F-Clean - ETFE - AGC Inc

Plastics Technology, 2007-07-30, Recycling E-Plastics New Material Stream Brings Its Own Set of Problems
Brominated flame retardants restrict its use. Most now goes to China, but new recycling processes promise to "clean up" e-waste. 

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

Kunststoffe international, An Impact Way beyond its Small Market Share
...ng-term resistance to weather and environmental influences, have an outstanding thermal insulating effect and are lighter than glass. AGC Chemicals markets special ETFE films for use in greenhouses under the F-Clean brand (Fig. 3). They are more permeable to daylight and ultraviolet light than glass, polyethylene (PE) or polycarbonate (PC), meaning that the full spectrum of sunlight can permeate the interior of the greenhouse. This enables increased plant growth with reduced use of fertilizers, ...

Kunststoffe international, Delivering Efficiency Even in Harsh Environments
Across many industry sectors, the quest for enhanced performance of applications and cost-efficiencies is on. In addition to these traditional requirements, societal and environmental trends, such as the need to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and maintaining a healthy and active ageing population, are important needs that must be addressed as well. Due to its high-performing properties polyetheretherketone thermoplastic polymer is being used more and more frequently in many products. In c...

Kunststoffe international, From the Sea to Electronics
Plastic waste in the sea has been shaping the negative image of the industry for several years. Various ‧initiatives and mergers of companies have therefore launched projects to tackle this Ocean-bound Plastics (OBP). Components made of OBP could become a symbol for a sustainable use of plastics. For many demanding applications, however, such recyclates must also have the necessary flame retardant properties. A recycling project in Haiti shows how these properties can be achieved. According to c...

Kunststoffe international, Half a Million More Parts
Mold cleaning is a challenge with a very small, 0.8 g light injection-molded part. The use of an efficient dry ice cleaning system not only increases product quality, but also reduces cleaning time, increasing both equipment availability and production capacity. Diehl Stiftung & Co. KG (see box p. 48) manufactures punched parts and approximately 850 t of fiber-reinforced high-temperature-resistant plastics such as PPS, PBT, PEI, PPA and PA into complex multifunctional parts at the plant in Telto...

Kunststoffe international, No Chance for Dust and Contaminations
LSR optics offers a wide range of applications due to the optical brilliance, the possibility to produce undercut shapes not to mention the competitive pricing. The adhesive surface which is almost impossible to clean however makes the LSR parts vulnerable against contaminations. This characteristic however limits the possible ‧application fields. To overcome this limitation Wilhelm Weber has partnered with Fraunhofer IFAM in a recent research project. The numerous advantages explain the large p...

Kunststoffe international, Plastic in the Service of Medicine
A Polish pharmaceutical company is developing inhalation therapy for the treatment of lung disease and the appropriate drug delivery drug. The inhaler has a complex interior and consists of 14 components. In order to be able to produce these with the required precision, Celon Pharma has formed a partnership with the mold making company Glittenberg and its hot runner sister Witosa. Mostly detached from developments in other industrial sectors, medical technology continues to be a rapidly growing ...

Kunststoffe international, Sophisticated Geometry – and Hermetically Tight
The cleanroom production of a biochip system made of semi-crystalline plastic presented a great challenge for the manufacturer. The upper part with test chamber must be assembled with the support layer in an absolutely tight manner. After all gluing trials had failed, the methodical approach in the weld process saved the project. R-Biopharm AG from Darmstadt, Germany (see box p. 26) had invested three years into research and development to design their Rida-Chip FoodGuide (Fig. 1) for detection ...

Kunststoffe international, Strong in Medicine and Sanitary Applications
In recent years, society’s view of plastics has shifted. The actual material advantages have been overshadowed by the plastics waste debate. Uncommon times, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, remind society of the outstanding contribution of plastics materials. Polyethylene is particularly strong in medical and hygiene applications. Polyethylene (PE) has replaced and continues to replace more traditional materials, (i. e. glass) as it relates to sterile fluid holding containers. Obvious reasons for...

Kunststoffe international, Superficial, Yet Demanding
Many new developments and advances in surface technology that vary in scope from application to application will be shown at the K 2019. Machine and plant manufacturers will be presenting products for both modifying and finishing the surfaces of plastic products and for maintaining the requisite tooling technology. Across the broad and highly diverse field of surface technology – from pre-treatment of plastic surfaces and downstream processing in printing or electroplating processes to cleaning...

