UD Max - PP - Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (Sabic)

Kunststoffe international, No Chance for Dust and Contaminations
...ic UV-photons. However, for optical LSR parts the influence of the treatment on optical and geometrical characteristics is unknown. What is the effect of the UV exposure? To achieve the effect, the surface is irradiated with 200 nm max. typically 185 nm (Fig. 1) or 172 nm. The photons have enough energy to crack bonds in the silicon molecules in the surface layer. As samples for the modification small optical LSR disks with 32 mm diameter were used. To evaluate the influence onto the surface qua...

Kunststoffe international, Nozzles Regulate Thickness
...its diameter in cross-section in three steps (2.5 %, 5.0 % and 10 % of the initial nozzle diameter). The aim of these simulations was not yet a complete optimization of the entire volume flow distribution, but rather the determination of the maximum diameter reduction required for this and an initial recording of the system behavior as a reaction to the changes. Therefore, only for the nozzle that initially showed the largest volume flow, the cross-section was changed as described above, even if...

Kunststoffe international, Residual Waste Becomes Recyclable Material
...sequently equipped its stores in nine European countries and several of its logistics centers with vertical baling presses. Currently Hornbach has over 330 vertical balers of HSM V-Press 860 and HSM V-Press 1160 max types. The employees in the incoming goods areas of the individual stores fill the machines with the packaging material, press it and store it in bales. Once a week, one of the Hornbach truck fleet collects the valuable product and takes it to a transshipment center where the recycle...

Kunststoffe international, What Can You Do at Fall Fairtime, When There Aren’t Any?
...reliable processing such low-viscosity materials as liquid silicone (LSR). Premature networking is precluded by constant cooling, thus assuring stable thermal conditions for plasticizing. Process temperature can be controlled precisely from the cylinder to the tip of the nozzle. For example, a water-cooled, pneumatically triggered extended nozzle also seals against the mold to avoid material leakage and provide for reliable ‧materials guidance with every shot. A non-return valve adapted to the ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Automotive Applications: Thermosets Get Going
...s achieved at up to 160°C. The rotors, however, require particularly good dynamic properties, and hence a material with 55% glass fibres was selected, which still has a flexural modulus of 180MPa at 140°C (Fig.3). The entire intake module including the metal inserts weighs 5.4kg, giving it a clear weight advantage over the conventional aluminium. On water pumps, the use of plastics permits a cost saving of 20%, a weight reduction of 30 to 40% and increased efficiency compared with the aluminium ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Bond Reliably: The Right Adhesive
...ects 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 wide range of properties: From rather rigid, very tough and resistant plastics, such as those used in the e...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Coinjection of Thermoplastics and Elastomers
...able design and styling opportunities. Thermoplastic LSR composites will therefore increasingly be found in numerous new developments. Such composites can primarily replace parts that are currently produced by laborious manual assembly. Examples include plug-and-socket systems for the electrical industry and housing and valve covers with seals for the automotive industry. The electronics, domestic appliances and sanitary industries, as well as medical technology, provide numerous applications, s...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Commercially Highly Attractive
...echnical plastics is increasing rapidly. From 3.69 million tonnes in 1995 world-wide consumption will have increased to 8.25 million tonnes in 2005 (Fig. 2) [1]. The specified quantities apply to pellets and compounds. Recycled fractions are not included. The portion of blends in the total quantity of technical plastics is 15 %. Here PPE (as PPE+PS and PPE+PA) and PC (as PC+ABS and PC+ASA) dominate as matrix materials (Fig. 3) [1]. Quantitatively PA and PC are the leading technical plastics. Con...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Composite Constructions: Industrial Production of Structural Components Made from Fibre/Plastic Composites
... (ilb), the Institut für Textiltechnik der RWTH-Aachen (ITA) and the Institute of Plastics Processing (IKV) at RWTH Aachen University, the basic principles for economic production of spherically curved, stringer-stiffened shell elements are being studied. In this development, the fibre structure is fed complete to the impregnating unit as a stable preform and is then impregnated in a one-shot process. Research into the basic principles for the industrial development and production of structural ...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Compression Moulding of Long-fibre-reinforced Plastics
...ate. The IMC unit is integrated into the press control system and is fully automated [2]. Vacuum technology is used to help keep the laminate pore-free. On mould closure, as the material is being pressed, the mould halves are sealed and a vacuum is suddenly applied to the mould cavity from a battery unit through pipes of suitable size. For efficient production of large SMC parts, peripheral units must also be taken into account. Fig. 1 shows the SMC cutting unit that stands immediately adjacent ...

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, 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, Directions for a New Used Machine Politics: What is the Worth of Your Used Injection Moulding Machine?
...ying machines with great age and long running times that are difficult to sell and can only be sold again with a small profit. A cost-conscious dealer might not purchase an injection moulding machine that is - more than 12 years old or has a maximum running time of 60000 hours, if it was run in 3 shift operation, or - more than 18 years old or likewise has 60000 operation hours, if it was run in 2 shift operation. Purely computationally a maximum age of 36 years would result in 60000 hours of r...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Economical in Long Series
...fugal technique [1]. The operational sequence consists of five manufacturing steps (Fig. 1): - The reinforcement fibres are wound on a non-reinforced thermoplastic pipe. The thermoplastic pipes used here can be manufactured conventionally in an extruder or an injection moulding process. - The fibres are dry wound and aligned exactly according to the load the component will later carry. - The thermoplastic pipe with reinforcement material wound on it is then inserted into the centrifuge mould. In...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Expanding with Demand
...eased continuously, eating away at the spare capacity. The situation did not relax until 1992, when a screw-type compressor of type L37 (formerly: Rallye72, manufacturer: CompAir) was installed with an output of 5.8m3/min at a maximum pressure of 10bar. The main argument in favour of changing to this firm was the compactness of this unit. Second Station During this expansion phase, the station was operated with a control system developed by Schwan-Stabilo itself, in which the units were operat...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Expansion Injection Moulding: Amazingly Thin
...hat is needed with conventional injection moulding, and thus also without a hydraulic accumulator. In expansion injection moulding, the pressure on the compressed melt (which is blocked off from the mould cavity with a needle valve nozzle) is suddenly removed so that it expands explosively and fills the cavity in fractions of a second. This new Engel technology consumes less energy and is more precise from a process engineering point of view than the traditional high-speed injection moulding wit...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Friction Behaviour of Thermoplastics
...ng the ejection system. As part of the "Mouldfriction" programme at the University of Minho, Guimarães/Portugal, a test apparatus was developed that simulates the conditions encountered in an injection mould and makes it possible to study the friction behaviour of plastics under quasi-real conditions. Plastics have a tendency to reproduce the surface structures of the cavity parts in an injection mould. Factors such as the surface roughness of these parts and the method and dire...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Good is Not Enough: From Initial Idea to Successful Product
...oes a company like BASF get hold of the ideas it needs and, above all, who stimulates and controls the process of finding ideas? Our recipe for success is called "Wissensverbund" (knowledge alliance). The heart of this network is in Ludwigshafen/Germany, where three central technology platforms – Polymer Research, Specialty Chemicals Research, and Chemicals Research and Engineering – are based. Some 5500 employees here are involved in research and development, exchanging know-how with th...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Granules and Recyclate: Direct Processing of PET without Pre-drying
... of the consumer cycle, and are being traded as recyclate for subsequent processing. Instead of Pre-drying and Sorting ... Even with virgin material, pre-drying is of eminent importance in the conventional processing of PET on single screw extruders. PET is hygroscopic and very quickly absorbs the equilibrium moisture of 1000–3300ppm water (depending on the particular product). But preparation of the material is even more complex in the case of recycled material (recyclate) [2, 3]. It has to b...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, High Growth Rates: Polycarbonate (PC)
...eir investment activities on that region. PC blends will play a bigger role in the years to come. In 2003, some 13 million tonnes of engineering thermoplastics were processed worldwide. PC accounts for 2.2m t, or almost 17%, of this tonnage, including its share in blends (Fig. 1). It thus ranks in second place behind ABS and ASA (38%) and ahead of PMMA and PA 6 (9% each) and PA 66 (8%). Some 90% of the PC is produced by interfacial polycondensation, although melt transesterification (the co...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Injection Moulding Simulation: Balancing a Family Mould
...or purposes of the evaluation.By exploiting symmetries in the FE mesh, it proved possible to achieve a more or less matching FE structure in all three sheets. Filling differences in the simulation due to the FE structure can thus be excluded. The flow deflections in the runners and at the point of entry into the sheets are not taken into account in the simulation. The Non-balanced State With the above runner dimensions and the computation parameters set out below: - program: Cadmould cmv 6.3, -...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Injection Moulding under Clean Room Conditions: Machine and Process Technology for Medical Products
...iant grease), since volatile components can escape from oil. Even gear belts release particles as the result of wear, which speaks in favour of other types of power transmission elements. However, a less than ideal solution is not automatically excluded. It may barely meet the requirements of the production cell or it may be possible to reduce the contamination to the required level through appropriate measures. Drive Technology and Power Transmission The supplier must guarantee that the syste...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Innovative Design Opportunities for Magnet Technology: Injection Moulded Permanent Magnets Employing the Two-component Technique
...formers. They can be used as bobbin cores and shells to increase induction or to concentrate the magnetic field on a specific spatial zone (Fig.1). A number of characteristic values are set out in Table1 for the standard magnetic materials used. - BHmax is the energy product of the maximum flux density and the field strength that is taken as a measure of the the quality of a magnetic material. - HcB is the product of the coercive field strength and the flux density that constitutes a measure of ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Interior Trim Parts made of Plastic: Common Ground between Automotive Technology and Design
... elements of this design strategy are coolness and technically attractive materials in the interior, for example parts made of brushed high-grade steel. To this group belongs the accelerator pedal plate (Fig.1). So far such components have been extruded and the high-grade steel framework later attached. In a pilot project for the customer Hella KGaA Hueck & Co, Lippstadt/Germany, Wilden developed a procedure for covering the high-grade steel frameworks directly. The special challenge of the pro...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Isolator Zone Concept: Stable Injection Moulding in the ISO5/GMP-A Cleanroom
...ance work, the machine is moved back into the grey room. The machines can be fully operated both in the white room and the grey room. Depending on requirements, the cleanroom-model machines are heavily modified. Modifications include, for example, special air baffles, encapsulated hose lines, smooth surfaces and antistatic painting. The tie-bars or the clamping unit are cleaned by vacuum as they extend from the guide bushes in order to eliminate even the tiniest particles [4]. The arrangement a...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, IT Supported Collaboration: Towards the Real Time Enterprise
...ant purchasing of the world-wide production plants is responsible for the production plants’ needs and thus has a special interest in the integration of regional suppliers. Central purchasing co-ordinates the purchase for materials groups not included in the individual projects and is responsible for supplier management. To its tasks belong integrating new suppliers and further developing the potential of existing suppliers. The inquiries are placed by project. Central purchasing and plant purch...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Load-bearing capacity: Analysis of Underground Plastic Components
...ct to various loads, such as the pressure of soil or groundwater. Various models and computational methods exist for predicting the strength and stability of such components. Fritz-Otto Henkel, Roland Reuchlein Underground plastic components include pipes, tanks and manholes. In the static analysis of such components, various loads must be taken into account. They are subject to the permanent loads of soil pressure and the dead weight. The structures may also be loaded by internal pressure, ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Machine Peripherals: Modular Controls Increase Efficiency
...al networking possibilities in an enterprise Fig. 3. Extract from the Gravinet control system: status indication for the transportation equipment Fig. 4. Various communication possibilities in and with Controlnet Manufacturer Motan GmbH Max-Eyth-Weg 42 D-88316 Isny im Allgäu Germany Phone +49 (0) 75 62/76-0 Fax +49 (0) 75 62/76-111 www.motan.com

