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

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

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

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

Kunststoffe international, Runway Lights for the Seat Belt
Ambient lighting has captured the car interior – and facilitated orientation for the passengers. There is no need for anyone to fumble for the seat belt buckle in the dark in the Audi A7, as an integrated light guide shows the way. Kunststoff Helmbrechts produces the 3-component part and also developed the tool concept. The trick: a so-called twin-turn tool which rotates on both sides. The company was awarded the GKV TecPart Innovation Prize for it at the K 2019. The article itself does not appe...

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

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

Kunststoffe international, The Potential of Redesign and Part Consolidation
Hybrid production chains have been increasingly in the spotlight in recent years. This also applies to the ‧combination of conventional manufacturing and additive processes in tool construction. With the example of an injection molding tool, it is shown how mold inserts produced by additive manufacturing can greatly shorten cycle times, and thereby significantly reduce unit costs. The important thing is to find a suitable combination of processes from the variety available. Over recent years, ad...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, A Comparison of Temperature Control Systems: Optimum Thermal Design of Injection Moulds
Special Optimum Thermal Design of Injection Moulds A Comparison of Temperature Control Systems. Optimum ther-mal design of moulds is an important prerequisite for economic manufacture of high-quality injection moulded parts. The engineers responsible for part and mould design need to strike a compromise between the level of the mould costs and the cycle time reduction that can be achieved. A major German supplier to the infocom indus-try has conducted research into current technology. Carsten B...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, A Substitute for Metal: Polyetherimides (PEIs)
Trend Report: High Performance Plastics> Polyetherimides (PEIs) A Substitute for Metal. Amorphous polyetherimides (PEIs) are characterised by their high temperature resistance in combination with dimensional stability. This mix makes them appropriate for galvanic coats or applications formerly carried out with metals. The main focus of new developments is on reducing weight for both aircraft and railway applications. Peter Catsman In 1982, GE Plastics commercially introduced polyetherimides (P...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Air Ducts under the Bonnet
Air Ducts under the Bonnet Flexible Polyamide 6 - a Good Alternative for Flexible Blow Mouldings Ralph Kettl, Domat/Ems, Switzerland With flexible polyamide (PA 6), processing problems in sequential coextrusion of hard-soft combinations are consigned to the past. Air ducts in the engine compartment, for example, can be produced more cost-effectively than before with this material. In addition, a new bellows concept permits replacement of rubber parts by plastic. Easy processing and cost ...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Analysis of the Campus Database
Analysis of the Campus Database The Use of Characteristic Values in the Design Process Robert Berlich, Ralph Gabriel and Ernst Schmachtenberg, Essen/Germany The Campus database is widely used in the plastics world. Not very much is known about the way in which individual designers work with it, however. The developers of the database took the opportunity to establish the use made of the database and the chief requirements placed on it by means of a questionnaire. The investigations condu...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Automobile Supplier Industry: Positioning and Partnerships
Automobile Supplier Industry: Positioning and Partnerships According to a study of the Center Automotive Research (CAR), Gelsenkirchen/Germany, the new role allocation between automobile manufacturers and suppliers makes the supplier industry the new growth branch. It is turning into a job machine while in the future the car manufacturers in the pure vehicle business will count fewer people employed. Ferdinand Dudenhöffer In the next ten years the automobile industry and its suppliers face...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Babylonian Confusion?
Babylonian Confusion? Compatibility Problems in the CAD Environment Ernst Schmachtenberg, Aachen/Germany, Christian Janßen, Velbert/Germany, Thomas Seul, Essen/Germany The exchange of geometry information in networks helps to reduce development times. This type of communication poses unthought-of challenges for users, since the CAD data are often faulty or unreadable due to incompatibility between the different software systems. The following article provides some tips on how to make data ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Back to Nature
Back to Nature Trends in Development and Markets of Biodegradable Materials Harald Käb, Berlin/Germany Products made from biodegradable materials (BMs) are slowly but surely gaining a foothold in the market. While packaging made from BMs can already be found on the shelves of major supermarket chains in England, the Netherlands, Italy and Switzerland, in Germany they are still awaiting the results of a pilot project on biodegradable packaging. These new polymers are also establishing thems...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Biodegradable Products: Nature-Compounds
Biodegradable Products: Nature-Compounds Biodegradable plastics can replace conventional plastic products in short-lived applications such as fast-food packaging. Novel materials that have been optimised for extrusion and injection moulding meet practical requirements for ease of processing and functionality. Biodegradable plastics that are made from renewable raw materials and can be thrown into organic-waste bins are a “natural” way of conserving resources and cutting costs. They are parti...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Calculation Model: Modelling the Solids Feed Section in Grooved-feed Extruders
Calculation Model: Modelling the Solids Feed Section in Grooved-feed Extruders Used in combination with barrier screws, grooved, forced-conveying feed sections are regaining their importance. With modern metal cutting machine tool machines, helically grooved feed bushings can also be economically produced. Jürgen Miethlinger To design solids feed sections with tapering, rectangular, axial grooves, the equation proposed by Rautenbach and Peiffer [1, 2] is normally used for dimensionless mas...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Cleanroom: Cleanliness is the First Commandment
Injection Moulding Cleanliness is the First Commandment Cleanroom. Production of infrared windows and high transparency production in the mobile phone range require the utmost precision and a clean environment. A view behind the walls of one of the large plastics processing plants. Reinhard Mettenbrink Thomas Schendzilorz Although modern communicating people are always watching them, they remain nevertheless unnoticed – unless there are visible bad scratches on them. This is about the infrared ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Composite Parts: Flexibility in Rigid/Flexible Combinations
Composite Parts: Flexibility in Rigid/Flexible Combinations In the production of rigid/flexible combinations, either thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), rubber, or liquid silicone (LSR) are used as the flexible component, depending on the case in question. As a specialist producer of multicomponent injection-moulded parts, Weigelt has a great deal of experience in processing all three materials. There are a number of challenges to be mastered when it comes to the application technology, however......

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Compounding: Flexibility for Compounders
Compounding Flexibility for Compounders Compounding. When it comes to developing a new machine series, it is essential to accurately analyse the needs of the market and to use the 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. N...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Compounds and Masterbatches
Compounds and Masterbatches Trends at K 2001 Matthias C. Hund, Neustadt/Weinstraße, Germany The large number of exhibitors at K 2001 offering compounds or masterbatches underlines the importance of these industries. They are used for turning commodity polymers into tailored systems. This article picks out certain features and trends from the wide variety of available information. At first glance, the division of responsibilities appears quite simple: polymer manufacturers produce the bas...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Continued Strong Growth: PET in Beverage Packaging
Trend Report: Engineering Plastics PET in Beverage Packaging Continued Strong Growth. The raw material of PET has undergone a change. Modified product grades now permit even faster injection moulding cycles and higher cycling rates in bottle production. In addition, the grade of PET (in combination with different barrier materials) and the bottle design have been aligned to the bottled product. Kajetan Müller Frank Welle Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is continuing to show high growth in th...