Kunststoffe international, The Invention of Plastics Recycling
The reuse of plastics waste began also with the industrial production and processing of polymer materials in the early 1950s. At first it was limited to single-variety production wastes. In the course of a few decades, ‧processes were successfully developed to recondition even strongly contaminated and used plastics wastes into high-quality secondary raw materials. Plastics have been a whipping boy ever since “marine litter“ was discovered. The general media report almost daily about the materi...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Acute Need for Handling
Acute Need for Handling Example Applications of System Integration of Robots in Injection Moulding Production Hansjörg Zahnd and Simon Bienz, Schwarzenburg/Switzerland The fast development of the plastics processing industry requires a high measure of innovation and competence. Only interaction of the requirements on injection moulding machines, mould requirements and quality and logistics requirements can make requirement oriented automated solutions possible. The increasing complexity ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Additives
Additives Trends and Perspectives Walter Hohenberger, Villach/Austria Additives have become an irreplaceable constituent of plastics. They increase the added value of plastics by improving their processability, stability, and appearance, plus a great deal more. They therefore increase the cost-benefit ratio in overall terms. The trend in additives is towards easy-to-handle, environmentally-compatible products. Tailor-made solutions are providing evidence of closer customer proximity on the...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Application and Recovery: Plastics in Electric and Electronic Appliances
Application and Recovery: Plastics in Electric and Electronic Appliances With their versatile and highly adaptable properties, polymers are ideal construction materials for electric and electronic appliances. Both the tremendous complexity of the corresponding waste generated as well as the strict regulations of the European WEEE directive call for a new approach for the establishment of an eco-efficient waste management. Klaus Vorspohl, Ingo Sartorius The market for electric and electroni...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Blow Moulding: More than Hot Air
Trade Fair Report More than Hot Air Blow Moulding. K2004 again served up a number of innovations in the field of blow moulding technology. On balance, the trends are higher output, lower energy consumption and improved blow moulded parts. One trend in stretch-blow moulding is quite clearly in the direction of clearer bottles made from polypropylene. Whereas Sidel and the additives manufacturer Milliken presented a joint concept for PP bottles that have the clarity of PET bottles, ADS offered...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Bonding of Plastics
Bonding of Plastics An Overview Werner Gruber, Korschenbroich/Germany Bonding technology is growing particularly in importance for lightweight designs. The use of two-pack adhesives will continue to increase in the future. Elastic PU adhesives and PU hotmelts are forecast to grow at the fastest rates. To date, the use and growth of plastics has been and still is linked to the demands on the part of the processors to be able to join these materials during processing by suitable techniques...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Cards are Trumps – Chip Card Bodies for the World Market
CircleSmartCard AG in Erfurt Cards are Trumps – Chip Card Bodies for the World Market We all have a smartcard of some kind in our wallet or bag, probably more than one. It might be a phone card, customer card or credit card. By the year 2010, it is expected that there will be somewhere between 20 and 30 billion chip cards in circulation round the world – and they have to be replaced every two years. This makes an annual production of 10-15 billion smartcards, of which the main body is made o...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Cleanroom: Cleanliness is the First Commandment
Injection Moulding Cleanliness is the First Commandment Cleanroom. Production of infrared windows and high transparency production in the mobile phone range require the utmost precision and a clean environment. A view behind the walls of one of the large plastics processing plants. Reinhard Mettenbrink Thomas Schendzilorz Although modern communicating people are always watching them, they remain nevertheless unnoticed – unless there are visible bad scratches on them. This is about the infrared ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Compounding: Throughput-determining
Trade Fair Report Throughput-determining Compounding. Compounders benefit from the trend towards smaller batch sizes of raw materials due to increased product variety, and increasing demand for modified plastics. The latest developments in co-rotating twin-screw extruders were designed to meet the new demands. Exhibitors of co-rotating twin-screw compounders appraised K2004 in Düsseldorf/Germany as a complete success. This year’s trade fair was replete with terms such as Do/Di ratio, increase o...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Continued Strong Growth: PET in Beverage Packaging
Trend Report: Engineering Plastics PET in Beverage Packaging Continued Strong Growth. The raw material of PET has undergone a change. Modified product grades now permit even faster injection moulding cycles and higher cycling rates in bottle production. In addition, the grade of PET (in combination with different barrier materials) and the bottle design have been aligned to the bottled product. Kajetan Müller Frank Welle Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is continuing to show high growth in th...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Conveying, Dosing and Mixing
Conveying, Dosing and Mixing A Survey of the State of the Art Thorsten Schroer and Johannes Wortberg, Duisburg/Germany To prevail on the market, plant manufacturers and plant operators in the plastics producing and processing industry must be able to utilise existing potential for cost saving. Even the choice of processes and equipment for conveying, dosing and mixing can form the basis for successful production. Product cycles on the plastics processing market are becoming shorter, as d...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Costs and Benefits: Recycling Plastics from Electrical and Electronic Products
Recycling Recycling Plastics from Electrical and Electronic Products Frank E. Mark Costs and Benefits. Plastics recycling can only be economic if the resulting recyclates are attractive to the market. For this to be the case, they must meet certain minimum specifications at a price that is significantly below that of the virgin material. Conservation of resources, avoidance of landfill disposal and minimisation of environmental impact are the main objectives in the treatment of waste plastics ...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Defect-Free Microstructures
Defect-Free Microstructures Forming of Textured Surfaces - an Application for Servoelectric Injection Moulding Machines Christian Gornik, Harald Bleier and Willibald Warta, Kottingbrunn/Austria The use of surfaces as functional elements, and not only the increasing degree of miniaturisation, is contributing to the growing importance of micromoulding. To produce trouble-free micro moulded parts, a precisely working injection moulding machine and a special process management are important fa...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Designed for the Sun
Designed for the Sun Solar Modules of Polycarbonate Open up the Third Dimension Markus Krall, Klingenberg/Germany, and Johann Thim, Leverkusen/Germany The use of extruded polycarbonate panels for the encapsulation of solar cells is opening up new areas of application for photovoltaics. These innovative modules are light in weight, can be readily machined and shaped with curved contours using the cold forming process. Until now, use has been made almost exclusively of glass panels for sup...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Detecting Contaminants: Product Safety in the PET Loop
Recycling Product Safety in the PET Loop Detecting Contaminants. It takes a powerful analytical system to guarantee the product safety of recycled PET. Specific detection methods enable all kinds of interferences to be detected at high sensitivity. A specially developed online method provides detailed information of the kind specifically needed in the manufacture of recycled PET for critical applications in the food sector. Andreas Mäurer Frank Welle Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) has been...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Double Belt Plants: Flexible Production of Various Insulation Panels
Building Flexible Production of Various Insulation Panels Wolfgang Friedl Michael Loferer Double belt plants. Large-size, pre-manufactured sandwich panels with a mineral wool or polyurethane foam (PU or PIR) insulation core have proved particularly successful in industrial buildings and cold store warehouses. Both types of element are produced on double belt lines in different configurations and stacked ready for shipping. The weatherproof, ready-to-use sandwich panels with outer layers made ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Easy-opening Concepts: Easy-opening Sterile Packaging
Easy-opening Concepts: Easy-opening Sterile Packaging Packaging for medical devices, operating-theatre apparel, wound dressings and sterile sheets for medical applications needs to be easy and quick to open. No particles or fibres are allowed to become detached from the torn surface, however. Traditional peel concepts already satisfy this requirement, but a new innovative material combination with a spunflash nonwoven is able to offer further benefits. Heiko E. Schenck, Malik Zeniti In Nor...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Ecoefficiency: Plastics in Politics and Practice
Ecoefficiency: Plastics in Politics and Practice The market for products made of biologically degradable materials is still at the beginning of its development. Market mechanisms and basic legal conditions will solely determine whether this new group of materials is penetrating the market. Ingo Sartorius Innovative new developments and advances are the basis for stabilisation and preservation of the competitiveness of European industry. They make i.a. relevant contributions to environmenta...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Effective and Cost-Saving
Effective and Cost-Saving Ultrasonic Mould Cleaning In the care and maintenance of moulds for the rubber and plastics processing industries, thorough cleaning is crucially important. Only with a clean mould can a perfect product be made. At the same time, the valuable moulds must not be damaged during cleaning. Cleaning examples from foundries show how labour-intensive manual cleaning is and how much dust it creates. Metal deposits, graphite, binders and oxides may have to be removed from ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Engineering Network: Additional Knowledge Instead of Competition
On the Spot Additional Knowledge Instead of Competition Engineering Network. Over the past 30 years Jacob Kunststofftechnik has made the move from being a classical thermoformer to a system developer with a high level of know-how whose product innovations have received several awards. In the process, the company has benefited from being part of a plastics engineering network, which it helped to set up. Clemens Doriat Is it possible to thermoform and stamp films under clean-room conditions? An...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Even Smaller: Adhesive Layers on a Molecular Level
Surface Finishing Adhesive Layers on a Molecular Level Even Smaller. Adhesion promoting layers for polymer films are already leaving the oft-discussed scale of nanotechnolgy and approaching the next smaller dimension. Molecular monolayers of adhesion promoting amino and amido groups captivate not only because of the minimal amounts of material involved, but even more so because of the minimised costs for the entire process. Peter Palm Panayotis Cocolios Liquid adhesion promoting primers hav...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Expandable Thermoplastic Polyurethanes: On Light Soles
Thermoplastic Elastomers On Light Soles Expandable Thermoplastic Polyurethanes. A thermoplastic polyurethane mixed with blowing agent masterbatch can be used to manufacture particularly lightweight, high-grade soles. These can be produced on a cost-efficient basis by injection moulding. Marcus Leberfinger Over the past few years, thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) have experienced a pronounced upswing in the footwear market, especially for outer soles, but also in decorative elements for sport...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Experimental Testing: Ring-shaped Reinforcements Made of Fibre-reinforced Composites
Composite Material Ring-shaped Reinforcements Made of Fibre-reinforced Composites Experimental Testing. Ring-shaped reinforcements and strap designs – it is only in these shapes and with unidirectional fibre orientation that all of the benefits of fibre composites over metals become fully available. Testing, however, poses a problem. Marcus Schwarz Helmut Schürmann In the form of ring-shaped reinforcements and strap designs using unidirectional (UD) fibre orientation exclusively, all of the b...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Fibre Composites: Bonding Automotive Bodies
Fibre Composites: Bonding Automotive Bodies In small to medium-sized series vehicle, fibre composites are increasingly used materials for exterior body panels. Adhesive bonding is raising in importance as it often is the only suitable joining technology. Jochem Sauer Plastics currently make up 13 to 18% of a motor car. This is predicted to grow at an annual rate of 4.7% in the West European automotive industry. Plastics applications are distributed between the car interior – by far the gre...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Filled PU: Solid Metering for Reactive PU Systems
... of different PU systems – together with the possibility of widely varying the parameters from cycle to cycle and during the shot – offers very high flexibility and cost effectiveness, and thereby forms the basis of special applications. The self-cleaning system operates with a high-speed mixing screw, which introduces the kinetic energy necessary for mixing the base components and various additives directly in the mixing head. All the valves are arranged in a plane and thereby ensure a reproduc...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Functionality is the Key Factor
Functionality is the Key Factor Plastics Drive Medical Progress Martin Weller and Peter Eyerer, Stuttgart/Germany The ever increasing functionality of medical products and, in parallel with this, the mounting complexity of such articles are making a significant contribution towards raising the value added in the use of plastics for medical applications. This, in combination with the enormous pressure on costs in the health care sector, is providing the driving force for innovative developm...

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

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, High Throughput and Flexible Systems
High Throughput and Flexible Systems Compounding Plastics Gerhard A. Martin, Pirmasens/Germany There are two lines of development of machines for compounding plastics. A trend toward ever larger outputs of 50 000 kg/h and more in polymer production can be observed. In compounding and processing (direct extruding) flexible, highly specialised and extremely productive compounding plants are in demand. Here there are niches for a multiplicity of systems. At K'95 an increase in the outpu...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, High-Grade Design
High-Grade Design Polymer Composites and Composites of Dissimilar Materials in Sanitary Engineering Eva Bittmann, Herreth/Germany Polymer composites for the sanitary sector display a wide variety of designs and colours, coupled with a high surface quality and pleasant haptics. Use is made here of thermoplastic mouldings, thermoset-based artificial stone and glass-fiber reinforced reaction resins. Washing, bathing, showering, flushing - all these activities require robust materials which ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, High-Purity Injection Moulding
High-Purity Injection Moulding Portable Clean-Room Cell for Flexible Production Increasingly stringent requirements are being placed on the cleanliness of production rooms used to manufacture precision injection mouldings for optics, electronics and medical engineering. Just how clean the production area is required to be will depend on the part being produced. Portable cells to place around machines are one way of achieving low-particle production. While, in the past, only a few selected ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Homogeneous Separation of PET
Homogeneous Separation of PET Multistage Cleaning and Separating of Commingled Plastics Herbert Snell, Aicha vorm Wald/Germany The separation of commingled and contaminated polymers is one of the most important components of a long-term recycling economy. A process based on difference in density with respect to a separation medium has been developed. It has proved effective after two years' testing in different plastics recycling plants. Beverage packaging of glass or composites is i...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Hot Runner Technology Today
Hot Runner Technology Today Systems, Developments, Trends Andreas Lang, Leverkusen/Germany The right hot runner system plays a crucial role in the attainable quality of an injection moulded part. So many different suppliers and systems exist that the application concerned needs to be specified precisely. This survey on new developments and trends casts light on the market and helps to find the right system for a specific application. As plastics parts become more and more complex and are...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Hot Runner Technology: Absolute Transparency
Hot Runner Technology: Absolute Transparency Insulated hot runners are ideal for gently processing thermally sensitive moulding compounds. This article shows how transparent speck-free polycarbonate cups can be manufactured with a 2-cavity, hot runner injection mould. Kurt P. Cuttat When a process for transparent plastics is being designed, the economics may suggest that hot runner systems should be used. If the production of highly transparent moulded parts is a challenge in itself that m...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Hydraulic pellet conveying: Probationary Phase Successful
Hydraulic pellet conveying: Probationary Phase Successful Within only two weeks Coperion Waeschle took the world’s largest hydraulic pellet conveying system with a capacity of 40t/h for a conveying route of 800 m into operation. The plant’s distinguishing features are low investment outlay and power consumption, and minimum fines generation. Bernhard Stark From the end of 2000 until the beginning of 2002 Shanghai Petrochemical Co. Ltd. (SPC) planned and erected two plants for the productio...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Ideal for Laboratory and Production
...n formulations the attainable throughput even exceeds the design value of 100 kg/h. The ZSK 25 WLE worked very well as a laboratory machine, that is when making sample quantities of from 0.5 to 10 kg for own or external product development. Good self-cleaning minimises material consumption. This is an important cost-lowering factor particularly with expensive base materials or with high-quality pigments. The quality of the masterbatches and compounds produced in small quantities corresponds exac...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Impressive Variety: Polysulfones (PSU, PESU, PPSU)
Trend Report High Performance Plastics Polysulfones (PSU, PESU, PPSU) Impressive Variety. With exceptional material properties and the benefit of transparency, sulfone polymers span the range from function to aesthetics. This allows them to continually find new fields of application and assures attractive growth rates in the global competition among thermoplastics. Stefan Göttgens Wolf Sanner High-temperature (HT) plastics are enjoying continually growing popularity worldwide. In this regard...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, In the Injection Moulding Microcosm
In the Injection Moulding Microcosm An Integrated System Solution for Precision Microsystem Parts Martin Ganz, Kottingbrunn/Austria The world is getting smaller. This not only applies to globetrotters, but also to technical developers. Demand for tiny injection moulded parts is growing. Compared with this catch lever, a child would say that an ant is big (Fig.1). But for an adult, this juxtaposition shows just how tiny the part is. The Microsystem injection moulding system (manufacturer:...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Injection Moulding (1): Innovation at Closer Inspection
Trade Fair Report Innovation at Closer Inspection Injection Moulding (1). To what extent is K2004 a barometer for the plastics industry? Do the exhibits show how the production of injection moulded parts will look in future? An attempt at a categorisation. On a tour of the exhibition impressive realisations of long-proven technologies are obvious first. Often the opinion is to be heard that injection moulding has arrived at a high level and cannot really be invented again. However, the highligh...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Injection Moulding Simulation: Support for Component Development
Support for Component Development Injection Moulding Simulation. Ever shorter product development cycles require the use of suitable aids to be able to promptly recognise and repair any problems. Particularly for use of special polymers or with complex component geometry simulation can provide crucial assistance during moulded part design. Gerhard Wimmer The history of the development of an injection moulded component can be regarded as three staged and consists of the three legs component de...

