Sk-form - POM - Schmidt Kunststoff GmbH

Plastics Technology, 2004-03-24, Renewable PLA Polymer Gets "Green Light" For Packaging Uses
Polylactic acid, first synthesized a half-century ago, has finally arrived as an alternative to PET, HIPS, PVC, and cellulosics in some high-clarity packaging roles. PLA is being used in candy wrap, o...

Plastics Technology, 2004-03-24, Where the Action Is: Decorating with Formable Films
Plastics processors are eyeing form­able films as an economical, durable, and environmentally friendly means of producing fully decorated parts right out of the mold. In-mold decoration (IMD) with for...

Plastics Technology, 2004-03-24, Where the Action Is: Decorating with Formable Films
Plastics processors are eyeing form­able films as an economical, durable, and environmentally friendly means of producing fully decorated parts right out of the mold. In-mold decoration (IMD) with for...

Plastics Technology, 2006-03-06, Make Polycarbonate Flow Easily Without Losing Toughness or Clarity
Here"s a whole new way to boost the flow of polycarbonate without the drawbacks of other flow modifiers. The secret is a low-molecular-weight cyclic oligomer form of PBT polyester that literally ...

Kunststoffe international, Absorption of Water by Molded Plastics
What does the simulation of a diffusion process have to do with the simulation of a temperature field? Simply put, they share the same differential equation. This property can be exploited in such a way that diffusion processes can be simulated with the aid of finite element programs. Such numerical simulation vividly reveals how such processes take place and how water absorption can influence the design of molded plastics. A body will expand as a result of a rise in temperature. This is a well-...

Kunststoffe international, An Impact Way beyond its Small Market Share
Although fluoroplastics only make up a very small part of the overall plastics market, they are an indispensable component of many applications. These materials play a central role in today’s megatrends of digitalization, clean-energy generation and modern mobility concepts. In fluoroplastics, the hydrogen atoms of the main carbon chains are completely or partially replaced by fluorine atoms. Because these carbon-to-fluorine bonds are very stable, fluoroplastics exhibit a special combination of ...

Kunststoffe international, Automotive Display: A Matter of Form
Harmoniously integrating displays into the lines of a vehicle cockpit has always been a real challenge. ‧Continental now uses a combination of film insert molding, in-mold decoration and injection-compression molding to produce large, three-dimensionally formed plastic panels. The display increasingly sets the tone of a vehicle cockpit. Most current car models already have two full-color, graphic-‧capable displays. The instrument cluster usually consists of a large display (full digital cluster...

Kunststoffe international, Blood Samples with Origin Code
Jako meditec specializes in the injection molding of tubes, with closure caps and racks, in which blood samples from blood donors are kept deep-frozen for many years. Each sample can be uniquely traced thanks to a DM code. The two-component tubes are produced using a special, patented wet-in-wet injection molding process. Jako meditec, of Szekszárd, Hungary, produces the tubes for medical and laboratory applications worldwide. One major customer is the French Blood Donor Center, others include i...

Kunststoffe international, Correctly Assessing the Energy‧Efficiency of Heating Systems
It is often claimed that temperature control units featuring heaters with no direct contact to the heat transfer medium are at a disadvantage in terms of energy efficiency. While this may seem correct at first glance, a different picture emerges when the whole system is taken into consideration. A lifetime warranty on the heater – this promise, which was made by HB-Therm AG, a St.Gallen/Switzerland-based manufacturer of temperature control units and which is unique within the industry, recently ...

Kunststoffe international, Correctly Predicting Creep
An important phenomenon that deserves attention in the use of plastics is the materials’ viscoelasticity. It has the consequence that plastics first deform spontaneously under constant load and then continue to deform over time. Spontaneous deformation can be predicted using the modulus of elasticity (single point value acc. to ISO 527-1/-2 in Campus). The subsequent creep requires more complex material data. For this, Campus provides the customary representation in the isochronous stress-strain...

Kunststoffe international, Data Management at the Tool
A tool logbook on paper is often not to hand just when you need it most. Or it is incomplete, since it is time ‧consuming to keep the information up to date. A cloud-independent, electronic tool log, which is directly integrated into the tool could make all the relevant data available directly. Digital access would allow authorized users to read or enter content, and, if needed, provide important operating instructions and information about the condition of the tool. The proven functionality and...

Kunststoffe international, Excellent Resistance at Reduced Weight
The transfer of foam injection molding from thermoplastic to thermoset processing has not yet been implemented in industrial practice. IKV Aachen has investigated this transfer and has precisely analyzed the economic efficiency of the process and the potential for lightweight construction. For years, politicians have been urging the automotive industry to reduce the CO2 emissions of its fleets – and thus above all the vehicle weight – [1–3]. At the same time, a trend towards increased temperatur...

Kunststoffe international, Fine Adjustment of the Melt Flows in the Hot Runner by Means of Melt Rotation
In injection molding with multi-cavity molds, shear-induced viscosity differences in the flow channels of manifold systems can result in the various mold cavities producing molded parts with different properties – in spite of natural balancing and optimum mold quality. This situation can be remedied with a fine adjustment of the melt flows, achieved using melt rotation. If you look at the key data for our example – the inner shell of a double-walled thermal mug made of PC (Fig. 1) – everything s...

Kunststoffe international, Formed Pultrusion Profiles
Pultrusion profiles are typically inexpensive, stable – and one-dimensional. Local stretch bending represents a new approach to forming thermoplastic pultrusion profiles. Pultrusion is an inexpensive process for the production of fiber-reinforced composite structures. Cost-sensitive sectors such as the automotive industry therefore have a strong incentive to use pultrusion profiles for the local reinforcement of structural components. In certain cases, it is also conceivable to assemble structu...

Kunststoffe international, From Fishing Net to Particle Foam
A large part of the plastic waste in the sea comes from the maritime industry. The Danish company Plastix ‧recycles old fishing nets and ropes. The granules produced are used by JSP International, among others, to manufacture expanded polypropylene (EPP). This results in a 7 % reduction in CO2 emissions compared to ‧virgin material. In order to obtain the same properties as virgin material, the recyclates must meet strict requirements. This requires a precise analysis of the waste in the recycli...

Kunststoffe international, From the Roll to the Third Dimension
The company Leonhard Kurz is a specialist in the development and production of decorative and functional coatings for plastics applications, which are applied by means of carrier foils during injection molding. Essential objectives of the company are technology and process development as well as the optimization of the 3D foil forming around corners and the contours of the plastic parts. For this purpose, Kurz operates an extensive injection molding technology center. New in the machinery: two p...

Kunststoffe international, From the Vertical Machine into the Car Door
The integration of individual parts to a multifunctional assembly is one of the important innovation potentials of plastic injection molding, e. g. the production of glass window modules for car rear doors, as practiced at Henniges Automotive. They consist of the glass pane, a web strip, and fastening clips, which are overmolded by a TPE frame to a ready-to-install assembly. For the manufacturing the automotive supplier relies on vertical C-frame injection molding machines from LWB Steinl. The r...

Kunststoffe international, Functional Prototypes for Car Components
Fiber-reinforced plastic components, including those for load-bearing areas, are established alternatives to metals in vehicle construction. It is not just their low specific weight that makes them interesting, but also their acoustic properties, which reduce noise transmission. As development cycles become ever shorter, the scope for protecting and coordinating components in their vehicle environment is becoming increasingly restricted. 3D printed prototypes, however, can help with acoustic ass...

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, Influences on Microdamage Strain Limits
The quality of a part design or a strength proof depends to a large extent on how well the material property in question meets the design conditions. For this paper, information about the influences exerted on the strain limits of “microdamage”, as a criterion for mechanical material failure, was compiled from the literature, evaluated and prepared for application as far as possible. Strength testing of thermoplastic parts proves to be quite simple if it is strain-based and if micromechanical d...

Kunststoffe international, Killing Problem Microbes
An American manufacturer and an invention team from Canada have developed and patented a formulation that can permanently protect plastic surfaces and metals from microbes. The technical active destroys the cell membrane of the germs without allowing them to adapt. It is applied in an online process after extrusion or thermoforming and then cured thermally or using UV light. ViaClean Technologies LLC has developed proprietary thermal, UV and hybrid cure antimicrobial treatment formulations, eith...

Kunststoffe international, Less Is Often More
As part of an energy-saving project, the companies Ejot and RK Kutting looked at mold temperature control in a series application, paying particular attention to mold hoses. The strategic use of thermal insulation effectively reduced heat losses from the overall system and shortened the warm-up time by 40 %. The insulation also provides reliable protection against contact burns. Processing of thermoplastic materials is energy intensive and is accompanied by power losses, especially in the form o...

Kunststoffe international, Medical Applications of Additive ‧Manufacturing
Anyone who introduced additive manufacturing (AM) in a company 15 years ago was a visionary. Anyone who did not do so ten years ago fell behind the early adopters. Anyone who still is not using additive manufacturing today is losing their edge over the competition. What this technology is considered capable of today and how it can be applied in many areas of application is shown (representative) by this expert’s view of medical technology. Additive manufacturing (AM) is bringing about increasing...

Kunststoffe international, Molded Part Quality Prediction Using Machine Learning
The general aim of quality prediction is to derive statements about the resulting molded part quality based on process data. For injection molded parts, a high level of informative value is generally attributed to the cavity pressure curve. The question arises whether the quality prediction yields more precise results if, in addition to the process data from the machine’s internal sensors, the data from the mold sensor(s) are also included. All plastics processing companies are facing the perma...

Kunststoffe international, No More Weight Problems
HiQ Flow is Wittmann Battenfeld’s answer to the challenge of fluctuating shot weights in injection-molded parts. The assistant system modifies the process parameters in the course of the same shot to counteract viscosity fluctuations caused by batch fluctuations in the material or by the use of regrind. The viscosity of a plastic melt has a significant effect on the part quality of an injection-molded component. Viscosity fluctuations caused, for example, by different batches of material or the ...