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Market and Concept: Self-colouring of ABS
...terbatch of max. five working days from the receipt of the sample. BASF and the masterbatch manufacturers also provide works test certificates. Wide-ranging technical support and assistance with OEM licenses is also included. The trouble-shooting agreement ensures assistance with processing and colour problems within 24 hours, and a response to complaints is guaranteed within at least three working days. The customer need have no fear that his problem will be pushed back and forth from one partn...

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

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Melt Filtration: Making Nonwoven Fabrics from Bottle Flakes
...ring area is replaced each time. The available free filtration area and the degree of contamination of the elements therefore always remain constant. In this way, the pressure also remains constant. As Figure3 shows, the pressure fluctuations are max. ±2bar. The filtration system is sealed off by very hard, flat sliding surfaces. As it gets by without sealing elements, the system functions virtually free of wear and tear. Depending on the model, it can be used for pressures up to 500bar. The fil...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Modular Clamping Force: Why a Mould Maker Needs His Own Injection Moulding Machines
...able at short notice, distributed over multiple test cycles. Not least in order to save the journey time for transporting the mould back and forth, Sauer Product now has its own injection moulding capacity: the machine park also includes a large two-platen machine, Engel Duo7050H/1050W/11002F, clamping force 11000kN (Fig.1). At the newly developed technical development centre, the mould maker tests its customers’ moulds on this machine. But Sauer also not infrequently moulds the first production...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, News
...ted in Valls, about 90 km outside Barcelona. The centre will be equipped with Demag machines with a clamping force of up to 30 000 kN. Among them are an EL-EXIS S 350 high-speed machine, a System 650, a Multi 1300 multi-component machine and a MaXX 3000 two-platen machine. TCTP plans to officially start its business activities in June 2005. The focus lies on setting up a service structure to cater to the requirements of the plastics processing industry, the coordination of research and developme...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, No Creasing with a Balanced System
... the mould. To ensure that the hot, molten plastic only forms the desired geometry on one side of the finished moulding and penetration of plastic through to the visible side is avoided, it is necessary to operate with very low injection pressures (max. 300 bar). This means large runner diameters in the hot runner system to keep pressure loss as low as possible. In addition, a relatively large number of gates are required on the part. This can only be achieved by special runner geometries and co...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Part Testing: Long Fibre Reinforced Thermoplastics
...y. Apart from their excellent economic benefits and low weight, their big advantage lies in the high level of productivity in processing, which is due to the short cycle times attainable with thermoplastic matrix systems. Other positive aspects include the high plant availability, the consistently high quality, the wide range of possibilities for integrating different functions in a single component, and the fact that the system costs can also be lowered. These benefits have resulted in constan...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Peel Testing of Multi-component Mouldings
...nsile force, this bond was awarded the adhesion factor 1 (poor bond). The bond was deemed usable (adhesion factor 2) if the composite was successfully demoulded and the lip could withstand slight bending forces. A good bond (adhesion factor 3) was judged to be one in which the lip could be bent through 90°C without destroying the bond. Bonds that permitted the lip to be bent through 180°C without failure and allowed lateral peeling of the soft component were described as very good (adhes...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Permanent Antistatic Behaviour
...lomeration electrodes. There is a strong resistance gradient (Rmax - Rmin)/(Rmin ΔL) of more than 2000mm-1 in this area. The length ΔL of the transition region is estimated at 5mm (see Fig.2(a)). It should be emphasised that the magnitude of the resistance inhomogeneity depends on the electrode configuration used and falls with increasing distance from the electrodes. Figures1(b) and (c) show cross sections through the specimen in the electrode plane. Fig.1(b) shows a micrograph of t...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Physical Blowing Agents: Foaming Plastics with Inert Gases
... acoustic insulation, mechanical damping, low water vapour permeability and reduced moisture absorption. Different processes make it possible to produce various types of foam (open- or closed-cell, integral-skin), which are used in many sectors, including packaging, thermal/acoustic insulation and upholstery. Main Principles of the Production Process The cellular structure of foamed plastics is produced by so-called blowing agents. Additives such as nucleating agents and stabilisers are also fr...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Pipe and Profile Extrusion: Continually Increased
...ew technologies and developments. However, numerous small innovations and developments could also be seen, which are a logical consequence of previous models. The machine manufacturer Davis-Standard Corporation, USA, presented the new Euro Blue extruder (Fig.1) in four sizes 50, 65, 75 and 90mm. The Euro Blue is based on the technology of the globally recognised Super Blue extruder, but is tailored to the requirements of European customers. This extruder is characterised by an ergonomic and com...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Pipe Extrusion: The Calculation of Spiral Mandrel Dies
...sioning of the die, taking into account various design criteria. Because of the geometry of spiral mandrel dies, a continuous transformation takes place from what is initially a tangential flow in the spiral channel to an axial flow in the longitudinal die direction via the lands of the manifold (Fig.1). In the area of the spiral channels, these two flow components thus overlap. With the finite elements method, it is possible to calculate the flow in a spiral mandrel die with the aid of three-d...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Plastic Extrusion Dies
Plastic Extrusion Dies The Die Material Influences the Melt Flow Behaviour Christian Seidel, Armin Merten and Helmut Münstedt, Erlangen/Germany Surface roughness of extrudates is an economic problem in the extrusion of various polymers. It limits the output rate of the extrusion line. The flow properties and melt fracture properties of a polymer can be selectively influenced by suitable choice of die materials. In extrusion at high throughput rates, topographical changes can occur on the...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polycarbonate instead of Glass: Large Car Windows from an Injection Moulding Machine
...tment with functional optical micro- and nanostructures. Machine and process technologies from Engel are making their contribution in this regard. As the company will demonstrate at the K show this year, large glazing with low moulded-in stress, including a mounting frame all around, can be produced in a single operation on an Engel Duo Combi – equipped with the so-called Glazemelt Technology (see title photo). Building on this concept, it may be possible in the future to manufacture a complete ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polymer Design and Modification: Polypropylene (PP)
...ment of the Adflex line. Modification takes place after the reactor – and new modifiers are opening up new possibilities here. New in this regard are the ethylene/propene elastomers, specifically the products Versify (Dow) [4] and Vistamaxx (Exxon), while elastomers based on ethylene/octene or ethylene/hexene have represented the state-of-the-art already for some time now. According to information from the manufacturers, the modified grades are supposed to provide considerable improvements, espe...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polypropylene (PP)
.... Catalysts as the Key to Success The continuously large number of new Ziegler-Natta (ZN) catalyst developments indicates that the potential in this field has not yet been fully exploited. In addition to productivity, success factors include the possibility of applying catalyst technology across a wide area of molecular weights (MFR) and polymer structures as well as product morphology. Here, carrier concepts and internal donors are evidently important, not just in terms of applicability in ex...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Polyurethanes (PU)
...e as all-round specialists. The amazing growth of the polyurethanes market has come about in particular because of the never-ending series of innovations in this segment, something that was again very much in evidence last year. Key developments included the increasing exploitation of the efficiency-enhancing potential that polyurethanes offer plastics producers as well as major improvements in the PU systems themselves - for example, for comfortable upholstered furniture and highly efficient in...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Preparation for Painting and Bonding: Inline Surface Modification During Injection Moulding
...-phase fluorination. These methods can, however, involve quite a bit of equipment. For instance, with plasma modification, a vacuum must first be created, which requires a suitably sized vacuum chamber for large parts. Additional problems include, for example, the limited ability to treat hard-to-reach locations (flame treatment and corona discharge) as well as the poor long-term stability of the activation (plasma and corona methods). The basic principle is identical for all of the currently e...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Pressure Forming Machines: Take Control of Complex Motion Sequences
...x: +49 (0) 86 54/78-490 www.kiefel.de In Profile Kiefel AG, Freilassing/Germany, was founded in the mid-1950s by Paul Kiefel and achieved sales of EUR 55 million in 2003 with about 450 employees. The product line includes complete systems for production of interior door panels and other plastic parts for the automotive industry. In addition, special machines for high-frequency and thermocontact welding of plastic film such as that used in the medical sector. The focal point of machine producti...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Printing and Finishing Webs
...n screen bearing and Rotascreen G with closed screen bearing. In 1999, a new model of each of these machines came on to the market with the advantage that, for the basic model, the buyer could choose either the standard roller doctor blade including the Color Plus and Ultra Light units, the Variocolor or the Print and Wash equipment, in which the screen and the doctor blade are washed in the machine. They all feature the magnet system Plus. Existing machines can be retrofitted with the Variocolo...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Printing Plastic Surfaces Precisely and Economically
... vacuum reactor (Fig. 1). Large parts are fluorinated in reactors of up to several cubic metres capacity, and small parts are treated in bulk in a rotating inner drum of the reactor. The inline process can be used for the fluorination of endless extrudate of any form, plastic film and sheet and other web goods actually during the production process (Fig. 2). According to Fluor Technik System GmbH, Lauterbach/Germany, the advantages of the process are reproducible surface tension, stability of th...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Production of Rules: A Question of Precision