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

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Injection Moulding: Compounding Wood Fibres with Plastics
Compounding Hans Frisk Daniel Schwendemann Compounding Wood Fibres with Plastics Injection Moulding. Wood fibre/plastic composites are highly innovative products. Their field of application extends from the furniture and construction industries to the vehicle sector. A Swedish company specialised in wood fibre/plastic composites operates along the entire production chain, from the processing of the wood fibres right the way through to the injection-moulded part. Composites of wood fibres and...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Inspection: Fully Automatic Inspection of Mobile Phone Display Lenses
Inspection: Fully Automatic Inspection of Mobile Phone Display Lenses Mobile phone display lenses produced in a fully automated production process can be inspected for defects with an automatic camera inspection system. The production quality of the parts can be influenced in specific ways based on the statistics developed from it. Thomas Wagner, Peter Plankensteiner World-wide about 400 million mobile phone display lenses are manufactured annually. A considerable portion of them is manufa...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Laser Booth with Great Functionality: A Good Step
Automation A Good Step Laser Booth with Great Functionality. Eugen Wexler GmbH & Co. (EuWe) celebrated two premieres this past year: with in-mould laminating (backmoulding) and laser cutting, the plastics-processing company introduced two new technologies as it initiated production of auto pillar coverings for the new Skoda Octavia at its plant in Rokycany/Czech Republic. Martina Heß After the injection moulding machine, the laser booth from the systems integrator Robot-Technology GmbH, Kleino...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Laser Marking of Plastic Products
Laser Marking of Plastic Products An Efficient Technology with Many Advantages Volker Pfeufer, Lübeck/Germany Laser marking of plastic products has rapidly developed into an efficient technology. Lasers provide a non-contact, clean and dry, flexible and economical marking technique. Laser marking is durable and counterfeit-proof. Despite the advantages, many product lines are still not fitted with a laser. Lack of knowledge, and therefore uncertainties, on the part of users, are preventing...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Laser Welding Transparent Parts
Laser Welding Transparent Parts Wide Area of Application. Up until now, laser-welding of clear-transparent components was not possible, because these materials did not absorp the laser beam. A new method involving the application of a special dispersion yields almost invisible welding seams. Gareth McGrath In plastics processing there are a variety of methods for joining plastics, including mechanical and chemical joining methods and welding. Each method has its own advantages and disadvan...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Laser Welding: Economically Reasonable Joining
Joining Technology Economically Reasonable Joining Laser Welding. New materials, changed manufacturing technologies and the increased use of electronics are largely responsible for the high level of innovation in the automotive industry. This also affects plastics and their processing in the same way. If the boundaries between automotive modules and systems are redefined, and as a result the added-value contribution by suppliers continually grows, traditional joining processes must be reconsider...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Lotus-Effect – Now and in the Future
...ean” The Teflon frying pan is synonymous with hydrophobic surfaces that are easy to clean and water-repellent. What distinguishes the lotus-effect from an easyclean coating? It is the nanostructure of the surface and the associated self-cleaning action by moving water (the title picture shows the lotus-effect in nature, Fig. 1 the principle). Combining a nanostructure with hydrophobicity presents a new technical challenge. Surfaces with lotus-effect must not only be hydrophobic but also require...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Market Growth Worldwide: Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA)
Special: World Market Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA) Market Growth Worldwide. The expansion of the information, entertainment and telecommunications industry will also lead to an increased demand for optically pure PMMA. The market for semi-finished products is similarly showing a slight increase worldwide. No essential changes or shifts have come about in the supplier structure for PMMA producers within the European Union over the past twelve months. One development worth mentioning is the ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Market study: Plastics Cycle Documented
Market study: Plastics Cycle Documented On behalf of the plastics industry, the market research company, Consultic, has documented the plastics stream from production through use to recycling and disposal for the year 2001. This provides the plastics industry with data that will make it possible to operate a relevant and effective environmental policy. Claus-Jürgen Simon The plastics industry is one of the most important economic sectors in Germany, accounting for more than 6% of German do...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Material Handling under Clean Room Conditions
Material Handling under Clean Room Conditions Stringent Demands on Reliability Dieter Kemmler, Ludwigsburg/Germany For insulation with medium and high-voltage cables, use is made of polyethylene compounds (PE-X). The very highest demands are made on the level of purity for such applications because even the tiniest amount of contamination in the ppm range in the insulating mixture can lead to electrical breakdowns and cause major damage with high subsequent costs. This requires special tec...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Material in Movement
Material in Movement Storing, Conveying and Metering Bulk Materials Manfred H. Pahl, Paderborn/Germany Despite the wide variety of available bulk materials and their blends, the basic operations of storage, conveying and metering can be governed better than ever. This presupposes knowledge of the particle and bulk properties, selection of the correct equipment, and the use of modern, intelligent metrology and information systems. This has resulted in better product qualities, greater opera...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Materials: Housings and Catheters
Housings and Catheters Materials. The High Performance Polymers Division of Degussa AG, Düsseldorf, produces speciality polymers that are used in medical technology. These include a number of different speciality polyamides (PA), polyamide coating powders and polybutylene terephthalate moulding compounds (PBT). The polyamide 12 and polyamide 12 elastomer moulding compounds, Vestamid L and Vestamid E display particular resistance to chemicals as well as being compatible with body fluids and tox...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Mixing, Conveying, Metering: From Silo to Screw
Trade Fair Report From Silo to Screw Mixing, Conveying, Metering. The trend among plastics processors is to operate centralised material-supply systems. However, small flexible systems and specialty solutions are also in greater evidence. Either way, communications interfaces for integration into production planning and control have now become the standard. Helios GmbH, Rosenheim/Germany, presented its new HE series of mixer conveyors. They can be optionally mounted directly on the feed sec...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Modular Drive Technology for Injection Moulding Machines
Modular Drive Technology for Injection Moulding Machines Part 2: Practical Advantages for the Manufacture of Technical Components Ansgar Jaeger, Andreas Kübel and Frank Schuster, Schwaig/Germany High-precision mouldings such as connectors require accurate, often also synchronous movements of the machine axes, as well as precise reproducibility. A precision machine with electric drive systems for the primary movements and a reduced hydraulic central drive unit for the ancillary movements sh...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Multi Mould-carrier Technology: Equipping the Injection Moulding Machine with Two Moulds
Multi Mould-carrier Technology: Equipping the Injection Moulding Machine with Two Moulds Tandem injection moulding machines offer three advantages for large-scale production. They almost double production capacity. Investment and production costs are reduced, and the machine has a much smaller footprint than single-mould machines. As the full clamping force is available throughout the cycle, parts with high-grade surfaces can also be produced. Karl-Heinz Höfert The basic idea is simple. An...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Multi-component Injection Moulding: New Properties through Rigid/Flexible Combinations
Multi-component Injection Moulding: New Properties through Rigid/Flexible Combinations Being a parts supplier to all major international mobile phone manufacturers, Balda AG also manufactures various components for outdoor phone models. Constant new designs, increasingly complex mould technology and ever shorter marketing cycles have led to the development of new practices and procedures within the company that effectively exploit synergies between design and production. Reinhard Mettenbrink...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Multiprocess Technology: Production Solution for Complex Air Intake Systems
Multiprocess Technology: Production Solution for Complex Air Intake Systems The air intake systems for the V-8 engines on the Porsche Cayenne take up a relatively small space in view of their complexity and high air flow rate. Only the combination and optimisation of different production processes and sequential assembly in several processing steps make this compact design possible. Pointing the way to the future, like the entire design of the Porsche Cayenne, this air intake system supplies...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Nanostructured Coating Materials: High Quality Plastic Surfaces
...the index of refraction to the substrate material and offer benefits with regard to production time as well as energy usage, and for these reasons will probably replace most of the thermally cured systems – in other areas as well. Self-cleaning and Non-reflecting (Anti-glare) Plastic Surfaces Because of their chemical composition, smooth coatings of the above-mentioned hybrid materials already exhibit hydrophobic properties to a high degree; contact angles with water lie in the range of about 7...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, New Generation of Machines: Reaching the Goal in a Distinctive Way
Injection Moulding Reaching the Goal in a Distinctive Way New Generation of Machines. Netstal is presenting a new injection moulding machine line at K2004, the Elion, with all-electric drive of all axes. This machine type with patented gearing is primarily aimed at the technical applications sector, e.g. automotive, electrical or medical parts, but also, thanks to its high injection performance and fast cycles, at the packaging market. Gerhard Pötsch Thomas Robers The new Elion all-electric in...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Optimised Process Control: Laser Welding in Computer Simulation
Materials Laser Welding in Computer Simulation Optimised Process Control. A computer model for calculating the weld temperature, temperature profile and melt depth in the laser welding of thermoplastics was developed and subsequently checked by experiment. It is shown that the software can help to optimise the process parameters if data is available on the material, weld dimensions and welding speed. Sam D. Rostami Ian A. Jones Craig D. Norrey The laser welding of thermoplastics is gaining ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Pellet Conveying: Water Absorption from Polymerisation to Processing
Compounding Water Absorption from Polymerisation to Processing Pellet Conveying. Between the polymerisation stage and the machine hopper, plastic pellets can absorb moisture at many points. Comparative studies have shown that the Karl Fischer titration method can provide a reliable value for low pellet moisture contents. Bernhard Stark Olaf Hustert Predrying of engineering plastics is necessary to manufacture high-quality products. Residual moisture in plastic pellets has the following effec...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Personal Expertise: Trends and Visions in Injection Moulding