Kunststoffe international, Open Control for More Efficiency
With the transition to the new Simatic Open Controller generation, Gabler Thermoform is upgrading their ‧machines to provide increased performance and more efficiency. This will represent the first step toward ‧digitalization for the North German company, and a new dimension of customer support. The availability and ‧productivity of machines will be bolstered as a direct result of precisely plannable maintenance work. Situated in Lübeck, Germany, Gabler Thermoform GmbH & Co. KG is one of the gl...

Kunststoffe international, Polymer Materials
Polymer materials, including synthetic polymers, have a bad reputation. These image problems do not just arise from the current environmental debate but also have earlier origins. In the past, too, polymer materials were subject to unjustified criticism. This often stemmed from non-scientists and frequently betrayed a lack of scientific knowledge. Plastics have a massive image problem. They are often seen as a symbol of environmental pollution. In addition, they are still considered by many cons...

Kunststoffe international, Polypropylene Beats Aluminum
Batteries in electric vehicles must be specially protected to counter the risk of fires. Battery trays made from aluminum frequently offer insufficient protection. The automotive supplier ElringKlinger has therefore developed underbody protection manufactured from glass fiber-reinforced PP. Until now, battery trays for electric vehicles have been produced mainly from aluminum. Recently, however, a number of vehicles have caught fire after objects lying in the road were flung up at high speed aga...

Kunststoffe international, Present in a Multitude of Trends
Lightweight construction, functionality and design are characteristic of material development in all areas of ‧application for PC compounds, composites and films. The range of materials has enormous opportunities when it comes to the mobility of the future, lightweight structural construction with continuous fiber-reinforced composites, 5G technology and medical technology. During the course of 2018, the high demand for polycarbonate (PC) had already slowed down considerably in comparison with ...

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

Kunststoffe international, Quickly and Gently around the Bend
Consider this paradox: sensitive PET is particularly demanding when being processed because it undergoes rapid thermal and mechanical degradation, yet when PET preforms are being produced scant attention is paid to designing the all-important hot runner to suit the individual product. Much more often, a manufacturer will use several cold halves and a hot one and produce articles weighing from 6 to 40 g. Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences, Germany, and mold specialist MHT conducted a resear...

Kunststoffe international, Rattle-Free Part
At the US location in Auborn Hills, Michigan, fischer automotive systems produces kinematic components for the center console of the Mercedes GLE class, which are equipped with a roller blind. The individual slats of the roller blind are manufactured on a large two-component injection molding machine and, while they are still in the turnkey system, are combined with externally supplied parts to form the finished roller blind. It takes almost a bird’s eye view to get an overview of the size and c...

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

Kunststoffe international, Replacing Metal in the Gearbox
Anyone seeking to replace a metal component by a plastic one, to reduce the number of component parts from eight to three and simultaneously cut both the weight and manufacturing costs needs to take great care to ‧ensure that all specifications are met – especially if the component is used in a hot gearbox and is subject to high mechanical stress. For developing a new shifter fork, GK Concept and its customer Koki Technik were awarded the 2019 GKV/TecPart Innovation Prize. When drivers of a manu...

Kunststoffe international, Runway Lights for the Seat Belt
Ambient lighting has captured the car interior – and facilitated orientation for the passengers. There is no need for anyone to fumble for the seat belt buckle in the dark in the Audi A7, as an integrated light guide shows the way. Kunststoff Helmbrechts produces the 3-component part and also developed the tool concept. The trick: a so-called twin-turn tool which rotates on both sides. The company was awarded the GKV TecPart Innovation Prize for it at the K 2019. The article itself does not appe...

Kunststoffe international, Semi-Crystalline, and yet Thermoformable
Ultra high performance polymers such as polyaryletherketones (PAEK) are typically not thermoformable for thick gauge applications because of their semi-crystalline nature. Specially developed PEKK grades now allow processing in this method. These can be used to produce large semi-crystalline PAEK parts with large wall thickness exhibiting extreme mechanical, chemical and flame retardant properties. Polyaryletherketones (PAEK) are used in technically challenging industry sectors, e. g. aerospace...

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, 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, Sustainable Growth
The central issue in all polyurethane applications is the conversion from the past linear economy into a ‧circular economy, and the use of sustainable raw materials in manufacturing. To do so, manufacturers are ‧taking measures such as using bio-based raw materials, chemical recycling, and CO2 as a synthesis component. Digitalization, electromobility, autonomous driving and the construction industry are also driving PU development. In 2019, global demand for polyurethane (PU) saw a significant b...

Kunststoffe international, The One that Shears, Splits, and Folds Material
The patent on the operating principle of the co-kneader was applied for three quarters of a century ago. Compared to other extruder technologies, it features a clearly higher mixing effect while it processes the raw ‧materials gently. Current applications for its further development range from reactive, shear-sensitive plastics to the compounding of high-performance engineering plastics. August 20, 1945, the day when graduate engineer Heinz List (Fig. 1) applied for a patent on the principle of...

Kunststoffe international, The Role of Chemistry in Plastics Recycling
Today plastics recycling is usually only classified as being either mechanical or chemical. This view ‧ignores the fact that the main difference between the two is whether physical or chemical reactions are taking place. However, precise differentiation is crucial for any assessment of the possibilities and limitations of plastic ‧recovery processes and whether materials are actually being recycled or merely their raw materials recovered. Plastics recycling has been enjoying a considerable boom ...

Kunststoffe international, Zero-Waste Concept for Carbon SMC
Composite materials are often the key to lightweight design for many applications. However, these hybrid ‧materials face a major challenge where recycling is concerned. There is still no solution to the recovery of long and continuous fiber-reinforced materials. Where it is possible at all, only downcycling has been feasible until now. Four research partners have therefore set themselves the goal of developing a new press forming technology as part of a zero-waste project. Whether for automotive...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, "Medical Grade" Plastics
"Medical Grade" Plastics Biocompatibility Tests on Plastics Used in Medical Technology David Thaler and Nicole Böhnisch, Münster/Germany For plastics used in the medical sector, the aspect of biocompatibility is gaining increasing importance. This article describes the tests that the end-product manufacturer should perform to ensure the safety of the material. Plastics are used in virtually all areas of medical technology [1]. They are found in disposable articles, in nearly all ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, 100 % Web Inspection
100 % Web Inspection How Measuring Systems Can Master the Flood of Data Collected during Film Inspection Rudolf Krampe, Bochum/Germany The only way to pick up and classify every single production fault in film manufacture is to monitor the entire surface area. Modern web inspection systems document and visualize any faults, thus allowing the relevant production parameters to be specifically corrected. In the production of materials such as plastic film, nonwovens and paper, which are man...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, 3-Dimensional Moulded Circuit Carriers
3-Dimensional Moulded Circuit Carriers New Process Combines 3D-MID Technology with IMD Ulrich Schütz, Leverkusen/Germany The first components made by the 3D-MID technology were produced by 2-component injection moulding with subsequent metallization or by hot embossing of conductive tracks into the surface of the components in series production. A third, less well-known process is gradually arousing interest, namely the insert moulding of film structured with conductive tracks. Mechanica...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, A Commonsense Quota System
A Commonsense Quota System The Impact of the Quota Provisions of the German ELV Legislation on the Use of Plastics Siegfried Schäper, Ingolstadt/Germany The German End-of-Life Vehicle legislation is transposing European Directive 2000/53/EC into national legislation. This legislation makes it possible for the material flows of recycling to largely follow market demands. According to its provisions, lightweight engineering and the use of plastics, especially of composites and sustainable ma...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, A Contradiction in Terms?
A Contradiction in Terms? "Design for Recycling" or Design before Recycling Peter Wiedemann, Neuburg/Donau, Germany The EU End of Life Vehicle Directive is in force. It makes plastics recycling compulsory on a considerable scale. Because of the effects on type approval from 1.1.2005, account must be taken now of the requirements for "design for recycling". With the adoption of the EU End of Life Vehicle Directive, the subject of recycling has again moved into the foregrou...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, A Demanding Body Care Set
A Demanding Body Care Set Injection Moulds for a 4-Part Skin Cleansing Set Helmut Obermayr, Schwanenstadt/Austria A new massager is assembled from four housing parts. But these apparently simple mouldings have a hidden complexity. Many details had to be taken into account in the complicated mould design. The story of body care and beauty electronics began with electric shavers and continued with electric toothbrushes. Now, any household can choose from a wide variety of electrical beauty...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, A Keep-fit Programme for Machines
A Keep-fit Programme for Machines Software for Planning and Control of Preventive Maintenance Erwin Schwab and Ralf Marzineak, Iserlohn/Germany High machine availability depends on correct adherence to time-based or state-based maintenance strategies. Software for supporting the planning, control and analysis of maintenance work allows the periodic servicing and inspection to be organised and carried out much more efficiently. Maintenance includes ensuring the required availability of ma...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, A New Pilot Plant: Customer Trials Required
A New Pilot Plant: Customer Trials Required Because of the lack of qualified technical staff, in 2000, SMS Folientechnik relocated its production plant from Droitwich/United Kingdom to Vienna in the heart of Europe. In the newly built pilot plant, the technical press were presented with a new standardised cast-stretch film production concept. The standardised Cast2020 generation (Fig.1) permits individual plant parts to be freely combined to form the complete system. Depending on customer re...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, A Systematic Approach to Micro-Injection Moulding
A Systematic Approach to Micro-Injection Moulding Combining 3D-MID and Microsystems Engineering Rainer Bourdon and Werner Schneider, Roding/Germany Increasing calls for micro-injection moulded parts and structures over the past few years have prompted the development of new mould and process technologies to produce these parts. The number of technical applications is constantly increasing. The examples that can be given are many and varied and are to be found particularly in the automotive...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, A Wider Area of Application: Compounders and Pelletisers
A Wider Area of Application: Compounders and Pelletisers Three trends are shaping development in plastics compounding: new polymerisation plants now require compounding and pelletising systems for outputs of up to 80t/h, flexible compounding machines are needed for the growing number of plastics that have to be modified for specific applications, direct processing of compounds into semi-finished or finished products is continually gaining importance. Werner Wiedmann The machines mainly use...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Above Average Growth of TPE
Above Average Growth of TPE Strategic Market Study Points to Potentials Eckhard Schäfer, Heidelberg/Germany The market for thermoplastic elastomers is growing annually at two decimal rates. While for some types of TPE this growth is exceptional, a number of other materials are being replaced by TPE. An extensive market study by the Lean Management Zentrum, Heidelberg, shows future trends. In the next years sales of thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) will grow by 8 to 36 % annually depending ...

