PLASTICS · PDF file · 2015-04-01PLASTICS IRELAND Published in ... Facilitating new business for customers One of our customers recently had the oppor-tunity to increase its market

PLASTICSIRELAND

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Your guide to a dynamic European polymer economy from

2012

Tackling the challengesExporting more products and less waste

TechnologyR&D for a competitive knowledge base

NewsContracts, investment, awards and regulationTackling the

challenges

A PRW supplement July 2012

newsPublished inassociation with

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Welcome to Plastics Ireland 2012, combining PRW’s news and feature-led input with the IBEC trade

association’s directory listing of companies active in the plastics industry on the island of Ireland

contents

News Round-up 3Corporate and product developments

Overview 9Priorities for prosperous plastics

Research & Technology 10Developing the knowledge base

Design & Materials 16Aesthetics, consistency and productivity

Focus on Northern Ireland 19Awards and exports

Recycling 20Boosting sustainability

IBEC review 23The director in conversation

Industry Directory 24Companies by process/type

Polymer classifi cation/Suppliers 32

New Arburg moulding machine for First Polymer Training SkillnetAthlone-based First Polymer Training Skillnet (FPT) has announced that Arburg replaced the Allrounder 320C 500 170 50-tonne in-jection machine at its facility with a new All-rounder 420C 1000 290 100-tonne Golden Edition machine in May. The old machine was sold to a new Irish-based customer of Arburg. The new machine is equipped with the latest Selogica Direct touchscreen control.

The machine change continues a long-standing relationship between FPT and Ar-burg. The Gold Edition machine will be used in a range of training courses, from Injection Moulding and Fast Changeovers to Electrical Maintenance programmes.

Arburg has worked with Irish-based mould-ers for over thirty-fi ve years, claiming a large and diverse customer base in many market sectors. Applications include contact lenses, electronics, liquid silicone rubber, medi-cal, multi-component and packaging. Many machines have been supplied for cleanroom applications, in some cases with customer-specifi c automation.

Colin Tirel, managing director of Arburg, commented: “We are pleased to continue our close working relationship with the team at FPT, playing our part in supporting the Irish plastics industry.”

Dosing refi nement from TSMDundalk-based TSM Control Systems, a specialist supplier of gravimetric blending equipment and controls to the plastics industry, has launched a new Opti-Feed in-line gravimetric feeder. This is claimed to deliver precise dosing of pellets, regrind and powder for maximum material utilisation.

The Opti-Feed design includes a patented dosing cylinder, which in conjunction with a stepper motor ensures that the colourant is metered evenly and accurately. The dosing cylinder eliminates pulsation

during metering into the main plastic stream, says the company, providing the best possible control of both the pro-cess and the end product.

Other benefits cited are less downtime, more efficient use of expensive colouring agents and

direct reduction of costs. The Opti-Feed requires lower torques for meter-ing larger quantities of materials than do comparable feeders, says TSM.

A range of output ratings is offered from

5 grammes per hour to 25 kilogrammes per hour.

Feeder features stepper motor actuation and

zero pulsation

Dundalk-based TSM Control

industry, has launched a new Opti-Feed in-line gravimetric feeder. This is claimed to deliver precise dosing of pellets, regrind

The Opti-Feed design includes

which in conjunction with a stepper motor ensures that the colourant is metered evenly

during metering into the main plastic stream, says the company, providing the best possible control of both the pro-cess and the end product.

Other benefits cited are less downtime, more efficient use of expensive colouring agents and

direct reduction of costs. The Opti-Feed requires lower torques for meter-ing larger quantities of materials than do comparable feeders, says TSM.

ratings is offered from Feeder features stepper

Allrounder 420C will fi nd wide application in training courses

Plastics Ireland 2012 is a supplement to PRW, the UK’s leading publication for the plastics industry.

Editorial contacts:Editor Barry CoppingManaging editor Hamish ChampProduction editor John Woodhatch

IBEC input Catherine Joyce-O’Caollai

Advertisement contacts:Advertisement manager Matthew BarberArea sales manager Adam FalshawProduction controller Janice ConwayPublishing director Steve Crowhurst

Printed by Headley Brothers, Ashford

© 2012 Crain Communications Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Crain Communications Ltd, 4th Floor, Carolyn House, 26 Dingwall Road, Croydon, Surrey CR0 9XF, UKTel: +44 (0)20 8253 9600Fax: +44 (0)20 8253 9650

July 2012 A PRW supplement

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Inblex Plastics offers packaging creativityBy Brendan DugganSligo-based Inblex Plastics is a relatively new name on the packaging scene in Ireland, but we feel we are making a big impression with customers. The company was founded just over two years ago when we purchased a prominent company in the blow moulding and injection moulding sector. Despite our youth, we can boast a 25-year track record of successfully serving a range of sectors includ-ing chemicals, diagnostics, medical devices, nutrition, pharmaceuticals and veterinary.

Facilitating new business for customersOne of our customers recently had the oppor-tunity to increase its market share, and was able to deliver to a very tight dead-line with our help. Sean McNamara of ABC Nutrition in Shannon said: “We identified an opportunity to gain new business but were under time constraints. Our customer required a very quick turnround on a new product. We knew we could deliver the product itself as this was within our control, but the packag-ing posed a challenge.”

ABC Nutrition is a private label manufacturer of sports nutrition, weight management and lifestyle nutrition products. McNamara adds: “Inblex was able to design and deliver production quanti-ties of our new container in a very short space of time. Once the design was finalised, we had the finished article on site in three and a half weeks – world-class service if you consider that a new mould had to be designed, built, tested and approved before production could even start. We give top marks to Inblex Plastics for their exceptional turnround on this project. They helped us secure new business that we might otherwise have lost.”

In my opinion quality and value-for-money pricing are now givens. Excellent customer service, respon-siveness, added value and flexibility are key to giving the customer the full package these days.

Emphasis on life science sectorI have over 23 years’ experience in the medi-cal device and plastics manufacturing indus-tries, having spent much of my career with a US multinational medical device manufactur-er. It comes as no surprise, then, that a sig-nificant proportion of Inblex’s customer base

is in the life sciences sector, and that they we count many SMEs and several Fortune 500 companies among our valued customers. Having worked in a best-in-class facility of a US multinational in many different roles, this is a great opportunity to apply everything I have learned in an SME environment. I know about customer requirements because I was a customer.

Inblex is accredited to ISO 9001:2008 and manufacturers mostly bespoke extrusion blow moulded and injection moulded packaging products. We have recently launched a range of standard packaging solutions, enabling customers to source “off the shelf” packaging without the burden of capital investment in tooling.

come into their own. We recognised this soon after purchasing the business and decided to develop our own range of standard packaging solutions.

We offer an ever-expanding range of containers and closures for use in diagnostic applications, and we plan additions over the coming months. For this range of products, we can offer a degree of customisation where volume requirements are appropriate – for example a range of materials, various closure options, colours, tints and so on.

Suggestions for adding valueInblex welcomes opportunities to assess the product and volume requirements of manufacturing businesses currently sourc-

ing bespoke products which would consider re-sourcing. Inblex aims to provide prospective clients with a package of manufacturing options. We may also suggest possibilities for improving product cost profiles through materials selection, tooling design, process design, and per-haps value-added activities at the customer’s facility. Inblex can offer short lead times, reliable quality to medical sector standards, on time delivery, flexibility and a strong customer-centred service.

From concept to manufactureWe can bring a customer’s new packaging requirement from con-cept through the design process to full-scale manufacture. When design and speed to market are critical we can support projects through our relationship with a prominent me-trology and design house. We offer rapid prototyping services, an onsite toolroom and access to several high-quality toolmaking companies in our locality. All in all, we offer customers a full design-to-manufacture service, delivering cost-effective solutions with value-added support for the full lifecycle of their product.

“What’s in a name?” is the most common question I am asked. What does Inblex stand for? We wanted

a unique name, something people would remember, but also encompassing what our business is all about – injection moulding, blow moulding, extrusion (blow moulding). It’s a name I anticipate will become very well known in the industry.

Brendan Duggan is managing director and owner of Inblex Plastics.

Avoiding capital tie-upThis business traditionally manufactured be-spoke products for specific customers. Custom tooling was commissioned and funded by the customer. We realise that many of our current and potential new customers are reluctant to tie up capital in tooling if the resources could be used elsewhere to develop their business. This is where off-the-shelf products

Standard or custom containers with full product lifecycle support

● Ferromatik Milacron Injection Moulding Machinery

● Wemo Automation Systems

● Material Drying and Handling Systems

● Water Heating and Chiller Systems

● Conveyor Systems

● Regrind and Recovery Systems

YOUR EQUIPMENT AND SOLUTIONS PARTNERJHL Engineering LtdDunamona, Athlone, Co Westmeath

Phone/ Fax: +353 9064 39866 Web: www.JHLPlasticsSolutions.ieMail: [email protected]

EQUIPMENT AND SERVICESOLUTIONS



6

MGS Manufacturing chooses Arburg machines for new plantAmerican moulder MGS Manufacturing opened a new plant on the Hewlett-Packard campus at Leixlip near Dublin last summer, the German-town, Wisconsin-based company’s first outside North America.

Around 40 workers at the Irish factory are making products for the computer and elec-tronics markets (including Hewlett-Packard), along with healthcare and consumer products. The 4,200 square metre plant will eventually house 40 all-electric injection moulding ma-chines, ranging from 100 to 350 tonnes rating.

General manager Michael Cummins said: “We purchased four Arburg machines in 2011/12, ranging from 150T single-shot to 320T two-shot models. We found the basic machines very versatile, but also recognised the value of the options on offer from Arburg. The Arburg teams in the UK and at their Lossberg headquarters are very flexible in their approach.

“Our initial interest in Arburg was stimulated by the UK sales team who worked very hard to explain their offering. A follow-up visit to Lossberg confirmed our enthusiasm.”

Cummins continued: “Although there are seri-ous fiscal and banking issues in Ireland and the broader European market we have seen strong growth in the manufacturing sector. There is significant interest, particularly from the US, in transferring products from the high-technology plastics, medical technology and pharma sectors

to Ireland. The country is still very much recog-nised as a gateway to European markets.

“We currently have another machine on or-der to support product development work with our customers. MGS takes a very positive view of our market opportunities – but at the same time, competition is very keen.”

Precision Extrusion Technologies established to sell plant into EuropeSligo-based Padraic Lunn Enterprises (PLE) has been appointed the American Kuhne sales representative for mainland Europe. PLE has represented specialist extrusion equipment manufacturers in Ireland and the UK since 2006, serving multinational medical device manufacturers.

PLE principal Padraic Lunn has an engi-neering background. He previously worked for OEM extrusion company Ansamed, followed by Abbott Ireland, and claims hands-on experience with a wide range of extrusion materials and processes. Lunn also provides customised extrusion train-ing programmes.

UK-based InLine Measurement Systems (ILMS) has joined forces with PLE to estab-lish Precision Extrusion Technologies. The new company will sell extrusion equipment into the European market. Steve Foy of ILMS has worked with European customers in the extrusion and cable industries for the last 20 years, supplying solutions and capital equipment. He is based in the UK.

Previously Foy represented measurement and control system supplier Beta LaserMike in sales roles throughout Europe, moving in 2006 to become an independent agent for the company in the UK and Ireland. He became the American Kuhne sales represen-

tative for the UK in 2008.Padraic Lunn said: “Our long-term

experience and technical know-how in extrusion will enable Precision Extrusion Technologies to provide a high-quality service to our customers. We can sup-ply bespoke turnkey extrusion systems or individual plant items tailored to the end-user’s requirements.”

PLE recently supplied Colorite Europe with a new American Kuhne medical extrusion line for its Belfast manufactur-ing facility (see page 14), providing full training to ensure rapid and trouble-free commissioning and start-up.

Fifteen jobs created by Killarney Plastics

MGS serves the computer, electronics, healthcare and consumer markets

Killarney Plastics has increased the workforce at its Kerry factory by 15 on the basis of grow-ing sales of its Tricel waste water treatment systems in Ireland, Britain and France.

The company was recently awarded a French statutory licence to trade in the waste water treatment sector, and Irish Ambassador to France Paul Kavanagh formally opened the company’s technical service and distribution centre in Poitiers.

All the French-bound Tricel products will be manufactured in Killarney, then shipped to the

Poitiers factory for assembly and distribution throughout France.

Killarney Plastics’ managing director Michael Stack said: “The substantial growth in export sales to France is a massive boost for our com-pany. The success of the Tricel brand in France has opened up other market opportunities for us in Europe; we will go on to launch Tricel in Italy and Spain during 2012.”

Killarney Plastics has been supplying its Tricel products to the Irish and British markets since 1996. The company has a total staff of

240, with 110 in Kerry and the rest at its facili-ties in Britain and now France.

Waste water systems are selling well in Ireland, Britain and France



8

Balcas orders kit forfibreboard productionBalcas Kildare has ordered a desiccant dryer and material handling equipment from Conair Group in advancing its production of medium-density fibreboard at Naas, County Kildare.

Balcas is investing more than €800,000 for several items of upstream and post-extrusion equipment from Conair, a single-screw extruder from Milacron and surface technol-ogy processing capabilities from Eastman Chemical, said Peter Burton, the company’s production manager.

In February, Balcas signed a licensing agreement with Eastman, giving the company exclusive use of the Eastman Cerfis-brand technology to make moulding and trim products in Ireland and the United Kingdom. Kingsport, Tennessee-based Eastman began developing the Cerfis technology in 2009.

Burton expects to receive delivery of the equipment in August, with upgraded opera-tions starting in September to produce inter-nal mouldings for the architectural, construc-tion and house building sectors.

For any profile, Cerfis technology is claimed to maintain a consistent geometry and sur-face finish, durability, dimensional stability, moisture resistance and reduced warping and twisting. Cerfis avoids use of volatile organic compounds.

Balcas was an early pioneer in the primed MDF moulding industry in Europe. It will produce paintable white MDF with the new systems.

Established in 1989, the Kildare manufac-turing facility employs 70 on a 4.5 hectare site. The parent firm Balcas of Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, has a total of about 800 employees and reports annual sales of about €100m.

Balcas’ Peter Burton (left) shakes hands with Conair’s Ernie Preiato at Conair’s NPE2012 stand after finalising a €250,000 order for auxiliary and extrusion equipment.

Ferromatik goes à la carte for Ireland

chines built in Europe, and more recently the modular injection moulding machine concept.

Athlone-based JHL Engineering has as-sumed responsibility as Ferromatik UK’s agent for sales and service of Ferromatik moulding machines, Wemo Automation products and Sella temperature controls in Ireland. Ferroma-tik UK will support JHL in these activities as well as providing technical back-up.

Wemo robots such as the two-axis 4-5 swing arm robot are “the perfect match” for Ferromatik machines, claims JHL, offering “very fast, clean and accurate performance, and providing an efficient and cost-effective solution for many applications which would traditionally require a three-axis robot”.

Business minister Perry visits Athlone Institute of TechnologyThe Minister of State for Small Business, John Perry toured research facilities at Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT) on 22 March. The visit was part of an event hosted by AIT to provide a platform for discussion on opportunities and issues relating to the plastics/polymer industry both in the midlands region and through-out Ireland. Senior repre-sentatives from plastics industry companies including Creagh Medical, Finesse Medical, Mergon International, Rotofab, Shasta, Streamstown Moulding and HT Moulding attended.

An AIT spokesman said: “Innovation is of particular rel-evance to the Irish plastics industry, which competes directly with low-cost manufacturing countries. As such, process and product innovation and intellec-tual property supported by research and development have never been so vital to this segment of the Irish economy.