Personal Expertise: Trends and Visions in Injection Moulding Whenever there is talk of making injection moulding production economically viable, constructional and engineering aspects have to take a back seat. In the highly competitive landscape of tomorrow, all-embracing expertise in process engineering will be absolutely vital because cost cutting and design requirements will be the future drivers of development. Hans Wobbe Three years ago, in an article entitled “Trends in injection mou...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Perspectives at the Start of a New Millennium
Perspectives at the Start of a New Millennium Delphi '98 and Plastics Kerstin Cuhls, Karlsruhe/Germany, and Anton Weber, Frankenthal/Germany A study of the future of plastics and their markets as viewed from applied-technology and social-science aspects. The Delphi '98 study of the global development of science and technology serves as a starting point for identifying promising areas. Although the name alludes to the Oracle of the Ancient Greeks, the methods involved have definit...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, PET Boom: PET Recycling and Direct Processing
...isture is minimised and the molecular weight is increased. After this, the material is extruded (this can be optionally carried out with melt degassing). After passing through a fully automatic self-cleaning filter, it is turned either into granules or, directly in-line, into semi-finished product [9]. Wellman EcoClear. Wellman produces the raw material Ecoclear, consisting of 25% recyclate and 75% virgin material. It uses an automatic sorting system as well as chemical and thermal cleaning [10...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Pipe and Profile Extrusion Dies
Pipe and Profile Extrusion Dies Systems for Standard and Special Applications Reinhard Witt, Bad Oeynhausen/Germany Extrusion dies must be precisely matched to the characteristics of the material, the throughput rate of the extrusion line and the product. In PVC pipe extrusion, spider dies are used almost exclusively. For processing polyolefins, they are combined with filters, but spiral-mandrel dies and breaker plate-type dies are also used. For the extrusion of profiles, core-support die...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Plastics Handling in Extrusion
Plastics Handling in Extrusion Product Quality also Depends on Conveying, Metering and Drying Systems Werner Koch and Joachim Jost, Ispringen/Germany The handling of plastics pellet stock is extremely important, particularly in the extrusion business. Firstly the material must be fed with the correct composition (following the formulation). Secondly material tearing, for example in film extrusion, can involve a very long and expensive restarting process. Material supply systems for plast...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, PMMA Successful in More and More Fields of Application: Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA)
Trend Report Engineering Plastics Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA) PMMA Successful in More and More Fields of Application. Flat-screen displays, water tunnels, wind protection, automotive body parts, structural components, conservatories and noise barriers – polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) offers designers and engineers almost unlimited possibilities and creative variety. Current worldwide production of PMMA moulding compounds and semi-finished products amounts to over 1 million tonnes. In the med...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polycarbonate instead of Glass: Large Car Windows from an Injection Moulding Machine
Injection Moulding Large Car Windows from an Injection Moulding Machine Polycarbonate instead of Glass. Injection compression offers designers design freedom for automobile windows and the technical variety of the world of plastics. A new moulding technique from Engel called "Glazemelt" provides the necessary process reliability. Advances in automaking are undoubtedly coupled with the continually increasing amount of modern plastics in automobiles. Replacement of glass in windows with...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)
Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) ... For Packaging Karsten Fritsch, Gersthofen/Germany, and Frank Welle, Freising/Germany In recent years, PET has shown above-average market growth and the forecasts are that it will continue to grow. This is primarily due to the favourable properties of PET packaging, such as break resistance, low weight, transparency, brilliance, mechanical strength and barrier characteristics. The success of PET in the packaging sector is being boosted by the build-up of...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polyoxymethylene (Polyacetals, POM)
Polyoxymethylene (Polyacetals, POM) Mark Noatsch and Frank Reuter, Frankfurt am Main/Germany Polyacetals (POM, polyoxymethylene) have a proven track record in numerous demanding technical applications. This is because of their exceptional combination of high strength and stiffness, good resilience and high surface hardness. POMs also have good processing properties and can be modified to selectively improve their processing properties. By far the greatest proportion of polyacetals - over 9...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polypropylene (PP)
Polypropylene (PP) Anton Wolfsberger, Markus Gahleitner and Max Wachholder, Linz/Austria Polypropylenes (PP) are the most widely used commodity plastic world-wide. The tremendous market success of these materials results, on the one hand, from their great innovation potential for continuous property expansion and, on the other, from extremely wide application possibilities. This trend is set to continue in future. In 2001, PP consumption in Western Europe reached 6.83m.t. Forty-eight perce...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polyurethane Processing: Screw Spindle Pumps with Magnetic Coupling
PU Technology Screw Spindle Pumps with Magnetic Coupling Polyurethane Processing. Magnetic couplings can overcome the restrictions that otherwise apply to mechanical seals in screw pumps. A contactless rotational transmission causes no wear and tear, thus guaranteeing consistent quality from that side. Screw spindle pumps, which function by the positive displacement principle, have been tested and proven over a long period of time. For this reason, they are traditionally used for conveying lu...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polyurethanes Every Step of the Way
Polyurethanes Every Step of the Way Polyurethane integral foams are finding increasing use for shoe soles - in ever more applications. Bayer AG recently introduced a new brand concept that will supply shoe manufacturers with targeted information about products and technologies for their particular applications. Statistically, almost two pairs of shoes are produced for every person on earth each year. In 1999, the figure was 11.5 billion shoes overall [1]. As regards the quality of the materi...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Precision Is the Key to Success
Precision Is the Key to Success Accumulator Piston Made from PPS for Antilock Braking Systems Uwe Wirth, Bad Berneck/Germany For a complex technical system to function perfectly, all the individual components must meet a high quality standard. The need for high precision of the injection moulded parts must be taken into account right from the mould design stage. Trivial causes can have catastrophic effects. A tragic example of a failure in technology was the explosion on the Space Shuttl...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Pressure Filter Test: Quality Recipe for High-quality Masterbatches
Testing Quality Recipe for High-quality Masterbatches Pressure Filter Test. European standard EN 13900-5 for the first time provides a standardised method for determining the pressure filter value in the production of masterbatches. The Treffert-Gruppe Polymer-Technologie is one of the first plastics processors to already employ an EN- compliant extruder and is thus able to make the quality of its products more transparent. Carsten Lüdtge Masterbatches are one of the most important factors i...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Printing and Finishing Webs
Printing and Finishing Webs Max Dominik, Eschwege/Germany The only way to obtain the latest information about the status of printing and coating techniques for continuous webs is to specifically ask the manufacturers of the machines and equipment used for such applications. The result of such inquiries is that the only signs of innovation are in the form of improvements, greater automation, increased economic efficiency and energy savings. Hopes of a pioneering innovation appeared a few ye...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Printing Plastic Surfaces Precisely and Economically
Printing Plastic Surfaces Precisely and Economically Max Dominik, Eschwege/Germany Following the manufacture of a plastic product, it is often necessary to treat its surface by painting, embossing, polishing or printing for the purposes of decoration or identification, in order to make it saleable or useful in the application. Though there are unlikely to be any surprising innovations in these technologies, ongoing improvements, rationalisation and automation of the processes and systems can...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Process Integration: Short Cycles for Injection Moulded Microfluidics Parts
Process Integration: Short Cycles for Injection Moulded Microfluidics Parts Until now accurate casting of microfluidic structures in the injection moulding process has often been possible only with lengthy variable temperature thermal regulation of the mould. If these surface textures must still be sealed after injection, this usually takes place in an external covering station. Both lead to long cycle times. However, it is also possible to do this differently, as the following example shows. ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Process Reliability through Full Automation
Process Reliability through Full Automation “Simultaneous Engineering“ in Plant Construction Holger Heining and Helmuth Ott, Pfreimd/Germany, Manfred Baumann, Wackersdorf/Germany, and Karin Taiber, Regensburg/Germany Mass production of mobile telephones using the IMD procedure, taken over by WildenAG, Regensburg/Germany, on behalf of the Munich concern Siemens AG, puts the highest requirements on tooling and automatic control engineering. Using simultaneous engineering Wilden has co-ordina...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Production Cell Offers Complete Solution
Production Cell Offers Complete Solution Maximum IML Productivity with Standard Components Walter Klaus, Schwaig/Germany, and Joel Gourdol, Seyssinet-Pariset/France “Divide et impera” is a slogan that originally stems from politics, but it can, in modified form, be taken as a guiding principle for automation when very short cycle times come up against complex handling procedures. A typical example of a complex handling operation in conjunction with a very short cycle time is the producti...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Project Engineering of a Manufacturing Cell: Planning with Farsightedness
Automotive Planning with Farsightedness Project Engineering of a Manufacturing Cell. Decorated screens for use in motor vehicle instrument panels and door interior modules put high requirements on surface cleanliness, optics and quality appearance. In a short time through early co-operation with an injection moulding machine manufacturer as a system supplier a German plastics processing plant succeeded in furnishing a fully automatic manufacturing cell including a pure air module and in taking ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Qualified Cleanliness
Qualified Cleanliness Guidelines for Demonstrating Standardised Suitability for Cleanroom Operation Erwin Bürkle, Munich/Germany and Gernod Dittel, Benediktbeuern/Germany To market products for pharmaceutical or medical purposes worldwide, it is not sufficient simply to manufacture them under cleanroom conditions. It is also necessary to demonstrate that all the machines and equipment used are suitable for cleanroom operation - a process known as qualification. The subject of cleanroom technolog...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Quality Assurance for Screw Closures
Quality Assurance for Screw Closures Optical Monitoring at the Injection Moulding Machine Precise observation of production tolerances represents a decisive factor of competition. Employing an opto-sensory system, it is possible for production tolerances to be monitored directly at the injection moulding machine. This system for monitoring quality during the production of screw closures helps to reduce the number of customer complaints. Defects which affect the functioning of the closure, ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Quality Assurance: Controlled Laser Transmission Welding