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, Additives: Custom-engineered Plastics
Custom-engineered Plastics Additives. Whether flow behaviour, colour or hardness – the properties that characterise a plastic are determined by additives that become more application-specific every year. Small amount, large effect – the action of additives can be summarised with these words. For years, manufacturers have striven for continuous improvement of their products, matching flame retardants, pigments and stabilisers more and more exactly to the requirements of customers and the market. ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Additives: Tough and Heat-resistant: New Silicone Particles for Thermosets
Thermoplastic Elastomers Tough and Heat-resistant: New Silicone Particles for Thermosets Additives A new generation of nanoscale silicone and core-shell particles is revolutionising the modification of heat-resistant thermosets. Even small additions of the new particles significantly increase the impact strength and fracture toughness of reactive resins and other plastics. Jochen Ebenhoch Highly crosslinking reactive resins, such as hot-curing epoxy resins, bismaleimide resins or cyanate resins ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Adjusted Geometries
Adjusted Geometries Optimising the Build Chamber for Plastic Fuel Tanks Andreas Wüst, Ludwigshafen/Germany Modern automotive development is marked by concurrent engineering. In practice, this means that the boundary conditions constantly change as development work progresses. The geometric design and required build chamber for the various parts of a vehicle change and, at the same time, are highly interdependent. This causes headaches in particular with geometrically subordinate parts that...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Aid for Day-to-day Business: E-commerce Portal Facilitates Business Transactions
Special E-Commerce Portal Facilitates Business Transactions Aid for Day-to-day Business. Electronic platforms for business transactions in the chemical industry are changing the relationships between customers and suppliers. They improve partnerships with customers, particularly where customised solutions bring business advantages for both parties. Klaus Schwarz Internet trading, e-commerce for short, is no longer in its infancy, but is increasingly becoming a standard instrument for day-to-da...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, All-plastic Hybrids: Thermoplastic Hybrid Structures
Reinforced Plastics Thermoplastic Hybrid Structures All-plastic Hybrids. Light alloy hybrids were yesterday, the future belong to plastic-plastic combinations. Hybrid structures made of thermoplastics with continuous fibre-reinforced reinforcement elements have high integration variability with low weight and good economy at the same time. Ralph Funck Markus Steffens Light, lighter, lightest. The use of light alloys and highly specialised steel alloys is natural today. What will be the next inn...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, An Overview: Innovative Processing Techniques
An Overview: Innovative Processing Techniques In addition to classic production techniques, alternative techniques for processing engineering plastics are becoming established in the automotive industry, often bringing substantial product improvements and savings. Particularly promising examples are outsert moulding, two-component injection moulding, microfoaming and laser welding. Ulrich Haack To be able to survive at an international level, auto makers and their highly specialized suppli...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Analysis of the Campus Database
Analysis of the Campus Database The Use of Characteristic Values in the Design Process Robert Berlich, Ralph Gabriel and Ernst Schmachtenberg, Essen/Germany The Campus database is widely used in the plastics world. Not very much is known about the way in which individual designers work with it, however. The developers of the database took the opportunity to establish the use made of the database and the chief requirements placed on it by means of a questionnaire. The investigations condu...

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, As Good As New
As Good As New Quality is an Important Factor in Second-Hand Machinery Many plastics processors think that trying to buy good quality second-hand machinery is rather like trying to win a lottery. After all, it is very difficult to assess the condition of a machine that has been used in production for several years. And not all second-hand dealers are trustworthy. But, as the following examples show, it does not have to be like this. Garant Maschinenhandel GmbH, Lengerich, was set up as far...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Attractive and Robust
Attractive and Robust Protective and Decorative Films based on Polyamides Michael Beyer and Jörg Lohmar, Marl/Germany Films in semi-crystalline polyamide 12 are noted for their high transparency and scratch resistance. With classical or modern designs printed on them, they provide highly-stressed sports articles, such as snowboards or skis, with protection and with an attractive appearance. A large number of new processes have been developed over the past few decades for surface decorati...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Automated Gasket Application
Automated Gasket Application Mixing and Metering Equipment for Fully Automatic Lamp Production Peter Fischer, Cologne/Germany and Walter Michelberger, Tettnang/Germany Fully automatic direct application of the gasket compound to the part saves costs as a result of shorter production times and reduced stockholding. A new automation concept for a mixing and metering unit allows the application of gaskets to more than 1.2 million batten-type lighting fixtures per year with only one operator. ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Automated Injection Moulding and Welding of Bumpers
Automated Injection Moulding and Welding of Bumpers Jointed-arm-Robots in Action Otto Leiritz and Hergen Görse, Pappenheim/Germany In fully automated bumper production, a jointed-arm-robot takes care of all handling tasks. Its wide operating area and high positional accuracy have made it possible to integrate into the automation system a welding operation that was originally separate. In preparing for serial production of the rear bumper for the new DaimlerChrysler E-class at their Pappe...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Automated Manufacture of Mobile Phones
Automated Manufacture of Mobile Phones High Requirements on Robot Handling Technology Christine Böhringer, Munich/Germany Every manufacturer would like to produce parts ready for dispatch or installation in just a single operation. Plastic handling robots achieving injection moulding machine removal rates of less than 2.1 s and complex after moulding operations allow in addition the production of mobile phones in virtually unmanned production halls. Users of industrial robots now expect ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Automatically in the Mould
Automatically in the Mould Automatic Injection Compression Moulding and Back Compression Reiner Jensen, München/Germany and Walter Klaus, Schwaig/Germany Back injection, injection compression moulding and back compression of decoration materials in the product part mould has been state-of-the-art for some years. New versions of the procedure make ever more advanced component design possible. For direct lamination automation of the insertion and removal processes is a prerequisite for reproducibl...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Automation: Maximum Networking of Manufacturing Processes
Automation: Maximum Networking of Manufacturing Processes Production sites in Germany can only safeguard their existence by taking efficiency measures and maintaining a technical lead. Although this is by no means an original observation, many users have still not grasped the true potential of automation and process networking. Oliver Giesen Injection moulding operations in western industrial countries, most of which are high-cost areas, are coming increasingly under cost pressure. Foreign...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Automotive Applications: Thermosets Get Going
Automotive Applications: Thermosets Get Going Metals, thermoplastics and thermosets are all competing against each other in the keenly-contested automotive sector. Thermosets have good prospects for under-the-bonnet applications, in particular, since they combine resistance and stability with the possibility of cost-efficient production. Eva Bittmann The use of plastics in cars not only permits weight reductions and hence energy savings when the car is in service but also makes for more co...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Automotive Glazing: Clear Prospects
Automotive Engineering Clear Prospects Automotive Glazing. A trend towards large-area, three-dimensional plastic glazing made of robust, weight-saving polycarbonate is emerging in the automotive industry. GE Advanced Materials is working on the development of state-of-the-art glazing systems in cooperation with system suppliers and vehicle manufacturers. While the side and vent windows on present-day saloon cars have tended to become smaller so as to permit higher door panels, bigger tailga...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Babylonian Confusion?
Babylonian Confusion? Compatibility Problems in the CAD Environment Ernst Schmachtenberg, Aachen/Germany, Christian Janßen, Velbert/Germany, Thomas Seul, Essen/Germany The exchange of geometry information in networks helps to reduce development times. This type of communication poses unthought-of challenges for users, since the CAD data are often faulty or unreadable due to incompatibility between the different software systems. The following article provides some tips on how to make data ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Back to Nature
Back to Nature Trends in Development and Markets of Biodegradable Materials Harald Käb, Berlin/Germany Products made from biodegradable materials (BMs) are slowly but surely gaining a foothold in the market. While packaging made from BMs can already be found on the shelves of major supermarket chains in England, the Netherlands, Italy and Switzerland, in Germany they are still awaiting the results of a pilot project on biodegradable packaging. These new polymers are also establishing thems...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Back-compression Moulding: Instrument Panel with Integrated Airbag Flap
Back-compression Moulding: Instrument Panel with Integrated Airbag Flap In the space of only 18 months, Peguform und Kaufmann succeeded in developing an instrument panel for the Chrysler Crossfire to production maturity using a new injection-compression moulding process. The foam-backed TPO coverstock used for the part gives a high-quality surface with a soft touch. The development and validation of the integrated passenger airbag took six months. Ali Hassanzadeh, Hans Schirmer, Georg Kaufma...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Bank Rating: Corporate Financing in the Shadow of Basel II
Corporate Financing in the Shadow of Basel II Bank Rating. Numerous companies are suffering from the restrictive lending policy of many banks. Credit institutions frequently give a poor rating as the reason for shortening a credit line or for withdrawing a credit completely. Proper preparation for the bank rating procedure can open up new financing scope. Gabriele Schäfer Irrespective of the creditworthiness of the debtor, banks have, until now, had to have capital available amounting to 8% o...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Barrier Properties: Permeability of Polymer Alloys
Blends Permeability of Polymer Alloys Barrier Properties. Polymer alloys can be used to optimise the barrier properties of polymers and are therefore promising materials for improving fuel barrier properties for the automotive industry. This article describes the advantages of alloy technology in relation to permeability properties. Benoît Brulé The materials considered in this study were commercially available alloys marketed under the trade name Orgalloy. The name stands for a complete range ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Basell’s Polish Activities: Polyolefins from Poland
Market and Management Polyolefins from Poland Basell’s Polish Activities. Poland has evolved into a highly attractive country for foreign investors. One prominent example is Basell, which, in the form of the joint venture Basell Orlen Polyolefin Sp. Z.o.o (BOP) remains the only producer of polyolefins in Poland. Through its latest investments and new technologies, the company is facing up to the expected marked rise in polyolefin consumption in Poland in the next few years. Klaus Kohlhepp Wi...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Better-Quality Rubber Products
Better-Quality Rubber Products International Conference on Rubber Processing Two large-scale research projects jointly conducted by the Institut für Kunststofftechnik (Institute for Plastics Technology), in Paderborn/Germany, and industrial partners are examining the processes that occur during the compounding and extrusion of rubber compounds. The results will be presented at an international conference to be held in Paderborn on 9/10 January 2002. Rubber industry do not obtain their raw ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Biodegradable Materials
Biodegradable Materials A Status Report Johannes Schroeter, Rosenheim/Germany In the last decade of the 20th century, deliberate use was made of a property of plastics that had hitherto been considered a drawback: biodegradability. On the one hand, biodegradability creates access to a cheap method of disposal, namely composting. On the other, it enables a materials cycle to be built up that imitates Nature. This will probably prove to be the most important aspect of the technology. Stone...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Blown Film Extrusion Today
Blown Film Extrusion Today Versatility and Flexibility are Required Jens Spirgatis and Johannes Wortberg, Essen/Germany Because of the increasing demands being imposed on film products, e. g. in the area of food packaging, a continuing trend towards coextruded film is evident. In addition, the market requires high production flexibility on the part of film manufacturers. As a result of this, new requirements have arisen in relation to plant technology, to which the machinery manufacturers ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Bond Reliably: The Right Adhesive
Joining Technology The Right Adhesive Bond Reliably. The property profile of polymeric materials also affects the bonding or joining method employed. Classical methods such as welding are often not suitable, so that bonding technology is gaining in importance. In order to achieve a successful bonding, however, certain basic prerequisites must be met. Gudrun Weigel With about 15 wt.-% in new car models, plastics represent the second largest materials group in the automotive sector and show a...

