See editorial on pages 78-80. For more info call 0800 006772 or visit www.plastichem.co.za

As the demand for more stringent flammability and thermal requirements inplastic parts increase, so do the demands on the raw material used.Subsequently, raw material manufacturers are continuously developing andimproving materials to meet these demands like introducing Halogen andBromine free flame retardant materials.

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Summit Publishing cct: +27 (21) 712 1408

f: 086 519 6089c: +27 (82) 822 8115

e: saplastics@iafrica.comPostnet Suite 42, Private Bag X16,

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e: lowrieplasticsmedia@absamail.co.za

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e: lynne@leafpublishing.co.za

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RGH International, High Peak, Englandt: +0944 1663 750 242

e: ekania@btopenworld.com

Printed by: Tandym Print, Maitland, Cape Town

SA Plastics Composites + Rubber Technology is published six times a year and focuses on these industries in South

and southern Africa. We welcome news, articles, technical reports, information in general and photographs about

events and developments related to the plastics industry. The views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher. Views expressed are not necessar-ily those of the Plastics Converters Association, Institute of

Materials or Association of Rotational Moulders either.

Copyright: All rights reserved.

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Plastics Institute of Southern Africa

PET Plastic Recycling South Africa

Plastics Federation of SA

Association of Rotational Moulders of South Africa

Plastics Converters Association

Institute of Materials

Publisher: Martin Wells(martin@summitpub.co.za)

Editor: Tessa O’Hara(tessa@summitpub.co.za)

Editorial assistant: Heather Peplow(heather@summitpub.co.za)

Financial manager: Lisa Mulligan(lisa@summitpub.co.za)

Designer: Bronwen Moys (Blinc Design)

New era dawns with

POLYCOA NEW ERA dawns for the industry in April when POLYCO, the Polyolefi ns Company, starts out on its journey.Although it constitutes by far the largest percentage of material converted, the polyolefi ns sector has been the last to mobilize. PETCO, for the PET sector, was the fi rst of the material sector associations to be established in 2005. It’s been fol-lowed by the Polystyrene Packaging Council (PSPC) and SA Vinyls Association (SAVA) for the PVC sector. These bodies are funded by either a levy on material sales or other mechanisms.

It’s possible that the establishment of POLYCO was delayed simply because of the magnitude of the undertaking. The polyethyelene and polypropylene converting business is diverse and widespread. It accounts for more than half the total tonnage of material converted in South Africa annually, estimated at between 600,000 and 700,000 tons p/a.

What is of immediate importance to converters is that POLYCO will be funded by a levy of R100 per ton of material purchased. The levy, which will at fi rst be voluntary, comes into effect on 1 April. We understand that the major convert-ing groups have in principal agreed to participate, so the accrued fund should growing within the fi rst few months. Should everyone pay, a substantial fund will obviously be established.

POLYCO will focus on improving waste management and recycling of post-consumer polyolefi n products in terms of the industry’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) com-mitment, and hopefully pave the way for an environmentally sustainable future.

Self-regulation is certainly preferable to state intervention, an aspect that the bag-making sector remains very aware of. The plastic bag legislation of 2002 led to a com-plete overhaul of the bag business, and worse was to come: virtually none of the capital generated from the plastic bag levy came back to the industry. The entity set up to run the process, Buyisa-e-Bag, has been shut and consumers are still paying the bag levy into the government coffers. So the whole process has ef-fectively not assisted the industry at all.

But memory of the experience may be useful: POLYCO will after all be man-aged by representatives of the polyolefi n industry, and they should be mindful to avoid the previous disaster! One suitable initial goal may be to retrieve the lost millions and possibly access the funds from the bag levy going forward?

PETCO encountered diffi culty with some PET converters in its early stages, but organisation and action slowly won businesses over and the PET levy is at present being paid by virtually the entire sector.

Businessmen around the country will be watching the process with interest and caution, and we suspect many will adopt a wait and see approach. R100 a ton will on average be about a 1-2% of their overall material costs, but adding a single percent onto total production costs will not be taken lightly, such is the competitive nature of the market presently. It’s also not certain that the indus-try’s customers will be enthusiastic about a 1% increase in prices. Experience suggests they won’t, and the fact of the matter is that non-payers of the levy will, in theory at least, immediately achieve a 1% cost advantage over levy payers. This has indeed happened before. We, however, suspect that the better or-ganised businesses will pay the levy and, almost invariably, such well managed operations tend to succeed before others.

Observation of the benefi ts of membership will surely be the main catalyst for joining, so the next few months and years will be very important for the new organisation. It needs to build confi dence and realize improvements for the industry in terms of building market share, improving our environmental image, standards, training and – in short – everything that a healthy industry involves.

We hope POLYCO gets off to a fl ying start!

BY THE WAY . . .

… IF YOU HAVE

SOMETHING TO SAY

Look at the bright side: if you

have some gem of wisdom to

impart, please write to us at

saplastics@iafrica.com

Benefi ts of membership will surely be the main catalyst for joining

… for large injection moulds, extruders, rollers, autoclaves and other processing equipment

set-point and actual value

indicating elements

heating contactor

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APRIL – MAY 2012

Contents

See page 96 for more information

ON THE COVER

CORAL Chem in conjunction with its principal, Geotech International BV, will host a training seminar in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg during May covering colour effect pigments (glitters, pearlescents, glass and aluminium pigments).

(COVER PHOTO BY GEOTECH INTERNATIONAL BV)

Find out more at www.saplastics.co.za

16

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112

INDUSTRY NEWSPlantBottle™ at outstanding ‘greenfi eld’ project

Hestico celebrates 50yrsNewLife Plastics develops ‘mitigation’ concept

ASSOCIATION NEWSSAPPMA, DPI help keep oceans tangle-free

PETCO: Eco organisations create valuePISA: Fire in focus

PEOPLEHestico major sponsor of cycling club

Triple8’s Martin fl oors it in restored ’61 DKW

DESIGNInnovations to transform the future

Bringing design & industry together

WORLDPlastic egg for world’s biggest egg hunt

DIARYEvents coming up in 2012

SPORTSSolvay marks 25yrs of PARA resins

70

Volume 10 Issue 2

The Valpré mineral water bottling plant at Heidelberg was constructed to the highest specs

Martin Wells, Publisher

COM

MEN

T

FINALLY we have it, the ultimate plant!Well, if it’s not, it must be very close to it. Coca-Cola group’s new Valpré mineral water

bottling plant at Heidelberg in Gauteng has just about everything: all operations are literally conducted within the attractively designed building set on the rolling highveld hills. All input materials enter at one end and loaded trucks emerge from the other.

The plant is being used to produce Valpré’s still and sparkling mineral water range. Its relatively remote location at Heidelberg is due to the need for mineral water to be bottled on site.

Designing the ultimate plant is something that many in the industry have dreamt of, and some have even overseen with success. It takes years of experience, planning, teamwork, courage … you name it! Here the planners at Coke have gone off the scale. Virtually no expense has been spared: solar panels hum quietly in the landscaped gardens, supplying power for the non-mechanical needs, diesel generators produce enough current to run a plant twice the size. Even the road to the plant was upgraded for allow for easier trucking. We were too scared to ask about the full cost, but it must run into hundreds of millions.

The development is part of Coca-Cola’s global PlantBottle™ programme for the use of naturally sourced materials. It’s the tenth PlantBottle plant to be commissioned by Coca Cola internationally and is a major undertaking by the global softdrink group in South Africa. Read about it on pages 6-8.

Eco organisations can create valuePETCO, one of the role models for the other ‘new’ professional associations which have emerged over the last few years, held an unusual event recently: it invited other eco organisations to address workshops it hosted in Johannesburg and Cape Town. For many

in the manufacturing sector, attending to the ‘green’ lobby has been a bit of a nuisance, something which interfered with their main business, production. But we can’t operate in isolation, and the need to pay more than lip service to environ-mental requirements has become more and more necessary, just as the green movements have become more prominent over the last 10 or so years.

We found, ironically, that the environmental organisa-tions are fi nding opportuni-ties to create value. Larger converting operations supplying big contracts are inevitably exposed to consumer trends, and anticipat-ing changes can obviously be useful.

Sustainability logic can start right within your own manufacturing plant or business, it was pointed out. It may be worthwhile to invite speakers from the PETCO event to give presentations at your company? Read about it on page 36.

BesidesWe have several interesting and relevant articles in this issue besides, including those about the PISA Fire Safety seminar (40-43) in Midrand in February; solu-tions for the electrical and electronics industries from PlastiChem (78-79); ‘Getting it Right’ (88-89), a column from competition law expert Adams & Adams of Pretoria; design solutions by students at the Tshwane University of Technology (90-91) and much more …

Larger converting operations supplying big contracts are inevitably exposed to consumer trends, and anticipating changes in trends can obviously be useful

THE ULTIMATE PLANT!

THIS ISSUE

4 APRIL / MAY 2012

36 16 3290105 100 109

New plant using naturally-sourced polymers has major ‘green’ credentials

INDUSTRY NEWS

6 APRIL / MAY 2012

‘greenfi eld’ projectsCOCA COLA’S Valpré PlantBottle™ plant in Gauteng must rate as the most outstanding ‘greenfi eld’ project yet in the SA plastics industry. The plant is also the fi rst major initiative to use naturally-sourced polymers in South Africa.

It is the tenth PlantBottle production plant to be commissioned by Coca Cola internationally and is a major undertak-ing by the global softdrink group in South Africa, a venture which none of SA’s other big plastics packaging groups would easily contemplate at present, certainly not in the prevailing economic climate.

Set in the rolling green hills near Heidelberg, south of Johannesburg, almost dreamlike, you come across the impressive, architect-designed container manufacturing/bottling plant set amid a landscaped environment. Coca Cola has obviously researched the project thorough-ly: it achieves what for most converters is close to the ultimate outcome, namely that all input materials, components and pre-forms enter at one end of the factory and completely packaged, fi lled and palleted product emerges from the other. Even the road to the plant has been upgraded.

The plant marks Coca Cola SA’s fi rst venture into naturally sourced packaging: up to 30% of the material being processed in the PlantBottle™ project is sourced from sugarcane, with the balance of 70% being virgin PET.

The ‘renewable’ polymer is sourced from sugarcane ethanol produced in Brazil, which is recognised as one of the global leaders in ethanol sourced bio-fuels. Coca Cola has been sourcing the material from the Brazilian sugar industry for all its global PlantBottle international projects to date.

The ethanol in syrup form is converted into glycol in a refi nery process by Indian Glycols in India, and then distributed to PET manufacturers in the countries where PlantBottle programmes are underway. The 30% which the sugar-based glycol constitutes of the fi nal material replaces the equivalent amount of monoethylene glycol,

which has been used as standard in PET material up till now. The remaining 70% of the material remains terephthalic acid.

In South Africa, Hosaf blends the glycol into its Cazeden PET polymerization process at its plant in Jacobs, Durban. The blended material is then supplied to preform manufacturer Boxmore International at Har-rismith, and the PET preforms are in turn supplied to the Valpré plant at Heidelberg, situated further up the N3 freeway en route to Gauteng, the main market for the Valpré Spring water produced. The new Valpré plant is situated just kilometres off the N3, allowing for easier access for transport.

Other PlantBottle factories around the world – including Brazil, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Japan, Mexico, Norway, Sweden and the USA – have been commissioned over the past two years. Arrangements vary in the different countries, where containers for many of Coca Cola group’s wide range of brands are being produced with Plant-Bottle material.

The fact that the SA initiative involves both a greenfi eld site development and the use of a ‘green’ polymer is coincidental. But the need for the South African project to be a greenfi eld undertaking was quite literal: regulations for spring water require that the water be bottled on site. The Valpré plant is situated on top of an aquifer and the water, which originally bubbled from a spring lower down the slope leading off to the plateau that was formerly known as the ‘South East-ern Transvaal,’ is now drawn from below by three pump stations.

Increase usage of ethanolAccording to Casper Durandt, senior techni-cal operations manager at Coca Cola SA, the group aims to increase usage of ethanol and other naturally-sourced materials and will if possible convert its entire process to these ‘bio’ materials. It believes the ethanol sourced material may be priced more con-sistently than oil-derived material.

Coca-Cola’s strategy internationally is also based partly on supporting suppli-

ers where socially inclusive programmes are practised. Given that manual labour is widely used in sugarcane farming, this fi ts in with the Coca-Cola’s group’s intention to support sustainable activity.

Depending on the results of the SA project (samples are submitted to the Coca Cola HQ in Atlanta, USA), other softdrink brands in South Africa may also be switched to PlantBottle technology in the future, said Durandt.

Some of the international PlantBottle projects are also using recycled material. In

PlantBottle™

at one of SA’s most outstanding

Ultimate plant for bottles! – The Valpré PlantBottle™ project at Heidelberg near Johannesburg is one of the most sophisticated plastic container manufacturing ventures in the SA plastics industry to date. Besides purchase of the land on which the aquifer on the plant is sited, the capex by Coca-Cola group includes diesel powered generator to produce suffi cient capacity to run a plant twice the size, if necessary, as well as a bank of solar panels

www.krones.com

www.valpre.co.za

Notes: India Glycols is one of the leading international manufacturers of glycols using green technology based bulk, specialty and performance chemicals and natural gums, spirits, industrial gases, sugar and nutraceuticals. www.indiaglycols.com

APRIL / MAY 2012 7

The Contiform S24 system from Krones of Germany, using 24 stations, can produce up to 24 000 of the 1.5-litre containers an hour, and for the 330ml bottles it churns out up to 40 000/hr.

South Africa the use of rPET from the main local supplier Extrupet has not been ap-proved as yet, due to the fact that the tech-nology utilized at the Extrupet plant is not ‘Coke-approved’. Durandt said, however, that samples of the SA produced material were currently undergoing trialing.

Sophisticated lineOne of the most sophisticated Krones ‘Con-tiform’ stretch-blow moulding lines in the country is being used to manufacture the bottles. One of the most attractive features

of the line is its quick-change mould system which allows for enhanced and rapid mould changes. At present Valpré is producing 500ml, 1 and 1.5-litre sparkling and still water containers and is making relatively frequent mould changes.

With fi lling on site, the line is designed so as to allow the blown containers to move direct to the fi lling station, and the fi lling can be completed within just 2mins of the container’s manufacture. Besides that, application of the closure and seal-ing, labelling and then packing, wrapping and palletising for dispatch are all handled in-line on the Contiform system.

Future planCoca Cola said in a statement that it is “working with several strategic R+D partners, includ-ing researchers at universities and research institutes globally, to advance technologies to extract sugar from plant-based wastes for future generations of PlantBottle™ packaging. So, while we are only using sugarcane today, we expect over the long-term to also be able to use natural resources like stems, fruit peels and bark. Each of these initiatives has a profound impact on our packaging supply chain, which we are literally rebuilding to accommodate the sustainable pro-duction and use of PlantBottle packaging.”

Four container sizes are being

produced – 330ml, 500ml, 1 and

1.5-litre. Two sets of moulds are employed for

the 330 and 500 containers, as

the carbonated and still

versions have slightly different

forms

For PlantBottle™ FAQs, go to

page 8 ►

On site fi lling – The containers move directly from the stretch-blow moulding

phase to fi lling, which is completed within seconds of the container’s manufacture. From there sealing, labelling, packing, wrapping and

palletising for dispatch are all handled in-line on the Krones system

INDUSTRY NEWS

Frequently asked questions about the bio-based material programme from Coca Cola group

PlantBottle™ FAQs

WHAT IS PLANTBOTTLE™ PACKAGING AND HOW IS IT DIFFERENT TO A TRADITIONAL PET PLASTIC BOTTLE?PlantBottle™ is our latest breakthrough innovation in packaging. It’s the fi rst-ever fully recyclable PET plastic beverage bottle made partially from plants. The difference is in the materials used to make the bottle. Traditional PET plastic is made using fossil fuels, like petroleum. PlantBottle is made with a combination of traditional materials and up to 30% from plants. Because the end product is still PET plastic, the Plant-Bottle package delivers the same performance (eg shelf life, recyclability, weight, chemical composition, appearance), but it reduces potential carbon dioxide emissions from our PET plastic bottles and depen-dence on fossil fuels, like petroleum, when compared to traditional PET plastic.

WHY DO YOU SAY ‘UP TO 30%’ IS MADE FROM PLANTS?PET is made up of two components – you can think of them as ingredients: MEG (monoethylene glycol), which makes up 30% of the PET by weight, and PTA

www.thecoca-colacompany.com/PlantBottle

8

‘Polyglobe’ online database

TO make the planning of plastics pur-chasing activities more calculable, Plas-tics Information Europe (PIE), based in Bad Homburg, Germany, recently launched a new online database. ‘Poly-globe’ contains global data on plastics producers, their plants and capacities, forces majeure, maintenance turn-arounds, production cutbacks as well as plans for either expansion or closure.

The database includes data on plas-tics and important feedstocks produced at some 3 800 plants across nearly 1 000 sites in 75 different countries. It enables easy evaluations by product,

region or company. At producer level, Polyglobe identifi es joint ventures and corporate cooperations as well as each producer’s level of integration. Future supply structures are highlighted in 5-year forecasts. Updated daily, the database provides users with reliable information whenever needed.

Polyglobe is targeted in particular at plastics converters with strategically aligned raw material purchasing depart-ments, who fi nd the existing products offered by other providers too expensive or too poorly suited to their individual needs. www.Polyglobe.net

(purifi ed terephthalic acid), which makes up the other 70%. We’ve found a way to make MEG from plants, which is why we say our bottles are up to 30% made from plants.

We use the term ‘up to’ because we want to be clear with our consumers around the world that the exact amount of material made from plants may vary some as the bottle production starts up or winds down. Some mixing of bio-based resin and non-bio-based resin can occur as the production lines making the bottles transi-tion between resins, slightly diluting the percentage of material made from plants.

WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER 70%?Currently the other 70% of the PET (the PTA) is made from traditional sources. Our packaging innovation teams are working on technology to develop PTA from plants, but it’s complicated science and we expect it will be a few more years before we have a commercial breakthrough.

Meanwhile, in some markets, we’re combining material from plants with recycled PET to enhance the package’s environmental performance. For example, in Denmark, PlantBottle™ packaging is up to 15% made from plants and 50% recycled materials.

Our ultimate goal is a carbon neutral, 100% renew-able, responsibly sourced bottle that is fully recyclable – a bottle we can all feel good about.

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF PLANTBOTTLE PACKAGING?PlantBottle looks, feels and functions just like traditional PET, but it does so with a lighter footprint on the planet and its scarce resources. PlantBottle is fully recyclable in the existing community recycling programmes and can be used back into new bottles or the wide variety of other products made from recycled PET today.

It has the same performance as other PET bottles, meaning there’s no difference in shelf life, weight, chemi-cal composition or appearance.

Because it’s made partially from plants, it reduces potential carbon dioxide emissions and dependence on fossil fuels compared with traditional PET plastic. Our use of PlantBottle™ packaging in 2010 alone eliminated

Innovative, inexpensive solution for small and medium-sized plastics converters

The bottling line at Coca Cola’s Valpré PlantBottle™ plant in Gauteng, one of the most outstanding ‘greenfi eld’ projects yet in the SA

plastics industry

almost 30 000 metric tons of carbon dioxide – the equivalent impact of approximately 60,000 barrels of oil from our PET plastic bottles.

Another advantage is its ability to strengthen our brands’ connections to customers and consumers. People are responding very positively to the package in each market where it is introduced.

WHERE DOES THE PLANT MATERIAL COME FROM?Currently, PlantBottle is made using sugarcane ethanol from Brazil. Sugarcane ethanol from Brazil is the only fi rst-generation ‘biofuel’ widely recognized by thought leaders globally for its unique environ-mental and social performance. Most sugarcane in Brazil is grown on degraded pastures located over 2000kms from the Amazon, so it has a lower impact on biodiversity. The farms from which we source use effective cultivation processes, so the sugarcane is predominantly rain-fed and mechanically harvested.

WILL PLANTBOTTLE MATERIALS CROWD OUT FOOD-BASED AGRICULTURE?No. While sugarcane production has increased in Brazil, there has been no drop in food production. Brazil is a leading exporter of beef, coffee, orange juice, poultry, soybeans and sugar. Most sugarcane expansion is on degraded pastures that do not increase competition for new land or displace other crops.

Estimates show that sugarcane production in Brazil could increase 30 times without endangering sensitive ecosystems or taking land destined for food crops.

ARE YOU USING GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS FOR PLANTBOTTLE?There are no genetically modifi ed crops in the plant materials we are sourcing today.

Maxx Corporate Communications©

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Contact Details: Tel: +27 11 865 8373 info@phoenixpet.co.za

A product of

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GBCSA’s removal of PVC minimization clause welcomedTHE Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) announcement that the use of PVC products in environmentally-friendly projects will no longer be penalized has been welcomed by the industry.

Environmentally-conscious building contractors in South Africa can enjoy the full benefi ts of PVC piping products, following the announcement from the GBCSA in October that it will remove the MAT-7 PVC minimization clause from its green star tool rating system.

The GBCSA developed the green star SA rating tool to provide the local property industry with an objective measurement for green buildings, and to recognise and reward environmental leadership in the industry. The council initially introduced the clause in 2007 to minimize the use of PVC products in buildings, due to environmental concerns with regards to the formulation, manufacturing process and end-of-life disposal of PVC products.

Following negotiations with the South

African Vinyl’s Association (SAVA), the GBCSA agreed to adopt recommendations to remove the MAT-7 PVC minimization credit in its green star tool rating system, provided that PVC manufacturers adhere to best practice conditions.

DPI Plastics in particular is delighted as this is in line with the company vision of ‘pipes for life’.

DPI Plastics product manager for pres-sure pipe systems, Renier Snyman said: “The MAT-7 minimization clause impacted

INDUSTRY NEWS

PETCO 2011 achievementsAnnual PET recycling rate of 42% of post-consumer beverage PET and 29% of total PET

DPI Plastics will be marketing a wide range

of PVC products to green star projects during the

course of 2012

FISCAL 2011 was a momentous year for PETCO and PET plastic recycling in two ways. PETCO celebrated its 6th anniversary and its efforts over the year led to over 1.4 bil-lion PET bottles being recycled across South Africa, close to 4 million bottles recycled every day, exceeding PETCO’s PET plastic recycling rate for 2010 by 5 290 tons.

In 2011 PETCO achieved an annual PET recycling rate of 42% of post-consumer beverage PET and 29% of total PET. 42 651 tons of PET were collected and recycled out of a 145 000 ton 2011 resin market.

For 2011 the tonnage collected and recycled including pre-consumer was 46 276 tons, representing 46% of beverage PET and 32% of total PET.

PETCO benchmark for extended producer responsibilityThis achievement would not have been possible without the voluntary fi nancial support from PETCO’s members who have all helped PETCO become the benchmark for Extended Producer Responsibility and to bale-by-bale, year-by-year, reduce the volume of post-consumer PET plastic in the

waste stream. PETCO also achieved this recycling rate in partnership with contracted service providers, Extrupet, Kaymac and Sen Li Da who combine collection, recycling and end-use in their PET value chain.

“Over the past six years we’ve gone from 9 840 to 42 651 tons of post-consumer PET bottles recycled or from 324 million bottles collected in the fi rst year to well over 1 billion bottles recycled in 2011,” said Cheri Scholtz, CEO of PETCO.

“We’ve been assisted in the establishment of over 430 plastic recovery stations through-out South Africa and supported training of staff at these drop-off sites. We have also been involved in numerous separation at source and school education projects. We’ve grown our targets from 16% to 46% of beverage PET recycled, from 87 000 to 145 000 tons of PET resin produced, from small to large amounts of recycling levies collected and income opportunities created, from success to success,” she added.

Expanded bottle-2-fi bre and bottle-2-foodgrade recycling“Our 28 shareholder and 42 associate mem-

bers have contributed to job creation and skills development. PETCO has also provided millions of rands worth of fi nancial support to PET recycling companies and in so doing has managed to expand both bottle-2-fi bre and bottle-2-foodgrade recycling. Built on the simple principle of establishing an industry driven and fi nanced environmental solution for PET, the PETCO model is now proven to be expandable and sustainable”, said Casper Durandt, Senior Technical Operations Man-ager for Coca Cola South Africa, and PETCO Chair.

South African PET recycling is unique in that almost all of the post-consumer PET bottles collected are recycled into a local end-use (mainly fi bre and more recently bottle-2-bottle) and not exported to China, as is done by many other countries.

The largest end-use market for post-con-sumer PET bottles in South Africa is currently the fi bre market (bottle-2-fi bre). More recently, there is installed capacity for post-consumer PET bottles, to be recycled into new bottles (bottle-2-bottle). B2B resin take-up is, howev-er, still relatively slow and PETCO is working with retailers and brand owners to increase

10

www.dpiplastics.co.za

Lanpack buys Laughton & CoLAUGHTON & Co, established in 1896, one of the oldest companies in the industry in South Af-rica, has been bought by Lanpack, a Cape Town company which has been involved in the paper bag industry for over 15 years. Laughton, based in Woodstock, Cape Town, started manufactur-ing paper bags in the 1890s and went into the production of plastic bags in the 20th century. The purchase thus marks Lanpack’s entry to the plastics market. www.lanpack.co.za

Mpact buys Cape thermoforming Co RAMPACT group has purchased RA Plastics, a thermoforming business in Cape Town. RA manufactures PET, HDPE and HIPS containers. It extrudes its own sheet and employs about 200 people at a 6000m² factory in Blackheath, near Somerset West. Mpact is already involved in thermoforming of polystyrene foam, with its unit Versapak in Paarl being one of the established leaders in that area. However, the new venture in thermoforming of clear as well as coloured sheet signifi es Mpact’s entry to a market which has in recent years been dominated by Astrapak. Astra is the SA leader in the thermoformed packaging market, operating both Plastform and Thermopac in Cape Town.

Renewed BRC accreditation for ExtrupetFOLLOWING the annual audit of its manufactur-ing facilities, South African PET recycler Extrupet has received a renewed accreditation for its food-grade recycled PET by the sought-after British Retail Consortium (BRC). Extrupet remains the only PET plastic recycler in the world certifi ed by the BRC. www.extrupet.co.za

BASF ups presence in AfricaBASF opened a new offi ce in Nairobi, Kenya, in December from where it will service customers in East Africa and the Sub-Sahara region. The company’s target is to more than double sales in Africa by 2020. Its sales, excluding oil and gas, were around €1 billion in 2010.

BASF also supports social projects in Kenya, including a project in cooperation with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and local partners. www.basf.com

Nu World exits moulding sectorNU WORLD of Johannesburg, one of SA’s top manufacturers of electronic goods and home appliances, has discontinued its moulding operations. JSE-listed Nu World was extremely successful in this area over an extended period, but competing with imports from the Far East has in recent year become increasingly challenging. The company began importing in the early 2000s and was also the SA agent for some top brands, including JVC. At some stages over 600 people were involved in the moulding operations at the company’s premises in Wynberg, but moulding activity has been ceased and at least some of the equipment has already been sold.

negatively on DPI Plastics’ sales, as con-tractors and architects would have been avoiding the use of PVC pipes, in order to obtain a four or fi ve star green rating for their building. In the past, any projects that used PVC would be penalised; thereby, sig-nifi cantly affecting their rating in an industry that is becoming increasingly environmen-tally-conscious.”

In late 2011, the GBCSA completed a comprehensive credit review process for the Mat-7 PVC minimization credit, one out of

Green Building Council of South Africa CEO Brian Wilkinson

JUST BRIEFLY

the demand for PET recyclate.2011 also saw PETCO support projects

with a strong focus on public and consumer-based education and awareness pro-grammes and these initiatives and activities contributed to the visible recycling of PET.

Together with major retailers Woolworths and Pick ‘n Pay, PETCO has recently es-tablished the ‘Retailers for Recycling Forum’ which aims to minimize the environmental impact of post-consumer packaging on the

South African landscape.In 2012 PETCO needs to meet the tar-

geted tonnage of post-consumer beverage PET recycled of 48 356 tons or 44% of all beverage PET resin converted, assist with the establishment of more collection and drop-off centres and progressively build recycling awareness through compelling and focused messaging.

69 total credits in the green star SA green building rating system.

“The GBCSA Technical Steering Com-mittee (TSC) resolved to withdraw the credit after considering the outcomes of the credit review, which involved stakeholder engage-ment through a PVC Expert Reference Panel and precedents set by other green building councils surrounding the treatment of PVC in green building rating tools,” added GBCSA CEO Brian Wilkinson.

Snyman pointed out that the removal of the clause means that the use of PVC products has a neutral impact on the green star rating of a building in South Africa. The neutral rating does; however, only apply to PVC manufacturers that meet best-practice based on the manufacture and recycling of the product.

Snyman admitted that the biggest chal-lenge now facing DPI Plastics is to inform and educate the industry of the benefi ts of the removal of the MAT-7 minimization clause.

DPI Plastics will be marketing a wide range of PVC products to green star proj-ects during the course of 2012

www.petco.co.za

South African PET recycling is unique in that almost all of the post-consumer PET bottles collected are recycled into a local end-use (mainly fi bre and more recently

bottle-2-bottle) and not exported to China, as is done by many other countries11

INDUSTRY NEWS

TRADITONALLY, parts are machined out of a large billet of material by means of CNC (computer numerical control), milling machines, a process known as subtractive fabrication. Using this method, as much as 90% of the original material may have to be removed to produce the fi nished part.

However, there’s a new approach that not only saves time and money, but provides digital accuracy too. Stratasys Ad-ditive Manufacturing produces dimension-ally accurate parts by adding thermoplastic in layers based on a 3D CAD (computer-assisted design) model. The part is built up in CNC profi le layers.

Stratasys developed and manufactures the patented Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) systems that manufacture real parts composed of production grade thermoplas-tics. Because FDM uses real production thermoplastics, parts manufactured are stable and have no warping, shrinkage or moisture absorption like resins and pow-ders in competing processes.

No matter how complex, the 3D CAD

12 APRIL / MAY 2012

geometry, Stratasys FDM systems allow accurate produc-tion of parts that can be as-sembled, tested and installed in products for end use.

With the advancement of the Stratasys FDM technology and the launch-ing of their New FDM range of Manufactur-ing Centre Systems, the FDM 250 MC, 360 MC, 400 MC and 900 MC systems are now used on assembly lines to produce fi nished parts. Manufacturers use the FDM range to produce fi xtures, assembly tools and special-purpose parts in ABS-polycarbonate blend, ABSi medical and food grade thermoplastic, Polycarbonate, Ultem 9085 (Aircraft Grade Material) and Polyphenolsulfone for high-

temperature applications.With the release of the Stratasys

FDM 250MC, FDM 360MC, 400MC and 900MC, it’s no surprise that additive fab-rication systems are being embraced by the design and manufacturing industry.

www.3dsolids.co.za

rapidly using AMTProduce real parts

Margie and Russell Oosterlaak, owners of 3D Solids Additive Manufacturing Technology (AMT)

APRIL / MAY 2012 13

insist

INSIST on it by name.

Last year we became bigger when XPS joined our family, and, as you may have heard, we are going to be in a position to supply a vastly improved quality product in the very near future! So we now offer our customers the trusted Perspex brand, made to global standards and access to global technologies and innovations.

086 090 4859info@perspex.co.za | www.perspex.co.zainfo@xtruded.co.za | www.xtruded.co.za

PerspexSA

halo-media.com | PER-039

Increased installed capacity from 400 tons to 500 tons per month

APRIL marked the launch of PhoenixPet, Extrupet’s ‘food-grade’ recycled polyethyl-ene terephthalate resin. In 2009, Extrupet became the fi rst ‘food-grade’ rPET bottle-to-bottle (B2B) recycling plant in Africa and to date is the only ‘B2B’ recycler on the continent.

Extrupet’s state-of-the-art ‘food grade’ B2B plant is equipped with Erema’s Vacu-rema technology to supply the market with PhoenixPET, a high quality resin. The plant is the fi rst globally to be certifi ed by the BRC for meeting stringent food safety standards.

The reprocessing system was up-graded at the beginning of 2011 when the Vacurema Basic system was refi ned to a Vacurema Advanced system.

“This not only allowed for a higher residence time in the vacuum reactors, im-proving the quality of the material, but also increased installed capacity from 400 tons per month to 500 tons per month, enabling Extrupet to meet the ever growing demand for this environmentally friendly raw mate-rial,” said Extrupet’s Chandru Wadhwani.

“With the generation of a higher IV resin, a greater percentage of the local PET bottle

Extrupet rebrands rPET resinmarket has now been able to introduce this valuable material into their stable. Addition-ally, percentage use of this material when blended with virgin polymer has increased from conservative introduction rates of 10%, to in many cases these days, as much as 50%,” he added.

PhoenixPET meets the US FDA’s stringent food safety standards and is used in food packaging by top retailers in South Africa like Woolworths and Pick ‘n Pay. Customers in the bottle-blowing market as

well as the sheet thermoforming market can be assured that PhoenixPET is absolutely hygienic and safe for food and beverage applications.

PhoenixPET is produce in two different grades, one with a standard IV for ther-moforming uses and the other a higher IV for the use of manufacturing PET bottles. Spec sheets are available from Extrupet on request.

www.extrupet.co.za

Extrupet’s state-of-the-art ‘food grade’ B2B plant is

equipped with Erema’s Vacurema technology

to supply the market with PhoenixPET, a high

quality resin

INDUSTRY NEWS

Recycled product developer comes up with new solution

NewLife Plasticsdevelops ‘mitigation’ concept

RECENTLY established NewLife Plastics is developing a new strategy for the plastics recycling sector: encouraging us-ers of plastic products, as well as plastic converting businesses, to purchase items made from recycled material as a positive environmental gesture for which they receive a ‘mitigation’ certifi cate.

The printed certifi cate outlines how the product is literally giving ‘new life’ to useful resources such as moulded plastic containers, caps, packaging items and a host of other products – items which would otherwise have been lost in the waste stream or ended up in landfi ll … but are now getting a ‘new life’!

The certifi cate clearly states what quan-tity of plastic packaging waste has been removed from the environment as a result of the buyer’s purchase.