“The importance of having a polymer research centre of excellence in Ireland was clearly articulated by all attending.”

See page 12 for an outline of AIT’s industry-related polymer research pro-gramme.

Good practice wins distributor passport for Univar IrelandUnivar Ireland has been awarded the Good Distributor Practice (GDP) Passport for its pharmaceutical and medical device business-es. The accolade was awarded jointly by the Irish Exporters Association and Life Science, Ireland.

According to the awarding bodies the GDP Passport is the first of its kind in Europe and certifies the quality, security and safety of a distributor’s operations.

“The GDP Passport is incredibly important to us as a business and the certification sets Univar apart from its peers,” said Phil Hocka-day, Univar’s environmental, health and safety director EMEA. “We always strive to under-stand the key issues faced by our customers and tackle them head on.”

Injection moulding machine builder Ferromatik Milacron has returned to the Irish market with its F series machines.

These are designed on a modular platform so users are free to select the most appropriate drive mode for their needs. All-elec-tric machines are easily configured for high-speed injection using a hydraulic accumulator and servo electric hydraulics, says the company, and hydraulic core pulling does not require a “cumbersome and inefficient” power pack.

Ferromatik has launched Elektron all-electric machines designed for straightforward applications not requiring a high degree of customisation, claiming “significant cost sav-ings” compared with competitive machines.

The company builds machines with locking forces ranging 300 to 13,000kN and with shot weights from 6g to 14.6kg, in both single-and multi-component designs.

Ferromatik cites as past milestones the first purpose-built solid-state machine control, spe-cial machine configurations for turning stack moulds, the first all-electric moulding ma-

Ferromatik Milacron offers a broad menu of drive

options for its F series machines

John Perry heard of innovation and

R&D imperatives for keeping Irish plastics

competitive


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Renmar Machinery specialise in the supply of Ancillary Equipment, Printing, Extrusion & Thermoforming Machines for the Plastics & Packaging Industries.

Company Address:Renmar Ltd, Building 5, Hendrickson Site, Sywell Aerodrome, Sywell, Northants NN6 0BN

Web: www.renmarltd.com Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)1604 646837

Renmar UK Ltd, Unit 5, Sanders Close, Finedon Road Industrial Estate, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire NN8 4HQWeb: www.renmarltd.com Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0) 8446 933225

A D Moulding Supplies Limited, Unit 32, Canal Walk,Park West, Dublin 12, Eire

Tel: +353 (0)1 6205797 Fax: +353 (0)1 6205793 Email: [email protected]







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Plastics Ire Renmar ad.indd 1 25/1/12 16:12:49

No shortcuts in tackling economic challengesBy Barry CoppingIn May just over 60% of Irish voters taking part in a referendum said “yes” to the EU’s controversial fiscal pact, which aims at enforc-ing budgetary rules in the eurozone. A “No” vote would not have blocked the pact, but would have barred Ireland from the possibility of drawing emergency EU funding when its bailout package expires in 2013. In late 2010 Ireland received an EU-International Monetary Fund bailout worth €85bn after debts over-whelmed its banks.

Prime Minister Enda Kenny said Ireland had sent a “powerful signal” that it was committed to overcoming its economic challenges, and that Ireland now had to work with the EU to boost growth across the eurozone.

Exporting more productsIn a sober climate, the Irish plastics industry is calmly carrying on with innovation, investment and exporting – witness Killarney Plastics’ shipping of its popular Irish-manufactured waste water treatment products to France for

assembly and distribution, creating jobs in the process (page 6). Athlone Extrusions’ co-ex-truded laminates serve a more glamorous mar-ket – prestige furniture. The company reports a big reception for the laminates in Australia, and is looking at growth in markets as diverse as Turkey and south America (page 16).

Exporting less wasteOne commodity which stakeholders agree that Ireland exports too much of is plastic waste. Noreen Hynes of Portarlington-based recycler Polymer Recovery is particularly vehement about this (page 22). Rita Shah of Shabra (page 20) and Louise Connolly of the government agency rx3 (page 21) agree that there is plenty of scope for improving the nation’s domestic recycling rate through better plastics sorting, improved infrastructure and advanced recycling technology. Not least is straightforward corporate and con-sumer education to do better at keeping Irish plastics in Ireland. Closed-loop systems would be nice, but any measures to stop a potentially valuable resource leaving Ireland for sometimes dodgy overseas “recyclers” would be welcome.

Investing in kitPlastics processing machinery is of course a multinational business, and builders of machines for all processing modes are finding Ireland a receptive market. American moulder MGS Manufacturing is buying Arburg injection moulding machines for its new Leixlip facility (page 6), and Balcas Kildare ordered ancillaries from Conair as part of boosting its medium-density fibreboard operation at Naas (page 8).

R&D to underpin successRelevant and imaginative research and devel-opment are crucial in building the valuable knowledge base and intellectual property portfolio of a high-technology industry such as plastics. All the better if this is done through carefully targeted collaborative projects be-tween industry and academe. Athlone Institute of Technology (pages 8 and 12) is building on an already distinguished record here, working with rx3 (page 21) among many other stake-holders. IBEC’s Marian Byron (page 23) would like to see the plastics sector adopt a more focused, strategic approach to applied research.


research & technology Published inassociation with

10

Controlling injection moulding process variationSteve O’Leary discusses common causes and solutions

Some fundamental causes of process variation are often misunderstood or overlooked in a busy moulding department. Consistent output from the injection moulding machine starts with melt consistency. Once a consistent shot size and melt viscosity are achieved during plasticising, everything else tends to fall into place.

The plasticising process relies on the adequacy of the screw design for the material being processed. For example, it is convenient to run nylon on a general-purpose screw as this allows other materials to be processed, usually gives good results, and is therefore often the best op-tion until more precision is needed or a material “refuses” to feed. Incorrect compression ratios and a short feed zone can lead to the process struggling to feed material, so the screw design should always be considered when variations in plasticising time, peak injection pressure or melt cushion are observed.

Barrel and mould temperatures recommended by material manufacturers are all too often ignored in the quest for faster cycle times, but running the process colder to reduce cooling time almost always causes variation to increase, sometimes drastically.

Back pressure and decompression distance are critical parameters which affect shot size variation. John Goff of G&A Moulding Technol-ogy has pioneered studies on plasticising and melt consistency. He shares simple methods to optimise melt consistency in his Injection Moulding Module 4 course, delivered through First Polymer Training Skillnet.

Lack of visibilityI have long noted a lack of visibility on the shop floor when it comes to screw design and cooling channel layout. There is often confu-sion over which hot runner settings control which zone in the hot runner sprue, manifold and tips, etc. This information is often on the engineer’s desk, not at the machine where it is needed. The problem is compounded by the

use of many different types of controllers with different panel layouts. Confusion leads to er-rors and these errors lead to inconsistency.

Mould imbalance can lead to the process run-ning a fine line between shorts and flash, parts sticking, warping and other issues. By taking off the holding pressure and dropping the shot size to around 85% full, variation in the shot size and fill imbalance become obvious. If the short shots are within 95% of the average weight they may be considered well balanced. If not, it should at least be ascertained whether the balance can be improved. Mould balance is affected by pressure losses through the machine nozzle, sprue, runner system and gates, so reducing these losses gener-ally helps. Add cooler barrel and mould tem-peratures to the equation and the imbalance is magnified by the resulting greater melt viscosity. Larger nozzles, shorter sprues with larger internal sprue diameters, hotter barrels, hotter moulds and higher hot-runner manifold temperatures all tend to improve fill balance.

The validation requirements of medical device moulders do address some common issues, but errors can still occur. Checking the actual oil and throat temperatures against their set points is a simple way of ensuring their stability. Observing the actual temperature delivered by the mould temperature controller for a few cycles can show up sticking flow control valves. Observing the actual hot-runner nozzle temperatures through a few cycles often shows up variation that needs to be eliminated. Actual readings of many process parameters against their set points may show up calibration issues. Check-ring wear can be easily and quickly tested by setting a long hold time and observing the screw position during holding.

Blowing air through the mould cooling channels before the mould is hung is good practice. This check should be completed in the toolroom before the mould is released for pro-duction. An alternative is to heat the mould to around 60°C for a simple touch check to show up hot and cold spots caused by piping errors or blockages. This temperature is ideal for dif-ferentiating between the areas of the mould through which water is flowing and those still at room temperature.

Consulting injection speed profiles helps to ensure an accurate switchover position. In many cases the final speed can give a switcho-ver pressure close to the holding pressure to avoid screw bounce.

When over-moulding medical devices in semi-automatic mode, the mould receives hot plastic melt at irregular intervals, causing the tempera-ture of the mould face to vary. The simplest solution is to make the operator aware of the importance of keeping the machine running at a consistent heat, perhaps allowing the operator a few extra seconds. Another option is adding a delay until a set cycle time has elapsed. Shipping parts produced after a short machine stoppage can be a major problem. Most machines allow the first few parts made after each stoppage to be rejected. However operators are often unaware of this issue, in which case the facility is not used.

Tools to analyse variationMost moulding machines built within the last 15 years have injection pressure curves determined. These are crucial tools for understanding the process. Each shot should overlay its rising injec-tion pressure curve directly on top of the previous curve. Where the curves are parallel but not over-laid exactly, this suggests that the check rings are sticking, that the screw or barrel is dirty, or that one of the above-mentioned faults has occurred. When other avenues are exhausted, cleaning the screw and barrel may remove this variation.

Cavity pressure sensors are a powerful tool to check for fill imbalance, which is dem-onstrated via the delay between the start of injection and the cavity sensor registering pres-sure. Pressure drops across the mould can be highlighted by observing the pressure required to purge through the open nozzle.

Process variation can be minimised through strict mould acceptance criteria, optimising melt quality, and adopting robust methods to check for machine problems. Once the cause of variation is located, the choice is then to live with it or fix it.

Steve O’Leary is a training consultant with Athlone-based First Polymer Training Skillnet.

Left: Variation in injection pressure caused by a dirty screw and barrel

Right: Mould im-balance: Fill time varies from 0.4 to 0.8 seconds



12

Athlone Institute builds excellence in collaborative polymer researchThe Materials Research Institute (MRI) is an interdisciplinary research centre in Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT), with a core fo-cus on providing polymer materials research, development and testing ser-vices to polymer- and biomedi-cal- based industry. The MRI encompasses facilities dedicated to materials analysis and testing as well as large-scale polymer processing and fabrication.

AIT has invested heavily in state-of-the-art research facili-ties and specialised analytical equipment. This includes a €2.5m purpose-built research hub co-funded with the Irish Higher Education Authority, and a new engineering and infor-matics building, which repre-sents an investment of some €36m. AIT can now claim to be one of the best-equipped facilities of its kind in the country, occupying the forefront of polymer materials research in Ireland. Nearly 70 research students and staff are based at the research hub. facility. AIT has a long tradition in promoting education and research in polymer technology, offering the first degree course in Ireland in polymer engi-neering, which has become a core component of AIT’s engineering degree programmes.

The combination of scientists and engi-neers, with knowledge and skill-sets encom-passing the chemistry and physical properties of polymeric materials along-side synthesis and processing capabilities has created a vehicle for addressing the needs of the plastics, medical device and pharma industries. Projects range from short-term problem solving to long-term strategic research.

Innovation for industryCollaboration with industry is one of the main components of research carried out at AIT. The Director of the Materials Research Institute (MRI), Professor Clement Higginbotham, says: “At AIT, we have a long tradition in developing innovative tech-nologies for companies throughout Ireland and are recognised as the leading national centre for polymer development. It is vitally important that academic institutions and industry continue to work together. Industry co-funded research currently underway at

AIT includes projects with the Shabra Group, Mergon International and Synergy Health. The projects focus on plastics recycling and methods of adding value to post-consumer

resin, development of light-weight recyclable polymer com-posites and E-beam sterilisation of polymers, respectively.”

Distinguished track recordHigginbotham describes an early collaborative applied re-search project to Barry Copping: “This was the development of a lubricious hydrophilic coating for medical devices. The coating becomes slippery when wetted, to aid insertion into a vein, say, but when it’s dry the device can be handled securely by a

physician.“Our method involved ultraviolet curing

of a mixture of polymers, monomers and initiators that was applied to the device either “neat” or dissolved in a solvent. The coat-ing was applied in a number of dip cycles and cured in a matter of seconds. This was a considerable improvement on the previous oven drying method which could take as long as 12 hours for a complete cure.

“The research included refining the UV curing regime in terms of intensity and dura-tion of irradiation etc. We got a PhD student to do this work. Our coating was eventually

patented, leading on to further innovation partnerships, includ-ing the addition of drugs to the coatings and culminating in the famous drug elution stents.”

Senior researcher Dr Luke Geever takes up the story: “Our later work on medical applica-tions for hydrogels used similar polymers to the coatings. Hy-drogels are rather like jellyfish, not very mechanically strong, so a key part of our research was to strengthen them. We did this by adding in different

monomers, other polymers and cross-linking agents to make the polymer chains stiffer.

“The hydrogels are used mainly for drug delivery, where drugs are released at con-trolled rates. An excellent example is wound healing. The hydrogel keeps the wound suitably moist while healing drugs are slowly released into it.

“We then made the hydrogels environ-

mentally sensitive or “smart”, adding certain monomer/polymer mixtures that change their properties in response to a change of pH (acidity), temperature, electric or magnetic field. We focussed mainly on temperature and pH – the most ‘multidimensional’ we got was to try and make the materials both tempera-ture and pH dependent.

“A prime application of this system is for oral drug delivery. Being a very acidic environment, the stomach is harsh on tradi-tional drug formulations. The idea is that the hydrogel structure stays nice and compact in

Prof. Clement Higginbotham

Polymer hydrogels offer many advantages for drug delivery

acid conditions, protecting the drug. Then it passes into the more alkaline environment of the duodenum and lower intestine. The hydrogel opens up and the drug is released.”

State agency support to help boost competitivenessThe MRI polymer research team continues to work closely with industry and state agen-cies such as Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Plastics Ireland, the IMDA, rx3 and other associations to support Irish plastics com-panies. Since September 2004, AIT has been awarded some €17.5m in competitively funded research grants (Enterprise Ireland (EI), Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), Health Re-search Board (HRB), EU Framework Research Programme, etc).

AIT is currently exploring a number of funding opportunities to further establish itself as the leading polymer materials and processing centre in Ireland. This includes upcoming Enterprise Ireland, SFI and Framework 7 funding calls which have the potential to better equip the MRI so that it is in the strongest position possible to assist Irish plastics companies in achieving optimum competitiveness and to exploit new market opportunities.

Dr Luke Geever



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Food for thought with Sonoco Plastics’ rotary thermoforming technologySonoco Plastics Thermoforming produces over 2 billion crystalline polyethylene terephthalate (CPET) food trays annually. It is part of the $5bn Sonoco Group with worldwide produc-tion operations and expertise in plastic and paper packaging. The Carrickmacross facility of Sonoco Plastics claims leading status in the market for ready-meal packaging trays.

CPET is stable over a temperature range from -40 to 220°C. Trays made from the material have the advantages of robustness when frozen and “dual ovenability”; that is, they may be reheated in either microwave or conventional ovens. Major customers close to the Carrickmacross facility include Kerry Foods and Heinz, with others throughout the UK, Ireland and Europe.

According to Sonoco, food processors and consumers prefer CPET trays over traditional types of frozen food packaging such as alu-minium, coated paper and monolayer poly-propylene because of their inherent appear-ance and performance advantages – moisture resistance and a built-in oxygen barrier as well as impact resistance.