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, Bonding of Plastics
Bonding of Plastics Applications, Training, Trends Otto Diedrich Hennemann, Bremen/Germany Bonding is a joining process that enables high added value to be created. For confidence in the bonding of plastics to be boosted, there is a need to develop adhesives even further, among other things. Plastics Processors will also have to train skilled employees in the future. This will allow the possible applications of this joining technology to be fully exploited in fields with a promising future...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Boost for the Economy: Becoming More Competitive through Co-operation
Market and Management Becoming More Competitive through Co-operation Werner Pamminger Boost for the Economy. In April 1999, in Upper Austria, the Kunststoff-Cluster (KC – Plastics Cluster) was founded as part of a promotional program for the plastics industry. It was intended to strengthen the innovativeness of plastics companies, especially through co-operative networking. Methods developed in the PC make it easier to create a basis for successful co-operation. Based on the pioneering achi...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Broad Range of Application: High-density Polyethylene (PE-HD)
Special: World Market High-density Polyethylene (PE-HD) Broad Range of Application. Between 2000 and 2003, global sales of PE-HD increased 4.3% p.a. to 25.5 million tons. In Western Europe, demand rose by only 2.7% overall, to stand at around 5.1 million tons. Over the next few years, average growth rates are expected to be approximately 6% worldwide and 3.5% for Western Europe. The Asian market, in particular, is set to experience disproportionately high growth over the years to come. The r...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Broadly Based: Berstorff Enters New Markets
Special Berstorff Enters New Markets Broadly Based. Compared with 2001/02, received orders for fiscal 2002/03 were up from EUR 100.4 to 115.1 million, and sales were at EUR 113 million. Received orders for the current fiscal year are expected to run at EUR 137 million. In Russia, received orders rose from EUR 3 million in the previous year to EUR 18 million, and in China from EUR 8.6 to 14 million. The company is aiming for further growth on these markets for the current fiscal year. Exports ma...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, CAD/FEA Integration: Water Pump with Improved Long-term Performance
CAD/FEA Integration: Water Pump with Improved Long-term Performance To model engineering components from phenolic resin, Vyncolit uses an FE analysis system. The development of a new water pump for a car engine is used as an example to demonstrate the potential of this thermoset to cut costs, reduce weight and increase the efficiency of a component previously produced from metal. Gerhard Auer Engineering phenolic resins have a range of physical properties that make them ideal for many appl...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Calcium Silicate as a Functional Filler: Wollastonite – a High-performance Filler
Additives Wollastonite – a High-performance Filler Calcium Silicate as a Functional Filler. It is only in the last 30 years that the plastics industry has discovered the mineral, wollastonite, which was previously used mainly in the ceramics industry. The more refined wollastonite powders have gained considerably increased importance as reinforcing materials for plastics. Bettina Nolte-Ernsting For a long time now, fillers have ceased to be a simple means of extending plastics compounds to redu...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Calculation of Plastic Parts: Stress Appearance during Creep
Design Stress Appearance during Creep Calculation of Plastic Parts. Finite element analysis is one of the key tools used by engineers today. Calculations of this type, however, require material models which ensure a precise description of the thermoplastics. New approaches point the way forward in this direction. Vladimir Kolupaev Martin Moneke Florian Becker When designing parts, engineers frequently lack trustworthy material data for the simulation calculation. The engineer has no way of kn...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Carbon Nanotubes
Carbon Nanotubes High-Strength Reinforcing Compounds for Composites Bernd Lahr, Dublin/Ireland, and Jan Sandler, Hamburg/Germany A novel "carbon fibre" is the stuff of fantasy for American scientists: the tensile strength of carbon nanotubes is reputedly high enough to allow a "space lift" to be made from a polymer nanotube composite that could transport materials and personnel to space stations orbiting the Earth. Far removed from this vision, nanotubes exhibit outstandi...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Case Study (3): Hot-Runner Solution for a Spring Valve
Hot-Runner Solution for a Spring Valve Case Study (3). Automated injection moulding production is often difficult to implement for small parts, since the demand for direct gating of the parts is rarely possible to achieve. Nevertheless, with standards and mini hot-runner systems developed especially for this type of application, and the smallest possible moulds on small injection moulding machines, cost efficient solutions are possible, as this case study shows. Dirk Paulmann In the injection ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Centralized Supply for 59 Injection Moulding Machines
Centralized Supply for 59 Injection Moulding Machines Drying, Conveying and Mixing System for the Manufacture of Plastics Automotive Parts Thomas Meyer, Ludwigsburg/Germany The production site of FTE automotive systems GmbH in Ebern-Fischbach, which opened at the end of 1999, will ultimately accommodate 59 injection moulding machines, on which automotive supply parts for brake and coupling hydraulic systems will be injection moulded. The basic concept was to centralize material feed, inc...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Characteristics and Costs in Equilibrium
Characteristics and Costs in Equilibrium Measurement of the degree of gelation of PVC window profiles Heino Klingenfuß and Anton Zahn, Würzburg/Germany Using Oscillating Dynamic Differential Thermal Analysis (ODSC) the degree of gelation can be measured anywhere on a window profile. Using the results PVC formulations and their processing as well as the design of extrusion dies can be improved. A lifetime of more than 50 years is expected from a plastic window made of PVC-HI. The mechanic...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, China is the Market Driver: Expandable Polystyrene (EPS)
Trend Report Commodity Plastics Expandable Polystyrene (EPS) China is the Market Driver. Global demand for EPS is high: users everywhere are opting for EPS foam as a reliable material for a wide range of applications from the construction industry to packaging for international trade. However, the main applications vary in the different regional markets. Michael Riethues Erich Klement Since they were first launched on the market, EPS foams have become an indispensable part of many industries a...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Choosing Plugs: Plugs for Forming Cups
Choosing Plugs: Plugs for Forming Cups Thermoforming is a long-established method for mass producing cups. However, its enormous potential is frequently not used to the full. The usual cause of problems is pre-stretching with plugs. Edmund Haberstroh, Jürgen Wirtz A glance at the volumes involved quickly reveals the importance of thermoforming in cup manufacture. The German market leader produces around 2.3 billion cups a year for yoghurt alone [1]. The success of thermoforming and the tho...