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

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Database: Portal for Natural-fibre-reinforced Plastics
Composite Material Portal for Natural-fibre-reinforced Plastics Erwin Baur Database. A property and knowledge based database for natural fibre reinforced plastics is being developed in a publicly funded project. The database will inform users from different industrial branches about material production, preparation and processing to reinforced products as well as calculation and design of components from these materials. Natural fibres, for example flax and hemp, are used increasingly for rein...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Diesel Lines: Some Like it Hot
Diesel Lines: Some Like it Hot A specialty polyamide 12 has been developed for use in fuel return lines and fuel lines located close to engines in diesel vehicles featuring new injection systems. It is far superior to other polyamides in resisting ageing at temperatures up to 125°C. Compared with systems based on vulcanised elastomers, the new line system is much more economical. Olivier Farges, Ursula Keil Sales of diesel vehicles in Western Europe have increased within the last five years...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Dimensioning Parts: Non-linear Viscoelasticity
Simulation Non-linear Viscoelasticity Ernst Schmachtenberg Marcel Brandt Dimensioning Parts. Precise description of the non-linear viscoelastic material behaviour of thermoplastics in FEA makes it possible to exploit the mechanical potential of these materials in the best way possible and to optimise the development of corresponding parts. As more and more plastics are used in technical applications, design reliability and parts dimensioning are coming increasingly into focus. Shorter devel...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Direct Colouring: Producing Colour Masterbatches Economically
Direct Colouring: Producing Colour Masterbatches Economically In the small batch size range colour masterbatches can be made more profitably of pre-dispersed mono-components. If larger amounts are required it is meaningful to compare the extra costs of mono-components in comparison to the costs of pure pigments with the savings in production. Matthias C. Hund, Norbert Grünewald Masterbatches are usually added to the plastic to be processed in quantities from about 1 to 5% in order to intro...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Direct Laser Forming: New Structures Built up Layer by Layer
Laser Technology New Structures Built up Layer by Layer Direct Laser Forming. Generative laser processes are already well established in the plastics industry for the series production of components. In the metal sector, however, the use of these processes, e.g. for making injection moulds, is still new and extremely promising. In a similar way to other powder-based generative processes, laser forming makes it possible to build up components with complex geometry layer by layer directly from a ...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Easy-opening Concepts: Easy-opening Sterile Packaging
Easy-opening Concepts: Easy-opening Sterile Packaging Packaging for medical devices, operating-theatre apparel, wound dressings and sterile sheets for medical applications needs to be easy and quick to open. No particles or fibres are allowed to become detached from the torn surface, however. Traditional peel concepts already satisfy this requirement, but a new innovative material combination with a spunflash nonwoven is able to offer further benefits. Heiko E. Schenck, Malik Zeniti In Nor...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Ecoefficiency: Plastics in Politics and Practice
Ecoefficiency: Plastics in Politics and Practice The market for products made of biologically degradable materials is still at the beginning of its development. Market mechanisms and basic legal conditions will solely determine whether this new group of materials is penetrating the market. Ingo Sartorius Innovative new developments and advances are the basis for stabilisation and preservation of the competitiveness of European industry. They make i.a. relevant contributions to environmenta...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Efficient Project Development
Efficient Project Development Polyarylamide Compounds for Cycle Brake Housings Wolf Sanner, Rheinberg/Germany, Robert Olz, Bad Urach/Germany, Vito Leo, Brussels/Belgium, and Thomas Halcour, Kerpen-Sindorf/Germany Light weight, a balanced strength profile, an excellent surface finish and very good slip properties are the most important requirements for cycle brake components. Calculations and extensive laboratory and practical tests confirmed the suitability of polyarylamide (PA MXD6) compo...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Elastomers: Flexible and Customised
Trade Fair Report Flexible and Customised Elastomers. Thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) are now indispensable for applications ranging from everyday items to underhood components. On the "rubber line", trade visitors were able to assess the merits of special developments in synthetic rubbers, which account for by far the largest proportion of elastomers. The automotive industry remains an essential driving force for the market. After years of strong growth, thermoplastic elastomers – a grou...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Electrical Component Parts: Thermal Metal Spraying of Conductor Lines on Plastic
Further Processing and Finishing Thermal Metal Spraying of Conductor Lines on Plastic Electrical Component Parts. Thermal spraying of metals is a well known process principle for a long time. Its use in the field of selective surface coating of plastic component parts is new. Thick conductor structures for electrical applications can be applied with this technology. Gerhard Reichinger Knuth Götz Martin W. Ott Galvanic or chemical processes are the centre of attention in today's usual pro...

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

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Energy-saving Hydraulic Drives
Energy-saving Hydraulic Drives A Drive for Variable-speed Variable-displacement Pumps in Injection Moulding Machines Thomas Neubert, Dresden/Germany Variable-speed variable-displacement pumps can increase the energy efficiency of hydraulic injection moulding machines and lower the noise level. A novel method for controlling drive speed and displacement can minimise losses in every working point. The method has been tested out on a mass-production machine whose energy consumption and sound ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Escalators Made of Plastics
Escalators Made of Plastics Specially-Tailored Polymer Blend Conquers this Aluminum Domain Eckhard Erlenkämper, Leverkusen/Germany, Horst Beicher, Krefeld/Germany, and Andreas Lange, Bad Salzuflen/Germany Ever since the end of the Sixties, escalator steps have been made of aluminum by pressure die-casting. All attempts to produce the steps in plastic to date have failed on account of the stringent requirements imposed on the dimensional stability of the component and hence on the material ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Extremely Fast
Extremely Fast Tailor-made Polyurea Systems Matthias Sikorski and Holger Cordelair, Hamburg/Germany By using newly developed isocyanate prepolymers and modified diamines, the reaction profile and physical properties of polyurea products can be adjusted in a systematic way. Users can therefore tailor the system to suit their specific requirements. Polyurea systems are used in the construction industry and automotive engineering because of their useful combination of properties. Their feat...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Flexible and Inexpensive
Flexible and Inexpensive Inline Blending with Long Glass Fibre PP Concentrate Manfred Bär, Raamsdonksveer/Netherlands, Peter Egger, Schwertberg/Austria and Robert Tesar, Tamworth/Great Britain Granules in long glass-fibre reinforced PP (PP-LGF) have been widely used for many years. They can replace GMT, other engineering thermoplastics such as glass fibre reinforced PA or PBT, and even metals. Market demand has so far been primarily for PP with a glass fibre content of 40% or higher. PP c...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Fluid Injection Technique: Manufacture of Multilayer Media Lines
Injection Moulding Manufacture of Multilayer Media Lines Fluid Injection Technique. Gas-assisted and water-assisted injection moulding technique allow channels to be formed in the molten regions of an injection moulded part by displacing the molten core into cavity regions that are at first unfilled or are additionally opened. New possibilities for reducing costs and producing innovative plastic hollow bodies can be achieved by combining this process with multicomponent injection moulding. Wal...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, From a Trading Company to an Assembly Supplier
Schieffer GmbH & Co. KG in Lippstadt/Germany From a Trading Company to an Assembly Supplier There are not many successful firms that started life as trading companies, before going on to set up their own production facilities and then becoming market leaders in a number of sub-sectors. Schieffer has been consistently following this path since the Fifties and is now a competent development partner and supplier of high-grade technical plastic and rubber assemblies, as well as market leader for ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, From the Idea to the Product
From the Idea to the Product Examples of a Consistent Development Process Ernst Schmachtenberg, Rainer Dahlmann, Oliver Pfannschmidt, Markus Glissmann, Sven Prollius and Jochen Töpker, Aachen/Germany In the course of part development, complex and interlinked problems are frequently encountered which have to be worked through on a step-by-step basis. The huge variety of problems that arise and the links that exist between them are set out on the basis of specific examples taken from differe...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Functional Compounds
Functional Compounds Properties and Applications of Magnetite/Plastic Compounds Peter Duifhuis, Rotterdam, Bernd Weidenfeller and Gerhard Ziegmann, Clausthal-Zellerfeld/Germany The mineral, magnetite, is of key importance for the iron and steel industry. Its role as a functional filler for plastics, however, is relatively new. Thanks to its outstanding properties, this filler has already gained ground in many applications, right through to the automotive industry. The increasing use of p...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Gas-assisted Injection Moulding: The Cross-section is Crucial
Gas-assisted Injection Moulding: The Cross-section is Crucial The gas-bubble cross-section has a crucial effect on the growth of the gas bubble in a gas-assist part. For successful application of gas-assisted injection moulding, it must therefore be clear how process parameters affect the developing cavity. Part 3 and end of the series. Helmut Potente, Hans-Peter Heim, Helmut Ridder Two preceding articles on gas-assisted injection moulding (GAIM) described the geometrical influences of the...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, General-purpose Plastics: Appearance Ever More Important
Trade Fair Report Appearance Ever More Important General-purpose Plastics. Aesthetics could well have been the motto for general-purpose plastics at K 2004. Whether it is a matter of greater transparency and surface gloss for more attractive packaging or flawlessness and improved scratch resistance for automotive parts – appearance would seem to be assuming ever greater importance at present. Alongside this, progress in mechanical and processing properties has not been forgotten either. The p...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, HALS Light Stabiliser: Light Stabilisation and More
Additives Light Stabilisation and More HALS Light Stabiliser. In addition to the primary stabilising action of HALS compounds, secondary effects often play a key role in selecting the best stabiliser for a given application. The lower the interaction with other additives or substances in the processing or end-use environment, the better the stabilising and processing properties can be. Alban Glaser Simon Schambony The range of oligomeric HALS (Hindered Amine Light Stabilisers) compounds is almo...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, High Barrier: Nanoscalar Particles Enlarge Potential Applications
High Barrier: Nanoscalar Particles Enlarge Potential Applications Nanocomposites featuring nanoscalar inorganic fillers incorporated into the base polymer have superior mechanical properties and act as a better barrier towards organic media and gases than unfilled PE-HD. Daniela Tomova, Stefan Reinemann Fillers in the form of nanoscalar layer silicates can substantially extend the property profile of plastics, provided that they have a nanodisperse distribution. The reason for this lies in...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, High Increase in Consumption: Polyamides (PA)
Special: World Market Polyamides (PA) High Increase in Consumption. Since commercial manufacture of polyamide 6 and 66 began more than 60 years ago, annual demand for polyamide has grown to 6 million tonnes worldwide. In 2003, the global market for PA materials grew by 5%. Stronger market growth is predicted for 2004. In recent years, world polyamide consumption has grown at a rate of 7% p.a. No end to this trend is in sight. The high versatility of the polymers and the possibility of modifying ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, High-efficiency Polymeric Foam: Improving Occupant Safety
Safety Improving Occupant Safety High-efficiency Polymeric Foam. High-efficiency components for impact energy absorption (energy absorbers, EA) were introduced in the automotive industry to meet legal and consumer requirements for improved occupant safety. Newly developed polymeric foams offering high energy absorption combined with low density can provide a less costly alternative to the metal-based energy absorbers previously used. Eugenio Toccalino Niek Bindels Gerhard Slik Polypropylene-base...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, High-performance Elastomers: From Abrasion Resistant to Self-healing
High-performance Elastomers: From Abrasion Resistant to Self-healing Polyamide 12 elastomers stand out from competing thermoplastic moulding compounds thanks to a wide range of high-quality elastic properties. They are therefore used both for demanding precision injection-moulding parts and for select extrusion applications in the sports equipment and automotive sectors. Michael Beyer, Ursula Keil Higher, faster, more beautiful, better – not even materials development is immune to the hunt...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, High-purity Pigments: Pigment Finish Makes All the Difference
Pigment Finish Makes All the Difference High-purity Pigments. An innovative finishing treatment is used to produce a new range of high-purity pigments with an excellent property profile. One of the specially finished pigments in this new product range – PV Fast Yellow H9G – is the greenest yellow pigment for plastics coloration currently available on the market. Philippe Lazerme Polymer materials have rapidly penetrated every aspect of our day-to-day lives. The continually rising demand for p...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, High-speed Helpers
High-speed Helpers Fast-removal Robots as a Standard System Solution Jürgen Bergedieck, Wiehe/Germany Linear robots are frequently “overdesigned” for simple removal tasks. An automation solution based on the swivel-arm principle can save space and, thanks to the higher removal speed, shorten cycle time. In conjunction with injection moulding machine and conveyor belt, this system opens up productivity benefits to the plastic fabricator. In the production of plastics mouldings on small an...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Highly Filled, Well Dispersed
Highly Filled, Well Dispersed Waxes as Dispersing Agents in Pigment Concentrates Reiner Hess, Augsburg/Germany A precondition for processing pigment concentrates is good dispersion of the pigments. The latest developments use micronised waxes as dispersing agents and give excellent results. Plastics have established themselves in all aspects of daily life in the past decades. They are now available in all conceivable colours. Furthermore, there has been a continued strong trend towards i...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Hybrid Moulding: Getting the Combination Right
Getting the Combination Right Hybrid Moulding. Production of injection moulds needs to be fast, flexible, inexpensive and durable. Problem is, however, that none of the standard mould making techniques actually combines all of these requirements. A way out of this conundrum is to combine the various standard processes with novel ones. Hybrid moulding is one such solution. Thorsten Hickmann Eric Klemp Injection moulds are used to produce plastic parts made from elastomers, thermoplastics and t...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Impressive Variety: Polysulfones (PSU, PESU, PPSU)
Trend Report High Performance Plastics Polysulfones (PSU, PESU, PPSU) Impressive Variety. With exceptional material properties and the benefit of transparency, sulfone polymers span the range from function to aesthetics. This allows them to continually find new fields of application and assures attractive growth rates in the global competition among thermoplastics. Stefan Göttgens Wolf Sanner High-temperature (HT) plastics are enjoying continually growing popularity worldwide. In this regard...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, In Contact with Drinking Water
In Contact with Drinking Water European Harmonisation of Standards and Testing Procedures for Plastics Carsten Wörner, Frankfurt/Main, Germany Until nationally regulated standards and testing methods have applied to plastics in contact with drinking water. However, a Europe-wide harmonisation is in preparation and the corresponding European Union guidelines will become effective in 2004/2005. All market partners are well advised to prepare themselves for the expected regulations and limits...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Injection Moulding Simulation: Support for Component Development
Support for Component Development Injection Moulding Simulation. Ever shorter product development cycles require the use of suitable aids to be able to promptly recognise and repair any problems. Particularly for use of special polymers or with complex component geometry simulation can provide crucial assistance during moulded part design. Gerhard Wimmer The history of the development of an injection moulded component can be regarded as three staged and consists of the three legs component de...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Isolator Zone Concept: Stable Injection Moulding in the ISO5/GMP-A Cleanroom
Injection Moulding Stable Injection Moulding in the ISO5/GMP-A Cleanroom Isolator Zone Concept. In the production of medical devices, sterility is one of the most important requirements. A new and unique isolator concept makes it unnecessary to sterilise the products after manufacture. The isolator is designed to provide space for assembly and packaging equipment. The concept meets the highest purity requirements for all medical and pharmaceutical products. Erwin Bürkle Gernod Dittel Quality an...