Rotary versus flatbed thermoformingA distinctive feature of Sonoco’s opera-tion is its adoption of rotary thermoforming technology alongside conventional flatbed machines. Garry Woods, quality and environ-mental health & safety manager for Sonoco’s Thermoforming Europe operation, explains to Barry Copping: “Rotary thermoforming has

a higher output than flatbed, making it ideal for large-volume, longer production runs.

“Rotary machines work with a larger num-ber of mould cavities than flatbed machines. Naturally there are pros and cons to both rotary and flatbed configurations. The tooling for rotary is more expensive, although for common sizes and tray weights single cavity

rows are possible, reducing the overall tooling cost significantly.”

Woods comments: “The flatbed line is more suited to minor product variations in shorter runs involving more tool changes. It also gives a deeper draw capability.”

‘Green’ credentialsSonoco Plastics regards itself as a pioneer in the use of recycled materials in food trays, and offers PCR (post-consumer recycled ma-terial) for all trays (both mono- and co-ex-truded). Currently up to 50% PCR is used, for which Sonoco claims a 25% carbon footprint reduction for the trays.

Woods says… “Some customers wish to em-phasise their ‘green’ credentials in terms of us-ing recycled material. We are happy to accom-modate and facilitate this by working closely with our suppliers for a material of consistently high quality to the required specifications.”

Colour preferencesWoods closes by noting different colour preferences for food trays in Sonoco’s various markets. “Traditionally in Ireland and the UK black has been in the greatest demand, though in principle we can produce any colour. Europeans tend to prefer a white ‘porcelain’ finish for their trays. There is a considerable cost implication in supplying smaller batches in colours other than black, since each colour change requires a complete clean-down of the production lines.”

Colorite Europe boosts extrusion capabilityBelfast-based Colorite Europe, a supplier of medical polymers to the global healthcare market, has stepped up its product develop-ment, testing, R&D and manufacturing capa-bilities by installing a new high-technology extruder line.

Colorite linked up with Padraic Lunn Enterprises to install a new American Kuhne Ultra Series 50mm, 24:1 L/D medical extrud-er in conjunction with Guill extrusion tool-ing and a precision vacuum sizing tank and puller/cutter from RDN Manufacturing.

The extruder was supplied with two differ-ent Steward barrier screws and a selection of metering screws. Additional instrumentation enables Colorite to monitor the feed throat temperature, melt pressure and tempera-ture near the breaker plate and in the die head. The inline Guill head was designed to minimise raw material residence time and incorporates quick-change tooling to facili-tate trials.

The precision vacuum sizing tank includes proprietary loop control for direct regulation of vacuum level and a range of non-contact tooling sets for a variety of tubing product sizes. The combination puller/cutter includes

closed-loop speed regulation to provide accurate speed control and features a quick-change cutter blade and cutter bushings, again to allow easy tooling changes during trials.

Colorite’s medical PVC com-pounds are designed to be con-verted into disposable devices such as haemodialysis tubing, blood bags, endotracheal tubes and oxygen masks.

In 2009 Colorite invested £3m into its facility at Springbank Industrial Estate as part of an expansion plan designed to open up new markets in Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific. The addi-tion of the extruder marks the next phase in its global R&D strategy. With Padraic Lunn’s strong background in medical device extrusion, Colorite regarded him as “ideally positioned” to assist with its requirements for a medical extrusion line.

Ian Kenny, global managing director of Colorite Compounds, said: “This investment

is an important element in our strategy of test-ing new technologies and bringing the benefits of a diverse product portfo-lio to our customer base. We’re focusing ever more on raising standards and providing customers with highly customised, tailored solutions for their medical tube development. With the assistance of Padraic Lunn Enterprises, espe-cially Padraic’s tremendous expertise in the field, we now boast a new extruder line which will help us to achieve that.”

With its focus on serving markets across the EU and SE Asia, the past six years have seen a phase of significant growth for Colorite Europe. It now supplies to custom-ers in 33 countries worldwide. In 2011 the company was named among the UK’s top exporting businesses at the national Queen’s Awards for Enterprise.

New extruder will boost R&D for medical PVC compounds

Rotary thermoforming can boost productiv-ity for large volumes


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Only the best for Athlone Extrusions’ new laminatesThe new Durogloss foil laminates from Athlone Extrusions are co-extruded multi-layer thermoplastic structures incorporating a high-gloss, scratch-resistant acrylic top layer on a high-impact ABS substrate. Durogloss is available in sheet or reel configurations, and is aimed at the upmarket end of the indoor furniture industry.

The acrylic foils are either flat-laminated to MDF or chipboard panels using specially formulated hot-melt PUR adhesives, for which the bottom (“B”) face of the foil is specially treated to ensure optimum adhesion. The high-gloss top surface of the foil is covered with a PE masking film to protect it during all stages of manufacture through to final instal-lation. The protective film is easily removed.

Athlone Extrusions’ general manager Kenny O’Brien tells Barry Copping: “This product is very demanding in terms of quality and finish; it represents the ‘state of the art’ in sheet extrusion. There must be absolutely no surface defects, and it’s manufactured under cleanroom conditions to exclude dust and dirt completely.

“This sort of high-gloss finish has become increasingly popular in Europe, particularly in bedroom furniture and also kitchen cabinet panel and door applications.”

O’Brien acknowledges that there is a fashion element to demand for particular finishes. “It is impossible to predict how long the taste for high-gloss finishes will last but an acrylic top layer does provide excellent scratch resistance compared with the alternatives. We would hope to get five to ten years out of Durogloss before the fashion reverts to matt or semi-matt finishes for which of course we have alterna-tive options.”

In-house colourDurogloss is offered in a range of colours, from pastel to vibrant shades. O’Brien takes up the story: “We have just completed pre-production trials on a range of 22 stock colours. Athlone Extrusions has always prided itself on its work with colourants, and the acrylic top layer of Durogloss exhibits excellent colour consistency and reproducability. We produce our own masterbatches for in-house use but also supply them, along with added-value polymers and regrind for recycling, to other plastics industry players via our separate trading company Athlone Polymers.”

O’Brien enlarges on the benefits of an in-house colour capability. “Doing our own colour compounding is an absolutely key ad-vantage, and we are the only extrusion com-pany to offer it. We have a library of 12,000 colours which we’re adding to at a rate of 20-30 per week. We can supply any colour in the Pantone and RAL ranges, or match customers’

specific requests.”

AestheticsHe spells out the rigor-ous aesthetic demands of the intended market for Durogloss. “If two batches of upmarket furniture are supplied six months apart, the colour must be absolutely identical. This does not apply in the same way to other furnishings and finishes such as paint, carpets and wallpaper. If a customer buys a second batch of wallpaper with a serial number different from the first, and the appear-ance is not identical, then the supplier can hardly be blamed – we don’t have that luxury!”

Colour trends are moving from what he terms “deep” shades of green and red into metallic effects, notes O’Brien. “These pose technical challenges because they have to resist ultraviolet irradiation and be suitable for vacuum forming as well as other processes. Metallic effects are achieved by var-ious paste formulations. Over-processing will fragment the flakes and spoil the visual effect. There is definitely a lot of technical expertise

involved in formulating the pigment and get-ting the flow characteristics correct.”

Markets for DuroglossO’Brien says: “We know there is a world-wide market. Surprisingly, high-gloss upmarket furniture is not universally popular in the US, but it is already very big in Australia and is becoming so in markets as diverse as Turkey and South America.”

Other applicationsO’Brien outlines other areas in which Athlone Extrusions has been successful. “Acrylic/ABS laminates have seen significant growth over the last few years, particularly in outdoor applications such as metal replacement. This product is used for exterior panels, exposed cabs and in the instrument clusters of excava-tion machinery, on trams, trucks and offroad vehicles. The materials are robust and durable, particularly when used with different rein-forcement systems such as PU or GRP. With premium finishes they are also used in cars.

“The main advantage of these materials is that they don’t have to be painted. There’s also the issue of recyclability. Customers used to look to recycling for cost savings, but now there’s market pressure to demonstrate sustainability credentials. Athlone Extrusions compounds 3,000 tonnes of recyclate per an-num for both internal use and outside sale.

“Another interesting development is a chem-ically resistant anti-graffiti foil for lamination onto an ABS substrate. Chemical solvents are required to remove marker-pen graffiti, but they can attack plastic surfaces, for instance seat furnishings in public transport, causing damage. By contrast, our resistant foil laminat-ed ABS sheet product allows chemical cleaning to remove the marks without damage.”

Acrylic/ABS laminates are durable enough to replace metal in out-door applications

Cleanroom manufacture of Durogloss results in a fault-free finish


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BPI Visqueen promotes polythene’s possibilities

By Jerry O’Brien

For more than 25 years, BPI Visqueen (formerly Irish Polythene) has been one of Ireland’s leading suppliers of polythene products. But far from resting on our laurels, the business has continued to seek new ways of enhancing its product range in terms of added-value features, cost-effectiveness and environmental credentials.

The benefits of polythene are well known and include its light weight, high strength and impressive ability to be recycled post-use. However, one of its other key attractions is enormous flexibility of application. A wide range of parameters such as polymer blend, additive formulation and extrusion method can all be tailored to create bespoke solutions to suit specific uses.

BPI Visqueen has long recognised this fact. We continue to build on our track record with innovations and new products. This process is facilitated by our position within the wider BPI PLC group. As part of Europe’s leading manufacturer of polythene films, bags and sacks operating on a global basis and across many different industries, we have access to a wealth of expertise and experience. This creates exceptional opportunities for sharing knowledge and for the cross-pollination of ideas.

Boosting agricultural productivitySince agriculture is a major industry in Ireland it is perhaps hardly surprising that this is a large and important market for BPI. We are a leading supplier of silage sheeting and silage balewrap to Irish farmers.

BPI Visqueen’s Silotite is the world’s leading balewrap, used on more than 50 million bales per annum in over 50 countries. Agri-S silage sheet has become a firm favourite with cus-

tomers in Ireland and further afield because of its superior performance.

Silotite benefits from a multi-layer con-struction for superior strength, a unique two-side tack which contributes to a better airtight seal and built-in ultraviolet protection which safeguards against sunlight degrada-tion. These details make a big difference to farmers and are crucial in helping them produce better quality silage.

BPI Visqueen is now introducing techni-cally advanced horticultural films to the Irish market. These “smart” films enable growers of fruits, vegetables and flowers to manipulate the type and level of light to which a plant is exposed, so as to optimise crop quality and maximise yield.

Downgauging and recyclability for packagingBPI Visqueen’s general packaging includes pallet stretchwrap, pallet stretchhoods, pallet shrink hoods, IBC/ISO liners and heavy-duty sacks. The company has continued to invest into R&D to keep these products at the cut-ting edge. In particular, we have become a

key exponent of downgauging, which is very much the future of polythene packaging. We draw on advanced polymers and the latest extrusion technology to develop items such as pallet stretch hoods and animal feed sacks that offer all the performance of conventional products, but from a film profile up to 25% thinner.

This thinner profile provides significant environmental advantages. It allows users to produce packaging using less film by volume, in turn reducing packaging waste markedly. All BPI Visqueen’s downgauged films are 100% recyclable.

Further “green” benefits stem from the fact that more product in the thinner profile can be wound onto a standard reel. This helps to reduce delivery mileage and hence vehicle emissions.

Users of downgauged packaging also enjoy commercial dividends. The greater yield of film per reel allows users to wrap more units with fewer stoppages for reel changes. As well as helping to maximise machine and operator time, this contributes to efficiency improve-ments that lower unit packaging costs.

Progressive products for construction sectorBPI Visqueen produces damp-proof mem-branes and gas barrier systems which can help protect properties from the ingress of ground gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and radon. Our site protection products are used to protect floors and walls from damage dur-ing building or refurbishment work.

Our construction products evolve continu-ously to stay abreast of or even pre-empt such factors as changing building regulations and prevailing market conditions.

Jerry O’Brien is commercial director of BPI Visqueen.

Silotite balewrap features multi-layer con-struction, a two-side tack and built-in UV protection

Low-permeability gas membrane protects from carbon dioxide, methane and radon ingress

BPI Visqueen promotes polythene’s possibilities


focus on northern irelandPublished inassociation with

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SPE honours QUB’s McNally for educational achievementGerry McNally, past director of the Polymer Processing Research Centre (PPRC) and senior lecturer in Polymer Engineering and Materials at Queens University Belfast (QUB), was awarded the Society of Plastics Engineers 2012 Annual Education Award during the NPE2012 trade show at Orlando, Florida in April.

The award was presented by Jim Griffing, the incoming 2012-2013 SPE president, at a “Hall of Fame” banquet. It is designed to reward the efforts of individuals who have made outstand-ing contributions or lifetime achievements in plastics-related disciplines, in particular high-lighting those who have contributed signifi-cantly in the field of plastics education through teaching, mentoring and outreach.

Relevant disciplines include teaching un-dergraduate, graduate and/or industry-based students, developing plastics-related curriculum, building a noteworthy academic programme, creating innovative tools and methods for plas-tics education, or otherwise furthering knowl-edge of plastics/polymers and its dissemination worldwide.

The first European academic to receive the award, McNally was honoured for his con-tribution to teaching at undergraduate and

postgraduate levels, his outreach to the polymer sector in training programmes and workshops as well as his many research programmes with industry.

McNally was appointed to the staff of QUB’s School of Chemical Engineering in 1990, and was a founder member of the PPRC in 1996. He was deputy director of the PPRC from 1997, director from 2002-2008, business development

director 2008-2011 and a member of the Poly-mer Research Cluster in the School of Mechani-cal and Aerospace Engineering at QUB.

McNally has 15 years industrial experience at senior management level in polymer extrusion and has worked for extended periods in the USA and China. His expertise is in various areas of processing of polymers and their additives. He has an international reputation in the area of extrusion and co-extrusion, particularly blown films and tubes. He has been the lead academic in around 40 polymer related indus-try/academia applied research programmes, several of which have been awarded national UK prizes for his contribution and industry impact.

McNally has published around 240 papers in peer-reviewed journals and international conferences including three book chapters. He has secured grants and contracts of around £12 million for QUB over the past 12 years. He is a board member of the Northern Ireland Polymers Association (NIPA) and a member of the steer-ing board of the All Island Polymer & Plastics Network. McNally is also founder and past chairman of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) European Medical Polymers Division.

Cherry Pipes pips other entrants to pluck knowledge transfer awardDungannon-based Cherry Pipes and Queens University Belfast (QUB) won an award for UK Best Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) of 2011. The accolade was presented by Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Business, Innova-tion and Skills.

The Cherry/QUB project was judged on impact (on both the individual company and the business sector as a whole), the level of innovation, the degree of academic challenge and the benefit demonstrated.

As a result of its partnership with QUB’s Polymer Processing Research Centre, the Cherry Polymer Group claims status as one of the top ten plastics recyclers in the UK. Their collabo-ration enabled the company to develop a new approach to pipe extrusion, with improvements in product quality yielding British Board of Agrément (BBA) and British Standards Institu-tion (BSI) certification.

Waste from Cherry’s manufacturing process was reduced from 10% to 5%, and an in-house

Boomer Industries supplies Camp Bastion

Gerry McNally (right) with Jim Griffing

design facility was established. The new R&D focus has led to Cherry Polymers becoming the lead partner in a European Commision Seventh Framework (FP7) research programme.