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, Close Cooperation Ensures Success
Close Cooperation Ensures Success Technology Management in the Plastics Industry Christian Bonten, Essen/Germany Plastics are being increasingly used in highly demanding segments that would have been unimaginable a few years ago. The main reason for this increase is that, in most cases, plastic products are able best of all to satisfy the many different wishes of the customers - even as far as the price is concerned. K 2001 will demonstrate once again that good technology management by the...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Coating Carpets
Coating Carpets Lower Energy Consumption and Improved Recyclability compared with Latex Composites Jürgen Miethlinger and Alfred Mayr, Lenzing/Austria The extrusion coating process permits composite carpets to be produced in a single operation. The only brief, unilateral thermal stressing that prevails preserves the pile fibre and ensures good dimensional stability over the entire carpet structure. Final widths of 4 and 5 m can be achieved on an extrusion coating plant thanks to the variab...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Colourfast Window Profiles
Colourfast Window Profiles Heat-resistant Combinations of ASA and ABS Florian Hennenberger, Ludwigshafen/Germany For more than 40 years now, impact-modified PVC has been doing outstanding service in the construction industry for profile production, particularly for window frames. Nevertheless, there has recently been an increasing call for alternative plastics for this application. The styrene copolymers ASA and ABS are possible candidates. More than half the windows in Germany are curre...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Colourmatch-capable Film Technology: A Technology Waits in the Wings
Exterior Parts A Technology Waits in the Wings Colourmatch-capable Film Technology. With this process, in contrast to previous ones, the surface is decorated in the vehicle body colour before the component is manufactured. After thermoforming and backmoulding with an LGF-reinforced thermoplastic, we end up with a finished part for the outer skin having a Class A surface. Daniel Zulkarnain Ulf Schlotterbeck Henning Gleich Thermoplastics cannot be coated online by conventional painting proce...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Combined Process: Foamed Parts with Excellent Surface Quality
Combined Process: Foamed Parts with Excellent Surface Quality The aim of applications engineering must be to combine two special processes in such a way that the combined process can be technically mastered under practical conditions, that the advantages of both processes are exploited and that the user, in an ideal case, gains an added benefit. An impressive example is the combination of Monosandwich and MuCell processes. Jörg Dassow In injection moulding, many special processes often com...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Compact and Reliable
Compact and Reliable Production Integration and Process Reliability in Laser Welding Stefan Hierl, Erlangen/Germany When a method of joining materials is being chosen, ease of automation and process reliability need to be considered in addition to process engineering. What possibilities does transmission laser welding of polymers offer here? Transmission laser welding adds an innovative dimension to the range of methods available for joining plastics. Its specific characteristics render ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Complex Multi-Textile Preforms
Complex Multi-Textile Preforms The Potential of Sewing Peter Mitschang and Christian Weimer, Kaiserslautern/Germany Resin injection processes (e. g., RTM) are taking on ever greater importance in the production of structural parts made of fibre-plastic composites (FPCs). Further development of these production methods is critically dependent on the provision of tailored reinforcements, so-called preforms. This article compares the potential afforded by sewing technology in the manufacture ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Component Design: Creep Resistance - A Characteristic Value for Creep Behaviour
Special Creep Resistance – A Characteristic Value for Creep Behaviour Johannes Kunz Component Design. A characteristic value denoted creep resistance is proposed for quantifying the creep behaviour of plastics in simple terms. This is defined as the ratio of the tensile creep moduli at 1000h and at 1h. Under static or quasi-static load, the visco-elasticity of plastics is manifested through a steady reduction in material stiffness. This leads to creep (retardation) under a constant level of...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Composite Parts: Flexibility in Rigid/Flexible Combinations
Composite Parts: Flexibility in Rigid/Flexible Combinations In the production of rigid/flexible combinations, either thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), rubber, or liquid silicone (LSR) are used as the flexible component, depending on the case in question. As a specialist producer of multicomponent injection-moulded parts, Weigelt has a great deal of experience in processing all three materials. There are a number of challenges to be mastered when it comes to the application technology, however......

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Compostable Material: Thermoformed Packaging Made of PLA
Compostable Material: Thermoformed Packaging Made of PLA Polylactides (PLA) represent a new group of thermoplastics for packaging applications obtained from renewable resources. In extensive tests, the functional and thermoforming properties of PLA were compared with those of other polymers. Luc Bosiers, Sven Engelmann Polylactides (PLA) represent a new group of thermoplastics for packaging applications obtained from renewable resources. PLA’s properties make it suitable for various thermo...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Compounding: Maximising Use of Machine Potential
25 Years of KTP Maximising Use of Machine Potential Compounding. The energy consumption of twin-screw extruders can be determined in advance by simulation calculation. This allows full torque utilisation, so that compounders can maximise use of available machine performance potential. Because of their excellent mixing properties and flexible construction, co-rotating, twin-screw extruders are commercially and technically the most important machine concept for compounding thermoplastics. However,...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Compounding: The Intelligent Alternative
Extrusion The Intelligent Alternative Compounding. Bimodal polyolefins pose a new challenge to compounding lines. The two components, comprising long and short chain molecules, with widely different viscosities, must be homogenised to produce a uniform pellet stock, free of fish eyes. The novel ZSK-NT combination opens up new routes to this difficult compounding task. First melting is carried out in a specially designed twin-screw kneader, and the melt is then transferred to a second twin-screw ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Compounds and Masterbatches
Compounds and Masterbatches Trends at K 2001 Matthias C. Hund, Neustadt/Weinstraße, Germany The large number of exhibitors at K 2001 offering compounds or masterbatches underlines the importance of these industries. They are used for turning commodity polymers into tailored systems. This article picks out certain features and trends from the wide variety of available information. At first glance, the division of responsibilities appears quite simple: polymer manufacturers produce the bas...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Compounds: Flame Proofing and Light Stabilisation of Polypropylene
Compounds: Flame Proofing and Light Stabilisation of Polypropylene Many plastic applications would be impossible without halogenated flame retardants. However, many flame retardants, particularly brominated ones, cause difficulties in processing and reduce the product’s long-term stability. A specially designed additive system permits polypropylene parts to be both UV resistant and flame retardant. Jürg Zingg, Robert Diemunsch For years, flameproofed polymeric materials have been gaining ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Consumer Protection: Migration Models for the Assessment of Plastic Products
Consumer Protection: Migration Models for the Assessment of Plastic Products The migration of substances from plastics into foods or into the indoor air is a key issue. New software programs provide support in estimating substance migration and help save time and costs. The wide range of properties offered by the plastics that are familiar today is based, firstly, on the different fundamental structures of the polymer matrix and, secondly, on a wealth of relatively low-molecular additives, i...

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, Continuous Growth: Polyarylether Ketone (PAEK)
Trend Report: High Performance Plastics Polyarylether Ketone (PAEK) Continuous Growth. Continuous growth is being reported in the use of high-performance plastics from the PAEK family in all sectors of industry. The balanced and high-grade property profile of this material enables developers and designers to come up with innovative solutions and thereby respond to the constant call for cost reduction, functional optimisation, weight reduction, a longer service life and optimised safety and com...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Continuous Production of Polymer Nanofilms
Continuous Production of Polymer Nanofilms Georg Hinrichsen, Berlin/Germany, Andreas Hoffmann, Bötzingen/Germany, Thomas Schleeh, Luxembourg, and Christian Macht, Berlin/Germany By means of spontaneous film formation, continuous ultrathin polymer films with a thickness of between 10 and 100 nm and a width of more than 10 cm can be produced at speeds of 1 to 10 m/min. A laboratory line for the continuous production of nanofilms is presented and a first characterization of the films produced i...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Control Engineering: New Technical Beginning in Machine Control
Control Engineering: New Technical Beginning in Machine Control Ten years have passed since the responsible persons at Arburg decided to revise the controller surface of their machine controller. The task of making ever more complex machine processes and connections controllable resulted finally in realisation of a controller with new patented features. Before Fakuma it will be extended by some functionalities. Eberhard Duffner From a control engineering point of view the past years have b...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Controlling Injection Moulding Processes in Real Time
Controlling Injection Moulding Processes in Real Time A New Technique for Active Gate Balancing Wolfgang Homes and Reinhard Kabus, Bensheim/Germany A new technique for real-time process control allows each cavity nozzle to be controlled independently. This means that the injection moulding process is then no longer controlled exclusively by the injection moulding machine. There are still certain restrictions imposed on the control of the cavity-filling process today. Despite the vast imp...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Convertible Roofs: Targeting the Fresh-air Fanatics
Convertibles Targeting the Fresh-air Fanatics Convertible Roofs. Auto manufacturers across the world regard maximum customisation of their vehicles as a magic wand for generating new incentives to buy in a largely saturated market. The convertible segment offers a particularly wide scope in this respect. Stefan Schlott Of the many thousands of individual parts found in a convertible, the top performs a rather ambivalent function. As a rule, when driving with the top down, it is expected to “res...

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, Cooling Injection Moulds
Cooling Injection Moulds Effective Cooling of Very Small Areas Siegfried Stitz, Klaus Schink and Manfred Popp, Würzburg/Germany The ways and means of cooling mould cross sections less than 5 mm thick are described and compared. Equipment to measure cooling efficiency is available to study the cooling effect of different cooling systems. In medium-sized moulds today, easily accessible mould regions with large cross sections are cooled by cooling channels 8 to 10 mm in diameter that are in...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Cooling Time Reduction by Foam Injection Moulding: It Can Be Done Faster
Cooling Time Reduction by Foam Injection Moulding: It Can Be Done Faster Production time influences unit costs directly. A reduction in the production cycle time represents a cash saving. Processors can achieve this aim in principle by using foam injection moulding. This article presents the potentials of the process and the reasons for its improved efficiency over conventional non-foam injection moulding. Walter Michaeli, Sasan Habibi-Naini, Erhard Krampe If appropriately employed, the ch...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Cosmetics Packaging: Trend towards Transparency
Special Trend towards Transparency Cosmetics Packaging. Elegant cosmetics tubs, pots and tubes, seductive bottles and closures – the playground of designers. Transparent thermoplastics with high chemical resistance provide them with the leeway they need for implementing their ideas. Claudia Tillmanns The purpose of packaging is to differentiate the contents from those of the competitors’ products. The trend towards presenting contents in an attractive sales package is part of the aesthetics. Tr...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Cost-effectiveness: In-mould Decoration on Modified Standard Machines
Cost-effectiveness: In-mould Decoration on Modified Standard Machines Back-moulded surfaces for car interiors in the compact class are becoming more and more sophisticated in their design. Although such car series are produced in large quantities, there is little margin for error on costs. When certain modifications are made to standard injection-moulding machines, these can also fulfil the technical and economic requirements for back-moulding decorative surfaces. Ante Vasilj, Martin Schmidt...