Established in late 2011, the NewLife team includes• Bronwyn Durham, marketing manager,

who has spent most of her career mar-keting plastic products;

• Grant Nell, operations manager, responsible for the fabrication of NewLife products;

• Wayne Brown, a veteran of the timber home construction sector who now www.newlifeplastics.co.za

Facility produces 50 millionth emissions control catalyst for automotive catalytic converters

14

Major operational milestone achieved by BASF in PE

BASF South Africa’s Port Elizabeth Mobile Emissions Catalysts facility has achieved a major operational milestone by producing its 50 millionth automotive catalyst for the cata-lytic converter industry.

Former Engelhard Corporation, in 2006 ac-quired by BASF, pioneered the development of the fi rst catalytic converters on 1975-model cars, and one year later introduced a second major innovation: the modern Three-Way-Cat-alyst, which is now capable of destroying over 90% of hydrocarbons (HC), carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) produced by car engines.

The PE business began producing automo-tive catalysts in September 1994 with seven employees who worked in leased space at the local Ford Engine Plant. Validation of

BASF’s Port Elizabeth plant was completed in January 1995, with two approved customers. Increased demand led to capacity expansions until December 2001, when the business moved to a new, larger site in Struanway, where a world-class facility was established.

Today, BASF’s Port Elizabeth facility is equipped with state-of-the-art, high-speed, meter-charged coaters. This technologically advanced equipment is used to manufacture Diesel Oxidation Catalysts, Diesel Particulate Filters and Three-Way-Catalysts. Since incep-tion, BASF’s Three-Way-Catalyst technology has, on a global basis, destroyed over one billion tons of HC, CO and NOx before these toxic exhaust gases reached the atmosphere.

www.basf.co.za

Mobile Emission Catalysts substrate

Twelve site employees who were employed in the founding year of the plant 18 years ago were recognised for their commitment to the organisation at the event. Here John Maarman, Production Supervisor, receives acknowledge-ment from Dr Mike Tribelhorn, Site Director

Left: Marketing manager Bronwyn Durham with one of the ‘mitigation’ certifi cates which are presented to buyers of NewLife products

handles design and projects (on site installations); and

• Roger Thomas (consultant), who was general manager at PET supplier SANS until its closure some years ago and who is helping to set-up this new venture.NewLife’s goal is to focus on recycled

materials derived from packaging prod-ucts, and specifi cally on polyolefi ns, LD, HD and PP. That excludes PET bottles and containers, polystyrene trays and PVC fi lm.

It has so far focused on what are the main established applications for the extruded poles, planks and profi les be-ing produced from the recycled plastic agglomerate. ‘Eco-friendly’ products manu-factured include outdoor furniture, decking, pallets, balustrades and even jetties.

But the aim is not solely to convince people of the ‘feel good’ factor: the NewLife team is also developing products that genuinely have a good feel in terms of practical applications with smooth con-tours, slip/scuff resistance, imperviousness to insects and which withstand all weather conditions, in particular harsh the UV light factor in Africa.

With the combined input of the four-strong team, a lot is expected of the NewLife venture.

Above left: NewLife team – The management team of the new venture in Cape Town includes Grant

Nell, Bronwyn Durham and Roger Thomas (Wayne Brown was out, busy with an installation, on the day)

Above left: Conro Precision, the injection moulding business in Cape Town, is making

use of NewLife palletsAbove right: Picnic set at the ‘Viper Lounge’

(bikers’ shop) in Cape Town

Medium sized machines for small narrow-necked bottles up to wide-mouthed jarsASB-70DPH / ASB-70DPWModerate investment costs & mould changeover times, with huge production versatility. Targeted at the medium to large bottle and jar market, while the double row preform configuration is suited for high scale production of bottles under 700ml capacity.

Entry level machine ideal for small bottle production with exceptional capabilitiesASB-50MBAn all-time favourite which is continually upgraded for improved versatility and productivity. Over 1,500 units delivered in the first 9 years of production.

Small and medium bottle productionPF6-2B / PF8-4BCapable of moulding containers up to 1.5L (PF8-4B) and 3L (PF6-2B). Optional neck orientation or preferential heating systems expands the capabilities for extreme oval designs. The PF8-4B is ideally suited to 500ml water or sports drinks containers, while the PF6-2B is ideal for containers in the 1.5L to 3L range.

Preform production for small and medium bottlePM-70/65NII / PM-70/111NIdeally matched to the CM and HSB machines for production of hot fillable PET bottles. Also suited to any general moulding operation for a range of performs from 0.3L up to 5L, neck sizes up to 48mm (thread diameter) and from 8 to 24 cavities.

Leader in PET Technology

The histories of Nissei ASB and PET containers have been tied together, as will their future be. Back in the early days of injection stretch blow moulding (ISBM), Nissei ASB was a pioneer in the field and PET was just becoming established as the material of choice for beverage and foodstuff containers. Today, both Nissei ASB and PET remain firmly at the forefront of the injection stretch blow moulding industry. As for the future, no one can predict which direction the industry will take, but there is one thing you can be sure of – wherever it goes, Nissei ASB will be right there at the front continually innovating for tomorrow…

NISSEI ASB SOUTH AFRICA (PTY) LTD97 Sovereign Drive, Route 21 Corporate ParkNelmapius Drive, Irene Ext 30 0062P.O. Box 11785, Centurion 0046, South AfricaTel: +27 12 345 4924 Fax: +27 12 345 5667E-mail: sales@nisseiasb.co.za

NISSEI ASB PTE. LTD.85 Science Drive # 01-03 The CavendishSingapore Science Park 1 Singapore 118259Tel: (+65) 6778 4633 Fax: (+65) 6778 9440E-mail: asbsin@signet.com.sgwww.nisseiasb.co.jp

More than one step ahead

ASB-50MB

ASB-70DPH / ASB-70DPW

PF6-2B / PF8-4B

PM-70/65NII / PM-70/111N

INDUSTRY NEWS

AFRIMOLD, the international trade fair for application development via tooling, precision engineering and mould-making will take place from 10–12 October at the Gallagher Convention Centre

in Midrand, South Africa.The organisers of AfriMold are pleased

to announce the offi cial endorsement of Plastics|SA. According to Anton Hanekom, Executive Director of Plastics|SA, plans are underway to create interactive features and visitor attractions at this year’s expo.

“The opportunities at AfriMold are vast - from part design and material selection www.afrimold.co.za

Judges looking for winning concept solutions for rural transportation of recyclablesPISA student design competition tackles rural problem

PLASTICS/SA, Plastics Converters Associa-tion (PCA) and the Plastics Institute of SA (PISA) will host a student design competition at AfriMold in October.

The competition is being held during the German/South Africa Year of Science, focus-ing on climate change and human capital development. The Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films and the Fraunhofer Institute for Transportation and Infrastructure Systems will provide students with the opportunity to engage with the insti-tute’s specialists should their technologies be identifi ed for incorporation in the students’ concepts.

So far, the Innovation Hub in Pretoria has been secured as a sponsor and as ‘techni-

cal adviser’ helping with the fi nalization of the design brief to students.

Judging will take place during the Plastics│SA Conference at Gallagher Estate during AfriMold from 10-12 October. It is en-visaged that the winning concepts will also be exhibited at Euromold in Frankfurt, Germany, from 27–30 November.

BackgroundThere is a major need in South African rural areas for a mode of transport for the rural poor to collect recyclable material and trans-port it to a collection depot. The SA plastics industry has made major inroads in the col-lection of plastic waste and has established a successful recycling industry. The project

to testing and fi nal injection moulding of the fi nished part, AfriMold will cover the sectors of automotive parts, engineering parts, medical instruments, packaging for food and beverages, paint and chemicals, as well as personal care products and more,” said Hanekom.

The trade fair attracts exhibitors and visi-tors representing the associated sectors of design, materials, simulation, visualisation, engineering, CAD/CAM/CAE, rapid prototyp-ing and tooling, patternmaking, prototyping, mould-making and tooling, tools, precision machining, machine tools, quality assur-ance and automation, as well as processing, series production and fi nal part fi nishing & assembly.

According to AfriMold managing director Ron MacLarty: “The specialised nature of AfriMold attracts a highly targeted audience

of visitors, who are for the most part proactive buyers. The expo’s visitors have made a conscious decision to purchase and have set aside valuable time to attend the expo and do just that.”

Past research has shown that AfriMold visitors do come with very specifi c goals in mind. Among the more common reasons are, to: see what’s new; evaluate products and suppliers; keep abreast of industry and market developments; network and develop business contacts; consolidate business relationships; solve specifi c problems; fi nd new markets; ap-point agents and seek principals; discuss terms, conditions and pricing; and obtain technical knowledge.

This year’s AfriMold trade fair runs in conjunction with the German/South African Year of Science and as such the conference content, in particular, will be expanded to address the role of science in elevating current practice to the domain of leading economies.

The conference theme is ‘Tooling as a Key Enabler for the South African Manufacturing Sector – Climate Change Mitigation’, and will feature topics central to the Year of Science (YOS). It will explore opportunities to mitigate climate change via smart manufacturing.

AfriMold managing director Ron MacLarty

AfriMold attracts exhibitors representing the sectors of design, materials, simulation, visualisation, engineering, CAD/CAM/CAE, rapid prototyping and tooling, patternmak-ing, prototyping, mould-making and tooling, tools, precision machining, machine tools, quality assurance and automation, as well as processing, series production and fi nal part fi nishing & assembly

needs to be extended to the rural areas to prevent pollution and provide opportunities for entrepreneurs to establish themselves, also providing a vital service to the com-munity.

Students are encouraged to come up with concept solutions for a vehicle or trol-ley that would assist in the collection and transportation of recyclable materials in rural areas. Entries must include concepts for mobility, be it human, electric, biogas or solar powered. The liberal use of plastics is encouraged, specifi cally if the concept mitigates mass manufacture and needs to be light weight in construction.

For more details, contact Douw Steyn at Douw.Steyn@plasticssa.co.za

AfriMold 2012during Year of Science

16

A collection of clever rural transport solutions – they may be lacking in fi nesse, but they get the job done!

The advantage of selecting Bandera as a pre-eminent partner for the design, production and installation of innovative and customized lines for the production of film and foil for thermoformed packaging applications turns into higher end product quality, lower operating costs, care for energy savings.

Top production rates of the extrusion section even with the maximum foil width

Optimized foil thickness tolerances with lower thermoplastic material consumption

Highest available thickness range (from 0,12 to 1,8 mm for PET; from 0,27 to 2,4 mm for PP)

Higher planarity, verified and adjusted by the polishing and cooling rolls motorized cross-axis system

Higher safety and efficiency in the in-line PE or PE/ EVOH film lamination process

Higher flexibility in the use of different raw materials thanks to a bigger-sized cooling circuit

Utmost foil transparency thanks to innovative roll surface cleaning systems

Lower product waste during the initial production threading phaseLower energy consumption in the motorization of the independently

actuated calender rollsMinimum operating risk level thanks to the complete mechanical and electronic safety tuning

during production

Minimum maintenance requirements thanks to the interchangeability of the outer calender rolls

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A versatilePARTNER? BANDERA IS THE ANSWER.

versatility

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Plastic pipes show improved quality, but still room for improvement

SAPPMA completes2nd round of quality testsTHE quality of plastic pipes manufactured in South Africa leaves room for improvement, despite the fact that many of the pipes carry the SABS mark of approval.

According to Jan Venter, CEO of the Southern African Plastic Pipe Manufacturers Association (SAPPMA), the results of the second round of random sampling under-taken by SAPPMA since the fi rst sampling exercise of a specifi c range of products took place last year, have just been released.

“SAPPMA works very closely with the SABS in a joint effort to weed out inferior quality plastic piping systems,” Venter said. “It is our vision to create absolute qual-ity, trust and integrity throughout the value chain of the Southern African Plastics Pipe Industry”.

Because the plastics piping business is a strategic industry, hardware needs to be reliable for extended periods of time. Long-term product quality is therefore fundamen-tal and quality plastic pipe should be good for a minimum period of 50 years according to industry standards.

“However, the plastic pipe industry fi nds itself in an increasingly diffi cult position due to economic pressure. In a situation such as ours where supply continually exceeds de-mand, manufacturers are looking for ways to cut costs, which often impacts negatively on product quality”, Venter explained.

To ensure industry compliance and high standards throughout, SAPPMA launched a random sampling exercise of a selection of pipes obtained at random from various stocking merchants at the beginning of 2011. The dimensions and stiffness of these pipes were tested at a certifi ed independent laboratory in terms of the relevant SABS standards.

“The results were rather shocking”, Venter said. “We selected 18 samples of

‘Lockit’ for your favourite drink

TIRED of having colleagues drink the water from his special chilled supply in the workshop fridge, Cape Town tool maker Os-car Koen got to work. His goal was to design a device that would prevent theft from the container. The result: the ‘Lockit’ moulding that effectively pre-

vents removal of the lid from the container, and hence theft of the contents.

His brainwave resolved the problem in a fl ash, and also resulted in Oscar getting some puzzled glances from colleagues at his workplace in Paardeneiland.

He has since been spurred on by the potential to commercialize the product. Oscar believes his design could be used at schools and workplaces around the country. In fact, it could be used wherever individu-als in large groups seek to prevent others from accessing, unsolicited, their choice of beverage, when left unattended that is. In Oscar’s case, drinking water during the hot summer days, and even hotter tempera-tures in most toolrooms, is a necessity.

To many, removal of water – the ‘elixir of life’ – from a container in a fridge can hardly be constituted as theft, but many may share his reluctance to accept such activity.

The design may quite possibly have a role to play besides: preventing others from drinking from one’s personal container could even be a reliable health strategy – by stopping the spread of oral viruses, said Oscar, who has been involved in toolmak-ing for over 30 years.

Now Oscar believes the gimmick could, besides its safety features, be used by beverage manufacturers for branding and could be an attractive ‘value-adding’ feature for softdrink and mineral water suppliers.

• OSCAR KOEN: PHONE 078 357 8803

A prototype of the ‘Lockit’ – in this case minus the lock (in order to show the design) – which was cut from a solid block of ABS

Oscar Koen, devel-oper of the ‘Lockit’ bottle device

PVC pipes at random from eight different manufacturers – all of them carrying the SABS mark (SANS 1601, SANS 966-1, SANS 966-2 & SANS 967) and clearly identifi ed by trade- or company names. Of those pipes tested, at least 56% of those produced by non-SAPPMA members failed, whilst none of those produced by SAPPMA members failed”.

After the results of the fi rst round of tests were released, SAPPMA repeated

the survey at the end of 2011 – again obtaining pipes at random, although a much bigger sample size was used.

“We have found that a consider-able number of the pipes tested still fell

short of the industry standards. How-ever, we are pleased to report that there seems to be a signifi cant improvement since the previous survey”, Venter said.

Whilst SAPPMA does not claim that all pipe produced by its members will be 100% faultless all of the time, Venter pointed out that the results of the fi rst round of tests do seem to indicate a trend with regards to the setting of and adhering to industry standards.

“In the interest of the consumer and the long term integrity of the infrastruc-ture, SAPPMA will continue with these market surveys. We are confi dent that independent tests such as these will increase the public’s awareness of qual-ity issues, which will ultimately raise the level of responsibility of manufacturers,” Venter added.

Device puts a stop to unwanted gulping

www.sappma.co.za

18 APRIL / MAY 2012

Long-term product quality is fundamental and quality plastic pipe should

be good for a minimum period of 50 years

according to industry standards.

INDUSTRY NEWS

20 APRIL / MAY 2012

ADDIVATION, a new company aiming to be-come a one-stop consultancy for plastics ad-ditives, has been launched by Tim Cooper.

Cooper has 36 years’ experience in the plastics additives game, from analysis, formulation, research and product develop-ment, to production, sales and marketing of plastics additives. He started his career in the mid-1970s with what was then AECI, as a lab technician analyzing the content of additives in polyethylene. From there he moved to Resinite, and after a stint in R&D, took over full technical management, including production, of thin fi lms in rigid and fl exible PVC and polyethylene.

He joined Ciba-Geigy in 1986, where he set up and managed the local techni-cal service laboratory, before moving into

marketing and sales. Cooper continued in marketing and sales of a broad range of plastics additives as director of Chemfi t, which he and his partners sold to Chem-serve in 2008.

Recently Cooper decided to change his career path, and with years of experience in a wide range of plastics additives disciplines, formed his own consultancy.

“In a world where plastics are increas-ingly replacing traditional materials such as metals, wood, glass and paper in the whole spectrum of applications, from packaging to automotive, electrical and electronics to min-ing, domestic to agriculture, just to mention a few, the requirements for additives becomes more demanding.

“With more and more suppliers in

CTP Flexibles installs 3 more slitter rewinders CTP FLEXIBLES, the Cape Town based converter of fl exible packaging materials made an exciting start to 2012 with the arrival and installation of three 1350mm wide Titan ER610 compact slitter rewinders. The fi rst Titan slitter will be installed during January with the second and third machines following closely behind.

Recently, CTP Flexibles has seen a dramatic increase in its customer base and also in the demand for its fl exible packaging materials, so much so that its slitting capacity has been placed under tremendous pressure – hence the decision to invest in three new Titan ER610 slitters.

“With the three new Titan slitters we will

have ample capacity to cope with both current demand and also future expansion of our business,” said Gary Seale, MD of the com-pany. “We had already installed one 1650mm and one 1350mm wide Titan ER610 slitter during 2010, which gave us every confi dence to invest again with Titan,” he added.

CTP Flexibles manufactures specialised plastic extrusion and fl exible packaging for the food, beverage, confectionery, industrial and general merchandise industries. With leading technology and part of Caxton & CTP Pub-lishers & Printers Ltd. the company has been producing and converting packaging for South Africa’s blue chip companies since 1971.

“We produce everything here,” Gary Seale

explained. “We extrude high-density, low-density and linear low-density polyethylene fi lms and produce cast polypropylene fi lms. We also manufacture a comprehensive range of sophisticated products – from laminations, multi-layer fi lms and shrink fi lms to bags, pouches and shrink sleeves.”

The Titan ER610 compact slitter rewinder has been a great success worldwide for Atlas Converting Equipment Ltd. with sales of more than 100 machines worldwide. It is available in 2 web widths, 1350 mm and 1650 mm, with a maximum rewind diametre of 610 mm.

The Titan ER610 slitter can process a wide range of fl exible materials including plain, printed, coated or metallized fi lm from 20 to

ADDIVATION:

One-stop consultancy for additives

Tim Cooper is putting over 30 years’ experience in the area of additives

to work at his new company, Addivation, based in Johannesburg

Seeking a solution to prevent water theft from exterior taps led entrepreneur Lionel Brown to his local hardware store, but he left frustrated: the steel tap lock covers on offer appeared to be either highly over-priced (at R50-R125) or, for the cheaper versions, sold out. The metal versions were also liable to rust, and could also fall prey to scrap metal collectors. Originally from Port Elizabeth but now resident in Amanzimtoti, KZN, Lionel has since that experience in 2007 developed his own version, the ‘Aqualok,’ which is a far more cost-effective solution. “Once you have fi tted a plastic tap and plastic tap lock, it really becomes worthless to be stolen, and is effectively a deterrent,” said Lionel. Home-owners will easily become aware of any water theft – and possible rising water bills.

Advantages of the injection moulded component include assorted colours for various water grades and the fact that they are inexpensive (retail at under R25) and UV protected. Organic colours are also available, meaning that the Aqualoks blend in with undergrowth, which can be a further deterrent.

• SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY QUERIES, CONTACT LIONEL AT IONLLE@YAHOO.COM OR CALL 072 311 1429

APRIL / MAY 2012 21

INDUSTRY NEWS

the market, the choice of additives also becomes more bewildering. How do you know you have the right additives to meet specifi cations, and at the right price? That’s where Addivation can help. We know what combinations of additives work and what combinations do not,” added Tim.

Addivation has experience in a wide range of additives types, including antioxidants, light stabilisers, heat stabilisers, processing aids, anti-static agents, anti-fogging agents, slip and anti-blocking agents, plasticisers, fi re retardants and smoke suppressants, nucleating agents and fi llers, foaming agents and crosslinking agents, to name just a few.Addivation also offers a wide range of ser-vices, including:• product development, including provision

of technical recommendations, sampling, trials and tests to meet required specifi cations;

• training courses on all aspects of plastics additives;

• applications testing to verify performance according to specifi c specifi cations;

• analytical testing of additives to verify level of addition and issue of quality certifi cates;

• product failure analysis and representation as expert witness in case of disputes;

• assistance with advice on production and dosing of specifi c additive packages;

• productivity improvement and cost reduction programs of existing products;

• assistance with patenting of novel ideas and new novel products;

• quality control testing of masterbatches and compounds; and

• participation in ‘round-robin testing’ of additives.

Addivation has already invested in its own laboratory equipment and will be extending its facilities in the coming months.

• CONTACT ADDIVATION ON 078 768 7571

‘AQUALOK’ SAVES WATER

200 micron, a wide range of laminates and paper from 30 to 200 gsm at speeds up to 450 m/min. The mini-mum slit width can be as narrow as 25mm.

The Titan ER610 slitters - CTP Flexibles has seen a dramatic in-crease in its customer base and also in the demand for its fl exible packaging materials, so much so that it is installing three new Titan ER610 slitters

www.atlasconverting.com www.ctpfl exibles.co.za

INDUSTRY NEWS

JOESTEN of Johannesburg, a supplier of high performance material processing solutions, is now also supplying a com-prehensive range of pelletising equip-ment following the merger of its principal Maag Pump Systems of Switzerland with Automatik Plastics Machinery of Germany.

Joesten has represented Maag for some years. A number of the Swiss com-pany’s gear pumps, fi ltration systems and screenchangers are in operation at polymer and rubber processing, extru-sion and recycling plants around the country. Now, with the Automatik-Maag merger, it also offers pelletising systems, as such giving it a complete range of equipment for material processing.

Automatik Plastics Machinery was founded in 1947 and specialises in strand and underwater pelletising systems. With its headquarters in Grossostheim, Germany, the company was previously present on the market as Rieter-Automatik; it has about 220 employees.

SA supplier adds specialist pelletising technology to its range

As one of the world’s leading pro-viders of pelletizing technologies for all pellet shapes, Au-tomatik of Germany supplies all kinds of pelletizing solutions for standard applica-tions involving com-modity polymers and technical ther-moplastics. It has recently supplied tailor-made solu-tions for the pro-cessing of, among others, biopoly-mers, PET as well as recycled PET, micro pelletizing and fi bre-reinforced thermoplastics

JoestenMaag, Automatik entity

22 APRIL / MAY 2012

now represents combined

Maag has its headquarters in Oberglatt, Switzerland, and is based on the gear company founded in 1913 by Max Maag. It manufactures equipment for demanding applications in the plastics, chemical and pharmaceutical industries; it has about 240 employees.

Through their merger, the companies’ combined turnover in 2011 was estimated at €130-million and their on-site global presence has been nearly doubled to 100 countries.

Tienie van Staden of Joesten in Johannesburg said he believed the high standard Automatik-Maag machinery was suited for very high as well as low through-put applications, making it suitable for small operators as well as large production plants where manufacturers need reliable equipment capable of 24/7 operation with reduced maintenance.

Complementary rangesAutomatik and Maag had been working together on projects for different customers for a number of years. The

merger is a logical consequence of the complementary product ranges of the two companies.

“With the merger, we can offer customers high-quality components and complete, integrated systems for plastic processing. We are one of the largest providers in this segment worldwide,” said Ueli Thürig of Maag, new CEO of the group.

The plant at Grossostheim in Germany will serve as a central location for the installation of complete systems, repairs and services.

“The location in Germany is ideal, since many of our OEM partners for plastic processing also have their headquarters here. We can offer complete system integration consisting of gear pumps, screen changers, pelletising systems and automation units from a single source,” added Thürig.

Besides Germany, the group operates four other production locations in Switzerland, Italy, the USA and China. Assembly is being further expanded in Shanghai.

• JOESTEN, PHONE 011 915 3269

www.joesten.co.za

NOTE

The merged companies are owned by Dover Corporation, whose Pump Solutions Group (PSG), a global leader in positive displacement pump and supporting technologies, purchased the shares in the businesses in February from the previous owners, CGS Management of Switzerland and Clyde Blowers of Scotland.

www.maag.com

www.pumpsg.com

a brand of maag group

a brand of maag group

a brand of maag group

Joesten InternationalP.O. Box 32081540 BrakpanSouth Africa

international@joesten.co.zaT. +27 (11) 915 3269F. +27 (11) 915 3267

INDUSTRY NEWS

System from GN of Canada offers energy and production scrap minimization

Thermopac installs new

24 APRIL / MAY 2012

Eugene Fisher (master setter), Melanie Williams (electrician) and Catherine Voigt (production manager) during commissioning of the new machine at Thermopac in Elsies River

WITH the focus of thermoforming technol-ogy having shifted in recent years to more versatile solutions which offer both scrap and energy minimisation, Thermopac has installed a system from GN of Canada which meets all these require-ments.

Part of the Astrapak group, Cape Town-based Thermopac is one of SA’s top thermo-formed container manufacturers. It has up to now used a number of smaller machines from GN Thermoforming, whereas the new system – the GN 760 thermoformer – is the

Canadian company’s biggest yet, and also the fi rst of its kind in Africa.

To meet ever-changing customer de-mands and high quality requirements, Ther-

mopac had identifi ed its prime machine needs as systems which are economical to run, which generate the least amount of production scrap and offer in-mould cutting,

as well as low mould costs.Thermopac has been increasing usage

of GN’s type of technology for some years. The GN machines generate very low wast-

Optional chamber pre-heater enables

Thermopac to produce both mono and multi-layer

PP containers

Bright future for thermoforming in SAWhat are the main technical advantages of the system?The GN 760 is a plug-assisted thermoformer with cut-in-place tooling that has three main advantages:1. Material wast-age is reduced by 5-25% compared to a form-cut-and-stack system. The cutting system

allows smaller gaps between the products: normal machines have 12mm gaps where-as, the 760 has already run product with 7mm gaps. One customer has developed tooling with a common knife edge in the ma-chine direction, eliminating all scrap between the cavities. This is a signifi cant advantage because material is approximately half of the cost of a thermoformed product;2. Electrical power required to run the ma-chine is 35-50% lower than competing equip-ment. This is achieved by using an energy regeneration system in the sheet heating, as well as the use of servo drives for plugging, material transport, stripping and stacking. GN measure savings in energy of $9000 per year for this advantage;3. Tooling costs for cut-in place tooling can be very high. GN 760 tooling uses the forged

knife or steel rule and cut plate which sig-nifi cantly reduces the tooling cost compared with traditional punch-and-die systems. The alternative cheaper tooling of form-cut-and-stack generates higher waste and energy costs which outweigh the gains of lower tool cost.

Is the manufacture of larger machines a new area for GN?GN has for many years produced machines in its contact heat range with large forming areas, 1180 x 813mm being the largest. In the plug-assisted radiant heat technology, GN produced some smaller format, 320 x 150mm tilt mould machines for many years and about seven years ago started building an intermediate size machine, 480 x 355mm.

The 760 forming area is 760 x 530mm, which is comparable with many of the larger machines on the market. It is certainly the most technically advanced machine from GN.

How fl exible is the machine, in terms of mould change times for short production runs?The tools can be changed by an experi-enced operator in less than an hour. This is very quick for such a large format machine. However, we do not see this as an important selling point as most users will be running long production runs on this type of machine. Despite its relatively low tooling cost, the GN760 is not an ideal machine for short-run

production: we recommend other alterna-tives for that sort of production requirement.

In what way is the machine particularly suited to local conditions?All GN machines are built with durability and low maintenance costs in mind. The simple-to-use GN760 has a user-friendly control system and advanced diagnostics which permit easy troubleshooting, and the machine can be connected to GN for electronic diagnostics. The machine has an inbuilt robotic stacking system. A split conveyor for transporting stacks allows the operator to empty the conveyor without disrupting the stack count. GN also has a spares supply capability which is unmatched in the industry, meaning less downtime for customers.

What is BRE’s view of the future of the thermoformed plastic packaging sector in SA?Thermoforming of packaging is the most cost effective process for many rigid prod-ucts. The thermoforming industry in South Africa has been growing steadily at 5 to10% per year for many years. The most suc-cessful thermoformers are the companies with appropriate and up-to-date equipment. With the advantages that we can offer to thermoformers with the GN products and complementary materials, there is certainly a bright future for thermoforming in South Africa.

Tim Forshaw of BRE Sustainable Packaging says the thermoform-ing industry in South Africa has been growing steadily at 5-10% p/a for an extended period

We spoke to Tim Forshaw of BRE Sustainable Packaging, the agent for GN Thermoforming Africa, about the new GN 760 system …

thermoforming technologyage and consume relatively small amounts of electricity compared with conven-tional radiant heat machines. However, the technology was also limited in its ability to produce certain types of containers.

GN has as a result introduced the energy-saving, radiant heat, plug-assist machine, combining these features with its forged knife in-mould cutting system. The new technology will allow Thermopac to produce containers with identical profiles at high speed and with energy consumption of approximately one-third that of other radiant heat machines. The GN 760 has a unique energy regen-eration system, as well as an in-built robotic parts stacking system that minimizes labour cost.

This GN 760 is equipped with an optional chamber pre-heater to enable Thermopac to produce both mono and multi-layer polypropylene containers. The market for ambient shelf

APRIL / MAY 2012 25

The GN Advantage Delivering Bottom Line Results

Improve Your Profitability

Te l : ( 0 2 1 ) 6 7 1 5 2 5 3 | E m a i l : t i m @ b re . c o . z a | We b s i t e : w w w. b re - i n n o v a t i o n s . c o . z a

The GN 760, one of the largest thermoforming systems from Canadian thermoforming machine maker GN, has an in-built robotic parts stacking system that minimizes labour cost

stable products in plastic containers is undeveloped in South Africa. Containers for these products, normally metal or glass, can be thermoformed from barrier PP material which can be heat sterilized after filling. Thermopac will now be able to produce

these containers with the most up to date forming technology.

• THERMOPAC, CONTACT MICHELLE PETERSEN, 021 592 1100.

EQUI

PMEN

T

Capacity extended to well over 1 500 tons a month

Transpaco installs hi-techrecycling system for PP & BOPP fi lm

TRANSPACO Recycling has recently installed one of the most sophisticated systems available for the reprocessing of polypropylene and heavily printed and metallised BOPP fi lms.

The TVEplus recycling system from Er-ema of Austria is being used specifi cally for the recycling of PP and BOPP fi lms, a cat-egory which up till now has lagged behind tonnages of the mainstream polyethylene materials being recycled. Transpaco Recy-cling is already one of the biggest recyclers of low-density PE in South Africa, includ-ing a signifi cant portion of post-consumer LDPE material.

In excess of 1 000 tons a month of post-consumer plastic waste are being received and reprocessed at the factory near the air-port. The new investment will see capacity extended to well over 1 500 tons a month.

“There’s a huge amount of plastic waste that’s still being sent to landfi lls,” said Transpaco Recycling MD Jaco Breyten-bach. “We’ve been highly successful at PE recycling but, although we’ve received numerous inquiries regarding specifi c recy-cling of PP and BOPP factory scrap, we’ve had to turn many people away because we haven’t had the technology to deal with it,” he added. Clean factory scrap such as plain, printed, metallised and laminated BOPP and PP fi lms are targeted.

“I’m happy to say we can start collect-ing a host of different plastics. For us, it’s a real breakthrough, because we’re not only meeting customer expectations, but also assisting in reducing the waste content at landfi lls.”

According to Breytenbach, the Erema

On the BOPP! – The new Erema TVEplus system which has been commissioned at the Transpaco

Recycling plant in Elandsfontein, Johannesburg, is being used

specifi cally for the reprocessing of clean factory waste such as plain, printed, metallised and laminated

BOPP and PP fi lms

TVEplus system supplied by Erema (Aus-tria) and supported by local Erema agent Relloy, cost an estimated R8-million, but is the best in its class and ideally suited for the local market.

“Once we decided we were going to invest in specialised recycling equipment, we wanted to have the best equipment for the job. Customers require a clean, consis-tent recycled granule every time and the TVEplus will ensure that this is what they get,” he added.

Leader in recycling technologyThe latest in the highly-successful TVE series, the TVEplus features high-perfor-mance degassing, thorough melt homoge-nisation and ultra-fi ne fi ltration. A special cutter-compactor includes a patented Double Disc (DD) technology that enables materials with up to 12% residual moisture to be processed, with consistently high output. An ‘Air Flush Module’ increases drying performance while ensuring lower energy consumption and extended plant service life.

Benefi ts include enhanced fi lter per-formance (thanks to reduced shearing upstream of the melt fi lter), optimised triple degassing with the patented cutter compac-tor, optimum screw design and extruder degassing for highly effective degassing of the fi ltered melt and high homogenisation effi ciency downstream of fi ltration and up-stream of degassing, which enhances the subsequent degassing performance and improves the characteristics of the melt.

The TVEplus features ‘ecoSAVE’ components which reduce overall energy

consumption by up to 10% as well as pro-duction costs and CO2 emissions.

The equipment has proved easy to install and commission and Transpaco’s operators have embraced its modern technology very quickly, receiving full training from local agent Relloy SA.

Local solutionTranspaco can receive stock from factories anywhere in the country. Factory scrap can either be collected by Transpaco or delivered directly to the Elandsfontein site. Sellers are offered a price per kilogram rate by Transpaco for the scrap material. “We’re part of the multi-national Transpaco Group that ensures our fl exibility and sound fi nan-cial backing,” said Breytenbach. “Our aim is to give the best service possible in order to recover as much waste as we can. Cus-tomers can be confi dent that we’re working with them to fi nd the best solution to their waste problem and that we’re producing a high-quality recycled material.”

Transpaco Recycling follows a strict QA programme and all recycled materials must adhere to a strict COC standard. Some of the reprocessed PE material is currently sold within the Transpaco group, but the majority of the capacity is sold to plastic packaging converters across sub-Saharan Africa. It is anticipated that the recycled PP and BOPP will be sold mainly into the injec-tion moulding sector.