The project with Cherry Pipes was car-ried out by KTP Associates Paul Beaney and Justyna Grabowska from September 2006 to January 2010 under the supervision of of QUB’s Gerry McNally and Alan Clarke. The project was part-funded by Invest Northern Ireland and the UK Technology Strategy Board.

A Northern Ireland-based company is sup-plying construction materials to Camp Bastion in Afghanistan’s Helmand province.

Lisburn-based Boomer Industries is pro-viding extruded PVC products for the inte-rior fit-out of temporary buildings made by New Zealand-based FrameCad. The con-tract followed a visit to Camp Bastion by Boomer’s business development manager, David Robinson, and FrameCad’s Troy Spence in order to identify firms and organisations with an immediate need for rapid-build, off-site construction for military housing and

buildings in the conflict zone.“Framecad has worked closely with the

Boomer team in developing imaginative construction solutions,” said Robinson. “On our exploratory visit we identified companies within our supply range, and I am delighted to say that we quickly received our first order,” he added.

FrameCad supplies steel frame fabrica-tion and machinery to the region, and now incorporates Boomer products as part of its materials offering.

Speaking about the visit to what is surely

one of the most dangerous areas in the world, Robinson said: “It is notoriously dif-ficult to supply into this region due to the logistical complications, but getting a foot-hold here lays the foundation for similar projects in Iraq.”

Extruded PVC prod-ucts will go into tempo-rary military buildings


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‘Keep it simple’ says ShabraRita Shah, co-founder and managing director of Castleblayney-based Shabra Plastics & Recycling, talks to Barry Copping

Shabra had modest beginnings, of which Shah is always mindful: “We started with two people in 1990 using an open stable building. I drove the delivery van and unloaded the fi rst consignment of plastic for recycling from the container truck myself. Offi ce facilities were a green landline telephone (there were no mo-bile phones in those days), my maroon brief-case, a bank paying-in book, a chequebook and a pen. I would visit customers monthly and take their orders for the following month. It was very hard work indeed, but they were good times!”

“We remind the team of our origins every now and then; we don’t want them to forget that. With a strong sense of our roots and of the company’s resilience, I believe Shabra can surmount any hurdle we come across.

Weathering hard timesShah has good reason to be proud of Shabra’s resilience, having survived the Irish govern-ment’s imposition of a 15 cent levy on single-use plastic shopping bags in 2002. At that time the bags were one of the company’s principal product lines. She laments a lack of prior consultation before the imposition: “Everyone knew the levy was imminent, but as a manufacturer, I wasn’t invited to any meetings. I happened to be visiting a friend in hospital. A newspaper was lying on the patient’s bed table, and a headline ‘LEVY ON PLASTIC BAGS’ caught my eye. I couldn’t even wait to ask how the patient was doing – I just had to pick up the paper and read the story fi rst!”

“Shabra was then sitting on stocks of about 1.5m bags, and nobody bought a single case for around a month. At risk through the stroke of a pen were everything we had invested in the plant: our machinery, the people who had been so instrumental in our success, our reputation for quality. There was no point in registering any sort of protest to government – once the legislation is in place, that’s that.”

Having acquired the mindset of resilience in 2002, Shabra was well placed to weather the recent recession. Shah reports: “We have invested £5m and created 35 new jobs. Shabra now employs more than 60 people. While our domestic sales are down, exports are up by 35%. Other initiatives include

‘lean’ manufacturing and management development at a high level, motivating our leaders and indeed the whole team.”

Leading from the frontShah is passionate in taking a broad view of her responsibilities as an employer: “Every job at Shabra affects the wellbeing of at least another three or four people – in the supply chain, certainly, and perhaps in the employee’s family as well. So losing just one job from the payroll will have a considerable ripple effect.”

“When someone has worked so hard for the com-pany, how do you tell him or her ‘I’m sorry, through no fault of ours you have to go?’”

She also believes in leading from the front with environmental and resource responsibility at Shabra’s own facility: “We do our own rain harvesting here at Castleblayney. With eight buildings on a 3.2 hectare site, you can imag-ine the positive impact, not least in terms of cost savings. We’ve also invested substantially in water treatment. Our accreditations include those to ISO 9000 (quality management), ISO 14001 (environmental management), ISO 18001 (occupational health and safety), and we’re currently implementing compliance with ISO 5001 (Energy management).

Audit trailsShah is philosophical about lax regulatory regimes in the Far East, which result in much so-called “recycling” ending up in landfi ll: “I’ve visited many sites where this happens. But there is no legislative framework such as we have in Europe, so one cannot altogether blame local operators; they have no bench-marks to work to.”

Contrast this with Shabra’s own rigor-ous and sophisticated audit trail, says Shah: “We have full traceability for all deliveries of materials arriving at Castleblayney. Consign-ment weight, customer, time of receipt and by whom delivered are all recorded, as are the corresponding parameters for product leaving the site.”

Closing the loopShah is keen to see much more recycling and reprocessing of Irish plastics in Ireland. “The impact in terms of reducing carbon footprint would be massive. Our government preaches that this should be done, so why aren’t there more facilitation and encouragement, and hence more takeup?”

The notion that European Union bureau-cracy and inertia limit recycling possibilities prompts a sceptical reaction: “I was invited to speak in Brussels at the European parliament. There was an astonishingly positive response from the audience and a great rapport – you could have heard a pin drop. Success in pro-moting and implementing recycling is down to keeping the concepts simple and avoiding unnecessary complication.”

Simple is bestShah concludes by explaining her prime target for simplifi cation: “I don’t mind legislation. It’s there for a purpose and we ac-knowledge all the research and expertise that underpins it. But I would like to see recycling law framed so that everyone can understand it, from the people who actually generate waste (including consumers) through the col-lector, the reprocessor, and right up through the supply chain. Education is the key here.”

Rita Shah: A record of resilience through leading from the front

‘Keep it simple’ says Shabra

, co-founder and managing director of Castleblayney-

‘lean’ manufacturing and management development at a high level, motivating our leaders and indeed the whole team.”

Shah is passionate in taking a broad view of her responsibilities as an employer: “Every job at Shabra affects the wellbeing of at least another three or four people –

and perhaps in the employee’s

Rita Shah: A record of resilience through


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rx3 promotes plastics recycling on a range of frontsLouise Connolly of the govern-ment-funded rx3 “rethink, re-cycle, remake” initiative talked to Barry Copping

Ireland’s new waste policy is due to be released by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (DECLG) imminently, so there is an element of “watch this space” and “wait and see” among recycling stakeholders at the moment. Nevertheless, rx3 can report positive progress in many areas.

‘Green’ public procurement (GPP) action planThe Irish government released this plan in January 2012. It covers eight principal product groups, embracing the construction, energy, transport, food & catering, cleaning, paper, textiles and ICT sectors. rx3 regards this as a very positive development – a new driver for recycled content and sustainability in public sector purchasing. rx3 will work with the GPP implementation group (representing public authorities and relevant stakeholders) to imple-ment actions identified in the action plan.

Recycling PU and PIRSeveral rx3 feasibility studies are reaching completion. An innovative process of Enviro-tech Waste Recycling allows polyurethane and polyisocyanurate (PU and PIR) waste to be recycled. The process has been tested success-fully and is ready for licensing out. Thermal insulation is the main source of this waste stream under consideration, but the materials are also used in furniture, carpets, mattresses and vehicles.

The initial focus of the project is insula-tion panels, with other sources following later. The resultant recycled polyols are suitable for partial replacement of original polyols used by system suppliers and coatings manufactures, specifically spray foam insulation and anti-rust coatings. The possibility of the material going back into insulation on a closed-loop sandwich manufacturing basis is being explored, but these tests are taking a little more time.

North/south market developmentThe plastics waste arisings study that rx3 published in 2011 was undertaken on an all-Ireland basis. In January we held an event under the aegis of the Best Practice Plastics Recycling Group with around 60 delegates from plastics processors, materials recycling facilities, reprocessors and manufacturers across both Northern Ireland and the Republic. This addressed maximising business opportunities for recycling plastic waste on the island.

Paul Davidson from the UK’s Wrap (Waste

and Resources Action Programme) attended, to present on what had worked successfully in the UK and could be applied in the all-Ireland context based on the output of the plastic waste arisings report.

Unsurprisingly, spot materials prices were the major issue aired by the processors, and waste quality by the reprocessors. The event aimed to bring together the different players in the supply chain to talk, exchange ideas, network and create business opportunities. The event was a great success and delegates expressed an interest in further such meetings.

‘Trash to Cash’ competitionThis is a communication and awareness-boosting programme for tertiary-level students. Waste and resources become part of the participating institutions’ curriculum and are

Processing quality improvement guidanceThis is another project to have emerged from best-practice consultations. Reprocessors want plastics processors and materials recycling facility operators to produce a higher-quality material which will form a better recycling feedstock. If the market could do this at zero extra cost (or at least without excessive cost) then this would facilitate wider recycling. The Environmental Services Association in the UK is currently developing similar guidance, which will be a useful tool when developing guidance for the Irish industry.

Kerbside plastics waste collections in Ireland are usually on a commingled basis, making this guidance very necessary.

Plastics manufacturers surveyThe survey aims at understanding the various routes for reprocessing waste arising from plas-tics manufacturing itself – that is, at the “back door” of the factory. A key objective of the survey is to find out how much of this plastic is currently being landfilled and establish the potential to direct such material to a recy-cling option. Post-industrial waste is generally uncontaminated and quite clean, so it could form a bulk recycling feedstock. One company generates 500 tonnes of material that it would like to recycle, thereby avoiding landfill, saving money and resources. Factored up over the whole plastics manufacturing sector, this raises promising possibilities for greater recycling.

Bioplastics working group and factsheetsThe aim here is to ensure that bioplastics con-taminate neither the composting disposal route nor the regular recycling route. At present bioplastics take only a tiny share of the market at less than 1%. But this is growing, and rx3 plans to develop guidance factsheets to assist in end-of-life management. Several academic institutions are researching bioplastics. One project involves bacteria consuming waste plastic to produce the polymer polyhydroxyal-kanoate (PHA).

Work with Athlone Institute of Technologyrx3 has been consulting with stakeholders for AIT’s industry-led polymer research programme to collate and clarify industry challenges and a research wish-list to address them.

Recycling of mixed plastic waste emerged as a strong theme, with industry keen to investigate approaches to processing and end uses. Most Irish materials recycling facilities are set up only to extract plastic bottles and films at present.

l See page 12 for more on AIT’s polymer related research for industry

Louise Connolly is materials manager for Dun Laoghaire-based rx3.

Louise Connolly: Anticipating the Irish govern-ment’s new waste policy

addressed in lectures. The students are tasked with making a product, either designed for mass production or something more bespoke and unique, from recycled feedstock.

rx3’s collaborators for the competition are the Science Gallery at Trinity College Dublin and Business in the Community Ireland (BITC Ireland). BITC members are approached to ascertain which waste materials pose particular problems. The students then devise a product to help solve a particular waste issue. The suc-cessful student will be mentored by a design specialist, and the winning product will be sold in the Science Gallery shop as a limited edition.

The competition works on many levels – raising awareness of waste and recycling issues for colleges and their students, creating solu-tions to industry waste problems and diverting waste from landfill.


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Making Irish plasticsrecycling more sustainableBy Noreen HynesAs a new entrant to the plastics recycling business I am amazed at the opportunities lost by the industry in Ireland. Perhaps in time it will develop more commercial viability, but changes are needed before this can happen. A modifi ed mindset and more education are required. The government must play its part by policing and enforcing relevant legislation already in place.

Segregation of non-bottle plasticsNon-bottle plastics are not currently segregat-ed from general household waste in Ireland, whereas bottles are placed in their own kerb-side bins. More research is needed to ascertain the best way to recycle plastics with a view to improving recovery rates. Separate waste col-lections for non-bottle plastics are presently being considered in the USA, because they are recognised as a valuable resource.

Improving sortingWith the exception of bottles, waste collectors leave rigid PP, HDPE, PS and PVC waste mixed together. This can cause diffi culties for plastic recycling companies because they are not normally set up to sort plastics them-selves; rather, they process pre-sorted material. Hundreds of jobs could be created in Ireland if bale quality were improved. By contrast, soft plastics are usually sorted because prices for clear LDPE are high enough to make the effort worthwhile.

With a little extra ef-fort, more waste compa-nies could separate the rest of the rigid plastics and sell them to Irish recycling companies for processing. The best opera-tors are already succeeding at this.

Reducing waste exportsUnsorted rigid plastics are presently being baled and exported to the UK, Holland and China. In recent months these shipments have been experiencing diffi culties with the Trans-Frontier Shipments Offi ce, and China is taking less due to generating its own post-consumer stream.

With export outlets available, waste compa-nies have little incentive to sort rigid plastics, and save up to €165 per tonne in landfi ll costs by exporting them for a small price. These exports are a signifi cant loss to the Irish

economy in terms of both nominal value and jobs lost.

From municipal waste alone, 58,758 tonnes of plastic was exported for recycling abroad in 2010, of which 35,187 tonnes went to the UK and 13,543 tonnes to China. A little more than this tonnage was imported for process-ing in Ireland. If bale quality were improved in

Ireland these imports might be eliminat-ed and carbon emissions avoided.

Diversion from landfi llAccording to the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Waste Report 2010 only 18 million tonnes capacity remain in Ireland’s 28 active munici-pal solid waste (MSW) disposal

facilities. 43% of this capacity is attributable to just four

private-sector facilities, three of which are owned by one operator. If disposal to MSW landfi ll were to continue at the 2010 rate of approxi-mately 1.5 million tonnes per annum, approximate-

ly 12 years of authorised landfi ll capacity remains; enough to last until 2022.

At present because there is an apparent excess of landfi ll capacity in Ireland, there is a tendency to reduce gate fees. This encourages waste handlers to landfi ll the waste instead of recycling it. According to Ireland West 2020’s Zero Waste Report, the EU granted Ireland a four-year derogation on three milestones in the Landfi ll Directive. The dates are now set at 2010, 2013 and 2016. The Report states: “A major question mark hangs over Ireland’s ability to achieve the 2013 and 2016 targets … due to a lack of investment in waste man-agement infrastructure.”

Much more work is needed to meet Ireland’s landfi ll diversion targets. On the

positive side, many jobs would be created if we were to adopt a “recover, recycle, re-use” policy.

End-of-life vehiclesA raft of EU legislation governs waste management in Ireland, but whether it is being implemented and policed effectively is another matter. Unlicensed scrapyards take in end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) but not do not issue certifi cates of destruction for them. Constant policing is required to ensure that legal operators survive and illegal operators are closed down. Public education is required so that vehicle owners use only authorised treatment facilities (ATFs) and always ask for a certifi cate of destruction.

Even legal operators still shred the plastic bumpers of scrap cars along with the rest of the components, so that the plastic cannot be reused. Many ATFs say that their local authority has not asked them to separate the bumpers, and they refuse to do this until they are asked to. It is not acceptable that ATFs merely remove all the valuable com-ponents of the cars and then shred the rest indiscriminately.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Waste Report 2010, “Urgent action is needed to increase reuse/recovery/recycling of ELV materials in order to meet EU targets”. The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government is engaging with stakeholders in this regard. It is expected that a combination of actions will be required. These could include more dismantling of non-metallic ELV components before shredding, the application of post-shredding technologies to extract recyclable materials (such as plas-tics and metals) from the shredded material, and energy recovery from shredded material, perhaps combined with metal recovery from combustion residues.

Noreen Hynes is managing director of Portarlington-based Polymer Recovery.

