G-Coat - PEK - Gharda Plastics Limited

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, Protective Coat for Electronics and Body
Cordless, mobile, networked devices promise comprehensive in vitro diagnostics. However, for applications in biological surroundings, the toxic electronic components must be carefully encapsulated. Therefore, cost-effective coating materials were examined regarding their interaction with biological systems. In medical technology, an Internet of Medical Things is used, in which medical products are networked by means of new communication structures and systems. The integration of cost-effective e...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Building: Trends with Polycarbonate Sheets
Special Trends with Polycarbonate Sheets Building. To improve thermal insulation, to integrate additional functions and to realise alternative solar roof concepts – these are three main foci on which development work for the building indus-try on polycarbonate sheets is presently concentrated. Transparent and translucent sheets of polycarbonate (PC) are used in the building industry frequently when it comes to making wide roof coverings as well as costly dome and roof structures. For this world-...

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, 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, Cosmetics Packaging: Trend towards Transparency
Special Trend towards Transparency Cosmetics Packaging. Elegant cosmetics tubs, pots and tubes, seductive bottles and closures – the playground of designers. Transparent thermoplastics with high chemical resistance provide them with the leeway they need for implementing their ideas. Claudia Tillmanns The purpose of packaging is to differentiate the contents from those of the competitors’ products. The trend towards presenting contents in an attractive sales package is part of the aesthetics. Tr...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Dimensional Stability and Impact Strength
Dimensional Stability and Impact Strength (PC+ASA) Blends for Automotive Body Panels Martin Weber, Heiner Görrissen and Reinhard Jakobi, Ludwigshafen/Germany Blends based on polycarbonate (PC) and acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylic ester (ASA) are noted for their good weatherability and processing stability. A new product with improved flowability and toughness has been developed for the field of automotive body panels. Applications in the field of automotive body panels (title photo) constit...

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, 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, 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, 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, Growth Through Innovations and E-Commerce
Growth Through Innovations and E-Commerce GE Plastics Expands its Product Portfolio and Service Offerings At the inauguration of the new Customer Innovation Centre at GE Plastics' European headquarters in Bergen op Zoom/Netherlands at the start of June, the company presented its latest product innovations together with its e-commerce and service activities. These areas are intended to secure the company's future growth. In 1999, GE Plastics achieved global sales of US$ 7 billion, w...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, In-line Plasma Treatment for 3D Plastics Parts
In-line Plasma Treatment for 3D Plastics Parts Rapid Plasma Activation in the Medium Pressure Range Hildegard Sung-Spitzl, Cologne/Germany The treatment of plastics parts with homogeneous plasma has so far been subject to considerable restrictions due to the fact that the available plasma sources have been limited to high-vacuum operation. With the introduction of Cyrannus plasma, large numbers of 3D parts can now also be economically treated in-line in the medium pressure range. The conce...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Injection Moulding Trends: Increased Complexity and Tighter Specifications
Injection Moulding Trends: Increased Complexity and Tighter Specifications Automation, substitution, specialisation, rationalisation: this is how the author sees plastics processing in the future. Herbert Kraibühler Plastics processing is assuming ever-greater significance on the market. A key role is being played here by new developments in the fields of - drive technology, - automation solutions, - the substitution of traditional materials and production processes by plastics and inje...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Interview: "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: “With the Four Pillar Strategy, We Are on the Right Track“
Interview “With the Four Pillar Strategy, We Are on the Right Track“ On the occasion of a press conference held by Degussa AG, Dr. Manfred Spindler, Executive Vice President and Head of the Specialty Polymers Division at Degussa, answered questions about business development and strategy. The interview was carried out by Gudrun Klein, who is responsible for materials and applications at Kunststoffe. Dr. Manfred Spindler about the main reasons for Degussa’s success in global competition Kuns...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Laser Labelling: Emission-free Labelling of Colour Films
Special Emission-free Labelling of Colour Films Laser Labelling. In industrial production lines, components are more and more frequently completed with printed labels during assembly "just-in-time". Individualised and quickly available techniques to print labels are in particularly high demand. A multi-layer film with a laser-active inner coat could offer a very advantageous solution. Thomas Köberlein Printing films with laser engraving units is becoming more and more important for p...

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

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

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

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, No Need for Painting?
No Need for Painting? Weathering Resistant Film for Automotive Body Panels A weathering resistant film is claimed to make painting of automotive body panels unnecessary. According to the manufacturers, it has the necessary surface quality for automotive body panels. A weathering resistant, pigmented polycarbonate film, consisting of a polyester carbonate based on resorcinol arylate, (grade: Sollx, manufacturer: GE Plastics) can be applied to a wide variety of thermoplastics by in-mould dec...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Parts Testing: Long-term Performance of IMD Parts
Parts Testing: Long-term Performance of IMD Parts Moulded parts made from in-mould decorated (IMD) films offer car designers attractive design options. Little is known, however, of their long-term performance outdoors. Klaus Schink, Manfred Popp, Martina Schubert It is not simply a desire for weight reduction that is boosting the use of plastic mouldings in vehicle exteriors. In-mould decoration with plastic films, already an established technology for vehicle interiors, could prove an eco...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Pipe Extrusion: Universal Lattice Basket Die
Extrusion Heinrich Dohmann Stefan Seibel Universal Lattice Basket Die Pipe Extrusion. A new, compact, two-stage die comprises a smearing thread for coarse distribution and a compact lattice basket for fine distribution. This combination and, not least, the order in which the distribution concept is configured has a series of advantages when it comes to management of the melt. The pipe market represents the biggest segment of the semi-finished product extrusion sector. Apart from polyvinyl c...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Pipes Cast in One Die
Pipes Cast in One Die Design Criteria for Spiral Mandrel Distributors Henning Stieglitz, Munich/Germany When pipe-extrusion lines are being designed, the goal is to ensure that the end product is of high quality. Although the material and process engineering aspects are important, the economics have to add up as well. This article details the functions that must be performed by spiral mandrel distributors in this key role. Spiral mandrel distributors have to fulfil a variety of demands. ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Plastic Bodies
Plastic Bodies Current Status and Trends Klaus-Erik Schmid, Sindelfingen/Germany Plastics are the materials of the future. This is particularly true for car bodies. This fact has been demonstrated by studies conducted by the major automotive manufacturers. The greater freedom of design, and the easier integration of antennas compared with steel and aluminium, and the potential for lightweight structures are increasingly important arguments for the use of plastics in these applications. T...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Plastic Spare-Wheel Well
Plastic Spare-Wheel Well Long-Fibre-Reinforced PP in Automotive Engineering Thilo Jud, Ingo Harzheim, Hans-Dieter Meinert and Roland Pettirsch-Tisler, Köngen/Germany Since September 1998, DaimlerChrysler has been equipping its S-Class with spare-wheel wells made of GMT. The use of plastics in this highly stressed vehicle application offers a large number of advantages but imposes very high demands on the material and design. Weight reductions and enhanced design and integration possibili...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Plastics Gain Ground in Car Body Production
Plastics Gain Ground in Car Body Production In Automotive OEM Painting the Process Determines the Choice of Material Hans-Peter Neuwald and Andreas Stumpf, Leverkusen/Germany Because of the difficulties and cost involved in matching shades and optical properties, conventional offline painting of plastic car body parts is the focus of considerable attention at present. New paint technologies are currently being developed for painting plastic and metal car outer body components either partly...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Plastics Packaging in the 21sup>st/sup> Century
Plastics Packaging in the 21st Century Horst-Christian Langowski, Freising/Germany Packaging is becoming increasingly lighter and cheaper, and plastics packaging is supporting this trend with technical developments pointing a long way into the future. Customers are calling for still more, however: convenience packaging, and also reliable indicators for quality and reliability. In terms of overall mass, packaging consumption has undergone a continual decline since it peaked in 1991. This tr...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polystyrene (PS)
Polystyrene (PS) Daniel Wagner, Ludwigshafen/Germany With a world-wide consumption of 10.5 million tonnes in 2001 polystyrene is counted amongst the quantitatively most important thermoplastics and continues to be ranked in fourth place after PE, PP and PVC. Also in recent years on the average the dynamic development of consumption was a little greater than that of the gross domestic products of the corresponding countries and it is generally expected that this development will continue. Gen...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Torsten Rehm, Burghausen/Germany With world consumption of 26 million tonnes, PVC is one of the most important plastics. Its outstanding price/performance ratio makes the material indispensable in many applications – particularly in the construction industry. During the last three years, PVC consumption in Western Europe rose from 5.5million tonnes (1999) to about 5.7million tonnes (2001). Growth was checked by the economic collapse of the construction industry, wh...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Pressure-Sensitive Adhesives ...
Pressure-Sensitive Adhesives ... ... the Underestimated Daily Helps Ralf Fink, Ludwigshafen/Germany Imagine you are in the shower early in the morning. Your eyes haven’t got used to the glaring bathroom light yet and you fumble around for the towel on the wall. Instead of the hook and your towel, there is only a little, sticky spot on the wall and the towel is lying on the ground. Most people have experienced situations like this before, suffering the inconvenience because a so-called pres...

