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Plastics Technology, 2004-04-30, Recycled PET/PE Alloys Show Promise In Monofilament, Pallets, Pipe
Alloys of polyethylene and recycled PET were the highlight of the annual SPE Global Plastics Environmental Conference (GPEC) in Detroit in February. In the last 18 months, three European processors ha...

Plastics Technology, 2004-06-01, Belt Polishing of Clear PP Film Proves Itself in Production
An unusual cast-film process that drops a melt curtain of polypropylene between a flexible steel polishing belt and a chill roll has now proven successful in high-volume commercial production. This Sl...

Plastics Technology, 2006-12-14, Long-Glass Thermoplastics and Blow Molding Grab SPE Automotive Awards
Long-glass reinforcements and structural blow molding accounted for four of this year"s nine SPE Automotive Innovation Awards, presented last month in Detroit. Seven of the nine winners utilized ...

Plastics Technology, 2007-12-06, Foamed PLA Shows Promise In Biodegradable Meat Trays
Foamed food trays made of polylactic acid (PLA) resin, the corn-based biopolymer, have a commercial toehold in Europe and are undergoing market tests here. They are used to package meat or fish at the...

Plastics Technology, 2008-02-01, K 2007 Materials: "Green" Is an Added Attraction In Bumper Crop of New Plastics
Among the staggering number of new plastics making their debut at last fall"s K Show in Dusseldorf, the buzz wasn"t all about faster processing or higher strength or heat or chemical resista...

Plastics Technology, 2008-10-08, A Custom Molder Takes the Next Step
The question John Winzeler keeps asking is, "How do you take the next step?" In the last two decades, he has transformed the Chicago metal-stamping company he inherited from his father into ...

Plastics Technology, 2008-10-23, TPEs Move Up the Performance Scale
This first of two articles on directions in TPE development focuses on styrenic, copolyester, polyamide, and TP urethane elastomers. The following article (p. 64) covers olefinics-- TPOs, TPVs, and PO...

Plastics Technology, 2008-12-30, Automotive TPOs: Improved Processing, Better Appearance
Last Fall"s annual SPE Automotive TPO Global Conference in Sterling Heights, Mich., heard presentations on new formulations that cut cost by eliminating the compounding step and that bridge the g...

Plastics Technology, 2009-03-04, New Processes for Food-Grade Recycled HDPE
Recycling HDPE homopolymer from milk and water bottles back into food-grade bottles is a new achievement that was featured at the Plastics Recycling Conference, sponsored by Resource Recycling magazin...

Plastics Technology, 2010-03-25, Seven-Layer R&D Line Spurs Blown Film Innovation
Business might be slow in most blown film extrusion markets, but leading-edge processors are preparing for better times by tapping into a seven-layer line installed last year at Dow Chemical Co."...

Plastics Technology, 2010-09-28, Automotive PP Compound Combines Glass & Wheat Fibers
A. Schulman Inc. in Akron, Ohio (aschulman.com), commercialized the fi rst wheat-fiber/PP compound last year to replace 20% talc-filled PP in an automotive part. The 20% wheat-fiber compound retained ...

Kunststoffe international, All about Plasticizing Screws
The required screw diameter can be ascertained on the basis of the shot volume. The formula for the average residence time can be used to estimate the degree of utilization and the thermal load on the material. Last but not least, the maximum injection pressure and the available screw torque are key variables for successful injection molding production – basic principles for the selection of a barrel-and-screw combination, and the starting point for further optimization. Designing an injection m...

Kunststoffe international, Astonishing Dynamism instead of a Mood of Crisis
© Hanser/H. Zett© Hanser/H. Zett© Hanser/H. ZettIt was good to feel the optimism. In just the first few days, many K exhibitors were already indicating that they were positively surprised by the number of visitors to their booth. What was even more important was that, despite the downturn in the automotive sector and uncertainties in the packaging industry, many of the discussions were apparently surprisingly specific. Most visitors to the booths were not just noncommittally looking for informat...

Kunststoffe international, Bring on Electromobility!
© Hanser/ H. Zett© Hanser/ H. Zett© Hanser/ H. ZettAudi first, and now Daimler – after the job cuts in Ingolstadt, Germany, the Swabian company is now following suit. Around 15,000 are now to be lost, following a significant drop in profits last year. This is due to heavy investment in technical development and electric vehicle production, and to liabilities resulting from the diesel scandal. Daimler is currently paying the price for missing out on alternative drive technologies, and cheating on...

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

Kunststoffe international, Data Management at the Tool
A tool logbook on paper is often not to hand just when you need it most. Or it is incomplete, since it is time ‧consuming to keep the information up to date. A cloud-independent, electronic tool log, which is directly integrated into the tool could make all the relevant data available directly. Digital access would allow authorized users to read or enter content, and, if needed, provide important operating instructions and information about the condition of the tool. The proven functionality and...

Kunststoffe international, Drivers of Electromobility
The transformation from the combustion to the electric engine entails several imponderabilities for the plastics industry. In part, electric drives have completely different material requirements which are becoming specifically evident with the increasing use of appropriate vehicles. The following article presents an overview of the most important changes. With the move towards electromobility, the automotive industry is facing a radical change. In the transition period, manufacturers will stron...

Kunststoffe international, Ergonomic Change in a Limited Space
There are some die transport carts on the market, usually models with low functionality. Few carts are optimized for a mold change, and in limited spaces or with high loads, most of them quickly reach their limits. This is different with automotive supplier ElringKlinger. The company has recently started using a compact model from Roemheld adapted to the individual requirements. ElringKlinger AG is a listed automotive supplier with over 10,000 employees at 45 locations worldwide. The company hea...

Kunststoffe international, Foam Beads in Gliding Flight
The particle foam crowd cannot complain about a lack of interest by potential users. At least as far as demand for products with high-quality functional and optical surfaces is concerned. However, development has stagnated since the joint research project SamPa sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Education and ‧Research reached its conclusion. There is an urgent need for action. One year after the status report “Schaumperlen im Aufwind” (Kunst‧stoffe 2/2019, pp. 21–28, only available in ...

Kunststoffe international, From Fishing Net to Particle Foam
A large part of the plastic waste in the sea comes from the maritime industry. The Danish company Plastix ‧recycles old fishing nets and ropes. The granules produced are used by JSP International, among others, to manufacture expanded polypropylene (EPP). This results in a 7 % reduction in CO2 emissions compared to ‧virgin material. In order to obtain the same properties as virgin material, the recyclates must meet strict requirements. This requires a precise analysis of the waste in the recycli...

Kunststoffe international, Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polyphenylene Sulfide Made Weldable
Especially in the automotive industry, high-performance polymers are increasingly replacing assemblies made of metal and conventional engineering plastics, but their properties often present new challenges for joining technology. With novel laser system technology, even demanding materials can be joined. Thanks to their superior properties, such as high heat and chemical resistance, low weight and dimensional stability, high-performance polymers are increasingly replacing assemblies made of meta...

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

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

Kunststoffe international, Killing Problem Microbes
An American manufacturer and an invention team from Canada have developed and patented a formulation that can permanently protect plastic surfaces and metals from microbes. The technical active destroys the cell membrane of the germs without allowing them to adapt. It is applied in an online process after extrusion or thermoforming and then cured thermally or using UV light. ViaClean Technologies LLC has developed proprietary thermal, UV and hybrid cure antimicrobial treatment formulations, eith...

Kunststoffe international, Less Granules Stock Means More Quality
In cars, LEDs are taking over ever more applications and are increasingly used as differentiating design ‧elements. They increase the geometrical variation, which poses new challenges to manufacturers of light guides. In order to ensure a high luminous efficiency even with complex geometries and elongated structures, Engel has developed a new plasticizing process for manufacturing light guides. This increases the homogeneity and purity of the melt, thus opening up new freedom for light designers...

Kunststoffe international, Medical Applications of Additive ‧Manufacturing
Anyone who introduced additive manufacturing (AM) in a company 15 years ago was a visionary. Anyone who did not do so ten years ago fell behind the early adopters. Anyone who still is not using additive manufacturing today is losing their edge over the competition. What this technology is considered capable of today and how it can be applied in many areas of application is shown (representative) by this expert’s view of medical technology. Additive manufacturing (AM) is bringing about increasing...

Kunststoffe international, New Normals
© private© private© privateThere is a lot that is different this year. With the cancellation of Fakuma, which actually would have been opening its doors in a few days’ time, a cornerstone of the plastic industry’s events calendar has gone. And, last year, who would have thought that the much-‧reviled packaging sector would suddenly become one of the plastics industry’s winners? This is due to the growing need for hygiene and greater volumes of consumer goods packaging required on account of the ...

Kunststoffe international, Paying Attention to Layers in-between
Continuous Compression Molding (CCM) technology can be applied to multilayer solutions and is referred to as Continuous Compression Molding Multilayer (CCMM). In addition to the usual benefits of CCM it offers further advantages over competing technologies. In packaging applications, compression technology makes it possible to use minimal quantities of barrier material, thus combining excellent performance with low raw ‧material costs. The Continuous Compression Molding Multilayer (CCMM) process...

