Safe - PET - Selenis Portugal, S.A

Plastics Technology, 2007-12-06, Dishwasher Safe: New Clear Copolyester Is Tougher, More Heat-Resistant, and Processes Easier, Too
In consumer goods markets, there are countless applications for clear plastics such as copolyesters, acrylic, SAN, amorphous nylon, and polycarbonate. However, as new applications call for materials t...

Plastics Technology, 2010-12-07, Break the Taboo on Purging Hot Runners!
It’s safe to say that the concept of using a commercial purging compound (CPC) has largely been embraced by the plastics processing community. But using a CPC to clean injection molding ...

Kunststoffe international, Food Safe Post Consumer Recyclate
Plastics are among the materials most widely used for food contact applications. While there is pressure to use recycled plastics in packaging in order to combat plastic waste, certain conditions must be met before food packaging can be considered safe. The criteria for what is commonly referred to as “food safe” essentially aim to ensure that substances are not be transferred from the packaging to the food in quantities that could endanger consumer health. The composition of the food must remai...

Kunststoffe international, From the Roll to the Third Dimension
...rain from the plastic melt on the higher elastic foil. An important side effect of the current product development program is keeping the corners of molded parts free of wrinkles, as well as process-safe folding of the foil around the contours of the molded part. Folding in this context means bending a decorative material around the edge of a carrier part by 90° or 180°, with subsequent fastening of the bent edge of the foil to the rear side of the carrier part) (Fig. 4). An award-winning applic...

Kunststoffe international, Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polyphenylene Sulfide Made Weldable
... the entire engine and drive train, assemblies and hoses for thermal management, but also components specifically for electromobility, such as battery carriers, actuators or electrical and electronic systems in general. PPS Connected in a Process-Safe Way As a representative of these high-tech materials, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) is a highly stable, semi-crystalline polymer with a remarkable degree of molecular stability against thermal degradation, chemicals and hot water. In addition to thi...

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

Kunststoffe international, Killing Problem Microbes
...ging void in available and acceptable active ingredients. WBioprotectTriclosanSilverCopperEffective antimicrobial technology✔✔✔✔Non leaching technology✔Does not use poisons to kill microbes✔Does not promote adaptive organisms✔Safe for humans, pets and the environment✔Banned by the FDA in 2016Affordable✔✔BioprotectIncubation test articles (CFU/coupon)Log(CFU/coupon)Geometric meanLog reductionPrecent reductionS. aureusS. aureusS. aureus

Kunststoffe international, Medical Applications of Additive ‧Manufacturing
...tion and the digital supply chain round off the development. Automation means the elimination of as many disturbance values as possible, to make the process safe in a protective gas atmosphere, and to design it fast and automated. It ranges from the preparation in containers and the actual setting up of the 3D printing machine to the automated post-processing such as removal of supporting structures, thermal aftertreatment, or surface processing. Maximum automation means that the whole process, ...

Kunststoffe international, Open Control for More Efficiency
...as well as centralized, modularly scalable input and output modules (I/Os). In addition, a completely independent runtime environment is provided for digitalization applications. The software version of the fail-safe Simatic S7–1500F is preconfigured at the factory and is primed for the most demanding PLC tasks, including safety functions. Centralized and decentralized expansion of the PLC system with additional I/O modules is possible for more complex solutions. Modern communication standards ...

Kunststoffe international, Putting Hybrid Components to the Test
... cause weak points in the material that can lead to cracks. A designer must incorporate these considerations into their calculations to develop a viable design. The strategy involves selecting the right plastic, designing the component to be safe (for example, with respect to the thickness of the plastic enclosure) as well as deciding on a suitable process and tool design for the injection molding. The weld lines must be positioned in such a way that they cannot turn into critical areas when te...

Kunststoffe international, Real-Time Process Monitoring in Cleanroom Environments
...aSyncE) in combination with the path and force detection by the controller offers extensive possibilities to optimize the process. The Husky system also offers the possibility of continuous process monitoring and can be integrated into the safety system of the injection molding machine (Fig. 2). Real-Time Monitoring of Process Data The new generation of Husky controllers allows users to evaluate process data in real time to optimize the process. This is particularly necessary for sensitive proc...

Kunststoffe international, Recycling that Gets under the Skin
...ocess technologies for manufacturing multilayer and multicomponent products offer great potential for using reprocessed plastic wastes even for plastic parts that are subject to strict requirements for surface quality, product protection or consumer safety. The key: to place the recycled material in the interior while the surface is made of virgin material. Engel has developed a variant of sandwich injection molding that allows high proportions of recycled material to be used even with complex p...

Kunststoffe international, Strong in Medicine and Sanitary Applications
... also an important area of application for PE (Fig. 2). Women have high demands for hygiene products. These products have to fulfill their primary purpose of being hygienic and comfortable to use and wear, while also being safe, hygienic and as discretely transportable as possible. While most products are packed in bulk without individual protection, more and more our modern and mobile lifestyle requires sanitary articles to be packed as individual pouches. Sanitary items have strict hygiene sta...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, "Medical Grade" Plastics
...Thaler and Nicole Böhnisch, Münster/Germany For plastics used in the medical sector, the aspect of biocompatibility is gaining increasing importance. This article describes the tests that the end-product manufacturer should perform to ensure the safety of the material. Plastics are used in virtually all areas of medical technology [1]. They are found in disposable articles, in nearly all surgical instruments and increasingly also in long-term implants. One of the most important aspects with ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, 100 % Web Inspection
...conditions, use can be made of rugged field bus systems like the CAN field bus with the following properties: - simple installation and robust structure due to standardized components (DeviceNet), - simple to extend without any additional cabling, - safe data throughput and - real time capability. Alongside time-critical data, an intelligent web sensor can also transfer time-non-critical data, which do not have to be transferred in real time. These include, for example, photos of defects, which ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, A Home Game for the Italian Plastics Industry: Rendezvous in Milan
... machine can produce 12 PET preforms for 1.5-litre mineral water bottles in a cycle time of 14s. Short flow paths in the mould ensure that the acetaldehyde content in the preforms satisfies legal provisions on drinks packaging. The Fail-Safe system from HRSflow, S. Polo di Piave, is an ancillary unit for hot-runner systems that contains additional heating elements and temperature probes for the nozzle and manifolds. This increases the reliability of the hot runner system and prevents costly inte...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Adjusted Geometries
...volume. The example shown proves that a rounded geometry which is better adapted to the needs of blow moulding is not necessarily disadvantageous with regard to the best use of volume. The advantages that a modified geometry offer in terms of safe, easy and reproducible production are clear and require no further explanation. For the sake of completeness, it should be pointed out that this example is based on the use of a purely axially acting wall thickness control. Summary and Outlook The me...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Biodegradable Materials
...e presence or absence of oxygen, supplies of trace elements, etc. [3]. The degradation behaviour of biodegradable materials somewhat resembles that of paper: wherever paper rots, degradation of biodegradable materials may be expected. Wherever it is safe to use paper, biodegradable materials will very probably also be stable. For example, paper is used for packaging dry foodstuffs, such as sugar. The logistics chain for such foodstuffs does not suffer from troublesome wastage through biodegradat...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Bonding of Plastics
...instance in the production of disposable articles, such as catheters, infusion systems, disposable syringes and of sterile multi-use articles, such as operating instruments and endoscopes. Correspondingly high demands are imposed the toxicological safety and sterilisation resistance of such adhesives. Another interesting application is that of ski production. Here, various plastic coatings of ABS, PC and blends are bonded to the base construction of GRP, wood, sandwich structures of plastic hone...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Close Cooperation Ensures Success
... or process for the specific product. At the same time, guidelines have to be drawn up for designing the specific products, while calculation aids have to be adapted to this new technology. By developing a technology and making absolutely sure it is safe and reliable, it is possible to stand out from the competition with a higher value added. While research institutes are not exactly inactive in this phase of pacemaker technology development, raw material producers and machine manufacturers tend...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Crash Simulation: Computer Modelling
Safety Computer Modelling Crash Simulation. With a newly developed numerical model, fibre-reinforced plastic components can be simulated far more realistically than with previously known methods. This will considerably improve virtual vehicle development. Stefan Glaser Andreas Wüst To achieve safe crash behaviour is one of the most challenging tasks in modern vehicle development. In addition to protecting just the occupants, increasing importance has been attached in recent years to protecting ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Designing Injection Moulded Parts with FEM
...AD programs, which enable standard constructional elements such as snap-fit joints, integral hinges, ribs, cogwheels, screw joints etc. to be calculated on the basis of empirical equations. The results of such calculations usually come with generous safety margins, in other words the components tend to be somewhat over-dimensioned for the particular application. If the last tenth of wall thickness is important, these empirically determined constructional elements should not be accepted without c...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Driving the Automotive Industry: Engineering Elastomers
...yl content 67%), Polimeri Europa, Ravenna, Italy manufactures a new aromatic-free, oil-stretched S-SBR grade (vinyl content 64%) based on labelling-free tetrakis dimethyl amino ethylene (TDAE). Similar safe-oil-stretched grades are also available in E-SBR: e.g. Europrene 1732 (32% bound styrene, MES), which is used for applications such as conveyor belts and hoses, and Europrene 1739 (40% bound styrene, TDAE) for tyre tread compounds. S-SBR can also be very successfully activated with MgO and Ca...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Easy-opening Concepts: Easy-opening Sterile Packaging
...tive material combination with a spunflash nonwoven is able to offer further benefits. Heiko E. Schenck, Malik Zeniti In North America, some 70% of gowns and drapes for doctor’s practices and hospitals, etc. are sold as disposable products for safety and protection. The proportions in Europe have traditionally been reversed, with 70% of the textiles still being re-usable today. Here too, however, there is an increasing demand for disposable articles in the medical sector. In response to this...