Special Controlled Laser Transmission Welding Quality Assurance. Although laser transmission welding is highly reproducible, the welding quality can be adversely affected by the upstream processes of compounding, injection moulding and the like. Users can now avail of a wide range of process-monitoring methods for ensuring consistent product quality. Alexander Hofmann Stefan Hierl While laser transmission welding of plastics was regarded merely as a replacement for many an ultrasonic welding...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Quality Management: The Use of CAQ in Medical Technology
Software The Use of CAQ in Medical Technology Quality Management. "All CAQ systems are comparable as far as their application is concerned, although the technical realisation of the software differs." The experiences of a CAQ user in the plastics processing industry prove that this statement is not entirely correct. Karl Baku Holger Beus In order to comply with the high quality specifications of the pharmaceutical industry and medical technology, Spang & Brands GmbH, Friedrichsdorf/Ger...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Quality Testing: Criteria for Optical Sheet Inspection
Quality Testing: Criteria for Optical Sheet Inspection Web inspection systems in sheet extrusion allow the identification and avoidance of surface defects such as fish eyes, gels, occlusions, contaminants or insects. For the selection of a suitable inspection system, it is necessary to take into account the range of products and the demands they make. Rudolf Krampe Commercially available web inspection systems all appear similar at first glance. With the exception of laser-scanner-based sy...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Railroad Rolling Stock: On Track with Lightweight Construction Techniques
Transportation On Track with Lightweight Construction Techniques Railroad Rolling Stock. Plastics make trains lighter, are economically producible and can fit the many special requirements on rolling stock construction. Also individual parts can be manufactured economically with modern production technologies. Since many functions can be integrated in fibre reinforced composite materials, they meet requirements on a high degree of modularity. Eva Bittmann The size of the world-wide railway tec...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Recycled CRP as Reinforcement for Thermoplastics
Recycled CRP as Reinforcement for Thermoplastics Thermal Decomposition of the Matrix Thomas Schubert, Gottfried Ehrenstein, Erlangen/Germany Thermal decomposition of the matrix material offers a simple way of recovering the relatively expensive reinforcing fibres from a fibre-reinforced laminate. The demand or wish for mechanical recycling together with legislation were instrumental in the development of recycling methods for fibre composite plastics containing a thermoset matrix. Added ...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Requirements for Manufacturing Products for Medical Technology: Guidelines for Building up a Practical Cleanroom Manufacturing System
Guidelines for Building up a Practical Cleanroom Manufacturing System Requirements for Manufacturing Products for Medical Technology. The manufacture and use of technical medical articles demand a high degree of ethical and commercial responsibility. Compared to the production of technical plastic articles, meeting the severe demands requires appropriate machine designs and corresponding environmental conditions. Gernod Dittel Erwin Bürkle In pharmaceuticals and medical technology, plastics ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Risks of Ignoring the Rules: Holistic Cleanroom Planning for Medical Products
Medical Technology Holistic Cleanroom Planning for Medical Products Risks of Ignoring the Rules. Whether out of ignorance or against their better judgement, a not inconsiderable number of plastics processors believe that all they have to do when setting up a cleanroom line for the production of medicinal articles is to install an appropriate filtering and air-conditioning system. But the non-observance of the pertinent rules is fraught with incalculable risks and deleterious effects. Erwin Bü...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Safeguarding the Economic Viability of Production Sites: Adding Value through Innovation in Injection Moulding
Injection Moulding Adding Value through Innovation in Injection Moulding Safeguarding the Economic Viability of Production Sites. Debate about the location of production sites usually focuses on wage costs, but it is important at the same time to find new approaches for tapping innovation potential and gaining value-adding benefits. Intelligent process combinations, new machine drive concepts, high-performance applications through extended specifications and the multi-component technique are jus...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Screw Pumps with Magnetic Couplings: Conveying Polymer Components
Auxiliaries Conveying Polymer Components Screw Pumps with Magnetic Couplings. Power transmission via non-contact magnetic couplings has undergone comparatively tumultuous growth over the last two decades. The article shows how, as these coupling systems increasingly become established, they can be used to exploit the optimisation potential in screw pumps. Christoph Schneider In conventional designs, the pumps are connected directly to the drive by means of a mechanical coupling (Fig.1). The p...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Sealing Through Contamination
Sealing Through Contamination The Performance of Metallocene Plastomers as Sealing Polymers Norbert Rohse, Philippe Mesnil, Machelen/Belgium, and Jan Arnauts, Geleen/Netherlands Metallocene plastomers show an excellent sealing-through-contamination performance compared with other sealing polymers. In many cases, therefore, higher packaging speeds and better package integrity can be achieved. The flexible packaging industry continues to challenge film producers to provide cost effective i...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Self-insulating Hot-runner with Needle Valves
Self-insulating Hot-runner with Needle Valves Solution for Production of the ABS Back Wall of an Alarm Clock, with a 4-Cavity Hot-runner Mould Edmund Lindner, Kassel/Germany, and Kurt P. Cuttat, Givrins/Switzerland Insulated manifolds have been in use for some time. They can be selectively adapted for processing most thermoplastics. Colour and material changes in closed-system hot-runner manifold blocks are difficult and time consuming. Many plastic melts have the unwelcome property of s...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Semi-finished Composites: Hygienic Sanitary Surfaces
Semi-finished Composites: Hygienic Sanitary Surfaces Until now, the sanitary market for bathtubs and shower trays has been dominated by steel, cast acrylic and ceramics. Frequent calls from consumers for more sophisticated designs, and the demand for lower costs in combination with consistently high production quality have meant that new materials such as coextruded ABS/PMMA sheet are becoming increasingly popular. Johann Kappacher, Thomas Sitka Semi-finished coextruded ABS/PMMA sheet is c...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Set for Growth: Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
... mechanical strength coupled with high impact strength, while improved relining systems are available for repairing pipes. New on the market are PVC window systems and doors, approved for use in passive-energy houses, with U values of 0.8 W/m2K; self-cleaning window profiles (photo catalysis systems or nanostructures) are being tried out; the first smoke-protection doors in PVC certified by the building authorities have been presented, and PVC-coated fabrics permit the improved sound insulation...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Shortened Product Cycles: The Changing Face of Extrusion Technology
Shortened Product Cycles: The Changing Face of Extrusion Technology Extrusion technology is increasingly characterised by the fact that processors are demanding high-performance systems on the one hand and universal applicability on the other. High-performance systems, which can also be used in a broad range of applications, would seem to be uniting these two requirement profiles. Johannes Wortberg, Dirk Kaczmarek, Carsten Gross In a development that is affecting all the different producti...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Simulation: Burst Pressure Prediction in Plastic Intake Manifolds
Automotive Burst Pressure Prediction in Plastic Intake Manifolds Simulation. The static burst pressure is an important design criterion in the development of intake manifolds. In a joint development project, an intake manifold manufacturer and a raw material supplier managed, by a simulation process, to increase the prediction accuracy of the burst pressure to 90%. This not only saves development resources, it also reduces production costs. The air induction system of a combustion engine cons...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Single-source Project Implementation: Cleanroom Production outside the Cleanroom
Cleanroom Technology Cleanroom Production outside the Cleanroom Single-source Project Implementation. An innovative concept ensures particularly cost-efficient operation of a cleanroom for plastics products. The injection moulding machines are located outside the cleanroom in their entirety, thereby reducing investment and operating costs. At the same time, this solution increases the degree of flexibility in cleanroom use. A case study shows how a cleanroom is equipped – from the planning thro...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Solid Surface Materials
Solid Surface Materials Mineral-Acrylate Composites for Interior Design Horst Ulrich Reimer, Bad Homburg/Germany The invention of solid surface materials made of minerals and acrylic-acid ester has had a lasting impact on the world of design: such was the conclusion reached by a recent study carried out by a design association. According to the study, solid surface materials rank number three, directly behind personal computers and the internet. Solid surface materials, such as those bas...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Special Plastics: Household Work Made Easy
House Technology Household Work Made Easy Special Plastics. Laundering, ironing or cleaning – the toil of everyday life is being taken over by increasingly intelligent household appliances. For example the laundering that previously took whole days and much effort is today accomplished with only a few actions and simple button pushing. Engineering resins provide this comfort improvement. Tilo Vaahs The innovation spiral turns continuously. Household toil is an example par excellence. Around 190...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Sprue Inserts for Injection Moulds
Sprue Inserts for Injection Moulds A New Standard in Sprue Technology A new component system for sprue inserts saves time and money. Costs can be reduced through reduced wear and increased maintenance ease and the component characteristics can also be improved. To have a comparative advantage over other manufacturers in times of intensified competition it is necessary to ensure great flexibility in the development, production and use of injection moulds. Component characteristics can be im...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Static Mixers: Well Mixed
Compounding Well Mixed Alexander Schmidt Static Mixers. Mixers have become essential for plastics processing. No matter whether solids are being mixed or homogeneous plastic melts are being produced, the degree of mixing depends critically on adapting the mixer to the product’s properties. Static mixers are notable particularly for their compact design, absence of moving parts and continuous operation. They are suitable for numerous tasks before and during processing of plastics. Solids mi...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Surface Inspection: Big Brother for Films
Surface Inspection: Big Brother for Films There is a general trend in on-line analysis of plastic films for self-learning, “intelligent” systems as part of higher-level quality information or production data acquisition systems. With these systems, film producers can monitor the quality of their products continuously and objectively and therefore optimise the production process itself. Oliver Hissmann Is it a fly, a gel or a tiny hole in the film? Modern surface inspection systems will imm...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Synergy Creates New Technology
Synergy Creates New Technology Plastic Carbody Parts are on the Advance The range of technical features and the level of comfort in car interiors have risen considerably in recent years, not least through the use of innovative plastic trim and cladding components. The use of plastics has also increased for exterior body parts. An innovative example of this can be seen at K 2001. Despite the mounting use of plastics for exterior car parts in the recent past, it is really still too early to talk ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Temperature Control: Cooling and Heating of Plastics