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

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

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, LFT-D Processes: Visible Parts from Continuous-strand-Reinforced Thermoplastics
Exterior Parts Visible Parts from Continuous-strand-Reinforced Thermoplastics LFT-D Processes. The combination of fibre-reinforced back-moulding materials with non reinforced decorative films creates the possibility to use back-compression moulding to produce large-surface, thin-wall parts such as door leaves, engine bonnets and roof modules in attractive cycle times. Direct methods have been encroaching increasingly into continuous-strand-reinforced thermoplastics (German: LFT) in recent years...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Lightweight Construction: LWRT Technique for Car Underbody Covers
Automotive – Compression Moulding LWRT Technique for Car Underbody Covers Lightweight Construction. Compared with glass mat-reinforced thermoplastics (GMT) and direct long fibre-reinforced thermoplastics (D-LFT), the material concept of low weight reinforced thermoplastics (LWRT) can yield a lower weight per unit area and an increased flexural strength. LWRT technology has been developed by Seeber AG to suit mass-production and will be used during the production of the new BMW 5 and 6 models Man...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Location Decision: Centralisation and/or Relocation?
Market and Management Centralisation and/or Relocation? Location Decision. Structural changes in the end user industry branches for injection moulded articles and relocation of production capacity toward the East require internationalisation strategies from many injection moulding enterprises. Decisions about relocation of production or the structure of additional manufacturing plants also have consequences for manufacturers of technical production equipment. An analysis from the point of view ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Low-Density Polyethylene (PE-LD, PE-LLD)
Low-Density Polyethylene (PE-LD, PE-LLD) Gerd Beer, Christof Justus, Rainer Mantel, Wolfgang F. Müller, Heinz Vogt and Michael Vogt This article describes the development of consumption and applications of PE-LD and PE-LLD in various industries. Market Growth From 1998 to 2001, low-density polyethylene showed an average growth in consumption of 2.0% p.a. in Western Europe. The two PE product classes contributed differently to the overall growth (Fig.1). While PE-LD declined slightly (by 0...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Maintenance of Plastics-Processing Equipment
Maintenance of Plastics-Processing Equipment High Availability is the Result of a Preventive Maintenance Policy Erwin Schwab and Ralf Marzineak, Iserlohn/Germany High plant availability 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? W...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Market Growth Worldwide: Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA)
Special: World Market Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA) Market Growth Worldwide. The expansion of the information, entertainment and telecommunications industry will also lead to an increased demand for optically pure PMMA. The market for semi-finished products is similarly showing a slight increase worldwide. No essential changes or shifts have come about in the supplier structure for PMMA producers within the European Union over the past twelve months. One development worth mentioning is the ...

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

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Minutes of a Development Record: From Zero to the Road in Seven Months
Minutes of a Development Record: From Zero to the Road in Seven Months Only seven months were needed from the first sketches to different models to the ready to drive prototype, the Rivage. It is a sports car study, show car, data control model and concept car all in one. Robert Mahr In the spring of 2002 the managing directors of model-maker ITH and Professor James Kelly of the Steinbeis Transferzentrum Automotive Styling and Design were convinced. In six to seven months it must be possib...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Mixing and processing: PVC Dry Blends for Pharmaceutical Film
Mixing and processing: PVC Dry Blends for Pharmaceutical Film When ac-Folien decided to triple its production capacity for PVC-based pharmaceutical film, expansion and modernisation went hand in hand. Particular attention was paid to the production of the dry blend, because formulating accuracy and immaculate quality are essential for manufacturing high-grade film. Dieter Martin, Axel Stehr Over the years, a two-step process has proved ideal for the production of rigid PVC packaging film. I...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Mixing Efficiency: Calculating Mixing Sections for Reciprocating Screws
Injection Moulding Calculating Mixing Sections for Reciprocating Screws André Wieczorek Günter R. Langecker Christian Gornik Mixing Efficiency. Three-dimensional FEA calculations make it possible to analyse flow processes in mixing sections and assess the mixing effect on the basis of trajectory calculations. Three mixing sections are systematically compared with each other in respect of the definition, execution and assessment of these calculations. During the metering process, the plastici...