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, Environment: Ecological and Toxicological Requirements Concerning Adhesives
...m 5000ppm as R60, R61 (may impair fertility, may cause harm to the unborn child). During the course of last year, ATP adhesive systems AG modified its method of product preservation with the result that the adhesive systems are still classified as safe and thus not subject to labelling. Additives can have a considerable influence on the adhesive properties of an adhesive system, and any modification requires a large amount of testing and optimisation. Table 1 shows the performance comparison be...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Exhibition Preview: North American and Canadian Products at K 2004
... series (previously sold through SIG Group). Also, Husky just signed an exclusive agreement to offer its customers a line of dry-ice blast cleaning systems from Cold Jet, Loveland, Ohio. Husky says this non-abrasive cleaning method is fast, easy, safe, and economical for cleaning PET molds. Dry ice reportedly does not damage the mold and evaporates on contact, so there is no runoff, rinsing, or drying. Both Husky and Cold Jet will exhibit at K. Processing Technology Demag has enhanced its Extra...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Expanding with Demand
... for the future. We installed the new L-unit in the new station in our dispatch centre and returned a small L-type compressor to CompAir.” With a total capacity of 34.79m3/min, Schwan-Stabilo was then absolutely on the safe side: - overall consumption was met by the customised L75 constant-load compressor, - a reserve of more than 100% was available, and - there was plenty of spare capacity for the future. New Networking Concept With the decision to acquire an additional L75, a new networking ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Fibre Orientation in the Simulation: Improved Dimensioning of Engineering Plastic Parts
...compared to reality. As a consequence of this, the part may undergo material or functional failure. When the fibre orientation is taken into account with Part Converse, the reaction force is underestimated by 36% in load case1. This result is on the safe side. For load case2, identical values were even obtained for the simulation and test. Fibre Orientations Determine the Mechanical Part Behaviour A series of scientific studies, for example at the German Institute of Plastics Processing (IKV) i...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Functional Design: Acoustic and Design Concepts for the Engine Compartment
...on consistency. With the aid of this software, the effects of process fluctuations on the quality of the plastic part can be ascertained when carrying out initial mould trials. This provides for specific optimisation and also creates a really safe process window for series production. It also means that the cost-intensive testing work on the production line can be reduced to a minimum. The acoustic design cover as an assembled module is produced in a sturdy process sequence of injection moulding...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Graphic-based Control Technology: Full Automation of One-component Foaming Lines
... According to Erich Krämer, “previously this could be readjusted only by hand, with the knurled thumb screw on the nozzle, for which the operator had to carefully bring the plant down before each operation to be able to enter the robot cell safely." This readjustment now takes place outside the cell, whereby downtimes can be minimised. As standard the graphic service and tracking system from the Simatic HMI program has a touch screen operator’s surface as a safe, intuitive and quickly learne...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Handling of Deformation-sensitive Inserts:
...stry. Production errors must be avoided at all costs, as the supplier – in this case Karcoma-Armaturen GmbH, a direct supplier of oil filters for the car producer– is liable for any damage caused. Therefore, Karcoma’s objective is absolute safety as well as a high quality production and the avoidance of post-production quality control. At present, the oil filters are produced on an Allrounder 320 S (manufacturer: Arburg GmbH + Co KG) with manual loading. Two people insert the oil filter blanks ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Heat Management
...r have therefore found widespread use in industrial construction. Such continuously produced insulation panels or insulating elements can be produced in greater lengths if necessary. PU rigid foams do not contain formaldehyde and are environmentally safe [3]. They are not attacked by fungi and microbes and have neutral biological effects [4]. They can be easily sawn and cut, facilitating the laying and assembly of made-to-measure insulating layers for all requirements. Thermal insulating materia...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, High Growth Rates: Polysulfones (PES/PSU)
...ed. Since PES withstands temperatures up to 220°C, which satisfies regulations governing food contact, and stress cracking does not occur during commonly used washing processes, it is preferred for baby bottles, menu covers, microwave-safe containers and airline tableware as well as for covers for pots and pans or hot-air convection ovens. In plumbing applications, PSU and PPSU find preferred use as pipe couplings because of their excellent resistance to hydrolysis and stress cracking. Compared ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, High-performance Elastomers: From Abrasion Resistant to Self-healing
...ites. This is a process patented by Degussa, in which thermoplastic moulded parts are overmoulded directly with select rubbers, without the need for any other pre-treatment and without adhesion promoters; it is particularly economical and safe for the environment. Subsequent peroxide-induced curing yields a durable, chemical thermoplastic-rubber composite. The method opens up efficient processing possibilities in sports shoe production that lead to even more comfortable functional elements for t...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, High-performance Polymers: Metal Substitution and Miniaturisation
...and sheets resist high temperatures, are chemically inert, inherently flame retardant and less expensive than fluoropolymers. The aircraft industry makes very high demands on semicrystalline thermoplastic parts, since they must meet high safety standards for flame resistance and remain consistently hard and dimensionally stable at high temperatures. When the Airbus A 380 takes off, it will be accompanied by, among other things, about 2.5 tonnes of plastic parts based on Fortron, the PPS from Ti...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Increased Performance: Micromaster Powers up Extruders
...t can also withstand a load of 150% for as long as 60 seconds, and, if necessary, the rugged Micromaster can do this every five minutes. These very high power reserves, rapid current limitation and many monitoring functions guarantee reliable, fail-safe operation even in critical laboratory applications. The new extruders benefit from the use of the Micromaster 440 through greater flexibility and dynamism. Simple Operation Commissioning is made easier through the simple handling of the combina...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Injection Moulding under Clean Room Conditions: Machine and Process Technology for Medical Products
...ing unit received special attention, since they retract from the closing cylinders during the opening motion. Even though time-tested seals with high retention capability are employed, the exposed tiebar surfaces are vacuum-cleaned just to be on the safe side. These preventive measures as well as others assure that the specified cleanliness requirements are maintained. The primary features of the clamping and injection units are - steel instead of cast platens, - electroless nickel-plated steel ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Innovations in Flame Retardants
...ents in this area and a new life cycle assessment. With a consumption corresponding to more than 2.4 billionUS$ in 1999 flame retardants (FRs) are the by far largest group of additives in the plastics industry (Fig. 1) while ensuring improved fire safety. The fast development of plastics applications in the electronics (title photo), construction and automotive industries puts high requirements on plastics and costs. Because of their generally outstanding property profile, brominated flame ret...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Joining Pipes: An Accelerated Butt Welding Process
...ooling time can be significantly reduced. Any loss of quality need not be feared. Hanspeter Kohler Like many other branches of industry, today’s pipeline industry is being subjected to increasing cost pressure combined with constantly mounting safety requirements. Every individual part must be traceable and records must be kept of the entire welding process. If full use is made of the optimisation potential, however, many established processes still offer considerable scope for cutting costs...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Laminating PVC Window Profiles without Solvents
...d discharged into the atmosphere [2]. At the present time, at least as far as adhesives are concerned, there is a clear trend towards the use of polyurethane hot-melt adhesives. The lamination of PVC profiles using these products may be regarded as safe and reliable. Slight variations in technical parameters such as temperature or laminating speed have only a minimal effect on the quality of the end product. There is therefore virtually no pressure on the part of users to eliminate the solvent f...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Laser Welding: From Concept to Series
...n Duesseldorf/Germany so far 35 series production plants have been delivered. Of them thirty are in automobile industry enterprises. Meanwhile the procedure is also being used in medical technology (dialysis pumping systems), the packaging industry (safe containers), the electronics entertainment industry (mobile telephones, telephone displays) and in the sports articles branch (Alpine skiing). From the First Weld to Series Production Despite the diverse potential uses of laser welding this pro...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Life Cycle Costing: Making Sustainability of Plastics Measurable
...use of the packaging. When it comes to the economic and social impact, on the other hand, product analysis still focuses on its manufacture. Frequently discussed social problems include, for example, job creation, job security of the employees, safety at work and social standards, e.g. child labour, especially with regard to the growing importance of international division of labour (globalisation). Eco-efficiency Analysis According to BASF As a leading player in the chemical industry, BASF AG...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP)
... 2001. Since continued dynamic growth by the LCP market is generally assumed, almost all manufacturers have announced further plant expansions to take place over the next few years. From today’s perspective, it may be assumed that supplies are safe for the immediate future. Market Development The world market for LCP grew by 70% from approx. 10000t in 1998 to approx. 17000t in 2002. The lion’s share of this rapid growth was accounted for by the mobile telecommunications boom in 1999 and, part...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Low-volatility or Solid?
... fluorocarbon blowing agents were replaced by methylene chloride. But methylene chloride in turn has been linked to low-level smog and potential worker exposure issues. Consequently, carbon dioxide is being increasingly adopted as an environmentally safe blowing agent. These changes are having a considerable influence on the choice of flame retardant. It is extremely difficult to use solids with carbon dioxide processing equipment. Although small quantities of extremely fine pigments may be used...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Medical Technology: Quality Begins with Material Handling
...ted with diaphragm valves (Fig.1). These valves operate without compressed air, which introduces contamination into the cleanroom. The vacuum conveyor itself, when conveying, is under low pressure via a vacuum line and can therefore be regarded as safe. The situation is different when it is idle or discharging. In this case, dust-tight equipment with contamination-resistant surfaces must be used. Besides contamination from the surroundings, the risk of contamination by the plastic granules itsel...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Packaging Surgical Instruments: Easy and Safe to Open
Packaging Easy and Safe to Open Packaging Surgical Instruments. Easy-open peel packaging has long proved successful for food products. Polybutene-1 (PB-1) is used as a component in the sealing layer. From newly developed films containing PB-1, practical peel pouches for surgical instruments and equipment can now also be produced. Peter Stober Harry Rist In the operating theatre, speed is of major importance during an operation – and that is also valid when opening protective packaging for surgic...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Parts Handling as a Productivity Factor: Mark-free Gripping of Sensitive Plastic Parts
...widely established in production halls for handling a wide variety of plastic parts. Together with handling equipment and robots, they ensure efficient and cost effective material flow. The programme from vacuum specialist J. Schmalz GmbH permits safe and reliable handling of goods with smooth to coarse or closed to porous surfaces. Vacuum suction pads do not usually damage or leave deposits on the high-quality surfaces they grip. The Right Suction Pad for Any Part Vacuum grippers made of silic...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, PBT Compounds