...y began with a special joint design for plastic folding rules that was patented in 1968. Over the years, the traditional company specialised in the production of Longlife brand plastic folding rules and plastic slide gauges. Other business areas include technical parts and flexible plastic articulated hose systems. These hoses are based on a snap-joint design. Since 1986, the products have been marketed worldwide under the trade name “Maxiflex.” kwb manufactures about 40 million units per year. ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Quality Assurance: Residence-time Measurements and Detection of Melt Heterogeneities
Quality Assurance: Residence-time Measurements and Detection of Melt Heterogeneities A multi-channel ultrasonic measuring system was used to study the homogenisation of polymer blends. It was demonstrated that this method is suitable for analysing the condition of the melt along the extruder screw. Ingo Alig, Dirk Lellinger, Kai Wassum Consistent melt quality is vital for optimum extrusion. This calls not only for appropriate design features, but also for the capability to detect and proce...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Reliable Measurement of Particle Content
... for the interchangeable screens, and - new hard and software to monitor the testing procedure and automatically record, evaluate and document the measuring data. To prepare the melt for the pressure filter test, use is made of a laboratory extruder with a 20mm screw diameter (to test larger melt volumes, 25 or 30mm extruders are also available). A downstream gear pump produces the constant melt flow needed for the test. As the diagram in Fig.2 shows, the melt enters the test head containing th...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Rubber Compounding: Online Quality Control
...ation about the subsequent processability of the compound compared with straight offline compound testing. The practicability and value of the quality models for describing and analysing the compounding process have been confirmed by numerous studies at the IKV [1, 4]. The overall concept of online quality assurance can be seen in Fig.2. It shows the procedure that is necessary for the first-time application of the control system, e.g. when using it for a new compounding process. Since no qualit...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Sealing Through Contamination
...s, such as the packaging of foodstuffs on form-fill-seal equipment, the product being packed inevitably contaminates the seal area. The ability to provide a high performance seal in the presence of contaminants is thus an important attribute. This study presents the results of the comparative testing of metallocene plastomers (grade: Exact, manufacturer: DEX-Plastomers) versus conventional sealing polymers for various contaminants. Ionomer, which has traditionally been used for sealing through c...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Separating, Sealing, Sliding
...ies even without oil lubrication. In tribological systems with very high circumferential speeds, this material forms a transfer film on the wear counterpart, which greatly minimises the coefficient of friction and wear rate. Extensive tribological studies on dry running without lubricant confirm this effect, which is typical for polymers (Fig. 2). Other advantages of PEEK thrust washers are ease of manufacture by injection moulding. This also allows additional design features such as oil bores, ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Single-source Project Implementation: Cleanroom Production outside the Cleanroom
...r plastics products. The injection moulding machines are located outside the cleanroom in their entirety, thereby reducing investment and operating costs. At the same time, this solution increases the degree of flexibility in cleanroom use. A case study shows how a cleanroom is equipped – from the planning through to its qualification – all from a single source. Torsten Mairose Martin Jungbluth In the same way as for quality, the cleanliness of products must be taken into account right at the s...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Size Reduction of Thermoplastics by Cutting
Size Reduction of Thermoplastics by Cutting Wolfgang Bauer and Dieter Wüstenberg, Kaiserslautern/Germany The comminution of thermoplastics is a very important operation in recycling. This article presents a study of the cutting operations involved for the quasi-static case. Thermoplastics are usually reduced in size by means of a granulator operating in a continuous process at rotor speeds of up to 30 m/s. The cutting operations are relatively complex, since they depend on a large number ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Software: 3D Injection Moulding Simulation with Pathlines
...ection Moulding Simulation with Pathlines An FE simulation program developed by the Institute for Plastics Processing (IKV) at Aachen University for 3D modelling of the injection moulding process on the basis of volume elements was expanded to include a module for calculating pathlines. Colour injected into the polymer melt provided experimental confirmation of the trajectory of the calculated pathlines. The insights gained made the 3D simulation software more efficient. Walter Michaeli, Ste...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Software: More Effective Use of FMEA
...aw deal as the attempt to create a technically flawless product [2]. Problems in Application and the Potential for Improvement FMEA is often deployed when “customers need to be shown something tangible” or when, in the face of an imminent audit, the requirement for actively pursuing preventative measures needs to be met. FMEA is essentially deployed in three ways, all of which have considerable scope for improvement ... Conventional FMEA deployment mostly occurs at the express wish of a custom...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Strong Upturn: Polycarbonate (PC)
...lends and film are becoming increasingly important, especially in the IT and automotive sectors. In 2004, some 15 million t of engineering thermoplastics were consumed worldwide. Around 17% of this, some 2.5 million t, was PC. This figure also includes the amount of PC in blends. In terms of “consumption ratings”, this means that PC ranks second behind ABS, ASA (approx. 40%), and is followed by PA6 (9%), PMMA and PA6.6 (7–8% each). Stable Growth in Coming Years With annual growth rates of 8 t...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Surface Treatment Technology: Colour, Gloss and Protective Coatings
...ffered by Wutzl Printing Systems in the form of the hand-operated Mini Impressora (Fig.3). Tampoprint AG presented new perspectives for pad printing with the Concentra series of printing machines and the expanded line of printing inks that now includes UV-cured inks. The unique capabilities of a 6-colour machine from this series were demonstrated at the booth by printing on CDs. Kent Stuttgart GmbH described the Promotor-4 as the ideal machine for printing of promotional items in a printing cyc...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Synergy Creates New Technology
...k lid (the outer shell of a twin-shell construction) has been largely copied from an original component (Fig. 1). It is produced by the "back injection compression"" method from glass fibre-reinforced thermoplastic with a preformed coextruded film inserted in the mould. A protective facing layer is laminated on to this film during production and will not be removed until the part has been assembled on the car. The coextrusion film is cut to the necessary size by the manufacturer befo...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, The Case in Favour: Tiebarless – What Are the Benefits?
... During the production cycle, this machine element compensates for the elastic frame deflection (“breathing”) typical of the system in order to ensure the parallelism of the platens, including the attached mould under clamping force. By means of the FlexLink, the moving platen is able to follow the position of the fixed platen when the C-frame is deflected under clamping force. Platen parallelism is exactly adjusted by a mechanical stop. A pullback spring ensures platen parallelism when the moul...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, The Economic Alternative: Self Tapping Connections in the Engine Compartment
...an economic alternative for direct connecting of high-load bearing plastic parts either to one another or to metal components. However, because of the viscoelastic behaviour of plastics, the inevitable pretension relaxations must be carefully included in the design of the joint [1, 2]. Good Positioning with Respect to Inserts At present, insert connections are often used under conditions in which the more economical self tapping connections are not thought to provide long-term functional relia...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, The Impulse to Save Energy
...imultaneously with the maximum heat transition to the cavity, very rapid removal of heat energy from the mould is achieved. The effect of the cooling impulse is demonstrated by the variation of the heat transfer coefficient. After valve opening, it suddenly increases to a value about 30 % higher that at the same rate with flow cooling. In thermodynamics, this effect is known to be the result of a temporarily interrupted cooling zone [6]. The dynamics in the cooling channel are clearly illustrate...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, The Right Strategy Mix: Maintenance in Plastics Processing
...ad to a considerably reduced maintenance and calibration outlay. A further advantage is that they are five times as accurate at measuring temperature, which is a major process parameter in plastics processing, than thermocouples. A comparative study revealed deviations of just 0.2K over the temperature range extending from 150 to 420°C for these new temperature sensors, which have been adapted to plastics machines (Fig.2) [5]. These types of sensors should be used to return the temperature v...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Thermoforming by Radiation Crosslinking
... beam crosslinking of PE-LD improves the melt extensibility behaviour, which is decisive for the thermoforming process. One of the explanations put forward for this is the more homogeneous crosslinking at high vinyl end-group contents [6, 7]. This study sets out to document the authors' experiences and define the current situation. Testing Conditions For preliminary trials use was made of a coextruded film with a thickness of 250 µm and a PE content of 60 %. Electron irradiation was ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Thin-walled Components
...ion, which leads in injection moulding processes to faster cycles, better mould filling behaviour (with complex mould geometries) and excellent surface quality. Consequently, the effect of the blowing agent is similar to that of a process aid. To study the effect of the chemical blowing agent as a process aid, polypropylene with different blowing agent concentrations (Brabender single-screw extruder 19mm, L/D25) was tested. In all the tests, the screw speed was 601/min. Fig.1 shows the pressure ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Ultrasonic Technology: Fabrication of Films and Coated Fabrics
... are integrated on the relevant plotter. They can be lowered onto the material or raised independently of one another. The relevant material-specific parameters can be adjusted for every ultrasonic head (cutting/welding). These parameters include the welding/cutting speed, welding/cutting output and the pressure of the respective sonotrode on the material. Furthermore, the system features a control system to adjust the weld energy according to the speed (e.g. for curves or corners). Only with a...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, What Barrier Screws Can Achieve
...ality affected by using a barrier screw? - Is more torque required for a barrier screw? What are the relationships between plasticizing capacity, torque, homogenizing effect and machine settings for different screw geometries? These questions were studied as part of work for a diploma thesis at Demag Ergotech GmbH, Schwaig, in collaboration with the Institut für Kunststoffverarbeitung (IKV) in Aachen. The results for the most part confirm practical experience but some new relationships were iden...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-30, Retrofit on a Milling Machine: 19 Years’ Service and Better than New