Kunststoffe international, Printed Tools for High-Volume Production
Ford has selected desktop 3D printers to create various assembly tools, and can now produce jigs and fixtures, and even in highly complex designs, in-house at low cost. Ultimaker’s open filament system enables the automaker to create parts with various filaments from a range of material manufacturers and meet specific material properties exactly. The automotive industry was one of the first sectors to recognize the potential and benefits of 3D printing. Its advanced technology has significantly ...

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

Kunststoffe international, Roadmap to the Plastics Industry for 110 Years
© Hanser/Zett© Hanser/Zett© Hanser/ZettWhen something unprecedented happens, our perspective almost automatically widens. In this time of pandemic, “the biggest challenge since the second world war” has become a common yardstick. But, celebrating its 110th anniversary this year, the German Kunststoffe goes back much further than this. In this edition, we will briefly be remembering the historic dimension of the ‧industry as a whole. At the last K show, we were at last able to bolster the memory ...

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, Symbiosis of Toolmaking and Serial Production
Unforeseen downtimes in serial production are always accompanied by high costs, making it essential for ‧machines to be serviced in time. Because sensor, transmission and data storage technology have taken a big leap forward in recent years, predictive maintenance has already been realized in some industries, demonstrating a tangible benefit of Industry 4.0. The WZL and the WBA have developed a guideline for this. Production breakdown is the worst-case scenario for every serial producer! In auto...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, 30 Years of Playmobil: Investing in the Future
Sports and Leisure Investing in the Future 30 Years of Playmobil. This year, geobra Brandstätter GmbH & Co. KG celebrates the 30th birthday of its highly successful toy range. Headquartered in Zirndorf, Franconia/Germany, this toy manufacturer had the right idea at the right time, combined with sophisticated plastics processing technology and a clever marketing strategy, that enabled it first to take pole position among German toy manufacturers and then to conquer children's play rooms all...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, A Coater with a Clear Perspective
A Coater with a Clear Perspective KRD Sicherheitstechnik Cures Makrolon with Polysiloxane Lacquers Stefan Albus, Herne/Germany Despite their thermoformability, untreated crystal-clear polycarbonates make poor glass substitutes because they are not hard enough. However, applying speciality, non-scratch polysiloxane coatings by the appropriate method can rectify this deficiency. KRD Sicherheitstechnik, Geesthacht/Germany, specialises in non-scratch sealing of plasticised plastics. Since 19...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, A Commonsense Quota System
A Commonsense Quota System The Impact of the Quota Provisions of the German ELV Legislation on the Use of Plastics Siegfried Schäper, Ingolstadt/Germany The German End-of-Life Vehicle legislation is transposing European Directive 2000/53/EC into national legislation. This legislation makes it possible for the material flows of recycling to largely follow market demands. According to its provisions, lightweight engineering and the use of plastics, especially of composites and sustainable ma...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, A Contradiction in Terms?
A Contradiction in Terms? "Design for Recycling" or Design before Recycling Peter Wiedemann, Neuburg/Donau, Germany The EU End of Life Vehicle Directive is in force. It makes plastics recycling compulsory on a considerable scale. Because of the effects on type approval from 1.1.2005, account must be taken now of the requirements for "design for recycling". With the adoption of the EU End of Life Vehicle Directive, the subject of recycling has again moved into the foregrou...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, A Keep-fit Programme for Machines
A Keep-fit Programme for Machines Software for Planning and Control of Preventive Maintenance Erwin Schwab and Ralf Marzineak, Iserlohn/Germany High machine availability depends on correct adherence to time-based or state-based maintenance strategies. Software for supporting the planning, control and analysis of maintenance work allows the periodic servicing and inspection to be organised and carried out much more efficiently. Maintenance includes ensuring the required availability of ma...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, A New Pilot Plant: Customer Trials Required
A New Pilot Plant: Customer Trials Required Because of the lack of qualified technical staff, in 2000, SMS Folientechnik relocated its production plant from Droitwich/United Kingdom to Vienna in the heart of Europe. In the newly built pilot plant, the technical press were presented with a new standardised cast-stretch film production concept. The standardised Cast2020 generation (Fig.1) permits individual plant parts to be freely combined to form the complete system. Depending on customer re...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, A Wider Area of Application: Compounders and Pelletisers
A Wider Area of Application: Compounders and Pelletisers Three trends are shaping development in plastics compounding: new polymerisation plants now require compounding and pelletising systems for outputs of up to 80t/h, flexible compounding machines are needed for the growing number of plastics that have to be modified for specific applications, direct processing of compounds into semi-finished or finished products is continually gaining importance. Werner Wiedmann The machines mainly use...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Additives: Tough and Heat-resistant: New Silicone Particles for Thermosets
Thermoplastic Elastomers Tough and Heat-resistant: New Silicone Particles for Thermosets Additives A new generation of nanoscale silicone and core-shell particles is revolutionising the modification of heat-resistant thermosets. Even small additions of the new particles significantly increase the impact strength and fracture toughness of reactive resins and other plastics. Jochen Ebenhoch Highly crosslinking reactive resins, such as hot-curing epoxy resins, bismaleimide resins or cyanate resins ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Adjusted Geometries
Adjusted Geometries Optimising the Build Chamber for Plastic Fuel Tanks Andreas Wüst, Ludwigshafen/Germany Modern automotive development is marked by concurrent engineering. In practice, this means that the boundary conditions constantly change as development work progresses. The geometric design and required build chamber for the various parts of a vehicle change and, at the same time, are highly interdependent. This causes headaches in particular with geometrically subordinate parts that...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Aid for Day-to-day Business: E-commerce Portal Facilitates Business Transactions
Special E-Commerce Portal Facilitates Business Transactions Aid for Day-to-day Business. Electronic platforms for business transactions in the chemical industry are changing the relationships between customers and suppliers. They improve partnerships with customers, particularly where customised solutions bring business advantages for both parties. Klaus Schwarz Internet trading, e-commerce for short, is no longer in its infancy, but is increasingly becoming a standard instrument for day-to-da...

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-round Supplier for Polyurethane Systems
All-round Supplier for Polyurethane Systems Bayer Takes over Polyols Business from Lyondell Bayer now meets more than a quarter of the world-wide demand for the two polyurethane raw materials, toluylene diisocyanate (TDI) and diphenyl methane diisocyanate (MDI). Through the acquisition of the polyols business and its access to supplies of propylene oxide at cost from the North American Lyondell chemical company, Bayer has become an all-round supplier of polyurethane systems. With the acquis...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, All-round Talent: Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
Trend Report: Commodity Plastics Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) All-round Talent. With global consumption exceeding 29 million t in 2004, PVC is one of the most important plastics. While the clear focus is on the construction sector, other industrial sectors benefit from tailor-made products. Robert Hohenadel Torsten Rehm Oliver Mieden From 2001 to 2004, European consumption of PVC rose from 6.4 million t to around 6.8 million t. Due to more dynamic market growth in Asia, Europe’s share of consump...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Automotive Safety Parts: Sophisticated Occupant Protection
Injection Moulding Sophisticated Occupant Protection Automotive Safety Parts. In the interior design of modern cars, safety aspects play just as big a role as a high-quality appearance of the plastic components used. Gentner GmbH, Barthelmesaurach/Germany, has specialised in the production of safety-critical injection mouldings for the automotive industry, in particular in the airbag region. Robert Burzler Founded in the mid-60s by Walter and Paula Gentner, the company was initially a contract...