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

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Processing Technologies: Processing Fibre-reinforced Plastics
Processing Technologies: Processing Fibre-reinforced Plastics The industrial use of fibre-reinforced plastics essentially depends on the degree of automation in the relevant machine technology. This review sets out to show the advances currently being made in the various processes. Peter Mitschang, Ralf Schledjewski An important obstacle to the use of continuously reinforced plastics, besides the high cost prices of the raw materials (matrices and fibres), is the fact that the machine tech...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Quality of SMC Surfaces: Paintability Enhanced
Exterior Parts Paintability Enhanced Quality of SMC Surfaces. Body panels that have been produced with a new, tough SMC material exhibit fewer hair-line cracks under load. The formation of paint pops in coated parts is avoided as a result. Michael J. Siwajek Body panels manufactured from Sheet Moulding Compound (SMC) provide many advantages over steel and other materials; high strength-to-weight ratio, lower tooling cost, and design flexibility to name a few. The OEMs have recognised these advan...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Reading by Laser
Reading by Laser The State of the Art and Future of Optical Storage Media Uli Franz and Wilfried Haese, Leverkusen/Germany Developments in optical storage media are continuing unhindered. Polycarbonate holds an undisputed position as the material for the substrates of all the systems marketed to date. The age of digital music storage began in 1982 with the European launch of the audio CD by Philips and Polygram. The new audio media provided stereo sound with a hitherto unachieved hi-fi q...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Self-contained Chemical Factory
Self-contained Chemical Factory Easy Bonding of PE and PP without Surface Treatment Lothar Müllenberg, Neuss/Germany Polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) are major performers on the plastics stage but they often remain soloists when it comes to bonding with each other or with other materials. Although both polymers are versatile commodity plastics, it has not so far been possible to bond them successfully with adhesives to produce load-bearing joints without costly pre-treatment. The...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Sheet and Film Extrusion: Precision by the Metre
Trade Fair Report Precision by the Metre Sheet and Film Extrusion. The trend towards customised extrusion lines is continuing. Machine manufacturers regard comprehensive customer service as the most important benefit they have to provide. Complex multilayer barrier films are gaining in importance. The first manufacturers therefore already supply 11-layer blown-film dies (Battenfeld Gloucester Engineering Inc.). Manufacturers of these plant technologies quote reduction of raw materials costs as t...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Silicone Composites
Silicone Composites Self-Adhesive Liquid Silicones for Inexpensive Rigid/Flexible Composites Klaus Pohmer, Burghausen/Germany The development of innovative self-adhesive liquid silicones has made it possible, for the very first time, to produce rigid/flexible composites in thermoplastics and silicones using hardened steel moulds without any coating. Liquid silicone rubber (LR) has become widely established over just a short period of time. Since it was first brought onto the market at th...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Structural RIM: Composite Materials for More Robust Automotive Parts
Structural RIM: Composite Materials for More Robust Automotive Parts An automated process for preforming glass mats and subsequent processing of preforms by the S-RIM process stands at the end of the long development chain that was necessary for the production of a lightweight, durable plastic pickup truck box. Antonio Cossolo For decades, the pickup truck has been the most widely used vehicle for agriculture, building and in chemical and other industrial plant. The floor is subject to sev...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Styrene Polymers
Styrene Polymers Material Class with Wide Application Norbert Nießner, Ulrike Breiner and Achim Grefenstein, Ludwigshafen/Germany Styrene copolymers are an interesting and versatile product class used to produce high-quality components for automotive engineering, the electrical industry, the sports and leisure sector and packaging. In addition to commodities such as standard and impact polystyrene, highly transparent, high-impact materials can be obtained by anionic polymerisation. Through its p...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Surface Pretreatment
Surface Pretreatment Activation by Fluorination Simone Fischer, Lauterbach/Germany Whether for bonding, coating, flocking or painting - a well activated surface is essential. Gas-phase fluorination meets almost all surface finishing requirements because of its high process reliability and independence from part geometry. To improve their tactile characteristics and appearance, plastics components are often painted, laminated or flocked. Since the plastics used frequently have a very low ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, The Eye Listens Too
The Eye Listens Too Simultaneous Colour and Gloss Measurement for Hi-Fi Components Using the color-guide gloss Sandra Weixel, Geretsried/Germany A uniform colour and an even gloss count as decorative quality features and play a key role in purchasing decisions. To supply a full description of the appearance of a plastic surface, or to precisely analyse the reason for visual differences being perceptible, it is necessary to determine both the surface colour and the surface gloss. The days...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Thermoplastic Films: Car Body Parts With and Without a Paint System
Exterior parts Car Body Parts With and Without a Paint System Thermoplastic Films. The range of thermoplastic films suitable for use as a substitute for paint systems for car exteriors has grown consistently since the development started, depending on the particular part and specifications. Various concepts have been verified or are being further refined. Other concepts, especially involving coatable films, are under development. Johann Kappacher Andreas Höllebauer Lukas Schwaighofer The films ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Tooling Technology and Mould-making: Trends in Mould-making
Tooling Technology and Mould-making: Trends in Mould-making What has been happening in this area in recent years? The author reviews developments in metal machining and materials technology, as well as hot-runner and tool technology, and their process and industry-specific applications. Peter Karlinger Severe competition, in particular the growing international market development, is challenging the industry to find ever more technically demanding solutions. New processes and the linking u...

