large number of customers who complain that they are being held back from taking logical steps and implementing technical enhancements. Mobile and active employees must be given ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Joint Technology
...insert. Well-designed direct screw joints with self-tapping metal screws (flank angle of 30°) easily provide, as a rule, a 10-time repeated assembly capability in accordance with VDE 0720. The quality of such a joint is determined by a multitude of factors that can be classified as material-based/production-related, geometrical, assembly-related and application-related. (Fig.1). Threaded inserts that are embedded in specially formed bosses or directly in the wall of the component are preferred w...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Large-scale Production: Challenges in Ceramic Injection Moulding
...ed in the mean time. Process Problems and Rejects Faults occurring can often only be seen on the finally sintered part. With a throughput time of four days in total, this is naturally a problem. Because of this time factor, fine tuning is a lengthy process. The causes of cracked sintered parts are varied because of the multilateral nature of the process. They are mainly caused by functional faults in the mould and the process flow in the debinding furnace. Binder deposits are unavoidable. In t...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Laser Direct Structuring of Plastics
...ficantly exceeds that of 8N/cm required by the standard - Other aspects relevant to the use as circuit supports, such as flame-resistance or (glass) fibre reinforcement have been investigated in the interim and satisfactorily solved. Various prototype samples had already been produced in PA6/6TMID. Fig.2 shows an MID assembly with a conductor width of 200µm and a layer sequence of 4µm Cu/2µm Ni/0.1µm Au. The assembled interconnect device was soldered at 235°C by the reflow process. As is describ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Laser Microperforation
...chnology for producing weakening points for integrated passenger airbags has already been used successfully in over 50 vehicle types world-wide. It is not important whether the material to be processed is single layer or multi-layer. The important factor is that the surface material is transparent to laser light. The transmitted light must be detected before the laser beam penetrates the material. Many polymers meet this condition (for example PP, PU, PVC, TPO and TPU). Development work focused ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Laser Welding Transparent Parts
...that passes through an infrared (IR)-transmissive substrate until it reaches an IR-absorbing substrate. Here the laser light is absorbed and localized heating of the substrates occurs at the joint interface, resulting in an instant weld. Controlling factors in the process are the power of the laser, the size of the laser beam, welding speed, intimate contact and properties of the material at the interface. Typically carbon black pigment is used as an additive to enhance absorption of the bottom ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Laser Welding: Laser-adapted Construction for Plastic Welding
...ations with plastics. It was developed for the first time at the Institute for Laser Technology in Aachen at the beginning of the 1990s [1], and an increasing trend towards industrial application has been observed over the last five years or so. The factors driving laser welding are the falling costs of lasers and the in-creasing understanding by the users of the techniques involved. Market experts assume that, over the long term, the laser will be able to perform around 10% of all welding jobs ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Let’s Ask the Experts!
...g.1). Components with structural reinforcements are also quite conceivable. What advantages and disadvantages does the WIT have? !Compared with GAIM, the cooling times can be reduced by up to 75% if the wall of the hollow core is the determinant factor for the cooling time and not other thick-sectioned areas of the part. Through better distribution of the residual wall thickness (RWT) and more even cooling, thinner RWTs can be achieved with greater part diameters and lower distortion. Water is...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, LFT-D Processes: Visible Parts from Continuous-strand-Reinforced Thermoplastics
...near thermal expansion for the composite of PFM film and SAN-LFT 30 is increased relative to the pure LFT material (SAN-LFT30). This increase is due to the unreinforced film, which conversely advantageously influences the anisotropy factor of the linear thermal expansion parallel and transverse to the fibre orientation in the part. The anisotropy factor for the average linear thermal expansion of SAN-LFT30 computes to 1.11. As to be expected, the difference between the linear expansion parallel ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Lightweight Construction: Hybrid Front-end Combines Contradictions
...e A8 front-end frame module, 57 measurement points with about 120 coordinate values were registered and documented (Fig.3). In view of the large number of fittings, it quickly becomes apparent why the space requirement was an important factor. The optimisation in the packaging went down to a scale of 0.5mm, and even local wall-thickness reductions. “Behind every bulge, behind every taper lies the drive to economise on space,” explains Dr. Kampke. The assembly elements also include the fastening...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP)
... T840; DuPont: Zenite 7738), even higher heat resistance (Ticona: T and S series; DuPont 9000 series; Sumitomo: 6000 series) and greater isotropy in properties (Ticona: A460). Increasingly a well-balanced ratio of dielectric constant to loss factor with low coefficients of thermal expansion is becoming a central issue. These properties are important for the next generation of high-frequency connectors or antennas, and in particular for circuit boards or “Bumpless Built Up Layers (BBUL)”. Here, m...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Load-bearing capacity: Analysis of Underground Plastic Components