...rolytically resistant PBT compounds was met by the development of toughness-modified, reinforced material types which are suitable for the splash zone of car engine compartments. Other toughness-modified material types are used in the production of safety-relevant car interior components such as the dashboard, glove box lids and airbag covers since they minimise the risk of injury. Toughness-modified PBT compounds are also used in the leisure sector and for garden tools. Materials used in electr...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, PET Boom: PET Recycling and Direct Processing
... layer in multi-layer packaging or should be subjected to further cleaning. It must be emphasised with these tests that the detected contamination consisted, for the most part, of toxicologically safe aroma components from soft drinks. Headspace gas chromatography proved to be a particularly suitable analysis method for screening the recyclate [11]. If the recycling company sticks to the guidelines on monitoring the return product, the cleaning efficiency of the recycling process and the analyti...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, PET in Packaging
...ead of banning recyclate materials in packaging, the German Bundesinstitut für gesundheitlichen Verbraucherschutz und Veterinärmedizin - BgVV has published a guide informing the operators of recycling facilities and the users of recyclate how to safeguard the quality of the recycled material and ensure consumer protection. Germany has assumed a pioneering role in Europe with this guide. Optimising the PET bottle and the bottle-to-bottle recycling method from an ecological and economic point of v...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Pipe Extrusion: Universal Lattice Basket Die
... through to practical implementation. On the basis of the experience obtained to date it can be said that the new die concept offers pipe manufacturers advantages that no other die concept to date has been able to do. These advantages extend from safe and cost-efficient pipe production right through to the many different possibilities for product development. This is borne out by the many VSI dies which are already in continuous use worldwide, producing pipes in a diameter range of between 14 an...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, PMMA Successful in More and More Fields of Application: Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA)
...ications today rely on transparent acrylic, from turn signals and the third brake light to taillights and special interior lights. Apart from the unmistakable design elements intended to identify the car manufacturer, taillights must fulfil their safety function first of all: exactly defined standards for brightness, distribution and colour of the emitted light. In addition, light covers are expected to last as long as the vehicle and withstand UV light, moisture and fuel – an ideal field of app...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA)
...ications, for example in furniture making, fair booths and shop fitting. The satin materials also show very good properties in use, in addition to their excellent surface. They are insensitive to fingerprints and absolutely safe for food-contact applications. A completely new development in the market are the PMMA sheets offered by Degussa under the name Plexiglas truLED in special LED colours (Fig.6). Adjusted to the same wavelengths as blue, green, yellow and red LEDs, this PMMA grade offers u...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polypropylene Foam: Safe Playing Surfaces in Any Weather
Commodity Plastics Safe Playing Surfaces in Any Weather Polypropylene Foam. Polypropylene Foam. Durable, easy-care, weathering-resistant, gentle on the joints, convenient and robust. These are the properties of a new artificial turf that has recently been launched on the market in Europe. It is the first artificial turf to dispense with sand and rubber granules, consisting entirely of plastic. The fibres of a new artificial turf from XL Generation of Zug/Switzerland consist of Thiolon Grass, a ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Possibilities with Plastics: Sports Applications
..." example from Nordica shows. The outer shell is produced in one step using two-component injection moulding and consists of an upper boot made of soft TPU and a lower boot made of a hard TPU type. This hard soft combination guarantees a safe feeling. Thus the soft upper shank moves flexibly with the movement of the skier while the hard lower boot transfers force and momentum to the ski. A good golf shoe is characterised by optimal stability, transverse rigidity (lateral stability), flexibil...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Precise Masterbatch Metering: Self-colouring with Gravimetric Metering
...me domain via the individual measurements (Fig.5). Processors can economise on masterbatch by narrowing the tolerance range, since narrower tolerances permit the percentage metered to be reduced. At any rate, “adding extra amounts to be on the safe side” can be eliminated; that approach is understandable if there are no measurements available for evaluating the quality. The device will pay for itself in a year, even if only small amounts of expensive material are being saved (Fig.6). The feed sy...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Pressure-Sensitive Adhesives ...
...Pressure-sensitive adhesives are compounds or, to be more exact, polymeric compounds, that are permanently tacky. Scientific theories abound as to what influences tack and ultimately good adhesion to a wide variety of materials. However, it may be safely said that the strength of a bond is determined by the fine interplay between the polymeric adhesive and the surfaces to be stuck together. The tackier the polymers appear to be, as measured by means of a simple finger test, the softer they usual...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Producing for Medical Engineering
...aluation and declaration ought to be submitted. Extremely important throughout the whole process is to have a suitable documentation structure. Only strict observance of these elementary requirements will guarantee that patients and clinic staff are safe. A further important point is to keep training employees in the ethos of medical engineering. What forms of insurance do processors need? R.W.: Third-party insurance is the only sensible insurance that they should have. However, the insurance...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Qualified Cleanliness
.... The parameters that specifically have to be qualified and the measuring and testing procedures that must be used are regulated by numerous guidelines. The qualification and validation of plants is a definitive requirement for documented proof of safe manufacturing practices for medical or pharmaceutical products. Only by this means can a transparent manufacturing process be demonstrated to the relevant authorities. Because of the strict regulations, high quality levels required and advances in...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Reaction of Building Materials to Fire
...erials - Door and window profiles - Surface coatings (plasters, paints, wall coverings) - Cables and cable conduits - Films and roofing sheet - Pipes - Thermoplastic glazing, and - Floor coverings All these products must satisfy certain criteria for safety in the case of fire, either alone or in combinations. Currently, they are tested according to national standards and may be approved under the relevant laws for specific applications. CE Mark for Building Products In future, building product...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Recycling: Drinks from the Detergent Bottle
Recycling: Drinks from the Detergent Bottle PET bottles are finding increasing use outside of the foodstuffs sector. A research project was conducted to establish whether such non-food PET bottles are safe for food-contact applications after they have been recycled. It is not just the drinks sector where PET packaging is growing rapidly. This packaging plastic is also being used increasingly for applications in soaps and detergents, drugs and industrial dispensed goods. This is evident from ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Routes to Microcellular Foam
...ittle tendency to diffuse in order that high cell nucleation densities may be obtained. For a blowing agent to be classified as ideal, it should also be inexpensive, environmentally friendly and, in the case of medical applications, toxicologically safe. Choosing a Suitable Polymer In principle, all thermoplastic polymers may be processed to microcellular foams. The only differences between them lie in the necessary outlay. Notwithstanding the manufacturing method, a material that is to be pro...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Rugged and Impact-resistant
Rugged and Impact-resistant Portable CD Boxes of TPV Portability is all the rage, but to make sure that such items as CD storage boxes keep their contents safe and unharmed if ever they are dropped, the manufacturer uses an impact-absorbing, crosslinked thermoplastic elastomer. The firm CD3 Storage Systems Inc. based in Texas, USA, has developed a particularly rugged, portable storage box for CDs. The housing of the new Discus range of boxes is made of a crosslinked thermoplastic elastomer...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Safe Braking
Safe Braking ABS Accumulator Pistons in PPS for Automotive Engineering Uwe Behle, Frankfurt am Main/Germany A further-refined PPS is once again displaying its potential for fulfilling extremely demanding automotive applications with the example of the chemical, pressure and heat-resistant accumulator pistons employed in the ABS brake systems produced by Bosch. Use is made of a material grade containing 65% glass fibre and mineral filler. The precision parts are produced in 8-cavity hot-run...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Shopping the Modern Way
...odity management it is desirable to drastically reduce stocktaking losses through continuous goods protection. At present in Germany alone business has to carry inventory differences of approximately ten thousand million Marks annually. However, the safe function of this new goods economy and goods security system is not ensured with the classical shopping cart. Since the read-write equipment will then use electromagnetic waves, everything must be metal-free - and a plastic shopping cart suitabl...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Special Plastics: Household Work Made Easy
...the fine-meshed sieve in dishwashers, for example. The special POM grade flows easily in the production process, is temperature-stable and has the necessary weld seam strength as well as the desired combination of rigidity and toughness. More Safety and Cost Savings Things are hot when baking and cooking. Modern devices must therefore be made accordingly safe also. Take the example of an induction coil stove. Electromagnetic alternating fields keep the heating plates at most lukewarm; thus fing...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Strategies for Cooling Moulds
...ly only perform a thermal design study on large moulds for, e.g., I-bars, air ducts and shock absorbers. Moreover, when such software is used in-house, trained employees are needed. “An Extra Cooling Circuit – Just to Be Safe” Frequently, customers only start thinking about thermal simulation after damage has occurred, e.g., extensive part warping, or if the mould-maker has to guarantee a minimum cycle time. As a rule, a simulation study of the filling and holding pressure phases is performed...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Successful Conversion to 3D
...latively short period of time. In addition, I-DEAS offered a more integrated solution, since it also included calculation. And although Alpla is not currently planning to introduce PDM, a PDM solution was included in the selection criteria to ensure safe investment for the future. The decision was taken in November 1996 and in the following month a training program was prepared to retrain about 55 employees in the shortest possible time. Training was carried out at Alpla in several groups from F...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Technological Challenge for Mould Makers: Thin-layer Packs for DVDs and Console Games
...d the German city of Hanover. The company ranks among the leading international players in the packaging industry. For its collection of CD and DVD packs, Amaray has developed a new concept that is also reflected in the name of the products: DVD-Safe and CD-Safe. Because of the very stringent specifications associated with these products, a precision mould builder – ‘m-mold’ from Bahlingen, Germany – was involved from the very beginning in the design. According to Amaray, this was a strategic al...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, The Challenge of the Multi-Component Technique
...crucial role in distinguishing a product (consumer goods such as packaging) or conveying information (e.g. a pushbutton). The design of the moulded parts is therefore governed by pure marketing considerations. Haptic properties have to do with the safe handling (e.g. the housing of a drill) and/or the ergonomics (“soft touch”, e.g. screwdriver) of a product. Moulded-on seals, in contrast, essentially seal against condensed moisture and dust in electrical housings and other applications. Multi-co...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, The Crucial Question in Fire Protection