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

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, More Throughput with Less Wear
More Throughput with Less Wear New PVC Pipe Extruders for High Filler Contents Hans-Peter Schneider, Munich/Germany A new generation of twin-screw extruders for highly filled PVC pipe offers improved process technology and economic advantages. The series is characterised by a large processing window and better wear behaviour. Manufacturers of PVC-U pipe are subject to continually increasing cost pressures. Therefore, the highly competitive pipe market has for some time been reducing formulation ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Morphology and Mechanical Properties: Blends of Polyamide 66 and Syndiotactic Polystyrene
Blends Blends of Polyamide 66 and Syndiotactic Polystyrene Morphology and Mechanical Properties. Blends of polyamide 66 and syndiotactic polystyrene only display enhanced mechanical properties if good compatibility exists between the two materials and an optimum morphology can be achieved. Different compositions of these blends were investigated in a study employing a compatibility enhancer. Materials of this type are attractive for the production of automotive components that are exposed to hi...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Multi-layer Composites with Reactive Coupling Agents
Multi-layer Composites with Reactive Coupling Agents Optimizing Processes and Materials Markus Cremer and Michael Schmücker, Darmstadt/Germany The influence of material and process parameters on the adhesion of multi-layer films was studied. Two and three layer composites were coextruded and tested in the T-peel-test. Recommendations concerning appropriate process conditions depending on the application requirements and the polymer combinations are given based on the influence of the proce...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Natural Fibre/PP Injection Moulding: The Up-and-Coming Material Group
Market and Management The Up-and-Coming Material Group Natural Fibre/Polypropylene Injection Moulding. After a decade's development work, the new material group of PP-NF is now being used in initial applications on the market. Since PP-NF can be processed in the form of granules on injection moulding machines, it has a far higher potential than natural fibre compression mouldings previously had. It is thus time to take a closer look at these materials. Natural fibre composites have been s...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Optimisation of Screws with Small L/D Ratio: Custom-made Screws
Injection Moulding Custom-made Screws Optimisation of Screws with Small L/D Ratio. The design of small-diameter screws poses severe challenges for machine manufacturers, since the conveying and melting mechanisms are different from those of larger screws. If these screws also have a small L/D ratio, it is difficult to find a universal geometry. But, by adapting the geometry, the desired result can be found even with short screws. Christian Gornik Harald Bleier Increasing cost pressure on process...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Plastic-Metal Hybrids
Plastic-Metal Hybrids Possibilities of Producing Structural Components Marcel Op de Laak, Gerhard Pötsch und Klaus Schwitzer, Freiburg/Germany The mechanical characteristics of hybrid metal components can be improved by more than 50 % by applying new concepts. Costs can be reduced by making use of the possibility to integrate additional functions for instance in a front end module. "The result of crossing two genetically different individuals is called a hybrid. The most different ch...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polyamide (PA)
Polyamide (PA) Ralf Neuhaus and Klaus Uske, Ludwigshafen/Germany Since polyamide was first introduced on a commercial basis more than six decades ago, world-wide demand has risen to more than 6m. t. The balanced properties of this class of polymer and the ease with which it can be modified with fillers, elastomers and additives means that it still holds a high innovation potential today. Basic polyamide polymers are used for both fibres and engineering plastics, and are processed by extrus...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polyamides (PA)
Polyamides (PA) Michael Fischer and Martin Balsam, Ludwigshafen/Germany In the past ten years world-wide polyamide consumption rose around 7.5 % p. a. and an end of this development is not to be foreseen. The great variation in the polymers of this grade and their modification possibilities using fillers, elastomers and additives guarantee polyamides a high innovation potential. Polyamides are therefore quantitatively in first place in engineering plastics. The main application fields are au...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polycarbonate (PC)
Polycarbonate (PC) Hans-Joachim Laue and Hartmut Loewer, Leverkusen/Germany Engineering thermoplastics have a 7 % share in the global plastics market which grew to approximately 170 million tonnes in 2000. Within this segment which has a volume of 12 million tonnes, polycarbonate has a share of approximately 1.5 million tonnes and hence ranges second behind ABS, ASA but before PA 6 and PA 66. Moreover, there is a market for PC in blends with ABS and other thermoplastic materials with a volum...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polymer Characterisation by Means of Microwaves
Polymer Characterisation by Means of Microwaves Industrial Systems for Non-destructive Testing Christoph Sklarczyk, Saarbrücken/Germany Low-energy microwaves allow the non-destructive remote characterisation of polymers. They are therefore suitable for quality assurance and online monitoring of the production process. Economical, highly integrated microwave components for industrial measurement and testing systems are increasingly becoming available. Microwave technology was first used o...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polyphenylene Sulphide (PPS)
Polyphenylene Sulphide (PPS) Gunther Reitzel and Peter Radden, Frankfurt am Main/Germany PPS has been on the commercial market for approximately forty years. At the beginning, this engineering plastic was only used for a few high-temperature applications. Only approximately 10 to 15 years ago, PPS has become more successful on the market. Today, the material has become essential for many areas of application. Due to a growing market potential and its many areas of application, the product ha...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polyphenylene Sulphide (PPS)
Polyphenylene Sulphide (PPS) Benny Mermans, Kallo-Beveren/Belgium With the majority of its applications in the fields of automotive and electrical/electronics, polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) has since become established as a popular high-performance material. Although the market for PPS declined last year by around 15% in global terms due to the weakness of the economy, it nevertheless managed to stabilise in Europe. In view of the ever-advancing miniaturisation, the mounting demands being mad...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Potential for Saving: Cost-efficient Designing
Product Development Cost-efficient Designing Matthias Schmuck Jürgen Gäbelein Potential for Saving. Eighty percent of product and product follow-up costs are defined during development. Product development therefore offers the greatest scope for savings. Practical examples from a development service provider illustrate the salient aspects of cost-efficient designing in plastics. Production outsourcing has now become one of the most common phrases in the headlines of the economics sections o...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Process Comparison: Injection Moulding of Long-glassfibre-reinforced PP
Process Comparison: Injection Moulding of Long-glassfibre-reinforced PP Long-glassfibre-reinforced polypropylene parts are usually made by injection moulding long glassfibre granules. A new one-step process makes it possible to compound PP and glassfibres together for direct manufacture as injection-moulded parts. Which of the two methods is better suited to a particular production task depends on the vagaries of parts production. Erwin Bürkle, Matthias Sieverding, Jochen Mitzler In automo...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Process Integration: Short Cycles for Injection Moulded Microfluidics Parts
Process Integration: Short Cycles for Injection Moulded Microfluidics Parts Until now accurate casting of microfluidic structures in the injection moulding process has often been possible only with lengthy variable temperature thermal regulation of the mould. If these surface textures must still be sealed after injection, this usually takes place in an external covering station. Both lead to long cycle times. However, it is also possible to do this differently, as the following example shows. ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Process Technology: Plastic Automobile Windows
Special Plastic Automobile Windows Process Technology. Plastic is finding increasing use as a replacement for glass in automobile windows. An extremely dynamic market is developing, but one that places special requirements on materials, designs and production techniques. Success depends on an efficient logistical chain that addresses the product-specific requirements and the complex manufacturing processes. Christian Hopmann Sebastian Göbel Jan Forster With the introduction of the first Smar...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Processes and Trends in Injection Moulding
Processes and Trends in Injection Moulding What Processors Can Expect and What They Can Do Erwin Bürkle, Munich/Germany What yesterday was a special process reserved for a few processors may today already be a process variant that goes without saying. In particular, small and medium-sized processing shops must become much more intensively involved with the various special processing methods than they have perhaps done so far. Innovative companies will find that a broad field of activities awaits...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Product Marketing: Global Trends in Packaging Design
Product Marketing: Global Trends in Packaging Design Successful product marketing is closely linked to consumer-oriented packaging design. This gives the product the opportunity to explain itself. A clear, unmistakable design is timeless and accessible to everyone. Its goal should be to signal pleasure or added value to the purchaser. Roman Klis Trends are trends because they are innovative and ahead of their time. They are also trends because they are sometimes only appropriate to one nic...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Progress in Development: From the Prototype to the Individualised Product
Rapid Prototyping From the Prototype to the Individualised Product Ralf Deuke Progress in Development. Rapid prototyping techniques are becoming a key technology of the future. It will be possible to make available a manufacturing technology suitable for the individualised market by continuously refining the materials in combination with the intelligent use of follow-up and processing techniques. Rapid prototyping (RP) by means of stereolithography or selective laser sintering (SLS) is sti...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Progress with Standard Components
Progress with Standard Components Rapid Tooling: A New System Cuts Downtimes for Exchange of Mould Inserts Manfred Hauser, Lüdenscheid/Germany As product cycles become shorter, there is increasing demand for prototypes resembling mass-produced parts. A newly developed mould changing system permits almost production-quality prototypes to be produced rapidly and cost-effectively, in different sizes, and from different mass-production materials. The included ejector assembly allows insertion ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Project Engineering of a Manufacturing Cell: Planning with Farsightedness