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

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Wear Protection: Use of PVD Coatings in Plasticising Units
Injection Moulding Use of PVD Coatings in Plasticising Units Wear Protection. PVD coatings are already used to a large extent in mouldmaking. Depending on the type of coating, they can provide improved protection against wear, better part release characteristics or lower friction in ejector guide bushings. In a new systematic approach, PVD coatings have been investigated with regard to their suitability for use in plasticising units. Christian Gornik The abbreviation PVD (physical vapour depo...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Which Way is the Wind Blowing for GRP?
Which Way is the Wind Blowing for GRP? Materials and Processes for Manufacturing Rotor Blades Eva Bittmann, Herreth/Germany The material technology for the production of large-area rotor blades made of glass reinforced plastics (GRP) constitutes an important milestone in development. Customised resin systems, flexible, automated processing methods and high component quality document the progress made in the wind power industry. It is not just on the coast that wind farms have become a co...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-30, Extrusion Dies: Variety by the Meter
Special Variety by the Meter Stefan Seibel Extrusion Dies. Production of high-quality semi-finished plastic goods requires product-specific extrusion lines that incorporate a number of critical processing operations. Regardless of where the extrusion die is located in this sequence of important components, there is no doubt that it is ultimately responsible for the shape of the product. It is this responsibility that results in the variety of products that can be produced via extrusion. Within...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-02-21, Polyamide and ABS: Two Unlike Brothers Unite
Interior. Two Unlike Brothers Unite. Polyamide and ABS. The use of (PA+ABS) blend as a structural component in car interiors is a useful alternative to established materials and is also of interest from the cost point of view. Not only can this material satisfy the stringent technical specifications and the requirements on design variation, it can also help to significantly reduce system costs. Stefan Grutke. Most plastics are incompatible with each other. If two such plastics are blended toget...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2006-02-22, Surface Technology: Opportunities for UV Curing
Surface Technology Opportunities for UV Curing Coatings. Driven by the need to cut costs, improve quality and reduce environmental pollution, intensive trials are now being carried out to assess the suitability of new effective painting methods for plastics used in automotive exteriors and interiors. The main points discussed here include the requirements for coating components, recent coating concepts and the advantages and disadvantages of UV curing. Guido Wilke Georg Meichsner Right into t...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-03-23, PET Beverage Bottles: External Bottle Coating in a Stretch Blow Module
Packaging. External Bottle Coating in a Stretch Blow Module. PET Beverage Bottles. A process for the plasma-assisted interior coating of PET bottles has already been widely introduced in industry. Working on from the success of this technology, a scalable plant for coating the exterior of bottles by means of microwave-assisted plasma polymerisation has been developed, built and tried out on a laboratory scale. Ernst Schmachtenberg, Dirk Binkowski. Over the past few years, the continuing substit...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-06-27, Light Sources: OLED – Light of the Future
Special: OLED – Light of the Future. Olaf Rüdiger Hild. Light Sources. Organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) are lightweight, small and can be integrated into almost every object. In addition, they consume little energy. If it becomes possible to reduce their costs further, they will displace conventional light sources in the near future. The first incandescent light bulbs, which still used a carbon filament, were produced in 1854 by Heinrich Göbel. In the year 1879 Thomas Alva Edison was th...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-06-29, Fluoropolymer Processing Aids: Particle Size and Activity
Elastomers. Particle Size and Activity. Steven R. Oriani, William J. King. Fluoropolymer Processing Aids. As processing aids, fluoropolymers prevent melt fracture during extrusion of high-viscosity polyolefins. With the aid of a special dispersion technique, this effect can be improved further through use of more effective products. This article describes the mechanism involved and implementation of it in actual practice. It was originally assumed that the fluoropolymers as a process aid (fluo...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-07-31, UV Protective Coatings: A Clear Thing?
Engineering Plastics. A Clear Thing? Korinna Brammer, Anne Ramlow. UV Protective Coatings. Transparent polymers, such as polycarbonates, must be protected in the open against UV light – for example, by UV protective coatings based on polysiloxanes. Because there are no standardised test procedures, estimating the lifetime of these coatings with the aid of special weathering tests requires a great deal of experience. The development of a new, economical monophase UV protective coating shows th...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-08-06, Optically Perfect: PVD-coated Plastication Screws
Injection Moulding PVD-coated Plastication Screws Optically Perfect. One way of satisfying the high quality-specifications on plastic parts for optical applications is to coat the plastication screw. Trials with a CrAlON coating confirm that the lower melt adhesion considerably reduces the number of reject parts. Walter Michaeli et al In recent years, ever more optical components have been manufactured from plastics. Polymers are gaining greater market shares for the production of spectacles o...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-09-28, From Pretreatment to Finishing
Surface Technology. From Pretreatment to Finishing. Max Dominik. Finishing. The treatment of surfaces serves particularly to protect, improve or beautify a product. Often, a pretreatment is required for the production of high-class surfaces. The mould as well as the chill-roll and the winding technology strongly influence the quality of the film surface. As a consequence of Directive 1999/13/EG, which is intended to limit emissions of volatile organic compounds, machines and equipment used in...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2007-01-22, Foamed Polypropylene
Foamed Polypropylene Extended Portfolio The distributor Ultrapolymers sees the packaging sector as a key area of its business. The company anticipates extensive processing and application opportunities in the food packaging sector for a new foamed polypropylene extrudate. Plastics distributor Ultrapolymers Deutschland GmbH, Augsburg/ Germany, has added PP speciality Higran RS1684 from Basell to its portfolio. One of the main applications for this product is in foamed extrudates that can be co...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-03-15, More Lightweight Construction for the BMW 3 Series Coupé and Convertible Models
More Lightweight Construction for the BMW 3 Series Coupé and Convertible Models Side Panel The lightweight design soon to be launched on the market for the BMW 3 series coupé and convertible models can be economically implemented by means of a thermoplastic side panel. A specially developed (PA+ABS) blend makes this possible. Due to its adaptable properties this blend creates the preconditions for online painting of the side panel on the body in the BMW assembly process. Jürgen Korzonnek, Ro...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-04-17, Develop New Markets with Hybrid Components and Surface Treatments
Develop New Markets with Hybrid Components and Surface Treatments 2007 VDI Injection Moulding Conference For two days, February 14 and 15, Baden-Baden/Germany was once again the centre of the injection moulding industry. Because Germany’s domestic injection moulders are finding it increasingly difficult to compete costwise with the rest of the world in global competition, challenging hybrid components were included in the programme this time. The parallel session dealt with surface treatments ...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-05-14, Everything in a Continuous Flow
Everything in a Continuous Flow Injection Moulding and Surface Finishing in a single process sequence The principle of one-piece flow is currently gaining in importance in the manufacturing and processing of plastics. Working together, Balda and Singulus have developed an inline system for injection moulding, coating and painting plastic parts. The processing centre is targeted to begin operation at Balda in Bad Oeynhausen this May. Christoph Stecker Balda AG, Bad Oeynhausen/Germany, and...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-05-14, Uncompromising Eyes
Uncompromising Eyes Film Inspection Online inspection systems are an established part of high-quality film production today. A manufacturer of PE laminating and surface protection films is used to illustrate the incorporation of an integrated quality concept with the aid of practical examples. Gerd Finn Oliver Hissmann PE surface protection, interlayer, label and laminating films have to meet very high quality requirements. In particular, these films must have the lowest possible number ...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-07-18, Untrammeled All-Round Vision
Untrammeled All-Round Vision Foam Injection Molding Visual field measurement is a standard examination at the optometrist’s. The heart of the Octopus Perimeter instrument employed for this is a semi-spherical concave dome. The production process, especially the injection molding and coating, has to satisfy high quality requirements. Patrick F. Schneider Perimetry is the systematic measurement of the visual field in eye medicine (ophthalmology). Goal of the examination is to determine on one ...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-09-19, Face Lifts for Molded Parts
Face Lifts for Molded Parts Attractive Surfaces (Trade-fair-pre-report K 2007) A very large number of processes and types of equipment are needed to manufacture the current wide variety of polymer products, amongst which those for follow on and corrective processing have a very important place. In many cases the surface has to be post-processed and embellished or the polymer parts brought into the correct shape. A tour through the exhibition program. Even though the machinery sector is pro...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2007-09-19, Technology Barometer Indicates Fair Weather
Technology Barometer Indicates Fair Weather Process and Applications Technology (Trade-fair-pre-report K 2007) Now that economic indicators have been showing positive signals for some time, injection molders may once again benefit from technologically interesting developments. Machinery manufacturers have, on the one hand, succeeded in combining known technologies in novel ways and, on the other, also gone in completely new directions. It is precisely by combining known injection molding t...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-10-21, Fast-Cycle, High-Gloss Metallic Parts