“It’s in the converter and brand owner’s interests to start recycling practices and the environmental benefi ts are huge, as well as an answer to their Extended Producer Responsibility,” added Breytenbach.

26

www.transpaco.co.za

Fresh Start for PP and BOPPRecycling in SA

Send your clean factory PP and BOPP waste to Transpaco for recycling

We are your link to Extended Producer Responsibility

Transpaco PP Recycling180 Barbara Road, Elandsfontein, GermistonTel: (011) 822-6470 | Fax: (011) 822-6475Elmien.Roux@transpaco.co.zawww.transpaco.co.za

LEADERS IN RECYCLING FOR A GREENER FUTURE

Transpaco has installed an ultra-modern Erema TVEplus recycling system to handle clean polypropylene, heavily printed and metallised BOPP fi lm

5

INDUSTRY NEWS

PlastiColors, Banbury combine 50 years’ colour experience in plastics industry

A fusionof extraordinary companies

additives. PlastiColors was also the fi rst masterbatch producer in South Africa to achieve the ISO 9001 accreditation by the SABS, a standard accreditation which the company still maintains.

“We have perfected the manufacture of polyethylene-based masterbatches for injection moulding, blow moulding and extruded fi lm, as well as polypropylene and polystyrene based materials. We are currently at the forefront of industry development of so-called ‘engineering’ type materials – for ABS, acetyl, PET, PBT,

polycarbonate and polyurethane,” says Michael Maine, operations director at PlastiColors’ head offi ce in Sebenza, Johannesburg.

PlastiColors exports product throughout Africa, the Indian Ocean islands and to other international com-panies. Local agents are conveniently situated in Mauritius, Harare, Pinetown and Cape Town to provide excellent service to surrounding plants.

Banbury Chemicals – synonymous with the world’s leading brandsEstablished in 1996, Johannesburg-based Banbury is made up of a father-and-son team, Brian and Dean Sinclair, who collectively have more than 38 years’ experience in the plas-tics industry.

Banbury specializes in the importa-tion of UV stabilizers, anti-oxidants, pigments and automatic dosing ma-chines. It is a primary agent for world leaders in the plastics industry such as Holland Colours, Addcomp, Songwon, Metafl ake, Movacolor and Hubron. Banbury distribute its products to polymer producers, compounders and plastics converters.

For many years, Dean Sinclair wit-nessed frustrated plant managers bat-tling with inaccurate mixing and dosing processes in their extrusion lines. He recognized the need for quality dos-ing machines, and Movacolor dosing machines were the natural choice – a single component gravimetric dosing unit developed by Movacolor BV of Holland.

Dean explains: “Movacolor’s gravimetric dosing system reduces masterbatch consumption by 20 to 50% and features some unique ele-ments that won’t be found anywhere else. This is proven by the fact that the ‘MC-Balance’ doses accurately at all times through continuous loss-in-weight measurements in combina-tion with a closed-loop control of the dosing speed. It automatically adjusts

PLASTICOLORS and Banbury Chemicals have joined forces to leverage a natural synergy that exists between them: masterbatch and dosing machines go hand-in-hand.

PlastiColors has been a pioneer in the local masterbatch industry for over 35 years. Renowned for its technical innova-tion and unsurpassed quality, it has built a reputation as a preferred supplier of colour masterbatch, pigments, liquids and

28 APRIL / MAY 2012

Movacolor solution – The ‘MC-Balance’ doses

directly into the virgin material stream at the machine throat, which eliminates the need for batch weighing as well

as the need for a mixing chamber, a system which

reduces masterbatch consumption by 20-50%

Continued on page 30

Excellence keeps good company

Tel: +27 11 452 6940 | Fax: +27 11 609 5960 | email: info@plasticolors.co.za | www.plasticolors.co.za

M A S T E R B A T C H P I G M E N T S L I Q U I D S A D D I T I V E S

When moisture and light meet, something extraodinary happens

– the entire spectrum appears in a glorious display of colour.

In this spirit, as leaders in masterbatch, pigments, liquids

and additves, we have partnered with Banbury Chemicals,

specialists in the importation of UV stabilisers, anti-oxidants,

pigments and automatic dosing machines. Our mutual

focus and single-minded pursuit of perfection in colour and

consistency brings a new horizon to the plastics industry.

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PLASTICOLORS

Extraordinary[PlastiColors and Banbury Chemicals combine to take the industry by storm]

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231

18

INDUSTRY NEWS

CONTACT US:

Standex Engraving South Africa | P.O. Box 83, Umlaas Road, 3730

Tel: 031 785 1247 | E-mail: dan@standexsa.co.za

THE ONLY INTERNATIONAL MOULD TEXTURING COMPANY IN SOUTH AFRICA

www.mold-tech.com / www.standex-engraving-design.com

30 APRIL / MAY 2012

the dosing time to the speed of the injection moulding machine or the extruder. Also, vibrations of the production machine are automatically compensated for.”

It’s important to note is that the MC-Balance system doses directly into the virgin material stream at the machine throat, which eliminates the need for batch weigh-ing, and the need for a mixing chamber. Many processors, who at fi rst thought that they needed an expensive blender for their application, have now discovered that the MC-Balance perfectly suits their needs.

The MC-Balance ensures the user of accurate dosing, which can save up to 50% on expensive colourants. The unit’s self-adjusting capabili-ties ensure staff don’t have to interfere with the gravimetric unit settings, which results in downtime being reduced to an absolute minimum. Setting up is very easy, as only the shot weight

www.plasticolors.co.za

From page 28

and the percentage addition rate need to be entered. When operators want to change some data, the

user-friendly control panel enables an authorized user to do so. All settings and changes are recorded into the

history fi le and stored. This infor-mation cannot be interfered with. Stored information helps manage quality control data.

A unique partnershipDean faced one last problem: rec-ommending a quality masterbatch for his dosing machines to perform at their optimum. Since Banbury has been supplying PlastiColors

with additives for over 15 years and had testimony of PlastiColors’ superior quality, the solution was simple.

This brand new partnership offers plastics converters the best of both worlds: An accurate and reliable dos-ing machine paired with superior quality masterbatch, which together ensure scrap rates and downtime are minimized, the consumption of colourants are opti-mized, and the consistency and quality of the convert-er’s end product is unequalled.

PlastiColors has been expanding capacity to handle increased n demand says fi nancial director, Michelle Maine Fleming: “Toward the end of 2010 it became apparent that the demand for our product was growing rapidly, and we needed to expand in order to meet our customers burgeoning orders without sacrifi cing our quality. We immediately made plans to expand our plant building by 40%, as well as import four new production lines.”

This foresight was 20:20: “We are expecting an even stronger growth in 2012 as a direct result of our part-nership with Banbury Chemicals, and we are ready!”

Cape Town agentPlastiColors has also appointed Banbury Chemicals as an additional Cape Town agent in order to better service the Cape plastics industry and surrounds.

Banbury has already set up shop and is operating full steam ahead. The new premises are at 72 Man-hattan Street, Airport Industria, which is close to the airport and the main thoroughfares and hence an ideal platform to the Western Cape market.

With the fusion of these industry-leaders, custom-ers will benefi t from 50 years’ combined expertise and shared dedication to excellence – a dynamic partner-ship that is poised to take the industry by storm.

This brand new partnership offers plastics converters the best of both

worlds: An accurate and reliable dosing machine

paired with superior quality masterbatch.

Brand new partnership –

Michelle Maine Fleming and Michael Maine of Plasticolors and Dean Sinclair and Brian Sinclair of Banbury Chemicals who have formed a partnership to supply Movacolor dosing technology as well as distribute PlastiColors’ colour range in the Western Cape

TEL: +27 (0) 11 462 2990

FAX: +27 (0) 11 462 8229

e-mail: jacques@demaplastech.co.zaSOLUTION MACHINERY (PTY) LTD

SALES AND TECHINCAL

STAFF VACANCIES

CONTACT US NOW!

tion). To achieve this goal, SAPPMA decided to create IFPA as a subsidiary association to attend to fabrication and installation matters,” said SAPPMA CEO Jan Venter.

IFPA has established a code of conduct for its members that will ensure:• consistently high standards of plastic pipe fabrication and installation;

• commitment to honest business practices and ethical standards;

• support and assistance to consulting engi-neers and customers;

• a reliable database of approved installers;• compliance with the Competition Act 89 of 1998;

• compliance with all environmental laws and regulations

For more info, contact 011 314 4021.

THE Installation and Fabrication Plastics Pipe Association (IFPA) has elected its new board members for 2012. Dawie Fick of Customised Plastic Products, Wanda Bester (Heidelkor), Jan Venter (SAPPMA) and Ralph Mosikidi (Marley Pipe Systems) will join forces with appointed IFPA chairman Mike Smart (Flo-tek) in ensuring members adhere to the association’s objectives of en-suring consistently high standards of plastic pipe fabrication and installation.

IFPA was formed in 2009 as an initiative by SAPPMA (the Southern African Plastic Pipe Manufacturers Association) to expand regula-tion of the plastic pipe industry in Southern Africa.

“A well-engineered pipe system is depen-dent on good design, high pipe quality as well as minimum standards at the downstream end (fabricated fi ttings and pipeline installa-

ASSO

CIAT

ION

NEW

S

DirectorJan Venterp. 012 548 0149c. 079 506 0484e. janventer@3gi.co.za

SecretaryLouise Mullerp. 012 548 0149c. 082 417 2977e. admin@sappma.co.za

Southern African Plastic Pipe Manufacturers Association (SAPPMA)

www.sappma.co.za

SAPPMA, DPI help keep oceans tangle-free

SAPPMA and one of its members, DPI Plastics, are hoping to reduce the number of marine life trapped in used and discarded fi shing lines by donating plastic pipes and fi ttings to be used as bins by the Dyer Island Conversation Trust in a pilot project along the Gansbaai shoreline.

The audited results of the annual Inter-national Ocean Clean Up initiative show revealed that 1 752 pieces of fi shing line was collected along SA’s coastline. The Dyer Island Conservation Trust, in asso-ciation with Overstrand Municipality, has established the Fishing Line Recovery and Recycling Program as a best practice to manage the bins.

To offer a practical solution to this growing problem, SAPPMA and its members are supporting the Marine Pollution Declaration that was recently signed by Plastics/SA, by donating plastic pipes that will be used as bins where fi shermen can throw away their lines. These bins are open at the top and sealed at the bottom to prevent the fi shing line from being blown away. Municipality offi cials are responsible for opening and removing these lines on a weekly basis.

The fi rst network of 21 bins have already been erected at local beaches and popular fi shing spots such as Franskraal, Gansbaai, Kleinbaai, Romansbaai, Pearly beach and Kleinmond. Another 100 bins will be made and used along the rest of the coastline.

www.sappma.co.za

Innovative new solution to rid oceans of used fi shing line

SAPPMA hosts 3rd annual golf daySAPPMA hosted its annual golf day at the Irene Country Club in March, the third such event the pipe industry association has hosted. 72 players taking to the fi eld on a warm and sunny Friday morning – all happy to be out of the offi ce and to spend a perfect summer’s day with friends and colleagues in the plastic pipe industry.

“Our golf day grows in numbers, popularity and enthusiastic support each year,” said SAPPMA chairman Jan Venter. “This year we had 18 teams consisting of SAPPMA mem-bers and their clients socializing and networking with each other. These get-togethers have proven their worth in boosting industry morale and forming lasting partnerships.”

The day ended with a prize-giving dinner during which prizes were awarded to the win-ning team, Global Plastic Welding, and runners-up Protea Polymers. Charl Fourie of Capital Polymers walked away with the longest drive prize.

“We would like to thank all the players and sponsors who supported this day and look for-ward to another day of fun when we host the 4th SAPPMA golf day next year,” added Venter.

www.ifpa.co.za

Winning team! – The Global Plastic Welding team, seen here with Louise Muller of SAPPMA, including Meyndert de Klerk of Global, Gary Warren (Sangio Pipe) and Craig Hanekom and Eugene Greyling of Rendifi eld were unbeat-able on the day – well done guys!

IFPA chairman Mike Smart (centre) with, from the left, Dawie Fick, who has been involved with IFPA since its formation, and the group’s other board members, Wanda Bester, Jan Venter and Ralph Mosikidi

Ensuring high standards of plastic pipe fabrication and installation

IFPA elects new board members

SAPPMA will host a full-day lecture on 18 April in Cape Town on pipe design, presented by Vollie Brink. To be held at the PlasticsSA offi ces in Maitland, the programme promises a varied and comprehensive overview of the topic. Under discussion will be:• Understanding engineering design• Selecting pipe materials• Risk factors and how to manage them

• What the engineer and contractor require from the pipe manufacturer

• Quality assurance• Institutional requirements and green design• Building capacity for a sustainable future in

design, construction, manufacturing and water effi ciency.

To register, email: Louise at admin@sappma.co.za

PIPE DESIGN LECTURE

32

ASSOCIATION NEWS

New ‘eco’ organisations offer service to manufacturers

South African Chemical Institute celebrates 100 years!

34

THIS year marks the centenary of the South African Chemical Institute (SACI). Formed on 26 January 1912, the Institute was initially known as the South African Association of Analytical Chemists, and later changed its name to embrace a much larger group of chemists. Today SACI has a membership that spans the length and breadth of chemistry within and outside of South Africa’s borders.

SACI has planned a series of activities to celebrate its 100 years of existence. The year-long centenary celebrations will

take the form of various symposia across South Africa.

The objectives of the institute are to sus-tain and promote the status and integrity of chemistry and its practitioners. Throughout the years, the institute has been concerned with the status of the chemist in the eyes of the community. To look after the interests of the chemistry community, members of the Institute have served on the committees of various bodies such as the National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) and have collaborated with other societies, discussing

www.saci.co.za

82% of packaging waste generated at event recycled, up from 75% previously

Recycling a major focus at this year’s Cape Argus cycling race

Plastics SA ensures cyclists are aware of the importance of recycling their litter during the

annual Cape Argus/Pick ‘n Pay Cycle Race

educational issues from matriculation to university level.

Oldest chemical society in AfricaAs the oldest chemical society on the African continent, SACI has come a long way since its establishment in 1912. Its activities were initially limited to South Africa, but in the second half of its 100 years of existence SACI gradu-ally extended invitations to chemists in Europe and America during its biannual conventions.

Its interactions with chemists on the African continent began post-1994; it has, however, grown rapidly to the ex-tent that SACI was one of the founding members of the recently formed Federa-tion of African Societies of Chemistry (FASC). SACI is one of the strongest chemical societies on the continent, with its own journal – a publication which is gradually becoming the journal of choice for a number of African chemists.

Centenary celebrations! - Ushering in the year-long celebration on 26 January was a half-day event at the School of Chemistry at Wits to which members of SACI and the South African chemical compa-nies that support chemistry were invited. SACI members who presented a programme of humorous, informative and interesting talks on the institute’s history included Prof James Darkwa, Prof Susan Bourne, Dr Ian Brett, Prof James Bull, Prof Ivan Green, Prof Helder Marques and Prof Ernst Breet

PLASTICS|SA and its intrepid team of eco-war-riors encouraged the 35 000 participants in this year’s Cape Argus/Pick ‘n Pay Cycle Race to not only cycle, but also to recycle as they competed in the gruelling 105.5 km race on 11 March.

According to Douw Steyn, director for sustain-ability for Plastics|SA and winner of the 2011 Enviropaedia Award for Recycling, the clean-up team has been responsible for collecting and recycling the waste discarded by participants during major sports events such as the Cape Ar-gus/Pick ‘n Pay Cycle Race and the Two Oceans Marathon for the past six years.

“This Waste Management Strategy, known as ‘event greening’, is about making socially and environmentally responsible decisions when organising or participating in an event. The greening of events contributes to a cleaner and greener South Africa”, Steyn explained.

A team of 100 community members was appointed as the Clean-Up and Recycle team.

They received thorough training into the do’s and don’ts of recycling and covered the area between the Cape Town city centre and Sea Point.

“Working with our waste management partners such as WastePlan and the City of Cape Town, we have consistently exceeded expectations of the event organisers,” Steyn said. “Instead of the anticipated 75% of total waste generated during previous year’s events, we are able to recycle an impressive 82% of the waste. This year we aimed to improve on this fi gure”, Steyn added.

And there’s no doubt that a lot of recycling is generated: On the eve prior to the tour, a fl eet of 10-ton and 5-ton trucks roll out of Coca-Cola in Cape Town’s (PenBev) Parow Industria headquarters to deliver the 55 000 litres of Coca-Cola, 60 000 litres of water and 50 000 litres of Powerade, that will keep the 35 000 cyclists hydrated throughout the Tour.

Chemist brainpower! – SACI committee members Prof James Darkwa, Prof Ivan Green, Dr Patricia Forbes, Prof Simon Lotz, Prof Neil Coville and Dr Mike Booth

Veteran knowledge – Veteran SACI member Percy Bloom, who was SACI president from 1984-86, has been in-volved with the institute for decades

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ADDING value is a well-known need in virtually all business relationships and now, in the relatively new territory of sustainable manufacturing practice, environmental organisations are fi nding opportunities to cre-ate value.

This was the focus at the ‘Hot recycling topics’ workshops presented by PETCO in Johannesburg and Cape Town in February. PETCO, which was one of the fi rst material sector associations to be formed (in 2004) and which has become a standard-bearer for the many other professional groups which have sprung up in the industry over the last few years, gave a number of the new envi-ronmental/sustainable development organi-sations the opportunity to address delegates at the ‘Hot Recycling Topics’ workshops.

The eco groups’ ‘Pecha Kucha’* style presentations were fundamentally very short presentations on what they offered.

These second-tier environmental groups comprise mainly people who are active in the increasingly important sustainable develop-ment and management areas. At this stage, the choice by the individuals concerned is a bold one – as developing a fi nancially viable business entity in this area is no forgone conclusion. For many manufacturers active in the mainstream plastics, composites and rubber markets, taking responsibility for the carbon footprint and other environmental impacts of their manufacturing activity can be a grudge decision.

Seasoned campaigners Andrew Marthi-nusen of PACSA (Packaging Council of SA) and Chandru Wadwhani of Extrupet set out the scenario initially, explaining some of the realities of the market.

ASSOCIATION NEWS

New ‘eco’ organisations offer service to manufacturers

Eco organisations create value

Chandru Wadwhani of Extrupet and Andrew Marthinusen of PACSA (Packaging Council of SA), relative ‘eco veterans’ of the industry, fl ank Cheri Scholtz of PETCO

Woolworths is using plastic bags, in some cases from recycled vinyl material, to convey important consumer and environmental messages. In this case, shoppers are informed that a donation will be made towards rhino conservation as a result of their purchase of the bag

36 APRIL / MAY 2012

Then the focus turned to what the new ‘eco’ players are offering.

‘Social marketing’In a presentation titled ‘Easy does it! The story of curbside recycling programmes,’ Hugh Tyrell of GreenEdge Communica-tions outlined how his company is using proven experience in creating effective social marketing campaigns for recycling. The municipal or corporate programmes are designed to promote behaviour change, raise awareness and participation rates in ‘at-source’ community initiatives.

A high level of participation by house-holders is required to make a voluntary programme successful. The approach used up till now – of ‘creating awareness’ or ‘educating’ people – has met with varying degrees of success, and it has become clear that simply giving people informa-tion is not suffi cient to change behaviour. GreenEdge’s approach combines media and marketing communications with psy-chology and sociology, into what is termed ‘social marketing’.

Facts about the state of the planet, decreasing natural resources and dwindling landfi ll space need to be communicated and understood. However, appeals to action based only on such issues can result in guilt and negative emotions, and people may avoid thinking or doing something about them as a result.

So GreenEdge has been coming up with more practical scenarios where more public participation is achieved.

www.greenedge.co.za

COST COMPETITIVE ON A GLOBAL SCALE

One of the print adverts developed by GreenEdge which are based on ‘social marketing’

Environmental auditing now forms an important part of the overall process of corporate responsibility

APRIL / MAY 2012 37

‘Behaviour change’In his presentation titled ‘Behavior change for sustainable thinking,’ Andrew Bennett of Icolo-gie quoted some interesting historical paral-lels, bearing in mind that this is not the fi rst time that there has been a need for humans to change their behaviour.

“History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely, once they have exhausted all other alternatives,” was arguably one of the most relevant statements.

He outlined how the next step in the pro-cess of environmental auditing, transparency, is becoming increasingly important.

‘Good business journey’Justin Smith, head of sustainability at Woolworths, outlined the six key areas the retailer has identifi ed, namely:• sustainable farming• water• energy• waste• social development and• transformation.Woolworths is looking closely at the overall environmental impact of all its products. As an example of the process, Justin highlighted its life cycle assessment (LCA) of the milk sector. All impacts of the process have been

recorded, including those on water usage and carbon emissions.

The organisation remains committed to the reduction in use of plastic bags, but is simultaneously making wide use of plastic packaging materials … a process which has necessitated in it being committed to boosting recycling rates.

BiomimicryOne of the most interesting presentations was that by Will Lawson of Biomicmicry SA. Biomicmicry is the process of “learning from and then emulating nature’s genius,” said Will. Nature has developed many brilliant solutions to everyday problems: the most obvious being its ability to reprocess all waste materials.

Examples shown by Will included incredibly strong yet light materials, how a gecko is able to attach itself on to inverted surfaces (there are several examples of this ability)

The group’s mission is to nurture and grow a community of people who are learning from, emulating, and conserving life’s genius to cre-ate a healthier, more sustainable planet.

Surprisingly, nature’s ingenious way of solv-ing problems provides relevant pointers to the designers in our industry too.

TrashBackIn another example of creating opportuni-ties which previously did not apparently exist, TrashBack, a new social enterprise, is incentivising disadvantaged communities to manage their own waste and recycle. What happens when you turn trash into treasure?

Congratulations are due to the PETCO team for, fi rstly, locating these new ‘eco’ organisa-tions and then giving them the opportunity to present their plans. At least some of the manufacturers in the industry will be happy to work with such organisations as they de-velop their environmental and energy-saving programmes.

www.icologie.com

* ‘Pecha Kucha Night’ was devised in Tokyo in February 2003 as an event for young designers to meet, network and show their work in public. Drawing its name from the Japanese term for ‘chit chat’, the events involve a rotation of concise presentations based on a simple idea: 20 images x 20 seconds. The result is a series of concise presentations and keeps things moving at a rapid pace. The format has since become popular worldwide.

www.asknature.org

www.biomimicrysa.co.za

NOTE

www.petco.co.za

www.trashback.org

of the Liesbeeck’ in Cape Town and the Umgeni River together with the KZN Wildlife. Plastics/SA has sponsored two boats which are being used for the cleaning of the Lies-beeck River in Cape Town and the Durban Mangroves at the Umgeni River mouth.

Plastics|SA will also be supporting and sponsoring Nikita van der Merwe, a 12-year-old, Grade 7 pupil at Gert Maritz Primary School in Pietermaritzburg, who will be embarking on a canoe expedition in order to raise awareness of water pollution and the negative impact it has on the KZN’s rivers and dams. She has already completed ca-noeing the Midmar Dam as the fi rst stage of her efforts and will be canoeing all the dams that fall within Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, after which she will be earmarking other dams in KwaZulu-Natal.

Finally, Plastics|SA will also be harnessing the power of the internet via its website and its Facebook page from 24 March until 25 September as part of the worldwide ‘Let’s Do It!’ movement. More than 80 countries will be brought together in this World Cleanup 2012 action, aimed at activating a global

PLASTICS|SA used National Water Week (18-23 March) as a platform to launch one of the Sustainability Council’s Waste Man-agement Strategies for 2012.

“Our Clean Up and Recycle theme for 2012 is ‘Berg2Beach’ and we want to encourage all South Africans to help keep the country clean, from the mountains to the oceans,” said Douw Steyn, Director: Sustainability at Plastics|SA and winner of the 2011 Enviropaedia Award for Recycling.

This is the 16th year that Plastics|SA has supported Cleanup SA and Water Week.

Eco-Care Trust, WESSA, KZN Wildlife and Canoe SA are some of the non-gov-ernmental organizations concerned with the conservation of South Africa’s natural water resources and ecosystems which enjoys the support of Plastics|SA. “Plastics|SA is proud to support these organisations by supplying the Cleanup volunteers with cleanup bags and supporting their cleanup campaigns,” said Steyn.

Other initiatives which Plastics|SA supports include regular clean-ups of the Jukskei River in Gauteng and the ‘Friends www.cleanup-SA.co.za

Plastics|SA launches campaign during Water Week 2012

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Berg2Beach campaign

ASSOCIATION NEWS

A view of a litter trap made out of 146 plastic bottles, shade netting and rope in the Liesbeeck River

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DO YOU have a fi re extinguisher in your home? Or know where the nearest fi re extinguisher is?

Most of us will probably answer ‘no’ to both these questions, which is not a satisfactory situation – and probably highly unsatisfac-tory if a fi re originates in your home or even nearby. Fire is a topic which people generally prefer to avoid and, unless you’ve witnessed a fi re or seen the results, it’s a case of ‘out of sight is out of mind’. But it’s a very real problem, and plastics materials have over the years been blamed for some of the most hazardous fi res. Don’t panic, however, big fi res have been going on for a long time, for hundreds of years actually – even in the 1600s, some of Europe’s big cities were hit by massive confl agrations.

More recently, PISA’s Northern branch took the bold step of organising a conference on

Fire in focusthe topic, ‘Fire Safety of Plastic Materials,’ at the Bytes conference centre in Midrand on 21 February. The locals’ casual attitude towards fi re risk was almost immediately noted by some of the global guest speakers, who re-marked that such conferences internationally usually started with an explanation of what to do in the event of a fi re. In other words, and of most immediate importance: what evacuation procedures to follow. People in Africa presum-

ably rely on speed off the mark to escape the zone, but in many cases that’s not enough.

According to David Poxon, general manager of the Fire Pro-tection Association of

SA, the risk of fi re in South Africa is not to be underestimated. FPASA’s records show that for the most recently monitored period, 2009, losses due to fi re around the country were estimated at R2,013-billion. That equates to R167-million a month – averaging out at about R229,000 an hour. These fi gures are

40 APRIL / MAY 2012

probably conservative as many fi res are not fully reported, said Poxon, who is one of SA’s top experts on fi re.

A large percentage of the cases occur in the domestic environment (about 8603 cases in 2009) and transport areas (2583 cases that year) and in many of the instances polymer materials have also ignited. There are an estimated 39 fi re brigades around the country, apart from the fi re fi ghting equipment used by municipalities, and in 2009 they were called out on a whopping 40 481 fi re emergencies.

In about a quarter of the cases, the cause of the fi re is (and remains) undetermined, which has resulted in Poxon being of the view that fi re risk procedure is not being well managed in South Africa. In many of the cases, proper design procedures may have not been followed. In fact, in one of the worst

Focus of measures to reduce fl ammability risk of polymer materials is to delay the process to increase escape time

ASSOCIATION NEWS

Industry has done much to improve fi re performance of polymers, PISA Northern branch conference hears

Advanced

fi res in the industry itself, the 1996 blaze in which a plastics factory in Johannesburg was razed, construction of the plant had deviated from the original plans.

There have been a number of other fi res in the industry itself over the last few years, including fi res at a polystyrene foam manu-facturing business (source material styrene is exceptionally fl ammable), an injection mould-ing business, a fi lm printing business (solvents used in printing are hazardous) and others.

Source of much blamePrior to the development of more effective fi re retardant (FR) additives, fumes from the burning of plastic materials were widely

blamed for the death of victims, mainly as a result of noxious gases emitted. Foams used in furniture cushioning and insulation in work and domestic situations and cable insulation in mines and transport areas were seen as major culprits. As the conference progressed, however, it became apparent that not only have FR systems become far more effective, but that a huge quantity of research has been focused on the area too.

The research has led to the development of standards for fi re prevention materials and measures, which topic formed a main component of the conference. The standards process has focused particularly on expanded polystyrene, PVC and polyurethanes, which materials have up till now been most likely

to appear in expanded foam form. But, as always, there has not been complete agree-ment with standards setting process.

The simple fact of the matter is that in the amount of combustible materials is greater in the more industrialised nations, a situation which has almost unexpectedly presented an opportunity for developing nations to learn from the international experience. South Africa fi ts into the latter category and the event hence provided an opportunity for SA suppliers to gain from the international speakers present.

Since elimination of the risk of fi re is basically impossible, the focus of measures to reduce the fl ammability risk of polymer materials is rather to delay the process

APRIL / MAY 2012 41

www.fpasa.co.za

Testing time – There’s little one can do once a fi re really gets going, but important observations can be drawn from monitoring the process. Fire testing is literally the business of Firelab of Pretoria. The company’s Karel van Dyk showed how combustibility testing of building materials at up to 750ºC and higher is conducted. This is obviously a serious undertaking, and Firelab has been able to make some very relevant recommendations.• Firelab can be reached on phone 012 349 2929.

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to increase escape time … and allow for manual intervention. Effective FR systems can increase the escape time from two to as much as 20 minutes.

FRs operate by a variety of means, char-ring being just one, which create the delay allowing for escape.

Complexity of the problemThe presenter of the industry keynote address, Dr Juergen Troitzsch of Fire and Environment Protection Service of Germany, was unfortunately unable to attend due to, of all things, a skiing accident. Troitzsch was

to have given an address on ‘Global Trends in Fire Safety and Standards in Plastics,’ which would have been interesting.

Kasturirangan Kannah of Great Lakes then gave an address on ‘Flame Retardants in Plastics: Regulatory and Environmental Challenges’. At once the complexity of the topic became clear. Achieving an effective FR solution is an illusive target, due partly to the complex-ity of materials in use as well as

ASSOCIATION NEWS

the wide variety of applications of moulded products.Kannah pointed out that FR additives are produced from

a variety of natural products, including nitrogen, aluminum, chloride, magnesium, phosphorus and bromide. Finding the correct balance for any specifi c application is hence complicated.

He outlined various examples – including enclosures, printed circuit boards, cables and connectors – and the varied solutions reached. The audience at once began to absorb the complexity of the problem. Slowing down combustion creates the opportunity to maintain a viable atmosphere, said Kannah.

The man factors for plastic product manufactures include:• effi cacy of fl ame retardants in chosen polymer system;• cost vs benefi ts of feasible alternatives;• environmental considerations.Of these, cost is obviously an important consideration, but cost of litigation due to failure of products you’ve supplied could on the other hand be highly damaging.

Great SolutionsKannah’s colleague at Great Lakes group, Michael Kearns, then entertained delegates with a lively presentation titled ‘Greener Innovation: An Update on Great Lakes Solutions’ Flame Retardants’.

Founded in 1933 in Michigan, USA, Great Lakes is argu-ably the world leader in FRs for polymers. Its purchases of bromine-rich wells in Arkansas as well as a phosphorus source have clearly given it a competitive advantage in the area. Great Lakes actually changed its name in 2005 to Chemtura, after it merged with another additive supplier, Crompton, but then returned to its source name as Great Lakes Solutions in 2010 to ‘fully brand what it is’. As the name suggests, the business is literally focused on solutions.

Great Lakes’ produces the Emerald™ range for FRs and has solutions, well, for virtually every polymer material, from polyamides and polycarbonates to unsaturated polyesters, styrenics and epoxies.

1. Fired up! Erich Seeger of the SABS is fl anked by visiting interna-tional speakers Stephen Grayson of Fire Testing Technology (FTT) of the UK and Kasturirangan Kannah of Great Lakes, based in Germany

3. Stephen Gray-son of Fire Testing Technology (FTT) of the UK on is company’s exhibi-tion stand

4. Michael Kearns of Great Lakes Solutions with Tania Postlethwaite of Chemfi t, the global group’s SA agent. Great Lakes was one of the ex-hibitors at the fi re conference

2. David Poxon, general manager of the Fire Protection Association of SA, gave an interesting presentation about the frequency of fi res in the country. Every fi re is different said, so it’s not always easy to draw clear conclusions

10. Piet Makhubela of Sasol, Sipho Khumalo of Aberdare Cables, Anton Hanekom of PlasticsSA and Vincent Khumalo of CSIR

www.greatlakes.com

42 APRIL / MAY 2012

1 2 3 4

10

SA situationErich Seeger, manager of the Civil and Mechanical Laboratories at the SABS then gave a presentation about the local standards bureau’s ‘Testing and Certifi cation’ process. Not unsurprisingly, this is also a complex process, not least bedeviled by the diffi culty of enforcing standards adhesion. According to Seeger, it’s diffi cult to prevent illegal use of the SABS standards symbol by manufactur-ers. Are they going to send the police around? Complaints from rival manufacturers appears to be only factor leading up to possible cessa-tion of illegal use.

Predicting fi re performanceStephen Grayson of Fire Testing Technology (FTT) of the UK then gave a presentation titled

‘Predicting the Fire Performance of Products from Bench Scale Fire Tests’.

Signifi cant experience in the area is obvi-ously necessary here, since extrapolating bench-scale results to those of a material’s performance in a major fi re situation is not necessarily obvious. Grayson, however, is something of a doyen of the international fi re testing area, and one who’s happy to engage in debate on the topic.

He followed that up with a second paper, a ‘Review of Developments in European Fire Test and Classifi cation for Construction Products, Electric Cables and Railways’. Al-though the process is mainly empirical, it can also deteriorate: one example being a clash between the French and Germans, where the former have resisted acceptance of proposed standards as they simply don’t want German train coaches in France. www.scottbader.co.za

Most widely used fl ame retardants types: Flame retardants work by one of three mechanisms, 1) inter-ruption of radical mechanism of combustion process in the gas phase; 2) reaction in the solid phase to form a carbonaceous char which serves as a barrier between fuel and the heat and oxygen source; 3) endothermic processes, such as release of water, to remove the heat from the reaction SOURCE: GREAT LAKES SOLUTIONS

CompositesSteve Woodhall of Scott Bader kept the composites’ fl ag fl ying with a presentation on ‘Fire Retardants and Composite Materials,’ a joint work with Dr Les Norwood of Scott Bader UK. He outlined how smoke and toxic fume generation have driven resin develop-ment towards reduced toxicity and halogen-free materials (halogens release corrosive acid fumes that damage structures and make people ill).