Wish list● Government to adopt a zero-waste strategy for recovery, recycling and re-use wher-

ever possible with all waste streams.● Government to do everything possible to support plastics recycling companies to

operate effectively and profitably in Ireland through financial support, tax allowances and regulatory enforcement.

● Set industry standards for waste bale quality.● Improve bale quality by segregating household non-bottle plastics.● Do further research on bioplastics to avoid their contaminating the waste stream.● Develop a robust and stable recycling infrastructure for when landfill sites are closed.● Work hard to solve the problem of exporting Irish waste abroad.

Hynes: Changed mindset needed to make plastics recycling more viable

With the exception of bottles, waste collectors leave rigid PP, HDPE, PS and PVC waste mixed together. This can cause diffi culties for plastic recycling companies because they are not normally set up to sort plastics them-

pre-sorted material. Hundreds of jobs could be created in Ireland if bale quality were improved.

Ireland these imports might be eliminat-ed and carbon emissions avoided.

Diversion from landfi llAccording to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Waste Report 2010million tonnes capacity remain in Ireland’s 28 active munici-pal solid waste (MSW) disposal

facilities. 43% of this capacity is attributable to just four

were to continue at the


IBEC reviewPublished inassociation with

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Tackling barriers to success for Irish plastics

Marian Byron, director of IBEC’s Plastics Ireland organisation, talks to Barry Copping about boosting enterprise

Plastics Ireland members could con-tribute strongly to national prosperity through exporting. How is that going?

My members find the route to export markets unclear and confusing – what they’re looking for is some kind of dedicated export expertise. Where export assistance does exist they feel it’s disjointed and patchy – a little bit here and a little bit there. They would like to see a “one stop shop” approach.

Given that most of our plastics industry consists of small to medium-sized enter-prises, companies are generally too small to go the export route alone; they need some support to ensure rigorous validation. If processing is involved it could be tested for commercial viability. Product approval sup-port could be based on compliance with the relevant legislation and regulation.

We have the capability and capacity to export from Ireland, but we just don’t have enough opportunities at the moment. Would-be exporters get so far, but feel in some instances that they can get no further. This is a cause for frustration.

You’ve complained before about bureau-cratic restrictiveness. Do you see any improvement?

Plastics Ireland members are all for demon-strating that their products and procedures comply with all the relevant regulation – it’s a sign of appropriate business standards. But we do wish that officialdom could imple-ment directives (EU and otherwise) in a more industry-supportive manner which doesn’t impede enterprise. With over-burdensome legislative requirements the costs to business escalate, and enterprise is stifled.

Mechanisms do exist in Ireland to get start-up and development funding. But there is an element of knowing the correct boxes to tick. However brilliant the business idea, compa-nies may find themselves excluded merely because they haven’t passed a checklist. Businesses with excellent ideas just can’t grow because they don’t fit the official template. A distribution company I know was recently turned down for funding for an export initia-tive because distribution is not deemed an

eligible activity – yet “supply chain” services are deemed eligible for grants.

What is the education, training and skills situation for Irish plastics?

While First Polymer Training is providing a valuable service for the industry in terms of training those in employment and creating

necessary competencies among the unem-ployed, I’m sorry to say that publicly led apprenticeship programmes are in decline. The agency charged with overseeing training is undergoing a transition and transformation. Until the new body is finally configured, we are in limbo regarding apprenticeships which are relevant for our industry sector. Many of the apprenticeships we did have in Ireland were in the construction sector, which of course has all but gone.

We’re lobbying to get a plastics apprentice-ship scheme going, so far without success.

What other public policy issues stand out?

We need to have an incentivising mechanism to encourage employment and to encourage the unemployed to take up jobs within the industry. There still exists a partial deterrent in the operation of the Irish social welfare sys-tem. It can be viewed as less lucrative overall to enter employment if full social welfare benefits are drawn down when unemployed.

Given that construction has collapsed, a stimulus for the repair/refurbishment/maintenance sector would be helpful – and beneficial for our national carbon footprint. Appropriate tax credits would be a good idea, and they could be self-financing. Stimulus measures might be funded by higher VAT on consumable products, and even by higher direct taxation.

Is there enough applied research to sup-port polymer technology and enterprise?

Plastics Ireland is concerned about the lack of an applied research competence centre. We need to have a beacon to move Irish plastics forward. We want people to say: “If you really want specific plastics-related expertise, get it in Ireland.” This lack is stifling inward invest-ment.

We definitely need to do something about this – perhaps via an informal all-Ireland net-work. But one problem is a lack of agreement on what the key research competences should be. Some people feel they should be as broad as energy efficiency, for instance; others favour themes as specific as thermoforming. Given a consensus, we’d be ready to go.

“ ”Byron: Would-be exporters

get so far, and can get no further – it’s

frustrating.


company directory Published inassociation with

24

quality and technical expertise. Across a wide range of sectors within the industry, Kingspan prod-ucts are designed to reduce capital costs and improve the quality and working environment in both new and refurbished buildings.

Kraus & Naimer Production Ltd

Bay 145, Shannon Free Zone, Shannon, Co. ClareP: 061 704 700F: 061 471 084E: [email protected]: www.krausnaimer.ie

Available to supply subcontract injection moulding services for medical and industrial compo-nents. Product supplied to the highest industry standards.

MFP Plastics Ltd

Laraghcon, Lucan, Co. DublinP: 01 630 2600F: 01 628 1119W: www.mfp.ie

MFP is a manufacturer of PVC drainage and roofl ine products with a modern factory and ware-house facility at Lucan, Co. Dublin and a distribution depot in Belfast.

Mirror Controls International

Park Road, Manorhamilton, Co. LeitrimP: 071 982 0040F: 071 985 5595W: www.mirrorcontrols.com

Quality Plastics Ltd

PO Box 29, Whites Cross, Co. CorkP: 021 488 4700F: 021 488 4701E: [email protected]: www.qpl.ie

Quality Plastics produces plastic goods for the construction, agri-culture and plumbing & heating sectors. Suppliers of fully designed and indemnifi ed geothermal heat-ing systems, underfl oor heating, rainwater harvesting and storm water management systems. ISO 9002 and BS 5750 accredited.

Wavin Ireland Ltd

Balbriggan, Co. DublinContact: Michael O’Donohoe, com-mercial managerP: 01 802 0202F: 01 841 5555E: [email protected]: www.wavin.ie

Avenue Mould Solutions has signifi cant expertise in validation, class 100,000 cleanroom work and an in-depth knowledge of regula-tory requirements.

Exitex

Mount Pleasant, Dundalk, Co LouthP: 042 9371244E: [email protected]: www.exitex.com

Litec Moulding Ltd

Unit 1/2, Orchard Park, Sligo, Co. SligoContact: Jonathan ReadP: 071 915 0888F: 071 915 2912E: [email protected]

Valve manufacturers.

Mergon International

Water St, Castlepollard, Co. WestmeathP: 044 966 2000F: 044 966 1397E: [email protected]: www.mergon.com

Mergon Group specialises in precision blow moulding, injection moulding, injection blow moulding and assembly of technical compo-nents for the automotive, indus-trial, medical device and pharma-ceutical industries. Established in Ireland in 1981, the company has grown signifi cantly in the last 30 years and now has manufacturing facilities in Ireland, South Carolina, USA and Brno, Czech Republic.

Nypro Ltd

Corke Abbey, Bray, Co. WicklowContact: Chris NotherP: 01 204 3300F: 01 282 2331E: [email protected]: www.nypro.com

Nypro designs plastic products, builds moulds used to mould plastics, performs plastics injection moulding, and supplies other parts needed to be assembled with plas-tics parts primarily for the medical device sector.

Procap Wicklow Plastics Ltd

Newtownmountkennedy, Co. WicklowContact: Paul GorryP: 01 281 0234F: 01 281 0133E: [email protected]: www.procap.com

in-house moulders

Ansamed

Abbeytown, Boyle, Co. RoscommonContact: Shane HealyP: 071 966 3038F: 071 966 3039E: [email protected]: www.ansamed.com

Ansamed is the European leader of high quality, precision extrusion with over 12 years experience in developing and producing tubing for the interventional cardiology, radiology, urology, gastrostomy and neuro-radiology fi elds.

Aptar

Ballinasloe Business Park, Creagh, Ballinasloe, Co GalwayP: 090 964 6033F: 090 964 6034W: www.aptar.com

Cork Plastics Ltd

Little Island, Co. CorkContact: Pat O’BrienP: 021 451 0600F: 021 451 0670E: [email protected]: www.corkplastics.com

Cork Plastics products are highly regarded for their design and qual-ity and through their comprehen-sive product range are capable of providing solutions to installation problems. Products are manufac-tured on state of the art machin-ery and tooling and with over 30 years experience in PVC extrusion.

Gernord Ltd

Ballybay Road, Carrickmacross, Co. MonaghanContact: Francis DuffyP: 042 966 1060F: 042 966 2370E: fduffy@gerfl or.com

Manufacturers of PVC fl oor cover-ings.

Kingspan Group PLC

Dublin Road, Kingscourt, Co. CavanP: 042 969 8000F: 042 966 7501E: [email protected]: www.kingspan.com

Kingspan is recognised throughout the construction industry for its commitment to innovation, design,

Market leader Wavin Ireland has been the pioneer and leading innovator of plastic pipe systems technology in Ireland for over half a century. It introduced its fi rst in-novative product to Ireland in 1958 and has continued to expand its range of products and services with a strong dedication to innovation and technical excellence. Wavin is Ireland’s largest manufacturer and distributor of plastic pipe systems with over 6,000 products, servic-ing the building and construction industry, civil engineering, public utilities, gas, telecommunications and farming sectors.

Weener Plastics Ltd

Buttevant Road, Drumcolliher, Co. LimerickP: 063 83 118F: 063 83 244E: [email protected]: www.wppg.com

Weener Plastics Ltd creates, designs and produces innova-tive plastic packaging for body care products as well as for the cosmetics, food, household clean-ing and chemical/pharmaceutical industries.

moulders

Automatic Plastics Ltd

School Road, Tinahely, Co. WicklowContact: Al LawlessP: 0402 382 31F: 0402 381 69E: [email protected]: www.automaticplastics.com

Automatic Plastic, primarily a plastic injection moulding com-pany, has the technical ability and experience to project-manage the design and manufacture of the moulds required to produce high-quality plastic parts. An extensive post-moulding operation offers customers services such as pad printing, ultrasonic welding, insert moulding and component assem-bly. The company is registered to automotive standard TS-16949.

Avenue Mould Solutions Ltd

Finisklin Business Park, Sligo, Co. SligoContact: Felim McNeelaP: 071 916 9510F: 071 916 9511E: [email protected]: www.avenuemould.com


company directoryPublished inassociation with

25

Ask for the most advanced hotrunner solutions available

HPS III-MH for direct side gating

• Eliminates core deflection when producing syringes or pipettes• Ease of installation and maintenance• No split cavity blocks• Front accessibility of tips

HPS III-MH for compact valve gating

• Valve gating with 6 mm cavity spacing• Position of gating points close to vertical part contours• Ideal for multi-point gating of medical parts or for overmoulding applications in the electronics industry

Your contact for the UK and Ireland:

EWIKON Ltd.Unit 47, Rumer Hill Business Estate,Cannock Staffordshire WS 11 0ETPhone (+44) 15 43 57 26 13Fax (+44) 15 43 57 29 05E-mail: [email protected]

www.ewikon.com

For your no-compromise production of medical components

2012_prw_medical.indd 1 21.06.2012 12:43:51

Offering expertise in moulding of fast cycling, multi-cavity, thin walled and rigid packaging. 28 injection moulding machines ranging in rating from 40 to 500 tonnes. ISO 22000:2005, ISO 14001:2004.

Sealed Air Nelipak

Unit 6D, Mervue Business Park, GalwayContact: Seán EganP: 091 757 152F: 091 757 151E: [email protected]: www.sealedairmedical.com

Sealed Air Nelipak is the industry leader in rigid packaging, work-ing with the medical device and pharmaceutical industries provid-ing innovative customer focused solutions for over 60 years. It is an expert in custom thermoforming for cleanroom and non-cleanroom products. In addition, it offers a full range of complementary services, providing a full turnkey package. Its offering includes design and development, product cartons, pouches, IFUs, automa-tion, validation, contract assembly and packing, cleanroom rental and extruded fi lms.

Contact: Colm CuffeP: 043 334 6133F: 043 334 6066E: [email protected]: www.toolandplastic.ie and www.innovaplast.cz

For the past 45 years, Tool and Plastic Industries Ltd has been a key supplier globally of complex techni-cal injection moulded components to the Medical Device, Healthcare and Packaging sectors. Since Tool and Plastic Industries began in 1967 the company has grown steadily, undergoing expansion with manu-facturing facilities located in Ireland and Czech Republic. In 2007 Tool and Plastic Industries moved to its purpose built, world class manufac-turing facility in Longford. As part of their services, they provide cus-tomers with comprehensive solu-tions to injection moulding projects which include project management, tool and production cell design, rapid prototyping, validation and manufacturing in white room and clean room Class 8 environments.

Trend Technologies

Mullingar Business Park, Mullingar, Co. WestmeathContact: Brendan Murtagh ➤ Continued on page 26

Tech Group Europe

Damastown Industrial Park, Mul-huddart, Dublin 15Contact: Brian KennyP: 01 885 9700F: 01 885 9701E: [email protected]: www.techgroup.com and www.westpharma.com

Tech Group Europe (a wholly owned subsidiary of West Phar-maceuticals Services Ltd) provides innovative technological solu-tions to the pharmaceutical and medtech markets. It specialises in providing design, development and manufacturing services for a range of customised/precision plastic components and assem-blies. Clean room moulding and assembly capabilities; develop-ment and high-volume produc-tion capabilities; ISO9001:2008, ISO13485, ISO14001, ISO18001 registered. Tech Group Europe produces complex medical devices and components.

Tool & Plastic Industries Ltd

Longford Business & Technology Park, Balinalee Road, Co. Longford

P: 044 933 4360F: 044 934 1448E: bmurtagh@ trendtechnologies.comW: www.trendtechnologies.ie

Trend Technologies provides precision injection mouldings and assemblies to the medical, pharmaceutical, automotive, and electronic sectors. Services include mould design and manufacture, full programme management, large Class 10,000 cleanroom facility, 2k, insert, and structural foam moulding, as well as printing, painting and secondary assembly operations. Equipment includes 45 moulding machines rated from 25 to 750 tonnes.

extruders

Athlone Extrusions Ltd

Grace Road, Athlone, Co. WestmeathContact: Kenny O’BrienP: 090 649 2679F: 090 649 4086E: [email protected]: www.athloneextrusions.ie



26

Athlone Extrusions Ltd is a privately owned, independent thermoplastic sheet extruder and compounder. The core business of the company is the manufacture of extruded sheet and film in poly-styrene, ABS and PMMA/ABS.

Cork Plastics Ltd

Little Island, Co. CorkContact: Pat O’BrienP: 021 451 0600F: 021 451 0670E: [email protected]: www.corkplastics.com

Cork Plastics products are highly regarded for their design and qual-ity and through their comprehen-sive product range are capable of providing solutions to installation problems. Products are manufac-tured on state of the art machin-ery and tooling and with over 30 years experience in PVC extrusion.

ITW Crop Packaging Systems

IDA Industrial Estate, Courtown Road, Gorey, Co. WexfordContact: Tom Power

P: 053 942 2990F: 053 942 2994E: [email protected]: www.itw.com

ITW Crop Packaging Systems man-ufactures sila-wrap and sila-wrap enduro, for the wrapping of silage for the agricultural industry.