Fast-Cycle, High-Gloss Metallic Parts Surface Refinement of Injection Molded Parts A new production solution for the production and surface refinement of three-dimensional plastic parts presented in May for the first time links up all the production steps inline from the granules to the processed finished product. All the sub-processes are run through on a fully automatic basis. Complex metallized injection moldings are thus obtained in less than four minutes – with minimal reject rates and no...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-10-21, Polyurethanes (PU)
Polyurethanes (PU) Rise in Global Consumption (Trade-fair-pre-report K 2007) Buoyed up by a robust world economic cycle and innovative applications, the market for polyurethanes will grow by an average of about 5% per annum over the next few years. Above-average growth rates are expected in the Asia-Pacific region, especially in China. A large proportion of investment is therefore concentrated in this region. Peter Vanacker Variety and versatility are hallmarks of PU chemistry. Material ch...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-10-21, Surfaces for Luxury Automobiles
Surfaces for Luxury Automobiles In-Mold Labeling Real wood or metal: either one applied to plastic produces a high-class surface for automobile interiors – and each has its idiosyncrasies during processing. Two new IML techniques provide increased flexibility and process reliability when manufacturing such components. Sabine Kob What would a sports car be without that cool look in the interior? For plastics processors, surfaces in automobile interiors have a special role. The car buyer per...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-11-21, Highlights: Lightweight Construction and Bio
Highlights: Lightweight Construction and Bio VDI K Conference Automobile Manufacture 2007 New uses of plastics in future generations of automobiles aim at weight reduction. Consumption and emissions can be further reduced using light weight construction and function integration. In the field of fuel contact polymeric materials must be able to handle biofuels. In addition biopolymers will find further fields of use just for image reasons. Wolfgang Kircher The Institute for Mobility Researc...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-11-21, Surface Finishing in the Cockpit
Surface Finishing in the Cockpit In-mold Coating in Demand Surfaces in the interior of automobiles can be upgraded as required by means of custom-made polyurethane soft coatings. At the same time the visual and tactile impression of the interior as a whole can also be fine tuned at comparatively low cost. Here in-mold coating extends the diversity of possibilities on account of the independent control of color and surface texture. Martin van den Berg Uwe Siebgens Bernhard Klein Polyuret...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-11-21, The "Vitreous" Car
The "Vitreous" Car Car of the Future. Being the third generation of Bayer MaterialScience’s concept cars, eXasis is aimed at demonstrating that the company’s large-series materials are also tailored to fit current trends in automotive design. In Düsseldorf, at the K 2007 plastics trade fair, too, eXasis was on display, so that interested visitors could see it. Openheartedly, "eXasis" discloses what is inside – the new concept car was designed by car visionary Frank M. Rinderkne...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-12-17, From the Plastic Part to the End Product
From the Plastic Part to the End Product Surface Technology Most plastic products must undergo secondary processing or finishing for technical and often decorative reasons. Encouragingly, many innovations on this subject were presented at K2007, in the subjective opinion of the observer even proportionately more than at past shows. Max Dominik The article deals in detail with the coating and metallizing of plastic articles; the January edition will discuss the printing of webs and parts. ...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-01-15, Make-up for Plastics Surfaces
Make-up for Plastics Surfaces Printing and Decorating (Trade Fair Report K 2007) Whether for purposes of decoration or in order to apply information – the surface refinement processes for plastics and plastic webs are many and varied. Pad printing is a mature process and one which has become correspondingly established. The situation regarding processes for decorating tubes, bottles and beakers, however, is quite different, with development potential still available to be tapped here. And the...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-02-29, Curse or Blessing?
Curse or Blessing? Anti-condensation Coatings for Headlamps Anti-condensation coatings are only capable of preventing condensation in vehicle headlamps for a limited time. This is because the surfactants, which are leached out of the coating over time, form visible deposits in the headlamp, also affecting its decorative appearance. An empirical report provides a time-tested remedy. Plastic lenses for headlights (Title photo) are now state of the art. Only a few applications now use glass len...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-04-14, No Chance for Product Pirates
No Chance for Product Pirates Laser Verifiable Pigments In many sectors pirate copies are endangering product safety and brand integrity, quite apart from having financial repercussions for OEMs. A new technology based on laser verifiable pigments is now available that allows concealed product authentication. Three project partners have now implemented this integrated product protection process for plastic parts for a leading global pharmaceutical corporation. Markus Betsche Gösta Pretel P...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-06-16, Like the Devil and Holy Water
Like the Devil and Holy Water Silicone Painting Not so long ago silicone and paint were regarded as well-nigh uncombinable. In the automotive industry the introduction of silicone into the painting process is even prohibited by strict injunctions. Due to the development of a special pretreatment paints can now be applied reliably in abrasion-proof manner to permanently elastic silicone surfaces. Bernhard Mitteregger Due to its unique properties silicone comes into consideration as a material...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-08-14, Off to New Frontiers
Natural fiber-reinforced polymers (NFRP) have been found in cars for years. Via wood-plastics composites (WPC), new paths are opening up in the mass market for innovative biomaterials. This is a branch with innovative actors, lots of action and double-digit growth rates, even though the market is still relatively small at approx. 350,000 t (including biopolymers; Table 1) in all of Europe and taking all applications into consideration. NFRP: From Cars to Everyday Products...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-08-14, Tuning for Heavyweights
Plastic pellets containing high proportions of abrasive components place severe strain on injection molds. That is what was happening at Weidmann Plastics Technology, an automotive subcontractor in Treuen, Germany. During the manufacture of plastic components for separating air and water in the fresh-air tract of BMW models, the medium-hard quenching and tempering steels were unable to resist the abrasive material for very long. It became a matter of urgency to improve the molds’performance. The...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-09-23, Smooth, Efficient Production
Plasma Technology Surface Treatment Plasma Technology GmbH, Rottenburg a.N., Germany, specializes in plasma equipment for cleaning, coating and activating surfaces. Its Plasma Spot machine (Fig. 1) generates a plasma which ranks between the atmospheric and low-pressure kinds and is suitable for making traditional surface modifications to plastics or metals. It is especially useful for selectively activating surfaces for subsequent printing, coating or bonding. Smaller variants are also a...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-10-17, Polyaryletherketones (PAEKs)
Apioneer in PAEK highperformance polymers, Victrex was formed in 1993 through a management buy-out from ICI. ICI had already launched two lineararomatic thermoplastics – polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and polyetherketone (PEK) – in 1981. Victrex plc, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange, today has production facilities in the UK and sales organizations in Europe, America, the Asia-Pacific region and Japan. Its range of over 40 products has become highly complex: various fill...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-10-17, Polycarbonate (PC)
In 2007, worldwide consumption of polycarbonate was about 3.15 million t (Fig. 1). Since the beginning of 2008, however, the market for PC manufactures has become somewhat cloudy. For instance, in spite of good material availability, they are facing a decrease in demand and having to deal with significant competitive pressure. At the same time, the high costs for energy as well as raw materials (benzene, phenol and acetone) are depressing margins, which has forced many PC produce...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-10-17, Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA)
Last year, the overall amount of PMMA molding compounds and semifinished products reached approx. 1.5 million t. PMMA offers a vast range of applications, which, at medium term, will promote this tendency to increase. Regions will grow at different speeds, though. Growth in the Far East region will be above average, most of all in China, whereas increase in Europe and NAFTA will be more or less moderate. The Asia-Pacific region is the main consumer, by now requesting more than 50 % of all PMMA p...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-10-17, Polyurethanes (PU)
In 2007, about 12.3 million metric tons of PU raw materials were processed; this will probably rise to about 14 million tons in 2010 (Fig. 1). Global consumption of the most important PU raw materials – MDI (diphenyl methyl diisocyanate), TDI (toluene diisocyanate) and polyols – maintained its growth rate unchanged at between 4 und 6 %. These figures reflect the robust worldwide economy to date, from which PU manufacturers have been able to profit. At present, production ...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-11-20, The Future Has only just Begun
In automobile construction polycarbonate glazing is establishing itself as a high performance alternative to glass. This can be seen for instance in the roof module of the Mercedes-Benz GL and the large panorama roof of the smart fortwo. The very latest example is the removable roof module of the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport. In order to further increase its activities in this area six months ago Bayer MaterialScience brought together its glazing operations under the “BayVision” name. This ex...