However, thermosetting resins are inher-ently heat stable and do not melt to form burn-ing droplets, said Steve. Intumescent coatings (which swell as a result of heat exposure, thus increasing in volume, while decreasing in density) can create an important protective layer, protecting the laminate from fi re.

National ChairmanAlain Berichonp. 031 461 2990c. 082 888 2429e. alain@neupack.co.za

National Vice-ChairmanMartin Wells p. 021 712 1408c. 082 822 8115e. martin@summitpub.co.za

National SecretaryDavid Rulep. 011 452 6940c. 082 552 0726e. david@plasticolors.co.za

KwaZulu-NatalGarth Taylorc. 084 924 4551e. garth@pcasa.co.za

NorthernPixley Makhubop. 011 458 0719c. 083 628 5215e. pixley.makhubo@sasol.com

Western CapeBilly MacMillanc. 082 453 7070e. billy@superthene.com

Plastics Institute of Southern Africa

www.pisa.org.za

5. Debbie Beaton of Plastichem and Annabé Pre-torius of Plastix 911 were among the guests

6. Organisers – Tim Cooper, who has re-cently started the company Addivation, and Horst Seute of Global Extrusion Services led with PISA Northern branch team which organised the conference … in fact, they did just about everything! Well done guys

7. Pixley Makhubo, PISA Northern chair-man, is fl anked by George Thorburn and Brian Bowman of Plastic Bubbles

8. PISA national chairman Alain Berichon opened the conference in style

9. Keith Anderson, chairman of eWaste Association of South Africa, gave a pre-sentation on ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of the SA eWaste Scenario’

www.fi re-testing.com

11. Panel – The organisers of the event are to be congratulated for coordinating a high-level group of speakers for the fi re seminar

12. Relaxing afterwards; Steve Woodhall of Scott Bader fl anked by Hein Landsburg and Ryan Har-rison of Chemfi t, who were the main sponsors together with their principal Great Lakes Solutions

43

5 6 7 8 9

11 12

the various materials, of both oven-aged and QUV samples, showed up only very slight differences in performance.

Extrusion testsIn the extrusion test results then presented, fi lm containing the biodegradable additive was pelletised and blended with pellets of recycled LLDPE purchased from a recycler, from which new compound was produced.

Five sets of tests were performed again, starting from 100% of the material contain-

THE recycling of material containing oxo-biodegradable additives has almost no effect on subsequently moulded products, according to research by Roediger Agen-cies of Stellenbosh.

One of the most disputed topics in the industry in recent times, the use of oxo-biodegradable additives in plastic products and specifi cally the effect the additive could have on products made from recycled material containing it was addressed at a PISA lecture by Dr Andy Roediger in Cape Town in February.

Dr Roediger, who runs an analytical lab at Stellenbosch, gave an address titled ‘Recyclability of Plastics Containing Oxo-biodegradable Additives – Facts & Figures’.

The introduction of oxo-biodegradable additives into plastic products, specifi cally packaging items was initially seen as a good solution for plastic items ending up in the environment, allowing them to degrade automatically and disappear. One of the problem areas was the perceived diffi culty the oxo-additives may have created for recyclers. It was suspected that products made from recycled material containing the additive could subsequently auto-degrade too.

Roediger conducted a series of tests focussed on the performance of products moulded with recycled material containing the additive in various percentages.

The main factors behind the perfor-mance of oxo additives include:• the fact that transition metal compounds

accelerate polymer breakdown;• polymers break down in the presence of

oxygen with heat and/or UV light;• the process can be prevented/slowed

down by the addition of antioxidants.

In the research programme, biodegradable additive was compounded into virgin LDPE and the compound was used as a source of biodegradable polymer. Pellets produced from recycled printed fi lm were purchased from a recycler and, together with the mate-rial containing the biodegradable additive, taken to a fi lm blower where the two were blended in various rations, from 100% oxo-biodegradable (OBD) to a 50:50 ratio of OBD:recycled printed fi lm.

The various material rations were then subjected to accelerated aging tests, involv-ing exposure to UV light and heat of 60ºC. Tensile strength and strain break tests of

www.roedigeragencies.co.za

44 APRIL / MAY 2012

ASSOCIATION NEWS

Dr Andy Roediger presented fi ndings of research into the performance of material containing oxo-biodegradable additive after recycling

ASSOCIATION NEWS

Research programme focused on comparison of materials containing oxo-biodegradable additive or without

ing OBD to various ratios of the OBD and reprocessed LLDPE materials. The blended materials included 2% of masterbatch.

Observations following testing closely mirrored the blown fi lm results, in fact, the UV tests showed there was practi-cally no difference in tensile strength loss after two years.

Extrusion tests: Material made with fi lm containing ‘d2w’ was compared with material produced from recycled LLDPE without the additive, and then of material containing various percentages of material with ‘d2w’, showed very little difference in performance

has little effect on recycled materialTests show inclusion of ‘oxo’ additive

UV TESTS• No difference in tensile strength loss after 1.4 years• No difference in elongation loss after 6.7 months

Table 1: BLOWN FILM SUMMARY

HEAT TESTS• No difference in tensile strength loss after 6.7 months• No difference in elongation loss after 3.3 months• Some difference in elongation loss after 5 months

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ASSOCIATION NEWS

THE situation surrounding the plastics indus-try’s attempts to withdraw from the MEIBC (Metal & Engineering Bar-gaining Council) was discussed at meetings con-vened by the PCA around the country in March.

Gerhard Pap-enfus, director of NEASA (National

Employers Association of SA) was the guest speaker, updated delegates about the current situation, specifi cally about NEASA’s urgent application in the Labour Court.

The fact of the matter is that the scenario is not as simple as originally anticipated, and few PCA members or other business-men in the industry fully comprehend what the problems are. In short, the MEIBC appears to be extremely reluctant for the industry to withdraw and established its

own bargaining structure, for reasons that few comprehend.

The NEASA director looked at the demo-graphics in which the industry and indeed the current bargaining authority fi nd themselves in and what a suitable outcome for both would be.

Following that, attendees were also briefed on the latest vest-type carrier bags legislation. In terms of the National Regulator for Com-pulsory Specifi cations’ (NRCS) regulations, only the company reference number will need

to be printed on the bags. Details of the manufacturer, country and year of manufac-ture and ink requirements can be removed. Printing tests are no longer necessary, and the bag wall thickness is to remain at 30μ. All this will result in a signifi cant cost saving.

The proposed changes are before the NRCS board and, if approved, will be published asking for comment within 60 days. If the process goes according plan the amended regulations will be effective in early 2013.

Gerhard Papenfus of NEASA was the guest speaker at the PCA events around the country in March

Deadlock between industry, MEIBC remains unresolved

Members of the plastic fraternity who attended the PCA event in Midrand included Johan Nel of PWD Plastics, Farai Mapenzauswa of Miller Methods, Xikombiso Shibambu of Ampaglas, Francois Booysens of SA Plastikor and Sizakele Mahlutshana of Crystal Pack

THE PCA is conducting a series of training seminars around the country in May at which the implications of the changes to the Labour Relations Act as well as the Basic Conditions of Employment Act will be fully explained.

The seminars are designed to

assist members to fully understand the process and hence to manage such effectively.

Topics to be addressed include the • amendments to the powers of the

Labour Court;• amendments to the right to strike

and recourse to lockout;

• amendments to the meaning of dismissal, and much more.In fact, the proposed changes

to the Labour Relations Act are so substantial that employers cannot afford to not be at the seminar.

Changes to Labour, Conditions of Employment Acts to be explained

www.pcasa.co.za

Executive DirectorJohan Pietersep. 011 314 0019c. 082 904 8274johan@pcasa.co.za

Regional Manager (KZN/E Cape)Garth Taylorc. 084 924 4551garth@pcasa.co.za

Western CapeAndy van Tonderc. 084 543 1430andy@pcasa.co.za

Executive Offi cerMike Bullockc. 082 888 9686mikeb@pcsa.co.za

www.pcasa.co.za

Plastics Convertors Association

East Capers combine AGM with food, wine ‘tour’THE Eastern Cape branch of the Institute of Materials held its AGM on 28 February, following which members and guests were treated to a thoroughly enjoyable wine tasting.

Presented by Linus Serfontein, the event took the form of an entertaining and educational food and wine pairing. This is the second time Linus has presented a wine tasting to the EC branch, and we strongly suspect that it won’t be the last! Linus has many years of experience in wine apprecia-tion and his broad knowledge of wine from all over world and his enthusiasm to share this is earning him quite a name in Port Elizabeth.

The basic food tastes, viz. sweet, sour, bitter and salty, were sampled with fi ve dif-ferent wines, in order to test which worked and which didn’t… and there were defi -

nitely some surprises! Linus also included a cheese, to highlight the creamy compo-nent of some foods and how various types of wines and foods can bring out certain fl avours in each other.

The wines showcased this time round were the less common cultivars of Viognier and Mourvedre, which are originally from vineyards in Southern France and are often present in blends with Shiraz, such as SMV. These were Excelsior Viognier from the Robertson area, Table Bay Shiraz, Mad Hatter’s Mourvedre from Wellington and Boekenhoutskloof ‘Wolftrap”, which is an SMV blend containing 65% Shiraz, 32% Mourvedre and 3% Viognier.

There was also a white Muskadel from Oranjerivier to throw some sweetness into the mix.

Oh yes, and the committee: Deon Riekert and Christie Olivier have stepped down after a good few years of service, and the committee for 2012 will be chaired by Coen Burger, along with Tertius de Ridder, Diane van Rooyen, Kathy Garde and Fourene Smith. Portfolios will be decided at the fi rst meeting of the new committee.

National ChairmanHans Strydomp. 011 425 3241c. 082 449 5920hans@rubbernano.co.za

Eastern CapeCoen Burgerc. 082 456 6656coenburger@axxess.co.za

SecretaryDiane van Rooyenp. 041 486 1505diane@snrubber.co.za

Institute of Materials:Southern Africa Region

KwaZulu-NatalAndré Corneliusc. 071 682 9885andre.cornelius@karbochem.co.za

NorthernSpike Taylorp. 011 928 4172c. 082 456 5734spiket@multotec.co.za

www.iom3.co.za

www.iom3.org

APRIL / MAY 2012 47

THE PISA Western Cape golf day was again a tight fi ght, but all were calm once hostilities ceased. The event took place for the fi rst time at the Durbanville course, which was in excellent nick … a situation which didn’t necessar-ily make life easier for the occasional golfers. Full marks again to our regular golfers, who year after year handle the pressure of scoring. If the results are anything to go by, however, the ‘formula’ appears to be working: three teams scored over 90 points and a large group were in the high 80s. So well done to all.

Specials thanks are due to our main sponsor, Plastom-ark. Plans are afoot to get Ronnie Sloan of Plastomark to actually play next year!

Our other sponsors included Agriplas, Alplas, Colour Systems, Maritime Marketing, Masterbatch SA, Plasquip, Polyoak, Progetto, Specialised Plastic Industries, Summit Publishing, Usabco, West African Group and Journeys-End Wines.

Tight fi ghtat Cape golf day

1. Winners – With a whopping 94 points, the fourball compris-ing Alan Caldwell, Dale Smith, Craig Childs and David Barnard held off challengers on the day

2. Team SPI – Hot on their heels were Stan Langenhoven jnr and snr, Danie Maritz of Specialised Plastics Industries and Gareth Williams

3. Big hitter! – Gary Crawford of Aquamark Manufacturing took the longest drive prize again

4. Lucky draw – Phil Johnson of Masterbatch SA, with Claire Gibson of PISA Western Cape committee, won the lucky draw prize, a hopper-loader from Plasquip

1

2

3 4

As per our commitment during our preparations in making submis-sions on the proposed amendments to the LRA & BCEA, we will be hosting training seminars to discuss and explain the amendments as well as the effect of same on employers.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

All HR & IR Managers, Directors / Managers, Staff dealing with unions and normal Industrial Relations.

WHY SHOULD MEMBERS ATTEND?

The seminar is designed to assist members to fully understand the implications the changes to the Labour Relations Act as well as the Basic Conditions of Employment Act will bring about, and to manage such effectively.

WHEN / WHERE WILL THE SEMINARS TAKE PLACE?

Gauteng: May 14th & 15th 2012 Plastics SA Midrand

KwaZulu Natal: May 16th 2012 Durban Country Club

Western Cape: May 17th 2012 Kelvin Grove

COST PER DELEGATE:

ü R 1250 00 (Excl. VAT) for first member delegate and R 750 (Excl VAT) for additional member delegates.

ü Non Members R 2 500.00 (Excl VAT) per delegate.ü The above includes course material, legislation and

catering / refreshments ü Limited seating available so book early to avoid disappointment.

HOW TO BOOK YOUR PLACE:

Carol Klomfass | E: carol@pcasa.co.zaT: (011) 314 0019 | F: (011) 314 3765 / 086 685 6350

TRAINING SEMINAR DURING THE MONTH OF MAY 2012LABOUR RELATIONS & BASIC CONDITIONSOF EMPLOYMENT AMENDMENT BILL

Plastics Convertors Associationof South Africa

Contact: Derick LabuschagneTel: 011 979 2766Fax: 011 979 2424

Email: annecatsales@mweb.co.zawww.annecat.co.za

www.polystyrenepackaging.co.za

48 APRIL / MAY 2012

New board and direction for PSPCPost-consumer polystyrene recycling remains key area of focus

ASSOCIATION NEWS

THE Polystyrene Packaging Council (PSPC) has a new board and strategic direction that will drive the Council’s activities for the coming year.

New offi ce bear-ers for the PSPC are Ivan Ortlepp of CibaPac (chair-man), Rowan le Roux of Poly-oak Packaging

(vice-chairman) and Ken Morris of MPact (fi nances). The technical members of the PSPC are Elana de Goede, supported by committee members Brent Hean, Ian Edwards, Anton Main-gaard, Neale Gordon. Adri Spangenberg remains a director.

The PSPC was origi-nally formed in 2007 by a group involving Werner Rettenbacher of BASF, Brent Hean of Metmar and Greg Metcalf of Plastform (who was also the council’s fi rst chairman), with the aim of setting in place the neces-sary resources and mechanisms to deal with projects that enhance the reputation of polystyrene packaging.

“Today, fi ve years later, we are proud to announce that the PSPC has grown to represent more than 80% of the polystyrene food packaging market,” said new chair-man, Ivan Ortlepp.

The council is proud to count polymer suppliers, polystyrene packaging convert-

ers and representatives from Plastics|SA, EPSASA (Expanded Polystyrene Associa-tion dealing with building products), retailers, waste management companies and recy-clers amongst its members.

“We will continue to build our partnerships and networks with other relevant industry associations, both locally and overseas, as we support and initiate projects that grow the industry, whilst ensuring effective recy-cling activities in South Africa,” Orlepp said.

Collection and recycling a key focusFinding ways to effectively collect and recycle contaminated post-consumer polystyrene will continue to be one of the PSPC’s key areas of focus during the next few years. With more than 50 000 tons of expanded and high impact polystyrene

being converted in South Africa annually for the food packaging and building industry, the PSPC views it as being vitally important to increase its footprint of polystyrene col-lections around the country and improve recycling efforts

once the polystyrene food containers and packaging material have left the hands of the consumer.

Currently, approximately 11% of used polystyrene is being recycled in South Africa and used for the manufacture of photo frames, seedling trays, clothing hangars and stationery.

“We have exciting plans on the table that will revolutionize the polystyrene recycling industry and increase both the value and the demand for used polystyrene in our country.

However, we will continue to support the local plastic industry’s call for separation at source to ensure cleaner, less contami-nated materials from the domestic waste stream and to develop new markets for recycled materials, as plastics recycling is driven by demand,” Ortlepp said.

Other objectives of the PSPC will be:• to educate, communicate and support

activities that improve the industry in a generic manner

• to address key public concerns related to the use of PS and EPS by using a science-based decision making process that forms part of our commitment to Responsible Care.

• to improve cooperation between the Council and leading retailers

“Polystyrene has a considerable contribu-tion to make to the life of the consumer, be it in the form of fast food packaging, protective packaging or in the form of rigid packaging. As an industry, we contribute signifi cantly to job creation, economic growth, employment and convenient liv-ing without sacrifi cing our environmental responsibilities and obligations. We look forward to a highlight year in the history of the South African Polystyrene industry”, Ortlepp added.

• ADRI SPANGENBERG CAN BE CONTACTED ON (012) 259-0554, CELL (082) 686-5082 OR EMAIL: ADRI@POLYSTYRENEPACKAGING.CO.ZA

Ivan Ortlepp of CibaPac, the Polystyrene Packaging Council’s new chairman

Currently, approximately 11% of used polystyrene is being recycled in South

Africa and used for the manufacture of photo frames, seedling trays, clothing hangars and

stationery.

APRIL / MAY 2012 49

www.polystyrenepackaging.co.za

THANKS to hundreds of volunteers around the country who collected thousands of breadtags,

the Polystyrene Packaging Council (PSPC) has donated 207 wheelchairs as part of the Breadtags for Wheelchairs project it manages and administers Currently in its fourth year, the project encourages people around the country to collect breadtags (made from HDPP), which are then sold on to a recycler and the money raised used to buy wheelchairs for people who are unable to afford them.

At a special function organised by the PSPC in Cape Town in March to thank volunteers and to hand over more wheelchairs, founder of the Breadtags for Wheelchairs Project, Mary Honeybun, said that over 1000 kg of breadtags have already been collected countrywide this year, and an estimated 5 000kg were collected in 2011.

Representatives of new recipients of the projects wheelchairs included Linda Walters for Connect, Jackie de la Porte for Vista Nova Primary School, Debbie Gonzales for Ocean View Person for Disabilities, Herman van Wyk for Pollsmoor Correctional Services, and Dolores Needham for Seventh Heaven. In front are Breadtags for Wheelchairs Project founder, Mary Honeybun, and Polystyrene Packaging Council CEO Adri Spangenberg

WELL DONE!

Record year for

breadtags

THE Cycle Link cycling club welcomed two new major sponsors this year, Hestico and Yudo, a process which also led to the renaming the club to Cyclelink Hestico. With 35 members and growing fast, the club supports and encourages disabled athletes to join and participate in cycling.

One of their leading cyclists, Gavin Kil-patrick, who suffers from retinitis pigmen-tosa*, is a Beijing Para Olympic bronze medalist who will also be competing in the

Olympic Games in London this year in various rowing events.

Gavin and partner Clint Cosgrave com-peted in the tandem event in the recent the ‘Ride for Sight’ 116km race, winning the disabled category in a very respectable 2 hours 57 minutes and coming 21st overall.

Ride for Sight is a fundraising event to raise funds for Retina SA, which carries out research to fi nd a cure for retinitis pigmentosa. Retina SA is also one of

50 APRIL / MAY 2012

Hestico major sponsor of cycling club

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Cyclelink Hestico riders at the recent Ride For Sight event, including Gavin Kilpatrick, Johnny Fourie, Dominique Mouton, Kelvin Mills, Jared Gemmell, Vickers Brits and Clint Cosgrave

Cyclelink Hestico’s Gavin Kilpatrick, a Beijing Para Olympic bronze medalist who suffers

from retinitis pigmentosa, with Clint Cosgrave on the podium after winning the Disabled

Tandem event at the Ride for Sight race

Freddie Scherer, previously of Swift Plastics in Cape Town, is now retired and living happily somewhere in the mountains in Switzerland. In the European winter he does, however, venture south. He recently spent several months in Cape Town.

Harry Erasmus retired as MD of Plastic Packaging Namibia, in Windhoek, at the end of Decem-ber and is now farming full-time. He remains a shareholder and director of PPNam, however; Jaco Venter has taken over as MD of the Windhoek-based fi lm extrusion and bag-making business. The Plastic Packaging Namibia group includes Namibia Polymer Recyclers, also in Windhoek, Plastic Packaging Cape in Upington and Ango Plasticos in Angola.

O N T H E M O V E

the club’s sponsors and thus also one of the club’s main causes. Other sponsors include GEM Real Estate, Manuton Com-puter Care and Bausch+Lomb.

Cyclelink Hestica did very well in the recent Carnival City 65km race with four of their riders fi nishing in the top 16. Jared Gemmell came second, Kelvin Mills eighth, Dominique Mouton 15th and Johnny Fourie rolled in next in 16th place. Well done to all of them!

(* This is an eye disease which causes damage to the retina.)

A DELEGATION of Liansu Machinery Manufacturing Company’s top brass recently visited South Africa to strengthen ties with their customer base, and meet with agent Cabletech Marketing, responsible for sales and service both in the South African local and African markets.

The Liansu group was founded in 1986 and can best be described as the behemoth of the extrusion market in China, possibly the world.

A visit to the Liansu factories is an educa-tion in scale. The manufacturer’s factories are best viewed from the back of a golf cart, and still Liansu is growing. Touring these factories on foot is reserved for only the super fi t.

Liansu manufacture pipe, profi le, electrical conduit and fi ttings on in-house manufactured machinery with the help of 20 000 employees in 16 factories covering a staggering 3.4 mil-lion square metres of manufacturing space.

The 30 000 tons PVC piping and 5 000

tons PE piping are manufactured on 500 Liansu extrusion lines while the 1000 injection moulding machines churn out the fi ttings to suit. The material used in the Liansu factories each month is roughly three times more than the entire South African pipe manufacturing industry usage combined.

Liansu recently added Junjia Machinery Manufacturing Company, a supplier of complete cast fi lm extrusion lines and the fi rst Chinese machine manufacturer to add and offer 7-layer cast fi lm extrusion lines to the industry. Also acquired was Wanjia Plastics Corporation, sister company to Junjia Machinery Manufacturing Company, responsible for the manufacturing of cast fi lm. • CABLETECH MARKETING REPRESENT LIANSU

SALES AND SERVICE.

Wesley Wu (Overseas Sales – Africa), Irene Liao (Sales Manager), Daneil Steenkamp (Liansu Prod-uct Manager Cabletech Marketing), Wei Guang Zhang (General Manager Liansu), Pierre Jurgens (Managing Director Cabletech Marketing) and Yin Zhaocheng (Manufacturing Manager, Liansu)

www.cabletech.co.za

L i a n s u m a n a g e m e n t t e a m v i s i t S A

JOIN THE EXTRUSION JUGGERNAUT

�� PIPE EXTRUSION

�� PROFILE EXTRUSION

�� SHEET EXTRUSION

�� CAST FILM EXTRUSION

�� PIPE FITTING INJECTION MOULDS

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

DANEIL STEENKAMP: 082 495 2964 ANDY WOODS: 082 957 9324

PIERRE JURGENS: 083 276 1978

TEL: +27 (0) 11 7040824 Fax: +27 (0) 11 462 2108 EMAIL: info@cabletech.co.za WEBSITE: www.cabletech.co.za

Plastics industry recruitment a global affairLISTGROVE Limited, a leading in-ternational recruitment and human resources company specializing

in the plastics industry since 1975, is taking part in the forthcoming NPE exhibition from 1-5 April. Ryan Kirby, director of international projects for Listgrove, will be present at the company stand.

Listgrove will showcase its expertise in servicing the most complex and demanding recruitment briefs for international busi-nesses that produce polymers, packaging and associated products. They provide a range of services including; search, selec-

tion, database search, advertising support, market research, outplacement and career transition, interim placement and psycho-metric testing.

Listgrove’s position as a long established and successful human resource consul-tancy is supported by its membership of the British Plastic Federation’s business ‘support network’, where they have been selected to offer guidance to other members concerning all HR and recruitment matters.

In addition, Listgrove provide the same service to the British Packaging Federation’s member companies. Listgrove has also recently established an offi ce in Bahrain to support the increasing demand for their services in EMEA territories.

Recently the company has been en-gaged by several recognized plastics and packaging businesses in North America to www.listgrove.com

JOHN Martin of Triple 8 Equip-ment Supplies of Durban has recently become involved in his-toric car racing, quite seriously involved in fact. He acquired a 1961 DKW ‘Junior’ almost two years ago and has slowly been restoring the vintage vehicle to its former glory.

Given that this same marque was the legendary Sarel ‘Super-van’ van der Merwe’s fi rst ever race car, John has gone about turning it into a replica of Sarel’s multiple race-winning model – he’s even got the vehicle’s roof autographed by the legend himself. The DKW – or ‘Deek’ as it’s known – was put to the test earlier this year when John travelled to Zwartkops in Pretoria in January,

Triple8’s Martin fl oors it in restored ’61 DKW

www.zanogen.co.za

New face at Zanogen Farewell to Gold Pack Awards custodianZANOGEN Machine Knives recently welcomed Steven Leukes to their Cape Town team. Steven will be respon-sible for sales service support and operating the grinding machine.

“Steven has been in the printing industry for over 17

years and has gained valuable experience which will be an advantage in his new role. We are excited about his appointment and the opportunities it brings to enhance our delivery of superior customer service and fi rst class blade sharpening,” said Lynn Stierlin (sales executive at Zanogen Machine Knives, Cape Town).

THE custodian and driving force behind the IPSA Gold Pack Awards for many years, John Marriot, died unexpectedly in February. His involvement with Gold Pack goes back to its inception in the 1970’s and he was invested as a Fellow of the Institute in recognition of his commitment and service. John had a passion for packaging and the packaging industry in South Africa in particular. His enthusiasm ensured that the South African packag-ing industry’s fl ag fl ew high both locally and worldwide. International guests to the annual IPSA Gold Pack awards banquets have hailed

them as worldclass and rank-ing with the best.

“John’s drive and enthusiasm was shared with those at Marriot Design, who work together more like family than employees. On behalf of all mem-bers of IPSA, our condolences go to them and to John’s wife and family. John will be sorely missed by us all,” said Bill Marshall, IPSA National Chairman.

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support recruitment projects in the USA and also to source additional staff across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

Listgrove has been selected onto PSL’s with clients such as DSM, ITW, Sabic, Lyondell Basell, Eastman Chemicals, Hon-eywell, Philips, Teknor Apex, Thermofi sher, Smithers Rapra and Colormatrix (Polyone) primarily to support their business growth and development outside of the USA. In addition, they recently completed a number of retained assignments in the USA to appoint American nationals into General Management, Project Management, Sales Management and Manufacturing Manage-ment positions, along with a wide range of Engineering Specialists and Shop Floor roles.

52 APRIL / MAY 2012

where he fi nished third overall after a number of heats. The Deek actually took the chequered fl ag in the second heat! In Febru-ary the action shifted to the Phakisa raceway

in Welkom, where he came away with an almost identi-cal set of results.

Given that the ‘Deek’ is the only one of its kind racing in South Africa at the moment, a lot of attention has been given to John and his car by both fellow competitors and the public alike. John, who is also a member of the PISA KZN committee, admits to feel-ing quite like a celebrity: he’s been interviewed by ‘Rapid Motion Classic’ for DSTV’s ‘Supersport’ chan-

nel. He’s living out a life-long dream of being able to race and we wish him many years of wins ahead.

Fast cornering – John Martin of Triple8 Equipment Supplies of Durban has, ‘Supervan’-like, taken the chequered fl ag at a number of vintage vehicle races in his restored 1961 DKW

A-PETwhere quality is action

AGRICULTURE in the Middle East is more than nomadic Bedouins crossing inhospita-ble deserts with their sheep and camels. In a region that is fully aware of the importance of food security - the original demands of the protesters in Tunisia and Egypt were linked to increasing food prices - food security is an increasingly important consideration.

According to the World Bank, 50% of the region’s food is imported and the non-food producing Gulf countries are looking at ways to secure land in third party countries to produce part of their food needs. The 50% of the region’s food requirements that are grown in the region are mostly fruit and vegetables grown in Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt as well as Saudi Arabia and Iran. The success of the Middle East agriculture sector is supported by innovative plastic converters.

Plastics are used in many different ways in agriculture. Nets and nonwoven fabrics are used to provide shade and to protect the plants from hail, birds and insects. Polyethylene sheets are used to line dams and irrigation canals to minimize the water loss due to seepage. Tough, durable plastic pipes are used for irrigation and micro irriga-tion systems allow vegetables to be grown using the least possible amount of water. Clear plastic fi lm is used as solarisation or fumigation fi lm to prepare the soil before planting and pigmented mulch fi lm is used to modify the soil temperature, limit weed growth and reduce moisture loss.

But possibly the most important use of plastics in agriculture is in greenhouses which provide a controlled microclimate by balancing the day and night temperatures, providing an even light and reducing evaporation to maximize the plant growth. It is estimated that there are more than 25 000 hectares of greenhouses in the

Middle East (about 37 000 tons of fi lm) compared to less than 800 hectares under cover in South Africa. Not all of the green-houses are large multi span constructions, many of them are single span structures installed wherever a farmer has space to grow tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, beans and eggplant.

Supplying greenhouse fi lm is not as simple as producing 14 m wide multilayer fi lm, it is about tailoring the performance of the fi lm to the specifi c needs of the farmers and this requires an attention and long-term commitment to the market that is unusual in most applications.

For example, how long should the fi lm last? The answers generally range from one to three years. Achieving the desired lifetime is not the biggest challenge, even in the harsh Middle East climate it is possible to stabilize fi lms to last more than three years but, as the fi lms get dirty and more opaque, the benefi t of replacing the fi lm less frequently is offset by the loss in crop yield due to a reduction of light transmitted into the greenhouse.

The real challenge is to understand the preferences of the farmers in each slightly different climate and produce a fi lm that matches their requirements. Achieving the desired lifetime is critical, fi lms failing in the middle of a season can lead to the loss of the crop, over-stabilizing the fi lm can result in fi lms being left in the fi elds only to fail in the middle of the next season. The stabilizer formulation needs to take into account the desired lifetime of the fi lm, the intensity of the sunlight, the thickness of the fi lm and the typical farming practices with respect to the pesticides and fertilizers used both of which can adversely affect the fi lm’s lifetime.

The range of greenhouse fi lms avail-able is not limited to different lifetimes. One

type of greenhouse fi lm which is growing in popularity is the so-called ‘thermal fi lm’ which retains heat inside the greenhouse at night when it can get very cold in arid climates, promoting the important ‘dark photosynthesis’ reactions. Other fi lms are designed to reduce fungal growth inside the greenhouse (allowing for a reduction in the pesticides used) or to promote the growth or early ripening of certain crops resulting in higher yields or better prices and export opportunities for the farmers at the beginning of the season.

The successes of plasticulture in the Middle East include improved quality and variety of local produce, the opening of European markets for fruit and vegetables and estab-lishment of export markets for agricultural fi lm. And while the Bedouins continue to follow their herds across the desert, at least they are now able to enjoy fresh vegetables to comple-ment the goat stew.

NIALL CAN BE REACHED AT: NIALL.MARSHALL@EVERSPRINGME.COM

FEAT

URE

54 APRIL / MAY 2012

It is estimated that there are more than 25 000 hectares of greenhouses in the Middle East (about 37 000 tons of fi lm) compared to less than 800 hectares under cover in South Africa. Pictured here are greenhouses in Jordan and Lebanon

Banana shade structures

BY DR NIALL MARSHALL50% of the region’s food is imported

Dr Niall Marshall was formerly based in Johannesburg where he worked with Sasol and Ciba. He subsequently moved to Bahrain in the Middle East and joined Everspring Middle East, one of the largest manufacturers of polymer stabilisers and X-ponent Three, which supplies a complementary range of additives and pigments and provides technical and business consulting services

AGRICULTURE SECTOR SUPPORTEDBY INNOVATIVE PLASTIC CONVERTERS

SUCCESS OF MIDDLE EAST

Flexible seal ringsFLEXIBLE seal rings from ATO S.r.L., Milan, Italy, a leading compression moulder of high-performance semi-fi nished goods, are made of KetaSpire® polyetheretherketone (PEEK) resin, manufactured by Solvay Specialty Polymers USA, LLC, for its exceptional duc-tility for oil and gas, food processing, medical, and pharmaceutical applications.

KetaSpire KT-820 PEEK provides greater fl exibility and elasticity than competitive PEEK grades, according to Davide Polloni, market development manager for ATO. For example, these parts can be folded or twist-ed in half and then twisted again into three or four small concentric rings. Compression moulded seal rings made of KetaSpire PEEK can also be softer and easily machined.

Flexible PEEK seal rings are manufac-tured via standard compression moulding and with ATO’s specially designed Hot Compression Moulding (HCM) process. A custom-made HCM machine produces highly elastic, high-performance semi-fi nished parts with 30% elongation, which is

PRODUCTS

Advanced air portable fuel New manufacturing process reduces container weight by 25%, cost by 30%

GKN Aerospace has been awarded a £2m, fi ve-year contract with the UK Ministry of Defence for its latest Mark 5 Air Portable Fuel Containers (APFCs). These are being used to transport fuel to inaccessible points such as forward airstrips, helicopter

landing zones and forward operational areas. Deliveries are underway and these items are now in service in Afghanistan.

These latest fuel containers are 25% lower in weight and 30% lower in cost than previous generations of APFC. This is due to the introduction of an innovative new manufacturing process, developed by GKN Aero-space, which replaces the established

APFC in front line use in Afghanistan56 APRIL / MAY 2012

PEEK resin delivers exceptional ductility

triple that of traditional compression mould-ing. The elongation test is done on samples manufactured directly from semi-fi nished products, not from samples made via injec-tion moulding. A special feature of the HCM process is the repeatability of the produc-tion cycle through computer-controlled parameters to ensure high quality and highly consistent products. The entire production cycle can be traced by the unique identifi ca-tion label for each semi-fi nished product.

KetaSpire PEEK is produced to the industry’s highest standards and offers a combination of superlative properties that allow it to replace metal in some of the most severe end-use environments. It is one of the industry’s most chemically resistant plas-tics and offers excellent strength, superior fatigue resistance, and a continuous-use temperature in excess of 240°C.