...e soil pressure for upright cylindrical components in the circumferential direction must be taken into account by means of a sin/cos distribution. In the stability computation, the embedding by the soil can be considered by means of an enhancement factor, and predeformations by means of a reduction factor, e.g. according to [2]. This model variant is suitable for starting analyses of all components with adequate reserves or for systems with a small number of quantities, for which a detailed anal...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Logistics: Centralised Painting of Plastic Parts
...eeds his own plant, control systems, paint stores etc. The parts have to be painted to the requisite high standard, tested properly and packaged elaborately in order that they may arrive in perfect order on time. The outcome is frequently unsatisfactory. Colour-matching of the parts produced by different suppliers often fails. Plastic parts may not match painted metal parts or the two plastic parts may have different hues because they were made from different batches. And then there is the paint...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Machine Maintenance 2003: State of the Art and Future Trends
...wledge management - focusing on maintenance and calibration service agreements - shift towards manufacturer services - wide-ranging marketing measures - restructuring of the service teams Innovative Temperature Sensor System A key factor in safeguarding machine and process capability is the reliability of the machine’s sensor system. Particularly the thermocouples used as sensors for the most important parameter in plastics processing, namely the temperature, have to be viewed very critically...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Machine Vision: Inspection of Continuous Webs During Production
... in part to the different appearance, can be reliably assigned to the appropriate defect class (Fig.2). Parallel processing of the 8-bit grey-scale image information by four processors adjusted to the surface characteristics is also a contributing factor. The system recognises and distinguishes the effects of dirt, impressions, scratches, folds larger than about 0.2mm and even hardly contrasted (doctor blade) marks greater than 0.4mm wide and 20mm long. The system stores one inspection record fi...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Maintenance of Plastics-Processing Equipment
...y and long useful life are the core competencies of the maintenance department as a service provider in the company, and the service business of the machine manufacturer. Do profit potentials in maintenance departments point the way from a pure cost factor towards an economic profit centre in the company? With growing complexity and networking of modern manufacturing plant, the costs for plant downtimes and maintenance become important parameters in the company's value-added chain. Decisio...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Market and Trends: Nanomaterials: Opportunities and Risks
...notechnology on this financial order of magnitude in order to support chip development. According to Moore’s Law, the number of transistors per chip doubles every 18 months. A semilogarithmic plot yields a straight line on which expansion of chip factories and microelectronics developments continue to orient themselves today. While in 1971 the individual transistors on the first Intel microprocessor were still visible with a magnifying glass, new developments in the current chip generation alrea...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Material Supply: More Efficient Drying
...cessing and energy consumption, the drying operation can offer savings potential and make it worthwhile evaluating the relative merits of different machines. In making investment decisions about dryers, the price alone should never be the overriding factor. Instead the decision should be based on a full cost and technical evaluation. With increasing process moisture, the shear viscosity of the material drops (Fig.1). Changes in flow properties during processing are manifested in a range of proce...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Materials in Competition
...l by aluminium, magnesium or titanium in aviation technology. The dominance of component costs, which are frequently determined by the finishing technique, and an overestimation of the advantages of integration for GRP component materials are causal factors. This competition among materials accelerates technologies such as modification of fibre-reinforced materials and RTM processes and opens up the future of ceramic fibre plastic tails for civil aviation. Microwave Engineering offers New Possi...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Maximum Precision for Microparts
...ss in the clamping unit. On Arburg machines, the moving and fixed clamping platens are both cast parts, and the two machine series referred to include facilities for adjusting the platen parallelism, since this is a key factor that influences moulded part quality. The connections for the core pullers have been applied directly to the moving mould platen, ensuring short hydraulic paths, high dynamics, rapid transmission times and almost loss-free axle reactions. Modular and Precision Injection U...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Medical Technology for the Mass Market
...dministered by the patients themselves without any need for help from medical staff (Fig. 1). This gives the patients back a lot of their independence and, in the long run, helps to lower overall health care costs. Safety Takes Priority A decisive factor is the choice of the right plastics for the design and production of such dosage systems. Only materials which are able to meet the high demands of medical technology can offer the necessary safety. This means they also have to undergo particu...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Medical Technology: Quality Begins with Material Handling