...rrosive stresses in service as a result of intensive frictional wear, high impact energy and/or aggressive media. Poly Hi Solidur also develops PE-UHMW materials modified for specific customer applications. Possible uses cover a wide field, including drive and materials handling technology, packaging solutions, machine construction, chemical engineering and port and offshore installations. According to its own information, the Poly Hi Solidur Meditech business unit is the leading manufacturer o...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-30, Transparent PP Bottles: In the Overtaking Lane
... limiting factor is no longer the material but the output rate of the stretch blow moulding machine. In most cases, PP can be processed on existing equipment. With new investments, the required blowing pressure should also be included in the calculation. While a blowing pressure of 40 bar is required for PET, the optimum blowing pressure for PP is 15 to 20 bar. Besides much lower investment costs for the compressor, PP offers a further benefit – it does not need predrying. The current target ap...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-12-07, Slide Compression Moulding: Producing Fibre Composite Profiles with Variable Wall Thickness
...c loads regularly appear from various sectors of the mechanical engineering industry, but they are needed only in small quantities or one-off situations. The components are usually subjected to bending and torsion loads in several axes. Use of pultruded profiles is generally not possible, as restrictions in the makeup of the laminate and limited production quantities prohibit economical production. For production of one-off parts and small lot sizes, production of the components via multi-part c...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-01-15, Preliminary Exhibition Report: Winter in Milan
...unit is fitted with a monitor for quality control. The company will also present its gravimetric metering system, CWS 2023 (Fig. 4), which offers real-time recording of the material weight in the hopper and of the linear velocity of the extruded product. By controlling the extruder on the basis of these data, the machine operator can considerably improve take-off speed and thus the reproducibility of the products. Dipiemme S.r.l., Cassano Magnago, will showcase its latest unit for thermoforming ...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-01-26, Processing: Continuous Process for Manufacturing Natural-fibre-filled Plastic Boards
...tion of these panels is a pellet stock based on wood flour and thermoplastics, known as wood/plastic composites (WPC), which is produced in a plastication process. Pallmann Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG, Zweibrücken/Germany, by developing the Palltruder, created the conditions necessary to obtain higher throughputs and a broader processing spectrum together with improved product quality. The dry, free-flowing homogeneous pellet stock, with a high bulk density, produced by this technology is an i...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-02-23, Process Optimisation: Hot Embossing of Microstructures
Embossing. Hot Embossing of Microstructures. Process Optimisation. This article presents studies pertaining to the microstructuring of amorphous and semi-crystalline plastics. Hot embossing is conducive to a high fidelity of reproduction combined with a high aspect ratio. Microtechnology is a key technology of the 21st century, with annual projected growth rates of up to 20% [1]. The advantages of miniaturised parts lie in the attainable high level of integration and low space and energy requi...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-02-27, Automaking: Inspiration in the Interior
...argely routine; finishing of moulded part surfaces has now assumed the more important role. “Injection moulding, previously the measure of all things, has slipped into the position of being a supplier within the plant”, according to Achim Judt, Plant Manager in Berlin. “Accordingly, we have divided the plant into two value streams: injection moulding and finishing via various foaming processes.” Two Value Streams in Production As a consequence, soft instrument panels have become the more commonl...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-04-08, Thermoforming: Keeps Fresher for Longer
...r knife) is normally only used to produce films up to a maximum thickness of 200 to 400µm. These films do not enter into consideration for use in PP meat trays, which generally have a thickness of 500 to about 1000µm. Special technologies include water bath and steel conveyor technology. The most commonly used method of manufacture is a polishing stack with at least three chill rolls. It is important for thermoforming that film quality always remains constant and that the most uniform possible, ...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-06-29, Fluoropolymer Processing Aids: Particle Size and Activity
...f more effective products. This article describes the mechanism involved and implementation of it in actual practice. It was originally assumed that the fluoropolymers as a process aid (fluoropolymer process aids, PPA) lubricated a polyethylene extrudate as it passed through the die and thus shifted melt fracture to higher shear rates. Subsequent investigations confirmed that melt fracture was suppressed as soon as the fluoropolymer accumulated on the surface of the die. This resulted in improv...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-09-05, Hot Runner Solution for Warning Triangle: Caution, Special Requirement
...g for their high reflectivity and despite their low weight are stable even in high winds (see title picture). The products are adapted to the special requirements of individual types of vehicles. Gebra offers tailor-made solutions which may even include a fixing device in the vehicle and the installation of the latter. Its warning triangles can be found in new cars at the top of the range as well as in the mini, compact and intermediate ranges. They are used as original equipment by all prominen...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-09-05, MDO Technology: Defined Stretching
...ersonnel costs and optimisation of the machine footprints. However, the production rates of the film line and stretch roll system must be matched to one another (max. 300m/min in the case of the MDO line). Offline operation allows the film extruder higher flexibility with frequent product exchange. However, with an MDO line, even a processor without his own film production can process and enhance films. The most important economic advantages of the MDO line are: - various installed sizes with l...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-09-08, Natural-fibre-reinforced Plastics: Considerable Potential for Improvement
...ustrialising countries, they can not only be cultivated in virtually unlimited quantities but can also be processed very cost effectively there as a result of the low wages. While the cost of commodity plastics is highly dependent on the price of crude oil and is continually increasing, in the case of natural materials, the cost has remained stable at an acceptable level for quite some time. Now, wood particles are also being considered as a special form of renewable fibres and are becoming more...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-09-28, From Pretreatment to Finishing
... additional discharge station. Printing. Because of the VOC Directive already mentioned above, since 1999 all new equipment has had to comply with the regulations contained therein wherever the guideline applies. For the plastics industry, this includes, among others, every activity where ink, paint or a coating is applied to surfaces in a printing press as well as lamination. Much more drastic, however, is the requirement for existing equipment in Article 4. They must likewise comply with all ...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-11-04, Enhanced Productivity through Retrofits: Communication Boosts Business
...;s employees also adapt third-party machines to the new framework conditions in the context of a retrofit. Since a large number of the components of this comprehensive product portfolio contain plastic parts, Phoenix Contact's machine fleet includes injection moulding machines that were built in different years. In order to fulfil the increased requirements placed on productivity, moulded part quality and integration in the company-wide communication network, the older injection moulding mac...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-12-06, News
...ettled here. This commitment shows that the Chinese market still holds major importance for the company. The success and the potential in this country have made a not inconsiderable contribution to Arburg’s success. The subsidiary director, Max Man, can draw on a team of eleven employees to serve the important region of South China. The subsidiary in Shenzen covers almost 500m2, and has its own experimentation and test centre for customers, a demonstration room, its own technical service depart...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-02-13, Bitter Pill on Day of Celebration
...s, particularly in the light of the creation of a new subsidiary in the USA and record results for 2006. However, the jubilee celebrations, as part of which progresses in cooling and post-cooling technology were presented among other things, were clouded by an updated court judgement. The 28 November 2006 was a day for MHT Mold & Hotrunner Technology AG to celebrate with partners, customers and friends. The occasion: The 10th anniversary of the day on which eleven partners founded the company ...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-02-13, Hot-Runners for Flame-Retardant Polyamides
...acteristics of the nozzle’s opening are critical for a reliable process. Tests demonstrated that at the same temperature both nozzles with an open nozzle tip homogeneously filled the cavities. This can be verified with a filling study, using injection with increasing dosage (Fig. 4). The results of the filling study can be reproduced throughout a number of cycles. Due to the excellent insulation of the nozzle used (type: 5DHT50B) and enhanced temperature constancy over the length of the nozzle, ...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-02-13, Injection Moulding Small Transformers?
... in a French patent in the year 1955, polymer-bonded permanent magnet materials have become commonplace in electronic instruments, communications devices, household utensils, toys, advertising products and decorative items. The reason for this multitude of applications is simple: these materials can be processed using typical plastic-processing techniques, so that economical manufacturing methods are available even for complex shapes. In contrast, innovations utilising polymer-bonded soft magnet...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-02-13, Sealing Systems for the Cardiac Septum
...er: Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG) and poly-L-lactide-co-trimethylene carbonate (70:30) (PLLA-co-TMC) (grade: Resomer LT706). The compatibility and degradation behaviour of both these materials in the human body have been well studied and the materials found suitable. To assess processability, the flowability and thermal degradation behaviour of the polymers were compared using appropriated test geometries. Special attention was paid here to the replication of small details, because ...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-03-15, More Lightweight Construction for the BMW 3 Series Coupé and Convertible Models
...e aid of filling simulation an optimum gate geometry in the mould was achieved Fig. 10. Thermogram of the side panel provides information about the temperature distribution in the injection mould (blue = Tmin: 86.5°C; red = Tmax: 94.2°C) Table 1. Mechanical properties of the (PA+ABS) blend in the dry and conditioned state