ATO manufactures compression moulded seals with diameters from 2.5 cm to 50 cm and thicknesses of 15 mm to 70 mm. The

company also develops custom compounds based on KetaSpire PEEK using PTFE, graphite, glass, carbon fi bre, and other

special materials to meet customer’s demanding performance requirements www.atoitalia.com

www.solvayspecialtypolymers.com

New PE fuel & water jerrycansA PLASTICS processing company based in Ludwigsburg, Germany, hünersdorff GmbH, has fi elded two new types of plastic fuel cans: The ‘Profi ’ jerrycans are available as 10 and 20 litre sizes and meet all safety regulations

Huenersdorff has also launched the ‘Profi ’ can as a 10 and 20 litre water canister version. Both canister types are sackable for space-saving storage.

Made of high-density PE, the ‘Profi ’ canisters are extremely robust. A useful feature is the special fi xture on the canis-

ter’s body for an integrated discharge pipe which fi ts any standard petrol tank open-ing. The discharge provided with every jerrycan is suited for modern protection systems against misfuelling.

The 10 and 20 litre ‘Profi ’ water canis-ters come in a translucent fi nish and are also made of HD-PE. The large open-ing allows for easy cleaning of the can’s interior and for fi lling or discharging larger quantities of liquid. Both types of canister come with a drain cock with which smaller quantities of water can be dosed. www.huenersdorff.de/produkte

The new 20 litre jerrycan ‘Profi ’ from hünersoerff

A Chinese catheter manufacturer has selected Clariant’s Mevopur – a family of masterbatches and compounds specifi cally designed for use in medical devices.

According to Clariant, the product range improves the functionality and performance of devices and meets the regulatory condi-tions of the European and US markets. Catheters are a hUSP Class VI regulated item with potential for material migration. Clariant is currently one of the few Master-batches companies that can offer solutions in this environment, it claims.

“Clariant’s strength lies in helping cath-eter tubing manufacturers to achieve their design and functionality desires using pre-evaluated materials recognized for their consistency and compliancy with stringent

regulatory requirements, and backed by a controlled manufacturing environment,” said Steve Duckworth, head of the com-pany’s global medical and pharmaceutical division.

“We combine our extensive material expertise and market know-how with the

Mevopur masterbatches and compounds are available in a wide range of medically-approved plastics

Transparency-boost to cosmetics & baby bottlesBOREALIS is taking transparency in extrusion blow moulded PP bottles to new heights with the launch of next genera-tion high-performance grade Borclear™ RC737MO.

The new PP grade creates differentiation, cost-effi ciency and sustainability advan-tages for converters and brand owners in the fast moving consumer goods market. Borclear RC737MO is designed specifi cally for cosmetics and baby bottles and enables production of bottles up to two litres in size.

Next generation Borclear RC737MO infl uences the gloss, haze and clarity of bottles. The haze value, an established indicator describing opacity, can be reduced by 25%.When compared with next best al-ternatives like metallocene grades, Borclear

RC737MO also offers better surface scratch resistance.

Borclear RC737MO can be processed by applying the usual processing settings for random PP grades, with barrel tempera-tures in the range of 190-220°C. Its higher melt strength enables converters to more easily regulate wall thickness. This enables consistent and enhanced processing com-bined with good reproducibility as well as greater design fl exibility. The lower weight variations will reduce the potential for break-age during transportation and use.

Clariant adds performance to catheter designs

containers enter service for UK MODPreparing the

spray booth in the Air

Portable Fuel Container

(APFC) factory at GKN

Aerospace in Portsmouth

www.clariant.com

www.borealisgroup.com

www.chemimpo.co.za

slow and solvent-heavy, rubber-based production with a process which sprays a polyurethane compound paint onto nylon wire. This new process is much faster, lower cost and is virtually VOC (volatile organic compound) free, so far more environmentally friendly.

GKN Aerospace APFCs are extremely rugged: able to function effectively at temperatures as low as -26˚C and as high as 71˚C – and will survive down to -46˚C.

The containers are para-droppable, towable and aerodynamically designed to offer optimum fl ight conditions when under-slung on a helicopter. They are qualifi ed for us in cargo aircraft such as the A400M and C-130.

www.gknaerospace.com

APRIL / MAY 2012 57

Borclear RC737MO is designed specifi cally for cosmetics and baby bottles and enables production of bottles up to two litres in size

customer’s expertise and ideas to con-duct a risk assessment and design review process that supports them in meeting stringent regulatory requirements.”

INDUSTRY NEWS

Played important role in the development of plastics manufacturing industry in SA over half-a-century

HESTICO, probably SA’s oldest plastic and rubber machinery supply business, is celebrating a major milestone: 50 years of active operation and support of the industry.

But the half-century is a mere statis-tic, given the number of very interesting personalities that have represented Hestico over the period. At the time of its found-ing in the 1960s, purchase of production machinery was a diffi cult undertaking for convertors around the country. The ef-fi ciency with which the founding partners of Hestico handled this process has played an important role in the development of particularly, the plastics manufacturing industry in this country.

Hestico was founded in Johannesburg in May 1962 by Herman Ernst Stiegler, who had immigrated to SA from Germany, and Conrad Niehaus. At fi rst the company was called CF Niehaus & Co and only changed its name to Hestico in 1970 when Niehaus left and Herbert Seitz joined the company.

From inception the company’s sole activity was the supply of machinery to the plastics and rubber industries, and the partners managed to gain the agencies for some top-fl ight European machine manufacturers, the fi rst of which included Werner & Pfl eiderer, Berstorff and Mann + Hummel.

Stiegler was integral to the early success of Hestico. Besides the fact that he was a popular and gregarious man, Stiegler also oversaw the implementation of the systems that enabled the company to operate ef-fectively. Most important was the systems put in place to provide technical back-up to users of the machines it supplied, and doing so in a professional and convincing manner.

As the company grew, more agencies were added, includ-ing that of tooling component/hot runner maker D-M-E of Belgium. Responsibil-ity for D-M-E was handed to the late Peter Hengst, who was one of the company’s fi rst recruits, he had joined CF Niehaus as a sales engineer. Hengst, who was one of the most popular fi gures at Hestico, later left to run his own business but then returned to the company for what was one of Hestico’s most successful periods.

yrs

58 APRIL / MAY 2012

Juanita Stiehler-Brits and Kelvin Mills, managing director and director of Hestico respectively

PH

OTO

S: L

OW

RIE

SH

AR

P

Extensive inventoryBesides its com-prehensive cus-tomer services and well trained team of technicians, from the start Hestico maintained an extensive inven-tory of spare parts at its customised premises in Kew, Johannesburg. This enabled the company to offer effi cient technical support.

Hestico has exclusive agreements with a number of top international OEMs, and its technicians are Siemens OEM qualifi ed. With this high level of service, the environ-ment at Hestico was in some cases a ‘training ground’ where a number of techni-cians enjoyed the opportunity to work on

high-standard con-verting equipment. Over the years, the Hestico team has included individuals who – with the acqui-sition of such skills –

went on to become respected fi eld service technicians in their own right. One of these was Norbert Funk, who joined Hestico in 1974 to take over the D-M-E section. The ancillaries side of the machinery business was showing huge signs of potential and Hengst could not spend enough time on D-M-E. A month later, Fritz Kettner, a spe-

cialist in packaging, joined the company. His responsibility was sales of Illig thermo-forming machines.

1974 was to become one of Hestico’s standout years: Heiner Wolber joined as sales engineer, also tasked with sales of D-M-E and related products. Heiner actually spent

the rest of his career at the company.By this time the company had grown

and was employing nine people, operating from premises in Richard Street, Selby. The wheel kept on turning, however, and in 1976 Hengst left and opened Bekum SA, which specialized in blow moulding machinery. And Funk departed in the same year: he opened Form Mould Services, which manufactured mould components. Wolber then took over as manager for D-M-E.

Durban, Cape TownUp till that time Hestico had operated solely out of Johannesburg, but in 1978 it started cooperating with Internatio, a Dutch group involved in machinery and mate-rial sales which operated outlets around the country. Internatio from then acted as a sub-agent in Durban and Cape Town, selling and distributing Hestico’s range of products.In 1981 Fritz Kettner and Heiner Wolber

Continued on page 60

Herman Stiegler, founder of Hestico in 1962, who was also involved in the establish-ment of the Plastics Federation of SA1962

Stiegler oversaw implementation of systems that enabled the company

to operate effectively

Hestico celebrates

Established1962

Mould temperaturecontrollers,chillers,

granulators

60 APRIL / MAY 2012

INDUSTRY NEWS

www.hestico.co.za

became directors and shareholders, paving the way for one of the company’s heyday periods.

Unfortunately, Hermann Stiegler died after a heart bypass operation in October 1985, shortly after the company moved to new premises in Kew, Johannesburg. So ended the career of one of the best known individuals in the industry in South Africa, a man whose accomplishments also included involvement in the setting up of the Plastics Federation of South Africa.

Herbert Seitz took over as MD from Herman. Later that year, Herbert’s son Wolf Seitz joined Hestico as a sales engineer, responsible for Dynisco, Mann + Hummel, Bar-mag and Werner + Pfl eiderer sales.

In 1988 the company purchased a 3000m² property in Kew and started building its own premises. It moved to the new premises in October of 1989, and has remained there since.

The tie-up with Internatio had an unexpected spinoff in that, after the Dutch group closed its plastics machinery divi-sion in South Africa in 1990, the Internatio managers in Durban, June Smith, and Cape Town, Gerhard Greiner, continued working with Hestico. Greiner, along with some Internatio staff, joined Hestico in Cape Town. The Cape branch became a separate company, Hestico Cape, with Greiner as MD.

June Smith took over responsibil-ity for management of Hestico in KZN. Smith and Greiner, who both remained with Hestico for the rest of their careers, helped establish Hestico’s presence in the two coastal cities.

ArburgHestico also inherited the agency for Arburg injection moulding machines from Internatio, a machine line which was to become one of its most popular. Various other agencies – namely Rinco ultrasonic welding equipment and Madag printing equipment – also came to Hestico as a result of Internatio’s departure.

By this time Hestico had became the biggest plastics machinery supplier in

South Africa, with a staff of around 40.Herbert Seitz retired in 1992 and Hei-

ner took over as MD. Then, in 1997, Hes-tico merged with Affi rm Machinery Sales. This was essentially the renamed entity which Peter Hengst had started when he had left Hestico and formed Bekum SA in 1976. Hengst had, during his absence, achieved considerable success with the sale of Bekum blow moulding machines, which in the 1970s and 80s were the standard for container production in SA.

Affi rm had a very strong presence in the blow moulding market, one of the only areas where Hestico was not involved.

Hengst became a shareholder of what had, with the forma-tion of Coprah In-vestment Holdings, effectively become a business group.

Hestico, Satcor and Affi rm Machinery Sales fell under the holding company.

Affi rm’s entry to the group signifi ed the acquisition of several important new agencies for blow moulding equipment, including Aoki of Japan (ISBM) and Uni-loy (blow moulding and structural foam machines).

In 1998 Juanita Stiehler-Brits joined Hestico as a sales engineer, responsible for sales of Arburg machinery as well as certain downstream equipment.

Hestico’s founding strategy included agreement that directors and staff had to depart on reaching the age of 60, and this clause resulted, obviously, in several indi-viduals moving on. One notable depar-

ture was that of the popular Fritz Kettner, who left at the end of 2002 and moved with his family to Austria. That in turn resulted in Juanita becoming a director and shareholder. The wheel, as always, kept on turning and the next to arrive was Kelvin Mills, who signed on in 2004, with the intention of taking over from Peter Hengst. Kelvin had worked in the blow moulding area and was well suited to sales of this equipment. Following Hengst’s retirement at the end of 2004, Kelvin took over responsibility for blow moulding. He became a director in 2006.

Further evolution was in store too, how-ever. At the K show in Düsseldorf in 2010, discussions with one of Hestico’s top principals, hot runner manufacturer Yudo of Korea, resulted in the Yudo buying a stake in the SA company. This resulted in Yudo CEO Francis Yu becoming chair-man of Hestico following the retirement of Heiner Wolber in March 2011. Juanita was then appointed managing director and Kelvin to director.

The outcome of this international par-ticipation opens opportunities for Hestico, not least as far as trade with the Far East is concerned. Although it has over the half-century supplied mainly European brands, Hestico has more recently begun representing equipment manufacturers in China and Taiwan, falling in line with the many competitors selling machines from the Far East.

Acquisition of several important new agencies

for blow moulding equipment

Hesticocelebrates half-century of service to industry From page 58

Owen Michaels, who retired recently after over 40 years in the industry, was a popular fi gure at Hestico Cape

June Smith, who ran the Hestico business in Durban for many years

yrs

ecoSTABTM

LEAD-FREE STABILISERSTomorrow’s PVC Solutions Today from Sun Ace

BOY 35 in the production of Märklin

BOY 35 E and a model railway from Märklin

BOY’s love model trains!CHRISTMAS this past year was exciting for everybody, but especially so if you were the lucky recipient of a model railway from Märklin. Despite modern electronic toys, the products of tradition-rich Märklin of Göppingen remain in high demand worldwide.

And supporting the production of these timeless models is German company Dr. Boy GmbH & Co. KG. During 2010 BOY delivered two injection moulding machines with clamping forces of 350 kN and two BOY 22 A machines (clamping force 220 kN). In December Märklin gave BOY a follow-up order for two more BOY 35 E machines.

The energy effi cient BOY E-series machines convinced Märklin that they had established the right direction for the future. “The BOY 35 E with the servo drive fi ts like a glove into our produc-tion”, said Wolfrad Bächle, managing partner and responsible for the production at Märklin.

“Since we have an enormous number of plastic parts for our railways, railway cars and rail mate-rial, we also have a large number of moulds. All of them fi t without problems in the BOY 35 E, as the four tie-bar machine has extremely generous distances between the tie bars and platens,” he added.

The BOY 35 E is the most compact in its ton-nage range and requires a footprint of only 2 m². The machines run in a three-shift operation under full steam. In addition to some of its other features, the extremely low energy requirement of the ma-chine has helped decrease production costs.

Threaded nozzle for hot runner systems

SYNVENTIVE Moulding Solutions has introduced a new leak-proof threaded nozzle, the 09E, for use with its line of ‘Plug ‘n Play®’ unitized hot runner systems.

The 09E threaded nozzle is available with both thermal gate and valve gate options. It features a 9mm internal fl ow bore (with 30mm mould cut-out) and is ideal for medium-sized part applica-tions with maximum shot weights of 250 grams per nozzle. Since these nozzles are threaded directly into the hot runner manifold, a leak-proof system is provided without critical stack-up dimensions that must be maintained. These nozzles are externally heated and are available in lengths from 60-400mm. The heaters

are easily replaceable and have inte-grated, replaceable thermocouples.

The 09E nozzles are the latest addi-tion to the Synventive ‘Plug ‘n Play’ hot runner system product line. Synventive ‘Plug ‘n Play’ systems are fully pre-assembled and tested, and are shipped ready to install in the mould. As such, they greatly reduce the amount of time normally spent assembling, adjusting, and mounting the hot runner system into the tool. Synventive ‘Plug ‘n Play’ sys-tems are designed for use in demand-ing applications including automotive, premium consumer and electronics.

Nozzle design provides leak-proof operation

www.dr-boy.de

www.synventive.com

EQUIPMENT

62 APRIL / MAY 2012

Borouge invests in complete pipe extrusion line for new innovation centreBOUROUGE has ordered a complete polyolefi ns (PO) pipe extrusion line from KraussMaffei Berstorff for its new Innovation Centre in Abu Dhabi.

The order package comprises the KME 60-36 B/R single-screw extruder in the successful 36D Series, the KM-RKW 32 and KM-RKW 33 pipe heads, and corresponding down-stream components for the diameter range from 12 to 63 mm.

Borouge chose KraussMaffei Berstorff because of their extreme ef-fi ciency and high fl exibility in the use of different materials. The system will

be used in the innovation centre’s labora-tory to test development stages of various PO materials such as HD-PE, LD-PE, PP-HM or PP-R and also produce pipes of 12 to 63 mm at line speeds of between 2.8 and 100 m/min. The line is equipped with two pipe heads in order to ensure a quick and fl exible product change.

Borouge’s Innovation Centre will work together with the European innovation cen-tres of Borealis as well as with local and international educational institutions such as the Petroleum Institute of Abu Dhabi, to further develop the competence of polymer science in the United Arab Emirates.

www.kraussmaffei.com

KraussMaffei Berstorff single-screw extruder KME 60-36 B/R

liam.chegwidden@polysaf.com, kelly.dewet@polysaf.com and alan.wassung@polysaf.com (Cape Town)

Method delivers quick changeovers, major scrap reduction

Advanced internal bubble cooling system

EQUIPMENT

ADDEX Inc of the United States, a lead-ing global supplier of blown fi lm equip-ment and components, has introduced one of the industry’s most advanced internal bubble cooling (IBC) systems for blown fi lm extrusion lines. The Digital Internal Bubble Cooling (DIBC) system delivers the fastest reaction time in the industry to ensure precise bubble con-trol, helping proces-sors to speed product changeovers and signifi cantly reduce scrap.

“We have elevated the technology to a new level, offering one of the most sophisticated bubble cooling systems on the market,” said Rick von Kraus, president of Addex Inc. “At a time when resin prices are high and scrap reduction is a major concern, the DIBC represents a major advancement that helps processors realize major raw material savings.”

The fi ve-sensor system features a high-speed, servo-controlled air regula-tion valve that performs split-second corrections in bubble size (up to 20 ad-justments per second). Processors have reportedly switched from a 1000mm to a 1500mm layfl at in seconds, instead of the minutes it took with the previous system. One user has reduced annualized waste by just over 30 tons of material, which equates to a 1.5 RMS (raw material sav-ings = annual percentage of raw material saved), said Von Kraus.

The DIBC system went through several iterations in terms of software develop-ment and creation of the unique air regulation valve.

Patented split sensors enable the air fl ow intake and exhaust to react to the slightest changes in bubble size at or be-low the frost line where the bubble size is not yet fi nal. A set of two non-contact ul-trasonic sensors are aimed at the bubble below the ‘frost line’ where size changes, particularly with low melt-strength resins such as metallocenes and LLDPEs. This allows an immediate correction by the intake/exhaust blowers via the AC inverter-controlled blowers. For the more critical layfl ats, this is done via the high-speed servo reaction control valve.

A second set of two ultrasonic sen-

sors are aimed at the bubble above the frost line, where bubble size is stable, to calibrate the lower sensors to ensure the size is kept constant. The DIBC system includes a fi fth ultrasonic sensor that is aimed at a fi xed target in order to calibrate the other four sensors whose readings can be altered due to changes in

air temperature.The 100% digital

circuit system elimi-nates errors caused by interference due to electrical devices like corona treaters or ultrasonic sensor driftings. Thanks to the digital circuitry,

the DIBC continues to function if one, two or even three of the four ultrasonic sen-sors fail. However, in split-level set-ups, one sensor must function at each level.

The DIBC system is versatile because it can be used with 100% blower speed control (recommended for trimmed fi lms) and with the air valve control for the tight-est possible layfl at control. User-friendly features include a limited number of buttons and switches along with opera-tor alerts that indicate an off-centre or ‘breathing’ bubble.

The DIBC system can be integrated into any Addex or non-Addex complete line control system.

was founded in July 1989, in Stoughton, Massachusetts, USA, as a supplier of high-performance components for blown fi lm production. It has supplied some of the most sophisticated technologies capable of producing very fl at fi lm, without camber, with the lowest possible gauge variation and the highest possible output. The company is a leading manufacturer of many patented blown fi lm components and systems including manual and automated gauge controls, dies, air rings, internal bubble cooling systems, oscillating haul-offs and winders as well as leading designs of gravimetric blenders and bubble cages.

64 APRIL / MAY 2012

Addex Inc

The DIBC system went through several iterations

in terms of software development and creation

of the unique air regulation valve.

Bubble boost – The new IBC system from Addex of the USA can make up to 20 adjustments of the

bubble a second

www.addexinc.com

EQUIPMENT

Improve performance with real-time data monitoringLIVE Monitoring, a South African software house that specializes in the development of real-time production, asset, power and related manufactur-ing software, has developed various monitoring applications that are successfully deployed and in use in South Africa.

Produmax® has been adopted in a number of manufacturing industries, including injection moulding and plastic extrusion, rubber, print-ing, textiles and packaging. Produmax helps to improve manufacturing performance capability via a visual performance management system that enables manufacturers to monitor production processes in real-time.

The recent deployment of the new web enabled Produmax client also means that users are able to access the data from anywhere in the world using a standard web browser.

Automould Plastics and Smiths Plastics are two companies which have installed this system onto all their production machinery, offering a single unifi ed view of new and legacy equipment.

AutoMould have made extensive input into the reporting system and developed customized displays and reports that enable them to gather data on their processes .These reports enable AutoMould to establish trends and monitor actual production and downtime effi ciency against www.livemonitoring.co.za

66

monitoring. The CO2 emissions can also be calculated using this data.

Another benefi t of the Produmax system include a section where fi tters can build a knowledge base of problems and if they reoccur, the fi tter can access the stored data for possible resolutions.

F 80: New modular F-Series with a clamping force of 800 kN

The Produmax display consists of a linear graph of current and historical machine performance using colour coding to represent machine status. that After minimal training, per-sonnel are able to tell the status of their entire production fl oor from a single display

2-cavity mould produced round lids in cycle time of 2.7 seconds Lids produced by the F 80

carriage, and injection.The F 80, with a clamping force of 800

kN, features a size 40 Advanced Perfor-mance (AP) injection unit and a three-zone screw with a diameter of 40 mm and with an L/D of 22. With this confi guration, the machine delivers injection speeds up to 500 mm/s. The F 80 offers tie-bar spacing of 470 x 470 mm and will use a 2-cavity mould to produce round lids in a remark-

able cycle time of 2.7 seconds.

The parts have a diameter

of 110 mm, a wall-thickness of 0.52 mm, and weigh 7 g each. The lids will be used for re-usable 0.6 litre containers for foods such as yogurt, cream, or ice cream.

Since its debut at K 2010, Ferromatik Milacron has brought fi ve models in the new F-Series to market: the F 80, F 120, F 160, F 200 and F 350. By the end of 2012 Fer-romatik will have introduced the complete F-Series line-up. There will be a total of 10 models available, ranging from 500 to 6,500 kN, with 13 injection units in a number of performance classes to choose from.

• FERROMATIK IS REPRESENTED BY SES IN SOUTH AFRICA, TEL 011 902 1010

Super fastF-SeriesINJECTION moulding machine manu-facturer Ferromatik Milacron presented a super-fast F-Series model confi gured for a packaging application at NPE in Orlando, Florida from 1-5 April. Each of the fi ve machine axes can be powered by either hydraulic or electric drives and these can be combined in whatever manner suits the manufacturing requirements of the user. At NPE the machine featureD electrically driven clamping and plas-ticizing move-ments with hydraulic drives for ejection,

www.ferromatik.com

target times. “Produmax has proven to be an invaluable

tool to manage. We initially managed to reduce mould change times and downtimes, and now we are reducing cycle times by setting faster targets for our fi tters to achieve better running effi ciencies,” said Brent Latter, MD of Auto-Mould.

At Automould the Produmax system has been integrated with the Syspro ERP system to automatically gather product and works order details.

Smiths Plastics, part of the Metair Group, has also reported great results using Produ-max.

“Produmax has improved our effi ciency by 11% and allowed us to cut down on 10% of clerical staff who were recording the produc-tion statistics manually .The power monitoring system has improved our power consumption as well as given us more capacity,” said Rocky van Rensburg, production director at Smiths Plastics.

Smiths Plastics also makes use of the mes-senger module to generate alerts via SMS or email on downtimes.

The company also used Livemonitoring’s PowerMon, allowing real-time power usage

VITESSE

F-SERIES

K-TEC

ELEKTRA

MAXIMA

MAGUIRE Products, Inc. has enhanced its Purging Recovery System™ (PRS) for transforming purgings into regrind and has received the CE certifi cation required to make the PRS available in Europe.

The PRS is a two-stage system that fi rst planes rock-like purgings into small pieces, then reduces the pieces to uniform, high-quality regrind.

A purging consists of the transitional ma-terial that passes through an extruder as the operator shifts from one job or colour to an-other; typically it is discharged onto the shop fl oor, hardens, is scraped up and disposed of, ultimately ending up in a landfi ll. The PRS is the only equipment designed specifi cally for the rugged work of size-reducing these heavy masses of plastic, according to B. Pat Smith, Maguire’s vice president of marketing and sales.

While the PRS is already used to reclaim purgings of many widely used polymers, the new enhanced design extends its applicabil-ity to fl exible vinyl, which stretches when worked by cutting blades and can jam con-ventional granulators; and to shear-sensitive polymers like polystyrene, which can melt as frictional heat builds up in standard equip-ment. The design improvements permit reclaim of 85 Shore A vinyl, such as that

EQUI

PMEN

T

New plant concept for VACUREMA Prime technology

EREMA has developed a fl exible plant concept for the proven Vacurema Prime technology which now enables users to produce both food-contact grade fl akes and pellets.

The outcome of a market survey that Erema conducted in the USA and Europe was clear: www.relloy.co.za

www.erema.at

Transform ‘diffi cult’ plastic purgings

www.maguire.com

Users of this system can produce food-contact grade fl akes, pellets

Relloy’s EREMA technical team, Doug Scott and Barney Mkhatshwa, with Enrico Anelli, Relloy’s agent for the Cape area

Low-cost PRS does job considered too risky for expensive granulators

On the left are samples of the small pieces produced as the rotor knives plane away mate-

rial from the purging. On the right is the high-quality regrind that is produced when the small pieces are processed by a compact granulator

beneath the purging recovery system table.

An operator loads a purging into the containment chamber of the purging recovery system.

68

to valuable regrindcommonly used in wire and cable.

“PRS systems now in use by injection moulders who make multiple colour chang-es consistently recover purgings at a rate of 455 kg per eight-hour shift,” said Smith. “This is accomplished with minimal energy con-sumption – an average of 7.5 kWh – since the PRS uses three small motors with a total horsepower of 11, as against motor sizes of 100 horsepower or greater for a standard heavy-duty granulator.”

users of PET recycling plants are in search of a system that allows them to determine the form of the processed rPET themselves – i.e. choose between fl akes and pellets.

The new plant concept is a compact and space-saving all-in-one solution – Erema’s answer to the strongly fl uctuating rPET market.

Due to the extreme price fl uctuations for PET fl akes it does not always make sense to produce only pellets, as the difference in price to virgin material is too low and there is nei-ther a market nor customers for rPET pellets.

The solution: 3 in 1The new plant concept for Vacurema Prime technology enables three different operating modes. This way, plant operators can gener-ate the processed rPET in different physical forms to meet market requirements – while remaining fl exible as a result.• Mode 1: production of 100% rPET pellets • Mode 2: production of 100% rPET fl akes

• Mode 3: simultaneous production of rPET fl akes + rPET pelletsWith the new concept, not only decon-

taminated, pre-dried and crystallised rPET fl akes but also high-quality, melt-fi ltered rPET pellets can be produced. Both products are suitable for direct food contact and exceed all minimum quality and purity requirements.

Batch operation of the Vacurema Prime technology guarantees an exactly defi ned minimum treatment duration for every single, thin-walled PET fl ake. Thanks to the indi-vidually adjustable batch times the degree of purity and the required IV value can now be adapted individually, regardless of the operating mode selected.

• RELLOY IS THE AGENT FOR EREMA IN SA

RELLOY S.A. (PTY) LTD, Southern African leaders in the manu-facture and refurbish-ment of wearing parts for plastics conversion machinery, recently imported the latest technology Eutronic® GAP 2001DC Plasma

Transfer Arc (PTA) microplasma welding system from Castolin Eutectic® in Europe.

EQUIPMENT

Most powerful blow moulding machine catches on

KAUTEX Maschinenbau of Germany has continued the streak of success with its Long Stroke Machine (KLS) in the USA. For many years the KLS series has provided an optimal high-output solution for the demanding consumer packaging market. Available with standard quick-change systems and 3-layer coextrusion, Kautex can supply complete KLS turnkey solutions, making the series a www.kautex-group.com

The KLS 14D-100 is the most powerful high output machine of the KLS-series with the capability for 28-36 cavities achieving an output up to 11 800 bottles an hour

70

pioneer for product quality and reduced cost per bottle.

The KLS 14D-100 is the most powerful high output machine of the KLS-series with the capability for 28-36 cavities achieving an output up to 11 800 bottles an hour. The stan-dard carriage stroke of 1480mm and a clamp-ing force up to 550KN make this possible.

The shuttle technology of the hydraulic mould transport axis reduces the dry-cycle times of a double-station KLS14D-100 machine to 4.5 seconds. This is the ideal specifi cation for processing HDPE bottles as well as PP bottles with handles.

Bottles with a high quality surface fi nish are gently transported by inner-neck grippers that can incorporate optional integrated leak testing. A servo-electrical controlled takeout movement assures the exact positioning of the bottles. An additional benefi t is fast bottle size changeover by removing the need for adjustment of the conveyor belt for different bottle sizes.

Mould change reduced to just 10 minutesThe KLS series features a standard quick-change system, which results a machine solution which is among the most fl exible on

the market. With the combined advantages of the component quick-change system and optional bolt-less mould changing, the time necessary for a mould change is reduced to just 10 minutes. Add to this the ability to make process adjustments without stopping the machine, then the overall time to com-plete a product changeover is signifi cantly reduced.

This technology enables the use of high quality materials for the outer layer and a natural fi nish for the inner layer to ensure the fi lled product only comes in to contact with clean material. By using PCR material in the middle layer and minimizing the proportion of masterbatch, savings of material and ultimately a reduction of the bottle cost are achieved. In a recent project, a Kautex KLS machine equipped with 3-layer coextrusion technology is being used to manufacture 200-500ml shampoo bottles with a high gloss pearl surface fi nish.

• KAUTEX IS REPRESENTED BY GREENACRES OF MALMESBURY, PH 022 487 2233.

While Relloy has always used a PTA system for the hard-facing of screws to pro-vide their customers with the highest quality reconditioned and new bi-metallic screws, this new technology guarantees hard-facing of the highest international standard.

The Eutronic PTA system uses tempera-tures in excess of 6000°C to almost instanta-neously fuse hard-facing powder to the fl ight of the screw in an extremely focussed arc. The result is very low dilution of the base ma-terial while still maintaining homogeneity in the

weld deposit, ensuring an extremely wear resistant, hard coating with an unparal-leled bond to the base material.

Relloy has extended an open invitation to all existing and prospective customers to visit their premises to witness the hard-facing process fi rst hand.

• CONTACT RELLOY MD DEAN TOI ON 011 452 3724 OR AT DEAN@RELLOY.CO.ZA TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT.

Relloy managing director Dean Toi

Relloy imports microplasma welding systemUses temperatures in excess of 6000°C to fuse hard-facing powder to fl ight of screw

The Eutronic PTA system uses temperatures in

excess of 6000°C to almost instantaneously

fuse hard-facing powder to the fl ight of the screw in an

extremely focussed arc

The result is very low dilution of the base material while still maintaining homogeneity in the weld deposit, ensuring an extremely wear resistant, hard coating with an unparalleled bond to the base material

RELLOY S.A.(Pty) Ltd

27 Mopedi Road, Sebenza, Edenvale, Johannesburg, South AfricaP O Box 8190, Edenglen, 1613, Johannesburg, South AfricaTel: +27 (011) 452-3724 Fax: +27 (011) 452-4722KwaZulu Natal : Adele Eksteen 083 395 2136 Cape : Enrico Anelli 082 465 7639

email: dominique@relloy.co.zaWeb: www.relloy.co.za

The PTA utilises temperatures hotter than the ���������������� �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

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This unit delivers the latest technology in microplasma welding.

Relloy have been aligning themselves with the latest developments in the European

market in order to provide European quality in the South African market.

GLOBAL custom engineered thermoplastics compounder RTP Company has expanded its line of polylactic acid (PLA) bioplastic compounds to include impact modifi ed grades suitable for select semi-durable and durable applications. These new compounds deliver enhanced impact strength and higher heat defl ection temperatures than are pos-sible with unmodifi ed PLA resin, providing performance that is equivalent to traditional thermoplastics.

These new materials, available in both in-jection and extrusion grades, expand RTP’s PLA-based product line - which includes PLA alloyed with traditional thermoplastic resins and glass fi bre reinforced PLA compounds - to also include impact modifi ed, nucleated, and mineral reinforced compounds.

Varying levels of impact modifi cation are available providing several combinations of stiffness and ductility. The compounds are available in both opaque and translucent

The multi-layered and heat-sealed plastic fi lm of the PeroXeal™ packaging system, used as inner packaging material, is completely aluminium-free and thus more environmentally friendly

RTP Company now has a full line of PLA-based compounds

that allow bioplastics to be considered for broader use,

giving product designers the ability to create eco-conscious

products and meet end-use sustainability goals.

www.rtpcompany.com

Packaging system for pharmaceutical PVP sets new standards

www.basf.com

BASF has developed a packaging system which sets new quality standards: In the future PeroXeal™ will protect the pharmaceutical excipient Kollidon®, based on PVP (polyvi-nylpyrrolidone), even better against contact with oxygen and subsequent oxidation. This makes it possible to signifi cantly reduce the peroxide level of Kollidon, making the excipient suitable for use in oxygen-sensitive formulations as well. Under the trade name Kollidon, PVP is used in tablets as a binder and as disintegrant.

“With PeroXeal™ BASF is setting new standards for excipients in terms of for-mula stability and purity and can thus help its customers in the pharmaceuticals industry achieve higher levels of patient safety,” says Dr Boris Jenniches, head of Global Busi-ness Management PVP at BASF. “With our new packaging concept we can signifi cantly reduce peroxide values to a level comparable with that of naturally-based raw materials. This makes Kollidon a viable alternative to naturally-based raw materials”.

The multi-layered and heat-sealed plastic

fi lm of the PeroXeal packaging system, used as inner packaging material, is completely aluminium-free. The transparent PeroXeal fi lm makes the NIR (Near-Infrared Spectroscopy) test possible: The packaging can remain sealed until the product is used, keeping the excipient Kollidon stable.