...rs and material quality. Besides optimisation of the conveyor size to the conveying cycles that are to be expected, taking into account the residence time on the processing machine, the drying system must also be taken into account as an important factor (Fig.3). The materials should always be conveyed in the smallest possible portions to prevent dehumidification by the pellets. This was made possible by the use of material feed valves. These pneumatically operated valves permit to supply the ma...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Microtopographic Requirements for Injection Moulding: Optical Surfaces in View
Tooling Optical Surfaces in View Microtopographic Requirements for Injection Moulding. Injection moulding of functional optical surfaces requires not only a command of high-precision machining operations for production of the mould inserts, but also the ability to replicate these high-quality surfaces in the moulded parts. In fact, such surfaces exhibit roughness values of

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Mixing Technology for Hot Runner Systems: Improved Melt Homogeneity
...ped parts. A patented system steers the melt in the hot runner into several spiral channels and thus mixes it further. The result is improved part quality, more balanced material properties and faster colour changes. Abdeslam Bouti A determining factor of part quality during plastics processing is the homogeneity of the melt supplied to the mould. In injection moulding there is typically a single thrust screw for plastication. The melt is usually well mixed and homogenised this way, but duri...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Mobile Financial Tool: Always Up to Date
...f volume, which together sell about 150 million tonnes worldwide, and thereby represent a market with a volume of over USD 120 billion: polyethylene, polypropylene (Fig.2), polystyrene, PVC and PET. For polypropylene, the determining factor was its wide range of processed forms, from parts for cars and aircraft, via film and sheet – for example for cigarette packs – to fibres and industrial products, such as pipes. In the case of polyethylene, the convincing factor was the global market volume (...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Modelling of Part Properties: Physical Foaming for Cost-effective Injection Moulding
... literature only gives experimental data on physical properties. In most cases, the authors do not deal in detail with physical causes and predictability of the physical properties [2, 4–6]. However, in addition to purely cost aspects, a second factor is equally important for the commercial success of a new technology, namely reliable understanding of the physical properties of the parts produced by this process. It is necessary to provide designers with data that permit them to design parts acc...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Modified Polyphenylene Ether (PPE)
...tomotive industry: With the development of vertical body panels in the second half of the 1980s, (PA+PPE) blends started to come into their own as an attractive material compared to steel in terms of total system costs. A strongly contributing factor to this development was the introduction of the conductive (PA+PPE) blends that have made it possible to apply fenders to the body-in-white without the need to pre-apply a conductive primer to the plastic part. Since the first commercial front fend...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Modified Polyphenylene Ethers (PPE)
...ther for use as blending components. In adhesives and glues, they offer greater heat resistance and increased adhesive strength. In epoxies and phenolics, they raise the glass transition temperatures, and enhance dielectric strength and dissipation factor, while in SEBS elastomers they improve compression set significantly in the higher temperature range. New process technologies also provide the opportunity to functionalise PPE, so that it can be directly blended with other resins without requi...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, More Light
...he business situation, they can also reduce their working time from 38 to 32 hours with an appropriate adjustment of their salaries. This is another important step en route towards a “living” factory that can adjust flexibly to the cyclical changes in demand. Imaginative and Independent Eberhard Flammer formulates the strategy of the Elkamet management in one sentence: “The company must be attractive to both the employees and the investors.” This means concentrating on the production of specia...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, More Throughput with Less Wear
...f their structure and particle size distribution. If the chalks are also coated, wear is even less. Limestone structures like those used almost exclusively in South America are much more critical. Apart from certain structural differences, the main factor affecting the wear is the particle size distribution. It has been found in practice that the top cut of the chalks should never be higher than 10 µm, and the particles should show no sharp edges or corners. This puts marble structures complete...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Mould Preliminary Costing: The Devil is in the Detail
...ulation of the mould completely broken down into individual operations (Fig.9). Mould producers will thus continue to meet increasingly stringent demands for a clear structuring of the bid into individual production times. An important factor is that users of such calculations will be able to carry out a reliable cost estimate in just a short time – 15 to 40 minutes, depending on the complexity of the mould – with only a basic knowledge of injection moulds. On this basis, CalCard Pro will be de...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Mould Technology: Blown Films with Improved Properties