...genated dioxins or furans. It abandoned the use of heavy-metal and cadmium pigments long ago for the same reasons. The strategy which it has adopted for flame-retardant products is to further develop a wide range of flame retardants that are safe both environmentally and health-wise and to continually extend the range of non-halogenated materials. However, polymers containing halogenated flame retardants remain first choice for demanding E&E applications that require an optimum balance of mechan...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, The Market has Narrowed
...n the industry it is estimated that with continuous growth about every one or two years a new MDI, TDI or PO plant must be started up. However, this can happen only if reasonable profits can be counted on here. Above all large investments in modern, safe, world scale production plants that also take the higher quality requirements of the customers into account must be considered carefully in the present unsatisfactory profit situation. Innovation as a Motor for Growth To avoid the "price t...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Thin-walled Components
...r, limits to the particle fineness that can be used. Below a certain particle size, these nucleating agents are often difficult or impossible to add. Agglomerates and bridging are the result. This is where masterbatches, which make processing easy, safe and environmentally friendly for customers, acquire a special importance. Newly developed carrier systems with an elastic content for blowing agent masterbatches increase melt viscosity, stabilise the foam structure and so permit controlled cell ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Tools: A Better Grip
...and cannot be held securely in the hand, then this will affect the ease of operation and the efficiency of the tool. Designers and manufacturers must therefore pay attention to a whole range of factors – but above all to comfort, a secure grip and safety. Claude Maurel Tool manufacturers are constantly on the lookout for new materials to enhance the performance, feel and appearance of their products and thus to achieve an increase in their value. Conventional materials such as wood, polyethy...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Transparency through Transmission
...f plastics are sufficiently well known at present. The equipment technology and the products have reached a high level in recent years and are constantly being developed further. Thus already today the product developer has at his disposal a process-safe, economical procedure that provides a high-quality joint and at the same time great freedom in the design of the component and the weld seam contour. The Authors of this Article Dr.-Ing. Viktor Mattus has been active in BASF AG, Ludwigshafen, si...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Triple Combination
...rm assignment of the two halves of all corresponding mould cavities, - free choice of mould temperatures in both split levels, - a better article quality, - new process-engineering possibilities for article design, - short cycle times, - the simple, safe and sufficient supply of cooling media, electricity, hydraulic oil and compressed air to the moulds, - expandability of the process through numerous intermediate treatment stages and - the method's high capacity for economy and general emplo...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Welding: Lasers from the Box
... increases every time a lamp has to be changed and the risk of an interruption to production at any time of the day or night cannot be ruled out. The substantial differences in favour of the laser diode, however, do not stem solely from fail-safe operation. The much lower energy requirement arising from the comparatively good efficiency of roughly 30% and the low and predictable maintenance outlay reduce the running costs of the laser diode markedly (Fig. 2). That is not to mention the much lowe...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Zero-clearance Connection: For Complex Riveting
...ore developed from simple flat covers to hightech functional modules with high-quality design surfaces. In order to fulfil the stringent requirements it is necessary to combine a multiplicity of individual parts in a door cowling. Passive and active safety devices are combined with closing, lighting and audio systems and high-quality shaped parts are combined with leather, textiles or designed surfaces. Connecting the different materials with a multiplicity of riveting points is a complex task a...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-30, Fluoro Polymers: Safe Construction of Chemical Apparatus and Plant
Elastomers Safe Construction of Chemical Apparatus and Plant Fluoro Polymers. Constantly rising demands on chemical apparatus, pipelines and plant increasingly necessitate the use of high-performance materials. Fluoro polymers are finding growing application in self-supporting constructions, e.g. containers and feed devices, and in linings for protecting containers, towers and pipelines against corrosion. Klaus Hackel The – in the classical sense – thermoplastic fluoro polymers PVDF (polyvin...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-01-11, Hot-Runners with Twin Heaters: Double Safety
Tooling Double Safety Hot-Runners with Twin Heaters. Two years after the introduction into the market, “Fail Safe”, a new system for hot manifolds and nozzles, which uses double heaters and thermocouples, has proved its reliable performance in numerous field tests. Marco Morandini Two years ago, HRS Flow, an Italian company who specialises in the manufacture of hot-runner systems for injection moulds, introduced its “Fail Safe” system to the market (Title photo). This patented design accomm...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-01-26, Injection Moulding: Tailor-made for Cleanroom Production
...oled drive that eliminates the contamination potential associated with the circulation of air in an air-cooled drive, - specially coated machine platens, - a higher machine base to facilitate cleaning of the system, and - the use of toxicologically safe and FDA-approved lubricating oils. These requirements naturally have an impact on the design and production of these injection moulding machines. For this reason, Netstal has established a separate area for this purpose, where trained staff asse...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-01-26, Processing: Continuous Process for Manufacturing Natural-fibre-filled Plastic Boards
... applications in the furniture industry, they also provide an ideal wear layer for floor panels (Fig. 6). The high utility value is achieved by the use of electron beam-crosslinkable, solvent-free coating systems that permit environmentally safe curing with low energy input. Special additives can be used to obtain many additional properties, such as resistance to water, weathering, microbial attack, insects and heat, together with flame resistance. These properties are particularly important for...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-01-30, Dosage Systems: Functional Packaging for the Medical Sector
Special. Functional Packaging for the Medical Sector. Dosage Systems. Purity, biocompatibility and sterilisability are key requirements for plastics intended for use in medical applications. The aim is to ensure maximum safety and quality of life for the patients. One example is medical packaging. Nowadays many medical packs are designed not only to protect the drugs inside, they also serve as the actual dosage system. Engineering plastics have been making a major contribution to this developmen...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-01-30, Plastics for Medical Technology: Long Life Ensured
...st from demanding such detailed proof if it can be assumed that, in all probability, no harm can emanate from the product. This is to be expected, for example, if the plastics have already been used in other medical products and their safety has already been documented there. For the injection moulder – in this case, Funk 3D, Simmersfeld/Germany – proof of production consistency through a quality management system (e.g. to ISO 9001) may then be sufficient. The testing procedure and the nature of...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-02-21, Productivity Increase: Fuel Tanks with Barrier Layers
...tank system. The objective was to combine the tried-and-tested components into a new whole. Availability, reliability and simple operation were at the forefront. Above all – in the truest sense of the word – are the material hoppers. A separate, safe and easily accessible second platform provides a central location for the material hoppers. Clear structures are the prerequisite for preventing operator errors, for instance, in the area of material handling. The integrated gravimetric material fee...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-03-23, Packaging Recycling: From Bottle to Bottle
... as Germany and Switzerland, have responded quickly to advances in recycling technology and to new scientific insights: clear recommendations and performance specifications have opened the door to a growing segment for the recycling industry. Food-safe, Recycled PET. Bottle-to-bottle recycling requires extensive knowledge of polymer contaminants and efficiencies of decontamination processes in addition to the latest recycling technology. This is the only way to ensure that no undesirable substan...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-04-26, Software: Safety Solution for Man-Machine Co-operation
Special Safety Solution for Man-Machine Co-operation Software. Current developments extend the potential of more efficient, more productive and higher quality automation solutions. They primarily constitute intelligent combinations of software and hardware. The safety of employees active in production areas remains an absolutely necessary criterion here. Gerd Trommer For automation solutions with industrial robots establishing lean production means integrating more functions per unit area, red...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-05-23, Innovative Potential: Additives Now and in the Future
...roperties offered by plastics has made a vital contribution to the success of these materials. Additives are important components in plastics formulations, which assist their processing and ensure a long service life. Additives modify, influence and safeguard service properties. They also achieve new effects and functions that open up considerable innovative potential. Rudolf Pfaendner The increase in the sales volume of plastics to its present level of 180 million t/a, with growth continuing ...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-06-30, UTECH 2006: PUrists Together
...e technology. On the one hand, companies in the PU sector used this year's trade fair to present a host of novelties. On the other hand, the Isopa Association through its "Walk the Talk" initiative drew attention by way of example to the safe handling of isocyanates. LED of Villers-La-Montagne/France appeared at Utech with its own PU metering unit for the first time. Hitherto the company's core business has been in the field of maintenance and repair of high-pressure metering m...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-09-26, Material Handling: Basis of Product Quality
...ly and preparation. Integration of all surroundings into the automated production process as well as higher flexibility have already been accomplished in many plastics processing factories. When it comes to stepping up efficiency of production and safeguarding high and constant quality of the product, innovative design of compounding units, supply units, metering equipments and drying plants is of outstanding significance. After all, a finished product can only be as good as the materials it is...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-09-27, EU Legislation: The REACH Syndrome: Incurable, But Not Fatal
...e eco-political hurdles. In the end, Europe will not have gained anything in ecological terms, but will have lost economic power. Plastics Processors also Affected. REACH makes industry responsible for the safe use of chemicals and hence de facto reverses the burden of proof: evidence of safety must be provided for each substance that is employed. Responsibility extends over the full length of the value-added chain, i.e. the plastics processors’ applications will be fully covered by REACH. This...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-09-27, Trend Outline: Integration and Intelligence
...nd Intelligence. Herbert Kraibühler. Trend Outline. Injection moulding is going to continue its way towards the “intelligent” machine. A holistic view of the machine, mould, material and process will help machine manufacturers make production safer, easier to be handled and more cost-effective. In particular, increased synergetic integration of individual production methods into intelligent overall systems with one control unit represents the future of high-wage countries. Machine and process...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-09-28, Development Trends in Automation: Robots and Humans: A Good Team
...es, which can be connected up as required. This strategy naturally requires that all the control systems involved are compatible with one another and “speak the same language". A simple additional note: if safety fences are made in black or charcoal, an observer can see through them from a distance. Brightly painted or galvanised fences prevent this. They hide everything like a curtain. Flexible Assembly Cells The market requires assembly lines tailored precisely to the product and process....