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, Costs and Performance: A Comparison of Drive Technologies
Costs and Performance: A Comparison of Drive Technologies Far-reaching studies based on measurements on electric, hydraulic and hybrid injection moulding machine drives used in production were carried out to clarify any open questions regarding drive technologies in injection moulding machines. These comprehensive tests are in addition to the comparisons carried out in previous studies. Johannes Wortberg, Thomas Kamps A practically relevant comparison of the various types of drive includes...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Custom-tailored Engineering Materials: Polyphenylene Ether (PPE)
Trend Report: Engineering Plastics> Polyphenylene Ether (PPE) Custom-tailored Engineering Materials. Modifications with various engineering resins and reinforcements as well as additives permit polyphenylene ether to be employed as an engineering material for any required application. Even elastic products can be produced in this way and have recently become available for use as wire and cable insulation. Edward N. Peters Mukund Parthasarathy The amorphous thermoplastic poly-2,6-dimethylphenyl...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Customised Mould Technology: Integrated Rotary Platform for Flexible Two-Component Production
Automotive Tooling Integrated Rotary Platform for Flexible Two-Component Production Customised Mould Technology. For a new car central console, a two-component mould has been developed in which the rotary platform is integrated into the mould direct rather than in the clamping platen. This gives processors the flexibility to use the mould in combination with a side injection moulding unit on different machines. Uwe Steinmeyer Otto Kunststoffverarbeitung Crock GmbH specialises in the productio...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Cutting Costs
Cutting Costs Use of Regrind in Injection Moulding Klaus Uske, Ludwigshafen/Germany To obtain a better assessment of the risks and possibilities of using regrind, a series of trials with PBT and polyamide 6 was carried out. Some results of these trials are discussed here. Regrind is generated in thermoplastics injection moulding as a result of the granulation of sprues or reject parts into particles just a few millimetre in size. In this form, the regrind can be recycled back into the in...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Cutting Costs, Increasing Benefits: Multi-Component Injection Moulding as Innovation Driver
Cutting Costs, Increasing Benefits: Multi-Component Injection Moulding as Innovation Driver For products to remain viable, they must offer added functionality and design combined with lower production costs – a condition that can only be met with innovative production processes.In this article, Wilden AG in Regensburg/Germany, uses a series of sample products to demonstrate the development potential that can be unlocked by multi-component injection moulding. Herbert Argauer, Andreas Eder, Ka...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Cutting Foams: Foam-Splitting-Machine with Network Capability
PUR Technology Foam-Splitting-Machine with Network Capability Jürgen Speck Cutting Foams. Complex cutting lines for moulded parts in polyurethane or other foams are made up of a number of separate machines which, in the ideal case, ought to be able to communicate with each other. Data exchange on horizontal splitting machines has now been implemented on the operating unit in a direct and straightforward manner for the first time, via Ethernet. Arm rests and backrests for upholstered furnitur...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Dashboards Meet Highest Requirements
Dashboards Meet Highest Requirements New Market for Slush-moulded Skins Made from TPU Jürgen Hättig, Leverkusen/Germany, and Wolfgang Kaufhold, Dormagen/Germany The requirement profile for dashboards can be roughly divided into the categories of safety, appearance, touch and environmental friendliness. Because of increased requirements, particularly in relation to airbag technology, the use of moulded skins based on thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) is growing in importance. A car dashboa...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Data Quality in Commercial Databases
Data Quality in Commercial Databases Consequences to the End User Ralf Tüllmann, Marl/Germany, Rainer Kurzknabe, Le Grand-Saconnex/Switzerland, Knut Laumen, Frankfurt/Germany, Gerhard Maurer, Ludwigshafen/Germany, Ranganth Shastri, Midland/USA, Martin Wanders, Leverkusen/Germany Members of the Campus group recently evaluated commercial database systems to check the material data of their commercial products and found many different types of errors. Some of them may have serious long-term i...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Database: Portal for Natural-fibre-reinforced Plastics
Composite Material Portal for Natural-fibre-reinforced Plastics Erwin Baur Database. A property and knowledge based database for natural fibre reinforced plastics is being developed in a publicly funded project. The database will inform users from different industrial branches about material production, preparation and processing to reinforced products as well as calculation and design of components from these materials. Natural fibres, for example flax and hemp, are used increasingly for rein...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Decoration on the Front, Attachments on the Rear
Decoration on the Front, Attachments on the Rear Producing the Interior Trim of an Automotive Door by Integrated Decoration Compression Moulding Richard Hahnekamp, Munich/Germany, and Georg Kaufmann, Busslingen/Switzerland The very finest in mould technology, production techniques and logistics all go into the production of the different versions of the interior door trim for the convertible and coupé of the 3-series BMW by integrated decoration compression moulding. This article describes...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Decorative Surfaces in the Automotive Interior
Decorative Surfaces in the Automotive Interior PU for Instrument Panels and Door Side Trim Polyurethane cast and slush-moulded skins show low fogging and low emissions. In addition to their own particular advantages, therefore, they particularly meet the automotive industry's requirements for interior trim parts. A wide variety of decorative materials are used in the automotive interior. They include PVC or TPO films and sheets, PVC or polyurethane skins as well as leather or textiles....

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, Definition of Terms: From the Plant to the Natural Fibre-reinforced Part
Materials From the Plant to the Natural Fibre-reinforced Part Jörg Müssig Erwin Baur Definition of Terms. Natural fibres are being used ever increasingly as reinforcements for plastics. Where traditional materials, especially agricultural products, meet modern plastics processing, there are inevitably communication problems between the different stages in the supply chain. Natural fibres have become increasingly important in recent years as reinforcements for plastics. The field is characte...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Demand Continues to Rise: Polystyrene (PS)
Trend Report Commodity Plastics Polystyrene (PS) Demand Continues to Rise. Polystyrene still ranks among the quantitatively most important thermoplastics and after PE, PP and PVC is invariably in fourth place. Pushed by price pressure and price volatility, there is some movement on the polystyrene market, and the industry continues to consolidate. In addition product and procedure innovations will have high value nevertheless. Hans-Dieter Schwaben Consumption of PS in Europe decreased somewh...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Demanding in Profile
Demanding in Profile Tailor-Made Polyamides for the Automotive Industry Barbara Möller and Evelyn Allert, Niederzissen/Germany, and Bernd Matschiner, Tornesch/Germany The morphology of elastomer-modified, unreinforced polyamide 66 can be modified to produce tailor-made solutions in respect of mechanical, thermal and processing properties. Parts based on this demanding material mainly find application in the automotive industry. Polyamides (PAs) continue to grow in importance for the auto...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Design for Innovative Materials
Design for Innovative Materials DuPont Awards Design Prizes for Engineering Plastics DuPont, in partnership with the Design Center Stuttgart/Germany, this year organized for the first time a design competition in Germany entitled "Imagineering". Under the broadly based topic "Personal safety and protection", students, young designers and upcoming engineers were invited to submit aesthetically sophisticated but nevertheless inexpensive product designs based on engineering plas...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Design of Radial Spiral Dies
Design of Radial Spiral Dies Walter Michaeli, Boris Rotter and Peter Blömer, Aachen/Germany Radial and spiral mandrel dies offer many advantages over conventional axial designs. The IKV has devised a computational method for designing them reliably that compares well with real life results. Spiral mandrel dies are used almost exclusively for creating tubular melt flow in blown film extrusion. They are also becoming more common in other fields, such as blow moulding and pipe extrusion. Thei...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Design of Single-screw Extruders
Design of Single-screw Extruders Simulation Is Not Easy Walter Michaeli and Andreas Imhoff, Aachen/Germany Correct dimensioning of the screw is a vital factor for the cost and quality of extruded products. Designing single-screw extruders is only possible if a large number of simplifications and assumptions are made. Most machine manufacturers have specific know-how in certain areas of application when it comes to selecting the screw geometry. This well guarded knowledge is part of a compa...