Material Handling Cooling and Heating of Plastics Temperature Control of Plastics. Through use of an indirect method, powders and pellets are heated or cooled for processing. The bulk materials heat exchanger employed operates economically and requires little space. The design offers a very efficient method as an alternative to conventional temperature control via gas or other heat transfer media. Bernhard Stark Günther Dehm Sabine Schönfeld In many manufacturing and production processes i...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, The PVC Loop Closed
The PVC Loop Closed Recycling of PVC Composites Jean-Marie Yernaux, Brussels/Belgium, and Reinhard Saffert, Rheinberg/Germany A new recycling process selectively dissolves the PVC in composite products. The end product is a clean PVC compound in powder form that may be used without further processing, such as melt filtration or granulation, and in some cases may even be employed in the original application (closed-loop recycling). Nowadays, there is a consensus in society that the landfi...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, The Trend towards Electrical Systems
The Trend towards Electrical Systems Drive and Control Devices in Injection Moulding Machines and Handling Systems Werner Eberlein, Erlangen/Germany The demand for electrical injection moulding systems is rising. Linear motors have been established for some time now for handling systems. This alternative to the hydraulic machine calls for new, intelligent links between mechanical and electrical systems. For many applications, hydraulically driven injection moulding machines are facing co...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Torque Motor Solutions: Direct Drives on Film Pull Roll Stands Assure Constant Quality
Extrusion Direct Drives on Film Pull Roll Stands Assure Constant Quality Torque Motor Solutions. To further improve the stability film pull roll speed, Brückner Maschinenbau, Siegsdorf/Germany, has equipped this component of their film stretching lines with torque motors. The results achieved to date are so positive that designers are now considering other system components. Günter Oedl Josef Schneiderbauer High-quality, flexible plastic films represent one of the most commonly employed packag...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, TPE Test for Automotive Engineering
TPE Test for Automotive Engineering Comparison of TPE with Elastomers Norbert Vennemann, Osnabrück/Germany, Susanne Leifheit and Peter Schulz, Wolfsburg/Germany This paper compares selected thermoplastic elastomers in respect of key mechanical properties, ageing behaviour and oil resistance with two covalently crosslinked elastomers based on EPDM and ECO. A new evaluation method also makes it possible to establish specific differences between the TPEs. Thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) hav...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Transparency in Injection Moulding
Transparency in Injection Moulding The Production of Highly Transparent Optical Mouldings - A New Challenge Erwin Bürkle, Bernd Klotz and Peter Lichtinger, Munich/Germany Optical mouldings represent an increasingly interesting field of application in plastics processing. Individual quality requirements for various kinds of mouldings can be met with the aid of specifically developed compression processes. Examples of optical mouldings that are becoming increasingly important for plastics ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Trends in Injection Moulding
Trends in Injection Moulding A Review of Machine Technology and Special Processes Friedrich Johannaber, Lohmar/Germany, and Herbert Thoma, Kenzingen/Germany Injection moulding is a forward-looking technology. European machine manufacturers and processors are developing and producing at a peak technical level. To be successful, it is essential to recognize the trends at an early stage, whether towards fully electric or hybrid injection moulding machines, water injection or external gas moul...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Trends in Injection Moulding: Specialists Increasingly in Demand
Injection Moulding Specialists Increasingly in Demand Trends in Injection Moulding. The pressure on plastics processors to innovate comes from two directions: On the one front are the exigencies of streamlining and cost-cutting which force them to keep making technical advances and on the other are the new materials that continually open up more plastics applications, thereby raising the standards that processors and parts alike have to meet. This overview of applied technology reveals where p...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Unhindered Growth: Cyclic Olefin Copolymers (COC)
Trend Report High Performance Plastics Cyclic Olefin Copolymers (COC) Unhindered Growth. Transparent cyclic olefin copolymers have emerged as attractive materials from their niche existence. They are used to solve a wide variety of technical challenges in sectors such as the medical, optical and packaging industries. Bernd Sparenberg Interest in the young class of materials known as cyclic olefin copolymers, or COC for short, is considerable. Global demand and consumption have more than doub...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Vacuum Pumps for Extruder Degassing
Vacuum Pumps for Extruder Degassing Fields of Application and Design Principles Mark Redmann, Maulburg/Germany For a reliable extrusion process, it is essential to choose the right degassing pump technology. If the wrong pump type is used, the final product may not fall within quality specifications. In an extreme case, serious disruption of the production process may result. In many industrial fields vacuum has developed from a process aid to a process parameter. Apart from its use for ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Welcome to the Future
Welcome to the Future The Mother Project: Injection Moulding in the Year 2017 Davide Bonfadini, Brescia/Italy "Mother Project" is the name of a long-term research project being carried out in Italy. The partners in this project have allowed themselves to be guided by a vision, a vision of developing and manufacturing an injection moulding machine with an entirely new concept. Read on . . . The project, which was launched in 1999, is currently in the development phase: In co-opera...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Welding: Lasers from the Box
Special Lasers from the Box Welding. The new generation of LDM laser diode modules are a further development of proven diode laser technology. Concentration on the key functions has additionally created new opportunities for added value in plant construction. Michael Nagel Laser technology has established itself as an alternative method of joining plastics in many mass-produced applications. Clean, optically perfect weld seams without burr, gasproof and pressure-proof joining of housing parts...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Worldwide Growth: Engineering Plastics
Trend Report Engineering Plastics Polyoxymethylene (Polyacetals, POM) Worldwide Growth. Because of their property profile, polyacetals are used in almost every area of industry. They are established on the plastics market. The greatest amounts are consumed in the Asian area. Stefan Kutta Nenad Katalenic Polyacetals are established on the plastics market – with a growth of about 4 to 5% averaged over several years. World consumption rose from 570000 tonnes in 2001 to about 730000 tonnes last ye...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, “It Depends on the Part”
“It Depends on the Part” Special Injection Moulding Processes in Automotive Engineering Helmut Potente, Hans-Peter Heim, Helmut Ridder and Elmar Kaiser, Paderborn/Germany A bewildering array of special injection moulding processes has become available. This article draws on practical examples to illustrate the range of processes currently used in automotive engineering. New applications will become possible through the appropriate combination of established process variants. The automoti...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, ”The Electrical is not Better in Everything, but it is a Viable Alternative”
”The Electrical is not Better in Everything, but it is a Viable Alternative” Interview with Herbert Kraibühler on Modular Drive Systems In the last few years, Arburg has been working intensively on modular drive systems. At K’95, the company which is based in the Black Forest showed for the first time a fully electro-mechanical machine as a concept study, and at K 2001, it presented the first modular electrical version (Type: Allrounder A), which is just going into series production. Now, at...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-30, Pulsed Plasma: Scratch-resistant and Non-reflective
Surface Finishing Scratch-resistant and Non-reflective Pulsed Plasma. Scratches on the surface of plastic components not only affect their appearance, but also may have implications for safety. An obvious example of this is a plastic display intended to indicate essential information which has become illegible. A still greater risk of danger can result from reflections on the surface that obstruct the view of, for example, cockpit data. A special coating makes these plastic surfaces scratch-re...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-01-15, Mouldmaking Technology at Fakuma und EuroMold: Engineering Lights Comes Out from Under the Bushel
Tooling Engineering Lights Comes Out from Under the Bushel Mouldmaking Technology at Fakuma und EuroMold. “Cautious optimism” describes the mood among injection mouldmakers, even if it is sometimes difficult to discern. What is clear, however, is an expansion of competency: while the majority was previously involved largely in machining activities, mouldmakers today provide project management and offer a comprehensive range of services. And they are not hiding their engineering light under the ...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-01-15, Preliminary Exhibition Report: Winter in Milan
Special Winter in Milan Preliminary Exhibition Report. In the middle of February, the 14th Plast will be held at the new Fiera Milano exhibition complex. The “International Exhibition for Plastics and Rubber Industries” will be coupled for the first time with the Ipack-Ima packaging exhibition, which is the reason for the early date. This combination should be a double attraction for many visitors, despite the unusual timing. According to the organisers, the Plast in Milan is the second-...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-01-26, Injection Moulding: Tailor-made for Cleanroom Production
Special Tailor-made for Cleanroom Production Injection Moulding. Modularity, good accessibility, enclosed utilities and encapsulated drives reduce emissions from an injection moulding machine considerably. This basic concept makes the all-electric Elion series from Netstal-Maschinen AG especially well-suited for production of plastic items under cleanroom conditions. Thomas Leng The most demanding requirements faced by injection moulding machines are availability, high process stability and r...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-01-26, Recycling: Clean PET Flakes Through Use of Filtration
Recycling Clean PET Flakes Through Use of Filtration Frank Pudel Herbert Snell Frank Stoffregen Bypass Filtration. The filtration of hot wash solutions improves the quality of PET flakes during recycling. The process is economical, nonpolluting and can be adapted to various system concepts. The use of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is growing at double-digit rates annually above all in packaging applications (Fig.1). As a result, ever- larger amounts of used PET packaging are accumulating. ...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-03-23, Packaging Recycling: From Bottle to Bottle
Packaging. From Bottle to Bottle. Packaging Recycling. Current high polymer prices are stimulating the packaging industry’s interest in recycling technology. Several processes have already been implemented on an industrial scale for PET bottles. Other polymers are being studied for their suitability for a closed-loop process. Frank Welle. For some considerable time, plastic packaging has been collected and converted into high-quality recycled material. However, it is only in the last decade th...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-04-25, Marking: Coding at Full Speed