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, Bank Rating: Corporate Financing in the Shadow of Basel II
Corporate Financing in the Shadow of Basel II Bank Rating. Numerous companies are suffering from the restrictive lending policy of many banks. Credit institutions frequently give a poor rating as the reason for shortening a credit line or for withdrawing a credit completely. Proper preparation for the bank rating procedure can open up new financing scope. Gabriele Schäfer Irrespective of the creditworthiness of the debtor, banks have, until now, had to have capital available amounting to 8% o...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Barrier Properties: Permeability of Polymer Alloys
Blends Permeability of Polymer Alloys Barrier Properties. Polymer alloys can be used to optimise the barrier properties of polymers and are therefore promising materials for improving fuel barrier properties for the automotive industry. This article describes the advantages of alloy technology in relation to permeability properties. Benoît Brulé The materials considered in this study were commercially available alloys marketed under the trade name Orgalloy. The name stands for a complete range ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Basell’s Polish Activities: Polyolefins from Poland
Market and Management Polyolefins from Poland Basell’s Polish Activities. Poland has evolved into a highly attractive country for foreign investors. One prominent example is Basell, which, in the form of the joint venture Basell Orlen Polyolefin Sp. Z.o.o (BOP) remains the only producer of polyolefins in Poland. Through its latest investments and new technologies, the company is facing up to the expected marked rise in polyolefin consumption in Poland in the next few years. Klaus Kohlhepp Wi...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, BASF and its Customers: Profitable Growth
Market and Management Profitable Growth BASF and its Customers. By seeking even closer collaboration, BASF intends to keep growing profitably alongside its customers. Examples are the joint development of a new sports-shoe design with adidas-Salomon and the assumption of responsibility for the entire coating process at automotive producer Renault. Gudrun Klein In line with its strategic guideline, "Help our customers to be more successful," BASF is seeking to focus on even greater custom...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Broadly Based: Berstorff Enters New Markets
Special Berstorff Enters New Markets Broadly Based. Compared with 2001/02, received orders for fiscal 2002/03 were up from EUR 100.4 to 115.1 million, and sales were at EUR 113 million. Received orders for the current fiscal year are expected to run at EUR 137 million. In Russia, received orders rose from EUR 3 million in the previous year to EUR 18 million, and in China from EUR 8.6 to 14 million. The company is aiming for further growth on these markets for the current fiscal year. Exports ma...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Business Culture: Successfully Establishing a Foothold in China
Market and Management Successfully Establishing a Foothold in China Business Culture. For small and medium-size enterprises entrance into the Chinese market is still associated with significant problems. Based on own experiences SimpaTec GmbH offers support and consultation on structuring activities in the Chinese plastics market. Reinhard Haag More and more China focuses the attention of many enterprises in Germany as a future market with its apparently inexhaustible potential of workers and c...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Calcium Silicate as a Functional Filler: Wollastonite – a High-performance Filler
Additives Wollastonite – a High-performance Filler Calcium Silicate as a Functional Filler. It is only in the last 30 years that the plastics industry has discovered the mineral, wollastonite, which was previously used mainly in the ceramics industry. The more refined wollastonite powders have gained considerably increased importance as reinforcing materials for plastics. Bettina Nolte-Ernsting For a long time now, fillers have ceased to be a simple means of extending plastics compounds to redu...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Car Production in Germany: The Chances for Germany as a Location for Car Production
Car Production in Germany: The Chances for Germany as a Location for Car Production In competition with other car production locations around the world, Germany can win points not only on cost. For the future of employment at German production centres, innovative force and flexibility are paramount. To safeguard their future, it is also important to secure the financing of the ever faster innovation cycles, which are a problem in particular for the medium-sized suppliers. Bernd Gottschalk ...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, China is the Market Driver: Expandable Polystyrene (EPS)
Trend Report Commodity Plastics Expandable Polystyrene (EPS) China is the Market Driver. Global demand for EPS is high: users everywhere are opting for EPS foam as a reliable material for a wide range of applications from the construction industry to packaging for international trade. However, the main applications vary in the different regional markets. Michael Riethues Erich Klement Since they were first launched on the market, EPS foams have become an indispensable part of many industries a...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Colourmatch-capable Film Technology: A Technology Waits in the Wings
Exterior Parts A Technology Waits in the Wings Colourmatch-capable Film Technology. With this process, in contrast to previous ones, the surface is decorated in the vehicle body colour before the component is manufactured. After thermoforming and backmoulding with an LGF-reinforced thermoplastic, we end up with a finished part for the outer skin having a Class A surface. Daniel Zulkarnain Ulf Schlotterbeck Henning Gleich Thermoplastics cannot be coated online by conventional painting proce...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Commercially Highly Attractive
Commercially Highly Attractive Changes in the Corporate Landscape of Technical Plastics Klaus Kohlhepp, Frankfurt/Main, Germany Manufacturers of technical plastics are exposed to increasing change pressure due to their dependence on the globally aligned automobile industry and the electrotechnology/electronics sector. The resulting processes cause a significant change in the corporate landscape that is at present not yet final according to the opinion of many market participants. Compare...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Competing Materials
Competing Materials Materialica 2000 Presents a Complete Overview of Materials and Processes Following on from the first two successful events in 1998 and 1999, Materialica, the International Trade Fair for Innovative Materials, Processes and Applications, will be held for the third time, together with the Materials Week Congress, from September 25-28, 2000 at the new exhibition site in Munich. Because of the significant increase in the numbers of exhibitors and visitors, Materialica 2000 ...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, 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, Compounds and Masterbatches: Revival of Research and Development?
Compounds Revival of Research and Development? Compounds and Masterbatches. Once again, over 80 exhibitors presented compounds and masterbatches at the K 2004. The selected strategies of the individual companies are as varied as the challenges facing the industry: tailoring the properties of plastics to their respective applications. For the first time, several global players were not present in Düsseldorf, while family-run companies emphasised that participation in the K-fair was meaningful...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Compression Moulding of Long-fibre-reinforced Plastics
Compression Moulding of Long-fibre-reinforced Plastics Rolf Liebold, Bretten/Germany Large-area components are produced from both the thermoset materials, SMC and BMC, and the thermoplastic semi-finished products, LFT and GMT. In both sectors, new applications have been developed. The article describes the advances being made in industrial-scale processing. The manufacture of SMC (Sheet Moulding Compound) has already been described in detail elsewhere [1] and this article will only cover t...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Consumption Stabilises: Low-density Polyethylene (PE-LD/LLD)
Trend Report: Commodity Plastics Low-density Polyethylene (PE-LD/LLD) Consumption Stabilises. The methods used for the processing of low-density polyethylene have been well-established for many years and can be described as fully developed. Coextrusion processes have continued to gain importance for the manufacture of blown and flat film. This is an ideal way to combine the properties of different PE products. Total Western European PE-LD/LLD consumption grew in the period from 2001 to 2004 by ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Continued Boom
Continued Boom Expanding Demand for Plastics and Rubber Machinery Manufacturers German plastics machine manufacturers will show a successful result for 2000. In the first six months, production rose by 12 %. The growth of about 24 % in received orders can be seen as a boom. This trend is already indicating a positive sales trend in time for K'01 next year. The German plastics machinery industry has prospects of clear growth. Production, received orders and export have shown clear growt...

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, Control Engineering: New Technical Beginning in Machine Control
Control Engineering: New Technical Beginning in Machine Control Ten years have passed since the responsible persons at Arburg decided to revise the controller surface of their machine controller. The task of making ever more complex machine processes and connections controllable resulted finally in realisation of a controller with new patented features. Before Fakuma it will be extended by some functionalities. Eberhard Duffner From a control engineering point of view the past years have b...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Control Functions with Artificial Intelligence
Control Functions with Artificial Intelligence AI Brings Advantages in Precision Injection Moulding with All-Electric Machines All-electric injection moulding machines have proven that the electromechanical drive concept has advantages over hydraulic machines for the production of precision parts with thin walls and short cycle times. This article describes the capabilities of all-electric machines and where their advantages lie. Michael Kerber, Neuss-Grimlinghausen/Germany The all-elect...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Cost Efficiency and Innovations
Cost Efficiency and Innovations BASF Striving for Disproportionately High Growth in Plastics In 2000, the plastics and fibres division at BASF generated roughly a third of the overall sales of some EUR 36 billion and roughly a quarter of the overall result of some EUR 3.4 billion. With cost-efficient plant and processes, further developed specialities and a simultaneous global presence, the division is intending to achieve disproportionately high growth over the next few years. Investment of...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Cost-efficient Extruder Degassing
Cost-efficient Extruder Degassing Dry-running, Contact-free Vacuum Systems Mark Redmann, Maulburg/Germany Screw and rotary piston pumps are increasingly being used for extruder degassing. These dry-running, contact-free vacuum pumps cut the operating costs of the whole plant. In the past, vacuum systems with liquid ring vacuum pumps or oil-sealed, rotary slide vane vacuum pumps were used for extruder degassing. Liquid ring vacuum pumps have been preferred to the rotary slide vane types b...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Customer-oriented Globalisation: Process Technology as Strategic Instrument for Developing New Markets
Market and Management Process Technology as Strategic Instrument for Developing New Markets Customer-oriented Globalisation. Markets must be identified, defined and then developed with the aid of innovative products. Of greatest importance in this regard for a plastics-processing machine manufacturer is a focused, product-based R & D and well-developed, customer-oriented process technology. The objective is to develop the best-suited raw materials, machines and processes. Erwin Bürkle Matth...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Dashboards Meet Highest Requirements
Dashboards Meet Highest Requirements New Market for Slush-moulded Skins Made from TPU Jürgen Hättig, Leverkusen/Germany, and Wolfgang Kaufhold, Dormagen/Germany The requirement profile for dashboards can be roughly divided into the categories of safety, appearance, touch and environmental friendliness. Because of increased requirements, particularly in relation to airbag technology, the use of moulded skins based on thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) is growing in importance. A car dashboa...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Demand Continues to Rise: Polystyrene (PS)
Trend Report Commodity Plastics Polystyrene (PS) Demand Continues to Rise. Polystyrene still ranks among the quantitatively most important thermoplastics and after PE, PP and PVC is invariably in fourth place. Pushed by price pressure and price volatility, there is some movement on the polystyrene market, and the industry continues to consolidate. In addition product and procedure innovations will have high value nevertheless. Hans-Dieter Schwaben Consumption of PS in Europe decreased somewh...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Designing Injection Moulded Parts with FEM
Designing Injection Moulded Parts with FEM Practical Help and Experience Christian Bonten, Ernst Schmachtenberg and Nazif M. Yazici, Essen/Germany Using FEM to calculate plastics components is still fraught with uncertainties. In particular, considerable experience is needed to calculate the life expectancy. With the aid of the tried and tested approximations described in this article, FEM can be used more effectively for designing plastic parts. When dimensioning an injection-moulded pa...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Details of Economic Development: High-density Polyethylene (PE-HD)
Trend Report: Commodity Plastics High-density Polyethylene (PE-HD) Details of Economic Development. The development of the key applications for PE-HD, such as pipes, tapes, hollow articles and packaging, has shown little change in the last few years. Western Europe's share of global PE-HD capacities has decreased as a result of investments in the growth markets of Asia and Eastern Europe. In the period between 2001 and 2004, PE-HD consumption in Western Europe went up by 3.3% to 5.2 millio...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Development and Trends: Plastics – a Mature Industry?
Market and Management Plastics – a Mature Industry? Development and Trends. Plastics are predicted to show continued growth and innovation. Experts envisage that, in future, this will be driven not by new polymers, but by the custom design of supramolecular structures and integrated solutions within the plastics supply chain. Franz Brandstetter The plastics world is currently characterised by falling margins, globally standardised production technologies and growing capacity surpluses. The domi...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Development History of Plastics: Growth through Changing Times
PE103251 Special Growth through Changing Times Development History of Plastics. Plastics are markers of social change and pacesetters for technological progress. This emerges clearly from a review of their development, which started before the 20th century and has been characterised by steady growth. It all began with galalith, celluloid and thermosets, while today polyolefins and other thermoplastics are the high-volume sellers. The growth opportunities for plastics today still appear to be al...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Development Partnerships – Innovations Guaranteed
Development Partnerships – Innovations Guaranteed The rising number of high-quality plastics components in modern cars and the increasing complexity of requirements demand an ever more comprehensive knowledge of all elements of the production process. Not only the car producers but all partners involved in the production chain are part of this process and they need to co-operate at the very early stages of development. Plastic components have a strong influence on the overall appearance of a...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Development Strategy and Environmental Protection: DuPont - Growing with Engineering Plastics
Special DuPont: Growing with Engineering Plastics Development Strategy and Environmental Protection. The Performance Materials platform of DuPont plans to step up global growth of its engineering plastics business. This strategy will be supported by investment in: research and development targeted at future areas of application, application developments close to market and plants and acquisitions. The “Performance Materials platform, one of the five organisational platforms of DuPont, recorded...