ITW Hi-Cone

Quartertown Industrial Estate,Mallow, Co CorkP: 022 43111F: 022 43115E: [email protected]: www.hi-cone.com

ITW Mima

Belview Port, Co. WaterfordContact: Tom PowerP: 051 851 551F: 051 851 630E: [email protected]

Manufacturers of high perfor-mance pre stretched oriented machine and hand film.

Kelpac Medical Ltd.

IDA Business & Technology Park, Srah, Tullamore, Co OffalyT: 057 93 15020

➤ Continued from page 25 E: [email protected]: www.kelpacmedical.com

Kelpac Medical is a leading custom medical tubing and packaging component supplier to the medical device industry. The company has a global presence with seven manu-facturing locations worldwide. In March 2011 Kelpac Medical initi-ated its first European operation with the start-up of an extruded tubing manufacturing operation in a Class 8 (100,000) cleanroom at the IDA Business and Technol-ogy Park in Tullamore Co. Offaly. Kelpac Medical offers innovative development resources, rigorous quality assurance, precise custom fabrication and localised supply chain efficiencies. Kelpac Medical is a division of PPC Industries Inc., which is a leading extruder and converter of plastic films, bags, and tubing for the medical, food and industrial markets headquar-tered in Wisconsin, USA.

Kingspan Insulation Ltd

Bree, Co. MonaghanContact: Kevin O’GradyP: 042 979 5000F: 042 974 6129E:[email protected]: www.insulation.kingspan.com

Manufacturer of CFC/HCFC-free rigid phenolic and CFC/HCFC-free rigid urethane insulation.

MFP Plastics Ltd

Laraghcon, Lucan, Co. DublinP: 01 630 2600F: 01 628 1119W: www.mfp.ie

MFP is a manufacturer of PVC drainage and roofline products with a modern factory and warehouse facility at Lucan, Co. Dublin and a distribution depot in Belfast.

Quality Plastics Ltd

PO Box 29, Whites Cross, Co. CorkP: 021 488 4700F: 021 488 4701E: [email protected]: www.qpl.ie

Quality Plastics Ltd produces plastic goods for the construction, agriculture and plumbing & heat-ing sectors. ISO 9002 and BS 5750 accreditation.

Sonoco Plastics Ireland

Kingscourt Road, Carrickmacross, Co. MonaghanContact: Sean Cairns

P: 042 967 1000F: 042 967 1007E: [email protected]: www.sonoco.com

Sonoco Plastics is the world’s lead-ing producer of food trays, supply-ing over 2 billion trays a year from strategically placed manufacturing plants in Europe and the United States. Sonoco Plastics has com-plete customisation capabilities, delivering tray solutions for the food processing and food service industries. We are the industry leader in sustainability utilising post-consumer recycled resin.

Vita Cortex

Kinsale Road, CorkContact: Ian KirbyP: 021 496 4377F: 021 431 3943E: [email protected]: www.vitacortex.com

Manufacturers of polyurethane foam, non-woven fibre and long-haul technologies.

Wavin Ireland Ltd

Balbriggan, Co. DublinContact: Michael O’DonohoeP: 01 802 0202F: 01 841 5555E: [email protected]: www.wavin.ie

Wavin Ireland is Ireland’s largest manufacturer and distributor of plastic pipes and fittings. The com-pany provides over 3,000 products for the building, construction and farming industries, local authori-ties and state utilities.

Wellman International Limited

Kells, Co. MeathContact: Cecil ConatyP: 046 928 0200F: 046 928 0300E: [email protected]: www.wellman-intl.com

Wellman International is the European Leader in the produc-tion of sustainable polyester staple fibres for Technical and Hygiene Nonwoven Applications. End uses for our fibre products are diverse and extensive, and include home furnishings, personal care and hy-giene, automotive and geotextile applications. Each year Wellman recycles in excess of 2.2 billion post-consumer plastic bottles to make their fibre products, equiva-lent to saving 300,000 tonnes of harmful emissions and 200,000 barrels of oil.



27

PRODUCT RANGEBiesterfeld Petroplas Ltd

6F Milton Park • Abingdon • Oxfordshire OX14 4RR • UKT: +44 1235 822 040 • F: +44 1235 833 155

E: [email protected] • W: www.biesterfeld-plastic.com

POLYOLEFINSLDPE • HDPE • LLDPE • mLLDPE • MDPE • UHMWPE POLYPROPYLENE • PP COMPOUNDS

POLYESTERSPET • PETG • PCTG

ELASTOMERSSantoprene • TPV

STYRENICSGPPS • HIPS • ASA • SAN • SBD ABS - General Purpose

ENGINEERINGABS - High Heat, Paintable, Platable, Transparent PC • PC - Alloys • PBT • POM • NYLON • PMMAK-Resin • Vespel

MASTERBATCHESBlack • White • Colours • Compounds Conductive Compounds

ADDITIVESAntioxidants • UV stabilisers • Antistatic

PURGING AGENTPlastoclean

C 95 Y 100 K 27

M 100 Y 100

products or help in the resource of current packaging requirements.

Mergon International

Water St, Castlepollard, Co. WestmeathP: 044 966 2000F: 044 966 1397E: [email protected]: www.mergon.com

Mergon Group specialises in precision blowmoulding, injection moulding, injection blow mould-ing and assembly of technical components for the automotive, industrial, medical device and phar-maceutical industry. Established in

F: +44 (0) 28 406 26259W: www.titanenv.com

Titan Environmental Ltd

Dunmore Road, Glenamaddy, Co. GalwayP: 094 9659110F: 094 9659189Dundalk Road, Carrickmacross, Co. MonaghanP: 042 9690022W: www.titanenv.com

Manufacturers and supply of stor-age solutions for oil, fuel, lubri-cants, adblue, chemicals and water.

➤ Continued on page 28

Ireland in 1981, the company has grown signifi cantly in the last 30 years and now has manufacturing facilities in Ireland, South Carolina, USA and Brno, Czech Republic.

rotational moulders

Titan Environmental Ltd

Seapatrick Road, Seapatrick, Banbridge, Co. Down, BT32 4PH, Northern IrelandP: +44 (0) 28 383 64400

blow moulders

Boxmore Plastics Ltd

Annagh Industrial Park, Ballycon-nell, Co. CavanContact: Dermot GatesT: 049 952 6219F: 049 952 6423E: [email protected]: www.cskcorp.com

Manufacturer of containers and bottles for the food, drink, chemi-cals and healthcare sectors.

Gem Plastics Ltd

Regaskin, Co. CavanContact: James HealyT: 049 433 1077F: 049 436 1157E: [email protected]: www.gemplastics.ie

Offers a full range of blow-moulded open-top, l-ring and tight-head containers including 1 litre, 5 litre, 10 litre, 20 litre, 25 litre, 30 litre, 60 litre, 120 litre, 210 litre and 220 litre IS09002 approved. In addition, Gem also produces bespoke products that serve customer needs in the leisure and health and safety markets. Gem is the leading supplier of mussel fl oats to the fi sh farming industry in Europe. Gem’s research and develop-ment activities are focused on cur-rent product and process optimisa-tion as well as bespoke projects that solve problems for customers.

iNBLEX Plastics Ltd

McGuinness Technology Park, Aclare, Co. SligoT: 071 9181402F: 071 9181404E:[email protected]: www.inblex.ie

iNBLEX Plastics is a manufacturer of custom and standard extrusion blowmoulded and injection mould-ed packaging products. It is focused on providing customers with high quality, cost effective, value added packaging solutions with excellent customer service. It has a 25 year track record of providing world class customer service to a broad spectrum of industry sectors across Ireland, the UK and Europe and counts numerous SMEs and multi-nationals, along with some Fortune 500 companies amongst their customers. It can bring new pack-aging requirements from concept through the design process and to full scale manufacturing, provide a new packaging solution for existing



28

W: www.bayer.ie

Bayer’s business activities focus on material science, crop science and healthcare.

Biesterfeld Petroplas Ltd

6F Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX14 4RR, United KingdomT: +44 1235 822040F: +44 1235 833155E: [email protected]

Clariant Masterbatches Ireland Ltd

Monread Industrial Estate, Mon-read Road, Naas, Co. KildareP: 0458 665 65F: 0458 757 65W: www.clariant.com

Clariant’s businesses are organised in four divisions: textile, leather & paper chemicals, pigments & additives, masterbatches and functional chemicals.

Clondalkin Group Limited

W: www.clondalkin-group.com

Clondalkin Group manufactures a comprehensive range of packag-ing products and solutions for a diverse range of market sec-tors including pharmaceutical & healthcare, food & beverage, fast-moving consumer goods, agri-cultural & horticultural, industrial and services.

Contego Packaging

Unit 629, IDA Industrial Park, Northern Extension, Old Kilmeaden Road, Co. WaterfordP: 051 376 484F: 051 378 407W: www.contegopackaging.com

Pharmaceutical carton manufac-turers.

Distrupol Ireland Ltd

536 Grants Crescent, Greenogue, Business Park, Rathcoole, Co. DublinP: 01 401 9808F: 01 401 9853E: [email protected]: www.distrupol.com

Distrupol offers expertise in the distribution and application of an extensive range of thermoplastic polymers and elastomers.

EMS Chemie (UK) Ltd

Darfin House, Priestly Court, Staffordshire Technology Park,

Stafford, ST18 0LQT: +44 (0)1785 283 739F: +44 (0)1785 283 722E: [email protected]

Epicom Ireland Limited

Navan Enterprise Centre, Trim Road, Navan, Co. MeathContact: John CunninghamP: 046 907 0570F: 046 907 0571E: [email protected]: www.epicom.ie

Epicom provides contract manu-facturing for a range of industries. Services include shrink wrapping and promotional co-packing, con-tract food filling and high-volume hand assembly.

Gem Plastics Ltd

Regaskin, Co. CavanContact: James HealyT: 049 433 1077F: 049 436 1157E: [email protected]: www.gemplastics.ie

Offers a full range of blow-mould-ed open-top, l-ring and tight-head containers including 1 litre, 5 litre, 10 litre, 20 litre, 25 litre, 30 litre, 60 litre, 120 litre, 210 litre and 220 litre IS09002 approved. In ad-dition, Gem also produces bespoke products that serve customer needs in the leisure and health and safety markets. Gem is the leading supplier of mussel floats to the fish farming industry in Europe. Gem’s research and development activities are focused on current product and process optimisation as well as bespoke projects that solve problems for customers.

IPC Ltd

Unit 3, Midlands Gateway Business Park, Streamstown Road, Kilbeg-gan, Co.WestmeathContact: David HowardP: 057 933 3690F: 057 933 3924W: www.ipcpolymers.ie

Innovative Polymer Compounds Lim-ited (IPC) is a polymer compounder which specialises in small lot, high specification materials used for extrusion and moulding for a range of applications in the medical device sector. ISO 9001 compliant, with a 100K Class facility white room and air management systems. IPC cus-tomer base covers OEM’s and first tier suppliers in the medical device sector in Ireland as well as the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Holland and Poland. Materials are compounded with a range of colour / radio

➤ Continued from page 27 P: 046 928 0200F: 046 928 0300E: [email protected]: www.wellman-intl.com

Wellman International is the Eu-ropean leader in the production of sustainable polyester staple fibres for technical and hygiene nonwoven applications. End uses for its fibre products are diverse and extensive, and include home furnishings, per-sonal care and hygiene, automotive and geotextile applications. Each year Wellman recycles in excess of 2.2 billion post-consumer plastic bottles to make its fibre products, equivalent to saving 300,000 tonnes of harmful emissions and 200,000 barrels of oil. In 2011 Well-man International was the recipient of the Waste to Business Resource Green Award.

material and packaging suppliers

Albis (UK) Ltd

Parkgate Industrial Estate, Knutsford, Cheshire WA16 8XWP: +44 (0)1565 755777F: +44(0)1565 755196E: [email protected]

Atlas Box & Crating Company Ireland

IDA Business & Technology Park,Carrigtwohill, Co CorkP: 021 4669009E: [email protected]: www.atlasbox.net

BASF Ireland Limited

Unit 143, Grange Drive, Baldoyle Industrial Estate, Dublin 13P: 01 825 5701F: 01 825 2038W: www.basf.com

BASF’s portfolio ranges from oil and gas to chemicals, plastics, performance products, agricultural products and fine chemicals.

Bayer Limited

Block A, The Atrium, Blackthorn Road, Sandyford Industrial Estate, Dublin 18Contact: Seamus GillanP: 01 299 9313F: 01 206 1456E: [email protected]

Kingspan Environmental

180 Gilford Road, Portadown, Co. Armagh, BT63 5QD, Northern IrelandP: +44 (0) 28 383 30668W: www.kingspanenv.com

plasticsrecycling

Polymer Recovery

Lea Road, Portarlington Business Park, County Laois, Port ArlingtonP: 012 35 0088E: [email protected]: www.polymerrecovery.com

Rilta Environmental Ltd

402 Greenogue Business Park, Rathcoole, Co. DublinContact: Pádraig DugganP: 01 401 8000F: 01 401 8080E: [email protected]: www.rilta.ie

EPA licensed, nationwide WCP and hazardous waste management specialist. HDPE recycling.

Shabra Plastics and Recycling Ltd

Killycard Industrial Estate, Bree, Castleblaney, Co. MonaghanContact: Rita Shah/ Oliver BradyP: 042 974 9444F: 042 974 9424E: [email protected]: www.shabra.com

Shabra is a leader in plastic recy-cling and reprocessing, a manufac-turer of plastic bags and sacks and a supply company providing plas-tics, packaging, disposables, paper bags, foil and safety products.

Sharkey Waste Recycling Ltd

Bunaman, Annagry, Letterkenny, Co DonegalContact: Tony SharkeyP: 074 95 48229 or 087 236 4960F: 074 95 48300E: [email protected]

Plastic packaging processor.

Wellman International Limited

Kells, Co. MeathContact: Cecil Conaty



29

opaque / antimicrobial additives , and include PP, PE, PC, ABS, TPE, TPU, PA11, PA12, PEEK, and PEKK. Coloured compounds are matched in house using a range of FDA ap-proved pigments. The facility has a fully equipped laboratory allowing a full range of mechanical tensile properties, moisture level determi-nation, MFI, colour measurement, hardness, density, HDT, flammability, and cold temperature properties to be accurately measured. Material process testing with Arburg injection moulding machine, Brabender Plasti-corder, Servitec compression press.

JL Goor Materials Ltd

Suite 5, Plaza 212, Blanchardstown Corporate Park, Ballycoolin, Dublin 15Contact: Joe WallP: 01 829 3252F: 01 829 3282E: [email protected]: www.jlgoormaterials.ie

JL Goor Materials Limited is the largest distributor of polymers in Ireland. They provide specialised technical knowledge of the poly-mers available, and an understand-ing of the needs of customers and the processes used.

LC Packaging Ireland Ltd

Colehill, Newtowncunningham, Co. DonegalP: 074 915 6036F: 074 910 8779E: [email protected]: www.lcpackaging.nl/lc-pack-aging-ireland-ireland

LC Packaging develops and manu-factures a range of products for the agricultural and food sectors.

M&C Stokvis

IDA Business and Technology Park, Dublin Road, Athlone, Co. WestmeathContact: Pat O’NeillP: 09064 76900 F: 09064 76901E: [email protected]: www.mcspecialties.com M&C Stokvis is a provider of ad-hesive gaskets and seals used for a variety of uses and sub-assemblies. It is a supplier to the medical device, industrial and automotive markets. Established since 1946 in the USA and 1997 in Ireland the company diecuts double sided tapes, foams and adhesives for bonding, shielding, sealing, gasket-ing, surface protection, electrical insulation and conductivity. All parts are made to customer speci-fication in the Athlone factory.