Automotive Planning with Farsightedness Project Engineering of a Manufacturing Cell. Decorated screens for use in motor vehicle instrument panels and door interior modules put high requirements on surface cleanliness, optics and quality appearance. In a short time through early co-operation with an injection moulding machine manufacturer as a system supplier a German plastics processing plant succeeded in furnishing a fully automatic manufacturing cell including a pure air module and in taking ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Putting a Stop to Cracks
Putting a Stop to Cracks Cavities Increase Impact Strength of PC Christoph Barth, Andrzej K. Bledzki, Kassel/Germany The engineering plastic of polycarbonate (PC) offers attractive electrical, optical and mechanical properties, but its inadequate low-temperature impact strength poses problems, among other things. The toughness of polycarbonate can be considerably enhanced by means of a specially-generated microvoid morphology. The impact strength of a material can be raised either by inc...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Quality Assurance Through Thermal Analysis
Quality Assurance Through Thermal Analysis Determining the Quality of Repeatedly Processed POM Achim Frick, Aalen/Germany POM is an engineering plastic which is relatively expensive. The use of recycled material could therefore reduce costs. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) is a suitable test method for precisely determining the quality and the properties of recycled material. New studies illustrate how powerful it is. Injection moulding of polymers permits complex, single-compone...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Quality assurance: Additives – a Book with Seven Seals?
Quality assurance: Additives – a Book with Seven Seals? As invisible aids additives ensure that plastic parts can be produced in the right quality and also that their quality is retained during the intended use period. Revealed quality deficiencies frequently suggest the use of inappropriate additivation, which can be detected through analysis. Matthias C. Hund, Friedhelm Gores Plastics contain a number of ingredients that are added to obtain the desired product properties. In contrast to ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Quality Assurance: Residence-time Measurements and Detection of Melt Heterogeneities
Quality Assurance: Residence-time Measurements and Detection of Melt Heterogeneities A multi-channel ultrasonic measuring system was used to study the homogenisation of polymer blends. It was demonstrated that this method is suitable for analysing the condition of the melt along the extruder screw. Ingo Alig, Dirk Lellinger, Kai Wassum Consistent melt quality is vital for optimum extrusion. This calls not only for appropriate design features, but also for the capability to detect and proce...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Quality of Dispersion: Standardised - the Filter Pressure Value as an Evaluation Tool
Extrusion Standardised: The Filter Pressure Value as an Evaluation Tool Quality of Dispersion. In the wake of increasingly stringent demands on the dispersion of colorants in plastics, methods for determining the degree of dispersion such as the filter pressure value are becoming more and more significant. The new EN 13900-5 standard establishes this testing approach as a fully approved assessment method, thus providing the first common denominator for customer-supplier communication. Volker ...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Recycling of PVC/PET Composites
Recycling of PVC/PET Composites Production of Pure and Homogeneous Recyclates, and Process Monitoring Udo Knauf, Andreas Mäurer and Wolfgang Holley, Freising/Germany, Monika Wiese and Hermann Utschick, Alzenau/Germany Selective extraction is suitable for preparing high-quality recyclates from mixed post-consumer wastes and composites. The intermediate and final products can be characterized by thermogravimetric analysis with event-controlled heating. PVC/PET composites are used amongst o...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Replacing Established Plastics. . .
Replacing Established Plastics. . . By PP/Flax Compounds Impact-Modified with PET Fibres Günther Pflug and Stefan Reinemann, Rudolstadt/Germany The toughness of polypropylene/flax and polypropylene/-flax/wollastonite composites can be increased using a hybrid construction involving ductile, high-strength PET fibres. The prerequisites are optimum composition and gentle extrusion conditions. To date, natural fibre/polymer composites with notched weak points at edges and walls are greatly l...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Requirements for Manufacturing Products for Medical Technology: Guidelines for Building up a Practical Cleanroom Manufacturing System
Guidelines for Building up a Practical Cleanroom Manufacturing System Requirements for Manufacturing Products for Medical Technology. The manufacture and use of technical medical articles demand a high degree of ethical and commercial responsibility. Compared to the production of technical plastic articles, meeting the severe demands requires appropriate machine designs and corresponding environmental conditions. Gernod Dittel Erwin Bürkle In pharmaceuticals and medical technology, plastics ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Resin Separation in a Centrifuge
Resin Separation in a Centrifuge Centrifugal Force Extracts Thermoplastic Melt from Material Composites Werner Hoffmanns, Wolfgang Diegmann, Frank Adam and Rüdiger Tiedeck, Wuppertal/Germany Composite products have so far escaped materials recycling since it is so difficult to separate the individual components from each other. A new method now makes it possible to recover resins from material composites. The composite, placed in a centrifuge, is exposed in the presence of heat to strong r...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Space Puzzle Moulding: Series Production from Prototype Moulds
Space Puzzle Moulding: Series Production from Prototype Moulds Whether individual prototypes as series-identical plastic parts or fast short series from the prototype mould: both are produced by protoform using the SPM procedure. With recently obtained series of up to 3000 pieces the procedure has passed the graduation examination for series production. Wolfgang G. Trapp In a special method of plastic part production, “protoform” Konrad Hofmann GmbH has specialised in a production of one-o...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Specialty Oils for Extruder Gears: The Chemistry Has to Be Right
Extrusion The Chemistry Has to Be Right Sebastian Homborg Specialty Oils for Extruder Gears. The requirements to be met by extruder gears are increasing all the time. Consequently, the transmission oil is becoming ever more important. Synthetic oil grades can reduce power loss and wear on the gear. The result is cost savings and greater plant reliability. Extruder output is steadily being maximised in extrusion and compounding. At the same time, operators are trying to minimise their investment...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Static Mixers: Well Mixed
Compounding Well Mixed Alexander Schmidt Static Mixers. Mixers have become essential for plastics processing. No matter whether solids are being mixed or homogeneous plastic melts are being produced, the degree of mixing depends critically on adapting the mixer to the product’s properties. Static mixers are notable particularly for their compact design, absence of moving parts and continuous operation. They are suitable for numerous tasks before and during processing of plastics. Solids mi...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Strong Composites
Strong Composites Self-reinforced Thermoplastics Open up New Fields of Application Jürgen Klimke, Gronau/Germany Lightweight parts with improved properties and ease of recycling need not be contradictory objectives. New opportunities are being opened up by self-reinforced thermoplastics based on polypropylene. Commodity plastics such as polyethylene or polypropylene are always preferred when simple processability and low part weight are required. These materials have the disadvantage of ...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Substitution of Metal Components in Microscopes: Plastics in High-precision Applications
Substitution of Metal Components in Microscopes: Plastics in High-precision Applications In cooperation with a project partner, a manufacturer of high-quality microscopes has, for the first time, designed several opto-mechanical sub-assemblies in plastic. The injection moulded components have the same properties as regards precision and resistance to wear as high-precision metal parts which are both complex and expensive to manufacture. Jörg Saathoff To date, opto-mechanical sub-assemblies...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Tailored Coatings
Tailored Coatings Low-Pressure Plasma Coating of Plastic Parts in Automotive Engineering Henning Gleich, Olaf Hoyer, Thomas Kempen and Lea Stechmann; Berlin/Germany, Per Krüger; Schwedt/Germany In the automotive industry, plasma technology was hitherto used for surface modification. This technology will now increasingly be used for coating processes as well. Compared with surface modification, it offers the possibility of producing parts with tailored surface properties. Although plasma ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, The Challenge of the Multi-Component Technique
The Challenge of the Multi-Component Technique Factors Governing Success of New Moulded-Parts Variants Gerhard Pötsch, Näfels/Switzerland The automatic sequence of operations possible with injection moulding process lends itself to the integration of different materials in one part. However, the different process variants afforded by the multi-component technique have to be supported by the appropriate machine technology. The multi-component technique has established itself in the inject...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, The PVC Loop Closed
The PVC Loop Closed Recycling of PVC Composites Jean-Marie Yernaux, Brussels/Belgium, and Reinhard Saffert, Rheinberg/Germany A new recycling process selectively dissolves the PVC in composite products. The end product is a clean PVC compound in powder form that may be used without further processing, such as melt filtration or granulation, and in some cases may even be employed in the original application (closed-loop recycling). Nowadays, there is a consensus in society that the landfi...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, The Right Strategy Mix: Maintenance in Plastics Processing
The Right Strategy Mix: Maintenance in Plastics Processing Maintenance is an indispensable prerequisite for safeguarding product quality, machine availability and thus the expertise of a company to enable it to prevail in the marketplace. The goal is to maximise plant usage with minimum effort and to obtain a high return. Erwin Schwab, Ralf Marzineak Effective maintenance management reduces costs when the goal is to achieve higher machine availability with minimum of effort. The reason is ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, The Tip Decides
The Tip Decides Avoiding Wear in Non-Return Valves Christian Gornik, Harald Bleier and Wolfgang Roth, Kottingbrunn/Austria Non-Return valves play a critical role in the success or failure of processes. Fundamental studies of wear make it possible to find remedies and to increase the service life through selective parts modification. Non-Return valves are extremely critical parts in injection moulding processes. They prevent the melt from flowing backwards during injection into the mould....