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, Direct Compounding: New Directions in Plastics Processing
Special New Directions in Plastics Processing Direct Compounding. Process steps that normally occur separately during compounding at the resin supplier and during processing at the producer of semi-finished or finished goods are combined in direct extrusion and in the injection moulding compounder. The additional effort and expense incurred by the processor are considerable and must be offset by cost savings for the raw materials as well as by the benefits resulting from increased flexibility 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 and Reliable Demoulding
Easy and Reliable Demoulding Electroless Nickel Dispersion Layers to Aid Demoulding Udo Daniels, Aalen/Germany In injection moulding, fault-free production is an essential requirement for economical working. If no lubricants and release agents can be used and if the moulds have complex geometries or thin-walled parts are involved, good surface slip is absolutely essential. Electroless nickel dispersion layers are very suitable for this purpose. Studies and practical applications have prove...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Ecological Beneficial Composites
Ecological Beneficial Composites Reinforcing PMMA Thermosetting Resins with Flax Fibres Gunter Hieber, Schorndorf, Robert Kohler and Rainer Alex, Reutlingen/Germany Especially high quality materials can be produced using domestic natural fibres. Therefore existing procedures and formulations are being adapted to the requirements of natural fibres. It has thereby been possible to achieve the characteristics profile of glass fibre reinforced plastics and sometimes to even exceed it. Especi...

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, Economical Production of Barrier Film
Economical Production of Barrier Film The Innovative Films Market Calls for Flexible Machine Concepts Jochen Hennes, Worms/Germany, and Tony Rüegg, Lachen/Switzerland The property profiles of high-grade barrier films are becoming increasingly complex. Extrusion lines must be able to process a greater variety of materials than ever before. This makes enormous demands on the machine components. The ability to supply individual films quickly is nowadays more important than ever, which is wh...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Editorial: Better, Not Cheaper
Better, Not Cheaper There's no doubt about it, even our sector, which has long been spoiled for success, is finding it increasingly hard to earn money. A large number of German companies have been caught in a downwards spiral for many years. Despite increasing sales, margins are still shrinking, since costs are rising, and it is virtually impossible to boost earnings. It seems to me as if one of the latest advertising slogans to be adopted by the German retail trade – "Geiz ist geil&#...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Editorial: Nothing Comes from Nothing
Nothing Comes from Nothing! According to studies conducted by international management consultants, McKinsey & Company, Germany will only have an automotive industry worth mentioning in 20 years' time if the sector succeeds in stepping up its productivity and also in retaining one of its key attributes – namely, its ability to innovate. In view of the shortcomings of Germany's education system, it has to be feared that the country is losing this ability to innovate. In a high wage countr...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Editorial: Protected Ideas
Protected Ideas Inventions generally only prove to be valuable once they have been sufficiently protected by patents on an international scale. At the same time, this form of protection constitutes a key prerequisite for innovation, since it is the only way in which R&D costs can be recovered. Many people question the effectiveness of protective measures, however, since not all countries adhere to the internationally-valid agreements, and protected products are copied. In the wake of increasing ...

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, Efficient Warehousing and Shipping Solutions
Efficient Warehousing and Shipping Solutions Georg Utz GmbH in Schüttorf/Germany Whether for transporting medicaments, foods, cash or explosives, every container must meet particular requirements and standards. The main business of Georg Utz GmbH is the production of various types of reusable plastic containers. The boxes are injection moulded in Schüttorf and used in almost all industries. But the company does not regard itself as a container producer but as a logistics service provider. Plas...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Elastomers
Elastomers Economic Situation and Observed Trends Werner P. Lauhus, Münster/Germany World consumption of synthetic rubber is expected to grow at +2.9% per year by 2005. Of this, China expects to see the biggest growth at +8.4%. In 2000, the synthetic rubbers with most growth in demand were EPDMs, owing to the increased consumption of technical rubber goods, and butadiene rubber, because of increased use in tyre applications. Germany is one of the world’s biggest technology motors in the ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Electrical - But Safe!
Electrical - But Safe! Requirements Concerning the Design of Electrical Injection Moulding Machines Winfried Gebauer, Berthold Heinke, Düsseldorf/Germany Joachim Vettkötter, Frankfurt am Main/Germany According to the Machinery Directive, injection moulding machines are among the types of machine that represent a `greater potential risk'. They are listed in Appendix IV of the Machinery Directive. In an injection moulding machine, the greatest risk is in the mould area, in which above al...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Energy Contracting: Reduced Costs through Energy Efficiency
Energy Contracting: Reduced Costs through Energy Efficiency Taking the example of a medium-sized plastics-processing company, this article highlights the areas of supply engineering that offer what, in some cases, is considerable scope for savings. Isabelle Henkel, Jens Becker Companies which are not of a sufficient size to have an expert at their disposal for each individual area of their energy-conversion plant, or companies which have cut back on staff for their energy-engineering plant...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Engineering Plastics as a Growth Market
Engineering Plastics as a Growth Market DuPont Anticipates Double-digit Growth Rates for Sales and Earnings Even after the strategic realignment at DuPont, engineering plastics will continue to be one of the company's core businesses. With world wide sales of around $ 2 billion, DuPont is the market leader in this field. Its portfolio covers polyamides, polyesters (PBT and PET), polyacetals, polyimides and liquid crystalline polymers (LCP). After its withdrawal from the energy business...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Environment: Ecological and Toxicological Requirements Concerning Adhesives
Joining Technology Ecological and Toxicological Requirements Concerning Adhesives Environment. New environmental standards in the automotive industry necessitate certain changes in the production of adhesive systems. The replacement of specific adhesive components such as alkylphenol ethoxylates and isothiazolinones with environmentally friendly components requires a large amount of testing and optimisation work in order to obtain the same adhesive properties in the new product. Jan Müller D...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Epoxy Resins (EP)
Epoxy Resins (EP) Juan Antonio Merino, Horgen/Switzerland Just like most companies in the volatile economy of the last year, manufacturers of epoxies had a challenging business environment in 2001 with high raw material costs and a slowing global economy. Raw material costs have somewhat stabilized, and there is increasing confidence that we have or will soon pass the bottom of the business cycle. By the second half of 2002, we expect to see a resurgence in growth around the world. World c...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Estimating the Material Properties: The Route to a Working Prototype
Rapid Prototyping The Route to a Working Prototype Estimating the Material Properties. Developing an intake manifold for a V6 engine required a range of functional tests. A number of prototypes had already failed due to a lack of stability, and the alternative of producing the required parts from series material, was impossible on cost grounds. A methodological approach to the material selection for prototype construction was seen to open up the way to a solution. Tom Mueller In the past, ra...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Evolution, Not Revolution
Evolution, Not Revolution Prototyping at Euromold: Optimisation of Existing Processes C. Bonten, C. Janßen and T. Seul, Essen/Germany Euromold 2001 clearly showed that in the field of rapid prototyping the innovative focus of equipment manufacturers last year is more on optimising than on developing new processes. Fig. 1 shows that demand for models and prototypes remains unbridled. The clouds of alchemy surrounding rapid prototyping are clearing, with many visitors showing that they are...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Exhibition Preview: North American and Canadian Products at K 2004
USA-Special North American and Canadian Products at K 2004 Exhibition Preview. In Düsseldorf, more than 140 U.S. American and Canadian Companies will present their innovations for the first time to an European specialist audience. The editors of the magazine Plastics Technology have assembled a selection of the most important developments. With this thematically structured preliminary report you can effectively prepare your visit at the K show. Injection Moulding News from includes all-electr...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Expandable Polystyrene (EPS)
Expandable Polystyrene (EPS) Jürgen Fischer, Ludwigshafen/Germany Since their introduction nearly 50 years ago foam materials made of expandable polystyrene have captured a large market. Today about 2,5 million tonnes of raw material are processed world-wide into EPS foam. During the last ten years growth was about 5 % p. a.. Producers and Capacities The raw material supply in Western Europe is broadly varied. About 25 European manufacturers compete among themselves with standard products...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Extrusion Technology of the Future
Extrusion Technology of the Future New Developments, Trends and Concepts from the Point of View of Machine and Line Manufacturers Wolfgang Studener and Norbert Kreth, Bad Oeynhausen/Germany To remain competitive, extrusion processors must produce ever-higher quality at ever-lower cost. Is the philosophy of zero-defect and zero-tooling time in extrusion technology really feasible or just an ideal goal? Innovation cycles are getting shorter while cost pressures on extruders are intensifyin...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Extrusion: Automation – Right Down the Line
Extrusion: Automation – Right Down the Line Highly automated extrusion lines are nowadays needed for the production of profiles, pipes and cables. Consequently, a number of different control systems must be built into the overall automation arrangement. A new concept enables simple control and operation of all the components of the extrusion line. Werner Eberlein Following several years of development and close coordination with customers, Siemens AG is now offering a complete automation p...