...ooling is carried out by means of a cooling system, which cools the outer surface of the tube by means of a cooling ring, and the inner surface by means of a heat and air exchanger. The amount of transferred heat is influenced by three factors. The temperature difference between the cooling medium and wall plays a part. The wall temperature is usually 200°C, the temperature of the ambient air is 25°C. If the ambient air is to be cooled to 5°C, a high-capacity air cooling system is required. To ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Mould-making 2000
...of von 0,1 µm (Fig. 3) are possible. The wire employed for erosion is of 30 µm diameter. Material cutting with the Nd/YAG-Laser is an alternative to the erosion method, but the achievable roughness depth is at present still poorer by the factor of ten, than with erosion. With micro milling, the milling tools are of 150 µm diameter. They run at a speed of 100 000 RPM, with a cutter advance of 5 µm. Examples of injection moulded microparts are sensor housings for implantabl...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Multi Mould-carrier Technology: Equipping the Injection Moulding Machine with Two Moulds
...eparate injection moulding machines equipped with robots, as the case study in Table1 shows with its specially calculated example. As the same injection moulds are used in both cases, they have no impact on the capital investment sum. A factor worth considering, however, is that the floor space required for a tandem machine is about 40% lower than for two single-mould machines. Overall, the hourly rate for the tandem machine with robots is almost 30% lower than for two single-mould machines with...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Multi-component Moulds: More Colour and More Functions
...s subject to enormous cost pressure. Apart from achieving the specified functions, the primary aim is to reduce the cycle time to an absolute minimum. Part removal inside the closed mould constitutes a new approach here. One key cost factor is the availability and reliability of the multi-component process. In the case of filigree parts in multi-cavity moulds, in particular, handling units that are integrated in the mould can contribute towards increasing overall availability. The integration o...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Multi-layer Composites with Reactive Coupling Agents
...The lines connect the separating force results for those parameter adjustments that differ only by the mould temperature. This has a substantial influence on the adhesion result. If the tool temperature is increased, the separating forces rise by a factor from two to five. Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 give an impression of the effect of the polishing rate on the composite result. In Fig. 7 the basic adjustment is compared with an operating point corresponding to a higher polishing rate. Because of the shor...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Multi-material Technology: Always One Step Ahead Thanks to Active R&D
...dvantage over multiple individual components in technical and economic comparisons. The hurdles for replacing other materials with plastics and redesigning existing solutions are lower than those for introducing entirely new products. The initiating factors for material substitution and redesign may be - improved application properties with increased customer benefits, - reduction of manufacturing costs, and - changes in the legal framework. Long-term changes are particularly conspicuous in t...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Natural Fibres in Automotive Interiors: All Natural on the Inside?
Composite Material All Natural on the Inside? Natural Fibres in Automotive Interiors. According to a market study conducted by the nova-Institut, natural-fibre-reinforced composites can hold their ground well in automotive interiors. A factor that will help this trend continue in future is the introduction in this sector of the cost-efficient injection moulding process, e.g. for natural-fibre/polypropylene composites. Michael Karus Sven Ortmann Dominik Vogt As the current market study by the nov...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, New Service Forms
...or the production of industrial and high-precision plastic components. It is said to offer significant advantages in the manufacture of such components, which demand pronounced parallel functions of injection moulding machines, or in which the major factor in an investment decision is the energy saving potential. The machine (150/500-430 EL-EXIS E), with a clamping force of 1,500 kN and a tie bar distance of 500 mm, will be on show for the first time at the NPE in Chicago. The intention is to ex...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, No Crash Helmets Needed in Cars
...strand foam differs significantly from other foams of PU, EPP and PPO/PS. This property and its characterisation will therefore be discussed in greater detail: The absorption behaviour is often quantified by the characteristic values "efficiency factor". As Fig. 3 shows, the two values express the ratio of the energy actually absorbed to the theoretically ideal energy absorption, and are in direct relationship to one another. An alternative parameter for characterising the energy absorpt...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, No Gearing: Direct-drive Single-screw Extruders
...w as a result of the defined separation of melt and solid. It is also important to provide a stable conveying rate across a wide speed range, which can be implemented by means of an optimised system of grooved-bush and screw feed-zone. Other crucial factors are good control of melt and temperature at a low level and good melt homogeneity. The aforementioned points are the prerequisite for constructing directly driven single-screw extruders. If these prerequisites are met, a machine structure is ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Noise-Free