PVP has a long success story: More than 70 years ago the BASF chemist Walter Reppe used acetylene and pyrrolidone to produce a new monomer, vinylpyrrolidone, which itself can be turned into the polymer polyvinylpyrrolidone. PVP is water soluble, but is also capable of absorbing large quan-tities of water; it is not a skin irritant, poses no health risks, is temperature resistant, pH-stable, non-ionic and colourless. Its widely varied properties make PVP ideal for a broad spectrum of applications. As a binder it holds together the individual active ingre-dients in the tablet to form a homogenous whole, while as disintegrant it ensures that tablets dissolve in liquids and quickly release their active ingredients. The polyvinylpyrroli-dones BASF manufactures are used for the most part in the pharmaceuticals sector.

versions and can also incorporate FDA compliant ingredients.

With impact modi-fi cation, PLA compounds can achieve notched Izod impact performance as high as 30 times that of neat PLA, making it comparable to PC/ABS. High performance nucleators raise the heat defl ection temperature, giving PLA bio-plastic compounds performance similar to ABS, HIPS (high-impact polystyrene), and acrylic.

PLA compounds are fully colourable and have bio-content as high as 95% depending on additive loading levels. Key applications include injection moulded covers, housings, and structural components for appliance, consumer electronics, furniture, lawn/garden, medical devices, offi ce equipment, sporting goods, tools, and toys.

RTP expands bioplastics line

72 APRIL / MAY 2012

MATERIALS

MBT South Africa

Rob Wainright 082 801 7373 Carlotta Stafford 082 600 7403Lance vd Merwe 082 901 0477 Paul Gripper 082 456 6659Helga Classen 083 769 4543

Unit 14, Eastwood Office Park, 11b Riley Road, Bedfordview.PO Box 751775, Gardenview 2047, South Africa.Tel: 27-11-455 2889Fax: 27-11-455 2937www.mbtsa.co.za

Cape Town Office4 College House

Village WalkParklands

For all your Polymer Raw Material Requirements

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74 APRIL / MAY 2012

13 companies rewarded for their composite innovations

THIS year 13 companies and their partners received awards at JEC Europe - Composites Show and Conferences. The programme was created in 1998 with the goal of promoting innovation and each year reveals the composite novelties that will change tomorrow’s world.

New non-destructive testing system for the inspection of composite parts used in the aeronautic industry.

(Copyright: Airbus S.A.S. by S. Bonniol / JEC Innovation Awards)

Winner: EADS (France)

INNOVATIONS

CATEGORY: AERONAUTICS

New composites material 100% based on renewable resources.(Copyright: Kompetenzzentrum Holz GmbH/ JEC Innovation Awards)

Winner: KOMPETENZZENTRUM HOLZ GMBH, WOOD K PLUS (Austria)

CATEGORY: BIOCOMPOSITES

Winner: AXON (UK)

CATEGORY: AUTOMOTIVE

to transform the future

TruPLAN advanced material kinematics kernel. Copyright: Magestic Systems Inc/

JEC Innovation Awards

Winner: MAGESTIC SYSTEM INC. (USA)

CATEGORY: SOFTWARE

The Axon car weighs 500kg with an all-carbon structure designed for scalable production and suitable for new fuel vehicles and prestige vehicles.Copyright : Axon/ JEC Innovation Awards

BRAID bicycle frame.Copyright: Munich Composites GmbH/ JEC Innovation Awards

Winner: MUNICH COMPOSITES GMBH (Germany)

CATEGORY: SPORTS & LEISURE

COM

POSI

TES

APRIL / MAY 2012 75

Production process for lightweight structures based on sandwich structures and spraying of resins, typically fi bre-reinforced polyurethane.Copyright: Fraunhofer ICT/ JEC Innovation Awards

Winner: FRAUNHOFER ICT (Germany)

CATEGORY: PROCESS

The world’s longest stress ribbon bridge of its type using pre-ten-sioned CFRP cables as the main load-bearing members.Copyright: Acciona Infraestructu-ras/ JEC Innovation Awards

Winner: ACCIONA INFRAESTRUCTURAS (Spain)

CATEGORY: CONSTRUCTION

An all-carbon composite structure for an electric vehicle battery pack module (BPM) without steel reinforcement.Copyright : LG Hausys/ JEC Innovation Awards

SPECIAL PRIZE

Recycling process of waste carbon fi bre from various pro-cessing technologies to develop yarns, tapes and fabrics.Copyright: Sigmatex Ltd/ JEC Innovation Awards

Winner: SIGMATEX LTD. (UK)

CATEGORY: MATERIALS

New composite laminate with high anti-ballistic properties, especially to ensure the safety of maritime traffi c.Copyright : Astilleros Santa Pola S.L./ JEC Innovation Awards

Winner: ASTILLEROS SANTA POLA, S.L (Spain)

CATEGORY: MARINE

Thermoplastic composite spoolable pipe system for the oil & gas industry. Copyright: Airborne/ JEC Innovation Awards

Winner: AIRBORNE (Netherlands)

LG HAUSYS (Korea)

CATEGORY: INDUSTRY

G128, the largest wind turbine blade in the world.Copyright: Gamesa/ JEC Innovation Awards

Winner: GAMESA (Spain)

CATEGORY: WIND ENERGY

Noise suppressor designed and used in

the railway environment by the staff during the

train manufacturing.Copyright: TCI/ JEC

Innovation Awards

Winner: TCI (France)

CATEGORY: RAILWAY

76 APRIL / MAY 2012

THE innovation processes at work in the composite market constituted the main topic at JEC Europe 2012 conferences and trade show which opened its doors in Paris, Porte de Versailles, from 27-29 March.

JEC Europe attracted some 1 150 exhibi-tors and 30 000 visitors. Professionals from all over the world fl ocked to the three-day event to see the launching of new products, exhibits of spectacular parts, and demon-strations of the most recent technologies. JEC Europe 2012 boasted 49 500 m² in surface area – an average four times larger than any other composite trade show in Europe and elsewhere in the world.

The worth of the global composite market went from €38 billion in 2000 to €72 billion in 2011. In a decade, the sector has managed to structure itself around regional, national and international clusters, strategic alliances and research centres.

At an average 6%-per-year increase, the market will be worth €91 billion by 2015. Thanks to a large number of remarkable cooperative associations, the composite industry has been able to innovate and increase its capacities in markets where composites are already well established, like marine or construction.

For other sectors, specialized clusters have accelerated the penetration of com-posites, for example, with the use of com-posites in aircraft structures rising from 35% to 50%. In the automotive sector, transna-tional value chains are leading to profound changes in areas like structural parts or under-the-hood parts, such as carbon body frames, or nanotubes in the energy storage

COMPOSITES

systems of electric cars.Automation is a broad fi eld that includes

things like equipment, software, and the in-tegration of manufacturing steps. The most signifi cant advances over the past decade have occurred mainly in North America and – especially – Europe, which has the high-est automation rate: 83% compared to 70% in Asia, to take one example. JEC provided a lot of scope for these processes.

Users are being won over more and

more by composite characteristics that match current needs. These characteristics are low weight, strength, thermal insulation, corrosion resistance, acoustic insulation, fi re protection, design fl exibility, textural pos-sibilities, surface quality, and recyclability.

France plays a leading role in thermo-plastic composites and plant-fi bre-rein-forced parts. For example, Normandy is the world’s leading producer of long high-end fl ax fi bres.

Three plastic matrix systems hold huge potential for RTMBASF presented its novelties for composites at the Paris JEC Composites Show in March, among them more automotive lightweighting innovations. The new Opel Astra OPC sports coupé features a seat pan made from continuous-fi bre-reinforced thermoplastic laminate (known as ‘organo sheet’). The plastics used here are polyamide specialties from BASF’s Ultramid® range. This is the world’s fi rst auto seat pan in a mass-produced vehicle that uses this technology.

BASF developed two Ultramid specialties for the Opel Astra OPC seat pan: a non-reinforced grade serves as impregnating material for the glass-fi bre fabric, while an impact-modifi ed short-fi bre-reinforced Ultramid grade is used for overmoulding the preform, creating the required ribs and edges by a classic injection moulding process. The high strength of the fi bre-reinforced laminate allows signifi cantly lower wall thicknesses, reducing the weight of the seat pan by 45%.

BASF’s Lightweight Composite Team is simultaneously investigating the potential that three plastic matrix systems, epoxy resin, PUR and polyamide, hold for

continuous-fi bre reinforcement in resin injection processes suitable for mass production, including in particular resin transfer moulding (RTM).

www.basf.com

Facts & fi gures about JEC 2012

• 49,500 m² of exhibiting area

• 1 150+ exhibitors in 2012

• 30 000+ visitors • 74% foreign

exhibitors• 70% foreign visitors• 96 countries

represented

A conceptual study of a multi-segmented convertible roof module. The component consists of a polyurethane foam core which is sandwiched between carbon-fi bre reinforced cover layers

(PH

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: BAS

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PAN

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012)

www.jeccomposites.com

& recyclability at JEC 2012Innovation, automation

MGMW future is bright

DEALING directly with its clients and delivering quality on time, every time, are the secrets to MGMW Trading’s success over the past two years, making the company one of the largest re-furbishing operations in southern Africa.

Gunther Maralik, Wolfi Maralik and Mike Grandcourt said their clients had also provided invalu-able and loyal support over the years.

“We offer various welding processes in reconditioning for every application the customer needs and we deliver quality on time,” said Gunther. “We don’t deal through middlemen who charge commission; we only deal direct with our customers.”

MGMW are able to manu-facture new barrels and screws locally, however, with spiraling manufacturing costs, the compa-ny has entered into a knowledge exchange with Hitech China who now supplies MGMW with superior quality barrels, screws and other accessories.

Hitech China also supplies pipe extrusion plants, profi le extrusion, recycling and washing plants and shredders. Hitech recently installed a complete fac-tory in Namibia.

Asked what plans MGMW had for the future, Gunther replied: “To expand even further and help build a great future for my two partners.”

The MGMW team – Mike Grand-court, Gunther and Wolfi Maralik

78

WITH the installation of two new VEGA L 1100 single-shaft shredders from Lindner reSource, Lohner Kunststoffrecycling GmbH of Vechta, Germany has vastly improved its energy ef-fi ciency in recycling engineering polymers.

“By opting for the VEGA L 1100, we have been able to reduce the connected loads of our single-shaft shredders by 50%, at unchanged throughput. This is in addition to signifi cant cost savings achieved in pre-shredding production waste, not least through a signifi cant cut in wear costs,” said Jan-Hendrik Wilming, LKR’s managing director.

Based on previous encouraging experi-ence with Lindner’s recycling technology, LKR is now installing an additional Micromat Plus 2000 single-shaft shredder as part of its current capacity expansion drive. Machines from this series are capable of handling particularly large and heavy plastic waste at high volume rates. This investment too was made with low energy consumption and high productivity consistently in mind.

VEGA single-shaft shredders made by Lind-ner reSource deliver throughputs of between 300 and 1500 kg per hour, depending on confi guration and equipment level. Users can choose between two rotor diameters (282 and 434 mm), three rotor lengths (540, 1 080 and 1 620 mm), and two blade types (point blade or square blade rotor).

The VEGA L 1100 in use at LKR have been developed for shredding hard plastics at low rotational speeds. Due to the special blade arrangement on the rotor, only one blade is

engaged at any given time. This design ensures a controlled draw-in action, reduced noise emissions, and a lower rate of fi nes in the pellet output. Beyond this, the machine features easy access for screen changes and maintenance work or repairs, to comply with high quality standards.

With their throughput capacity of 500 to 800 kg/h, these units are particularly well suited for pre-shredding small-to-medium size batches, e.g., in the form of start-up lumps, larger automotive plastic parts, packaging items or sheet material. Their ability to process the entire range of engineering plastics, including tough or exceptionally hard products such as PE, PC or POM, gives recyclers maximum fl exibility.

The substantially larger Micromat Plus single-shaft shredders, delivering nominal throughputs of up to 5 000 kg/h, are intended for industrial-scale plastics recycling. Their rotor measures 563 mm in diameter, and the customer has a choice between rotor lengths of 1 530 mm, 2 030 mm and 2 350 mm. Three different drive systems are available to meet specifi c applica-tion needs. Versatility is further enhanced by the easily replaceable screens with 10 to 300 mm hole diameters. LKR employs the new Micromat Plus 2000 as a pre-shredder for large mono-batches. Apart from large-volume parts and heavy lumps, even contaminated plastics can be processed in this manner.

• RELLOY IS THE AGENT FOR LINDNER RESOURCE IN SA

energy-saving shredder technologyAble to reduce connected loads of single-shaft shredders by 50%

The two new VEGA L 1100 single-shaft shredders from Lindner resource, installed at Lohner Kunststoffrecycling GmbH (LKR), need only half as much power as previously employed machines while achieving the same throughput. (GROSSBOTTWAR, MARCH 2012)

www.lindner-resource.comwww.recyclate.dewww.relloy.co.za

Recycling effi ciency with EQUIPM

ENT

WITH the new Bluehill® 3 materials testing software, Instron introduces an up-dated and enhanced version of its proven and widely acknowledged software for measurement, test control and report generation to determine the mechanical properties of materials, structures and components.

It offers an even greater number of tai-lored solutions meeting the requirements of many internationally standardised and application-specifi c, one-off and volume testing procedures in academic institutions, industrial R&D and QC departments. To this end, the Bluehill 3 materials testing software provides fully programmed application modules for specifi c areas of use, including testing of metals, plastics, elastomers, textiles, composites and adhesives, biomedical materials or medical and medical devices, along with supporting documentation covering the relevant testing standards.

The Bluehill 3 Plastics Application Mod-ule provides a comprehensive platform for measurement, test control, and report cre-ation for testing a wide variety of plastic materials and components. The Plastics Application Module includes a collection of pre-confi gured test methods and sup-porting documentation that cover a variety of internationally recognized industry stan-dards. These methods and supporting documentation allow for immediate testing after installation and basic training.

Pre-confi gured Test Methodsü ASTM D638 Standard Test Method for

Tensile Properties of Plasticsü ASTM D695 Standard Test Method

for Compressive Properties of Rigid Plastics

ü ASTM D790 Standard Test Method for Flexural Properties of Unreinforced and Reinforced Plastics and Electrical Insulating Materials

ü ASTM D882 Standard Test Method for Tensile Properties of Thin Plastic Sheeting

ü ASTM D1894 Standard Test Method for Static and Kinetic Coeffi cients of Friction of Plastic Film and Sheeting

ü ASTM D6272 Standard Test Method for Flexural Properties of Unreinforced and Reinforced Plastics and Electri-cal Insulating Materials by Four-Point

for testing wide variety of plastics

EQUIPMENT

80 APRIL / MAY 2012

Bendingü ISO 178 Plastics – Determination of

Flexural Propertiesü ISO 527-2 Plastics – Determination

of Tensile Properties – Part 2: Test Conditions for Moulding and Extrusion Plastics

ü ISO 527-3 Plastics – Determination of Tensile Properties – Part 3: Test Con-ditions for Films and Sheets

ü ISO 604 Plastics – Determination of Compressive Properties

Bluehill 3 offers us-ers the capability to launch standard or user-defi ned testing methods directly from the desktop and start testing with a simple click of the mouse or key stroke, a feature that signifi cantly increases ef-fi ciency in the test lab.

The new Expression Builder is ideal for programming user-defi ned expressions and calculations for complex evaluations based on the acquired measurement values. To increase the accuracy and repeatability of test results in the day-to-day operations of a laboratory, Bluehill 3 automatically identifi es the load cell or strain gauge used for the current mea-

surement, and verifi es compatibility with the intended test method.

During the test, the user can watch the measurement results in real-time; upon completion of the test, the software facili-tates the creation of sophisticated reports, including graphs, photos and logos, which can be directly integrated into other pro-grams in Word, PDF or HTML format.

The help system available in the Bluehill 3 software has been com-pletely revamped and provides the user with immedi-ate assistance for method creation and editing, and for more complex calcula-tions and results dis-

play. In addition, the help system contains examples of commonly used evaluation procedures. Finally, the Bluehill 3 User Community Blog provides the user with a powerful tool for fi nding useful information and answers to frequently asked ques-tions, or posting questions of his own.

• FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT ADVANCED LABORATORY SOLUTIONS ON 086 0000 ALS (257) OR INFO@ADVANCEDLAB.CO.ZA.

Comprehensive platformTesting covers internationally recognized industry standards

The Plastics Application Module includes a

collection of pre-confi gured test methods and

supporting documentation that cover a variety of

internationally recognized industry standards.

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WHEN it comes to choosing a thermoplas-tic for an electrical component, one must be sure in which area of application the part will be used in – as there is a distinct difference in standards and specifi cations for domestic and industrial applications. In this regard, there are various amor-phous and semi-crystalline materials avail-able meeting these stringent requirements.

Household appliancesPlastic raw materials used for the manufacture of domestic appliances and components have to comply with the International Electro-technical Commission (IEC) standard.

The advanced standard IEC 60335-1 deals with electrical, mechanical and thermal hazards as well as fi re and radiation hazards from domestic electrical appliances. It covers the safety of devices with a rating of no more than 250V for single-phase appliances and 480V for other appliances.

The precise values that need to be achieved depend on the electric current and whether the appliance is to be oper-ated with or without supervision. Accord-ing to the above standard, a plastic used in unsupervised appliances with a current of more than 0.2A may only be used if the specimens pass two ‘glow wire’# fl am-mability tests. The plastic must achieve a GWFI of at least 850ºC and a GWIT of 775ºC and the test specimen must not be thicker than the corresponding fi nished component.

If the test material does not satisfy these requirements, the tests must be performed on the fi nished parts and documented. To pass such tests on the fi nished part is signifi cantly complex and costly.

In almost all instances it is only a fl ame retardant (FR) grade of thermoplastic that will comply with the above standard.

Industrial applicationsLow-voltage switch gear and industrial control devices have to comply with IEC 60947-1 and UL 508.

The IEC 60947-1 standard deals with low-voltage switch gear and control-gear where the UL94 GWFI is of high impor-tance, while the UL 508 standard covers industrial control devices like circuit break-

Mouldings for domestic and industrial applications have specifi cally different specs, and choice of material is hence vital

Thermoplastics for the electrical, electronics industries

MATERIALS

BY THYS DU PLESSIS: TECHNICAL SERVICES MANAGER, PLASTICHEM

ers, relays etc. Of importance in this stan-dard are UL94, CTI, HWI and HAI. The UL 508 regulation is valid throughout the world for conductive (live) parts in industrial applications. This regulation concerns devices of up to 1500V which are operated in ambient temperatures from 0ºC to 40ºC. This regulation also applies to industrial control panels which are installed in control devices for motor-operated industrial equipment. See Table 1.

Bayblend®

The latest Bayblend® FR 3000 (PC+ABS blend) from Bayer Material Science may be used in articles with ecolabel status.What are ecolabels? Producers are under pressure to voluntarily comply with certain ecological standards relating to the choice of materials and production method. Where plastic-based products are concerned, the relevant criteria mainly involves the chemical composition of

Table 1: Fire resistance test for plasticsSource: Polycarbonate and polycarbonate blends for the electrical and electronics industries – Bayer Material Science AG

Materials that meet the household ap-pliances specifi cation include Makrolon®, Bayblend®, Makroblend®, Apec®, Durte-than® and Pocan®.

Makrolon®

Bayer Material Science has added a few new grades to its already existing range of fl ame-retardant Makrolon polycarbonates (PC). Two of these grades are Makrolon® 2467 and 6165X , both with excellent fl ow properties – making it possible to mould very thin, complex and fi nely structured ge-ometries giving you a V-0 rating at 1.2mm.

The fl ame retardant packages of all new Makrolon® grades are free from antimony, chlorine and bromine and therefore comply with two new EU directives dealing with the disposal of plastics from electrical and electronic equipment, the WEEE and the Rohs.

They also fulfi ll the criteria of major ecolabels such as ‘TCO 05’ and the ‘Blue Angel’.

the plastics. To receive an ecolabel, the plastic used in the article must, amongst other criteria, be free of carcinogenic and mutagenic substances, and the fl ame re-tardant packages must be free of bromine, chlorine and antimony.

Due to its high level of fi re retardance (UL 94 V-O at 0.75 mm to 1.5mm), the use of the Bayblend® FR 3000 series provides an impressive combination of eco-friendli-ness and fi re safety. Typical applications of the current Bayblend® FR 3000 genera-tion materials are audio-visual, computer equipment, household and related ap-pliances. The most important labels are the ‘EU Flower,’ ‘Blue Angel,’ ‘TCO’ label, ‘Nordic Swan,’ ‘Taiwan Green Mark’ and ‘Japan Eco Mark’.

82 APRIL / MAY 2012

84 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

MATERIALS

Durethan®

Lanxess, producer of Durethan® (poly-amide 6 and 66) and Pocan® (PBT), has several fl ame retardant grades available with V-0 ratings between 0.75 and 3.0mm with FR systems free from red phospho-rous and halogens. For example, Lanxess supplies a glassfi bre and mineral rein-forced Durethan that passes tests accord-ing to the upcoming European standard on fi re protection in rail transport for specifi c applications, achieving ‘Hazard Level 3,’ the best possible classifi cation.

A trend that Lanxess is responding to with its own developments in numerous projects is the use of fl ame retardant Dure-than® and Pocan® grades in electrical and hybrid vehicles.

Pocan® and Creamid®

Materials meeting standards set for industrial applications (UL 508 and IEC 60947-1) are Durethan®, Pocan® and ir-

radiation crosslinked PTSCreamid.The demands for current-carrying parts

in industrial applications are generally more stringent compared to domestic applications. Of high importance here is the UL 94 GWI, CTI, HWI and HAI. Some typical applications in this sector are indus-trial control devices, relays, control circuit switches, lighting dimmer systems and controls, circuit breakers.

By using an irradiation crosslinked poly-mer like PTS-Creamid, the use of fl ame retardant additives is no longer necessary while the properties of the material still comply to UL 508 – and in some instances with much improved HWI test results.

The Relative Thermal Index, RTI, also called the temperature index, describes the ageing behaviour of an insulating ma-terial. Non crosslinked materials, which are normally used for live parts, lose their insu-lating properties at elevated temperatures (e.g. at 160ºC ), even after a short time.

From this data it is clear that the irradia-tion crosslinked V-PTS-Creamid showed a service life of three times the reference material. A further advantage of the cross-linked Creamid is that it can withstand high temperatures of up to 280ºC with lead-free soldering technology and can even peek up to 500ºC for a brief period of 0.5 sec-onds in the manufacture of small coils.

As the demand for more stringent fl am-mability and thermal requirements in plas-tic parts increases, so does the demand on the raw material and in this regard the raw material manufacturers are continu-ously developing and improving materials to meet these requirements.

• FOR MORE INFORMATION REGARDING THE ABOVE MATERIALS, AS WELL AS TECHNICAL ADVISE, CONTACT THYS DU PLESSIS AT PLASTICHEM ON 0800 006772 OR WRITE TO THYS@PLASTICHEM.CO.ZA

Table 2: Semi-crystalline materials in accordance with the domestic appliance standard IEC 60335-1 suitable for carriers of live parts in unsupervised operation with current of more than 0.2 ampsSource: IEC 60335-1, Advanced standard for domestic appliances – Lanxess Deutschland GmbH

Table 3: Materials complying to specifi cations for industrial applications Source: Focus on fl ame retardant thermoplastics – Lanxess press release 2011

Table 4: Comparison of insulating propertiesSource: PTS – Marketing irradiation crosslinking

www.plastichem.co.za

Bayblend® FR 3010Fire safety (UL-indexing values) wall thickness 1.0 to 3.0mm. • Glow wire fl ammability index

(IEC 60695-2-12) 960ºC• Glow wire ignitability temperature

(IEC 60695-2-13) 850 ºC. UL94 VO @ 1.5mm

Household and similar electrical appliances that are operated when unattended with parts of insulating material supporting connections that carry a current exceeding 0.2 Ampere dur-ing normal operation have to withstand GWFI-test EN 60695-2-12:2001-11 (VDE 0471 Teil 2-12) at 850ºC and GWIT test EN 60695-2-13:2001-11 (VDE 0471 Teil 2-13) at 775ºC

Gear housing: Kitchen appliance (material selection) IEC 60335-1• Glow wire fl ammability index 960ºC• Glow wire ignition test ≥ 775ºC• Comparative tracking index A600VDurethan DP 2802/30 (PA 66 GF 30) halogen-free fulfi ls these requirements

84

Thermo Scientific microPHAZIR PC is a handheld NIR material analyzer designed for rapid on site plastic material identification. The 2.75 lb (1.25 kg) analyzer is battery powered and completely self-contained for portable analysis. Ergonomically designed for the expert and non-technical user alike, microPHAZIR PC utilizes the power of near-infrared spectroscopy to save you time & money.

Thermo ScientificmicroPHAZIR PC Handheld Plastics Analyzer

Key Benefits Include:Save Time: Rapid and accurate results displayed within seconds.

Easy to use: Designed for non-expert users, the analyzer is fully automated and requires no user input.

Portable: Small and lightweight for fast identification of materials in the field or at the sorting facility.

Safe: No sample preparation or burn test necessary, NIR is fast, safe and nondestructive.

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For more information please contact Anna Tshwene at United Spectrometer Technologies

DISTRIBUTOR

FROM a bright legacy to an even brighter future, the UAE has emerged as a hub and a centre of investment and opportunity. Among its fl ourishing emirates, Ras Al Khaimah has recently witnessed astound-ing growth to become a pilot for business potential in the country.

Home to over 50 000 South Africans, the UAE continues to serve as a lucra-tive platform for business ventures and investments from the country. Trade in the last year totalled over US $1 billion, a substantial 2.7% increase from the year before, with projected increases playing a signifi cant role in attracting South African investments to Ras Al Khaimah, one of the UAE’s fastest rising emirates.

Undergoing a rapid transformation to be-come a centre for tourism, manufacturing, construction, real estate and service, Ras Al Khaimah has emerged even stronger through advanced infrastructure – which includes port facilities, a nearby airport, and express highways – and governmental support that encourages a rapid pace of development.

Alongside this growth has been Ras Al Khaimah Investment Authority (RAKIA), which continues to ease the process of business formation as worldwide visitors www.rakiabusiness.com

continues to welcome SA with arms open wide

INVE

STM

ENT

86 APRIL / MAY 2012

make the emirate a home.Providing one-stop solutions from

conception to completion, which encom-passes licensing across various sec-tors, including industrial (14%), trading (36%), commercial (14%), consulting and services (29%) and media (7%); fl exible setup options that allow investors to test the waters before making a permanent commitment; provisions for land for industrial activities, warehouses and light industrial units, business towers and offi ce space, labour accommodations, executive residences and commercial centre.

Among the many fl ourishing industries within the portfolio of investors with RAKIA, the plastics sector has seen a distinct advantage with regards to the availability of raw materials in the region.

When this is coupled with the low cost of production and operations, Ras Al Khaimah holds the distinction along with being closer to target markets that will work to increase ROI.

These factors continue to draw in busi-ness registration from local (12%), regional (18%) and international investors from India (28%), Europe (20%), Asia/SE Asia (9%), USA (3%), and Russia/CIS (3%), as well as a number of other countries (7%).

Growth in potential markets, expressly swelling Asian economies, presents further business opportunity for companies that establish operations with RAKIA.

Beyond the ease of business formation, the benefi ts of such an endeavour include a lower cost of living that allows for greater profi t margins, 100% repatriation on profi ts and capital, complete ownership in free zones, no tax on import of raw materials and machinery, no hiring restrictions, low rent options for long-term leasing, a dedi-cated power plant for the industrial parks, as well as land, air and sea connectivity from Ras Al Khaimah to major markets in the Middle East and surrounding regions.

Among the emirate’s most valued ten-ants have been foreign business partners from South Africa, with over 265 African companies that currently operate with RAKIA. They continue to appreciate the distinct cost advantage and accessibility that makes RAKIA a unique choice.

Inviting South African investors to step into the region through RAKIA, the invest-ment authority continues to strive to ensure that ventures in Ras Al Khaimah are the most lucrative option available.

Ras Al Khaimah Investment Authority

TECHNICAL

Cold plasma improves adhesion properties

Plasma technologysolves critical adhesion problems

BY INÈS A. MELAMIES, BAD HONNEF, GERMANY

Incompatible material combinationsSince the production of sensor compo-nents involves several production steps, Weber-Formenbau expanded their plastic component production areas and invested in new injection moulding machinery. One of these machines produces the polycar-bonate lenses from three components. With an overall length of just less than 3cm each, these fi bre optics cover both the sensor function for daylight and the sensor function for water (Fig. 1).

After a comprehensive visual inspection of each single unit, the pre-moulded parts are overmoulded in the next production step with PBT in a two-component injection moulding machine where the PBT serves as a kind of package which tightly encloses the PC optics on each side (Fig. 2). The viewing faces of the small PC optics remain free during this process. In the next produc-tion step, the entire PC/PBT face is sprayed with a coating of transparent LSR (liquid silicone rubber) which forms the contact face to the windshield (Fig. 3 and 4). Since rain/light sensors have to be detachable, and therefore re-usable, in the event of the windscreen breaking, the LSR must allow good adhesion to the PBT packing and the PC lenses.

But it was exactly this production step that turned out to be a problem: The LSR, injected as the last component to provide

adhesion to the windshield, was repelled by the surface of the polycarbonate lenses. An inspection revealed that there were tiny air bubbles that could have affected light refraction, and the sensor would have received undesired rain pulses.

Elvira Postic, MD of Weber-Formenbau said: “900 sensors were due to be delivered within a few weeks, so we immediately got to work looking for the cause and a solution to the adhesion problem.” But neither a modifi cation of the polycarbonate nor tests with various adhesion-reinforcing silicones proved to be the answer.

It was only when Clemens Trumm, man-ager Application Development Centre at Momentive Performance Materials, and the University of Esslingen was consulted on an advisory basis that they realized that the lack of wettability of polycarbonate was due to the PC surface itself, and not to the LSR. The surface energy was too low. Adhe-sion defects were also caused by localized contamination of the coatings.

Trumm suggested treating the compo-nent surface with atmospheric plasma and recommended the German plasma special-ist Plasmatreat, Steinhagen.

Cold plasma improves the adhesion propertiesThe Openair plasma technology developed by Plasmatreat in 1995 for the pre-treat-

A GERMAN manufacturer of automotive rain and light sensors which operate windscreen wipers was encountering problems with the adhesion of liquid silicone rub-ber to polycarbonate, a situation which would almost certainly have led to major production losses. The timeous introduction of an atmo-spheric plasma process to bond these dispirate materials made on-time production possible.

The design of the sensor comprises vari-ous plastic material layers which must stick to one another precisely, as even the small-est air bubbles could cause a malfunction.

The family-owned company Weber-Formenbau GmbH & Co. KG in Esslingen, South Germany specializes in demanding multi-component injection-moulded parts for the automotive, medical and electronics industry. One of their showcase products is the complex polycarbonate optics of rain/light sensors which they manufacture for a large automotive supplier in an injection moulding process.

Adding complexity to the manufacturing of these sensors is the need to protect and thus enclose the sensitive components, and provide a cover layer which will stick to the windscreen.

The rain/light sensor refl ects incoming light beams while measuring the light refraction. Transparent LSR forms the cover layer for adhesion to the glass pane

Fig. 1. The highly complex polycarbonate optics of the sensors is manufactured in a three-component injection moulding process (fi gures: Plasmatreat)

88 APRIL / MAY 2012

ment of material surfaces is used worldwide today. Unlike low pressure plasma, this process does not need a vacuum cham-ber but operates under completely normal atmospheric conditions.

The intensity of ‘cold’ plasma is so high that processing speeds of several 100 mN/min can be achieved (Fig. 5). The heat-ing typically undergone by typical plastic surfaces is less than 30 °C. The system is characterized by a triple effect: It activates the surface by targeted oxidation processes, discharges the surface at the same time and leads to micro fi ne cleaning.

The activation results in a distinct increase of the surface energy so that com-pletely new adhesion properties can be gen-erated. Trials at Plasmatreat have revealed

that the surface energy of many nonpolar plastics can be increased to over 72 mN/m, an optimal precondition for adhesion in the bonding process. Thanks to this technique, it is also possible to achieve adhesion between incompatible plastics without bond-ing, simply by using plasma.

The user benefi ts not only from the high electrostatic discharging effect of a free plasma beam, but also from its ultrasonic emission speed which effectively removes all loose and micro fi ne particles from the surface.

Problem solving under time pressureWeber-Formenbau were left with just fi ve days to deliver the fi nished components. After testing 100 components in Plasma-

treat’s laboratory, spraying with LSR proved to be successful without any negative side effects. There was not a single air bubble and the silicone stuck perfectly to the poly-carbonate. A further 800 components were subjected to the same pre-treatment the next day - with the same positive result.

In order to allow direct component treat-ment in the tray, the injection moulder was supplied with a rental system the next day. At the same time a plant concept for initially offl ine component treatment was devel-oped because the desired integration of the plasma plant could not be done on the spot since all processing sides in the injection moulding machine were occupied. Joachim Schüßler, head of sales for Germany at Plasmatreat, explained: “Unfortunately this

Fig. 2. The PC lenses are initially overmoulded with a PBT package

Fig. 3. Section view: Portion of the LSR coating on the left, still uncoated lenses on the right

Fig. 4. The fully coated rain sensor

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APRIL / MAY 2012 89

TECHNICAL

is a situation we are often faced with. Our technology provides a remedy with inline pre-treatment. When looking at the new machine we often fi nd that there is no space left to instal the system.”

Integrated plasma system However, in the case of Weber-Formen-bau, an integration solution was found in co-operation with German engineering specialist kiki Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH and injection moulding machine manufac-turer Arburg GmbH + Co KG, Loßburg. The machine was converted and the plasma nozzle now enters the tool down-wards from the machine bed - rather than from upwards as would normally be the case. The two cavities are moved by a rotary unit. The overmoulding process of the PC optics with PBT is performed in the upper cavity (Fig. 6). After rotation, the already overmoulded components in the lower cavity are treated with plasma using a pneumatic motion system. The silicone is sprayed on afterwards. The inline process only takes a few seconds.