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, Favourable Level of Business Abroad
Favourable Level of Business Abroad Plastic Processors Moving Ahead Growth in the plastics processing industry was once again clearly above growth in the gross domestic product in 2000, at 5.2 % in real terms. All in all, the favourable level of business abroad was more than able to offset the renewed decline in sales in the construction industry (-5.4 %). The plastics processing industry recorded a clear increase in business in the year 2000. Sales in the sector rose 7.6 % in nominal term...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Film Extrusion: For Flexible Packaging
Film Extrusion: For Flexible Packaging “Evolution Following Revolution” was the motto chosen by Windmöller & Hölscher for their last open house. Having presented a fairly spectacular double-deck air ring at K 2001, this time they were exhibiting developments and improvements in extrusion technology. Windmöller & Hölscher, manufacturers of machines for flexible packaging, served up a series of recent developments at their open day in Lengerich near Osnabrück/Germany last May. Around 450 visit...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Film Extrusion: PET Extrusion without Pre-drying?
Extrusion PET Extrusion without Pre-drying? Film Extrusion. The degassing technology represents a realistic alternative to pre-drying or at least a useful addition to it. Studies show that the processing of undried granules is possible on a single-screw extruder with the aid of degassing. Walter Michaeli Torsten Schmitz The market for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) over the last few years has been characterised by rapid growth. Everyone seems to be talking about the material and, not too lo...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Flexible Production of Moulded Parts
Flexible Production of Moulded Parts Radically Revised Concept for Automatic Shape Moulding Machines Klaus Baumann, Hasloch/Germany A new generation of automatic moulding machines looks set to provide processors with high flexibility and short cycle times. The most important developments are the design of the clamping unit, the use of two different drives and a user-friendly control system. About 2.3 million tonnes of EPS is processed around the world each year. A wide range of other par...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Focus on Injection Moulding Technology
Focus on Injection Moulding Technology Engel Points the Way for the Future In posting sales of around EUR 500 million in the last financial year 1999/2000, the Engel Group took yet another step along the road to success. The driving force behind the company's progress was the continuing development of the injection moulding technology. Engel's declared aim is to safeguard the company's future by increasing its market share particularly in North America and Korea. Engel, as an i...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Foretaste of K 2001
Foretaste of K 2001 More than 2500 Exhibitors Expected Petra Thomas-Hasenzahl, Heidelberg/Germany The International Trade Fair Plastics and Rubber in Düsseldorf/Germany has been the world's most important meeting point for mechanical engineers, raw materials manufacturers and processors in the sector since 1952. At the last K in October 1998, 265 000 experts from over 100 nations attended. This year's K, the 15th, takes place from 25 October to 1 November under the motto "visio...