...mechanical properties. The lack of an extrusion skin on mechanically-produced parts will also affect abrasion resistance, particularly in fibre-reinforced parts. Empirical values that are now available for toothed wheels in PEEK have shown that this factor generally only has a greater impact during long-term tests, and then only in non-lubricated operation. For initial functional tests, and to permit a more effective estimate of the development risk, it is frequently best to opt for a mechanical...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Non-elongating Corrugated Pipe: Flexural Elasticity plus Longitudinal Rigidity
...iping elements of unstable length need more space to move. In addition, the flexural fatigue stresses caused by the change in length exert an additional stress on the material in the corrugations and reduce the service life of the component. Another factor is that it is difficult to prevent the corrugated pipes touching other parts of the engine or motor, as a result of which they may become damaged or heat up excessively. It also happens that such uncontrolled movements cause noises in the vehi...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, One Step Closer to Nature
...ed on a precautionary basis, so as to ensure greater safety. Only virgin material will permit a flame resistant grade to be obtained that meets the specifications and is also ecologically compatible. In order to make allowance for this key safety factor, PolyOne Werk Melos GmbH supplies flame resistant EPDM infill granules for artificial turf (B1 to DIN 4102). Great importance is attached to the use of flame retardants that contain no halogen or heavy metals in their formulation. Making recycled...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Optimisation of Screws with Small L/D Ratio: Custom-made Screws
...ize distribution. Influence of Hopper is Usually Negligible A reduction in plastication rate because the hopper discharge port is too small can be ruled out with small screw diameters assuming that the mass flow of the pellets in the hopper is satisfactory. To demonstrate this, the plastication rate was determined with three different hopper shapes and hopper discharge sizes (Fig.3). One hopper had a circular discharge port with the same diameter as the screw; the second hopper had, at the disc...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Optimisation: Plastic Windows in Profile
... 8mm. Radiation, a major contributor to heat transmission, increases more or less linearly with chamber width. The chambers therefore need to be as narrow as possible. Apart from the number of chambers, their shape is also an influencing factor. The goal here is to reduce the proportion of radiant-heat transmission. In addition, the walls of the chambers have to have low thermal conduction. This can be achieved by locating them on isothermal lines inside the plastic profile. Such an arrangement ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Optimised in 60 Seconds
...s of the output material are improved and/or the economy of the process is enhanced. Because the properties of the material used and the process parameters can only be varied within certain limits, the screw configuration is often the most important factor when designing and optimising the processing unit. Optimisation is nowadays frequently performed on the basis of experience and experiment. In addition, however, a number of calculation models also exists for forecasting the theoretical proces...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Optimum Drying of Pellet Stock
...stock. The dryers are often integrated into the material supply line. This article gives an overview of this by no means dry subject. In the processing of high-quality engineering polymers, the moisture content of the raw materials is an important factor in the process reliability and product quality. Too high a moisture content during processing can cause foaming, demoulding problems, and scattered process parameters as a result of fluctuations in viscosity. Product quality can be affected by...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Part Testing: Long Fibre Reinforced Thermoplastics
... at a much higher rate than with conventional materials. In view of the ratified EU end-of-life vehicle directive, the unproblematical material recycling of LFT (compared with FRP with thermoset matrices) is also becoming an increasingly important factor. In the past, the tendency was to use LFT for more simple applications such as covers or backings or for parts in unexposed areas, but with the arrival of new material systems optimised for the specific application, and with the ongoing developm...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Parts Handling as a Productivity Factor: Mark-free Gripping of Sensitive Plastic Parts
Automation Mark-free Gripping of Sensitive Plastic Parts Parts Handling as a Productivity Factor. Special suction pads made of special materials reliably remove plastic parts from the mould without leaving marks. This is particularly important when high-quality surfaces are involved, or the parts have to be subsequently painted. Kerstin Löffler The mass production of plastic parts is now largely automated – from material feed to parts removal. To exploit, for example, the maximum number of injec...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Past the Trough
...onal new application fields in automotive manufacture like injection moulded tinted windshields or wide body parts will initiate additional market impulses. However, the further development of the world economic situation remains a factor of uncertainty. Nevertheless, postponed investments will have to be caught up with in processing plants. Thus the Federation of German Plastics Machine Producers predicts that in 2003 “the growth path will be followed again”. Wolfgang Glenz Fig.1. Production...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Peak Performance in Profile Extrusion
...ve system. Both methods of increasing throughput are usually used. If we consider the energy input of both components, it very quickly becomes clear how important the drive power is. The maximum screw torque that can be applied is thus the important factor in the development of twin-screw extruders. Fig. 1 shows the historical development of the input motor power as a function of the output increase. Thanks to a simultaneous increase in the process unit length, it was possible to increase the ou...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Pedestrian Safety