Kunststoffe international, 2006-12-06, Metal Replacement: Liquid Crystal Polymer in Springform Baking Pan
...w springform baking pan. Alexandra Jacobs-Hattwig Achim Hofmann In chip card carriers (Fig.1) or connectors, liquid crystal polymers ensure smooth functioning of mobile phones, while in sensors (Fig.2) and mechatronic systems, they make car drivers safe and comfortable. Functional integration – in the same or an even more confined space – and the miniaturisation this allows were previously the main arguments for using liquid crystal polymers. With its very good flow properties, this plastic is ...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-01-22, Corona Treatment For Any Material Thickness
...blem. Easy Integration Linear plasma systems can be easily integrated into existing extrusion and treatment lines because of their compact construction. These systems with all the required accessories are specified for rapid installation and safe operation. The main components are the actual atmospheric-pressure plasma electrode and a medium-frequency generator with adapted transformer for voltage supply. Linear plasma electrodes can be designed for different installation situations. In partic...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-01-22, Rheological and Mechanical Design of Pancake Dies
...d, the impact of bending and the function of the die can be taken into account as early as the rheological design stage. On the other hand, the minimum necessary plate thickness can also be determined at which no impermissibly large bending occurs. Safe design of pancake dies with the smallest possible installation space is thus substantially simplified and opens up new application areas for this design. Acknowledgements The studies presented in this paper formed part of the AiF research proje...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-03-15, Car Bodies from Natural Fibres and Vegetable Oils
...vestigations, it was possible, for instance, to achieve considerably higher impact strength through use of Cordenka fibres (industrially produced cellulose fibres). Ongoing research is focussed on further improving the impact strength values. Safety Aspects In addition to the mechanical properties, it was quite important for safety-related reasons to test the flammability of the bus component. With reference to the specified value of 100mm/min, all of the natural fibre components fulfil their ...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-03-15, Use of Primary Energy Increases Energy Efficiency
...s which have already proved to be reliable in other gas application technologies. These include an improved modulating burner, an exhaust gas heat exchanger and a standard automatic control system, together with a submersible pump and solenoid, safety and cooling valves. The temperature control medium is heated directly by the modulating natural gas burner. The heat exchanger integrated in a water tank produces the operating temperature needed in the water bath. The submersible pump transports t...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-05-14, Cleaning to Virgin Material Standard
...on in relation to migration in food. This is done either with experimental migration measurements or with mathematical migration models [2]. If the migration of a synthetically introduced model substance is below 10ppb, the processes are regarded as safe [3]. Mode of Operation of the New Recycling Process All super-clean material recycling processes established so far have been developed independently of PET virgin material production. Not until the production of PET preforms are the recyclate...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-06-18, Keeping an Eye on Costs
...ayer MaterialScience has been concentrating its efforts on two product areas within the complex company structure: polycarbonates and polyurethanes. Starting point for both products is phosgenation – claimed to be the current state-of-the-art, safe, and undergoing constant optimisation. The leading position enjoyed by the company in this area is ensured by the know-how in phosgenation. Three conditions must be fulfilled for successful and economical production: functioning world-scale plants, le...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-07-18, Guide Wire for Intervention Using Magnetic-Resonance Tomography
.... n References 1 Lange, S. C.: Miniaturisierung des Strangziehverfahrens am Beispiel der Herstellung von Kanülen aus kohlenstofffaserverstärktem Kunststoff. Dissertation an der RWTH Aachen, 2005 2 Krüger, S.; Schmitz, S. et al.: "MR-safe Guidewire With Improved Mechanical Properties And Demonstration of a Positive Contrast Algorithm for Passive Device". 6th Interventional MRI Symposium, Leipzig, September 2006 The Authors Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Brecher is Member of the Board of Dire...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-08-14, Focus on the Environment
...he Innovation Center in Geleen, Netherlands. The young company’s additives can be used to apply dark laser marking to a very wide range of polymers. The novel factor is that this is performed with very high resolution; the marking is food safe and aging resistant, and is also suitable for MOF ("marking on the fly") applications, i.e. can be applied very rapidly (Fig.2). The marking can be performed in all existing laser marking systems that operate without CO2 lasers, which would introdu...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-09-19, 450 Parts under the Same Lid
... product suitable for serial production. For conception and realization, it was indispensable for the designer to have profound knowledge of plastics, ceramics and metal materials. Since water meets electricity, the system had to be absolutely safe. All the main components, i.e. boiler, water pump, as well as shower and dryer unit, were integral parts of an attractive design. Briefly speaking: Under the same lid, designers built in the mechanical, electronic and water handling units in a way tha...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-09-19, Distinctly Lower Energy Costs
...ve contribution to reducing CO2 emissions. Injection molders achieve both objectives with a plasticizing unit heated by natural gas. Natural gas heating systems can be retrofitted, pay for themselves in a short time and, most importantly, they are safe. Erwin Bürkle Thomas Hungerkamp Martin Würtele Although energy costs in the plastics processing industry often amount to only between 5 and 10 % of total costs they have now become a variable worth keeping under close scrutiny. Firstly, becaus...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-09-19, Great Achievements in any Respect
...bes are increasingly requesting processors to do the confectioning as early as during production. In order to meet these demands, BIW provides the customer with various equipments for downstream processing. The BIW products are food safe and fulfill all requirements of medical engineering and pharmaceutical industry. Dies For the production of small multi-layer pipes, spiral mandrel manifolds are widely spread. Among this product group are tubes and ducts for cars, medical engineering, hydraul...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-09-19, Mastering Demanding Challenges
...ving Resources while Meeting Demanding Challenges According to the UN, preserving supplies of drinking water is one of today’s most demanding challenges. Borealis, Linz, Austria, offers help in this regard with its highly stable PE grade BorSafe HE3490-LS-H. This material is characterized by a very low tear propagation rate and can thus be laid even in difficult situations – e.g. on rocky soil and, with new laying techniques, without complete excavation. Leaks are avoided. Its long-term stabili...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-09-19, Producing PP Cups Faster
...tretching to the sheet temperature (Fig. 2). All process parameters are linked in a complex control loop, thereby contributing to reliable operation, ideal utilization of the sheet material and the high quality of the cups produced. The integrated safety functions in the servo drives eliminate the need to use a fail-safe PLC (programmable logic controller) while simultaneously guaranteeing quick response of the safety function. Drive-based safety functions can stop potentially dangerous motions ...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-09-19, The Right Machine for GMP
The Right Machine for GMP Cleanroom Manufacturing Medical technology is one of the most sensitive applications in machinery and plant construction since medical products do not allow any compromises in production safety, traceability of the qualification processes or product liability. This means details really count when developing an injection molding machine for cleanroom manufacturing. Hans Wobbe Christoph Lhota Gernod Dittel For many years leading business scientists have been predi...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-09-19, Versatile Material with Unlimited Potential?
...ign and development, CAD design, modeling/prototyping, mold construction, automated serial production, surface finishing, assembly mounting and customer-specific logistics (Fig.1). One of the company’s main focal points of development involves safety components for the automotive industry. Unlike molded components, that usually feature on the outside of a device, the safety components made from the PU material Bayfill EA (manufacturer: Bayer MaterialScience) perform their function hidden away in...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-10-19, Your Business – Our Effects
...port, USA." In order to supply its customers around the globe, Ciba maintains a worldwide production network (Fig. 1). World-scale plants are located close to important customers and are designed to accommodate future growth. Technology, safety and environmental protection are all state-of-the-art. In order to address the needs of its customers, Ciba maintains a global technical support network (Fig. 2). Inquiries and complaints are processed around the clock in regional technical service ce...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-10-21, Foamed Thin Wall Packaging
...e requirements supports the IML technology (in-mold labeling) in two areas. Firstly, the average wall thickness can be reduced without the molded part losing its most important physical properties and secondly a particularly thin, but process safe film can be used, since this is subjected to smaller dynamic loadings in the injection cycle. In this application a film with a thickness of just 38µm is used. At the same time the foam structure increases the dimensional stability of the part. The hig...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-10-21, Plastics to Join Metals
...ng processing, by, for instance, varnishing or covering. Böllhoff and Delo Industrial Adhesives have worked together to develop a joining method: Applying this process, bushing elements are adhesion bonded during production. The method is process-safe and takes only a short period of time for curing. Process-safe Curing There are significant downsides in mechanical as well as thermal joining methods, making engineers focus on adhesion bonding. Actually, it is not a new idea to bond bushing ele...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-11-21, Introduction of Predetermined Airbag Tear Lines in Decorative Skins
... automotive dashboards are normally introduced by laser cutting, cutting with a cold knife or hot-knife cutting. In a new process, a C-frame holds a knife and a roller ball. The integrated sensor technology permits high accuracy, reproducibility and safety. Thorsten Schüppstuhl Sebastian Eickens Achim Biertz In the past, it suited automotive manufacturers to make the driver airbag, and particularly the passenger airbag, highly visible as optional extras. By contrast, in today’s era, when com...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-12-17, Designing Film Hinges for Strain
...is-à-vis the deformability of the material. Thus when designing, it is logical to presume the yield strain (εzul = permissible strain) ((formula 1)) The permissible strain is determined therein by the applicable strain threshold eG and a safety factor S. Both values depend on the film hinge function. At high bend numbers, it is advisable not to exceed the polymer’s tolerable strain amplitude εA(N) as determined in bending fatigue tests and dependent on the frequency and number...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-12-17, From Miniaturization through to Furniture Design
...y the Myto chair from industrial designer, Konstantin Grcic. Basotect too is creating new dimensions in furniture design. Its fire resistance and elasticity make this melamine resin foam the ideal material for comfortable and safe upholstered furniture. This means that public buildings no longer need to be furnished with sober and cold seating facilities in (non-combustible) stainless steel, in order to meet their stringent fire protection requirements. The KITE 560 series of upholstered furnitu...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-12-17, Logistics and Know-how Rule the Market
... PP Celstran, which is used as a carrier material in many vehicles today. PE: Pipes and Grass At the K show, Sabic introduced the Vestolen A 6060 R polyethylene, which is designed for water ducts and is being applied in Montenegro. Borsafe is the name of a Borealis product designed to manufacture pipes of high qualities and stiffnesses, serving the same purpose. Both of these systems are PE100 qualities (Fig. 2). Moreover, Boralis displayed PE films made of Borstar FB 2230 and FB 2310, being u...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-12-17, Metal Phosphinates in Industrial Applications
Metal Phosphinates in Industrial Applications Halogen-free Flame Retardants More than a quarter of polymers produced worldwide are used in applications for which there are specific fire safety requirements. Industrial trials impressively demonstrated that flame-retardant systems based on metal phosphinates are an excellent alternative to conventional formulations. Rüdiger Walz, Thomas Baqué Most polymers are relatively easy to ignite and release large quantities of both smoke and heat duri...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-01-15, Tireless Assistants
...ce of elaborate support structures, it can be suspended or mounted at an angle. Special features above and beyond its small dimensions are its reach of 1.45m, a payload of 7kg and the ability to tilt backwards. Announcing that, as part of a new safety concept, electronic position switches (EPS) would be used in the future instead of mechanical designs, ABB drew attention to another issue. ABB says that EPS, which are wear-and maintenance-free and unaffected by contamination, make for a more comp...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-02-29, Writing under the Surface
...en laser marking pre-die cut labels, a filtration unit is not required, which is a high-maintenance and expensive item. In addition, the transparent built-in laminate layer is permanent and reliable in making any information on the label safe from mechanical wear and external impact. Another excellent feature is the polymer layers’ very high temperature tolerance, ranging from -40°C to +130°C, it can even withstand up to +150°C, for a short period. The material compound resists impact from UV ra...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-07-15, Three Steps to Success
...ree plants for thermoplastic injection molding. "No matter what purpose – components have to face ever-increasing demands today. This compels processors to tackle the subjects of multiple temperature control, energy-efficient cooling and safeguarding of good water quality, as only theses technologies will be able to provide the best conditions to ensure optimum molding quality", Stephan Untraut states. He is head of the gwk office for south-western Germany and was given the targ...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-08-14, Estimating Thermal Stresses Using Single-Point Data
... reduce the coefficient of thermal expansion and simultaneously raise the modulus of elasticity. Thus the values found for d0 can also serve at least as an upper limit for fiber-reinforced thermoplastics, the estimate then lying on the safe side. A certain constraint on the validity of (3) emerges from the requirement that on heating pressure stresses calculated with negative mathematical sign always arise so that the large expression in brackets must always be positive. This has the con...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-08-14, Food Packaging: A Green Light for Recyclates?
...y an approved recycling process. The regulation contains the rules regarding the procedure for this approval. According to it, every recycler and every recycling facility has to file for permission for their process with the new formed European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in Parma, Italy. After the documentation supplied has been evaluated, the Brussels Commission passes on the application and publishes both its positive and negative rulings in the Official Journal of the EU. All approv...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-08-14, Tailor-made Suit for a New Packaging Idea
...igher molecular weights with poorer flow was to control the crystallinity of the material. An appropriate nucleating agent should result in a crystal morphology that increases the strength of the polymer enough for the necessary carrying loads for safe transport of six 1,5-liter bottles. In the last step these procedurally difficult to combine additives were combined together with a pigment preparation in a masterbatch. Within the framework of a co-operation with material scientists at the Queen...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-09-23, Smooth, Efficient Production
...e interaction between over-pressure and under-pressure phases, almost like a brush. Further conditioning steps are rinsing and preserving of the molds. Operators do not have to be in attendance during cleaning. Hall A2, booth 2321 WEZ Kunststoffwerk Safe Stacking Pallets and pallet frames can be stacked with safety corners from WEZ Kunststoffwerk AG, Oberentfelden, Switzerland. These prevent the pallets from slipping and falling during transport. The safety corners fit onto both wooden and plast...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-10-17, COsub>2/sub>– Climate Killer or Plastics Feedstock?
...ying idea is that by 2020, at the latest, the major emitters will have switched their manufacturing methods to CO2-free production on the basis of this method. Serious doubts remain, though, about whether the sequestered carbon dioxide can be stored safely over the long term and whether there are enough safe storage places close to the emitters. Moreover, sequestration will likely incur significant energy losses, equivalent to a 10–15 % loss of efficiency in power stations. Polymers from ...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-10-17, Plastic, the Material of the 21st Century
...al and indispensable part of the solution. Plastics also contribute their problemsolving capabilities in the framework of other global challenges. To give an example: a large number of people today regard satisfying the increasing need for clean and safe drinking water amongst a growing world population as almost being more of a comprehensive problem than the increasingly scarce resources in the energy field. Plastics are involved in virtually all the different solutions here, starting with the ...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-10-17, Polycarbonate (PC)
...use of this trend, halogenated PS-HI and ABS materials are being replaced increasingly by halogen-free flame-retardant PC blends in electrical and electronic applications. Even cable ducts and electrical conduits intended for installation in “safety-sensitive” structures such as highrises and office buildings or public facilities with a great deal of traffic such as airports and schools are being extruded or thermoformed increasingly from chlorine- and brominefree flame-retardant &...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-10-17, Polyoxymethylene (Polyacetals, POM)
...019;s Hostaform MT specially developed for medical applications. Its good sliding friction behavior as well as high wear resistance prevent the strongly loaded part from wearing out and make a strong contribution to the device’s longevity and safe operation. Thanks to the heat resistance of the polymer used, it is no problem to sterilize the system. Safety for Sports and Leisure Activities In the field of sports and leisure activities, product esthetics play a leading role alongside longe...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-11-20, Continued Growth
...uccess is based on a solid financial basis, all in all. He said that the present crisis at the financial markets did not directly affect the enterprise, and that the group’s liquidity was safe at the long term, until 2014.