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, Full House: Innovative Systems Prove an Attraction
Market Innovative Systems Prove an Attraction Full House. A high-powered programme, an attractive setting and a clear upwards trend in the number of participants – the VDI’s annual Injection Moulding conference is on the way to achieving its aim of becoming an institution. Wolfgang Kircher The number of participants at the annual injection moulders' conference in Baden-Baden each Spring is generally a good barometer of the economic climate. If a large number of injection moulding experts m...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Gas Phase Fluorination: Reducing Plasticiser Migration
Additives Reducing Plasticiser Migration Gas Phase Fluorination. Plasticisers have special importance in producing PVC. They can be used to adjust the properties of PVC over a wide range from hard to leathery soft. The plasticiser migrates from the PVC and accumulates on the surface. Plasticiser migration from PVC can be significantly reduced by pretreatment with gas phase fluorination. Sindy Mosch Carsten Rehwinkel Bernd Möller Since the beginning of mass production in the last century plastics...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Gas-assisted Injection Moulding: Accurate Determination of the Injection Points
Gas-assisted Injection Moulding: Accurate Determination of the Injection Points In the process design of gas-assisted injection moulding process, the positions of the melt and gas injection points have a decisive effect on the subsequent part quality. Part two of this three-part series uses an FE simulation to illustrate the effect of melt distribution on the gas bubble profile, and shows a way to determine the optimum injection location. Helmut Potente, Hans-Peter Heim, Helmut Ridder Befo...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, GIT, Sandwich and Two-component Moulding in Practice and Research: Correct Application of Multicomponent Processes
25 Years of KTP Correct Application of Multicomponent Processes GIT, Sandwich and Two-component Moulding in Practice and Research. The article gives a brief survey of gas-assisted injection moulding, multi-component composite injection moulding and sandwich injection moulding. It highlights application problems in practice and potential solutions from research at the KTP. Despite the fact that the term "multicomponent process" is only used in the literature in the context of the injectio...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Glazing: Coating Ensures Clear View
Plastic Composites Coating Ensures Clear View Glazing. Special coating systems protect polycarbonate products from UV radiation and increase the abrasion resistance and chemical resistance of the components. Applications include noise barriers, safety glazing on passenger ships and automotive safety glazing. Gerd Brammer Polycarbonate (PC) is distinguished not only by its high fracture resistance and light weight but also by its excellent transparency and formability. The disadvantage of this m...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Good is Not Enough: From Initial Idea to Successful Product
Innovation Management From Initial Idea to Successful Product Good is Not Enough. The chances of success for innovations and thus long-term economic growth are basically determined by favourable underlying economic and political conditions. It is particularly important for the marketing units of the companies to recognise which way technological developments are going and to correctly appraise the market opportunities. Stefan Marcinowski Chemical innovations make our life more pleasant and c...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Growth Market for Powder Injection Moulding
Growth Market for Powder Injection Moulding Opportunities for Processors Frank Petzoldt, Bremen/Germany The injection moulding of metal and ceramic powder materials (powder injection moulding - PIM) has become established as a competitive technology for precision parts. PIM's success results from the high freedom of shaping allowed by plastics injection moulding technology combined with the wide choice of materials offered by powder technology. This leads to a dynamically growing marke...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Guest Editorial: “Constant Innovation is a Key Requirement”
Guest Editorial “Constant Innovation is a Key Requirement” With a share of roughly one-third, Europe will remain a major contributor to global production of plastics into 2010 and beyond. Dr. Günter Hilken, head of the Business Unit Polycarbonates at Bayer MaterialScience and chairman of PlasticsEurope Deutschland, commentates on the current situation and the forecasts for growth in the plastics industry. Dr. Günter Hilken on the future of plastics production in Germany, Europe and the world ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, High Density Polyethylene (PE-HD)
High Density Polyethylene (PE-HD) Gerd Beer, Kehl/Germany PE-HD sales in Western Europe will increase by about 0.6 million tonnes during the period from 1998 to 2001, thus between K' 98 and K 2001. Up to the next K in 2004 a further consumption increase by around 0.75 million tonnes is expected. PE-HD is still an innovative and high growth material that continues to open new market opportunities through well-directed product improvement. Shrinking market segments due to structural change...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, High Growth Rates: Polycarbonate (PC)
Special: World Market Polycarbonate (PC) High Growth Rates. With an annual growth of between 8 and 9%, polycarbonate (PC) has been one of the 'outperformers' among the engineering plastics in the last few years. The latter have been growing by an average of about 6% p.a. worldwide. Demand for PC will continue to rise at an above-average rate especially in the Far East, which is why manufacturers are currently focusing their investment activities on that region. PC blends will play a bi...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, High Output or Flexibility?
High Output or Flexibility? Profile Production with Twin-screw Extruders Christian Stützinger, Kronach/Germany In recent years, significant advances have been made in profile extrusion in terms of output and maximum line speed. Pressure on costs and continually increasing demands on production quality and output have led to the development of high-output extruders and various special designs. In development, cost efficiency, easy maintenance and processing flexibility combined with straigh...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, High Requirements - Low Investment Costs
High Requirements - Low Investment Costs LFI-PU Process: Ripe Flexible Technology Wolfgang Frehsdorf and Wolfgang Söchtig, Munich/Germany The trend toward light construction in automobile manufacture continues unbroken. More and more frequently plastics provide light-weight solutions where metals have been used for decades. The LFI-PU-process, for which no pre-formed glass mats are necessary, was developed for making large, complex parts. Instead, a mixing head supplies the moulds with a P...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, High-density Polyethylene (PE-HD)
High-density Polyethylene (PE-HD) Gerd Beer, Helmut Danz, Christof Justus, Rainer Mantel, Jörg Schnorr, Michael Vogt and Albert Weber This article traces the development of consumption and applications of PE-HD in various industries. Market Trends From 1998 to 2001, PE-HD consumption in Western Europe grew by 3.5 to 4.0% to 4.75million tonnes. This trend for PE-HD is likely to continue in the coming years. In this period, exports to overseas and to Eastern Europe increased by about 150 to...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, High-grade Bath Concepts: Pampering the Senses
High-grade Bath Concepts: Pampering the Senses Many people dream of having a bathroom in which they can really spoil themselves. Luxury baths with a high-grade plastic finish appeal to the senses. Two different composite concepts that give such bathtubs the necessary stability owe their success to an invisible composite partner: polyurethane. Polyurethane provides excellent adhesion to other materials, makes them easy to process and affords adequate reinforcement even without glass fibres. P...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, High-performance Machines for Short Cycle Times: New "High-Speed" for Thin-Wall Part
Injection Moulding New "High-Speed" for Thin-Wall Parts High-performance Machines for Short Cycle Times. A highly dynamic toggle clamp system plus a fast high-performance injection unit make for an injection moulding machine with very short cycle times. The six new high-speed machines from the "Engel Speed" series cover the clamping force range of 1250 to 6500 kN. They will mostly benefit manufacturers of thin-wall parts. Gerhard Dimmler Georg Steinbichler Hans Wobbe Time is ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, High-performance Plastics: The Right Material for Future Markets
Market and Management The Right Material for Future Markets High-performance Plastics. In 2003, 275kt of high-performance plastics to the value of 4.1 billion USD were consumed worldwide. Compared with engineering and commodity plastics, which are sold in far larger quantities, the materials in this group are characterised by exceptionally high performance. They have very diverse applications, ranging from the electrical/electronics sector and automotive engineering to aerospace. Klaus Kohlhepp...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, High-temperature Polyamides: Lead-free Soldering
Engineering Plastics Lead-free Soldering High-temperature Polyamides. New high-performance polyamides allow manufacturers of electrical and electronic components to make their products flame-retardant without the use of halogens in compliance with the new legislation. At the same time, new materials based on polyphthalamide (PPA) permit economic soldering processes, which can also be carried out without defects at the significantly higher temperatures required under lead-free conditions. Klaus...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Hoffmann Mineral 100 Years: Farsighted in Matters of Innovation
Farsighted in Matters of Innovation Hoffmann Mineral 100 Years. Over four generations today’s company Hoffmann Mineral GmbH & Co. KG, registered in Neuburg an der Donau/Germany, developed from a cleaning agent manufacturer to a innovative filler expert. The right farsightedness, well aimed investments as well as confidence in the generation following in each case and in the abilities of the employees opened world-wide markets to the medium-size enterprise, particularly in the rubber industry. ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Hot-runner Systems: Controlled Conditions
Tooling Controlled Conditions Hot-runner Systems. For precise balancing of a multicavity hot-runner mould, neither cavity pressure sensors nor filling studies suitable cavity temperature sensors compensate for viscosity changes in the melt by changing the hot-runner nozzle settings until every cavity has been filled at the same time. Christopherus Bader Christian Burkhart Erwin König Recent years have seen a proliferation in the number of multicavity moulds used in injection moulding production....

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Hybrid Profiles in EPDM and TPV
Hybrid Profiles in EPDM and TPV Production with Single-Step Technology Ger Vroomen, Heerlen/Netherlands and Lothar Köster, Hamburg/Germany Multi-component applications in EPDM and thermoplastic vulcanisates (TPV) can be economically produced by a newly developed and patented hybrid coextrusion technique. The main advantages of the process are the high freedom of design of components produced in this way and the reduced number of production stages. Rubber, with its flexible, elastic and e...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Hybrid Technology with Braided Preforms: Ski Poles by Multilayer Technology
Composite Material Ski Poles by Multilayer Technology Heiner Becker Hubert Schneider Hybrid Technology with Braided Preforms. Modern plastic technology, if intelligently applied and developed, offers the possibility of injection moulding thermoplastics with endless-fibre reinforcement. These plastic-plastic hybrids can solve problems of conventional designs and replace traditional composites in selected applications. Thermoplastic materials with endless fibre reinforcement are principally use...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Hydraulic and All-electric Injection Moulding Machines in Practice
Hydraulic and All-electric Injection Moulding Machines in Practice The Experiences of Manufacturers Johannes Wortberg and Thomas Kamps, Duisburg/Germany This article describes the characteristics of different types of drive engineering used in injection moulding machines from the viewpoint of processors. It is based on conversations and interviews with injection moulders, some of whom have been producing on injection moulding machines with different types of drives for many years. Drives...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, In-line Production Control: Film Inspection – A Question of Location
Extrusion Film Inspection – A Question of Location Oliver Hissmann In-line Production Control. Film inspection systems support the film manufacturer in the objective quality control of his products and in process optimisation. When integrating such a system, the question arises of where to install it: should it be located in the extrusion, laminating or cutting section? Each variation has its advantages. The customer expects perfect quality. The film manufacturer wants to make optimum use of...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Injection Moulding (2): Increasing Productivity and Cost Efficiency
Trade Fair Report Increasing Productivity and Cost Efficiency Injection Moulding (2). From the mechanical engineering angle, the injection moulding machinery manufacturers had both small and large-scale innovations and improvements on display at their product exhibitions at K2004. The subject of drive technology was once again or perhaps more accurately, continued to be, a topic confronted by all the machine manufacturers, even if to highly differing extents. This holds true of all the marke...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Injection Moulding and Crosslinking
Injection Moulding and Crosslinking Economical Processing of Polyester BMC and Thermosets Dietrich Hunold and Hans Wobbe, Munich/Germany Thermoset plastic moulding compounds are still associated with outdated processing techniques. Huge innovations in thermoplastic materials, particularly their heat resistance, have even led to predictions of the early demise of thermosets for large-scale plastic applications. However, thermoset processing has caught up. It is now a highly economical, state-of-t...

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

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Injection Moulding Simulation: Balancing a Family Mould
Simulation Balancing a Family Mould Injection Moulding Simulation. Multi-cavity moulds with identical cavities can generally be supplied with melt via identical runners (natural balancing). With dissimilar cavities, however, identical runners will finish filling the individual cavities at different points in time. Only through customised adjustment of the runners is it possible for the filling of the different cavities to be completed virtually simultaneously. Eberhard Gaitzsch Kathrin Klamt ...