National Chemical Company

NCC House, 42 Lower Leeson Street, Dublin 2Contact: David HowardP: 01 613 1400F: 01 634 0132W: www.ncc.ie

The National Chemical Company is Ireland’s largest independent sales and distribution specialist in both chemicals and plastics raw materials serving the entire manufacturing spectrum, with particular expertise in pharmaceu-tical, nutraceutical and medical device applications and is accred-ited to ISO9002. Offering a wide range of polymers and additives into the medical device sector, with services including material sourcing, materials stock holding, material selection, and compound-ing through our sister company Innovative Polymer Compounds.

PPI Adhesive Products Ltd

Waterford Industrial Estate, Co. WaterfordP: 051 373 555F: 051 377 687W: www.ppi.ie

PPI manufactures a range of tech-nical self-adhesive tapes for a wide range of applications, notably in the electrical, electronic, aerospace, solar and medical industries.

Quality Additives Ltd

Unit E, Moydrum Industrial Estate, Athlone, Co. WestmeathP: 090 648 6764E: [email protected]: www.qualityadditives.com

Quality Additives manufactures a range of coloured and additive mas-terbatches specifically engineered to meet customer requirements. All of the colours and additives can be formulated with specific carriers to ensure compatibility with a wide range of polymers.

Resinex

11 The Valley Centre, Gordon Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP13 6EQT: +44 (0)1494 459 881F: +44 (0)1494 795 334E: [email protected]

Sealed Air Nelipak

Unit 6D, Mervue Business Park, GalwayContact: Seán Egan

P: 091 757 152F: 091 757 151E: [email protected]: www.sealedairmedical.com

Sealed Air Nelipak is the industry leader in rigid packaging work-ing with the medical device and pharmaceutical industries provid-ing innovative customer focused solutions for over 60 years. It is an expert in custom thermoforming for cleanroom and non-cleanroom prod-ucts. In addition, it offers a full range of complementary services providing a full turnkey package. Its offering includes design and development, product cartons, pouches, IFUs, automation, validation, contract assembly and packing, cleanroom rental and extruded films.

Sonoco Plastics Ireland

Kingscourt Road, Carrickmacross, Co. MonaghanContact: Sean CairnsP: 042 967 1000F: 042 967 1007E: [email protected]: www.sonoco.com

Sonoco Plastics is the world’s leading producer of food trays, supplying over 2 billion trays a year from strategically placed manufacturing plants in Europe and the United States. Sonoco Plastics has complete customiza-tion capabilities, delivering tray solutions for the food processing and food service industries. We are the industry leader in sustain-ability utilising post-consumer recycled resin.

TCL Plastics

Unit 1, Block 8, Ballisk Court, Donabate, Co. DublinContact: Peter CrerarP: 01 883 6340F: 01 808 5443E: [email protected]: www.tclplastics.ie

TCL Plastics has been supplying and supporting Irish resin convert-ers for over 35 years, meeting the demanding standards of our medi-cal clients and the cost competi-tive nature of our bulk commodity customers. We pride ourselves on our service and ability to respond to specific customer needs. TCL represent global manufacturers and bring 1st tier quality products to the Irish market allowing our customers to have the best prod-uct for their application.

Ultrapolymers

Bracetown Business Park, Clonee, ➤ Continued on page 30

Co. MeathP: 01 8014050 F: 01 8014140E: [email protected]: www.ultrapolymers.com

In addition to its specialist grades, Ultrapolymers also offers a full range of commodity plastics which can be delivered on a next-day basis from local warehouses in the UK and Ireland.

United Polymers

Zone 3B, Bayton Road, Coventry, CV7 9EJ, United KingdomT: +44 (0) 24 7636 2123F: +44 (0) 24 7636 3534E: [email protected]

Univar Ireland Ltd

536 Grants Crescent, Greenogue Business Park, Rathcoole, Co. DublinP: 01 401 9800F: 01 401 9142E: [email protected]: www.univar.com

Univar is a leading global chemical distributor. The company provides technical expertise in applica-tion development, excellence in logistics support, and outstand-ing customer service to help its partners grow their business.

Vinyl Compounds Ltd

Stephanie Works, Chinley, High Peak, Derbyshire, SK23 6BT, United KingdomT: +44 (0)1663 750221F: +44 (0)1663 751912E: [email protected]

machinery suppliers

Ewikon

Unit 47, Rumer Hill Business Estate, Cannock, Staffordshire WS 11 0ET, United KingdomT: +44 (0)1543 572613F: +44 (0)1543 572905E: [email protected]

JL Goor Ltd

Annacrivey, Glencree Road, Enniskerry, Co.WicklowContact: Louis GoorP: 01 286 8103F: 01 276 9110E: [email protected]



30

➤ Continued from page 29

Injection moulding, blow moulding and extrusion ancillaries, robots, dryers, hot runner and temperature controllers, chillers, blenders, con-veying systems. Service and support for the above equipment.

JHL Engineering Ltd

Dunamona, The Pigeons, Athlone, County WestmeathT: 09 064 39866F: 08 765 99946E: [email protected]

Motan Colortronic

Matilda House, Carrwood Road, Chesterfield Trading Estate, Ches-terfield, Derbyshire S41 9QBT: +44 (0)1246 260222F: +44 (0)1246 455420E: [email protected]

Pressure Hydraulics Ltd

Unit 1-3, O’Brien Road, Co. CarlowContact: Robin ConnollyP: 059 914 3601F: 059 914 3731E: [email protected]: www.pressure-hydraulics.com

Renmar

A D Moulding Supplies Ltd, Unit 32, Canal Walk, Park West, Dublin 12T: 01620 5797E: [email protected]

Sealed Air Nelipak


Sealed Air Nelipak is the industry leader in rigid packaging working with the medical device and phar-maceutical industries providing in-novative customer focused solutions for over 60 years. It is an expert in custom thermoforming for clean-room and non-cleanroom products. In addition, it offers a full range of complementary services providing a full turnkey package. Its offering includes design and development, product cartons, pouches, IFUs, automation, validation, contract assembly and packing, cleanroom rental and extruded films.

Sumitomo Demag

Accent House, Triangle Busi-ness Park, Wendover Road, Stoke Mandeville, Bucks HP22 5BL

in new state-of-the-art research facilities and the most up to date specialised analytical equipment. This includes a HEA co-funded €2.5 million purpose built Research Hub and a new Engineering and Informatics Building, which repre-sents an investment of some €36 million. As such AIT is now one of the best-equipped facilities of its kind in the country and is to the forefront of polymer materials re-search in Ireland. The combination of scientists and engineers, with the skillsets and knowledge encom-passing the chemistry and physical properties of polymeric materials with a synthesis and processing capacity has created a vehicle for addressing plastics, medical device and pharma industry needs span-ning short-term problem solving to long-term strategic research.

Sealed Air Nelipak


Sealed Air Nelipak is the industry leader in rigid packaging working with the medical device and phar-maceutical industries providing in-novative customer focused solutions for over 60 years. It is an expert in custom thermoforming for clean-room and non-cleanroom products. In addition, it offers a full range of complementary services providing a full turnkey package. Its offering includes design and development, product cartons, pouches, IFUs, automation, validation, contract assembly and packing, cleanroom rental and extruded films.

Verus Precision Ltd

Aughamore Far Industrial Park, SligoContact: Des FordeP: 071 931 0323F: 071 917 5919E: [email protected]: www.verusprecision.ie

Verus Precision is recognised as a complete product solution provid-er, delivering project management, product design, Moldflow analysis and metrology services.

education and training

Distrupol

536 Grants Crescent, Greenogue

Business Park, Rathcoole, Co. DublinP: 01 401 9808F: 01 401 9853E: [email protected]: www.distrupol.com

Distrupol offers tailor-made train-ing programmes on areas such as polymer performance, material selection, designing in plastics and production optimisation.

First Polymer Training

7 Centre Court, Blyry Business & Commercial Park, Athlone, Co. WestmeathContact: Catherine Collins/Edel GaravanP: 0906 471 223F: 0906 471 221E: [email protected]: www.firstpolymer.com

First Polymer Training (FPT) Skillnet operates as a training network for the Irish plastics industry and is funded under the government’s Skillnets initiative. Intensive practical training is provided in injec-tion moulding, extrusion, blow moulding and other plastics processing methods and also in lean manufacturing. Other courses include plastics materi-als, part and mould design, DOE and SPC, hydraulic, pneumatic and electrical maintenance. FPT also initiated the development of a BEng in Polymer Processing in conjunction with Sligo and Athlone Institutes of Technol-ogy (delivered chiefly online on a part-time basis over two years- entry requirements apply). The first cohort graduated in 2011 and the programme commences each September. If you are inter-ested in this programme and the funding available, please contact FPT for more information.

mould makers

Avenue Mould Solutions Ltd

Finisklin Business Park, Sligo, Co. SligoContact: Felim McNeelaP: 071 916 9510F: 071 916 9511E: [email protected]: www.avenuemould.com

Specialists in the design, manufac-ture and validation of multi-cavity injection moulds.

T: +44 (0)1296 739500F: +44 (0)1296 739501

technical support

BlueBridge Technologies Ltd

3015 Lake Drive, Citywest Campus, Citywest, Dublin 24Contact: Patrick Dowling/Garret CoadyP: 01 403 8477F: 01 443 0715E: [email protected]: www.bluebridgetechnologies.com

BlueBridge Technologies Ltd is an independent product development and technology transfer company with an established track record working with industry, clinicians and academics in the discovery and de-velopment of new products. Expertise lies in the following areas: product design, plastic components design, CAD 3D/2D design, electronics design (digital, analogue circuits), embedded software design, mechanical/elec-tronic design integration, engineering analysis, design for manufacture/assembly, design for tooling, design FMEA and value analysis / value engineering. BlueBridge is currently involved in several exciting projects in the medical device, cleantech and transport sectors.

Padraic Lunn Enterprises

Carrickoneilleen, Calry, Sligo, IrelandT: 086 8093406E: [email protected]

Extrusion consultancy and training

Materials Research Institute (MRI), Athlone Institute of Technology

Research Hub, Athlone Institute of Technology, Dublin Road, Athlone, Co. Westmeath, IrelandContact: Prof. Clement Higgin-botham, directorP: 090 646 8050E: [email protected]: www.ait.ie/mri/

The Materials Research Institute (MRI) is an interdisciplinary tech-nology centre in Athlone Institute of Technology with a core focus on providing polymer materials research, development and testing services to polymer and biomedical based industry. The MRI encom-passes facilities dedicated to mate-rials analysis and testing as well as large scale polymer processing and fabrication. AIT has invested heavily


Precision Extrusion Technologies is the partnership of UK-based InLine Measurement Systems and Ireland-based

Padraic Lunn Enterprises Ltd to provide leading-edgeextrusion equipment to the European Plastic Industries.

We represent the following world-class companies:American Kuhne Extruders, Beta LaserMike Measurement & Control Systems,Guill Extrusion Tooling, Lumetrics Measurement Systems, Novatec Material Driersand RDN Manufacturing Co.

Precision Extrusion Technologies cansupply full turnkey extrusion systems,stand-alone Extruders, replacementScrews, Extrusion Tooling,Measurement & Control Solutions,Material Handling and dryingequipment, cooling/sizing tanks,pullers, cutters and saws.All equipment can be customised andtailored to suit end user requirements.

Extrusion consultancy andcustomised training services alsoavailable.

Ireland OfficePadraic Lunn Enterprises Ltd

IrelandTel +353 86 8093406

Email: [email protected]

UK OfficeInLine Measurement Systems

United KingdomTel + 44 7714 230 311

Email: [email protected]

United Polymers Ltd,CoventryT 024 7636 2123F 024 7636 3534E [email protected]

plastics Ireland united ad.indd 1 19/6/12 12:02:41


polymer classifications Published inassociation with

32

20100 - acrylicsDistrupol

20101 - PMMADistrupolJ.L. Goor

20200 - polyamidesDistrupolJ.L. Goor

20201 - PA6DistrupolJ.L. GoorNCCTCL Plastics

20202 - PA 4-6

20203 - PADistrupolJ.L. GoorNCCTCL PlasticsUltrapolymers Ireland

20204IPC

20205 - PA 12IPCNCCTCL Plastics

20206 - PA copolymersDistrupolJ.L. GoorTCL PlasticsUltrapolymers Ireland

20207 - PA alloys and blendsDistrupolJ.L. GoorTCL PlasticsUltrapolymers Ireland

20210

20240Distrupol

20301 - polycarbonateDistrupolNCCTCL Plastics

20302 - PETDistrupolJ.L. GoorNCCTCL Plastics

20303 - PBTDistrupolJ.L. GoorNCCTCL PlasticsUltrapolymers Ireland

20305 - PCT

20307 - copolymers, otherTCL Plastics

20308 - alloys

20400 - polyolefins

20401 - polyethylene, low density (LDPE)DistrupolJ.L. GoorNCCTCL PlasticsUltrapolymers Ireland

20402 - polyethylene, linear low density (LLDPE)DistrupolJ.L. GoorNCCUltrapolymers Ireland

20403 - polyethylene, high density (HDPE)DistrupolIPCJ.L. GoorNCCTCL PlasticsUltrapolymers Ireland

20404 - polyethylene, medium density (MDPE)DistrupolNCCUltrapolymers Ireland

20405 - polyethylene, high molecular weight (HMWPE)TCL Plastics

20406 - XLPEDistrupolTCL Plastics

20407 - ethylene copolymersDistrupolJ.L. Goor

20408 - polypropylene homopolymersDistrupolJ.L. GoorNCCTCL PlasticsUltrapolymers Ireland

20409 - polypropylene copolymersDistrupolJ.L. GoorNCCTCL PlasticsUltrapolymers Ireland

20410 - polyolefin alloysDistrupolTCL Plastics

20411 - polyolefin blendsDistrupolJ.L. GoorTCL PlasticsUltrapolymers Ireland

20412 - polyolefin, otherDistrupolTCL Plastics

20500 - styrene copolymersJ.L Goor

20501 - polystyrene (GPPS, HIPS, EPS)DistrupolJ.L. GoorNCCTCL PlasticsUltrapolymers Ireland

20502 - ABSDistrupolJ.L. GoorNCCTCL PlasticsUltrapolymers Ireland

20503TCL Plastics

20504 - SBTCL PlasticsUltrapolymers Ireland

20505 - SANDistrupolJ.L. GoorNCCUltrapolymers Ireland

20510 - MBSUltrapolymers Ireland

20511 - ASADistrupolTCL PlasticsUltrapolymers Ireland

20513 - styrene alloys

20601 - PVCDistrupolJ.L. GoorNCC

20607 - vinyl alloys

20701 - cellulosicsTCL Plastics

20702 - POMDistrupolJ.L. GoorTCL PlasticsUltrapolymers Ireland

20703 - PPODistrupolJ.L. Goor

20704 - PPEJ.L. GoorUltrapolymers Ireland

20706 - PEIJ.L. Goor

20707 - PEEKIPC

J.L. Goor

20708 - polysulphone (PSU)J.L. GoorUltrapolymers Ireland

20709 - PESJ.L. GoorUltrapolymers Ireland

20710 - PPSDistrupolJ.L. Goor

20711 - liquid crystal polymers (LCP)J.L. Goor

20712 - thermoplastics, otherDistrupolNCCTCL PlasticsUltrapolymers Ireland

20802 - phenolics

20805 - unsaturated polyesters

20806 - vinylesters

20807 - epoxies

20812 - polyurethane systems (PUR)DistrupolJ. L. Goor Ultrapolymers Ireland

20813 - polyurethane ingredientsDistrupol

20814Distrupol

20904 - PVDFNCC

21010 - styrene block elastomersDistrupolJ.L. GoorNCCTCL Plastics

21014 - ethylene vinylacetate (EVA)DistrupolJ.L. GoorNCC

21016 - thermoplastic elastomersDistrupolJ.L. GoorTCL PlasticsUltrapolymers Ireland