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, Desktop Manufacturing and Biofunctional Processing
Desktop Manufacturing and Biofunctional Processing New Applications in Tissue Engineering Rüdiger Landers and Rolf Mülhaupt, Freiburg/Germany, Hendrik John, Marl/Germany The new tools of desktop manufacturing are set to unlock the door to completely new application areas, especially in medicine. Three-dimensional dispensing in a liquid medium ("3D plotting") allows to fabricate complex objects, pipes and non-wovens according to CAD specifications. Many different kinds of material m...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Details of Economic Development: High-density Polyethylene (PE-HD)
Trend Report: Commodity Plastics High-density Polyethylene (PE-HD) Details of Economic Development. The development of the key applications for PE-HD, such as pipes, tapes, hollow articles and packaging, has shown little change in the last few years. Western Europe's share of global PE-HD capacities has decreased as a result of investments in the growth markets of Asia and Eastern Europe. In the period between 2001 and 2004, PE-HD consumption in Western Europe went up by 3.3% to 5.2 millio...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Determining Wear Mechanisms
Determining Wear Mechanisms Solid-particle Erosion of Plastics Egon Moos, Nektaria-Marianthi Barkoula and József Karger-Kocsis, Kaiserslautern/Germany The solid-particle erosion behaviour of fibre-plastic composites (FPC) is typified by high wear rates. On the other hand, many polymers, especially elastomers, have low wear rates. Studies on the erosion behaviour of selected polymers and FPC were conducted to establish the correlations between material and wear properties. Erosive ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Development History of Plastics: Growth through Changing Times
PE103251 Special Growth through Changing Times Development History of Plastics. Plastics are markers of social change and pacesetters for technological progress. This emerges clearly from a review of their development, which started before the 20th century and has been characterised by steady growth. It all began with galalith, celluloid and thermosets, while today polyolefins and other thermoplastics are the high-volume sellers. The growth opportunities for plastics today still appear to be al...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Development Trends: Extrusion Blow-moulded Automotive Components
Development Trends: Extrusion Blow-moulded Automotive Components Extrusion blow moulding of industrial automotive components is currently undergoing dramatic changes which affect both suppliers and products alike. Suppliers of blown components have to struggle with an increasing cost pressure – product innovations and efficient technologies for a better production efficiency are called for now. Axel Birk More than ever before, suppliers to the automotive industry are compelled to deliver h...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Dies for Multi-Layer Pipe Extrusion
Dies for Multi-Layer Pipe Extrusion Designing Spiral Mandrel Dies Peter Fischer, Troisdorf/Germany Spiral mandrel dies have significant advantages over other systems for the production of multi-layer pipes. In fact, some product developments have only really become possible as a result of this concept. Multi-layer pipes can be produced not only by the coextrusion technique, but also by sheathing with crosshead dies. Here, too, spiral mandrel dies have certain advantages. This article deals...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Dimensioning Parts: Non-linear Viscoelasticity
Simulation Non-linear Viscoelasticity Ernst Schmachtenberg Marcel Brandt Dimensioning Parts. Precise description of the non-linear viscoelastic material behaviour of thermoplastics in FEA makes it possible to exploit the mechanical potential of these materials in the best way possible and to optimise the development of corresponding parts. As more and more plastics are used in technical applications, design reliability and parts dimensioning are coming increasingly into focus. Shorter devel...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Diode Lasers: Joining Plastics with High Productivity and Reliability
Joining Joining Plastics with High Productivity and Reliability Diode Lasers. Besides the high economic potential of the process workflow, the diode laser offers a range of other advantages for joining thermoplastic parts. For example, the part is hardly affected by heat transfer. The welds are also so inconspicuous that they can be applied in exposed regions of the parts. Michael Nagel Particularly in the field of automobiles diode lasers are establishing themselves more and more in joining p...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Direct Colouring: Producing Colour Masterbatches Economically
Direct Colouring: Producing Colour Masterbatches Economically In the small batch size range colour masterbatches can be made more profitably of pre-dispersed mono-components. If larger amounts are required it is meaningful to compare the extra costs of mono-components in comparison to the costs of pure pigments with the savings in production. Matthias C. Hund, Norbert Grünewald Masterbatches are usually added to the plastic to be processed in quantities from about 1 to 5% in order to intro...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Direct Compounding: New Directions in Plastics Processing
Special New Directions in Plastics Processing Direct Compounding. Process steps that normally occur separately during compounding at the resin supplier and during processing at the producer of semi-finished or finished goods are combined in direct extrusion and in the injection moulding compounder. The additional effort and expense incurred by the processor are considerable and must be offset by cost savings for the raw materials as well as by the benefits resulting from increased flexibility a...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Directions for a New Used Machine Politics: What is the Worth of Your Used Injection Moulding Machine?
Market What is the Worth of Your Used Injection Moulding Machine? Directions for a New Used Machine Politics. An analysis of the market for used injection moulding machines shows that machine users keep their machines too long after expiration of their write-off times and thereby suffer economic losses as well as a technical step backward and a reduction in product quality. In addition relatively high maintenance and repair costs are associated with the outdated machinery. Otto Altmann There i...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Do it yourself: The Latest Additives and Masterbatches
Do it yourself: The Latest Additives and Masterbatches Cost pressures and efficiency drives are increasingly leading processors to apply masterbatches instead of purchasing ready-made compounds. The polymer manufacturers encourage this trend because it allows them to divorce themselves from compounds required in unprofitable batch sizes. Developments in materials and test methods are opening up new horizons. Matthias C. Hund, Norbert Grünewald The world masterbatch consumption is currently...

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, Drafting Tolerances for Moulded Parts
Drafting Tolerances for Moulded Parts Software Tool Helps Predict Tolerances Bahri Kiraz, Treuchtlingen/Germany The specification and observation of drafting tolerances is a permanent topic of discussion between customers, developers and producers. When metal parts have to be replaced by plastic parts, different tolerances must be provided for. The software program TolPro makes it easier to predict tolerances. Some Designers of moulded thermoplastic parts are often still influenced by th...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Drive and Applications Technology: All-Electric Broadside
Injection Moulding All-Electric Broadside Drive and Applications Technology. Through ongoing technical developments and many years of experience in the field, it has been possible to greatly extend the bandwidth of possibilities for the use of all-electric injection moulding machines. Besides reducing manufacturing costs through a suitable choice of drive concepts, current development work is focusing on transferring the advantages of these machines to a large number of machines. Kai Grundman...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Driving the Automotive Industry: Engineering Elastomers
Trend Report Crosslinking Plastics Engineering Elastomers Driving the Automotive Industry. Within the elastomer-manufacturing industry, there is increasing concentration and focus on product groups. Regardless of this, the trend towards relocating production of standard products within the expanded European Union continues to advance. In the future, China and India will also increasingly emerge both as markets and production locations for engineering elastomer products. Werner P. Lauhus The Eu...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, E-mail from an Injection Moulding Machine
E-mail from an Injection Moulding Machine Remote Maintenance of Injection Moulding Machines - Concepts, Possibilities, Future Erwin Schwab and Ralf Marzineak, Iserlohn/Germany The traditional maintenance and repair service previously operated in plastics processing plants is no longer sufficient to ensure high availability of complex production systems. New information and communication technologies offer the potential here for innovation in terms of commissioning, remote diagnosis and fau...

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, Ecological Beneficial Composites
Ecological Beneficial Composites Reinforcing PMMA Thermosetting Resins with Flax Fibres Gunter Hieber, Schorndorf, Robert Kohler and Rainer Alex, Reutlingen/Germany Especially high quality materials can be produced using domestic natural fibres. Therefore existing procedures and formulations are being adapted to the requirements of natural fibres. It has thereby been possible to achieve the characteristics profile of glass fibre reinforced plastics and sometimes to even exceed it. Especi...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Economic Compounding: Nanocomposites
Economic Compounding: Nanocomposites Trials on different compounding machines have shown that they are suitable for producing high-quality nanocomposites. The experience gained in the trials can be reliably transferred to production machinery and specified application properties can be obtained economically on an industrial scale. Sabine Schönfeld, Frank Lechner In the production of nanocomposites, far more difficult processing challenges have to be overcome than in the production of compo...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Economic PVC Pelletisation
Economic PVC Pelletisation Quality of the Pellet Stock is the Decisive Factor in Downstream Processing Operations Detlef Kühlborn, Munich/Germany Economic production of PVC pellets requires an optimised plant concept. Processors demand reliable production reproducibility and place importance on processing the widest spectrum of materials with maximum quality. This can be achieved with carefully matched processing units, allowing full control over the process. PVC pellets are easier to store and ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Economical Production of Barrier Film
Economical Production of Barrier Film The Innovative Films Market Calls for Flexible Machine Concepts Jochen Hennes, Worms/Germany, and Tony Rüegg, Lachen/Switzerland The property profiles of high-grade barrier films are becoming increasingly complex. Extrusion lines must be able to process a greater variety of materials than ever before. This makes enormous demands on the machine components. The ability to supply individual films quickly is nowadays more important than ever, which is wh...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Economical Production of PU Parts
Economical Production of PU Parts State of the Art of Polyurethane RRIM Technology Karl-Heinz Dörner and Hans Joachim Meiners, Leverkusen/Germany, Hans-Joachim Ludwig, Sulzbach/Germany The RRIM process provides the polyurethane industry with a technology for meeting the automotive industry's basic demands of cost and weight reduction together with high quality standards. PU RRIM parts can now be produced at competitive prices with high process stability. The RRIM (reinforced reaction...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Editorial: Concubines and Piracy
Concubines and Piracy "Imitation is the finest form of flattery" goes the old saying, but it is nonetheless possible to have too much of a good thing. One company in two in the mechanical engineering sector is now a victim of product piracy. As a survey conducted by the German Engineering Federation (VDMA) in the investment industry has shown, the sector is suffering considerable damage on this score, and many companies only come across their copied products more or less by chance at tr...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Editorial: Protected Ideas
Protected Ideas Inventions generally only prove to be valuable once they have been sufficiently protected by patents on an international scale. At the same time, this form of protection constitutes a key prerequisite for innovation, since it is the only way in which R&D costs can be recovered. Many people question the effectiveness of protective measures, however, since not all countries adhere to the internationally-valid agreements, and protected products are copied. In the wake of increasing ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Editorial: The Countdown Is On
The Countdown Is On The big date is approaching fast: on 20th October 2004, the Messe Düsseldorf will again open its gates to an expected 220000 visitors from more than 100 nations. With 2800 exhibitors from 55 countries and a yet again extended exhibition floor space of 160000m2, the specialist exhibition for plastics and rubber is the industry’s undisputed number one event in terms of size and importance. The exhibition has several important functions: the largest contact forum in the world n...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Effects of E-Business on the Automotive Supplier Industry
Effects of E-Business on the Automotive Supplier Industry Opportunities for Medium-Size Companies Kerstin Geiger, Walldorf/Germany The announcement of different market places for the automotive industry has both unsettled and spurred on suppliers. In order to be able to help fashion E-business, suppliers are founding their own initiatives. Political framework conditions and the achievements of information technology are enabling companies in the automotive industry to increasingly act on...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Efficiency Comparison: Microspheres – a Universal, Effective Blowing Agent
Efficiency Comparison: Microspheres – a Universal, Effective Blowing Agent Expandable microspheres are microscopically small spheres with a thermoplastic outer skin and a filling of condensed gas. They expand on heating. Used as a blowing agent in thermoplastics, they can reduce the initial density of the plastic by up to 40 percent. Comparative measurements show how material and process parameters influence the efficiency of the microspheres. Lena Jönsson, Klaus-Rüdiger Rosskothen E...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Efficiency in a Highly Compact Space
Efficiency in a Highly Compact Space Large-Scale Injection Moulding Machines Increase Productivity and Precision Thomas Langer, St. Valentin/Austria and Wolfgang Silmbroth, Ebensee/Austria A high level of productivity in a highly compact space, in terms of both machines and moulds, was the requirement that had to be fulfilled when Steiner Freizeitmöbel GmbH extended its production. Production capacity was expanded by 20 large-scale machines for the production of garden furniture and transp...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Elastomers: Flexible and Customised
Trade Fair Report Flexible and Customised Elastomers. Thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) are now indispensable for applications ranging from everyday items to underhood components. On the "rubber line", trade visitors were able to assess the merits of special developments in synthetic rubbers, which account for by far the largest proportion of elastomers. The automotive industry remains an essential driving force for the market. After years of strong growth, thermoplastic elastomers – a grou...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Electrical - But Safe!
Electrical - But Safe! Requirements Concerning the Design of Electrical Injection Moulding Machines Winfried Gebauer, Berthold Heinke, Düsseldorf/Germany Joachim Vettkötter, Frankfurt am Main/Germany According to the Machinery Directive, injection moulding machines are among the types of machine that represent a `greater potential risk'. They are listed in Appendix IV of the Machinery Directive. In an injection moulding machine, the greatest risk is in the mould area, in which above al...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Electrical Component Parts: Thermal Metal Spraying of Conductor Lines on Plastic
Further Processing and Finishing Thermal Metal Spraying of Conductor Lines on Plastic Electrical Component Parts. Thermal spraying of metals is a well known process principle for a long time. Its use in the field of selective surface coating of plastic component parts is new. Thick conductor structures for electrical applications can be applied with this technology. Gerhard Reichinger Knuth Götz Martin W. Ott Galvanic or chemical processes are the centre of attention in today's usual pro...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Electrically Conducting Compounds: New Functional Material for the Automotive Sector
Automotive - Functional Materials New Functional Material for the Automotive Sector Electrically Conducting Compounds. Electrically conducting components used in the automotive sector, are generally made in complicated multi-stage processes. An alternative is offered by a new material in which a low-melting alloy is incorporated along with copper fibres into a thermoplastic matrix. Electrically and thermally conducting components are becoming more important in the automotive sector. Electrica...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Electronic Components and Displays: Intrinsically Conductive Polymers
Special: Electronics Intrinsically Conductive Polymers Electronic Components and Displays. The importance of intrinsically conductive, that is, self-conducting, polymers is growing in many areas of the electronics industry: these materials are already finding use in through hole plating of printed circuit boards and as the counter electrode in polymer-based capacitors. Polymer electronics and polymeric light-emitting diodes (PLED) are being predicted as growth areas for the future. Stephan K...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Electronic Markets for Plastics
Electronic Markets for Plastics E-Commerce Increases Market Transparency Tina Canic, Groß-Umstadt/Germany Everyone can win: the buyers, the suppliers and naturally also the electronic markets. Since the beginning of 2000 four German markets have been bringing the Internet trade with plastics up to speed. They use the Internet to illustrate proven business models on-line and to develop new business models. Opinions on electronic markets switch between euphoria and scepticism. Surely they ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Energy Contracting: Reduced Costs through Energy Efficiency
Energy Contracting: Reduced Costs through Energy Efficiency Taking the example of a medium-sized plastics-processing company, this article highlights the areas of supply engineering that offer what, in some cases, is considerable scope for savings. Isabelle Henkel, Jens Becker Companies which are not of a sufficient size to have an expert at their disposal for each individual area of their energy-conversion plant, or companies which have cut back on staff for their energy-engineering plant...