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 Moulding Technology for the Packaging Industry (1): Pace Setters Reduce Costs
Packaging Pace Setters Reduce Costs Injection Moulding Technology for the Packaging Industry (1). Its many years of experience as a supplier to the packaging industry gives Husky Injection Molding Systems a valuable perspective in developing complete packaging systems. Part 1 of this series of articles focuses on high-speed injection moulding machines and innovative hot runner technology for stack moulds. In the early 1970s Husky, in close cooperation with manufacturers and plastic processor...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Injection Moulding Technology for the Packaging Industry (4): Differentiation of Products for Thick and Thin
Injection Moulding Differentiation of Products for Thick and Thin Injection Moulding Technology for the Packaging Industry (4). While the trend towards high-quality, attractively decorated thinwall packagings is continuing, manufacturers of thick-walled packaging solutions are looking for ways of reducing the manufacturing costs of their quality products. The Canadian injection moulding machine manufacturer Husky has efficient solutions for both. Demand for comprehensive in-mould labelling (IML...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Injection Moulding under Clean Room Conditions: Machine and Process Technology for Medical Products
Injection Moulding Machine and Process Technology for Medical Products Injection Moulding under Clean Room Conditions. A modular and adaptable series of injection moulding machines is especially well-suited for medical products. Components can be selected on the basis of the particular requirement profile. The cantilevered two-platen clamping unit is especially economical: Thanks to this design, only part of the machine needs to operate in the clean room. Reiner Jensen The market and products r...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Innovation and Efficiency: Bayer: Success by Splitting the Plastics Activities?
Special Bayer: Success by Splitting the Plastics Activities? Innovation and Efficiency. As part of its corporate restructuring, Bayer AG is appearing at K 2004 this autumn with two fundamentally different plastics companies: MaterialScience concentrates on innovations, while, since July 1, the new Lanxess has oriented itself towards cost efficiency and worldwide niche markets for “mature” products. Through its reorganisation, Bayer MaterialScience aims to focus even more clearly on its strength...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Innovations Today and Tomorrow: Polypropylene for Flexible Packaging
Packaging Polypropylene for Flexible Packaging Innovations Today and Tomorrow. The continuous improvement of flexible plastic packaging – driven primarily by the wishes of the consumer – is being helped along by the constant further development of polypropylene. With both flexible and rigid films – and especially with transparent cast film – enormous progress has been made in the last ten years. An important new impetus has also been provided by the development of new easy-to-open, easy-to-han...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Interview with Dr. K. Bourdon: “We Need to Strengthen our Corporate Identity”
Market and Management Ferromatik’s “Innovation World” open day was a huge success, attracting over 1000 professional visitors (see report on page 4). Kunststoffe editor Clemens Doriat met Dr. Karlheinz Bourdon, president of global plastics machinery of Milacron Inc. and interim managing director of Ferromatik Milacron Maschinenbau GmbH, on the fringe of the event in Malterdingen/Germany. “We Need to Strengthen our Corporate Identity” Karlheinz Bourdon on the German/American collaboration, the G...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Interview: Newly Reorganised for the Future
Interview Newly Reorganised for the Future Jos Goessens on the importance of the German automobile market for DSM and plans that the company has for Asia. DSM recently underwent a reorganisation as a global chemical company with life science products and specialties to prepare itself for the future. Kunststoffe plast europe asked Jos Goessens, President DSM Engineering Plastics, what growth potential DSM sees worldwide for engineering plastics. Kunststoffe: What growth in sales does DSM expect...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Interview: Quo Vadis Polycarbonate Glazing?
Interview Polycarbonate (PC) has made the breakthrough into automotive glazing. This was the view of experts from Bayer MaterialScience AG at a company press conference. But where is the technology headed, and what are the challenges that it has to face? Quo Vadis Polycarbonate Glazing? Volkhard Krause, head of the Automotive Glazing Team at Bayer MaterialScience, talks about the current state of affairs and future developments. ? For a long time, wear-resistance and weatherability were consi...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Interview: The Benefits of Joining Ranks
Interview The Benefits of Joining Ranks The management of Hennecke on the company's situation following the restructuring of the Bayer Group and on its assessment of the markets in the polyurethane sector. The restructuring of the Bayer Group has repeatedly prompted discussions in the polyurethane market as to the future of Hennecke GmbH, a Bayer Group company engaged in the field of polyurethane technology. Kunststoffe plast europe spoke with Rudolf Brumund, Managing Director at Henneck...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Interview: “Ensuring Sustainable Development”
Interview At a press meeting held jointly by adidas, Renault and BASF, Dr. John Feldmann, member of the board of executive directors of BASF AG, talked to Gudrun Klein, responsible for materials and applications at Kunststoffe, about the tasks involved in implementing the company’s strategic guidelines. “Ensuring Sustainable Development” Dr. John Feldmann about BASF’s recipe for success in its collaborative ventures with customers. Kunststoffe: Dr. Feldmann, as a member of the board of execu...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Interview: “Faith-healing is not Enough”
Market and Management Interview: “Faith-healing is not enough” The new captain on board SMS Plastics Technology has set a new course, given a few sharp commands (edition 8/04, page 50) and hoisted the sail. So will the wind now pick up or is Wilhelm Schröder merely puffing up his cheeks? Clemens Doriat and Gerhard Gotzmann, editors of Kunststoffe, wanted to find out. Wilhelm Schröder talks about the end of a downward spiral, the art of motivation, misdirected ambition and catering to customers...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Large Investment Plans: Polyurethanes (PU)
Special: World Market Polyurethanes (PU) Large Investment Plans. The global polyurethanes market is characterised by steady growth, which is currently averaging some 5% per annum. This growth is being driven not only by increasing demand for materials for established applications but also, especially, by innovations and new application possibilities. Polyurethanes – discovered by Otto Bayer nearly 70 years ago – are extremely versatile materials that have been continually developed over the yea...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Large-sized Vehicle Parts
Large-sized Vehicle Parts VW Plant in Braunschweig Produces Instrument Panels on a 32000kN Large-scale Machine The plastics processors at Volkswagen’s plant in Braunschweig are producing instrument panels for a new people carrier. The complete production system including the injection moulding machine (clamping force: 32000kN), linear robot, suspended conveying system and additional peripheral equipment has been planned by Battenfeld. VW produces 450 different plastic components at its Bra...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Laser Sintering: For Tools, Looms and Water Cooling
Rapid Prototyping For Tools, Looms and Water Cooling Laser Sintering. New applications and new materials for laser sintering were presented at the last EuroMold. Customers from different industries use laser sintering systems for manufacturing a variety of parts. A laser sintering system for direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), the Eosint M 270 (Fig.1), was unveiled by EOS GmbH, Krailling/Germany at EuroMold 2003 in Frankfurt/Germany. The system operates with a new laser generation, the fibre l...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Laser Sintering: Rapid Prototyping on its Way to Series Production
Rapid Prototyping Rapid Prototyping on its Way to Series Production Jochen Weidinger Martina Methner Laser Sintering. The term “e-manufacturing” introduced by EOS means fast, flexible and cost-effective production directly from electronic data. Applying this method, parts from each stage of the product lifecycle, from the prototype in product development to individual parts, series parts or even spare parts may be manufactured quickly and economically. Laser sintering has been known as a ra...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Laser Transmission Welding: The Third Dimension
Joining Technology The Third Dimension Jie-Wei Chen Laser Transmission Welding. A new welding process based on contour welding can be used to weld complex parts with three-dimensional seams. An air-cushioned, rotating glass globe transfers the necessary contact pressure to the joint. This leads to completely new applications in automotive engineering and the technical textiles industry. Laser welding is used in many different industrial applications. Where conventional technologies reach their l...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Laser Welding: A Wider Choice in Colours
Laser Welding: A Wider Choice in Colours While laser beam welding of thermoplastic components is becoming increasingly widespread, the method has one major disadvantage: there is only a limited range of component colours to choose from. A new processing method may remedy this detriment, since it allows a free choice of colour for the visible outer plastic piece to be joined, which determines the optical appearance. Frank Krause, Edmund Haberstroh, Reiner Lützeler Laser welding is very popul...

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, Laser-sintering Technology: Series Production in Miniature
Laser-sintering Technology: Series Production in Miniature Whether in automotive engineering, household appliances or medical technology – an increasing number of sectors are employing laser-sintering for the series production of plastics parts. This is a technology that is virtually unmatched by any other when it comes to satisfying the current trend towards increased customisation and a greater range of variants. Michael Shellabear, Volker Junior There can scarcely be a trickier installa...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP)
Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) Achim Hofmann, Kelsterbach Challenges facing suppliers of modern, high-grade, functional components include progressive miniaturisation combined with increased moulded part complexity due to function integration, ever-decreasing life-cycles, and in some cases huge production numbers. LCPs offer an excellent combination of properties that meets the ever-increasing demands placed on the properties of the materials to be used. Since their introduction at the begi...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Liquid Crystalline Polymers (LCP)
Liquid Crystalline Polymers (LCP) Bernd Sparenberg, Frankfurt am Main/Germany Over the last three years, liquid crystalline polymers (LCP) have undergone a remarkable development. With growth rates of between 15 % and 20 % p.a. this material has established a strong market position with a turnover of approximately EUR 300 million. This successful evolvement has been possible due to the speedy advancement of the mobile phone and internet industries. LCPs range among the most important materia...