21017 - elastomers, otherDistrupolNCC

21100 - pigments, colorants and masterbatchesDistrupol

21101 - dry pigments

21103 - colour masterbatchesDistrupolTCL PlasticsUltrapolymers Ireland

21104 - masterbatches, fire retardantDistrupolNCCTCL Plastics

21105 - masterbatches, performance modifyingDistrupolNCCTCL Plastics

21106 - masterbatches, otherDistrupolIPCJ.L. GoorNCCTCL Plastics

21201 - mineral fillersIPCTCL Plastics

21202 - glass reinforcementNCC

21301 - stabilisers

21302 - mesamoll plasticiser

21303 - lubricating agentsDistrupolNCC

21304 - cross linking agents

21307 - foaming agentsNCC

21309 - release agents

21310 - additives, antimicrobials, othersNCC

21320 - plasticisersNCC

30140 - transparent film, foil, steelNCC

30153 - glass mat

31310 - additives, other


polymer suppliersPublished inassociation with

33

Distrupol Ireland Ltd

536 Grants Cresent, Greenogue Business Park, Rathcoole, Co. DublinT: 01 401 9808 F: 01 401 9853 E: [email protected]

Parent Co: Univar BV

Contacts: John Wallace: managing director E: [email protected] Conor Keogh: Sales Manager E: [email protected] Derek Watts: Business Development and Technical Manager E: [email protected]

Representing:Alphagary TPEsCabot MasterbatchesCarmel OlefinsChevron PhilipsChi Mei ABS, PC, ASA, SAN, PC/ABSDistrupol Colour, Colour CompoundsDuPont Engineering PolymersDuPont Packaging and Industrial PolymersElasto TPE’sBASF TPUsLucite AcrylicsIneos Nova Expandable PolystyreneIneos Polyolefins PEIneos Polyolefins PPIneos Polyolefins MedicalPolimeri Europa PolyethylenePolimeri Europa ElastomersPolyoneShell Chemicals PolyurethanesShin-Etsu PVCStyrolutionSumika Polymer CompoundsTeknor ApexToray ABSTransmare Compounding

Code Product/Trade Name Principal20100 Diakon Acrylics Lucite International20101 Diakon PMMA Lucite International20200 Zytel Dupont Engineering Polymers20201 Zytel Nylon 6 Dupont Engineering Polymers20203 Zytel Nylon 6.6 DuPont Engineering Polymers20206 Zytel DuPont Engineering Polymers20207 Minlon Nylon, filled DuPont Engineering Polymers20240 Ineos Ineos Polyolefins20301 Durolon, Polycarbonate Unigel20301 Wonderlite Polycarbonate Chi Mei20302 Rynite PET DuPont Engineering Polymers20303 Crastin PBT DuPont Engineering Polymers20401 Novex LDPE Ineos Polyolefins20401 Riblene LDPE Polimeri Europa20402 Innovex LLDPE Ineos Polyolefins20402 Clearflex, Flexirene LLDPE Polimeri Europa20403 Rigidex HDPE Ineos Polyolefins20404 Ineos Ineos Polyolefins20406 Visico, Casico Borealis20407 Elvax, Elvaloy AC EVA DuPont Packaging & Acrylate Industrial Polymers

20407 Greenflex EVA Polimeri Europa20408 Ineos PP Homopolymer Ineos Polyolefins20409 Ineos PP Copolymer Ineos Polyolefins20409 Glass/mineral filled pp Sumika Polymer Compounds20410 Transmare Transmare20411 Transmare Transmare20412 Transmare Transmare20501 Empera PS/HIPS Styrolution20501 EPS Ineos Nova20502 Polylac ABS Chi Mei20502 Toylac ABS Toray20505 Kibisan Chi Mei20505 Kostil Polimeri Europa20511 Kibilac Chi Mei20601 PVC Shin-Etsu20702 Delrin Polyacetal DuPont Engineering Polymers20703 Acnor Aquafil20710 Ryton Chevron Philips20712 Surlyn Ionomer DuPont Packaging & Industrial Polymers20712 Fluoropolymers, Tefzel Dupont20712 Fluoropolymers, Teflon Dupont 20812 Caradol Polyether Polyol Shell Chemicals20813 Caradol Polyether Polyol Shell Chemicals20814 Caradate TDI Shell Chemicals21010 Europrene, Intol Polimeri Europa21014 Greenflex EVA Polimeri Europa21014 Elvax EVA DuPont21016 Evoprene, Garaprene TPE AlphaGary21016 Hytrel, DuPont Engineering Polymers21016 Sarlink TPV Teknor Apex21016 ETPV Dupont21016 Alcryn APA21016 Elastollan TPU BASF Polyurethanes21016 SEBS, SBS, Evoprene Alphagary21016 TPV Sarlink DSM Sarlink21017 Europrene Polimeri Europa21100 Masterbatches Distrupol21103 Distrupol Colour Distrupol Colour21104 Masterbatches Cabot21105 Hytrel, Elvaloy, EVA Dupont21106 Masterbatches Distrupol Nordic21303 Konz BASF Polyurethanes

J.L. Goor Materials Ltd

Suite 5, Plaza 212, Blanchardstown Corporate Park 2, Dublin 15T: 01 829 3252 F: 01 829 3282E: [email protected] W: www.jlgoormaterials.ie

Contacts: Joe Wall, director M: 087 245 8621 Gearoid Clarke, managing director M: 087 253 5358 Noel Daly, sales manager (engineering polymers) M: 086 046 4488

Representing:ExxonMobilTeknor ApexSarlinkArteniusPerriteRTP CompanyLG Chem – Engineering PolySasol PolymersPET ProcessorsOctalLotte ➤ Continued on page 34

SCG ChemicalsCOIM SpAPolytechsLucobit AGPTT Thailand Code Product/Trade Name Principal20101 RTP - PMMA RTP Company20200 Vitamide - Nylon Perrite20201 Vitamide - Nylon 6.6 Perrite20203 Vitamide - Nylon 6.6 Perrite20206 Vitamide - PA6 copolymers Perrite20207 RTP - PA Blends RTP Company20302 rPET - Kudos PET Processors20302 PET Octal20302 PET Lotte 20302 Melinar - PET Copoly Artenius20303 Lupox / Lutrel - PBT Copol LG Chem20401 ExxonMobil - LDPE ExxonMobil20401 PTT Thailand – InnoPlus PTT20402 ExxonMobil - Linear LDPE ExxonMobil20402 PTT Thailand – InnoPlus PTT20402 SCG - Linear LDPE SCG Chemicals20403 ExxonMobil - HDPE ExxonMobil20403 PTT Thailand – InnoPlus PTT20403 SCG - HDPE SCG Chemicals20407 ExxonMobil Ethylene Copol ExxonMobil20407 Lucobit - EBA Lucobit AG20408 PP Homo Sasol20408 ExxonMobil - PP Homo ExxonMobil20409 PP Copol Sasol20409 ExxonMbil - PP Copol ExxonMobil20501 Perstyre - PS Perrite20500 Lumax - PS Copol LG Chem20502 Ronfalin - ABS Perrite20502 Lupos - ABS Copol LG Chem20505 Lupos - SAN Copol LG Chem20601 PVC - Medical Teknor Apex Vinyl20702 Lucel / Lucet - POM Copol LG Chem20702 RTP - POM Blends RTP Company20703 RTP - PPO RTP Company20704 RTP - PPE RTP Company20706 RTP - PEI RTP Company20707 RTP - PEEK RTP Company20708 RTP - PSU RTP Company20709 RTP - PES RTP Company20710 RTP - PPS RTP Company20711 RTP - LCP RTP Company20812 Polyurethane COIM21010 Elexar - SEBS Teknor Apex21014 ExxonMobil - Ultra HEVA ExxonMobil21016 Monprene - TPE Teknor Apex21016 Sarlink – TPV Sarlink21106 PIB Masterbatch Polytechs

IPC - Innovative Polymer Compounds Ltd

Unit 3, Midlands Gateway Business Park, Streamstown Road, Kilbeggan, County Westmeath.T: 057 933 3690 F: 057 933 3924 E: [email protected] E: [email protected] W: www.ipcpolymers.ie

Contacts: David Howard, sales & marketing director M: 087 258 7491 Joe Molloy, technical director M: 086 830 4132 Declan Thornton, processing technician

Code Product name20204 P Plus 2000 P Plus 3000


polymer suppliers Published inassociation with

34

P Plus 4000 P Plus 5000 P Plus 6000 P Plus 7000 G Plus 2500 G Plus 620020205 R Plus20403 M Plus 160020707 PK Plus 200020707 PKK Plus21106 Masterbatches21201 Mineral Fillers

National Chemical Company

42 Lower Leeson Street, Dublin 2T: 01 613 1400 F: 01 634 0132 E: [email protected] W: www.ncc.ie

Contacts: Alan Looney, managing director David Howard, product manager T: 01 6131425/087 2587491 Lorna McNevin, marketing executive T: 01 6131405 Dorothea Loef, sales support T: 01 6131412

Representing:ArkemaAstoriaDaewooExxon MobilIshizukaKotecPlasgomPluschemResilResiliaResinoplastResintrade

Code Product name20201 PA620203 PA 66/Vydyne20205 PA 12 - Rilsan20301 Polycarbonate - Carbotex20302 PET20303 PBT20401 Polyethylene, Low Density (LDPE)/Ladene20402 Polyethylene, Linear Low Density (LLDPE)/Ladene20403 Polyethylene, High Density (HDPE)/Ladene20404 Polyethylene, Medium Density (MDPE)/Ladene20408 Polypropylene Homopolymers20409 Polypropylene Copolymers20501 Polystyrene (GPPS, HIPS, EPS)/Ladene20502 ABS20505 SAN20601 Medical Grade PVC - Nakan20712 Thermoplastics - Rilsan, Rilsan Clear, Pebax, Cristamid, Orgalloy, Orevac20904 Kynar PVDF21010 Styrene Block Elastomers21014 Ethylene Vinyl acetate (EVA)21017 Elastomers - Sunprene21104 Masterbatches, Fire Retardant21105 Masterbatches, Performance Enhancing21106 Masterbatches, Others21202 Glass Reinforcement21303 Lubricating Agents21307 Foaming Agents21310 Additives, Acrylic Processing Aids, Antimicrobials, Others21320 Plasticisers DOP, DINP, DIDP, DTDP-Z, TOTM, DEHT30140 Transparent Films, Foil, Steel

TCL Plastics Ltd

Unit 1 Block 8, Ballisk Court, Donabate, Co. DublinT: 01 883 6340 F: 01 808 5443 E: [email protected] W: www.tclplastics.ie

Contacts: Peter Crerar, managing director John O’Connell, sales director Michael O’Mahony, management accountant Sandra Leonard, sales administrator Leeanne Davis, accounts administrator

Representing:Chevron-PhillipsEMS GrivoryKafrit IndustriesKEP EuropeLG ChemMinelcoSofterTramacoUnipetrol

Code Product/Trade Name Principal20100 LG PMMA LG Chem20101 LG PMMA LG Chem20200 Grilon EMS Grivory20201 Grilon EMS Grivory20203 Grilon EMS Grivory20205 Grilamid EMS Grivory20206 Grilon/Grilamid EMS Grivory20207 Grilon/Grivory EMS Grivory20301 Lupoy LG Chem20302 PET LG Chem20303 PBT Softer20307 Lupoy LG Chem20401 Ipethane Plastribution20403 Marlex Chevron Phillips20404 Marlex Chevron Phillips20405 Marlex Chevron Phillips20406 Marlex Chevron Phillips20408 Mosten Unipetrol20409 Mosten Unipetrol20410 Laprene Softer20411 Polifor Softer20412 Polifor Softer20501 PS/HIPS LG Chem20502 ABS LG Chem20504 K-Resin Chevron Phillips20510 Tranparent ABS LG Chem20511 ASA LG Chem20701 Plastiloid Plastribution20702 Kepital - POM KEP20703 Lumiloy LG Chem20712 Grilamid, K-Resin, Marlex Various21010 Laprene/Sofprene Softer21016 Forprene Softer21016 K-Resin Chevron Phillips21103 Masterbatch Kafrit21104 Performance additives Kafrit21105 Kafrit21106 Blowing agents Tramaco21201 Mineral Fillers Minelco

Ultrapolymers Ireland

Bracetown Business Park, Clonee, Co. MeathT: 01 801 4050 F: 01 801 4140

Parent Co: Ravago

Contacts: Jeff Hobbins, managing director M: 087 419 3699 E: [email protected] Aidan Mullin, Area Sales Manager M: 087 256 0779 E: [email protected] Karyn Brady, Customer Service Representative E: [email protected] Mary Bradley, Customer Service Representative E: [email protected]

Principals:Aquafill Engineering PlasticsAsahi KaseiAscend Performance MaterialsBASFEnplastLyondellBasellMerquinsaRavago GroupShanghai BluestarSinoFStyrolution

Code Product/trade name Principal20203 Ultramid PA6 BASF20203 Aquamid PA6 Aquafil Engineering Plastics20203 Ultramid PA66 BASF20203 Vydyne PA66 Ascend Performance Materials20203 Econyl PA6 & PA66 Aquafil Engineering Plastics20203 Ravamid PA6 & PA66 Ravago Group20206 Ultramid BASF20207 Terblend N BASF20303 Ultradur BASF20303 Sicoter Ravago Group20401 Lupolen LDPE LyondellBasell20401 Ravalene LDPE Ravago Group20402 Lupolen LLDPE LyondellBasell20403 Hostalen, Purell LyondellBasell20403 Ravalene HDPE Ravago Group20404 Lupolen MDPE LyondellBasell20408 Moplen, Adstif, Purell LyondellBasell20408 Mafill, Scolefin PP Ravago Group20409 Moplen, Pristene, Clyrell LyondellBasell Metocene, Purell, Adstif LyondellBasell Stretchene LyondellBasell20409 Mafill, Scolefin PP Ravago Group20411 Hostacom, Hifax LyondellBasell20501 Polystyrol Styrolution20501 Sicostirolo Ravago Group20502 Terluran Styrolution20502 Novodur Styrolution20502 Lustran Styrolution20502 Sicoflex Ravago Group20504 Styrolux, Stryoflex Styrolution20505 Luran Styrolution20510 Terlux Styrolution20511 Luran S Styrolution20702 Ultraform BASF20702 Tenac Asahi Kasei20702 Bluestarcon Shanghai Bluestar Ltd20704 Luranyl Romira20708 Ultrason S BASF20709 Ultrason BASF20712 Luvocom Special Compounds Lehmann & Voss20812 Pearlthane Merquinsa20904 PVDF SinoF Company21016 Ensoft, Enflex TPE Enplast21016 Softell, Adflex, Hifax, Adsyl LyondellBasell21103 Colloids MB Colloids

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PLASTICS · PDF file · 2015-04-01PLASTICS IRELAND Published in ... Facilitating new business for customers One of our customers recently had the oppor-tunity to increase its market