Special Coding at Full Speed Marking. International standards require products to be clearly marked. An ink-jet printer has proved the ideal solution for coding window profiles directly in the extrusion line. Gernoth Rath Dimex Accord Profile GmbH was founded in 1979. Ten years ago it was one of the first companies in Europe to recognise the trend towards environmentally friendly products, discontinuing production of lead-stabilised profile and using CaZn stabilisers instead. To further distin...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-07-04, Clean-room Compatible 32-Cavity Needle Valve: Making a Point
Tooling Making a Point Clean-room Compatible 32-Cavity Needle Valve. In developing an injection mould for the tips of darts, the designers reached the limits of current mould technology. The case study describes the mould and hot-runner concept of a 32-cavity application with extremely closely spaced cavities and completely clean-room-compatible electromagnetic valve actuation. Dirk Paulmann Demands by the medical and food industries for clean production are setting new standards for tooling ...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-07-04, Hybrid Machines: The Best of Both Worlds
Injection Moulding The Best of Both Worlds Hybrid Machines. All-electrics are in vogue. But anyone planning to purchase a new machine - whether all-electric, hydraulic or hybrid – should weigh up certain critical factors before making the decision. Jim Stewart The debate for and against hydraulic, hybrid and all-electric focuses all too often on energy efficiency. On this count, all-electric machine will almost always come off best. However, there are several other significant factors, such ...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-07-04, Integration of Functions: New Connection Processes for Air Pipes
Joining Technology. New Connection Processes for Air Pipes. Marco Barbolini. Integration of Functions. Clips, lugs or cable grommets are usually welded onto under-the-hood air pipes. Two new processes dispense with welding and thereby reduce costs. Resistance to rising temperatures and high pressure, minimal pressure losses, dimensional stability, and weight optimisation are some of the standard requirements of under-the-hood air pipes. Above all, however, ease of assembly and functional int...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-07-31, Sandwich Moulded Components: Atmospheric In-line Plasma in Medical Technology
Surface Technology. Atmospheric In-line Plasma in Medical Technology. Joachim Schüssler, Christian Buske. Sandwich Moulded Components. Ever more frequently in the production of complex components the most varied materials are combined. Metals, glass and ceramics must form durable and impermeable bonds with the plastic. In order that the different materials and parts adhere to one another with maximum precision they are pretreated with a plasma. Production by the sandwich moulding process ...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-08-06, Conformal Cooling Channels: Cooling Complex Parts
Special Cooling Complex Parts Conformal Cooling Channels. Generative methods of producing conformal cooling systems can contribute to reducing cycle time and improving product quality – particularly for complex parts. However, they increase the work for design and layout of the mould. The effort is even worthwhile for simple parts under certain circumstances. Walter Michaeli Michael Schönfeld Tailoring the injection mould cooling to the part can significantly improve the productivity, qualit...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-09-05, Hot Runner Solution for Warning Triangle: Caution, Special Requirement
Tooling. Caution, Special Requirement. Dirk Paulmann Hot Runner Solution for Warning Triangle. Nobody is happy to be in the situation of having to use it. Warning triangles are composed of three reflectors and so a three-cavity mould is employed in the injection moulding process. The needle-valve hot-runner system used is also laid out three times. The uniform filling of all three cavities was a key item in the specification of requirements. In the production of high-grade optical components...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-09-18, PU Machine Engineering: Room for Foam
...cess gets by with only one mould half without any mould carrier. The components are produced in several layers with fibre contents of 20–25wt.-%.The fibres are added to the spray jet from outside via a cutting unit. Through the use of a single, self-cleaning injection head (Fig.2) for all processes (FiPurTec, NafpurTec, CompurTec, MProTec), a high level of flexibility is achieved. The user can change quickly between the various processes or combine them (CompurTec + MProTec). With its CoreFlex s...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-09-26, Textile Welding: Sewing without Thread
Joining Technology. Sewing without Thread. Tanja Vatterodt, Dirk Hänsch. Textile Welding. New opportunities for joining technical textiles are offered by the laser sewing machine. This technique promises a number of technical benefits and makes it possible to create completely new products through 3-D processing. For certain applications, laser welding can even replace traditional sewing as a way of joining textiles. Use of a laser beam as a heat source to bond technical textiles offers man...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-09-27, Interview with Hans Wobbe: “Permanent Productivity Increases”
Interview “The leading market position of Engel is attributable to two factors. On the one hand, the high-technology business that requires continuous development, and, on the other, the production of large numbers of machines that makes financing the cost-intensive developments possible,” according to Engel’s website. These are the responsibilities of Dr.-Ing. Hans Wobbe, Managing Director of Engineering at Engel Holding GmbH. Kunststoffe’s editor, Clemens Doriat, met with him for a conversati...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2006-09-28, High-tech in a Holiday Region: With Clockwork Precision
Market and Management. With Clockwork Precision. Gerhard Gotzmann. High-tech in a Holiday Region. It is actually quite difficult to imagine how people can pursue technical work in a committed and successful manner in such an idyllic setting. Wild & Küpfer, one of the most successful companies in our sector, which has had one of the highest growth rates of the past few years, is located on the shores of Lake Zurich, just a stone's throw away from the reeds and with an unobstructed view of ...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-09-28, Joining Technology: Welding Large-area Components with Infrared Radiation
Joining Technology. Welding Large-area Components with Infrared Radiation. Ole Schmidt. Joining Technology. It has for a short time been possible to make use of welding with IR even for relatively large-area plastic parts thanks to precise control of heat introduction for a short time. This technology is characterised by numerous advantages over accepted plastic welding methods. Large-area plastic components, such as those used, for instance, in the automotive industry, generally consist of...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-09-28, Screen Changers: Economic Aspects of Melt Filtration
...ushing Waste Back-flushing screen changers are frequently used with highly contaminated materials. With these units, a certain amount of the filtered melt is used for cleaning the screens. Depending on the design of the self-cleaning screen changer, the amount of polymer used for back flushing varies greatly and has a significant effect on the cost efficiency of the production process, especially when processing more expensive resins such as PET or PA (nylon). The patented self-cleaning system e...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-10-30, Development Project: A Concept that Fits
Tooling A Concept that Fits Development Project. "Signeta", a new office swivel chair, independently adjusts the optimal seating position depending on the "owner's" weight. Furniture manufacturers, design offices, mould manufacturers and injec-tion moulders have co-operated intensively for a whole year to make the design, construction, FEM computations, prototypes and the large scale moulds for the individual components of the comfort furniture finally co-ordinate with one an...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-10-30, Drive Technology: All-Electric Injection Blow Moulding
Blow Moulding. All-Electric Injection Blow Moulding. Andreas Winter, Peter Baumann. Drive Technology. A new generation of injection blow moulding machines has been designed from the ground up with electric drives throughout instead of hydraulic drives. As a result, production is not only cleaner and quieter, but because of the short traverse times the machine is especially well-suited for short to medium production runs. The control technology and the electric drives from Siemens are the ess...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-12-06, Colouring: Defined Colour Mixing for Recycled Materials
Injection Moulding Defined Colour Mixing for Recycled Materials Colouring. A newly developed formulation and mixing system allows plastic products to be coloured with liquid pigments in a defined and versatile way. To allow optically attractive parts to be manufactured even from plastic recycled materials, the products are controlled in-line by means of a colour sensor. Christoph Jaroschek Christian Nitschke Plastics do not have to be colourised with masterbatches; liquid colourants can also ...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-12-06, Corporate Strategy: Global Thinking and Acting in Corporate Technical Operations
Market and Management Global Thinking and Acting in Corporate Technical Operations Corporate Strategy. Progressive globalisation is not only making global business and management-oriented thinking necessary but is also increasingly affecting the strategy and actions of those responsible for corporate technical operations. It is no longer opportune for internationally positioned companies to act solely in a European dimension, let alone just a German one. This can even be problematic. Ralf Ack...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-01-22, Complex Moulds for Foam
Complex Moulds for Foam PU Mould Technology Car interior trim parts must meet exacting specifications and be economical to manufacture. For this, polyurethane processing moulds offer complex possibilities for integrating functions and parts. Designing a part for production requires close cooperation between everyone involved right from the concept phase. Jürgen Lause The requirements on the quality of vehicle interiors have grown continually in the last ten years. In the industry, there has ...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-01-22, Corona Treatment For Any Material Thickness
Corona Treatment For Any Material Thickness Linear Plasma A new type of surface technology offers the advantages of corona treatment for materials of any thickness for the first time. The atmospheric pressure plasma process modifies the surface of plastic solid and multi-wall sheets, polymer foams and composite materials in the sub-nanometre range to provide reliable adhesion of printing inks, adhesives, paints/lacquers and other coatings. Peter Palm The generally very low adhesive power of ...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-02-13, Film Festival in Münsterland
Film Festival in Münsterland Film Manufacturing As part of a three day in-house exhibition Windmöller & Hölscher presented the latest developments in extrusion and printing. The innovations on show all had one thing in common: they improve the economics of production and thus the competitiveness of the processor. About 700 visitors from 37 countries came to Lengerich to attend the demonstrations and short seminars, making this the largest W&H in-house event to date. A total of three blown ...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-02-13, Hot-Runners for Flame-Retardant Polyamides
Hot-Runners for Flame-Retardant Polyamides Injection Moulding that Saves Material For the sprueless production of electronic parts made of flame-retardant plastics hot-runner systems have been used for quite some time. The advantages of hot-runner technology over conventional gating systems are saving of material and a reduction in cycle time. Hard-to-process materials, however, require a more sophisticated design and building of the hot-runner system. Jörg Essinger Components and system...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-02-13, Multicomponent Technology in the Cleanroom
Multicomponent Technology in the Cleanroom Functional Integration Multicomponent technology under cleanroom conditions offers ideal conditions for developing innovative medical and pharmaceutical products. Besides economic advantages, the main aim of using multicomponent technology is to achieve improved functionality. Thomas Jakob Innovative multicomponent technology in injection moulding and extrusion expands the freedom of design and styling by combining several polymeric materials. F...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-03-15, Materials for Clean Diesel Engines