Kunststoffe international, 2009-02-17, Impact Modified and Highly Filled PVC Profiles
PVC compounds for extruded window profiles have been impact-modified since the start of commercial production in the 1960s. The first products used to modify PVC formulations were ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymers and chlorinated polyethylene (CPE). Later, acrylate rubber was introduced, either as core-shell copolymers in additive form or as grafted copolymers with PVC. With the commercialization of n-butylacryl-grafted polymethylmethacrylate core/shell modifiers (AIM), EVA copolymers were...

Kunststoffe international, 2009-06-16, Laser Beams Precisely Controlled
Fiber lasers have found a permanent place in materials processing, telecommunications and spectroscopy as well as in medical engineering. Essential to the success of fiber lasers is the development of special glass fibers. Due to their excellent beam quality, fiber lasers are alongside of the diode laser as complementary sources. Function of the Fiber Laser The fiber laser is a type of solid-state laser in which an optical fiber serves as the active medium (Fig. 1). As with other types of laser ...

Kunststoffe international, 2010-01-27, Scratch-Resistant in One Step
Transparent plastic parts can be found in numerous applications, for example as panels for household appliances, as covers for vehicle dashboard instruments or as display windows. Such parts can only stay perfectly transparent if the surface is not damaged by scratches or abrasion during use. This imposes very high demands on the optical quality, and mechanical and chemical resistance of the surfaces. PMMA has the greatest surface hardness and scratch resistance of all thermoplastics, yet even P...

Kunststoffe international, 2010-03-17, Complex 2-Component Process Hits the Roof
Good optical, mechanical and thermal properties make polycarbonate (PC) a preferred material for the manufacture of optical parts in the automotive industry. In 2003, Webasto AG, Stockdorf, Germany, decided to start processing PC in its plant in Schierling, Germany. The aim was to develop PC roof panels because, with a density of 1.2 g/cm3, the plastic is ideal for use in lightweight constructions. Compared to a glass counterpart, a PC roof can be up to 50 % lighter. The resultant lower weight o...

Kunststoffe international, 2010-03-17, More Inside Value
Although directly visible plastic parts in car interiors were important last year, it was the concealed innovations that gradually moved center-stage. The reason was a further intensification of the trends towards reducing costs and weight, without compromising on value, safety or functionality. At the same time, legal requirements and customer wishes are behind a drive to conserve resources and reduce pollution. Polyurethanes, especially, profited from this development by virtue of their versat...

Kunststoffe international, 2010-03-17, Plastic Surfaces Take on a New Luster
On account of steadily diminishing differences in quality and technology the end user now frequently takes a decision on a product only on the basis of its design and perceived value. With regard to the product, attention is increasingly paid to added value – specifically because the demands on surfaces are growing. An aspect of this is that developments in automobile interiors are directed towards “perceived quality” as the slogan for enthusiastic rather than merely satisfied customers. The aim...