Kunststoffe international, 2007-04-17, Fibre Composite Robot Arms
...carbon fibres and full use of the construction height. The laminate is comprised almost entirely of unidirectional carbon fibre prepreg tapes. In order to achieve the required bending stiffness the fibres are aligned primarily along the longitudinal axis of the robot arm. Thrust bearing ±45° orientated fibre layers are included in order to join the two half shells and also to absorb torsional moments. In the transition between the joint and the hollow body section, fibre sheets orientated in the...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-04-17, Mechanical Engineering Tracking Materials Development
Mechanical Engineering Tracking Materials Development New PVC Grades The demand for improved properties and lower costs is exerting a growing influence on the development of extruded construction products. The increasing use of PVC grades from new suppliers poses a challenge to processors and machine makers. Higher filler loads, expanded products and wood-plastic compounds are being mooted. Walter Häder The construction industry, especially, has experienced ever rising costs in recent year...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-04-17, Optimised Material Usage
Optimised Material Usage Inline Recycling Rising material prices simultaneously increase the value of manufacturing waste. For injection moulding companies, inline recycling of waste offers an enormous savings potential. First, however, corresponding machine-related requirements must be fulfilled. Gottfried Hausladen Inline recycling of sprues and scrapped parts leads to optimised material usage, which in turn reduces feedstock consumption. Cleanly sorted by type, the material can be recyc...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-05-14, Economical Production of Heat Sinks for LEDs
...ise the heat-sink design, Lati conducted a range of finite element analyses in close cooperation with Idealed. The following parameters were assumed: - ambient temperature: 25°C, - power consumption per LED: 3W, - efficiency of an LED: 30%, - max. LED temperature: 80°C, - the material is completely isotropic. Moreover, the heat dissipation should take place as far as possible by natural convection, i.e. without support by additional fans or other active cooling elements. Simulations of the therm...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-05-14, Mould Design from Pole to Pole
...f multi-polar plastic-bonded micromagnets". The authors would like to acknowledge the support of the project provided by the German Research Association (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft/DFG) as well as Dipl.-Phys. Thomas Schliesch, Max Baermann GmbH, for his willingness to share his knowledge. References 1. Drummer, D.: Verarbeitung und Eigenschaften kunststoffgebundener Dauermagnete. Dissertation, Lehrstuhl für Kunststofftechnik, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg 2004 2. Schliesch, T.: Kunsts...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-06-18, Improving Product Properties by Cutting Back on Material
...Product Properties by Cutting Back on Material Fillers Traditionally, fillers are being used predominantly as inexpensive substitutes for polymers. If the properties of a material are to be selectively improved compounders make use of additives. Studies show that newly developed fillers can also have an effect on product properties. Katarzyna Gorna, Marijan Vucak, Matthias C. Hund, Hein-Dieter Stöver, Gerhard Wegner For a long time fillers were just a cheap substitute for other materials. ...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-06-18, Micro-optical Beam Shaping Improves Efficiency
...h a customised pigmentation. In principle, any thermoplastics with the entire colour palette can be welded (photos: Limo Lissotschenko Mikrooptik GmbH) Fig. 1. The welding head of the laser process, besides power measurement and pyrometry, also includes camera monitoring Fig. 2. Laser-welded housing for automotive fuel supply systems (left: unprocessed; right: laser welded). Right: The weld runs along the dark colour of the white housing