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, Engineering Plastics: Products for Innovative Processes
Trade Fair Report Products for Innovative Processes Engineering Plastics. Product developments tailored to innovative production processes were a noticeable trend in the engineering plastics sector at the K2004 plastics trade fair. Product developers are increasingly focusing on the implications of legislation such as the EU End of Life Vehicle Directive (ELV Directive) and the EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE Directive). The engineering plastics group is not clearly ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Enhancing Performance: Fast-Cycle Injection Moulding Machines with Tandem Moulds
Enhancing Performance: Fast-Cycle Injection Moulding Machines with Tandem Moulds The implementation of a new mould concept drastically reduces the “dead times” with injection moulding systems. A precise analysis of these dead times shows that shortening them not only results in an increase in output, it also brings an improvement in part quality due to the additional cooling time. Christoph Jaroschek In March 2002, the Fachhochschule Bielefeld presented its tandem mould development concept...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Enterprise Transparency: Success Factor Business Process Management
Market and Management Success Factor Business Process Management Enterprise Transparency. In recent years it has turned out that controlling business processes is probably the most important factor for entrepreneurial success both in the manufacturing industry and in service industries. The following report describes how a medium-size enterprise organises, structures and supervises its processes. Peter Felber Due to the strong demand for IML technology (see box "In Profile") in the tele...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Escalators Made of Plastics
Escalators Made of Plastics Specially-Tailored Polymer Blend Conquers this Aluminum Domain Eckhard Erlenkämper, Leverkusen/Germany, Horst Beicher, Krefeld/Germany, and Andreas Lange, Bad Salzuflen/Germany Ever since the end of the Sixties, escalator steps have been made of aluminum by pressure die-casting. All attempts to produce the steps in plastic to date have failed on account of the stringent requirements imposed on the dimensional stability of the component and hence on the material ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Estimating the Material Properties: The Route to a Working Prototype
Rapid Prototyping The Route to a Working Prototype Estimating the Material Properties. Developing an intake manifold for a V6 engine required a range of functional tests. A number of prototypes had already failed due to a lack of stability, and the alternative of producing the required parts from series material, was impossible on cost grounds. A methodological approach to the material selection for prototype construction was seen to open up the way to a solution. Tom Mueller In the past, ra...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Europe is the Largest Market: Polyaryletherketones (PAEK)
Special: World Market Polyaryletherketones (PAEK) Europe is the Largest Market. There is sustained growth in the use of high-performance plastics from the PAEK family in all sectors of industry. The balanced, high-quality property profile of these materials enables product developers and designers to achieve innovative solutions in response to the constant demand for cost saving, functional optimisation, weight reduction, longer service life and maximum safety and comfort. The world’s largest q...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, European Political Institutions and Plastics
European Political Institutions and Plastics VKE wants to form Political Communication with the Committees of the EU actively Increasingly guidelines resulting from political decision processes of the European Union influence national markets and global competition. To have an influence on behalf of the interests of the plastics industry, the Association of Plastics Producing Industries, VKE, wants to intensify its communication with European political institutions. The basic political con...

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, Evolution, Not Revolution
Evolution, Not Revolution Prototyping at Euromold: Optimisation of Existing Processes C. Bonten, C. Janßen and T. Seul, Essen/Germany Euromold 2001 clearly showed that in the field of rapid prototyping the innovative focus of equipment manufacturers last year is more on optimising than on developing new processes. Fig. 1 shows that demand for models and prototypes remains unbridled. The clouds of alchemy surrounding rapid prototyping are clearing, with many visitors showing that they are...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Exactly Suited Material Preparation: Reliable Use of PET Flakes
Recycling Reliable Use of PET Flakes Exactly Suited Material Preparation. Economic supply of PET ground stock from beverage bottles offers an attractive potential for lowering manufacturing costs. Drying and crystallisation plants should not be regarded as unnecessary evils, but as important process units for qualitatively high-value production. Michael Zlotos PET finds application in many production processes, be it in the field of packaging for bottle production or production of packaging foil...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Exhaust-Air Purification in Laser Technology
Exhaust-Air Purification in Laser Technology Catalytic Exhaust Gas Treatment Reduces Emissions in the Laser Processing of Polymers Jens Bliedtner, Jens Haupt, Hartmut Müller and Harry Schreiber, Jena/Germany Unlike metals, polymers and composite materials undergo profound physical and chemical changes under the effect of a laser beam. Equipment concepts that take into account mutual interactions ensure an optimum and stable process that can also be automated. The laser processing of orga...

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 Polystyrene (EPS)
Expandable Polystyrene (EPS) Erich Klement, Ludwigshafen/Germany A precondition for the market success of EPS foam in different market segments was its great flexibility in product production with respect to foam density and geometrical form as well as the adaptability of the characteristics of the finished products to user requirements. Although this foam material has established itself today in many application sectors, its development potential is still very large. Exactly a half centur...

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, Expanded Boundaries
Expanded Boundaries Newly Developed PPS Grades for Injection Moulding and Extrusion Benny Mermans, Kallo-Beveren/Belgium The advanced polymer polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) has now succeeded in overcoming critical technological hurdles. New injection moulding alloys and extrusion grades are extending the traditional applications of this previously highly specialized material, and opening up new applications. Polyphenylene sulphide, properly called poly(thio-1,4-phenylene), has a relatively...

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, Extremely Fast
Extremely Fast Tailor-made Polyurea Systems Matthias Sikorski and Holger Cordelair, Hamburg/Germany By using newly developed isocyanate prepolymers and modified diamines, the reaction profile and physical properties of polyurea products can be adjusted in a systematic way. Users can therefore tailor the system to suit their specific requirements. Polyurea systems are used in the construction industry and automotive engineering because of their useful combination of properties. Their feat...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Extrusion: Automation – Right Down the Line
Extrusion: Automation – Right Down the Line Highly automated extrusion lines are nowadays needed for the production of profiles, pipes and cables. Consequently, a number of different control systems must be built into the overall automation arrangement. A new concept enables simple control and operation of all the components of the extrusion line. Werner Eberlein Following several years of development and close coordination with customers, Siemens AG is now offering a complete automation p...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Fast Product Development
Fast Product Development Rapid Prototyping and Rapid Tooling - Using Existing Technologies Kurt Heitel and Gunter Fischer, Karlsruhe/Germany A large number of mainly computer-aided techniques have been developed in the past few years in a bid to shorten the development time for plastic parts. The "Club RP" project was set up by the EU in order to make it easier for small and medium-sized companies to embark on rapid prototyping and rapid tooling. Rapid Prototyping (RP) and Rapid ...