Kunststoffe international, 2008-11-20, Problems with the Mold are no Longer the Responsibility of the Buyers
...n the first instance. Jahn: We have received data, but this has not been consistently 3-D data but, at times, only 2-D data. We have then checked all the data once again, just to be on the safe side. How reliable is delivery by comparison to Germany? Kleinsteuber: Get going – keep at it – and, there you are, it’s finished! Chinese companies are fast when it comes to building new molds. They have a much greater volume of weekly working time available to them, and Chinese mold builders do not enga...

Kunststoffe international, 2009-01-26, Burden or Opportunity
...me into force on 1st June 2007. Unlike the old EU chemicals legislation REACH is based far more strongly on the principle of individual supplier responsibility. The directive places an individual responsibility on manufacturers and importers for the safety of their chemicals and for them to obtain the necessary data for their assessments themselves. For the first time, REACH reverses the burden of proof. Whilst it was the regulatory authorities that were previously responsible for documenting th...

Kunststoffe international, 2009-02-17, Learning Controller as a Guarantee of Quality
...trol functions that allow a reproducibly accurate injection molding process; diverse documentation resources which seamlessly demonstrate the quality of the product; the ability to communicate with peripheral systems and with mainframe systems; fail-safe and low-maintenance hardware; and ease of servicing and simple troubleshooting. The hardware and software components employed have all been industrially tried and tested. They provide a solid foundation ensuring the productive availability of th...

Kunststoffe international, 2009-06-16, Plastics in the Fast Lane
...tive of the EU, namely to cut CO2 emissions by 60 to 80 % by the year 2050, 60 g per kilometer by 2025 would be necessary [1]. Polymers today are driving development in the automotive industry. They are increasingly the key to fuel-saving, future-safe solutions in fuel systems, under the hood, and in safety and electronic systems. They are up to 30 % lighter than metals, withstand many different substances, corrosion and temperatures up to 260 °C, have little or no electrical conductivity and of...

Kunststoffe international, 2009-10-14, Batch Size Is Everything
...In film extrusion, particularly, there is an urgent need for more automation. The primary task is continual movement of heavy loads. The institutions for statutory accident insurance and prevention (Berufsgenossenschaften) often specify health and safety conditions that the companies have to implement within a short space of time. In addition, employees must carry out all the process steps such as weighing, barcode application and product stacking onto returnable pallets in ever shorter cycles/w...

Kunststoffe international, 2009-10-14, Focus on High-Tech
...ce energy consumption, for example by improving the efficiency of fuel cell and battery technology or enabling lightweight construction solutions that reduce the fuel consumption of vehicles. Product Stewardship Program – Intensive Safety Research The development work for Baytubes and the opening of the respective markets are conducted globally. Therefore in safety matters Bayer MaterialScience works in partnership with national regulatory bodies in all the major economic zones. For example ...

Kunststoffe international, 2010-01-27, Value Creation through Innovation
...enters in Stenungsund, Sweden, and Porvoo, Finland. A new innovation center is currently being built in Abu Dhabi by Borealis’ joint venture Borouge. Developing Polymer Solutions for the Future “I don’t believe that the polymer industry is safe from business cycles, but we were well placed when we went into the crisis”, commented Mark Garrett, CEO of Borealis, adding that it was therefore important to invest continuously in innovation. “We want to recruit the best researchers in the world” is hi...

Kunststoffe international, 2010-04-20, From Natural Rubber to High-Tech Material
...ily into filigree molds than even a few years ago. This means that they can for example be made into particularly delicate seals (Fig. 7). The rapid filling of large volume molds is also eased, which increases the failure safety of solid rubber components made from this oil and temperature resistant raw material. Energy requirements and cycle times during manufacture are also reduced. It is worth noting that the production process for Therban AT is based on research results for which Yves Chauvi...

Kunststoffe international, 2010-08-19, Polycarbonate – How a High-tech Material Conquered the World and Continues to Do So
...d Future Visions The market is huge and the potential applications more varied than ever. Besides the established applications for PC, Bayer MaterialScience is constantly researching new ways to make products more (energy-) efficient, safe or economic with PC. So polycarbonate is helping to support the sustainable philosophy of the company and actively address the many different trends and drivers in its customer industries. Optical Data Carriers (ODS): So far, these are the most important appli...

Kunststoffe international, 2010-09-24, A Material Unlimited
Be it foam material, coating or a molded part – in offshore operations, polyurethanes are taking on more and more important tasks to help make crude oil production safer. In refrigerators or houses, eco-efficiency analysis now can show just how much energy can be saved by insulating with PU foam materials. And in automobile interiors, these widely varied materials form sophisticated surfaces while fulfilling the low emission levels required by the automobile industry. In medical technology, poly...

Kunststoffe international, 2010-09-24, The Dies Are Rolling
...ing to ISO cleanroom classes. It took a team of specialists in design, mold construction and cleanroom production one year of development work to make the standard. Braunform has thus designed a reliable standard for the safe and effective production of medical plastics parts. Hall 1, booth F30 Kaufmann Sensitive Surfaces with Sensor Function Plastics parts with functional surfaces and integrated sensors open up a new world, not only for automotive manufacturers. In this area, Georg Kaufmann For...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-02-21, Machines Take on the Role of Pharmaceutical Services
.... All parts which come in contact with the product are made of proven materials that boast special surface finishes. The oils and lubricants needed for operation are exclusively FDA-compliant. Additionally, the equipments fully comply with workplace safety requirements. Hot melt extrusion affords a way of incorporating the active pharmaceutical ingredients into the excipients. This is achieved by continuously feeding gravimetrically determined quantities of the starting materials, i. e. active p...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-02-21, Moving Molds Make Parallel Processing Steps
... travels with the molded part including its cold channel to the cooling station. Once there, a short-stroke pneumatic cylinder applies a water-cooled copper plate flat against the mold in order to temper it by conductive cooling, thus ensuring safe removal of the gate. Parts ejection is also performed by a shortstroke pneumatic cylinder within the next swing mechanism. Simultaneously with the ejection stroke, an ejector generates underpressure that sucks the parts into a test tube. The selection...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-02-21, Operation in Hand
...ered Raw materials Only”. www.plasticsportal.eu During the cruciate ligament operation, the disposable applicator, which is made from components manufactured from a POM grade specifically formulated for medical devices, ensures safe and secure attachment of the new ligament to the knee (photo: BASF)