Kunststoffe international, 2007-06-18, Plastification by an Intermediate Layer
...d in a way so that the weld seam strength can be defined in a short-term tensile test, with tension in the weld seam being almost uniaxial. The components were made of Nylon 66 just as were the films (grade: Ultramid A3K, manufacturer: BASF AG, Ludwigshafen). The films were produced on an extrusion plant available at IKV Aachen, in a chill-roll extrusion process, with carbon black contents and thicknesses varied. The investigators produced films with carbon black contents c of 0.025 weight-%, 0....

Kunststoffe international, 2007-06-18, The Smallest Granule Quantities – Dried with Precision
...system and can therefore be removed without problems. The dryer can be equipped with a conveyor and/or exhaust air system. With its air filter removed, it is thus suited to fit application in a partially clean room. Manufacturer Motan GmbH Max-Eyth-Weg 42 D-88316 Isny/Germany Tel. +49 (0) 75 62/76-0 Fax +49 (0) 75 62/76-111 E-mail: motan.ger.s@motan.de www.motan.com Fig.1 Outline of the micro drying system. Thanks to exchangeable inserts (right), the quantity of granules to be dried can be a...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-07-18, Cooling without Regret
...tial savings. Nico Küls A particular characteristic of progressive companies is that they also continuously optimize the environment in which their core business operates. In the production of injection molded parts this also and specifically includes the cooling of parts of the mold and the hydraulic components. The fact that investment in efficient temperature control paves the way not only to higher molding quality but also to lower operating costs is demonstrated by the industrial experien...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-07-18, Resorbable Implant Containing Medication
...ustrieller Forschungsvereinigung e.V. (AiF) under project number 226 ZN. References 1 Milsom, I.; Abrams, P.; Cardozo, L. et al.: How widespread are the Symptoms of an Overactive Bladder and how are they managed? A population-based prevalence study. BJU Int 87 (2001), pp. 760–766 2 Stewart, W. F.; Van Rooyen, J. B.; Cundiff, G. W. et al.: Prevalence and Burden of Overactive Bladder in the United States, World J Urol 20 (2003), pp. 327–336 3 Bulmer, P.; Abrams, P.: The unstable detrusor. Urol In...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-07-18, Rust-Free Cooling Reduces Unit Costs
...g channels falls from 25 to 19%. This increases the cycle time by 18s. In practice, all measures that can counteract this result involve considerable costs in many cases and therefore only have a limited application. Possible measures could include - a higher pump performance (flow rate), - a reduction of the temperature of the cooling medium, - shorter maintenance intervals, or - chemical treatment of the water. If the cycle time were prolonged in this way, the unit costs would be 38.3 ce...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-08-14, Biggest Growth in Our History
...%, compared to 8% in the previous years. As a short-term minimum aim, he indicated an increase to at least 20%. Dr. Hans Wobbe, CTO of Engel Holding, used the opportunity to present new all-electric injection molding machine Engel E-Max. The main features of the compactly dimensioned model series, which will be available with a clamping force of 1,000kN at first, are a new efficient injection molding unit, a length-optimized tie-bar clamping unit and a two-spindle ejector concept; this provides ...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-08-14, Design Freedom
...Cross-linking in a secondary operation can be subcontracted in one of many electron beam systems around the world. However, the irradiation system that BGS has in Bruchsal, Baden, Germany, offers a specialty. Very large parts up to 12m in length and max. 1.60m in width (Fig.3) can be irradiated there. Conclusions A major disadvantage of previous sandwich structures based on rigid foam is that the long processing times make mass production difficult. With the opportunity to cross-link flexible ...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-09-19, A Design Tailored to Requirements
...or cooling and electrical connections on the mold and also facilitates mold exchange. The small 70 injection unit is also available for the Allrounder A now, for the production of small parts and microparts. The machines running at K will include an Allrounder 520 A with 1,500 kN and an Allrounder 570 A with a clamping force of 2,000 kN (Fig. 2) with applications from the medical technology and packaging sectors. The hydraulic Allrounder 920 S with a clamping force of 5,000 kN will be on display...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-09-19, Distinctly Lower Energy Costs
...closer examination is worthwhile here. As early as 1998 a dryer heated by natural gas was unveiled to the public. The project team responsible for that then pursued the subject further and proposed the development of a natural gas heater for extruders and injection molding machines [1]. In between another project team had been developing gas-heated temperature control units. After the presentation of the first prototype at the Fakuma 2003 exhibition there followed a series of practical and compa...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-09-19, Face Lifts for Molded Parts
...eaned of swarf, pellets and dust. A cyclonic separator combined with a metal deflector protects the filter resulting in long intervals between services. With an optional hydrocyclone the cleaner can also be used for liquids. The delivery program includes single phase units up to 3kW and swarf collectors with three phase direct drive up to 22kW. If required an overflow sensor with automatic stop or pump unit can be installed. The captured material is collected in containers that can be emptied us...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-09-19, Mastering Demanding Challenges
...material also exceeds the German full notch creep test (FNCT). Currently a sensitive, maintenance-intensive drinking water pipeline made of iron is being replaced with one made of BorSafe 3490-LS in Shanghai, China, in the region around Pudong (Fig. 1). Where the flow of electricity in involved, Borealis offers the foamed PE-HD Borcell HE1106. This insulating material, which can be expanded up to 80 % using the gas injection technique, is used to sheath small and medium-sized cable. The material...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-09-19, Prior to Film Extrusion
Prior to Film Extrusion Mixing/Conveying/Metering Equipment manufacturers in the field of materials handling must cover a wide range, which includes storage, conveying, and drying, as well as batching and blending technology. This requires in-depth knowledge of the relevant properties, such as the behavior of bulk materials and their drying parameters. Guido Michael The tasks of packaging are manifold. For example, apart from providing an appealing product presentation, the packaged good...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-10-21, Polyurethanes (PU)
...arket. In addition, depending on the region, they develop a market for PU together with potential customers. The services offered by the PU system houses is complemented and supported by a global network of research and technologies centers, including the recently established competence centers for shoe applications and spray technology in Shanghai (Fig.4) and the new innovation center in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Flexible Foam In recent years, the cost pressures on manufacturers of slabsto...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-11-21, New Boost for Plastic Parts
New Boost for Plastic Parts Motor Show Report Even as prices of crude oil and materials continue to rise, the use of plastics in automotive construction is being boosted by the ongoing debate on climate change. This year’s IAA in Frankfurt provided the relevant subcontractors with a platform for their innovations. Stefan Schlott Very few motor shows have focused as squarely on "green" topics as this year’s IAA. Once again, politics and legislation were the real drivers behind the ...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-12-17, Designing Film Hinges for Strain
...respect to strain that considerably expand their application potential compared to previous ones. The formulae were developed on the basis of comparative FEM analysis and have been tested on practical examples. Johannes Kunz Simon Bachmann Mario Studer Film hinges are elements typical for applying polymer-oriented design principles, especially in integral construction. There they function as elastic members joining two thermoplastic molded parts that can move relative to one another. In term...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-12-17, From the Plastic Part to the End Product
... undergo secondary processing or finishing for technical and often decorative reasons. Encouragingly, many innovations on this subject were presented at K2007, in the subjective opinion of the observer even proportionately more than at past shows. Max Dominik The article deals in detail with the coating and metallizing of plastic articles; the January edition will discuss the printing of webs and parts. Coating and Metallizing Web Goods The traditional way to coat web goods is still to use...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-12-17, Many Improved Details
...ng offered by many Asian manufacturers. For instance, the exhibit of the Hwa Chin Machinery Factory Co., Ltd., Taiwan, displayed a four-component injection molding machine with part-handling robot. Standard features on this toggle machine included a rotary platen and measures aimed at energy efficiency and reduced noise emissions. Along with machinery for thermoplastics, the larger machine manufacturers from the Far East also frequently offer equipment for processing thermosets and liquid silico...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-12-17, More Complexity, Speed and Intelligence
...ot stay in one spot during the injection cycle – as in conventional injection molding – but is continuously drawn past the injection nozzle in sync with melt injection – i.e. it is moved laterally along the machine’s longitudinal axis. This worldwide novel process, viewable at the stand of cooperation partner Engel Austria GmbH of Schwertberg, Austria, was developed by Hybrid Composite Products GmbH and Ingenieurbüro Steiner, both of Spielberg, Austria. It employs a fully electric machine (clamp...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-12-17, Not off the Rack
Not off the Rack Tubes and Profiles A large variety of products combined with specific requirements for individual customers means there is a wealth of approaches and solutions for extruding pipes and profiles. But extruders are not alone in the limelight. Peripherals tailored to the process are getting increased attention. Paul Gorczyca Growing market demands insist on the further development of our available technologies. This, in turn, is causing the competencies in individual branches ...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-01-15, Made in Greater China and Taiwan
...sector is the largest user of plastics. In 2006, 10 million t of plastic packaging were produced of which 5.29 million t were plastic films, 3.01 million t plastic tapes and woven materials and 1.49 million t boxes and containers. Accordingly, extruders and their accessories as well as blow molding machines were the focal points on the exhibition stands of the Chinese exhibitors. Extrusion Technology The center of attention on the exhibition stand of Tianjin Hengrui Plastics Machinery Co., Ltd...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-01-15, Make-up for Plastics Surfaces
...erally to permit the rapid change of printing plates and to check the ink and doctor blade. The ink containers are mounted on the outside so that the diluting agents and ink can be replenished without stopping the machine. Other components include a sorting unit, a part buffer, safety cladding, a register-mark adjustment unit and an SPC system with a touch screen. Big Wheel is available for an extremely high performance (Fig. 2), printing between 30,000 and 120,000 closures per hour, as a functi...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-04-14, From the Pressure to Innovate to a State of Exhaustion
...ve. Customized Materials and New Business Models Innovations involving new component functions and characteristics as well as increases in productivity are often possible only with new materials. Dr. Reinhard Jakobi (BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany) listed a few of these materials and process enhancements. For instance, to incorporate pedestrian protection into front bumpers, a new polyamide that is sufficiently stiff while nevertheless absorbing a great deal of energy was developed specificall...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-04-14, Material Handling as an Overall Solution
...oom. Surfaces that come into contact with materials are made of non-critical materials, such as stainless steel and glass. Seals generally do not come into contact with products. Special filter media compliant with the cleanroom class are a key to maximum end-product quality. Material Storage Cleanroom quality starts with storage. The plastics are stored in closed containers, from the sack delivery station to the silo, which is fitted with corresponding pressure compensation and inlet-air filt...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-05-10, Measuring During Softening
...not be developed without stability test methods according to DIN and ISO standards. A test apparatus permitting precise thermal process control is presented. Werner Lange Michael Seipel Development and targeted modification of thermoplastics includes a wide array of stability test methods according to DIN and ISO standards. One of these test methods is the determination of the Vicat softening temperature according to DIN EN ISO 306 [1]. The test method indicates the temperature at which a th...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-05-10, Targeted Assessment of Polypropylene Properties
...or instrumented procedures, which provide a graphical record as opposed to conventional methods. In addition to the recording hardness test, the instrumented Charpy impact test (ICIT) – which is the central topic of this article – must be included in this group of modern materials testing methods. Hereby, the decisive advantage of the ICIT, i.e. the great increase in acquired information per test cycle, compensates the financial disadvantage resulting from the demanding test equipment. Contrary ...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-06-16, Using Real-Time Control for Microprecision
... the change-over point, the injection process occurs in a reproducible manner, which is reflected in the characteristic cavity pressure curve and uniform molded part quality. Potential applications for the new injection molding machine include products that required reproducible and highly dynamic mold filling of volumes up to 1cm3. The modularity of the µ-Ject concept is the basis for the adaptability of the system and the development of new processes and products. This injection molding machin...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-07-15, Foam Under Control
...ned conditions. Equipment manufacturers face the challenge of developing technologies and control concepts that ensure reproducible production of semi-finished foam products. This article focuses on foam extrusion lines set up in tandem with two extruders in an in-line arrangement (type: ZE/KE; Fig. 1): a co-rotating twin-screw extruder (ZE) for melting the polymer and incorporating the blowing agent and a single-screw extruder, the cooling extruder (KE), for cooling the melt containing the blow...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-08-14, Bio – Sense or Nonsense
...g renewable resources, the same criteria must be employed as have been to date in terms of life cycle assessments (LCAs), i. e. the environmental compatibility, economic aspects and social impact over the entire life cycle of products, including the associated manufacturing processes and disposal methods, must be investigated. Time and again it is found that a product based on biomass in not per se ecologically more efficient than a petrochemical-based product. Each case must be evaluate...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-08-14, Chinaplas Growing with the Economy
The doors to the Chinaplas exhibition were open to the specialist public from 17 to 20 April. Once again the event on the Pudong International Fairground, Shanghai, generated record figures. On an area of 134,500 m2 over 1,700 companies from 36 countries, including 200 first-time exhibitors, presented their goods and services. In comparison with Chinaplas 2007 in Guangzhou the exhibition area taken up was 27 % greater and compared to the 2006 event in Shanghai 41 %. The organizers, Adsale Exhibi...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-09-23, Growing Up while Remaining Small
...d hydraulic solutions, which compare favorably with electromechanical machines when it comes to power consumption. The development of hydraulic solutions has not yet come to an end. Kunststoffe: What developments from the recent past are you most proud of? Schiffer: When one considers the developments in machinery technology over the past 40 years – in terms of hydraulics, precision, on the drive and with regard to energy consumption – the changes are amazing. The greatest change, ...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-09-23, Injection Molding Machines Become “Green”
After some turbulent months, the injection molding machine branch appears to have settled down again. However, the dark clouds on the economic horizon are already ing their shadow from a distance and seem to indicate that the concentration process involving machine manufacturers is not yet at its end. The most recent fusions and acquisitions mean that two old and well-known companies will be appearing at the Fakuma in new garb – namely, Wittmann Battenfeld GmbH and the Demag Plastics Grou...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-09-23, Reliable Testing in the QA Lab and Production
...xaminations as well as defect analysis. A high-performance x-ray takes up the specimen’s geometry; and “soft” materials like elastomers can thus be submitted to this process too. The examined components are presented in point clouds, which are then converted into a complete 3-D data set (Fig. 6). Target/actual deviations can be presented in color, and in a CAD-compatible way. A component to be measured may have 450 mm thickness, 1,220 mm size and 100 kg weight, at th...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-10-17, Polyurethanes (PU)
...esent, production equipment has a quite high utilization rate. All producers were able to increase their sales considerably in the past few years. What is worrisome at present are the unrelenting price pressures and the “galloping”price of crude oil, which is driving the costs for raw materials and energy to new heights and putting immense pressure on margins. The leader in PU consumption remains the European market, which together with Africa and the Middle East represents a market share of 38....

Kunststoffe international, 2008-11-20, Development Continues
...ous temperature ranges, are extremely demanding. A short time ago, this turned out to be a new field of application for laser welding. Working together with ProLas GmbH, Würselen, Germany, Bühler Motor GmbH, Nuremberg, Germany, successfully concluded a laser welding project of manufacturing auxiliary water pumps early in 2006. For Bühler, this represented entry into the field of laser welding technology as applied to plastics at the same time. Based on the successful integration of the laser wel...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-11-20, Material for Efficiency Boost
Dr. John Feldmann (BASF, Ludwigshafen, Germany) proclaimed polymer materials as “efficiency materials”, thanks to which about 2.37 million metric tons of fuel and the associated 9.2 million metric tons of CO2 are saved by weight reductions (Fig. 1). Presently, a very high percentage of gas and petroleum is simply burned. In view of dwindling resources, this inefficient and simultaneously final use is prohibitive. A sustainable approach is the versatile use of the raw material bas...

Kunststoffe international, 2009-06-16, A Coexistence of Unequals
...pping screw is to counteract (e.g. with clamp force/prestress force and back out torque) the time-dependent material properties of polymers, in this case, polypropylene (PP) [6]. In the VDI standard, the important factors for preload changes include relaxation of the screw material and temperature-dependent changes. However, the VDI standard assumes that the connection is of a metalmetal type, in which after embedding, it is presumed that the preload force is reduced by about 10 % and a minimum ...

Kunststoffe international, 2009-07-16, A Breath of Fresh Air in the Crisis
...tisfaction will be short-lived. For the current fiscal year, the company’s management expects a decline of 30 %, i. e. sales of EUR 400 million at best. Dramatic Situation in a Sector Used to Success In a press conference, Neumann described the sudden downturn that started in the autumn of 2008 as having a magnitude and dynamic that was unprecedented in the history of the industry. At the same time, he left no doubt about the strength of the family-operated company. This could be seen from the f...