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Thermosets
Thermosets Eva Bittmann, Herreth/Germany In the crosslinking plastics sector, alongside considerable restructuring and commercial setbacks, there have also been some successes. Demand in the GRP industry is high, even for specialty moulding materials. Material development is moving in the direction of resins with high heat and chemical resistance coupled with improved processability to ensure rapid production of parts in consistently high quality. In recent years, the thermosets market, li...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Thoroughly Mixed?
Thoroughly Mixed? Comparison of The Mixing Effect of Three-Section Screws and Screws Equipped with Mixing Elements Christian Gornik and Harald Bleier, Kottingbrunn/Austria Correct colouring is crucial to how well a product sells: the use of minimal quantities of masterbatch for directly colouring polymer parts is therefore becoming more and more important for processors. Since consumers will not tolerate inhomogeneous colours, often the desired level of success necessitates elaborate mixin...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Trends in Automotive Headlamps
Trends in Automotive Headlamps Challenges and Opportunities for Thermoplastics Joachim Queisser, Michael Geprägs and Rüdiger Bluhm, Ludwigshafen/Germany, Gerd Ickes, Alzenau/Germany Highly developed lighting systems increasingly require materials with properties that can satisfy modern design requirements. This opens up potential applications for plastics, particularly engineering and high-temperature thermoplastics. Modern developments in automotive headlamp systems are characterised by partl...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Two-component Micro Powder Injection Moulding: Three Special Processes in One
Injection Moulding Three Special Processes in One Two-component Micro Powder Injection Moulding. To produce multifunctional ceramic micro-parts, multicomponent, powder and micro injection moulding were combined in one process. This article describes the injection moulding of high-performance heating elements with adjustable electrical resistance. Powder injection moulding allows economic mass production of complex parts of metal and ceramic. Multicomponent injection moulding offers multifunctio...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Vacuum Systems for Polymer Degassing
Vacuum Systems for Polymer Degassing Comparison of Maintenance and Operating Costs Mark Redmann, Maulburg/Germany Vacuum systems are essential to many extrusion processes. Vacuum pumps without operating media, combined with suitable traps, can often reduce costs for maintenance and operating media. In the compounding and processing of polymers in extruders, vacuum is a long-established method of removing volatile components from the melt. Since in many cases the composition of the vapour...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Wear Protection: The Plastication Unit as a Focus of Conflict
Wear Protection: The Plastication Unit as a Focus of Conflict Wear processes in the plastication unit interact in complex ways. To provide effective protection, it is necessary to consider the entire system. Patrick Margraf In the wake of process developments in the plastics industry, plastication technology has also showed steady progress. Though often a black box for users, the plastication unit is extremely important. It is the key component of the process. Adequate wear protection is g...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Welding Crosslinked Polyethylene
Welding Crosslinked Polyethylene Christian Bonten and Ernst Schmachtenberg, Essen/Germany It is widely known that crosslinked, i. e. unmeltable polyethylene (PE-X), can be welded with electrical welding sleeves; it is even possible to butt weld PE-X to PE-HD or to PE-X. At the IKM in Essen, it has now been systematically investigated which welding parameters in butt welding lead to high weld quality. Crosslinked polyethylene (PE-X) cannot be melted by heating. Depending on the degree of cr...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Worldwide Demand is Increasing: Polyphenylene Sulphide (PPS)
Trend Report High Performance Plastics Polyphenylene Sulphide (PPS) Worldwide Demand is Increasing. The most important consumers of PPS are the automotive and electronics and electrical industries. The aerospace industry also manufactures ever more parts from PPS for its lightweight construction properties. As energy, transportation and raw materials prices increase, the greatest demand is for reinforced PPS compounds. Gunther Reitzel Gerhard Reuschel Polyphenylene sulphide has been on the m...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-01-13, Materials Handling: Centralisation Complete
Market and Management Centralisation Complete Materials Handling. Mann+Hummel ProTec GmbH has completed the relocation of its facilities in Ludwigsburg, Weiterstadt and Königswinter to a new site in Bensheim ahead of schedule. A green-field factory was literally erected and designed according to the Kanban principle. Kunststoffe’s chief editor Gerhard Gotzmann paid a visit to the new site and talked to Norbert Strohbeck, production manager, and Michael Zlotos, CEO, about the advantages of the ...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-02-22, Cockpit Surfaces: Workplace and Living Room on Wheels
Interieur Workplace and Living Room on Wheels Cockpit Surfaces. The interior of today’s and tomorrow’s cars holds a great deal of potential for new surface materials and technologies. Depending on the comfort level, the spectrum extends from simple injection moulded applications to high-quality film techniques. Development of the required materials and processes must take into consideration function, aesthetics, safety, ecology and economics simultaneously. Bernhard Klein The interior of today...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-03-23, Packaging Recycling: From Bottle to Bottle
Packaging. From Bottle to Bottle. Packaging Recycling. Current high polymer prices are stimulating the packaging industry’s interest in recycling technology. Several processes have already been implemented on an industrial scale for PET bottles. Other polymers are being studied for their suitability for a closed-loop process. Frank Welle. For some considerable time, plastic packaging has been collected and converted into high-quality recycled material. However, it is only in the last decade th...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-03-29, Bioplastics: Converting Risks to Opportunities
Packaging Converting Risks to Opportunities Bioplastics. Biodegradable materials and bioplastics have had a very good year. There are many reasons for this. A review of the current state of the art helps provide an explanation. The latest market trends are highlighted as are the influences of legislation and industry views on labelling. Many positive indications provide grounds for optimism that bioplastics innovations will successfully overcome the difficult market launch phase. Harald Kaeb I...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-04-24, Melamine Resin Foam: Lightweight, Versatile All-rounder
Foams Lightweight, Versatile All-rounder Melamine Resin Foam. A special melamine resin foam is continually finding new uses. With applications ranging from cleaning sponges to seat cushions and acoustic insulation components, this material has by no means exhausted its innovative potential. Horst Baumgartl Melamine resin foams are a relatively young material class in comparison with polyurethane and polystyrene foams but offer an exceptional property profile. They are flame-retardant, halogen-...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-04-25, Filler Dispersion: Ultrasonic Spectroscopy for In-Line Monitoring
PE103559 Extrusion Ultrasonic Spectroscopy for In-Line Monitoring Filler Dispersion. Ultrasonic spectroscopy is suitable for monitoring the extrusion process. The sound is scattered by the filler particles, so that the frequency-dependent attenuation spectra of the filler content can be used to study the particle size and the agglomeration. Chemometric methods are used for this. The measurement is particularly accurate when the wavelength of the sound is of the order of magnitude of the partic...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-05-23, Phyllosilicates: Targeted Modification of Properties
Special. Targeted Modification of Properties. Phyllosilicates. Unusually high thermal stability of compounds results from a combination of (polyamide+polypropylene) blends with organically modified phyllosilicates (organoclays) obtained via the extrusion process. The observed effects can be traced to a nanoparticulate distribution of the phyllosilicates and their orientation at the phase boundary between the polyamide and polypropylene. Stefan Reinemann et.al. Reports on the development of poly...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-05-23, Transparent Nanocomposites and Hybrid Materials: Invisible Helpers
Special. Invisible Helpers. Transparent Nanocomposites and Hybrid Materials. There would seem to be no limit to the variety of functional fillers. Inorganic nanoparticles can suitably be used for functionalising transparent plastics, since their small dimensions mean they are not visible to the human eye, yet they still bring completely new functions with them. Stefan Kaskel. Inorganic fillers have traditionally played a decisive role in adjusting the mechanical properties of polymers, suc...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-06-29, Application Study: PVC Becoming Even "Hotter"
Polymer Blends. PVC Becoming Even "Hotter". Axel Gottschalk et al. Application Study. The comparatively low heat resistance of polyvinyl chloride greatly restricts the use of this cost-effective plastic in fields in which it is exposed under mechanical load to relatively high temperatures. This property, however, can be raised at low cost and without difficulty to technically interesting levels in blends with α-methylstyrene-acrylonitrile copolymers (AMSAN). A systematic study show...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-06-29, PVDF Foams: High Purity Plus Outstanding Resistance
Elastomers. High Purity Plus Outstanding Resistance. PVDF Foams. High-performance foams based on polyvinylidene fluoride are manufactured in a specific physical foaming process. The resultant foams combine low weight and insulating characteristics with the resistance to elevated temperatures, corrosive chemicals, fire and ionising radiation that is typical of PVDF. This property profile opens up numerous applications in the aviation, chemical and construction industries, and also in architecture...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-06-30, Composite Materials: Wood Filling Improves Bonding Properties
Composite Materials. Wood Filling Improves Bonding Properties. Pero Raos, Mladen Šercer, Mirjana Lucić. Composite Materials. Bonding of low surface energy materials, such as polyolefines (PE and PP), silicone, polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE), etc. is one of the most difficult tasks to be performed. This study investigates the influence of a wood filler on the bonding properties of polypropylene. A hardened two-component (2K)-epoxy adhesive and a 2K-acylic adhesive specially designed for l...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-07-31, Strain Hardening: Improved Extrusion of Fluorothermoplastics
Testing. Improved Extrusion of Fluorothermoplastics. Daniel Möller, Helmut Münstedt, Harald Kaspar. Strain Hardening. As with general-purpose plastics, development trends in fluorothermoplastics are aimed at the continuous optimisation of extrusion properties. While improvements in melt processing due to a substantial broadening of the molecular mass distribution are state-of-the-art for fluoropolymers too, the introduction of long-chain branches is opening up a new approach to property optimis...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-08-02, Thermal Balance: Conformal Cooling on the Advance
Special Conformal Cooling on the Advance Thermal Balance. Increasing complexity of the geometries of injection moulded parts and stricter specifications for dimensional stability are putting increased cost pressures on injection moulders and intensifying the already difficult feasibility problems. Conformal, segmented mould cooling is a key technology for confronting this pressure. Reiner Westhoff The experienced injection moulder knows three techniques for tackling the heat flux in the mould ...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-08-06, Laser Forming: Cores for Garden Equipment
Special. Cores for Garden Equipment. Bernhard Foitzik. Laser Forming. The grip mechanics on a new hose cart makes the daily task of watering the garden more convenient. For various grip parts made of plastic the manufacturer is employing laser-formed mould cores without which handleability would be distinctly less acceptable, for both the gardener as well as the mould maker. Just about 100 injection moulding machines are in operation – round the clock, of course – in Gerstetten-Heuchlingen, t...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-08-31, Winding Technology: Quality off the Roll
Film Production. Quality off the Roll. Robert Wirtz, Ingo Putsch. Winding Technology. Being the last link in film extrusion, the winding machine dictates the quality of the end product. Optimally wound film rolls are crucial for downstream processing, whether on printing, finishing or converting machines. Changes in the properties of the film necessitate changes in winding parameters. After film has been extruded, it is wound up on rolls. In order that further processing may not become probl...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-09-05, Viscosity Measurement: Material Characterisation in Powder Injection Moulding
Injection Moulding. Material Characterisation in Powder Injection Moulding. Christian Gornik Viscosity Measurement. Large quantities of complex metal or ceramic components can be produced by powder injection moulding in a cost-efficient way. The manufacturing method and the composition of the so-called feedstock often lead to variations in process stability and part quality. Two methods prove suited to characterise the feedstock's properties of flow and thus the mixture's homogeneity....