... of a composite bumper with an elastic skin and energy-absorbing foam core. Systems such as these are now almost ready for the market and will therefore play an important role in the first generation of pedestrian-friendly vehicles. The prime factor is the space requirement, since the effect is based entirely on the energy absorption in the material. The minimum requirement is 70 to 90mm of foam-filled space (Fig.1). Impact tests — including the so-called “lower leg test” as well as hip and head...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Peel Testing of Multi-component Mouldings
...quired to destroy the specimen. By contrast, if the soft component is bent back, less force is necessary to destroy the specimen. The least force is required for lateral peeling of the soft component. The quality of the bond was rated with adhesion factors 0 to 5. Adhesion factor 0 denoted no bond, i. e. the soft component became detached during demoulding. If the composite was demoulded successfully but the lip could then be separated with only slight tensile force, this bond was awarded the ad...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, PET in Packaging
...and 0.8 g/m2 d for water vapour was regarded as a kind of sound barrier up until a few years ago. In the meantime, developments by the major film manufacturers and new advances in metallization technology have enabled these values to be reduced by a factor of around 5. The main elements of this improvement were, as far as plastic film production is concerned, the manufacture of multi-layer structures with outer layers developed specially for metallizing plus the optimisation of the antiblocking ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Physical Blowing Agents: Foaming Plastics with Inert Gases
...r low-density products and high foam homogeneity requirements. The choice of physical blowing agent has an important influence on foam quality and the costs of the foamed product. In addition, environmental compatibility is an increasingly important factor. The Montreal Protocol and its follow-up agreements present a great challenge for the foam producers. Despite the good properties of fluorchlorohydrocarbons and the fact that they are easy to handle, there is worldwide agreement that these bl...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Pipe Extrusion: Universal Lattice Basket Die
...e orifice, which can develop as a result of an unbalanced preliminary distributor system, an incorrect rheological layout of the distributor, insufficient centring of the die orifice or an asymmetric temperature control. The second big influencing factor is the melt deformation, comprising shear and extensional deformation. This deformation becomes especially critical if material-specific limit values are exceeded, which is immediately reflected in an undesirable surface structure. While deforma...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Pipes Cast in One Die
...extrusion die is being designed and constructed. Compromises are usually necessary, however, since conflicting demands do arise in some areas. Some weighing up therefore has to be done with regard to the type of die and the application area. Crucial factors are the melt distribution around the circumference and the pressure loss. In order that optimum conditions may be created, each zone in the die has to be tailored to its specific task. In principle, a spiral mandrel die can be subdivided int...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Plasticising in Critical Areas
...mogeneity threshold is nevertheless impaired. The solution at present is to choose a larger screw diameter, but the economic limits are very soon reached. Filling the screw during the injection process is basically a very uncertain factor. After plasticising, the speed of the screw is virtually zero, and the injection process commences. However, material continues flowing into the screw channel even during the injection process but without completely filling it (Fig.2). Because the material is f...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Plastics Packaging in the 21sup>st/sup> Century
...ne example of this is the development of special BOPP film types by producers such as Walothen or Mobil Plastics). The possibilities of this technology alone are restricted, however, since the properties of the base polymers always remain a limiting factor. Despite this, we will still be able to witness continual further development here. Films with Thin Barrier Layers Generated by Vacuum Technology One "intelligent" means of improving the barrier properties of polymeric materials is t...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Plastics Processing in the Future
...have common interfaces and a mutual influence on each other. We have, however, not yet reached a state of absolute universality in possible computer utilisation for every problem. However, a great deal has been done in the last two decades. The main factor, of course, is that a really useful computer program always requires a very clear and thorough analysis of the relationships to be described by an algorithm. Thus the fundamental theoretical background for successful processing lies in applied...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polyacetal with Greater Acid Resistance: Washed with all Waters
... formed by injection moulding. Contrary to the case for a large number of metals, POM does not display any tendencies towards either corrosion or lime deposits when in service. A High Degree of Integration for an even Higher Wellness Factor The products for which Hansgrohe AG has used this POM with its greater resistance to acid and chlorine include the shower handset of the "Axor Citterio" designer collection (Fig. 5). Hostaform is used to make components that guide the water, while si...