Kunststoffe international, 2009-07-16, Plastic Bodies
...ocal fiber reinforcements comprising continuous fibers or fabric inserts. The first series application is the tailgate of the smart fortwo, a two-part locally reinforced visible part made of glass fiber-reinforced polypropylene (PP GF30 and PP GF60 UD) (Fig. 2). Compared to previous versions of the coupé and convertible, the stiffness has been increased by 20 %, while the weight remains unchanged and the costs have fallen by 10 %. These features, consisting in a modular solution for convertible...

Kunststoffe international, 2009-10-14, Pressure in Form
...especially attractive price/performance ratio. Systems for direct processing of LFT are also available from the machine manufacturer Pinette Emidecau Industries, Chalon sur Saone. This French manufacturer of hydraulic presses offers systems that include the necessary compounding equipment from the compounding specialist Coperion Werner & Pfleiderer GmbH & Co. KG., Stuttgart, Germany, in contrast to the two-machine technology from Dieffenbacher, where plastication of the thermoplastic and incorpo...

Kunststoffe international, 2009-10-14, Resists Bending and Breaking
...ilicon oxide (SiO2), magnesium oxide (MgO) and/or calcium oxide (CaO). The raw materials are generally based on mass-produced ''''Bayer'''' alumina. This starts from the raw material bauxite, which is broken down into aluminum hydroxide and red mud in the Bayer process. The ceramics are reasonable in price and meet the specifications. Hybrid Materials are Specially Grown Novel materials, such as zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) and platelet-reinforced aluminum oxide ceramics (ZPTA ceramics) have almost ...

Kunststoffe international, 2009-11-19, Components also Suffer from Fatigue
...d chemical stresses that modern engineering polymers are required to withstand are well known from technical specifications. However, the behavior of these polymers under long-term cyclic load, i.e. their fatigue behavior, has not been intensively studied so far. Yet a knowledge of this behavior is very important for the development of application-tailored materials. System suppliers as well as auto makers are very insistent that engine mountings, oil intake modules and other structural componen...

Kunststoffe international, 2009-11-19, Low Energy Drying
...system based on an individual assessment and control of the quantity of air required by each hopper during each process cycle. In this way the system identifies the individual air flow rates and delivers that precise quantity of process air to the X-MAX dryer array. X-MAX Control adjusts the dryer array by proportional control of the individual units in order to save energy. In addition an energy recovery process adjusted to the respective outputs takes place whilst matching the air flow rates. ...

Kunststoffe international, 2010-01-27, Bakelite Conquers the World
...ed his attention to electrochemical questions and recognized that the most important problem for the rising electrical industry lay in the development of a good insulating material. Accordingly, in the winter semester of 1900 to 1901 he studied electrical engineering at the Charlottenburg Institute of Technology in Berlin. In 1904 he converted his private research laboratory in Yonkers, New Jersey, USA, into a pilot plant for the condensation of phenol with formaldehyde. His objective was to dev...

Kunststoffe international, 2010-08-19, Grow Strategically
... polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polystyrene (PS). The same year, a plant was put in operation for manufacturing bimodal high-density polyethylene (PE-HD) in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, with an annual capacity of 250 kt. Moreover, Sabic took over the Rhe-Max product line of Rhetech, Inc. ofWhitemore Lake, Michigan, USA, and integrated it into its own PP-LGF line (brand name: Stamax). The figures show that business is again improving this year. With first quarter sales in 2010 of almost EUR 1.1 billion,...

Kunststoffe international, 2010-09-24, An Industry on Tenterhooks
...The booth is therefore dominated by hybrid and electrical machines of the Hidrive and Alldrive series. In these exhibits, Arburg presents high-speed packaging applications from the field of in-mold labeling, multicomponent injection molding, including for liquid silicone and thermoplastic, the production of a medical part and extremely small parts with a new microinjection module. The new micro-injection module picks up on an old idea that has not yet been realized in this way, i.e. combining an...

Kunststoffe international, 2010-09-24, Efficiency as Benchmark
...s is increasingly important. As a result, low power consumption and high productivity and flexibility play a major role in recycling, too. Coperion Optimized Feed Coperion GmbH, Stuttgart, Germany, have boosted the throughput of their twin-screw extruders with its innovative feed enhancement technology (FET). A vacuum applied to a porous, gas-permeable wall section in the feeding zone sucks moisture and air out of the feed material. This compacting of the loose material doubles or trebles the ma...

Kunststoffe international, 2010-09-24, Precise and Efficient
...ocess really needs. Many exhibitors are focusing specifically on drying of PET, given that the number of applications for this versatile material continues to grow noticeably. Mann+Hummel Focus on Extremely Small Quantities Mann+Hummel Protec GmbH, Ludwigsburg, Germany, is introducing its new generation of stationary material drying systems by displaying the dehumidifying dryer model Somos D200 (air throughput 200 m3/h) and a modular hopper system with drying hoppers ranging in size from 50 to 3...

Kunststoffe international, 2010-11-25, Three Films, One Part – and a Quartered Mold
What can be done, if a project comes up that is actually a little bit too large for one’s own machine park? When Foliotec GmbH received an inquiry in April 2008 for the control fascia panel in Ford’s new C-Max model, it soon became clear that with a size of some 380 250 50 mm, the panel was well beyond the dimensions of any other plastic part the company had previously refined with a film coating. Up to that time, Foliotec, a subsidiary of Kunststoff Helmbrechts AG (KH), Helmbrechts, Germany, ha...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-01-25, Efficiency Has Many Names
...remove residual dust content of less than 30 ppm (Fig. 1). Eta, Genesys, Eureka – Efficient Systems for Drying For a long time, material drying offered the greatest potential for boosting energy efficiency in the process chain between silo and extruder or plasticizing unit. For machinery and equipment manufacturers in the field of drying technology, this era seems to be long gone. While the term “energy efficiency” and associated – and in some cases unrealistic – potential savings were much tout...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-01-25, Two Old Hands Stroll through the Fair
...irectly in the closed injection mold. Refined Surfaces For many years, the aim of intensive development efforts has been the production of injection molded parts with high-quality surfaces. Today’s technology includes the back injection of flat or three-dimensionally preformed compound film inserts – partially with a lacquer cover coating. Similarly, overmolding with transparent PMMA, or flooding real wood veneers and decorative films with transparent PU varnish to obtain certain visual effects ...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-02-21, Driving Force, but no Think Tank
...ing investigations, which has put Chinese machine suppliers in a favorable position. Over the same period of time, the country imported 4,690 units (+125.7 %) worth USD 440 million (+85.4 %). With regard to export and import figures, extruders and blow molding machines are at second position behind injection molding machines. In the first half of 2010, 1,232 (-0.6 %) pelletizing units were sold outside China, meaning a revenue of USD 17 million (+53.7 %). Imports reached 60 units (-9.1 %) worth ...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-04-25, The Case for Strain Based Design
...s therefore occur transverse to the direction of loading. This means that when the critical strain εF∞ is exceeded cracks form that run perpendicular to the largest strain, that is longitudinally, and the material can be more heavily deformed without damage than under tension. A thin walled tube under internal pressure p is well known to be in a biaxial stress state (Fig. 5), in which the stress in the circumferential direction is double that of the stress in the axial direction. Since σ1 = 2 · ...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-05-12, Predictive Forming and Backmolding
...This problem can be eliminated by using metal sheet (0.1 to max. 0.4 mm thick) instead of plastic film. A relatively new manufacturing method for metal-decorated plastic parts, namely back molding of metal foils with integrated forming, is studied in detail below, and a process simulation is presented. A Comparison of Different Manufacturing Processes The traditional production process for such hybrid parts usually consists of three steps. First a plastic backing is injection molded. The part ma...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-06-20, For Solar Technology to Work
...tems, fall into the category of electric installations, which is why they have to meet stringent requirements in order to obtain approval for their connection technology. When it comes to the connectors and junction boxes of these systems, BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany, can now provide special variants of its Ultramid plastic (polyamide) that are not only flameresistant and of high strength but show high impact resistance at low temperatures. This is a property that is crucial for the service l...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-06-20, Hitting the Nail on the Head
...e finished parts. Differences in flow conditions lead for example to differences in the boundary layers formed with semi-crystalline materials, to differences in weld lines, varying reproduction accuracy of surface structures up to and including sporadic under-filling of parts. Batch to batch variations of materials are an additional reason for variations in the flow conditions, which have to be recognized and compensated for. Controlling Compression In order to ensure that a molded part is alwa...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-08-24, Fire Protection for Railway
...rogen chlorine, hydrogen bromine, hydrogen cyanide, nitric oxide and sulfur dioxide were measured by FTIR spectroscopy. These smoke gases are toxic when inhaled. Considering the specific density of smoke gas Ds (max) related to the entire test period of 20 min, the value of Durethan DP BM 65 X FM30 was only 7, thus reaching Hazard Level 3 for Ds(max)-values ≤ 150 for internally used materials. Measurements of smoke gas toxicity generated a CIT (Conventional Index of Toxicity) value of 0.26. A ma...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-09-23, Fit for High Performance
...ormance range. If the full performance potential of the servo motor is to be exploited, the interplay between the controller and motor must be considered when the controller is being chosen. For instance, the DC link voltage influences the maximum possible speed and therefore the injection rate at maximum motor torque. Choosing the right motor winding allows the ratio of torque to current to be optimized and thus the dynamics of the injection speed to be improved. The torque may additionally be ...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-10-17, PET in Rotation
...arger throughput rates). For smaller throughput rates, typically the more flexible discontinuous processes are used (Fig. 1). The gentle treatment of the polymer in the multi rotation system (MRS) and the fact that the material processed on this extruder means only relatively short residence times in the SSP result in a low amount of yellowness and excellent transparency. Thanks to its great flexibility, the MRS concept is well suited to the processing of large material streams, as well as small...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-11-18, Let Off Some Air!
... close to the thin connecting ribs (Fig. 1). In addition to the energy-saving mold concept IsoForm [1], Konstruktionsbüro Hein GmbH, Neustadt a. Rbge., Germany, has developed a series of standard elements under the label “HeiNo” – which includes the name of the distributor Nonnenmann GmbH. Once adapted to the materials to be processed as well as to the desired temperature regulation these standard elements render an energy-efficient and process-safe production possible. The product quality that ...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-04-20, No More Incomplete Parts
... regard to the optimum measurement point and the measurement principle. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The author wishes to thank Zhafir Plastics Machinery GmbH, Ebermannsdorf, Arburg GmbH + Co KG, Lossburg, Kistler Instrumente GmbH, Ostfildern, BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Takata-Petri PlasTec GmbH, Bad Kissingen, all in Germany, for supporting the work, and Florian Nehmeier and Vitali Keil [3, 4] for handling parts of the project during their diploma thesis work. Particularly for moldings with close tolerances, it...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-07-23, The Steepness of Acceleration
...chnology modules can increase, or even enable, the process window with certain applications. The company demonstrated the manufacture of medical vials in a four-cavity mold from Zahoransky Formenbau GmbH, Freiburg, Germany. A laminar flow module (by Max Petek, Radolfzell, Germany) attached via the mold and automation area provided the quality of air required for clean room class 7. Four transparent vials were created per shot, made of a cyclic olefin copolymer (COC supplied by Topas Advanced Pol...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-10-15, Automated Precision
...ast were to be found as numerous machine manufacturers have made intensive efforts to achieve a conservative use of the costly resource energy. Wittmann Battenfeld presented some of its peripherals at this year’s Plast 2012 in Milan. These included i.a. the Drymax Aton wheel dryer (Fig. 2). Of particular interest with this model is the combination of a constant dew point with high energy efficiency and low maintenance costs. These benefits are made possible by the use of an innovative wheel drye...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-10-15, Toolmaking in Transformation
...on improving their workflows in order to keep pace with the competition through operational excellence. To master the challenges along the process chain from sales to commissioning, the tool machine lab at RWTH Aachen University, Germany, in its study “Operative Exzellenz im Werkzeug- und Formenbau” (Operational Excellence in Tool and Moldmaking) defined the six fields of action of operational excellence as follows: sales, configuration of value chain activities, standardization, synchronization...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-11-26, Joining of Dissimilar Materials
...more, the combination of different plastics also offers a significant savings potential. Various methods are available for joining dissimilar types of thermoplastics, but only in exceptional cases can a welding process be used [1]. The goal of the studies conducted was to expand the spectrum of materials that can be joined using laser radiation. Various concepts were investigated with which new material combinations and hence new fields of application can be opened up for this joining technology...