Kunststoffe international, 2011-02-21, Plastics for Emergency Medicine
...ctors who prescribe how emergency care is to be provided. On the other, there is the issue of diversity of functionality. What can we do technologically and which functions can be integrated into these products to ensure this degree of safety. Third, there is the whole topic of durability. How can we use technology to guarantee the durability of such products until they are used at some time in the future? Especially if they have to be available in large quantities at short notice. Kunststoffe: ...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-02-21, Securing Care for Patients
The use of disposable plastic products for medical care has improved the safety of patients enormously. This is due to the sterility which the manufacturing and packaging processes of such products guarantee. This has made disposable plastic products an indispensable component in complex regimes of modern medical care by a wide variety of therapeutic disciplines (emergency medicine, infusion therapy, clinical nutrition, oncology, pediatrics and neonatology as well as anesthetics). Plastics produ...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-04-25, Monitored Control
...nes this assessment has to include hazards that stem from excessive melt pressure. Cases are known where incidents caused by overpressure have resulted not only in damage to machinery and loss of production, but also serious injury to personnel. The safety requirements for extruders are detailed in the current version of EN1114-1. According to this, excess pressure protection can be provided by mechanical devices such as predetermined break points, rupture discs, stretch bolts, etc. or by pressu...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-04-25, Safety Goes into Series Production
The manufacturing cell for sheathing safety belt tongues in question here is installed in the production plant of the Estonian AS Norma in Tallinn, a subsidiary of one of the world’s largest automobile industry suppliers, the Autoliv Inc. Group with headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden. It is built around an Allrounder 470 S injection molding machine (manufacturer: Arburg GmbH + Co KG) with 1,100 kN mold clamping force and 400 mm injection unit; it is characterized in particular by the fact that it...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-04-25, Ultimately a Question of Philosophy
...nces. “Keep it simple” – the controller thus speaks exactly the right language, depending on the operator and requirements. Employees with different levels of qualification can therefore operate the production plant safely. The goal of “configuring, not programming” has thus been achieved. Robot Follows Machine Movements in Synchronization The controller integration provides the operator with even more possibilities of improving the interplay between injection molding machine and robot. The inte...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-05-12, Surfaces that Help Healing
...name Baymedix, the company offers raw materials for medical wound dressings and active ingredientreleasing coatings, hydrophilic coatings and lubricious coatings. Absorbing without Swelling Polyurethane foams based on new aqueous and environmentally safe raw materials used in wound dressings support the healing as they quickly absorb aqueous fluids which are often present in wound areas. At the same time they swell far less than conventional wound dressings. They are also gentle on the skin, res...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-09-23, Quality and Economy Increased
...t seals requiring a long flow path – the optimized flow properties lead to more economic production conditions. Because other than the usual process, where rubber seals have to be inserted prior to processing, the use of TPE allows for fast and safe manufacturing by two-component injection molding. In addition, the tensile strength and resilience properties of the high-performance TPE materials could be further improved at a high level of tear strength, and excellent resistance to media impact w...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-09-23, Road-Ready and Sound-Insulated
... of 250 mm, for example, the accuracy is 4/100 mm. The monosandwich process, with its proven history, will bring about many further interesting applications in the future because increasing cost pressures are forcing the search for simple, safe and inexpensive processes. There is great potential for application here slumbering away unused. Any plastic processor who raises the topic of the monosandwich process during design discussions with end customers and who scrutinizes his shop for potential...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-10-17, Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP)
...ds service temperatures from -196°C to 280°C, a temperature range that is not uncommon in the food processing industry. The material withstands freezing, shock freezing, and even microwaving without being damaged. The food-safe plastic can be provided in numerous colors and forms, and offers many benefits over classic metal. The plastic alternative is not only lighter, but also generates less noise and is also easy to clean. In addition, the plastic heats up and cools down faster – an aspect tha...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-10-17, Polyamides (PA)
...nd of growth rates slumping, if considered over several years, automotive electronics is due to be a growing field of activity, because demands for reductions in fuel consumption and emissions, as well as for improved comfort and safety, will continue to increase. Intelligent electronic control is the main factor of success here, only just making potentials for saving and for certain functions possible, that used to be unthinkable several years ago. Considering automotive electronics, classical ...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-11-18, Designing Lighter Cars
... after the component has already been through the cathodic dip coating process, but before the wax cavity injection treatment. Ideally the automatic foaming cell should be positioned at the end of the paint shop, since the process requirements for safety, logistics and storage can most easily be integrated there. Reproducibility and reliability: Stateof- the-art high pressure PU foaming equipment provides a very high level of reliability and reproducibility. Quality control is achieved by monito...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-11-18, In-Situ Heating of CRP Organic Sheets
...heir higher “zero-shear viscosity” compared to thermosets. Because of its special properties and outstanding design potential, organic sheet, as a plastic hybrid material, is increasingly being used in automotive engineering, and in the sport, safety and aerospace industries. Organic sheets are consolidated sheets with carbon fiber fabrics that have been previously impregnated with thermoplastic matrix in a separate process. The separation of the complex impregnation step from the actual mass pr...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-11-18, Let Off Some Air!
It is invisible but it nonetheless frequently impedes a process-safe production: Air. Therefore, the injection molder’s task is to oust the air from the cavity at least as quickly as the hot plastic melt is injected. Otherwise, there is a risk of air traps, burn marks and deposits that often accumulate close to thin walls. The reason for this phenomenon is that areas with thicker walls fill first, so that the air is trapped close to the thin connecting ribs (Fig. 1). In addition to the energy-sa...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-01-30, Sustainable Way of Walking
...ain 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 efficiently while the materials are made, to reduce the impact on climate, and provide for safe processing. In addition, the materials are due to give long service life to the final product. The enterprise also follows this holistic approach with its new materials and technologies for the shoe sector. One example of this is the concept of ...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-02-24, Portable Medical Devices
...s to high-quality care in developing nations, are driving new approaches such as telemedicine and field-based care. Finally, sophisticated consumer electronics, particularly wireless connectivity, are making it possible to design devices that can be safely and effectively used in the home instead of requiring operation by a clinician. Examples of home healthcare devices include continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices, nebulizers, drug delivery devices, digital signal processing hearin...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-02-24, Protecting the Ground and Environment
...ot use geosynthetics. There are even applications where no alternative to use of geosynthetics exists. To seal landfills, the high density polyethylene (HDPE) geomembrane is the primary component of the barrier system without which a safe landfill would not be possible. To bridge sinkholes where stretches of high-speed rail lines run over former coal mines, for instance, extremely highstrength geosynthetics provide protection by preventing impermissible settling of the rails should the mine coll...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-04-20, Plug-In Connectors for Household Appliances
...t [soldering pot]) and the definition of the upper part and lower part designation depending on the encoding/positioning. Increasingly, Rast connectors are being used in the Appliance industry as they meet manufacturer requirements. They are safe, easy to assemble, and fool-proof (i.e. impossible to connect in the wrong position). Color coding for identification is not required, feature size is smaller, and the manufacturing process is faster since all connections at each particular device are d...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-10-15, Things are Moving!
... can be operated via the machine control. Krauss-Maffei Automation AG, Oberding-Schwaig, Germany, considers this full integration as the state of the art in plastics processing (Fig. 1). Besides, the control, the manufacturer also includes the safety concept and manufacturing cell with common protective housing, and quotes the footprint, functionality, operating reliability and efficiency of the system as advantages. The company sees it as standard to integrate linear systems that originated in ...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-11-26, Charge-Air Ducts in Modern Engines
... a vehicle manufacturer according to the scenario shown in Figure 4; however, no change was found in the mechanical behavior of Ultramid Endure. Here, OEMs and plastics manufacturers have to jointly work out near-real, yet sufficiently safe test instructions. In this connection, it would be helpful to draw comparisons with existing classical materials for charge-air ducts, e.g., aluminum. The Ultramid Endure D3G7 introduced at the 2010 plastics fair has found an especially interesting serial app...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-11-26, Leveraging Hidden Potential
...s for their process? In essence, the greater the flow rate, the better the heat exchange between the mold and heat-exchange medium, and the lower the temperature difference between the mold inlet and outlet. In many companies, to be on the safe side, it should be ensured that the flow controllers of all circuits are completely open. It remains a mystery whether the individual flow rates are then too low, unnecessarily high or just right. Engel’s developers have investigated the question of optim...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-11-26, Precision Down To The Finest Web
...ome a standard feature for today’s drivers. Every new development in the field of consumer and communications electronics is soon followed by an adaptation for use in automobiles. And apart from the technical gimmicks, our cars would be far less safe, have a higher consumption, and be noisier without all the electronics. The increasing number of electronic components automatically increases the number of cables and connectors in a car. In order to ensure fast and reliable installation on the aut...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-11-26, Why 3-D Printing is Boosting Product Development
...t was profitable. 3-D printing has the potential to replace the top heavy “too big to fail”business model with a more agile decentralized production basis with higher added value. When all the trends are taken together it is pretty safe to assume that product design and development will change radically over the next decade. An impression of this is given by this review of the current state of printed prototyping. 3-D printing technology that can simultaneously print two different components a...

Kunststoffe international, 2013-01-28, Focus on the Product
...vy-duty sacks is a subject that involves several product areas. Regardless of the variety of manufacturing technologies, the functionality of the sacks always has priority. In addition to good mechanical properties that ensure protection and safe transport of the packed material, feedability and printability are essential factors for further processing. For instance, a Varex or Optimex blown film line can be used to extrude semi-tubular film that is subsequently printed on a Miraflex flexographi...

Kunststoffe international, 2013-01-28, Is the Future of Plastics Green?
...ncy through catalytic reactions at low pressures and temperatures. Clean and lean production processes with a small number of steps and the lowest possible risk of damage and accidents. Closed lifecycle with efficient recycling of materials. Safe, non-toxic chemical products that pose no threat to humans or the environment. Avoidance of solvents or use of safer solvents, if they are necessary for production. More intensive use of renewable resources. Some of these requirements are already integr...

Kunststoffe international, 2013-02-22, Greater Transparency
...drinking water supply and sewage treatment situation in many developing countries also continues to remain critical. Growing Demands on Products and Materials In the light of the above, there is a growing demand for both innovative and reliable, safe health care and diagnostic products. The associated market opportunities for manufacturers are often linked to ever more stringent requirements for marketing authorization, while in many cases the demands on performance and quality from medical tech...

Kunststoffe international, 2013-02-22, No Risk in Blood Sampling
...ple liquid. The plastics capillary replaces the two glass capillaries – the two capillaries are necessary, because the capacity of just one is not sufficient for analysis – as well as the delicate seals of the former system. This makes handling safer and reduces the risk of infection. The plastics tube is bent by 180° prior to assembly, thus making room for the 220 μl of blood required for subsequent analysis. This calls for special manufacturing techniques. Because the heparin decomposes at 50°...

Kunststoffe international, 2013-05-16, On the Safe Side
EU Standard EN 1114-1, which took effect in 2012, requires that machinery manufacturers prepare a comprehensive risk assessment as the basis for the design of a machine. The objective of the risk assessment is to establish safety and health requirements individually for each machine and use them in the design process. In addition to the intended use, misuse, operator error and foreseeable faults must be taken into account. In an extruder, the melt pressure must be limited to a safe level through...

Kunststoffe international, 2013-06-19, Medium-Sized Companies REACH Marathon
...cal substances registered with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) in Helsinki by May 2018. This refers to substances that are produced in or imported into Europe at tonnage bands < 100 tonnes per year. At the same time, responsibility for safe handling of the chemical substances changes: Manufacturers, importers and downstream users must make sure the use of the substances is safe. The onus of proof is also reversed. The provisions of the regulation are aimed at better protecting users and ...

Kunststoffe international, 2013-08-19, From Dream to Value
...production of mattresses. Later they may serve for the production of thermoplastic polyurethanes, and, in a following step, varnishes and fibers. “This is how, by using CO2 greenhouse gas, Bayer MaterialScience supports safe supply of raw materials,” according to Thomas’ fore. Robots Enhance Mobility Life expectancy is growing all over the world. Many elderly and ill people, though, can hardly be independent of help from others, and stay in their house or flat. The company informed that robot te...

Kunststoffe international, 2013-08-19, Machine Manufacturers Tool Up for K2013
... forms the basis for designing new control concepts. We have thus redefined the human-machine interface and made the application of highly integrated system solutions even more comfortable, efficient and safe. We invite all trade show visitors to try out the new CC 300 control system at our booth for themselves. Today, the industry is dominated by the idea of sustainability. What are the important trends currently dominating the industry in your view? Cezanne: Today, the industry is no longer do...

Kunststoffe international, 2013-08-19, More Global Collaboration
...o be produced individually before. The stop buffer system was developed in a joint development project of DuPont, Fiat, Insit and Ossberger. In an entirely new way, it improves vehicle dynamics and driving comfort. Safe Use and Sustainability DuPont has extended its vast portfolio of engineering plastics, thus reacting to the high requirements posed by the electrical and electronics (E&E) industry, food and healthcare sectors. The enterprise thus emphasizes that it is always committed to mak...