Kunststoffe international, 2006-09-08, Natural-fibre-reinforced Plastics: Considerable Potential for Improvement
Additives Natural-fibre-reinforced Plastics. At the Global Wood and Natural Fibre Composites Symposium held by the Institut für Werkstofftechnik at the University of Kassel, experts took stock of the present state of development of natural-fibre-reinforced plastics. In their favour, these reinforcing materials offer eco-friendliness, low cost and light weight. There are problems to solve in terms of their characteristic odour and property and design limitations. Considerable Potential for Impr...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-09-08, Stabilisers (Part 2): PVC and the Environment
Additives PVC and the Environment Stabilisers (Part 2). In the different countries of Europe, varying progress has been made with replacement of lead stabilisers in PVC pipes. In selecting alternatives, possible migration from the PVC matrix into drinking water and recyclability are very important considerations. This article presents relevant test results. Michael Schiller Dominic De Souza Henk Huisman Understandably, in evaluating stabilisers for PVC pipes (Title picture), the migration [1]...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-09-27, Profile and Pipe Extrusion: Precise, Flexible and Fast
Extrusion Precise, Flexible and Fast Profile and Pipe Extrusion. As products become more complex, batch sizes smaller and price pressure increases, new technical solutions must be found to improve the cost effectiveness of extrusion lines. Developments are focusing on achieving flexible production workflows, shorter tooling times and higher plant productivity. Johannes Wortberg Paul Gorczyca The large variety of products and desire to keep stocks low and produce “just in time” are leading to ...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-09-28, A Holistic Approach: Integrated Engineering
Product Development Integrated Engineering A Holistic Approach. Integrated engineering means approaching product development as a whole, starting from the OEM’s specification and design requirements to the start of mass production – planned and supported entirely from one source. Experienced specialists coordinate the project flow and focus the innovative power of different companies in product development, prototype and mould making and the assembly concept. Jürgen Gäbelein Matthias Schmuck ...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-09-28, An Attempt at Defining the Status Quo: Injection Mouldmaking in 2006
Tooling. Injection Mouldmaking in 2006. Reinhard Bauer. An Attempt at Defining the Status Quo. The changes that have come about in the wake of globalisation have affected all the different sectors – and the know-how intensive mouldmaking industry is no exception here. Changes in the framework conditions – drastic as they may be in the individual case – do not, however, just lead to problems but can also be an opportunity for prosperity if the correct strategic approach is adopted. This is bo...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-10-27, Pedestrian Protection: Crumple Zones for Pedestrians
Safety Technology Crumple Zones for Pedestrians Pedestrian Protection. The countdown to pedestrian protection continues. Since October 2005, all newly approved vehicles have had to incorporate suitable protective systems. But the industry is already looking ahead to the second phase, which will apply from 2010. Stefan Schlott Pedestrian protection continues to be a current focus of research in car manufacturers’ safety departments (Fig.1). The aim is to reduce the forces impacting on the leg, ...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-10-30, Cleanroom Production: Tools for Routine Clinical Work
Injection Moulding. Tools for Routine Clinical Work. Cleanroom Production. Greive GmbH & Co KG specialises in the production of plastic medical articles, especially for intensive care. This SME manufactures products such as disposable syringes and catheter tips under cleanroom conditions. Thomas Breiden. Founded in 1951, Greive GmbH & Co KG in Senden-Ottmarsbocholt, Germany, began building up both the production of disposable articles for intensive care and the requisite quality control syste...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-10-30, Laser Sintering: Functional Prototypes Produced from PEEK
Prototyping Functional Prototypes Produced from PEEK Laser Sintering. The high functionality of components is increasingly being reproduced in generative prototypes, e.g. with the aid of fillers. This approach encounters considerable restrictions in laser sintering because of the demands made on the fillers. It has been demonstrated that polyetheretherketone (PEEK) adequately satisfies the specific material requirements. Thomas Rechtenwald Stephan Roth Dirk Pohle For processing thermoplastic...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-10-31, Paint: Scratch-resistant Plastic Surfaces
Nanotechnology. Scratch-resistant Plastic Surfaces. Thomas Sawitowski. Paint. By using nanoscale materials when painting plastics, a considerable improvement of paint properties such as scratch resistance can be achieved. That gloss and fogging remain unaffected are especially beneficial aspects for high-gloss finishes. Paint on plastic surfaces serves generally to protect the plastic from the environment. It can also be an aesthetic element in the design of modern plastic parts. This leads t...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-11-24, Filler Systems: How Conductive Compounds Work
Compounds. How Conductive Compounds Work. Stefan Apelt et al. Filler Systems. The fillers in a plastic compound give rise to different conductivities depending on their type and structure. In the case of polyamide, in particular, this conductivity is also affected by the moisture content. Special investigations consider the phenomena of electrical conductivity and look into the possibility of using the corresponding polyamide 66 compounds for bipolar plates in a fuel cell. Conductive plastics ...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-12-06, Polyetheretherketone: Material Advantages in Semiconductor Production
High Performance Plastics Material Advantages in Semiconductor Production Polyetheretherketone. Studies have shown that the use of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) in the production of semiconductor wafers can lead to considerable process, performance and productivity optimisation, while cutting costs at the same time. In addition, ultrapure PEEK grades are very suitable for wet and dry etching. Sam Brahmbhatt Fabrication of low defect, high yield semiconductor wafers (Fig.1) depends upon a wide ra...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-01-22, Extended Product Range
Extended Product Range Tailor-made Materials The distributor Resin Express has extended its product range, particularly in the area of elastomers/rubbers and low-emission compounds. It now offers a wide portfolio of materials supplied by global manufacturers, enabling comprehensive cooperation with plastics processors and OEMs in the development of innovative products. Gudrun Klein The distributor and compounder Resin Express GmbH of Zwingenberg/Germany has now extended its portfolio to incl...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-02-13, An Eldorado for New Developments from Plastics
An Eldorado for New Developments from Plastics In scarcely any other sector of the economy are so many different key technologies brought together and fused together to form new products as in medical technology. For this purpose cross-disciplinary knowledge is necessary and the generation of synergy is an indispensable prerequisite. Through its Centre for Medical and Materials Technology the Technical University (TU) Munich has created on its Garching campus a concept which with regard to the ...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-02-13, Injection Moulding Small Transformers?
Injection Moulding Small Transformers? Magnetically Soft Composites Injection moulded magnetically soft plastic parts have not yet been very widely investigated. Magnetically soft compounds were therefore injection or compression moulded to produce magnetically soft cores for coils. Cores filled with 70 vol.-% iron achieve good magnetic characteristics and therefore become attractive for technical applications in the low-frequency range of 50 to 60Hz. Mathias Anhalt Bernd Weidenfeller Si...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-03-15, Materials for Clean Diesel Engines
Materials for Clean Diesel Engines Engineering Plastics Selective catalytic reduction technology (SCR) can significantly help to cut nitrogen oxide emissions from diesel engines through the use of an aqueous urea solution. This opens up another field of application for engineering plastics, in which they will have to meet new chemical resistance requirements. Wolfgang Sauerer, Tilman Reiner Whether it is California’s LEV II emission standards or the impending Euro 5 exhaust gas regulations, ...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-03-15, New Boost for Rubberised Hair
New Boost for Rubberised Hair Car Seat Padding For decades rubberised hair padding was the material of choice for car seats, but this is now only true for a handful of applications. In the future, specially developed and efficient process and product innovations could however release new potential for this technology. Stefan Schlott Whether in a Maybach or a Mercedes-Benz A-Class, in spite of the current dominance of PU foam in seat padding, there are still many good reasons to use latex c...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-04-17, Forming and Assembly in One Process
Forming and Assembly in One Process Assembly Injection Moulding Through choice of the combination of materials, the geometry of the part to be made and the injection moulding parameters the properties of the joints produced in assembly injection moulding can be selectively set: integral, form-fitting or frictional or mobile and flexible. Current research work shows the relationship between the boundary conditions of the process and the properties of the joint. Ernst Schmachtenberg, Marcus Sch...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-05-14, Cleaning to Virgin Material Standard
Cleaning to Virgin Material Standard PET Recycling In a newly developed process, molten post-consumer PET flakes are partially depolymerised in a special reactor with ethylene glycol. Challenge tests show that contaminants can be removed quickly and virtually without trace by this method. Frank Welle The rising trend in the use of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) for beverage packaging continues unchecked. Returns of post-consumer PET bottles are also at a record level, which is reflected i...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-05-14, Off the Reel
Off the Reel Printed Electronic Circuits With organic electronics, an exciting new technology has emerged. For example, printed RFID tags represent a practically fraud-proof method for product identification. Application areas range from cost-effective theft prevention up to complex electronic product codes (EPC). Henning Rost Very soon, printed electronics will open up new markets and applications in the most varied ways. In the past, the implementation of first products frequently seemed h...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-06-18, Compatibility of Polylactic Acid with MaterBi
Compatibility of Polylactic Acid with MaterBi Bioblends As oil prices rise and problems with CO2 grow, bioplastics are moving increasingly into the focus of users. Particularly, blends based on various organic materials are playing an increasingly important role in meeting the required performance properties. A comprehensive study was made of the influence of the compatibility of the materials on the properties and processing of such bioblends. Andreas Marek Albert Otten Plastics based on ...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-06-18, Improving Product Properties by Cutting Back on Material
Improving Product Properties by Cutting Back on Material Fillers Traditionally, fillers are being used predominantly as inexpensive substitutes for polymers. If the properties of a material are to be selectively improved compounders make use of additives. Studies show that newly developed fillers can also have an effect on product properties. Katarzyna Gorna, Marijan Vucak, Matthias C. Hund, Hein-Dieter Stöver, Gerhard Wegner For a long time fillers were just a cheap substitute for other m...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-07-18, Innovations for Medical Technology
Innovations for Medical Technology Technology Transfer The automotive and telecommunications industries are regarded as engines of innovation for the economy. Many of the developments from these industries, such as the injection molding of permanent magnets, or in-mold assembly, are increasingly also of interest for medical technology. Arno Rogalla, Dietmar Drummer, Manfred Riehl Inventions, technical advances or developments that are economically successful in a specific industry are called...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-07-18, Rust-Free Cooling Reduces Unit Costs
Rust-Free Cooling Reduces Unit Costs Corrosion Protection In the production of injection molded parts, the cooling time alone consumes up to 80% of the cycle time. Corrosion or deposits in the cooling circuit obstruct the mold cooling and prolong the cycle time. Interior coating of the cooling system can eliminate these cost-driving effects. The mold temperature control plays a crucial role in the injection cycle. The volume of heat introduced into the mold must be removed rapidly and uniform...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-08-14, Conductive Plastics
Conductive Plastics Custom-formulated Functional Materials Because of their special properties, new filler combinations are being used to a large extent for complex electronic assemblies. Since such materials are difficult to process, their use requires sufficient knowledge regarding process setup. The IKV in Aachen, Germany, is currently working on optimization strategies for material and process. Walter Michaeli Tobias Pfefferkorn Complex electrical and electronic products that could n...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-08-14, Mathematical Optimization of Annular Non-Return Valves
Mathematical Optimization of Annular Non-Return Valves Simulation Non-return valves play a decisive role in process constancy and product quality in injection molding. The way in which they work has been analyzed and modeled in a research project. The results make it possible to calculate and hence optimize the closing behavior of annular non-return valves. Helmut Potente Hans-Peter Heim Thorsten Thümen The simulation of plasticizing units is centered on a number of key points. The possi...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-08-14, New Start after Transitional Period
New Start after Transitional Period Streamlining Demag Plastics Group will consolidate its present worldwide range of twelve injection molder platforms to just three. Following the shut-down of the Cleveland manufacturing site, DPG will shift production of the large two-platen Titan machine from the USA to Asia, where the company has just moved into an own new facility in China, which offers increased production capacity. Demag in transition" – during a press conference on 5 July, Dr.-...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-09-19, Clearer and Longer Protection
Clearer and Longer Protection UV Absorbers The choice of a suitable UV absorber for product protection in PET packaging is not an easy task since a balance has to be found between on the one hand adequate protection and the associated yellow discoloration on the other. A newly developed product now allows the unwanted yellow discoloration of PET bottles to be prevented. Simon Schambony Whether for liquid cleaning agents, fruit juice, ketchup or beer there is a strong trend in favor of pl...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-09-19, Good for the Circulation
Good for the Circulation Recycling (Trade-fair-pre-report K 2007) Recycling of used plastics and production waste makes sense both economically and ecologically. Different processing methods are applied, depending on the basic feed material. Correspondingly wide is the range of equipment and systems offered by machine and plant manufacturers. In most cases, the recycling of plastics involves several sequentially arranged processing stages. Amongst others, these stages are compacting and sh...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-09-19, Mastering Demanding Challenges
Mastering Demanding Challenges Commodity Plastics (Trade-fair-pre-report K 2007) With customized polyolefins – sometimes without additives – it is possible to employ commodity plastics in sectors previously reserved for other resins. The opportunity for savings with a simultaneous improvement in properties attracts customers. The global demand for plastics since 1990 has grown, on average, 5.5 % per year – and this trend is expected to continue at an annual growth of about 5 % until 2015....