Kunststoffe international, 2010-09-24, Flexibility Tips the Scales
Optimized mixing and dosing units, as well as flexible plant layout, are increasingly customized to meet customers” requirements. There is no money to be made with off-the-shelf technology in the PU sector. The equipment displayed at this year”s K will give another proof of this fact. Cannon Smart Mixing Two years ago, Cannon Deutschland GmbH, Hanau, Germany, introduced a new series of high-pressure mixing heads to the public. The new mixing heads of the JL (Jet Less) series feature a new mixing...

Kunststoffe international, 2010-09-24, Output Assured
“The K2010 must bring a change” – that was the opinion of many industry experts in the not-so-distant past, even while manufacturers of pipe and profile systems reported sales declines of well over 30 % in recent months. But the economic upturn did not take as long as expected. In the meantime, the order books are wellfilled again and the VDMA even envisions the possibility of double-digit growth rates for 2010 and 2011 – high expectations that can only be met through innovation and efficient so...

Kunststoffe international, 2010-09-24, The Dies Are Rolling
A number of processors are obviously appreciating close contact with domestic mold makers again, because this puts them in a position to react to changes in design more quickly and solve problems more easily. Nevertheless, the biggest advantage in global competition is competence. This is why mold makers must show that they are up to date with technology. Even better, if the supplier is able to implement innovative ideas quickly, which gives him a unique selling point and a headstart. The exhibi...

Kunststoffe international, 2010-11-25, Three Films, One Part – and a Quartered Mold
What can be done, if a project comes up that is actually a little bit too large for one’s own machine park? When Foliotec GmbH received an inquiry in April 2008 for the control fascia panel in Ford’s new C-Max model, it soon became clear that with a size of some 380 250 50 mm, the panel was well beyond the dimensions of any other plastic part the company had previously refined with a film coating. Up to that time, Foliotec, a subsidiary of Kunststoff Helmbrechts AG (KH), Helmbrechts, Germany, ha...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-02-21, Driving Force, but no Think Tank
In the plastics sector, the K trade show is the fair with the highest number of exhibitors under one roof. At the latest K, taking place for the 18th time, 247 exhibitors from China (2007: 154 companies), 42 enterprises from Hong Kong (2007: 29 exhibitors), and 139 companies from Taiwan (2007: 132 enterprises) were present. Even without Hong Kong and Taiwan, exhibitors from China made up the second largest group from outside Germany, behind Italy. CHINA – Stimulus for Europe In 2009, PE, PP, PVC...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-02-21, Plastics for Emergency Medicine
...ngent is the classification, and the higher are the requirements on certification and market launch. Nevertheless, there are also products, such as the previously mentioned drug-coated wound dressings, which belong to the same risk class as implants. And then there is always the question of the distributor – who need not be the manufacturer of the product – and the type of certification he chooses. When we talk about products of low risk, i. e. Class I products, then the responsibility rests wit...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-05-12, Predictive Forming and Backmolding
Metal surfaces are currently fashionable and are considered “cool” in the truest sense of the word. Parts with a metal surface, besides having a high-quality appearance, also have the feeling of a quality product thanks to their cool tactile effect, which pure plastic parts usually cannot achieve. Customers are increasingly demanding genuine materials, since what looks like metal ought to feel like metal [1]. Current examples of this come from the fields of car interior trim, household appliance...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-06-20, Scratchproof Depth Effect in One Step
Sliced fine wood veneers with naturally grown structures in thicknesses from approx. 0.4 to 0.7 mm are the starting product that HIB – Trim Part Solutions Bruchsal GmbH & Co. KG, Bruchsal, Germany, processes to produce decorative facings for instrument panels, center consoles or vehicle doors (Title photo, Fig. 1). Every sheet of veneer is unique and is inspected by specially trained personnel in order to mark the zones suitable for further processing. During cutting, close attention is paid...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-11-18, Stone Look from an Injection Mold
Contrary to the German tradition of building houses that are massive and solid, inexpensive wooden homes are often built in the USA and Canada. At the same time, the owners of such homes usually cannot get around a labor-intensive annual coat of paint. Plastic wall covering can spare them this effort while at the same time offering a variety of opportunities to give the façade of the house a different appearance. This “cosmetic surgery” to enhance the appearance of the house’s façade is now beco...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-01-30, Sustainable Way of Walking
In the long run, a corporate policy will be successful only if efficiency, ecology and social responsibility are in the right balance. Bayer MaterialScience AG in Leverkusen, Germany, thus undertakes great effort to develop products and solutions to support a sustainable development. This is done by considering the entire value creation chain of a product, starting from its production, via processing, up to its application in the final product. Energy, water and raw materials are to be employed ...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-06-25, Technology and Nature Combined?
As an ecofriendly alternative to fossil raw materials and also for marketing reasons, companies are increasingly using renewable resources to produce plastics and composites based on them. Polymers made from biogenic raw materials have now become established on the market and are available in quite large quantities. In 2011, the quantity of biopolymers produced worldwide totaled 1.4 million tonnes [1]. Similarly, the use of wood and natural fibers in the industrial sector is also growing. In 201...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-11-26, Both Ecological and Economical
Foodstuffs are no longer regarded just as an individual product, but are seen in a broader context. An important role is played here by the packaging. Consumers are increasingly demanding ethically and ecologically impeccable products, also with respect to the packaging. In order to meet this trend towards holistic product consideration, the industry is trying to produce more environmentally friendly – and hence sustainable – packaging through material reduction and/or material substitution. All...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-11-26, Scratch-Resistant and Anti-Reflective
The sun is low in the sky and the light is blinding. This is no problem for portable displays such as those on smart phones, for example. They can be moved as necessary out of the light and the information becomes readable or clear again. It does not work this way with the instrument cluster cover glass in vehicle interiors. When the sun shines, it dazzles and impedes clear vision of the dashboard instruments (Fig. 1). The only solution to this lies in the cover material itself. For example, g...