Kunststoffe international, 2013-08-19, Twice as Fast with Nitrogen Cooling
...llow the nitrogen cooled copper pins a faster cooling of the domes: the critical areas are already cooled down to a temperature level max. 45°C after the same demolding time (Fig. 5). Conclusion Also narrow domes can be cooled down process safe by a tempering with a nitrogen filled pin. Thereby is it necessary to wash around the copper pins with water since the heat removal is additionally accelerated. Viko was able to decrease the cycle time of the circuit breaker housing during the production ...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-01-23, Trend Report: Complex Recipes Handled Flexibly and Precisely
...evable with the system. Summary Visitors to the trade fair were presented with a comprehensive overview of the available material handling technologies. In particular, detail improvements were presented, which promote flexible, safe, and robust processes. Also in future, the increasingly precise, more efficient, and more reliable plant and machines will be able to meet continuously growing demands placed on materials and products. Fig. 1. Direct coloring units of the KEM series ensure exactly un...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-05-07, Injection Molding: Manufacture Hollow Bodies with Inlays in a Single Step
Modern medicine would not be the same without infusion and transfusion therapy. Drip chambers have long ago become standard products for these applications, and can be produced economically despite meeting highest requirements for manufacturing safety and hygiene. In a flagship project, it was possible, for the very first time, to manufacture multi-component hollow bodies with inserted filters on an injection molding machine in just a single work step. Drip chambers are a core element of infusio...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-05-07, Restructuring: Understanding Customer Requirements
...h other with their specific properties and advantages. One of our priority objectives is to enhance medication efficiency through targeted and precise dosage, with a particularly strong focus on practical convenience and application safety. Our expert knowledge of the properties of glass and plastic in conjunction with our R&D activities help us to develop optimum solutions. One of the materials that is going to become firmly established in the market alongside glass is cyclic olefin polymer (CO...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-06-17, Resource Efficiency with Plastics Technology
...achines for returning bottles, is growing the proportion of recyclate which is melt-purified and chemically reassembled during the recycling process to eventually be reused as PET bottles. These processes are now so safe that the recyclate is even approved for food contact. Lidl, a discounter, advertises a 50 % content, but this is already being exceeded in the laboratory.Bioplastics Will Not Save the World – But Maybe the IndustryUsing renewable raw materials also constitutes long-term material...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-07-22, Brilliant Looks
...and more popular. This new trend combines two different needs: on the one hand, the customer’s wish to look at the product immediately; on the other, the industry’s claim that its packaging is hygienically clean and safe for transport. If the transparent packaging is also colored, it likewise reminds one of precious stones, thereby giving an impression of elegance.The new generation of effect pigments has interesting options to offer for these applications. In colorless, transparent plastic, the...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-07-22, Smart Color Exchange
...elocity, i.e. in a conventional way. The injection velocity is then often not sufficient to achieve wall slip in all hot-runner sections. However, the obvious conclusion that, with the highest possible injection velocity, one is on the safe side is incorrect. At high flow velocities, two-layer flow occurs because the outer flow is no longer entangled with the main flow and is pressed against the wall [3].At a microscopic level, the macromolecule chains that are stuck to the wall at low flow rate...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-08-19, "Establishing a Footprint in Europe Was Essential to Accelerate Growth"
...e in plasticizers, benzoic acid is used in a wide range of other applications. High purity grades of benzoic acid and its salts fall under the FDA (U.S. American Federal Drug Administration, editor’s note) clearances for Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) additives that can be used in food, beverage, animal feed and pharmaceutical applications as a biodegradable anti-microbials. In industrial applications, benzoic acid is also used as a chain terminator in alkyd paint. Our K-Flex product line ...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-08-19, Eco-Friendly Fire Prevention
...rective), RoHS (EU Restrictions on Hazardous Substances Directive) and the EU REACH regulation (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals). The response of the flame retardant producers has been new products with a high safety standard, e. g. polymeric bromine compounds and especially halogen-free products. The enormous increase in patents and patent applications relating to flame-retardant polymers since 2008 clearly shows this (Fig. 1). In the case of halogen-free f...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-10-10, Polyoxymethylene (Polyacetal, POM)
... very good wear resistance, supplemented by good dielectric properties. POM homopolymers are especially notable for their high rigidity, strength, creep resistance and fatigue resistance (Fig. 2). This combination of properties offers greater safety margins in demanding applications. Alternatively, it affords a way of making parts which have the same (unchanged) mechanical properties, but with thinner walls than those made with corresponding copolymers, and parts which are more resistant to alka...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-10-10, Polypropylene (PP)
...ding raw material suppliers has involved significant effort on the part of OEMs and tier 1 suppliers. Sustainable procurement of materials – at the right price in consistent quality and quantity with minimal environmental effects and safe in the application – was a great challenge. With the launch of the PCR Daplen portfolio, ready-made, high-quality material grades in consistently high quality are available to Borealis’ customers and partners.The use of biobased monomers for PP was originally a...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-11-26, Low Weight and Sustainability for Vehicles
...entioned [5]. However, at present, their prices cannot compete with the cost of the fibers used for the developments presented in this article. To guarantee the impact resistance that is indispensable to make sure the driver and passengers are safe, the fibers were therefore combined with high-impact PP matrices using the respective adhesive agents.If applied with these inherently tough matrices, natural fibers with a high l-d ratio include barely any benefit with regard to impact resistance, be...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-12-18, Plastics in Architecture
...mposite thermal insulation system, is not always suitable. Here, interior insulation can be an alternative.With careful planning and installation, interior insulations are just as functional and safe as other kinds of insulation. Because internal insulation layers reduce the available space, the layer thickness is mostly limited to 5...10 cm. Therefore, the insulation performance plays a particularly important role. Insulating materials based on rigid polyurethane foam (PU) with thermal conducti...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-02-28, Laser-Based Dynamic Mold Temperature Control
...cale. Localized heating is not possible [2, 3]. For this reason, the Institute of Plastics Processing (IKV) at RWTH Aachen University developed a flexible laser-based system for variotherm temperature control of mold cavities.High Heating Rates and Safety RequirementsLaser-based plant technology, with its high power density, is particularly suitable for high heating rates up to 300 K/s. A system for using mold-integrated (internal) laser heating in the injection molding process has been develop...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-02-28, Lighter than Water
...elled foam structure to be derived. These possibilities are not limited to achieving a maximum pressure drop, as is the case with purely physical foaming processes. Modern foaming agent masterbatches combine the advantages of dust-free and safe handling with the provision of nucleating seeds and additives, which permit an optimally tuned application to be realized with the process. Figure 1 clearly shows the influence of a maximized nucleating rate. During the development of technical compounds ...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-04-20, Packaging and Storage of Biopharmaceutical Products
...ased significantly, putting even more pressure on the biopharmaceutical industry.The major challenges in protein and peptide production for biopharmaceuticals include reproducibility, easy scale-up, process robustness and so on. In addition to being safe and efficient, the drug has to be applied in the right way for the patient to experience its therapeutic effect. Delivering a protein as a parenteral (parenteral means a medication that is bypassing the intestine in the human or animal body) the...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-05-21, From Prototype to Series Production
ContiTech’s "Heating and Cooling Systems" division produces complex hose modules for cooling and heating systems. For cost and weight reasons, an increasing number of components are made of plastic. The economic production of strong, safe hose systems and holders represents a great challenge. Whether as piece goods, molded pipes, or complete hose systems with integral functional components − the product range of ContiTech MGW GmbH’s "Heating and Cooling Systems" division in Hamburg, Germany, mus...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-09-18, Prevention of Contact Corrosion
To comply with safety requirements, products made of polyamide 66 (PA66) for applications in the electrical and electronic industries are frequently equipped with flame-retardants. However, this flameproofing can lead to gradual risks with electrotechnical products, e. g. contact corrosion. Such uncertainties can be avoided by means of improved stabilization – verified by specialized test methods. Electrotechnical articles perform important functions in practically all areas of daily life. They ...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-09-18, Regulations, Markets, Trends
...icity in combustion gases, increased fire protection requirements for seating, as well as requirements better adapted to the fire behavior of materials used in railway vehicles. In navigation, rule 17 of the Solas (International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea) has been in effect since 2002. It applies to the use of combustible, flame-retardant composites as light-weight sandwich elements to replace steel in various applications, to the extent that they comply with strict requirements r...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-10-12, Every Grain Counts
...ces that could well be of interest to companies from the chemicals, pharmaceuticals, recycling and petrochemical industries who frequently work with toxic and irritant materials. The emptying system has been specially designed for automatic, safe and complete emptying of drums, no matter whether containing free-flowing materials, dusty raw materials or even sticky pastes.The Helios Gerätebau für Kunststofftechnik GmbH, Rosenheim, Germany, also offers a system for the emptying of standard bulk m...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-11-23, Tailor-Made for Special Cases
...orage times and costs are eliminated.Intelligent Products and Tailored ServiceA look ahead at upcoming key challenges facing the medical technology industry reveals that here, too, the focus will be on further measures aimed at cost efficiency, safe and simple handling and consistently high product quality. Plastics manufacturers will therefore need to understand these challenges in detail and how to combine them with their own polymer expertise so that they can collaborate with customers to de...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-12-17, Efficiency up, Cycle Times down
...ser masks for pre-programmed robot operations. An additional advantage is offered by an exit strategy in the form of a pre-programmed home run from any position. This function alone ensures that the industrial robot can be operated reliably and safely without in-depth training.The teach skills for linear robots are sufficient to parameterize a multi-axis robot, as well. By contrast, the syntax-based code of the conventional multi-axis robots on the market requires thoroughgoing familiarity with ...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-12-17, Smart Factory Demonstrates Principles of Industry 4.0
...gram for customers in Germany for the first time. "Innovation Days" in Bad Homburg featured information direct from the B&R development departments, several guest presentations, and five expert workshops on current topics such as factory automation, safety technology, and Industry 4.0. Since 1988, automation specialist Bernecker + Rainer Industrie Elektronik Ges.m.b.H. based in Eggelsberg, Austria, has been organizing an annual user meeting there. Some 300 participants attended the latest such e...

Kunststoffe international, 2016-02-17, Mold Surfaces as a Quality Determinant
...o a gas phase, leaving behind no traces of water, washing liquid or residual chemicals. Cold Jet systems do not damage the mold surface and the dimensions remain unchanged, thus a reproducible product quality is ensured. Dry ice cleaning is also safe, non-toxic and prevents sustainable contamination. Because no chemical cleaning agents are used, it also reduces the risk to employees.Positive Feedback also from Maintenance Staff A staff team was assigned to review the usability. The mobile i³ Mi...

Kunststoffe international, 2016-04-05, By the Sweat of One’s Brow
...ith the best life cycle assessment was used. The Arnitel VT membrane in this study was 12 µm thick and had a unit weight of 15 g/m². The PTFE membrane was 15 µm thick and had a unit weight of 20 g/m².ConclusionGlobal demand for safe, comfortable, breathable membranes for hospital wear is increasing. Standards such as EN 13795 and AAMI Level 4 specify high requirements for surgical jackets in particular. Perforated membranes are a potential safety risk in these applications because they do not pr...