Kunststoffe international, 2007-09-19, PUre Evolution?
PUre Evolution? Reaction Technology (Trade-fair-pre-report K 2007) At this year’s K trade fair, the major companies of the PU sector are going to present a lot of small, but fine innovations to their customers. In nearly all areas, engineering boosted, thus improving the performance of many products. This has significantly enhanced benefits for the users, and the efficiencies of PU processes. From the harbingers of this year’s K trade fair, at least, one can see no signs of a revolution in...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-09-19, Tailored to Your Timeline
Tailored to Your Timeline Additives, Compounds and Distribution (Trade-fair-pre-report K 2007) The demand for custom product solutions continues to increase. In order to achieve the necessary material modifications, suitable additives are required. In this regard, the importance of additives, masterbatches, compounds and – because of the ever-shorter development cycles – distribution in accordance with your timeline is also growing. Traditionally, any number of additive and masterbatch manuf...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-09-19, The Benchmark at K is One Hundred Percent
"The Benchmark at K is One Hundred Percent" In just a few weeks’ time, the world’s biggest plastics industry exhibition will be opening its doors once again. Huge sums of money are being invested in presenting products and companies. Gerhard Gotzmann, Editor-in-Chief of Kunststoffe, spoke with Ulrich Reifenhäuser, Chairman of the Exhibitors’ Committee, on the function and significance of this key show. Kunststoffe: Is an exhibition like K, which involves such a gigantic outlay, still a...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-09-19, Therefore Test, Who Wants to Bind Himself Forever
Therefore Test, Who Wants to Bind Himself Forever Joining (Trade-fair-pre-report K 2007) The diversity of possible uses of plastic structural parts is only matched by the diversity of requirements imposed on the joining methods to be employed. The scope for progressive innovations to extend the possible uses of each joining technology is correspondingly great. Constant developments in the field of joining technology are opening up ever more new fields of application. Methods associated with ...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-10-19, Low-Density Polyethylene (PE-LD/PE-LLD)
Low-Density Polyethylene (PE-LD/PE-LLD) Different Growth Rates (Trade-fair-pre-report K 2007) PE-LD and PE-LLD have taken very different paths in the past three years. PE-LD no longer displays exceptional growth rates, while the PE-LLD market is much more dynamic. Worldwide, about 35.8 million t of this material were consumed in 2006. The growth is attributable, however primarily to the demand for PE-LLD, which has been growing at a rate of 6% p.a. Nevertheless, PE-LD is not dead yet. Mike F...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-10-19, Value Creation Extended
Value Creation Extended Being a producer of raw materials, Victrex plc. in Thornton Cleveleys (GB), has started operation of the first large-scale plant to exclusively produce high-performance flat films based upon polyether etherketone (PEEK). Kunststoffe Editor-in-Chief Gerhard Gotzmann has talked to Victrex Chief Executive David Hummel about the reasons for now producing the films in addition to the raw material. Kunststoffe: Why did you decide to become a processor? Do you see any advant...