Kunststoffe international, 2013-06-19, The Art of Strong Bonds
Polyolefins such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) are an integral part of industry because they offer numerous advantages over conventional materials such as wood and metal. Since they have so many varied applications, the choice of a suitable joining technique must be preceded by a thorough analysis of the application. Given the right adhesives, there is a variety of ways to connect thermoplastics to each other or to other materials. For bonding to low surface-energy plastics, the su...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-01-23, K2013 Review: Anything but Superficial
The range of possibilities for designing and functionalizing a surface is rivaled only by the variety of materials and processes available for meeting these different demands. A tour of the K 2013 shows clearly that all these approaches have one thing in common: The ongoing trends to process integration and production efficiency are to be found everywhere. Haptics, appearance, functionality, protection – these four keywords summarize what is probably the most important cross-sectional technology...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-03-21, Novel Material Concepts: Sustainability and Design
Efficient material concepts are essential for the automobile of tomorrow. This requires closer cooperation of the entire plastics industry as a trustworthy development and supplier partner of automakers. In short, the challenges of the future, e. g. conservation of resources, weight reduction, surfaces and design, can be overcome only by working together. Numerous innovations involving plastics in automobiles dominated the presentations of the plastics industry at the K2013 plastics exhibition i...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-07-22, Brilliant Looks
The effectiveness of effect pigments in packaging is often underrated. If well targeted, they have sustained effect on consumer decisions. Brand name companies profit from this at the point of sale. When most people hear the keyword ‘color’, it is probably their own favorite color that occurs to them. The next thing that comes to mind is clothing and fashion. Lifestyle undergoes constant changes and is subject to changes in color perception. Even furniture and kitchen cabinetry follow these dev...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-10-10, An Affordable Alternative to Conventionally Painted Parts
The so-called ColorForm process combines injection molding and painting, which are separate operations in the conventional technique, into a one-step process. This results in a variety of quality and cost advantages. The completely solvent-free and release-agent-free paint systems used for this purpose are available in almost all conceivable color combinations and have successfully withstood all the relevant tests for use in large series. Development partnerInternet addressProject contributionKr...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-10-10, Polycarbonate (PC)
Compared with the previous year, global sales of polycarbonate in 2013 remained practically unchanged at 3.62 million t. At the end of 2013, sales picked up and also increased during the first two quarters of this year, so that the outlook is good for 2014. In the medium term, a worldwide growth of 5 to 6 % is expected for the PC market. Capacities are being expanded mainly in China. The strengths of PC are excellent optical properties such as glasslike transparency and a high refractive index, ...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-10-10, Resins and Reactive Systems
Epoxy resins and polyurethanes are outdoing each other with ever shorter cure times. There is downright competition as to which of them will serve in the large series of automotive production. In-situ polymerization remains an exciting issue. Most types of composites now sail in calmer waters, though. Ecological aspects and resistance to flames are the outstanding features of the new developments. Brookfield resin viscosity [mPas]Heat release rate according to ISO 5660-2 [kW/m²] Tensile streng...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-02-28, Fibers Skillfully Concealed
Under the generic term "surface-improved polyamides", several compounds based on engineering thermoplastics have been developed that combine the typical properties of this material group with an optimized surface appearance. Processing conditions and their effect on surface appearance are an important consideration here. MaterialProductPA6 GF20Ultramid B3EG4 SIPA6 GF30Ultramid B3EG6 SIPA6 GF50Ultramid B3EG10 SIPA6 GF20 flame retardantUltramid B3U40G4 SIMechanismEffectsCountermeasuresOxidative d...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-02-28, Heating of Intermediates – How and with What?
During thermoforming, intermediates are heated to forming temperature using infrared radiators. The most common IR radiators are ceramic, quartz and halogen radiators – but they are not all equally suitable for each type of intermediate. Ideally the emission spectrum of the radiator matches the absorption spectrum of the intermediate. A basic precondition for thermoforming is the heating of the intermediate to forming temperature. For cost-effective production, this heating should take place in ...

Kunststoffe international, 2016-03-08, So the Paint never Comes off
In the automotive industry, many injection molded plastic components are painted with multi-layer coating systems. After suitable surface pretreatment, at least one layer of primer, a basecoat, and a clearcoat are applied. A new polypropylene compound now fulfills all technical criteria without application of a primer, so saving time and money. However, this achievement does not depend on the material alone. Polypropylene (PP) is relatively easy to process and can be adapted for a wide range of ...

Kunststoffe international, 2016-05-18, Three-Dimensional Control Panels with Film Technology
The touchskin user interfaces of the Austrian technology developer plastic electronic have reached the third dimension. They open up entirely new possibilities for a more organic device design that increasingly eliminates the boundaries between form and function. For this purpose, a functional composite film is assembled and formed at comparatively low overall costs. Providing films with functional structures and using them to develop ‘sensitive’ device surfaces is the common thread that runs th...

Kunststoffe international, 2016-09-23, Vis-à-vis with the Driver
The design versatility of a polyurethane coating on part surfaces, including metallic effects and a fine grain with matt and glossy sections, is being illustrated with a steering wheel cover at the K trade fair. In contrast to injection molding with separate spray painting, this prototype is produced using an integrated process. Flooding the injection mold with the coating was simulated in advance. More and more car buyers are choosing a customized vehicle interior with an upscale appearance an...

Kunststoffe international, 2016-10-17, Heating up with Infrared
For plant operators it is often difficult to find the suitable infrared radiator for the respective application since the radiation and emission behavior of the radiation sources must suit the absorption behavior of the products to be heated. If all parameters are correct, efficiency and process reliability increase and the number of scrap components is reduced. When processing plastics, composite materials and surface coatings, the value chain often features processes of heating, adhesion, lam...

Kunststoffe international, 2016-10-17, Polycarbonate (PC)
Worldwide polycarbonate sales and demand will continue rising in the medium term. Growth drivers include new applications, for instance in LED engineering, automobile interiors and exteriors, and new technologies such as wearable electronics and robotics. Asian PC manufacturers in particular have recently consolidated or restructured their business. This restructuring is accompanied by an expansion of capacities, currently taking place exclusively in China. Polycarbonate (PC) is offered in the ...

Kunststoffe international, 2016-10-17, Styrene Copolymers
Styrene copolymers such as SAN, ASA, MABS, MBS, SMMA, SBC as well as various blends are increasingly used in existing and new applications all over major industries like automotive, electronics, household or construction. At the same time, the requirements regarding aesthetics, excellent mechanical properties and processability and stress crack resistance are becoming more demanding. To meet them, improved and new materials are being developed. Major megatrends with relevance for styrene copolym...

Kunststoffe international, 2017-02-23, New Generation of High-Performance Injection Molding Tools
In a joint development project, the "Technisches F&E-Zentrum für Oberflächenveredelung und Hochleistungswerkzeugbau" (Technical R&D Center for Surface Refinement and High-Performance Toolmaking) and the Kurz Group’s toolmaking department have succeeded in producing a new generation of high-performance injection molding tools. The tools coated using a special CVD process make it possible to process plastics filled with up to 85 wt. % glass or carbon fiber, without issues related to wear. It was i...

Kunststoffe international, 2017-03-27, Mirror-Finish Painting in the Mold
For several years a quartet of developers has been working on a new technology for painting thermoplastic parts in the injection mold. The process of flow coating in the injection mold using reaction system technology has now started into series production for the first time. The new Peugeot SUV 3008 is the first car in the world to feature elegant deep piano black A-pillar trims with a mirror finish – manufactured in a fast one-step process that does not require either solvents or release agent...