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, Logistics: Centralised Painting of Plastic Parts
Processing Centralised Painting of Plastic Parts Logistics. Centralised painting of plastic parts for the automotive sector can reduce colour mismatches and simplify logistics. This concept also offers plastics processors an interesting opportunity to gain a competitive edge. Tobias Rinza A concept is being debated within the automotive sector that concerns the location and core expertise of suppliers of coloured plastics: the centralisation of plastic parts painting, i.e. painting of all plas...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Low VOC Values
Low VOC Values Special Catalysts for Polyurethane Moulded Foam Sven Keimling and Matthias Sikorski, Hamburg/Germany The replacement of traditional, non-reactive amine catalysts like triethylene diamine by a special reactive amine in polyurethane foam systems permits a significant reduction in the substances released from the moulded foam. As a result, new possibilities are opening up for VOC-free solutions in car interiors. During the last few years, continual improvements have been made...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Machine Control: Better Quality and Productivity
Blow Moulding Better Quality and Productivity Machine Control. For consistently high product quality in blow moulding, it is necessary that the most essential production steps be controlled via closed loop instead of open-loop control. This method results in high reproducibility, consistent quality, process acceleration and, in turn, enhanced productivity. Harald Kronemeyer The last generation of the TMC-4 machine control produced by the Moog GmbH, Böblingen, is designed for all types of bl...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Machine Maintenance 2003: State of the Art and Future Trends
Machine Maintenance 2003: State of the Art and Future Trends Erwin Schwab, Ralf Marzineak A forward-looking, preventive maintenance program ensures high machine availability at all times with a minimum risk of breakdown. Regularity and transparency of the maintenance programme safeguard investment and secure a presence on the market. Intelligent maintenance enhances productivity and reduces costs. Modern-day maintenance relies on a strategy that combines the prophylactic replacement of wea...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Market & Profiles
Markets and Profiles Dynisco New Owner Audax Group of Boston/USA has taken over all companies formerly belonging to Dynisco LLC from Madison Capital Partners of Chicago/USA. The transaction affects Dynisco Instruments and Dynisco Polymer Test, both Franklin/USA, Dynisco Europe of Heilbronn/Germany and Dynisco Extrusion of Hickory/USA. Audax plans to enhance Dynisco, whom they rate as the leading supplier of measuring systems, control technology and line components for the plastics processing in...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Market and Concept: Self-colouring of ABS
Market and Concept: Self-colouring of ABS To be in a position to supply ABS granules of consistent quality all over the world at a favourable price, BASF has introduced a concept that will enable its customers to colour the ABS themselves. BASF supplies the plastics converter with natural ABS material while contracted masterbatch manufacturers supply the desired colour concentrate. Fred Baumgartner The family of styrene copolymers has been one of those plastics enjoying above-average growt...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Market Campaign: Push into New Territory
PE103087 Market and Management Push into New Territory Market Campaign. PET preforms have always been the flagship activity of Husky Injection Moulding Systems. Now, the company wants to repeat the success with new products in other fields of application. An important component of this are the company's R&D activities. At the company's pre-K2004 press conference, Volker Neuber, Vice President of Husky with responsibility for service and sales for Western Europe, described business growth...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Market News
Henschel Mixers for China Henschel has reason for celebration: the company will deliver 26 combination mixers for the production of PVC dry blend to Dalian Shide Group of China, one of the largest producers of PVC window and door profiles. This is the largest order for mixers that Henschel Industrietechnik GmbH of Kassel/Germany has ever received. Each combination mixer has a mixing capacity of 20,000 t/a delivered during 7,200 operating hours per year. Combination mixers consist of an FM 1000 f...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Market Report (1): The Italian Plastics Machinery Industry
Market Report (1): The Italian Plastics Machinery Industry Like their European neighbours, the Italian manufacturers of machinery for plastic and rubber processing suffered a considerable decline last year. A recovery can be expected in the second half of 2003, provided the economic situation does not turn around again. Alessandro Veronesi The Italian mould builders and manufacturers of plastics and rubber processing machines represent an important branch of the Italian capital goods indus...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Market Report (2): A Year to Forget
Market Report (2): A Year to Forget Consumption of plastics in Italy in 2002 was considerably lower than in previous years, with virgin material growing by just 1.4%. Growth in the use of recycled materials was hampered by a shortage of recyclable materials in the first few months and then by a decline in the prices of the raw materials later in the year. These are the conclusions reached in a market study conducted by Plastic Consult. The economic situation in Italy continued to deteriorate...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Market Report: India’s Plastics Industry
Market and Management India’s Plastics Industry Manik Mehta Market Report. How is the situation of India’s plastics industry? What are the goals and potentials of this prospering Asian country? Manik Mehta, economic journalist and expert on Asia from New York, provided Kunststoffe with an analysis of the actual situation and put the expectations of domestic industry experts into words. A senior executive of India’s leading petrochemical company, Reliance Industries Ltd., says that India’s pla...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Market Report: Taiwan’s Plastics Industry
Market and Management Taiwan’s Plastics Industry Market Report. How is the situation of Taiwan’s Plastics industry? What are the goals and potentials of this prospering Asian country? Manik Mehta, economic journalist and expert on Asia from New York, provided Kunststoffe with an analysis of the actual situation and put the expectations of domestic industry experts into words. Manik Mehta Taiwan’s petrochemical and plastics raw material producers are upbeat about future demand, thanks to the...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Market Report: The Plastics World in a State of Upheaval?
Market and Management The Plastics World in a State of Upheaval? Market Report. What is the status of the raw materials and machinery markets in North America, China and India and how are these markets developing? What are the aims of these key economic regions and what potential do they hold? Manik Mehta, an economic journalist from New York and an expert on Asia compiled an analysis of the status quo for Kunststoffe plast europe and sets out the expectations of native experts on these market...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Material Supply: More Efficient Drying
Material Supply: More Efficient Drying Infrared and vacuum drying are additional technologies now finding application in plastics processing to reduce residence times and/or energy consumption. However, great efforts have also been made in recent years to improve the efficiency of conventional dehumidified-air drying. Johannes Wortberg, Thorsten Schroer For many processors, drying the material is a necessary evil, which is particularly required in processing engineering plastics in order t...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Materials of the 21st Century: Plastics Producers Remain on Path to Growth
Special: World Market Plastics Producers Remain on Path to Growth Fred Baumgartner Materials of the 21st century. Global plastics production has grown at an impressive rate since the last K-fair in the year 2001. Nevertheless, the plastics industry, and especially plastics production, still faces major challenges. Key words are restructuring, globalisation and pressure on margins. A central challenge for the future will be to obtain reasonable margins in spite of high pre-product prices. Plas...

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, Meaningful Aid or Expense?
Meaningful Aid or Expense? What Injection Moulding Simulation Can Really Do Bernhard Gesenhues and Thomas Wittmann, Darmstadt/Germany Too expensive? Too complicated? Too lengthy? Or an aid for everyone? Although programs for designing injection moulds are very common, only a small fraction of moulds is analysed in this way. Usually this is because of the fact that possible application of the software is difficult to discern from the technical, financial and logistic points of view. Here th...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Medical Technology: Quality Begins with Material Handling
Material Handling Quality Begins with Material Handling Medical Technology. Assuring the production quality of modern injection moulding systems always begins with material handling. It is particularly important to reliably eliminate contamination with organic or inorganic particles. The article describes a fully automatic material handling system that meets the strictest quality requirements. Rasmus Wieczorek Dieter Bethke The final product can only be as good as the materials it is made of. Th...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Melt Filtration: Making Nonwoven Fabrics from Bottle Flakes
Melt Filtration: Making Nonwoven Fabrics from Bottle Flakes Impurities disrupt melt spinning processes significantly and reduce the lifetime of the spin packs, particularly when processing reclaim material. This contamination can be reliably removed through the use of a fully automatic filtration system. Monika Gneuss The increasing use of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) for bottles and the steadily improving collection system are resulting in a growing supply of PET in the form of bottle...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Microtechnology: A Question of Detail
Special A Question of Detail Microtechnology. In planning micro-injection moulds, it is essential to enter into close dialogue with the customer from the start. With microtechnology, it is particularly important to closely examine customer requirements and feasibility so that the order is executed successfully for both the customer and mould maker. Günter Konzilia The development of plastic parts is followed by the implementation in a production process. The successful realisation of a project r...

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, Moderate Growth: Polystyrene (PS)
Special: World Market Polystyrene (PS) Moderate Growth. With a global consumption of 11.3 million t in 2003, polystyrene is one of the most important plastics in terms of volume (share of total plastics consumption: approx. 6%). In the past three years, however, demand for this plastic has risen at a below-average rate. Worldwide, consumption is expected to rise by 2.9% a year to reach 13.3 million t by 2008. For polystyrene producers, the last three years have been dominated by consolidati...

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, Modular Drive Systems in the Spotlight
Modular Drive Systems in the Spotlight Arburg’s Technology Days Feature Several New Engineering Highlights The fascination of plastics machinery construction continues unabated, even several months after the “K”. This was certainly the impression gained during a visit to Arburg’s Technology Days, which drew unexpectedly large crowds. Interest focused above all on the newly presented modular drive concept. 3,000 visitors from 29 nations came to Loßburg/Germany from March 21 to 23 to see for...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, More Light
More Light Elkamet Kunststofftechnik GmbH in Biedenkopf If they are to become properly established in niche markets, plastics processing enterprises must not be afraid of unusual and demanding production processes. That it can be worth concentrating on intelligent speciality products away from oversaturated markets is illustrated by the example of Elkamet, a manufacturer of lighting globes, extruded profiles for engineering applications and tanks for vehicle applications. Back in 1954, a c...