The xy motion system positioned in the machine base is moved into the working range of the tool. A type RD1004 plasma nozzle can move over the adhesion area and activate the surface of the PC optics for long-term stable adhesion to LSR (Fig. 7).

ConclusionThis application example shows that manufacturers would be well advised to consider the option of automated pre-treatment of plastic surfaces when

planning a new production line as the permanent optimization of materials can substantially modify their composition and, as a consequence, their adhesion properties.

In the case of the Esslingen-located sensor manufacturer, the production crisis was quickly averted by the use of the plasma process and thanks to the dedicated service by the supplier.

“With the Openair technique, we not only completely eliminated the adhesion problem but also substantially reduced the rejection rate,” said Elvira Postic.

Weber-Formenbau produces approxi-mately 120,000 rain/light sensors a month and has placed a third plasma plant from Steinhagen into operation.

• PLASMATREAT GMBH IS REPRESENTED IN SA BY RESIN PROCESSING SOLUTIONS, TEL: 021 790 1832, ANDRES@ROBATECH.CO.ZA

Fig. 5. View into the injection moulding machine: The Openair plasma beam impinges with almost ultrasonic speed on the polycarbonate lenses. Microfi ne cleaning and strong activation impart new adhesion properties to the plastic material

Fig. 6. Pre-moulded parts ready for being overmoulded with PBT in the upper cavity of the machine

In principle, the daylight beam landing on the windshield passes through a lens of the rain sensor and is refl ected by the former. The refl ection is detected by a pho-todiode which opto-electronically measures the light refraction. If the glass pane is dry, the entire light is refl ected relatively uniformly (total refl ection) and passed on to the photodiode. Water drops or water fi lms on the glass, by contrast, disturb the re-fl ection. The more the rain wets the glass surface whilst driving, the lower the light intensity measured by the diode and the stronger the pulses the sensor is sending to the automatic wiper control system.

www.plasmatreat.de

Fig.7. The nozzle of type RD 1004 has been integrated into the fully automated injection moulding process

90 APRIL / MAY 2012

Rain sensor functioning

OUR WINNING FORMULA SETS US APARTCarst & Walker has developed sustainable partnerships with leading international suppliers and valued customers for more than 70 ��� �� ������������������ �<���������������=� ������������� ��������������������=������������������������ ���� ��� ���� Rubber and Plastic industries.

Within the Polymers Division, the following business units provide the customer with the ultimate polymers solution:

ELASTOMERS PLASTICS & COMPOSITES FILLERS & ADDITIVES AUXILIARIES & SERVICES ANCHOR CHEMICALS

Johannesburg:Bill Taylor Jenny WarnerKevin ClarkTel: +2711 489 3600Fax: +2711 489 3601

Durban:Jaco SmithRon DunwoodiePaul RoseTel: +2731 313 8500Fax: +2731 313 8518

Website:www.carst.co.za

Cape Town: Tel: +2721 506 4560Fax: +2721 506 4561

Port Elizabeth: Kathy GardeTel: +2741 397 3600Fax: +2741 397 3601

A HOBART COMPANY

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SOUTH AFRICAPolymers Division

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leading international

manufacturers

GETTING IT RIGHT

THE Competition Act, 89 of 1998, has played a pivotal role in the economic transformation within post-Apartheid South Africa. Marked by its agenda to promote and maintain competition within SA, the Act has played and will continue to play an active role in transforming the economic framework of South Africa.

The Act recognises the need to: • provide for markets in which consumers

have access to, and can freely select, the quality and variety of goods and services they desire;

• create greater capability and an envi-ronment for South Africans to compete effectively in international markets;

• restrain particular trade practices which undermine a competitive economy; and

• regulate the transfer of economic owner-ship in keeping with the public interest.The Act is applicable all spheres of eco-

nomic activity within SA, with the exception of collective bargaining and collective agree-ments under the Labour Relations Act. The Act does also not apply to anything done to achieve a non-commercial socio-economic objective.

The Act is divided into four sections: horizontal agreements, vertical agreements, abuse of a dominant position and mergers.

The Act controls relationships between competitors to prevent collusive behaviour (secretly cooperating to do something illegal or underhanded). The basis for this is that competitors may decide that their profi ts can be maximised if their trading behaviours were co-ordinated, rather than having to compete with one another. When competitors collude they become similar to a monopoly and can therefore raise prices and reduce output to the detriment of the consumer.

To guard against this the Act prohibits any agreement between competitors which has the effect of substantially lessening or preventing competition, unless the competi-tors can show that there are pro-competitive gains and effi ciency to be achieved as a result of their behaviour. The Act however strictly prohibits price-fi xing, market divisions and collusive tendering by competitors.

Horizontal agreements

Competitors must be aware of the company they keep.

LEGA

L

92 APRIL / MAY 2012

By ABENA DANSO, Adams and Adams, Competition Law Practice Group

Competition Act continues to play active role in

transforming SA’s economic framework

Any forum where competitors meet is viewed with suspicion by competition regulators as these forums are the breeding grounds for competitors to agree to work together collusively. Informal, non- bind-ing discussions about prices, products or any other trading condition between competitors (even if never implemented) are in contravention of the Act. Adam Smith in 1767 said: “People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices.”

Vertical agreements are between parties in a vertical relationship e.g. manufactur-ers - retailers, suppliers – distributors and franchisees – franchisors. The Act bans agreements between parties in a vertical relationship unless the parties can show that there are pro-competitive effi ciencies that fl ow from the agreement they have with each other. Minimum resale pricing is strictly prohibited and no justifi cation can be given by the parties for engaging in the practice. Minimum resale price maintenance occurs when one party in a vertical relationship (i.e. suppliers/ manufacturers/franchisors) pre-scribes the price at which the other party in the vertical relationship (i.e. distributors/ retail-ers/franchisees) should on-sell certain goods or services.

The enforce-ment of prescribed resale prices can be achieved directly or indirectly. A sup-plier may, for example, restrict supply of a product to a distributor if the distributor sells at prices below the prescribed price. The restriction of supply by the supplier is aimed at penalising the distributor for not selling at (or above) the prescribed price and is a con-

Vertical agreements

travention of the Act. A supplier would also be contravening the Act if it incentivised the distributor to sell at (or above) a prescribed price.

The reason commonly used by suppli-ers for wanting to engage in resale price maintenance relate to the protection of the product’s brand value and image. Although brand protection is certainly a legitimate goal, suppliers should avoid engaging in the practice of resale price maintenance, par-ticularly bearing in mind that penalties of up to 10% of annual turnover could be levelled against offenders.

The Act allows for recommended retail prices, as long as the manufacturer/distribu-tor/franchisor makes it clear that the recom-mendation is not binding on the distributor/retailer/franchisee and that there will be no incentives or sanctions for failing to stick to the recommended retail price.

The Act controls dominant fi rm behav-iour to prevent a fi rm from being able to monopolise any sector of the market. The Act does not aim to condemn dominance

that is achieved through the ordinary course of industrial development by fi rms, but it aims to ensure that a fi rm’s dominance does not arise out of anti-competitive conduct.

The Act defi nes a fi rm’s dominance in terms of market share and market power. Any fi rm which has market power is consid-ered dominant regard-

less of its market share. Market power is the power of a fi rm to control prices, or to exclude competitors, or to be able to behave independently of its customers and suppliers.

Where a fi rm has a market share of over 45% the fi rm is said to be dominant. A fi rm is presumed to be dominant if it has

Abuse of Dominance

“People of the same trade seldom meet together,

even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some

contrivance to raise prices.” Adam Smith, 1767

LEGAL

The Act is a dynamic piece of legislation which has the ability to create an efficient competitive economic environment by balancing the interests of workers, owners and consumers. As long as the creation of a free market economy is a sort after goal, the Competition Act will always find relevance in a developing and developed economy.

APRIL / MAY 2012 93

between 35% and 45% market share, but the fi rm can may disprove this by showing it lacks market power. In instances where a fi rm has a market share of less than 35%, the fi rm is not considered dominant unless it can be proven that the fi rm has market power regardless of its insignifi cant market share.

The Act prohibits a dominant fi rm from being able to:• charge an excessive price to the

detriment of consumers;• refuse to give a competitor access to an

essential facility when it would be eco-nomically feasible to do so;

• require or induce a supplier or customer not to deal with a competitor;

• sell goods or services on condition that the consumer purchases separate goods or service unrelated to the main item the consumer is purchasing;

• sell goods or services below their mar-ginal cost; and

• buy up a scarce supply of intermediated

goods or resources which are required by its competitors in order to actively compete in the market.Where a fi rm abuses its dominance,

the Competition Tribunal can impose an administrative penalty of up to 10% of the fi rm’s annual turnover in South Africa and its exports from South African during the fi rm’s fi nancial year when it abused its dominance.

Mergers between fi rms are controlled by the Act. A merger occurs when a fi rm/per-son gains control of another fi rm in one of the following ways:• when a fi rm/person owns more than one

half of the issued share capital of another fi rm;

• when a fi rm/person is entitled to vote a majority of the votes that may be cast at a general meeting of a fi rm, or has the ability to control the majority of the votes

either directly or indirectly;• when a fi rm/person is able to veto the ap-

pointment or appoint the majority of the directors of the fi rm; and

• when a fi rm/person has the ability to ma-terially infl uence the policy of the fi rm.

The Act requires merging parties to notify the Competition Commission of its intention to conclude a merger transac-tion when the transaction meets certain fi nancial thresholds which have been set out by the Commission. The Commission investigates whether the transaction will have the effect of substantially preventing or lessening competition, by considering the relevant markets in which the merging parties compete in, assessing whether there is a product overlap and the effect on the market, should the merger be ap-proved. The Commission is also autho-rised to approve or disapprove a proposed merger on the basis of substantial public interest grounds.

Mergers

Welltec Plastics has theinjection moulding machines to

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94 APRIL / MAY 2012

Bringing design & DESIGN

Mike Wythe, industrial designer and lecturer at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), with guest speaker Dr Johannes Potgieter (Chief Direc-tor – Innovation & Technology, Department of Trade and Industry), Craig Duff (TUT Industrial Design Programme Head) and Professor Ben van Wyk (TUT Executive Dean, Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment)

DESIGN continues to have a positive impact on business success in both developed and developing economies. Mike Wythe, industrial designer and lecturer at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), believes that if South Africa is to compete on any level it has to invest in design.

“As a recent invited member of the BRIC group of countries, we can continue as we are and simply be a minor player of this organisation, in turn giving them a springboard to the lucrative trade potential that exists in sub-Sahara Africa, or we can adopt an alternative route by taking a leaf from their book and invest in design. India, China, Korea and Taiwan are countries that are enjoying the benefi ts of investing in the power of design. The developed economies of Europe and the UK have also achieved respective success levels by bringing design and industry together - we should and can do the same here in South Africa!,” he added.

Dedicated to helping this happen, TUT’s De-partment of Industrial Design is producing some extremely gifted talent. Evidence of this was seen at the most recent end-of-year exhibition where fi nal year industrial design students presented their fi nal project work – a collection of automatic tea and coffee makers with a modern twist.

Although all the projects were of an excellent standard, SA Plastics was particularly interested in those designs which made use of plastics. Among these were:

www.tut.ac.za

The WTFU1.9 is a coffee machine with built-in alarm with options for radio and music audio output. Features include touch screen control, USB input , AUX input and SD card input slot. The design uses styrene acrylonitrile as this plastic does not release any toxins into the water. The drip tray is made from polybutylene terephtalate which can withstand heat. Non slip silicon rubber feet prevent the coffee machine from slipping.

Juan Blignaut

THE GREEN TEALARM

WTFU 1.9

Inspired by green tea and the Chi-nese Architecture this design uses polypropylene, stainless steel and bamboo. Apart from producing hot water, it incorporates an alarm, AM/FM player and iPod docking station.

Andrew Mossop

Yachel Crofts’ elegant design, dubbed ‘La Lumiere’

TUT fi nal year design students show their talent

DESIGN

industry together

Henk Swanepoel’s retro-designed ‘Toasted Bean Wake-up Machine’ would

look quite at place in any modern home

This machine was designed with the tech-savvy user in mind who appreciates the value of time and information. The product is packed with functionality and is designed with the sleekness and cleanliness of the Apple iPhone. It contains a user touch-screen from which all functionality is accessed and is designed with automation in mind. The machine mainly consists of aluminium, DuPont Corian (aluminite, a relative newcomer to the ma-terials fi eld, which can be easily thermoformed) and ABS plastics for all other plastic parts because of if its durability.

Mike Siconolfi

THE IBARISTAE ESPRESSO TECHNOLOGY MACHINE

The combination of a clock, alarm and coffee machine is interest-ing and innovative. This design makes use of thermoplastics such as poly-propylene and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene – all afford-able for the student market and easily recyclable after the product life time.

CLOCK ALARM COFFEE MACHINE

Werner Olivier

This design offers multiple options for alarm times and coffee making, as well as a radio. Three main materials were used: ABS and polycarbonate combination material, polypropylene for all buttons and switches, and clear polycarbonate. Julienne says she chose the materials for their strength and high scratch resistance, as well as their glossy, high quality fi nish.

COFFEE MAKER

Julienne Bernstein

Andre Crichton’s red stitched leather, glossy big buttons and large digital display make for a striking yet practical design

95

96

CORAL Chem in conjunction with its prin-cipal, Geotech International BV, will host a training seminar in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg during May 2012 about colour effect pigments (glitters, pearles-cents, glass and aluminium pigments).

The seminar will cover all aspects of colour effect pigments, ranging from their make-up, type, colours and particle sizes available, formulating with them, their use in different solvent systems, as well as care needed when using them in produc-tion.

The seminars will be held in: Johannesburg9 May – Cosmetic Seminar10 May – Industrial Seminar (packaging

The funding of education & training in the rubber industryIOM3 Rubber Division’s Education and Training Fund qualifi es for socio-economic development element of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act

BY DAVE DUNCAN, SECRETARY, THE RUBBER INDUSTRY WORKERS CO-OPERATIVE LIMITED

NO-ONE can deny that the level of education and training in the Rubber Industry in South Africa is poor. The consequence of this is in-creased production costs and lower profi tability. Numerous interventions to resolve this problem have been attempted over the years, but have always foundered on the issue of funding.

In 2010, the IOM3 undertook an initiative to facilitate the skills training of the workforce in the rubber industry of South Africa. Ap-proaches were made to Plastics/SA (formerly The Plastics Federation) to assist through the use of their regional facilities and teaching skills. They agreed and this gave us training facilities in Midrand, Durban, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town.

The SETA (Merseta) relevant to the rubber industry had qualifi cations and unit standards in place and so all we had to do, in order to get the process up to speed, was fi nd students and fund them.

In order to create a positive attitude to the cost benefi t that a company will achieve by un-dertaking training on an industry basis, the idea of linking the costs to the skills development portion of the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) legislation was muted. The IOM3 Rubber Division’s Education and Training Fund was set up in 2011 and received

some support to get it underway. This fund was tested against the principles of BBBEE and found to qualify for the socio-economic development element of the Act. This gave an immediate points score under BBBEE of 25 for an SMME and 5 points for a big company.

We than approached the subject from the economic development element of BBBEE and investigated ways of training people in the industry within the defi nition of this element of the Act. We found that the formation of a workers co-operative, in which the co-op members would be educated in a classroom and then trained in a commercial operation in a factory environment would fulfi ll the conditions of the Act. This con-cept was introduced to the Industry at the IOM3 Conference in April 2011.

Since then the Rubber Industry Workers Co-operative Limited has been registered by the DTI. The registration number is 2012/002753/24.

Implications for the industry include:• By contributing 1% of after tax profi ts to the

IOM3 Rubber Division’s Education and Training Fund a company can achieve 5 and 25 points respectively in terms of the socio-economic development element of BBBEE.

• By contributing 2% of after tax profi ts to The Rubber Industry Workers Co-operative Limited,

a company can achieve 15 and 25 points respectively in terms of the enterprise devel-opment element of BBBEE.In other words; by contributing 3% of profi ts

after tax, a company can achieve 20 or 50 points respectively towards their BBBEE rating, simultaneously providing skills training which will ultimately enable the company to improve both the quality and productivity of their operation. (50 points is a level 6 BBBEE accreditation for an SMME. An SMME is de-fi ned as earning less than R35 million turnover per annum).

At the end of the day, this initiative is only as good as the number of skilled people it can deliver. We now have in place, in-house and through strategic alliances, the ability to educate - from ABET to PhD. We can train from sweeper to factory manager and then go on to develop the business skills for entrepre-neurship.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:ANTON HANEKOM, TEL: 011 653 4785, EMAIL: ANTON.HANEKOM@PLASTICSA.CO.ZATONY HESP, TEL: 082 452 7842, EMAIL: HESPFUTURENET.CO.ZADAVE DUNCAN, TEL: 082 491 0619, EMAIL: DDJD@IAFRICA.COM

TRAINING

PHOTOS: GEOTECH INTERNATIONAL BV

and masterbatch) 11 May – time available for us to visit individual customers if required.

Durban14 May – combined cosmetic and industrial seminar

Cape Town16 May – combined cosmetic and industrial seminar 17 May – time available for us to visit individual customers if required.

The seminars are free of charge and will start at 09h00, ending at about 16h00, and will include refreshments and lunch.

• FOR MORE INFORMATION, TEL: 031 266 0307 OR EMAIL INFO@CORALCHEM.CO.ZA

Colour effect pigments training

Insurance Financing ofEquipment

Forex

Funding of Debtors

Funding of Imports

Forwardingof Goods

& CustomsClearing

Financeto Pay Supplier Forex Forwarding/

ShippingInsurance WarehousingCustomsClearing Distribution Sales Payment from

Customer

TEKNOR Apex Company, long a leading producer of medical-grade compounds, has expanded its offerings to device manufac-turers with innovations in both vinyl and thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs).

Recent advances by Teknor Apex with great potential in medical manufacturing include BioVinyl™ fl exible vinyl compounds with bio-based plasticizer. Teknor Apex has begun development of fl exible vinyl compounds that incorporate phthalate-free DOW ECOLIBRIUM™ Bio-Based Plasticiz-ers, which are manufactured using plant by-products by The Dow Chemical Company.

Under a recently announced joint col-laboration agreement, Teknor Apex has been granted the exclusive right to market in North America fl exible vinyl compounds contain-ing these plasticizers in certain applications, including medical devices subject to a Dow Medical Application Policy. In uses like tubing and pouches, Teknor Apex expects that these compounds, under the new BioVinyl brand, will provide the performance advan-tages of vinyl, have a smaller carbon foot-print than alternative plastics like polyolefi ns or polyurethanes, and be more cost-effi cient than ‘green’ biopolymers.

Another recent advance is assembly technologies for TPE tubing. Three new patent-pending systems for use with tubing made from Medalist® medical elastomers enable common-size TPE infusion tubing to bond securely with conventional connec-tors.

The systems include room temperature-cured adhesives, light-cured adhesives, and solvent bonding. Commercially available adhesive and solvent systems used with

Introduced at MD&M a little over three years ago, the Medalist range of medical elastomers now includes a wide range of styrenic, olefi nic, vulcanizate, and alloy formulations, with hardness offerings ranging from ultra-soft gels at 25 Shore OO to hard yet ductile compounds at 85 Shore D. Teknor Apex can further broaden customer options by customizing the surface aesthetics, haptics, clarity, and colour

Vinyl, TPEs for medical applications

Bayer CO2 project among best ideas for the future

A BAYER project for using carbon dioxide as a component for plastics is among Germany’s most promising ideas for the future. The ‘Dream Production’ research initiative was one of the award winners in last year’s ‘365 Landmarks in the Land of Ideas’ competition. A pilot plant at Bayer’s Leverkusen site is one of the ‘Selected Landmarks 2012’. The CO2 supplied by the power generation industry is to be used for the production of high-quality foams, replac-ing a portion of the petroleum usually used as a raw material.

Each year this competition, under the patronage of the German President, honours 365 ideas and projects that make a sustainable contribution to Germany’s future viability.

This year there were more than 2000 ap-plications for the award, which is presented

Bayer test a new technology to produce plastics using carbon dioxide (CO2). This new pilot plant produces a chemical precursor into which CO2 is incorporated. The innovative method is a breakthrough in catalysis research

Latest innovations include fl exible vinyl with bio-based plasticizer

www.bayermaterialscience.com

PVC tubing either do not enable most TPE tubing to achieve suffi cient bonding strength or do not permit suffi cient work time for ease of assembly. These new systems achieve bonds exhibiting a retention force signifi cantly greater than the minimum required by device manu-facturers, and they include a slow-setting option to allow precise assembly control.

www.teknorapex.com

Innovative process for producing plastics with carbon dioxide

in six categories. Dream Production won in the science category.

Dr Tony Van Osselaer, member of the Executive Committee at Bayer Material-Science, believes it reinforces the com-pany’s strategy “to focus on sustainable products, processes and solutions to cope with global challenges such as resource conservation and climate change.”

The pilot plant at Chempark Leverkusen has been using CO2 from an RWE lignite-fi red power plant in Niederaußem outside of Cologne to produce a chemical used for the production of the high-grade plastic polyurethane. Industrial production of the CO2-based precursor is scheduled to begin in 2015.

MATERIALS

98 APRIL / MAY 2012

TM

OHSAS 18001:2007ISO 14001:2004ISO 9001:2008

JHB 011 975 0222 CT 021 552 0627 KZN 031 700 2464PE 083 974 2074 www.masterbatch.co.za EL 083 282 8850

“FOUR SEASONS” BY NEIL PAUW OF THE PARLOTONES

Manufacturers of masterbatches, pigments and additives for the Plastics Industry

OHSAS 18001:2007ISO 22000 :2005OHSAS 18001:2007OHSAS 18001:2007

MATERIALS

ROQUETTE and Rhodia Acetow have signed a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) to develop new plant-based polymers. The JDA will en-able both companies to leverage synergies bringing together respective competencies in the fi eld of plant-based polymer chemistry.

Jean Bernard Leleu, Deputy CEO and Research Innovation Devel-opment Director of Roquette commented: “Our goal is to continuously search for new solutions in growth markets and to boost our competitive-ness with new technologies. This agreement is an excellent opportunity to speed up the development of a new range of starch derivatives, offering a cost competitive and sustainable alternative to fossil based polymers.”

“This JDA will accelerate the launch of new polymers based on renew-able raw material, for which the demand is drastically increasing. The plant-based polymer cellulose acetate and cellulose acetate fi bre will remain the key products for Rhodia Acetow. This agreement is one fi rst step towards the diversifi cation of our product portfolio,” stated Gérard Collette, President of Rhodia Acetow.

Thanks to Roquette’s expertise in starch derivatives and Rhodia’s industrial technologies, some trials of starch acetate production will be carried out from early 2012 providing several tons which will be available for testing in diverse industrial applications. Potential fi elds of application include paper, paint and dye sectors and pharmaceuticals.

• PLASTOMARK IS THE AGENT FOR RHODIA

Rhodia-Roquette develop plant-based polymers

Permanent antistatic & lubricant systems

www.rhodia.com

www.roquette.com

NEW possibilities to achieve cutting edge permanent antistatic functionality for medical devices and pharmaceutical packaging have been unveiled by Clariant.

Clariant’s launch of a permanent anti-static performance additive extends its recently-introduced additive range featuring ISO10993 / USP23 part 87, 88 Class VI biologically evaluated raw materials. The range provides step-

Clariant’s launch of a permanent anti-static performance additive extends its recently-introduced additive range featuring ISO10993 / USP23 part 87, 88 Class VI biologically evaluated raw materials. (PHOTO: CLARIANT)

change functionality in such areas as antimicrobial additives, surface lubrication, which may make extra surface coatings unnecessary.

Examples of increased functionality include lower surface friction: permanent and immediate lowering of friction between parts reduces force to rotate, slide and actuate may help to improve the functionality of metered dose devices, such as

insulin pens. Further examples include reduction of insertion resistance for catheters or elimination of oils in syringe components.

The additive offers an effective alternative to fl uorine chemistries. The lower melt viscosity of the additive masterbatch improves mould release and helps avoiding mould deposits in the fi nal product.

Additives focused on improving processing and costs are also included within the range, such as nucleants and process aids for faster cycle times and thinner walled products, laser marking for ink-free identifi cation without solvent residues, and stabilizers to protect plastics materials from yellowing and loss of physical properties during gamma sterilization.

www.clariant.com

100 APRIL / MAY 2012

BOOK

S

Life-saving fi re protectionCELL phones, carpets, or insulating sheets – fl ame re-tardants are used in numerous everyday products to prevent them from being burnt or at least to slow down a fi re in an emergency. As

more and more plastics and other fl ammable materials are used, fl ame retardants are gaining increasing importance.

The new market study by Ceresana Re-search forecasts that global fl ame retardant revenues will rise to approximately US$5.8 billion by 2018. Demand is above all growing in the Asia-Pacifi c region, with China regis-tering the greatest increase of 7% per year.

As environmental restrictions mainly

impact halogenated fl ame retardants, less controversial alternatives are being devel-oped. The demand for organophosphates and different inorganic fl ame retardants is rising by 3.5% to 4.3% per year, which is signifi cantly faster than for brominated or chlorinated fl ame retardants.

The up-to-date market report provides detailed descriptions and analyses of the fl ame retardant market: Demand divided by product types as well as revenues and prices. The study also offers essential mar-ket data related to the individual application areas. The most important sales markets are construction materials – especially made from PVC – insulating materials, rubbers, adhesives, and paints & varnishes. Electrical & electronics and transport industry are also studied individually with reference to the world regions.

www.ceresana.com/en/market-studies/additives/fl ame-retardants-new/

102

THE market research institute Ceresana Research expects the global bioplastics market to reach revenues of more than US$2.8 billion in 2018 – cor-responding to aver-age annual growth

rates of 17.8%. High expectations will be placed on the bioplastic industry in future. With a roughly 48% share of global demand, Europe was the largest outlet for bioplastics in 2010, followed by North America and Asia-Pacifi c.

In 2010, most demand was accounted for by starch-based plastics, followed by poly-

Booming bioplastic industry analysed

www.ceresana.com/en/market-studies/plastics/bioplastics

lactic acid (PLA). Other bio-based plastics (PHA/PHB, cellulose, PBS) as well as fossil-based biodegradable plastics accounted for just less than 17% of global demand. Accordingly, biodegradable plastics are cur-rently dominating the bioplastics market with a roughly 92% share. Non-biodegradable plastics based on renewable resources are forecasted to increase their market share from 8% in 2010 to more than 47% in 2018.

The current Study on Bioplastics com-prises 450 pages, including 57 coloured graphs and 67 tables. An 8-year review as well as revenue, production and demand forecasts up to 2018 – split by application area, bioplastic types, and country – provide the information and tools to make important business decisions.

www.ceresana.com/en/market-studies/chemicals/surfactants

CERESANA Research expects the global surfactant market to generate revenues of more than US$41 billion in 2018 – translating to an average annual growth of 4.5%. With a roughly 37% share

of global consumption, Asia-Pacifi c is the largest surfactant outlet, followed by North America and Western Europe. Ceresana

Global report on surfactantsforecast countries in Asia-Pacifi c to increase their shares in the global surfactant market. In addition, South America will see strong growth, above all because of massive increases in production in Brazil.

This comprehensive guide offers the decisive advance in knowledge. An 8-year review, as well as production, revenue and demand forecasts up to 2018 provide the information and tools to help make important business decisions. All data is split by application areas, surfactant types, and countries.

PHYSICAL Testing of Plastics is the latest release by iSmith-ers Rapra Publishing. This book discusses the physical

rather than the chemical examination of the properties of polymers on the basis of the type of equipment used, examples of the applications of these techniques are given.

Techniques examined include thermal analysis (thermogravimetric analysis and evolved gas analysis), dynamic mechanical analysis and thermomechanical analysis, dielectric thermal analysis, ESR, MALDI, luminescence testing, photocalo-rimetry testing and the full range of equipment for mechanical, thermal, electrical, rheological, particle size, molecular weight.

Physical testing of plastics

www.polymer-books.com

REACH for the Polymer Industry - A Practical Guide is a new release by iSmith-ers Rapra Publishing. The book has

been produced by the EU Leonardo Project called Polymer REACH. The overall objective of Polymer REACH is to develop an e-learning platform and training materials for the European polymer industry to learn and understand how to manage their obligations under the European legislation - Registration, Evalua-tion, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH).

The book will be useful to anyone who works with polymers or the chemicals that are used to make polymers, whether they are end-users or suppliers. REACH is affecting everyone concerned with the polymer industry and this book will help them to prepare for the impact and conse-quences of the REACH legislation.

REACH for the polymer industry - a practical guide

www.polymer-books.com

104 APRIL / MAY 2012

WORLD NEWS

THE cornerstone of the new €100-million Clariant Innovation Centre was offi cially laid during a ceremony on 29 February at the Industriepark Höchst in Frankfurt. Attending the event were Hessen State Finance Minister Thomas Schäfer; Clariant Executive Commit-tee member Christian Kohlpaintner; and Ulrich Ott, Managing Director of the company’s operations in Germany.

Over the next several months, the Swiss specialty chemicals corporation will build an innovative offi ce and laboratory facility of roughly 36 000m2 on a site that will soon

provide jobs for some 500 researchers. The concept for the building, which aims to offer an optimal working environment through its open architectural design, was developed by the Düsseldorf-based architectural fi rm of HPP.

“Innovation is the foundation of the future, both for individual companies and society as a whole,” said Dr Christian Kohlpaintner, whose responsibilities at Clariant include Research and Development. “I hope that the bright and transparent rooms will not only be the birthplace for new ideas that fl ourish and grow, but also provide the environment for an

inspiring exchange between our researchers and technicians, as well as with their partners in the fi elds of science and industry,” added Dr Kohlpaintner. He also emphasized Clariant’s targeted research policy: “We want to develop products and procedures that yield sustain-able benefi ts and represent true progress.” He underscored that a major focus in the future will be on megatrends, such as functional materials, energy effi ciency and renewable raw materials.

Clariant Innovation Center Cornerstone Laid at Industriepark Höchst. The cornerstone symbolizes this: Right next to it is a sealed stainless steel tube containing the building certifi cate, construction permit, construction drawings and a local newspaper – as well as a 3D model of the Depal

molecule. Depal is the acronym for diethyl phosphinic acid aluminum salt – the chemical name of Clariant’s successful fl ame retardant. The molecule will remain visible to the visiting public under a glass panel in the fl oor of the building. (PHOTOS: CLARIANT)

UK’s National Composites Centre opens

www.clariant.com

New Clariant Innovation Centrewill provide 500 new research jobs

MEXICHEM BUYS WAVIN FOR €531M

MEXICAN chemicals giant Mexichem has purchased the Dutch pipe making company Wavin for €531-million, creat-ing one of the world’s biggest plastic pipe manufacturing businesses with a turnover in excess of €4bn.

The transaction follows two unsuccess-ful attempts by Mexichem to buy Wavin

late last year. Last December Wavin an-nounced it was granting Mexichem access to its books, having received assurances on a number of issues relating to a pos-sible post-takeover environment for the company, including strategy and employ-ees’ future.

In a joint statement, the two businesses said there was a “compelling strategic ratio-nale” for the takeover.

The combined group would have “stron-ger design, engineering and R+D capabili-ties whilst leveraging Mexichem’s low cost manufacturing platform,” as well as having “a more diversifi ed end-market profi le across the residential, non-residential and infrastructure segments exposing it to dif-ferent economic and construction cycles”.

www.mexichem.com

UMECO plc, a leading composites solutions provider in the UK, recently presented a num-ber of exhibits to showcase the company’s expertise in the composites industry at the offi cial opening of the National Composites Centre (NCC) on the Bristol & Bath Science Park near Bristol

Umeco was one of the NCC initial members last year and has a place on the NCC board with principal manufacturing and

engineering companies Airbus, GKN, Rolls-Royce, Vestas and Agusta Westland.

Umeco exhibits showcased its involvement in sectors such as automotive, aerospace and renewable energy. These included a Delta Motorsport E-4 Coupé electric car, a Ginetta F400 sportscar, the root section of a tidal turbine blade and a wing section. Peter Chivers, Chief Executive of the NCC said: “The NCC is a powerful national asset

to maximise the potential of the industry. It has something for all businesses involved in composites manufacture, across all industry sectors. I am delighted to have UMECO as one of our Tier 1 members and value their insightful and multi-sectoral contribution.”

www.nationalcompositescentre.co.uk

www.acg.co.uk

Umeco exhibits at the opening of the National Composites Centre in the UK showcased its involvement in sectors such as automotive, aerospace and renewable energy

AROU

ND T

HE W

ORLD

BRASKEM’S GREEN PLASTIC IN STADIUM SEATSBRASKEM, the leading thermoplastic resin producer in the Americas and the world’s largest producer of biopolymers, established a partner-ship with Amsterdam ArenA to supply Green Plastic to be used in the production of seats for the multifunctional Dutch stadium. In addition to the 52 000 existing seats, 2 000 new seats manufac-tured with Braskem’s plastic made from ethanol will be installed in the coming months. By the end of the next two years, all 54 000 seats will be made of plastic from 100% renewable raw mate-rial, using Brazilian technology.

Braskem has produced Green Plastic since September 2010, when the company inaugurated the world’s largest plant of ethylene made from ethanol in city of Triunfo (Rio Grande do Sul state), with annual production capacity of 200 ktons of polyethylene. Unlike fossil plastic, Green Plastic presents a positive environmental result: each ton of plastic produced avoids the emission of 2.5 tons in carbon dioxide. www.braskem.com

SABIC VENTURES FORTH!THE Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) has launched a new global corporate venture capital arm, SABIC Ventures, in the Netherlands, with the primary goal of seeking out innovative technologies and businesses consistent with the company’s global strategy.