Kunststoffe international, 2017-03-27, Sealing and Thinking
Is everything standardized in the automotive industry? Yes, but … complying with the standards involves a surprising amount of manual input and sometimes inspired improvisation. We visited a specialist for sophisticated sealing systems, barely an hour’s drive from Wolfsburg, Germany, the city of VW. Mexico of all places! The country that the new US president would like to impose punitive tariffs on – today rather than tomorrow. There, in Lagos de Moreno, automotive subcontractor Eldisy has set u...

Kunststoffe international, 2017-07-19, On the Ball
A leading printer manufacturer benefited from using rotary plasma beams to develop a world first. The process involved pretreating three-dimensional objects with atmospheric pressure plasma in the printing unit before they were individually printed. The casing is the most technically challenging component of the ball and the imprints on it should be durable. The casing of modern footballs comprises several layers or shells; for example, a plastic laminate composed of a segmented outer shell of ...

Kunststoffe international, 2017-07-19, The Cruciate Ligament Implant of the Future?
A novel composite structure consisting of load-optimized liquid silicone components and braided 2D structures will serve as an artificial cruciate ligament implant in the future. The development of this implant is a joint research project with partners from the Clinic for Accident and Reconstructive Surgery at the University Hospital of Aachen, Germany, as well as the Institute of Textile Technology and the Institute of Plastics Processing (IKV) at RTWH Aachen University. As a result of increasi...

Kunststoffe international, 2017-10-13, Adhesion Promoter for Unequal Pairs
Plastic/metal hybrid structures for industrial applications have been established for years, e. g. for front-end carriers in automotive vehicles. Previously, in assembly injection molding joints were based on form/force fit or friction locking. Novel adhesion promoters now permit adhesive bonding of hybrid structures with improved component properties. Suitable plastic/metal combinations enable component properties to be obtained, which are not possible by using just one material. Thus, plastics...

Kunststoffe international, 2017-10-13, Chrome or Not Chrome?
Whether automobiles, shower bath fittings, or furniture handles: Surfaces with a metallic appearance are found everywhere. Mostly, the items are made of plastic that has been given the corresponding look – frequently by means of galvanizing, but also by means of modern chrome substitute procedures such as PVD, in-mold labelling or spray painting. For different component geometries, one or the other process is recommended. Not all that shines is chromium. Which is fortunate, because real galvani...

Kunststoffe international, 2017-12-21, Icons of the Modern Era
Nothing defines the current generation more than the smartphone. Premium, classy metal devices are the current trend. In order for the numerous integrated antennas to work notwithstanding the conductive housings, they must be electrically insulated against each other. Two newly developed polyphthalamides that join especially well with titanium and stainless steel alloys are suited for this purpose. Apple introduced the first iPhone in 2007 and created a new market segment. Smartphones have been...

Kunststoffe international, 2018-03-09, Scratch-Resistant and Mirror Bright
Weight saving and design are playing an essential part in automobiles. In a joint project, the companies Fehrer Automotive and Senco (Europe) have developed a lightweight roof module in sandwich construction with a class A surface that fulfills exterior requirements. A thermoformable film with novel hard coating made this possible. Since 2014, the basic version of the Smart Fortwo has sported a lightweight roof from the automotive supplier Fehrer Automotive GmbH of Kitzingen, Germany, a member o...

Kunststoffe international, 2018-07-17, Almost Inseparable
Although the use of different materials is one of the prerequisites for light and high-performance parts, the interface between metals and polymers is often the weak point of hybrid components. Now, however, nanoporous adhesive layers can be used to create permanent, reliable and practical joints. The direct application of a polymer onto a metal component, without the use of additional adhesives and a resource-intensive pretreatment of the surface, is desirable from a technical, economic and ec...

Kunststoffe international, 2019-07-17, Longer Shelf-Life, Less Waste
Vast quantities of food are thrown away every year. Modern plastic packaging keeps food fresh and preserves its flavor for longer, so it reduces the amount of valuable produce that is wasted. At the same time, politicians are calling for more environmentally friendly packaging. Kuraray provides key barrier materials for this, including biodegradable polymers that are impermeable to gas. Demand for food is rising fast. According to the Federal Ministry for Food and Agriculture in Germany, agricul...

Kunststoffe international, 2019-12-18, New Dimensions in Extrusion
The highly diverse offering at K 2019 ranged from ingenious detailed applications to complete solutions that encompass the entire process. In the extrusion sector, the topic of the circular economy was very much in the shadow of developments relating to Industry 4.0, although some exhibitors still managed to demonstrate ‧impressive dimensions and production speeds. There were also advances in metrology that will allow progress to be made in quality assurance. Just three years ago at K 2016, Indu...

Kunststoffe international, 2020-04-08, In-House Moldmaking
Compared with conventional thermoforming molds made from epoxy resins or aluminum, a new type of casting resin system not only enables heat-resistant and high-quality thermoforming molds to be produced in a much shorter time, but the user can make the molds himself. The system can also serve as an alternative to ‧injection molding to achieve a favorable price-performance ratio. Thermoforming molds determine the surface texture (sometimes including letters and logos) and are responsible for the g...

Kunststoffe international, 2020-05-05, Resisting the Pressure
Contrary to the current perception, plastics, as a component of packaging materials, often represent the most environmentally sound option. The plastics industry is currently undergoing a transformation, shifting the focus onto the realization of closed material loops as well as reducing the resource input with highly efficient materials. Thanks to suitably designed packaging, foods can be efficiently protected without significantly increasing the ecological footprint of a product [1]. Flexible...

eMagazine "Journal of Plastics Technology", 2008-01-02, Numerical and experimental investigation of the elongational viscosity effects in a coathanger die
The flow in a coat-hanger die is simulated using the axisymmetric and planar elongational viscosities of a low-density polyethylene (LDPE) resin. Elongational viscosity is found to affect the velocity distribution at the die exit. Also, the predicted pressure drop in the die changed significantly when the effect of elongational viscosity was included in the simulation. However, elongational viscosity had only a minor effect on the temperature distribution in the die. Predicted pressure drop is c...

eMagazine "Journal of Plastics Technology", 2011-11-02, Ultrasonic welding of hybrid metal-plastic components with flame spraying of adhesion layer
Hybrid components of different materials increasingly gain in importance, especially in automotive engineering (reduction of fuel consumption, meeting of environmental protection targets). Here hybrid components made of plastic and metal materials are used. The combination of the positive features of both material groups results in a component providing high stiffness at a low weight. A joining process used for its implementation is ultrasonic welding. Subject of this research paper is the ident...

eMagazine "Journal of Plastics Technology", 2015-01-05, Studies on the impregnation of textile semifinished products using a polyurethane spray coat method
Injection methods for the manufacture of fibre-reinforced plastics are performed using vacuum assistance and/or the application of pressure such as in presses or autoclaves to impregnate textile preforms. Within this article, the impregnation of textile preforms using a polyurethane spray coat method is examined. In contrast to conventional manufacture methods, the impregnation is performed using the expansion pressure of a polyurethane foam matrix. Further, the yarn impregnation of various comp...