Materials for Clean Diesel Engines Engineering Plastics Selective catalytic reduction technology (SCR) can significantly help to cut nitrogen oxide emissions from diesel engines through the use of an aqueous urea solution. This opens up another field of application for engineering plastics, in which they will have to meet new chemical resistance requirements. Wolfgang Sauerer, Tilman Reiner Whether it is California’s LEV II emission standards or the impending Euro 5 exhaust gas regulations, ...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-03-15, Safely Welded All Round
Safely Welded All Round Process Optimisation The integration of components in the manufacture of hot water pumps presents a difficult challenge because of the high leak resistance requirements and thermal stresses. With the aid of laser transmission welding, it was possible to develop a reliable joining process, which avoided the numerous problems associated with conventional methods. Dirk Hänsch, Tanja Vatterodt, Klaus Weiske Bühler Motor GmbH, Nuremberg/ Germany, has recently started usi...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-04-17, Chalk – Much More than a Problem Solver
Chalk – Much More than a Problem Solver Sheet Production Adding calcium carbonate powder during recycling reduces the deposits of printing ink in the compounding plants. Recycling sheets’ qualities are improved and raw material costs reduced. Gerhard Gotzmann In the past, polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) films with a thick print have often been causing problems during recycling, since printing inks tend to deposit in the cutter compactor drum and the extruder. This led to the unfav...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-04-17, Dual Head in the Drilling Cell
Dual Head in the Drilling Cell Laminating at Piece-Rate Interior trim of vehicle doors is often improved with laminating materials. Not all the laminating drillholes can be incorporated into the part via the injection mould. A robot installation with double drilling head operating in synchronicity with injecting moulding production can accomplish 60 to 80 drill holes in 50 seconds. In the manufacture of door interior trim, between 60 and 80 laminating holes measuring roughly 1mm in diameter ...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-04-17, New Fluorescent Pigments for Plastics
New Fluorescent Pigments for Plastics Mould Surface without Plate-out Until now, processing of polyolefins containing fluorescent pigments resulted in plate-out on the mould surface. A newly developed line of pigments no longer exhibits these drawbacks. Rami Ismael Until now, colouring plastics with fluorescent pigments had been limited due to the high plate-out rate. Previous investigations showed that these pigments migrate to the surface of the moulded product during injection moulding ...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-04-17, PET Film with a High Proportion of Recycled Material
PET Film with a High Proportion of Recycled Material Without Preliminary Drying The combination of high-performance extrusion equipment with innovative filtration technology results in an overall concept that makes it possible to economically produce PET film with a high proportion of recycled material. Uwe Jebsen, Stefan Wöstmann The amount of rigid packaging made from PET continues to grow. Form-fill-seal (FFS) applications in particular are driving the demand for PET film at an above-av...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-05-14, An Adventure Park for Injection Moulders
An Adventure Park for Injection Moulders A Twofold Record And, by way of the icing on the cake for Arburg’s anniversary year that has just ended, the management of the injection moulding machinery manufacturer announced on the sidelines of the company’s technology conference that Arburg had achieved the highest sales figure in its history. With its wide variety of exhibits and the visitor bottlenecks that develop at times, the event itself – which attracted a record number of participants – ...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-05-14, Cleaning to Virgin Material Standard
Cleaning to Virgin Material Standard PET Recycling In a newly developed process, molten post-consumer PET flakes are partially depolymerised in a special reactor with ethylene glycol. Challenge tests show that contaminants can be removed quickly and virtually without trace by this method. Frank Welle The rising trend in the use of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) for beverage packaging continues unchecked. Returns of post-consumer PET bottles are also at a record level, which is reflected i...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-05-14, Give Leaks No Chance
Give Leaks No Chance Open-air Plasma Electronic circuits and components have to be reliably encapsulated to protect them against dust and moisture. Many electronics companies now use a surface-pre-treatment technology that up until now was only found in the automotive sector: open-air plasma. Peter Langhof Whether in daily manufacturing or the development of new processes and products: surfaces and their properties are playing an increasingly important role in nearly all industrial areas. Th...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-05-14, Off the Reel
Off the Reel Printed Electronic Circuits With organic electronics, an exciting new technology has emerged. For example, printed RFID tags represent a practically fraud-proof method for product identification. Application areas range from cost-effective theft prevention up to complex electronic product codes (EPC). Henning Rost Very soon, printed electronics will open up new markets and applications in the most varied ways. In the past, the implementation of first products frequently seemed h...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-06-18, Melt Filters in Foam Extrusion
Melt Filters in Foam Extrusion Expanded Foam Sheet Production By using filter systems plant downtimes caused by impurities and contaminants in expanded foam sheet production can be reliably prevented. In doing so the procedure for changing filter systems ensures that the pressure-sensitive process for producing expanded foam cannot be disrupted. Oliver Schmidt Panels made from extruded polystyrene foam are frequently employed for insulation purposes in the building industry on account of ...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-06-18, The Smallest Granule Quantities – Dried with Precision
The Smallest Granule Quantities – Dried with Precision Micro Dryer for Granules Some injection moulded parts today can be weighed only at a microgram scale. In order to safeguard homogeneous qualities of the parts and avoid waste, each individual granule must be precisely dried. A recently designed system for drying very small quantities will meet these demands. When it comes to injection moulding of micro parts, it is of major significance that the charge of material to be used has precisely ...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-07-18, Cooling without Regret
Cooling without Regret Water Treatment Technically demanding plastic parts and mass-produced articles have one thing in common in production: the efficiency of cooling the injection mold and the hydraulic components directly affects the quality of the molding and the economic efficiency of the process. When renovating their cooling installations many companies discover previously hidden potential savings. Nico Küls A particular characteristic of progressive companies is that they also contin...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-07-18, Serial Numbers for Broken Bones
Serial Numbers for Broken Bones Laser Marking Surgeons are learning their trade on artificial bones from the Swiss company Synbone. The unfinished parts are marked by laser beforehand. Nadine Leimbrink Matthias Fischer holds a thigh bone in one hand. The long bone has a clean break just above the joint: "It’s not only surgeons who use bone saws – we do, too", says the employee of the Argo Stiftung Buendnerische Werkstaetten und Wohnheime für Behinderte. Only the laser-etched number o...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2007-08-14, A Route to Cost-effective Photovoltaic Technology
A Route to Cost-effective Photovoltaic Technology Polymer Solar Cells The most recent branch of photovoltaics research involves polymer solar cells based on organic conjugated functional polymers. With semiconductor layer thicknesses around one-thousandth the thickness of a human hair, these polymer solar cells represent the thinnest of all thin-layer technologies. With their comparatively low investment and production costs, they are highly attractive. Steffi Sensfuss et al. Photovoltai...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-08-14, Air Unloaded
Air Unloaded PPS Fibers EU and national legislation are going to further reduce permissible limit values for the emission of harmful substances. New standards for waste incineration plants and coal-fired power plants will not only apply to newly erected plants, but also to older ones that will have to be appropriately upgraded. In order to meet these requirements new technical standards, more effective filter systems and innovative filter media on a PPS fiber basis will be indispensable. B...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-08-14, Ozone Stabilizes Waterbath
Ozone Stabilizes Waterbath Operations Engineering Consistently clean water in the cooling bath increases product quality, reduces the scrap rate and makes for longer extrusion times. It has been demonstrated that ozone is suitable for stabilizing the water quality of the cooling section without impairing the quality of the product. Winfried Hackl Matthias Hoffmann Cooling water cycled in an open loop soon starts to grow algae and bacteria. It therefore needs to be either protected proper...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-08-14, Washing without Water
Washing without Water Film Recycling At Reoplast in the Czech Republic soiled film flakes are pretreated in a dry-cleaning installation prior to extrusion. This distinctly increases both the output rate of the extruder and the quality of the repelletized material. Günther Klammer In Mrac in the Czech Republic Reoplast spol.s.r.o. produces approximately 2,000 metric tons of polyethylene granules per annum for film manufacturers in Germany, the Czech Republic and Austria. The input materia...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-09-19, 450 Parts under the Same Lid
450 Parts under the Same Lid Product Engineering Sanitary hygiene is not exactly a nice word to describe the comfort state-of-the-art bathroom design offers – not to mention its technical refinements. Consuming only the minimum of space, 450 individual parts were built into an integrated shower toilet. Nearly all of the parts had to be newly designed. Having introduced a Japanese production philosophy, the manufacturer was able to preserve the production site in Switzerland. Ralph Schreibe...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-09-19, A Design Tailored to Requirements
A Design Tailored to Requirements Machine Series and Machine Technology The world’s biggest rendezvous for the plastics industry is coming round once again with the K exhibition in Düsseldorf. The injection molding sector boasts large numbers of improvements and new developments in drive and machine technology that can be reported on. The prior announcements made by exhibitors show how the injection molding machine manufacturers have extended their machine series and developed new special-...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2007-09-19, Flexible with High Loadbearing Capacity
Flexible with High Loadbearing Capacity Elastomers (Trade-fair-pre-report K 2007) Thermoplastic elastomers and technical elastomers are used mainly for special applications in automotive engineering, the sports and leisure sector or the chemical industry. Depending on their chemical structure, they provide cushioning and high-performance properties. In many cases, high safety or the required comfort can only be achieved by using these materials. At K2007, individual manufacturers will provid...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-09-19, Good for the Circulation
Good for the Circulation Recycling (Trade-fair-pre-report K 2007) Recycling of used plastics and production waste makes sense both economically and ecologically. Different processing methods are applied, depending on the basic feed material. Correspondingly wide is the range of equipment and systems offered by machine and plant manufacturers. In most cases, the recycling of plastics involves several sequentially arranged processing stages. Amongst others, these stages are compacting and sh...