SABIC Ventures aims to build up a portfolio of technology options for the company’s future busi-nesses. It will do this by investing directly both in seed stage, early stage and late stage compa-nies. The new organization will lead investment, co-lead and invest alongside venture capitalists. SABIC Ventures will be funded by an Innovation Fund, which will be managed by the organization. Amongst the areas which have been designated for investments are advanced materials and composites; alternative feedstocks for chemicals and materials; and alternative energy and clean-tech. At the same time, the organization will be constantly exploring new areas of interest.

The targeted countries for sourcing venturing investments are the USA, Europe and Asia. www.sabic.com

BASF TO BUILD 300 000 TON TDI PLANT BASF will build a single-train 300 000 metric tons per year production plant for TDI (toluene diisocyanate) and expand additional plants for its precursors at its site in Ludwigshafen. These include the construction of a new hydrogen chlo-ride recycling plant as well as the expansion of plants for nitric acid, chlorine and synthesis gas.

It is also planned to expand the aromatics complex at the site for the supply of toluene. Total investment including the required infrastruc-ture at Ludwigshafen site will be about €1 billion and create around 200 additional jobs. Produc-tion will start at the end of 2014. BASF plans to close down its 80 000 metric tons per year TDI production plant in Schwarzheide, Germany, when the new plant goes on stream. TDI is a key component mainly used for fl exible polyurethane foams. www.basf.com

AROUND THE WORLD

APRIL / MAY 2012 105

A LONDON-based architecture practice FourfourSixSix worked with laser-sintering specialist EOS and rapid prototyper Ogle Models to create a plastic egg for the world’s biggest egg hunt, The Fab-ergé Big Egg Hunt, which is taking place this Easter, reports Plastics & Rubber Weekly (www.PRW.com).

From 21 February, the UK capital becomes home to 200 giant, uniquely crafted Easter eggs, of which the laser-sintered egg will be one.

They are all destined to become highly collectible works of art and will be avail-able to buy at auction, with pro-ceeds going to Action for Children and Elephant Family, the UK’s biggest funder

for the endangered Asian elephant.Members of the public will be able

to hunt down the strategically placed, giant eggs, which have

been exclusively designed, bejewelled and decorated by some of the world’s leading artists, architects, jewellers and designers including Mulberry, Sir Ridley Scott, Zandra Rhodes, Diane Von Furstenberg, Marc Quinn, Bruce Oldfi eld, The Chap-man Brothers, Theo Fen-nell, William Curley (who has designed the world’s

most expensive chocolate egg), Bompas and Parr

and Polly Morgan.It is hoped that their sale will

raise £2m.

Plastic egg for world’s biggest egg hunt

The Fabergé Big Egg Hunt will have 2½ foot fi breglass eggs placed across London which will be exclusively adorned & decorated by some of the world’s leading artists, all to raise money for Action for Children & Elephant family.

The sintered egg will help raise cash

for good causes

G20 nations urge global cooperation to tackle economic crisis, promote growthSUSTAINABLE economic growth for a secure world was the theme of the third G-20 consultation meeting held in Ri-yadh, Saudi Arabia from 24-26 February.

Discussion centred around energy for sustainable development, and the sovereign debt crisis and its effects on the world economy.

Othmar Karas, vice president of the European Parliament, partially blamed the ‘incomplete monetary union’ created by the European Union for the crisis some Member States are currently go-ing through.

Karas explained: “While we es-tablished strong policies, we also left loopholes, which made it possible for Member States to apply very different fi nancial and economic policies – some that were inappropriate and that trig-gered our current crisis.”

But Karas pointed out that the EU wasn’t the only one responsible. “The economic crisis has its roots in exces-sive deregulation and the unsustainable

credit policies that were adopted in the United States. And in this respect, the EU has also fallen victim to the poor choices of other policy makers,” he added.

Emphasizing the need for a reinforced global cooperation, Karas called for a re-view of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. “The world has changed, but unfortunately the Bretton Woods system has not. I am not saying the IMF and WB should be closed, but it is time to review these organizations.”

Han Qide, vice chairman of the standing committee at China’s National People’s Congress, highlighted the ‘constructive’ role played by emerging markets in resolving the fi nancial crisis. “Developing countries have become formative participants in improving the global economic governance and the international community should fully rec-ognize and support the positive contribu-tion they made to the world economy,” he concluded.

On the invitation of the Speaker of Majlis Ash’ Shura of Saudi Arabia, and under the patron-age of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz, the G20 confer-ence was attended by representatives from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, India, Indone-sia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the European Parliament.

THE Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) has signed a TDI and MDI technology license agreement with Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. Mitsui will provide manufacturing technology for producing TDI and MDI, which are both raw materi-als for producing polyurethane. The agreement also provides for joint technology development in TDI/MDI.

Expressing strong optimism over the agreement, Mohamed Al-Mady, SABIC Vice Chairman and CEO, said that it would spearhead a strategic collaboration between the two companies to explore future possibilities to collaborate in the PU business. “It will enable a fast development of PU application industries in Saudi Arabia, especially with regards to thermal insulation which will contribute to employment creation as well as energy savings,” he said.

The agreement was signed by Mohamed Al-Mady, SABIC vice-chairman and CEO, and Mitsui Chemicals president Toshikazu Tanaka at SABIC’s headquarters in Riyadh on 26 February

Lanxess to break ground in Singapore for world’s largest Nd-PBR plantLANXESS will break ground for its new neodymium polybutadiene rubber (Nd-PBR) plant in Singapore in September. Lanxess plans to invest roughly €200 million in a 140 000 tons per annum facility in Jurong Island Chemical Park. The facility will be the largest of its kind in the world and serve the grow-ing market for ‘green tyres’, especially in Asia. The plant is expected to start up in the fi rst half of 2015.

Lanxess has signed contracts with key suppliers to its Nd-PBR plant. Petrochemical Corporation of Singapore (Private) Limited (PCS) has agreed on a long-term supply of butadiene to Lanxess. Butadi-ene is the raw material Lanxess needs to produce Nd-PBR. PCS is building a new butadiene extrac-tion unit and associated infrastructure necessary to supply the raw material.

Singapore’s TP Utilities Pte Ltd will provide steam to the Nd-PBR plant. TP Utilities is adding 650 tons per hour of steam capacity to its existing biomass clean coal cogeneration plant on Jurong Island, which currently has 500 tons per hour of steam capacity and 100 Megawatt of electricity generation capacity.

Nd-PBR is used in the treads and sidewalls of ‘green tyres’. It helps reduce the rolling resistance and increase the fuel effi ciency of a tyre. Nd-PBR is highly resistant to abrasion and plays a signifi cant role in making tyres more durable and safer.

Performance butadiene rubbers are also used for the modifi cation of plastics in the manufacture of High-Impact Polystyrene (HIPS) for injection moulding applications. Other applications include golf balls, running shoes and conveyor belts.

Lanxess’ new Nd-PBR plant will be located on Jurong Island next to the company’s butyl rubber plant, which represents the company’s single-largest investment at €400 million. It is currently under construction and will come on stream in the fi rst quarter of 2013.

www.lanxess.com

Mr Akira Yonemura, managing director of Petrochemical Corporation of Singapore (Private) Limited with Dr Axel C. Heitmann, chairman of the Lanxess board

SABIC to manufacture TDI, MDIW

ORLD NEWS

106

Complex fl uoropolymer parts being injection mouldedPERFORMANCE Plastics presented examples of their high volume fl uoropoly-mer injection moulding capabilities at the National Plastics Exhibition trade show from 1-5 April in Orlando, Florida. Perfor-mance Plastics is one of the few injection moulders in the world who can point to the successful and repeatable implementation

of PFA and FEP using a direct gating, hot runner moulding system with up to 8 cavity tools to mould critical parts for the medical, computer printer, lithium ion battery and semiconductor industries.

Direct gating of hot runner systems for PFA and FEP provides signifi cant cost reduction due to the elimination of runner

material while providing better dimension and tolerance control. Hot runner system component design, specially formulated tool steels and sophisticated processing techniques are combined to allow high volume production at a competitive cost.

DIARY

www.performanceplastics.com

SPE 8TH THERMOFORMING CONFERENCETHE European Thermoforming Division of the ‘Society of Plastics Engineers’ will host their 8th Thermoforming Conference in Venice, Italy on 26-27 April. The conference will include presentations from experts in the thermoforming industry and lively debates in workshops about technical and commercial issues. The conference will be complimented by an informative and comprehensive exhibition of relevant latest product developments and services offered by a variety of leading suppliers to the thermoforming industry. www.e-t-d.org

PLASTPACK GHANATHE Plastpack series of industry shows in some of Africa’s leading markets continues in Ghana in May. Plastpack Ghana 2012, the specialized industry trade show for plastics and rubber industry, takes place at the Ghana International Trade Fari Centre in La Accra from 3-5 May. The event promises to be a platform to forge business alli-ances, showcase products and services and interact with traders in the West African region. The event is organised by Al Fajer Information & Services of Dubai. www.plastpackghana.com

PLAST 2012 APPROACHESTAKING place from 8-12 May, PLAST is the largest exhibition in 2012 representing the entire production chain of machines, equipment, moulds, raw materials, regenerated materials, composites, and semi-fi nished and fi nished products for the plastics and rubber processing industry. By the end of December over 1 100 exhibitors from 40 countries had signed up for the event, but more applications have been submitted in recent weeks.

With respect to previous editions of the triennial exhibition, PLAST 2012 has many new features underscoring the international character of the fair and highlighting the broad panorama of novel technologies and innovative applications that will be prominently displayed in the huge Fiera Milano pavilions. Regarding innovations, from now until May there will be an increasing number of exhibitors highlighted on the website www.plastonline.org with a symbol allowing interested parties to get a preview of their innovations and pre-organize their visit to PLAST 2012.

A notable feature this year is the return of the satellite fair RUBBER 2012 during PLAST. www.plastonline.org

KREYENBORG’S 6TH SYMPOSIUM ON PLASTICS PROCESSINGNEW trends in the plastics industry is the topic for the Kreyenborg’s Group’s symposium from 9-10 May in Muenster / Westphalia. At this symposium a panel of keynote speakers will give a hint of the future, will present new ideas and will develop them further through personal discus-sions with a wide range of key industry executives.

Top-class guest speakers will give a precise idea of the latest trends in plastics processing – in terms of dosing, compounding, extrusion or fi ltration technology. Additionally an insight into the Kreyenborg Group’s solutions as well as new developments and the related possibilities for the process technology will be given. www.kreyenborg.de/symposium2012

2012 EVENTS

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN MIDDLE EAST PLASTIC PIPESAFTER the success of the previous events, AMI’s 5th edition of the Middle East Plastic Pipes Conference will take place from 15-16 May at the Shangri-La Hotel in Dubai, UAE. This event is focused on the applications, markets and technology for plastics pipes in the Middle East region.

In 2011, the economic output of the MENA (Middle East & North Africa) region grew by circa 5% compared to 2010 and this rate is expected to be maintained through the next 5 years. In-vestments are outpacing economic growth: they represented circa 25% of GDP in 2011 and are expected to reach circa 28% by 2016. The region’s population continues to grow fast, further stimulating demand for construction and infrastructure – and hence the demand for pipes.

Middle East Plastic Pipes 2012 is a unique forum to debate the technical and market devel-opments in the pipe industry in the MENA region. www.amiconferences.com

APRIL / MAY 2012 107

EUROPEAN THERMOFORMING CONFERENCE: 26-27 AprilNH Laguna Palace, Venice, Italy: www.e-t-d.org

NPE 2012: 1-5 April: Orlando, Florida, USA: www.npe.org

PLASTICS IN THE AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING6-7 April: Mannheim, Germany: www.vdi.eu

PLASTICS JAPAN: 11-13 AprilTokyo Big Sight, Japan: www.plas.jp/en

INDOPLAS 2012: 11-14 AprilJakarta, Indonesia: www.indoplas.com

UTECH EUROPE 2012: 17-19 AprilMaastricht, Netherlands: www.utecheurope.eu

IISRP AGM: 16-19 April: Venice, Italy: www.iisrp.com

4TH PAINTEXPO: 17-20 April: Germany: www.paintexpo.com

SAVA ‘BEST PRACTISE PVC’: 17 AprilPlasticsSA, Midrand: www.savinyls.co.za

WASTE MNGT & RECYCLING CONFERENCE: 18-19 April: Emperors Palace, Kempton Parkgraces@mogorosicomms.co.za

CHINAPLAS 2012: 18-21 AprilShanghai, China: www.chinaplasonline.com

DIEMOULD INDIA: 19-22 AprilMumbai, India: www.demat.com

POLYMERS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS 2012: 24-26 AprilMaritim Hotel, Cologne, Germany: www.amiplastics.com

ZIMBABWE INT’L TRADE FAIR: 24-28 AprilBulawayo, Zimbabwe: www.zitf.net

SPE THERMOFORMING CONFERENCE: 25-27 AprilVenice, Italy: www.e-t-d.org

DRUPA 2012: 3-16 May: Dusseldorf, Germany: www.drupa.com

PLASTPACK GHANA 2012: 3-5 MayLa Accra, Ghana: www.plastpackghana.com

BIOPLASTICS COMPOUNDING & PROCESSING: 8-9 MayMiami, Florida, USA: www.amiplastics-na.com/Events

WAITEX: 8-10 May: Lagos, Nigeria: www.exhibitionsafrica.com

AFRICA INFRASTRUCTURE: 8-11 MayExpoCentre, Johannesburg: www.africainfrastructure.co.za

PLAST 2012: 8-12 MayFiera Milano, Milan, Italy: www.plastonline.org

PLASTPACK GHANA 2012: 10-12 MayAccra, Ghana: www.plastemart.com

ARABIAMOLD 2012: 14-17 MayExpo Centre Sharjah, UAE: www.euromold.com

PLASTIVISION ARABIA 2012: 14-17 MayExpo Centre Sharjah, UAE: www.plastivision.ae

MIDDLE EAST PLASTIC PIPES: 15-16 MayShangri-La Hotel, Dubai UAE: www.amiplastics.co.za

EAITE 2012 (EAST AFRICA INT’L TRADE EXHIBITION)20-22 May: Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzaniawww.africainfrastructure.co.za

MONTGOMERY West Africa is pleased to announce the launch of PROPAK West Africa, a brand new event for the emerging West African packag-ing industry, taking place from 4-6 September 2012 at the EKO Hotel and Conference Centre in Lagos, Nigeria.

PROPAK West Africa 2012 is aimed at manufacturers and suppliers involved with food processing, packaging, print-ing, labelling and plastics - providing an exciting forum for trading, product sourcing and education. It will give decision-makers, specifi ers and buyers leading-edge information on global trends, advancements in technology, product information and market up-dates. Furthermore, the exhibition will provide an ideal platform for local and international exhibitors and visitors to network.

“There is so much potential for this show in the West African region,” says Lydia Botha, New Business Develop-ment Manager, Montgomery Africa. “Not only does our market research

indicate a high demand for this kind of event, but we’re excited to be providing a platform for suppliers and potential buyers in this region to exchange ideas about some of the fascinating trends and developments in the packaging industry”.

According to Botha there are many fascinating facets to explore when it comes to the packaging industry, including: innovative ways to utilise packaging as a marketing tool, new technological advances that capture attention and sales, how packaging can aid food preservation, as well as environmental considerations.

PROPAK West Africa is organised by Montgomery West Africa, which through its subsidiary, Specialised Exhibitions (Pty) Ltd has run PROPAK Africa for over 20 years in South Africa. The announcement of PROPAK West Africa, comes at a time when the event organisers have long recognised the potential for a show in one of the world’s fastest growing economies. The

Intelligent process integration INTELLIGENT process integration for maximum effi ciency and economy – this will be Engel’s focus at Plast 2012 from 8 to 12 May in Milan. Five high-ly-integrated and automated production cells will demonstrate the injection moulding machine manufacturer and automation expert’s system solution and technology competence – and across a wide spectrum of applications, too, from automotive through technical moulding and packaging to medical.

The biggest growth driver in Italy today is the automobile and automotive supplies industry. At Plast, Engel will show how oil sumps, made of poly-amide and produced in MuCell® foam technology, are made on an Engel duo 3550/500 pico injection moulding machine with a clamping force of 500 tons. The production cell is automated with an Engel viper 20 linear robot.

Due to increasing focus on lightweight constructions and the increases in raw material prices, the trend will be for structural foam moulding. Physical foaming involves the injection of pressurized nitrogen or carbon dioxide into the plastic melt during plastifi cation. After injection into the unpressurised

mould, the gas separates from the melt and creates a fi ne-cell foam structure. This saves raw material, weight and costs.

At the same time, the moulded parts exhibit excellent dimensional stability.

Under the Engel foammelt banner, Engel of-fers turnkey solutions from a single source for

MuCell structural foam moulding. The foam units by Engel technology partner Trexel, Woburn/USA, are fully integrated into the Engel injection moulding machine’s CC 200 control unit. This means that the over-all system satisfi es the highest demands with regard to documentation, traceability and clarity.

When it comes to manufacturing technical parts, the Engel victory machines use their

tie-bar-less advantage to the full. An Engel victory 330H/200V/120 combi will demonstrate

Propak West AfricaDI

ARY

108 APRIL / MAY 2012

www.propakwestafrica.com

is Engel’s focusAPRIL / MAY 2012 109

If you are involved in packaging, printing and labelling purchasing decisions for your organisation, then you don’t want to miss Propak West Africa in September

THE LARGEST AND MOST SUCCESSFUL PACKAGING, FOOD PROCESSING, PLASTICS,

LABELLING AND PRINT EXPO IN AFRICA NOW COMING TO WEST AFRICA

Eko Hotel and Convention Centre,

Lagos, Nigeria4-6 SEPT 2012BOOK YOUR STAND NOW!Propak West Africa™ A brand new event for the emergingWest African packaging industry, running in conjunction with Print Expo West Africa™ and Pro-Plas West Africa™, this exhibition will target manufacturers, suppliers and service providers involved in the packaging, food processing, printing, labelling and plastics industries.

For more information go to www.propakwestafrica.com

Associates:

Organised by:

Meet professionals and decision makers from within the packaging, processing, printing, labelling and plastics industries Network with stakeholders

within your relevant supply chain ���������������� �� ��������������conferences and workshops that will run concurrently with the exhibition

Promote your products and services Increase brand awareness

Media Partner:

West African region is poised for phe-nomenal growth and at the very centre of it all, Nigeria boasts a GDP in excess of $200 billion. With the Nigerian market now eager to source world-class offer-ings, this show provides a professional and centralised platform to highlight the untapped potential of this region.

PROPAK West Africa will be co-locat-ed with FoodPro West Africa, Pro-Label West Africa and Print Expo West Africa at the premier international, EKO Hotel and Conference Centre, located on Victoria Island in Lagos, from 4-6 September 2012.

The show organisers, Montgomery West Africa, form part of the Montgomery Group, which has staged some of the world’s most prestigious and acclaimed exhibitions since 1895. Montgomery Africa is a market leader in producing international and local events, with a proven history of delivering a solid return on investment for both exhibitors and visi-tors. The company also manages a num-ber of African-based events on behalf of

international partners, including Grand Designs Live, IP EXPO and IFSEC South Africa Co-Located with OSH Expo Africa and FM Show Africa.

PROPAK Africa, a bi-annual event, held in Johannesburg South Africa is the largest and most successful packaging, food processing, labelling, printing and plastics exhibition held on the African continent, an event that skilfully harness-es the synergy and strengths of the vari-ous inter-linking industries. The exhibition attracts local and international buyers from all over Africa and beyond. In addi-tion to this portfolio of events is PROPAK Cape, a highly successful regional event taking place in the Western Cape, South Africa, alternating in a three-year cycle with PROPAK Africa.

“We look forward to expanding on the phenomenal success of PROPAK Africa and PROPAK Cape through the launch of this new event in West Africa,” says Botha. “The market is ready for this and we aim to deliver a world-class experi-ence,” she concluded.

this at the fair. The machine will produce bottle openers in two-component injection moulding and insert technol-ogy with in-mould labelling. An Engel viper 12 type linear robot – the fastest robot in its load-bearing class in inter-national comparisons – inserts both the metal part and the decorative foil into the mould. The fi rst shot initially injects the body of the bottle opener in polycarbonate, while the second applies a covering of TPE to the edges to provide a better grip.

Thanks to the Engel victory machines’ tie-bar-less design, the robot can access the mould from the side, thus supporting automation on a very tight footprint. Both the robot and the magazine for the metal inserts and foils are inside the machine’s safety guarding.

The highlight by Engel medical at Plast is the produc-tion of syringe barrels including needles in a single production step. An all-electric Engel e-motion 200/100 T injection moulding machine featuring a clean room design is used for this. To allow this to happen, the needles are separated and inserted into the 4-cavity pilot mould by Zahoransky, Freiburg/Germany, by a linear robot driven by a servomotor. After overmoulding with a COC/COP, the syringe barrels are taken off the mould by an Engel easix multiple axis industrial robot. Because the take-off step occurs in parallel to insert-placing of a new set of needles, the plant achieves extremely short cycle times. The integrated process is an innovation compared with legacy multiple step processes, which fi rst manufac-ture the needle holder in an injection moulding step and then glue in the hollow needles.

debut in September

www.chinaplasOnline.com

COMPANIES INTERESTED IN EXHIBITING AT PROPAK WEST AFRICA, SHOULD CONTACT LYDIA BOTHA, NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, MONTGOMERY AFRICA ON + 27 11 835 1565 OR LYDIAB@MONTGOMERYAFRICA.COM.

110 APRIL / MAY 2012

High-precision 16-cavity mouldNyproMold Inc of the USA exhibited some of its latest technologies at the NPE show in Florida in April. The company has been in operation since 1988, when it was formed jointly by global plastics component supplier Nypro and other investors. In the last 7-10 years NyproMold’s business has shifted from being a mouldmaker to a start-to-fi nish mould solutions provider, to Nypro as well as many market-leading companies who need a full service mould solution with the capability to execute globally. The mould in this image is used for the multi-cavity production of 10.5g inhaler bodies, running at a cycle time of 17 seconds.

NyproMold operates two plants in the USA at which it employs over 150 people. It has exported over 500 moulds over the past few years.

www.nypromold.com

THE AMI Polymers in Photovoltaics conference aims to bring together leading polymer industry experts alongside the solar industry to discuss the optimum, cost-effective solutions for components such as encapsulants for silicon, back sheets for protection, lightweight alternative materials to glass in front sheets, and new substrates for silicon depo-sition, sealants and adhesives. The next international conference on Polymers in Photovoltaics 2012 will take place from 24-26 April at the Maritim Hotel in Cologne, Germany.

Dr Henning Wicht has been studying the solar pow-

er market for several years and will give the opening address – a market study on the challenges for the industry in the next few years. Other topics to be discussed include quality control, cost-effective manufactur-ing, module design and polymer usage, and extrusion technology for encapsulants.

PHOTO: SOLAR SAILOR HOLDINGS AUSTRALIA, WWW.SOLARSAILOR.COM

DIAR

Y

Polymers in photovoltaics manufacturing

www.amiplastics.com

PDM12 (PLASTICS DESIGN & MOULDING): 29-30 MayLondon, UK: www.pdmevent.com

GLOBAL PLASTICS TRADE & MARKETS CONFERENCE 11-12 June: Istanbul, Turkey: www.cvent.com

BIO-BASED MATERIALS: 19-20 JuneStuttgart, Germany: www.hanser-tagungen.de

MASTERBATCH 2012: 19-21 JuneRenaissance Hotel, Vienna, Austria: www.amiplastics.com

WORLD SYMPOSIUM ON PERFORMANCE FILMS20-21 June: Düsseldorf, Germany: www.ihs.com/spf2012

INTERPLAS THAILAND 2012: 21-24 JuneBITEC, Bangkok: www.interplasthailand.com

MULTILAYER PACKAGING FILMS USA 201226-27 June: DoubleTree Hotel, Chicago, USAwww.amiplastics-na.com/Events

SAITEX (AFRICA’S BIG SEVEN): 15-17 JulyGallagher Convention Centre, Midrandwww.exhibitionsafrica.com

EUROMOLD BRASIL: 20-24 AugJoinville, Brazil: www.euromold.com

INTGERPLAST BRAZIL: 20-24 AugJoinville, Brazil: www.messebrasil.com.br

GLOBAL POLYMER INNOVATION EXPO: 26-29 AugustColumbus, Ohio, USA: www.globalpolymerinnovationexpo.com

PROPAK WEST AFRICA: 4-6 SeptemberEko Hotel, Lagos, Nigeria”: www.propakwestafrica.com

SPE AUTOMOTIVE COMPOSITES CONF: 11-13 SeptemberMichigan, USA: www.4spe.org

TAIPEI PLAS 2012: 21-25 SeptemberNangang Exhib Hall, Taipei: www.taipeiplas.com.tw

MEDIPLAS: 25-26 SeptemberBirmingham, UK: www.mediplasuk.com

ARMO 2012 (ROTO MOULDING): 30 Sept-2 OctLyon, France: www.armo2012.com

WASTECON 2012: 8-12 OctoberELICC, East London: www.wastecon.co.za

BRITYREX INTERNATIONAL 2012: 9-11 OctoberManchester, UK: eci-international.com@mimimail4.com

AFRIMOLD 2012: 10-12 OctoberGallagher Convention Centre, Midrand: www.afrimold.co.za

MULTILAYER PACKAGING FILMS 2012: 16-18 OctoberMartim Hotel, Cologne, Germany: www.amiplastics.com/Events

POLYOLEFIN ADDITIVES 2012: 23-25 OctoberMartim Hotel, Cologne, Germany: www.amiplastics.com

DRINK TECHNOLOGY INDIA: 6-8 NovemberMumbai, India: www.drinktechnology-india.com

PACKTECH INDIA: 6-8 NovemberMumbai, India: www.packtech-india.com

PETPOINT: 13-15 NovemberBrau Beviale, Nürnberg, Germany: www.drinktec.com

WIND TURBINE BLADE MANUFACTURE: 27-29 NovemberMaritim Hotel, Cologne, Germany: www.amiplastics.com

EUROMOLD 2012: 27-30 NovemberFrankfurt, Germany: www.euromold.com

NYPROis a $1.2-bil-lion turnover supplier of complex plastics manufacturing solutions servic-ing the health-care, packaging and consumer & electronics industries. It is one of the larg-est employee-owned compa-nies in the world, with 17,000 employees at 41 locations in 14 countries. Its HQ is in Massachu-setts, USA. www.nypro.com

To place a classifi ed advert pleaseFax: 086 519 6089 or Tel: 021 712 1408 E-mail: saplastics@iafrica.com | www.saplastics.co.za

Included:

Extruder with winder2 colour Flexo printing machineAuto bag cutter/sealer Auto Hydraulic handle punch High accuracy micrometerCompressor and other extras

FOR SALE

Price: R200 000.00 onca | Contact: Dirk on 084 803 5135

100% working condition – brand new!

Including business plan options, advertising and formulas to manufacture bags from raw material to fi nished product

Plastic bag & tube making machinery/plant 2010 model, HDPE/LDPE

Zerma granulator, bought new 2009 paid R75 000.00

Machine in perfect condition.

Selling for R45 000.00

Contact: Barryon 083 454 5629

FOR SALE

BLADESSHEFFIELD BLADES

Machine knives, industrial & surgical blades.

For more information contact:

Tharina on 084 318 0283

MACHINES AVAILABLE DUE TO PLANT UPGRADE:1. HDPE & LLDPE FILM EXTRUDERS FOR SALE

2. 6 COL C.I. CONTACT: IAN ON

084 732 2323

COMPOUNDING CAPACITY AVAILABLE

We can compound mineral powders into PP or PE

Please call Alon on 021 521 2400

GREENLAND OILSMichael Engels072 125 4323

Tel: (011) 903-8084Fax: (086) 665-4323email: mengels1@

telkomsa.netPO Box 1220

Walkerville 1876

FOR SALE

ENGEL 350TModel: ES1500/350Year built: 1979Still running productionPrice: R125 000.00 excl. VATEx JHBContact: Waldus van Staden on 083 415 8132

Adv

ertis

ers:

Apr

il / M

ay 2

012

Requirements:

record and references of previous employer(s)

machine

equipment

preventative maintenance attitude

solving

when necessary

Send applications to:cv@tsitsikammacrystal.co.za

PET Injection Technician vacancy at bottling plant in Eastern Cape, Tsitsikamma.

APRIL / MAY 2012 111

TECHNICAL MANAGER: PLASTICS

WELL ESTABLISH BUSINESS SEEKING APPL CANDIDATES.

APPROX 5 YEARS EXP WITH PROVEN TRACK RECORD.

TERTIARY POLYMER QUALIFICATION AN ADVANTAGE.

MANAGE LABORATORY AND R & D ON MASTERBATCHES.

REMUNERATION PACKAGE NEGOTIABLE.

PLEASE SENT CV TO: LAUREN@FERROSA.CO.ZA.

Advanced Lab Solutions 81Annecat 482nd Annual Waste Management 107BASF 39BRE Innovations 25Cabletech Marketing 51Carst & Walker 91Chemfi t 42Chemimpo 1033D Solids AMT 12Dema Plastech 31DESMA 41DH Polymers 38Extrupet 09Hestico 59Hi-Tech Elements 38Hosaf 53Jenowill 03Joesten International 23

Karbochem 49Luigi Bandera 17Magnum Machine Tools 19Maritime Marketing 77Masterbatch SA 99MBT 73Mercury Plastics 35MGMW Trading 79Miracle Mould 36, 37MJH Machine Tools 20, 21Nissei ASB 15PCA Training seminar 47Performance Colour Systems 83Perspex SA 13Plasquip OBCPlastamid 45PlastiChem IFCPlasticolors 29Plastomark 65Polysaf 63

Propak West Africa 109Protea Polymers IBCQuad Plastics 05RAK Investments 87Rawmac 40Relloy (Erema) 69Relloy (Welding) 71Relloy (Lindner) 01Resin Processing Solutions 89SAPY Colours 55Sasfi n Bank 97SES 67Standex Engraving 30Sun Ace 61Transpaco Recycling 27Ultra Polymers 101United Spectrometer 85Victor Fortune 33Welltec 93West African International 86

SPORTS

www.teknorapex.com

A NEW series of ‘wet-grip’ thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) compounds for injection moulding promises to add to the enormous popularity of soft-touch features in consumer products by retaining a non-slip surface and secure grip even when wet.

Monprene® Wet Grip Series styrenic block copolymer compounds minimize or eliminate a problem encountered with many standard TPEs in soft-touch applications like sports equipment grips, handles, knobs, and cushions. These products often become slippery and hard to handle when wet from sweat, rain, humidity or other commonly encountered substances. Unlike the standard TPEs, the new Monprene products retain their rubber-like traction when wet, while providing the same elasticity and other key mechanical proper-ties. They are available in hardnesses from 10 to 45 Shore A and can be applied onto a variety of substrates by means of two-shot, co-injection, or insert moulding.

In tests measuring the coeffi cient of friction of a standard styrenic TPE with a Monprene wet-grip grade, the new compound exhibited a coeffi cient that was 25% greater when surfaces were wet with plain water and 175% greater in the case of soapy water.

Soft-touch components that are potential appli-cations for the new Monprene compounds include those in shaving razors, toothbrushes, writing in-struments, paint brushes, hair brushes, hair dryers, hand tools, kitchen appliances, cooking utensils, vacuum cleaners, mops, rakes, shovels, scissors, and sporting equipment.

• ADVANCED POLYMERS IS THE SA AGENT FOR TEKNOR APEX.

Solvay marks 25yrs of

PARA resins

112 APRIL / MAY 2012

SOLVAY Specialty Polymers is celebrating its 25th an-niversary as the global supplier of Ixef® polyarylamide (PARA) resins. Since its development in 1986, Ixef PARA has provided a unique combination of strength and aesthetics, making it ideal for complex parts that require both overall strength and a smooth surface. To commemorate this milestone, Solvay has com-missioned a 25th anniversary edition of a commer-cialized archery bow to demonstrate Ixef PARA’s unique and valuable performance attributes in structural applications.

For metal replacement applications, Ixef compounds typically contain 50-60% glass fi bre, giving them high strength and rigidity. Even with high glass loadings, the smooth resin-rich sur-face delivers a high-gloss, glass-free fi nish suit-able for painting or metallization. In addition, the high-fl ow material can readily fi ll walls as thin as 0.5mm even with glass loading as high as 60%. Structural parts made from Ixef resin can be simultaneously very thin, extremely rigid, strong, and dimensionally stable. The tensile strength of Ixef compounds is similar to many cast metals and alloys at ambient temperature.

Over the years, Ixef PARA has found signifi -cant success in structural parts for transportation, medical, food, chemical processing, semiconduc-tor, mobile electronics and plumbing applications.

Ixef compounds boast excellent colouring capabilities and select grades are formulated for fl ame-retardant applications. Solvay manufactures

Ixef resin at its plant in Rheinberg, Germany, and compounding is done at various plants throughout

the world.The commemorative archery bow, manufactured by

Plastiques-Paillard, a France-based injection moulder, clearly illustrates the strength, fl exibility, and aesthetics

of the 50% glass-fi lled Ixef resin. The bow stands out as a unique application amid the typical structural parts made of

Ixef compounds.The 1.5 m-long bow, which is sold primarily in Europe, has

a mono-block design that allows for the frame to be injection moulded in one piece from the high-fl ow 50% glass-fi lled material.

The strength and power of the archery bow can be enhanced by increasing the fi bre content of the resin compound by up to 60%.

www.solvayspecialtypolymers.com

To commemorate Solvay Specialty Polymers’ 25th anniversary as the global supplier of Ixef® polyarylamide (PARA) resins, Solvay commissioned a 25th anniversary edition of a commercialized archery

bow to demonstrate Ixef PARA’s unique and valuable performance attributes in structural applications

No more slip with ‘Wet-Grip’

No more slip-pery tee-offs! No matter how sweaty your palms when it comes to taking that fi rst swing, Monprene compounds from Teknor Apex will keep your grip secure

Monprene products retain their rubber-like traction when wet