Kunststoffe international, 2013-01-28, An Operating Panel with Touch-Sensitive Keys in One Shot
... window opening to remove any overhanging film residues. In addition, a pressure machine tool removes any stubborn adhering residues. The automated process ensures a uniformly high part quality, which includes monitoring of the mold state, i.e. fracture inspection, and thorough suction removal of dust and flakes. The part, having been cleaned, would then be additionally fed to a UV curing system, but such a unit was not included at the trade show booth. The machining cell, which can be easily in...

Kunststoffe international, 2013-01-28, Product Presentation in DIY Stores
...jor advantage of the skin pack. “Skin technology additionally provides very high flexibility. We can, for example, change the combination of the pack’s content within a very short time,” says David. The skin packaging line, including automatic feeding device, thermoformer, follow-up longitudinal and cross cutter as well as discharge conveyor, is of linear configuration and adjusted to Dieda’s sequence of work. The total area of the printed carrier card for the components to be packed is used sev...

Kunststoffe international, 2013-05-16, Electrifying Secondary Movements
...roducibility required by the application on the other. The production of flexible tubes on an Engel e-motion injection molding machine clearly shows the potential (Fig. 5). In a rotating cube mold, the ready-to-fill decorated tubes including two-component closure are made in a single step. The all-electric drive in this application is a major contributor to the high degree of process integration and thus to the profitability of the manufacturing process. Medical Technology is One of the Biggest ...

Kunststoffe international, 2013-05-16, Joining of Large Parts
...er process offers. Demands on Design and Appearance The wish for a geometrically complex and sophisticated design of the rear lights could not be adequately satisfied using the joining methods available to date. The requirement in the standard for a max. 1 mm non-illuminated gap between the two parts was also not easy to achieve. The greater geometric freedom, growing demands on the dimensional stability and a higher quality of the weld seam could only be achieved with laser hybrid welding. The ...

Kunststoffe international, 2013-06-19, Mobility of the Future
...or challenge is still the process of knitting, weaving and laying of the fibers and the associated cycle times. Dr. Arnim Kraatz from Evonik Industries AG, Essen, Germany, presented an application example of this with a study of a CFRP tailgate. For a middle-class station wagon, a component of this kind weights approx. 20 kg. If a weight saving can be achieved, this also has a positive influence on related components such as the gas struts can also be made smaller. The window with a weight of ov...

Kunststoffe international, 2013-06-19, Three Levers for Controlling Product Quality
...r dry blend, quantity of additives, such as internal and external lubricants etc). Engel Austria GmbH, Schwertberg, Austria, partnering Baerlocher GmbH, Unterschleissheim, Germany, and ifw mold tec GmbH, Micheldorf, Austria, set out to thoroughly study these three factors and to evaluate them from the aspects of component quality and plasticizing parameters. The test materials were various formulations of Ca-Zn-stabilized PVC-U grades (Baerlocher) which were processed in a fitting mold (110 mm p...

Kunststoffe international, 2013-07-22, Ready for Use – IML During Thermoforming
...rated products. Many Aspects Favor IML-T Today’s IML-T technique opens up many opportunities: labels can be applied on one side, two sides, three sides (e.g. in the shape of a U), four sides or even five sides (including bottom decoration with integrated barcode, for instance). IML-T makes it possible to combine high-quality visual appearance with functionality. Depending on the requirement, overlapping label surfaces as well as exposed packaging surfaces are possible. Labels made from all commo...

Kunststoffe international, 2013-08-19, Twice as Fast with Nitrogen Cooling
...e hotspots. This means, along with the drastic productivity loss, a significantly higher energy consumption. Commonly is, apart from the dome sections which are concise in this case, the wall thickness the cooling time determiner since this is included square into the calculation of the cooling time (tK): ??? where aeff = effective temperature conductivity (mm/s2). The wall thicknesses of the housing are optimized in terms of the construction. But the question regarding an efficient cooling meth...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-02-20, Blowing Agents: Creating Lightweight Elastic Parts
...res with different temperature profiles. For use in polymer processing, the expandable microspheres are available either as unexpanded powder or master-batch pellets. Polymer Processing Injection molding: Various thermoplastic elastomers, including thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) and thermoplastic ether-ester elastomers (TEEEs) were foamed with expandable microspheres by injection molding (Fig. 4) on a Demag Ergotech injection molding machine supplied by Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Plastics Machiner...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-03-21, Door Panels with Natural Fiber Content: Every Ounce Counts
...ining natural fibers. In recent years there has been great progress in the composition of natural fiber materials and binders. Fiber-reinforced materials can be classified in two categories according to their processing (Fig. 2). One category includes materials from injection molding production. Usually it involves glass fiber reinforced thermoplastics such as fiberglass reinforced polypropylene. The second category are the materials used for the mat pressing process, in which the natural fibers...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-03-21, Thermoplastic Resin Transfer Molding (T-RTM): Tailored to Reactive Polyamide 6
...able at the ideal ratio of 1:1. The resulting FRP part exhibits an excellent stiffness/toughness relationship combined with high heat stability. Further advantages of this in-situ produced thermoplastic composite material include the potential for subsequent reworking, welding and recyclability. BASF’s goal is to supply the processor with a complete solution consisting not only of a pre-tuned reactive system together with the semi-finished textile, but also including support for configuring and ...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-04-14, Aliphatic Polyketones: Tailored, Stable, Environmentally Friendly
...rption. Under standard climatic conditions, PK absorb about 0.5 % moisture and on immersion and saturation in water about 2.2 %. Processing PK are suitable for the established processing methods. Besides injection molding, these include pipe and profile extrusion, blow molding, rotational molding, sintering and fiber manufacture. PK are ready for processing straight from their sales packaging. Predrying is only required if the pellets have been able to absorb water and an effect on the surface c...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-06-17, Innovations in Lightweight Construction
...enz, Switzerland, and Chomarat Textiles Industries in Le Cheylard, France, presented new flame-resistant resin systems that meet the fire resistance regulations in the construction and transport fields. Telene SAS in Bondues, France, BASF SE in Ludwigshafen, Germany, Arkema SA in Colombes, France, and Henkel AG & Co. KgaA in Düsseldorf, Germany, presented new systems based on fast-curing epoxy resins or polyurethanes that permit industrially applicable curing times of less than three minutes. Th...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-07-22, A Question of Adhesion
...rements (Fig. 3). The complex three- dimensional geometry of the tank structures, an elongation at break of the metal coating of over 3 % and a helium leakage rate of less than 3 x 10-10 mbar l/s rule out most coating processes and materials. Studies have shown that the leak-tightness of the system is maintained if a copper layer with a thickness of at least 50 µm is applied by electrochemical deposition processes. With this innovative metallization process almost any geometry of any size can be...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-10-10, Molding Shrinkage is Calculable
...lated. For this, a pilot-series mold is required with which the moldings can be produced under near-production conditions. For the exact design of a mold, the molding shrinkage in all three molding axes – longitudinal, transverse and in molding height – has to be known.Influences on the Molding Shrinkage – from Coefficient of Linear Expansion α …Figures indicated in tables for the coefficient of linear expansion α are always average values. The coefficient of linear expansion can vary, depending...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-10-10, PET Recycling
...re, usually polyolefin solutions are adapted which are not tailored to the special properties of PET. With the raw material polyester, one problem is the great affinity of the molecules for humidity that manifests itself during processing in the extruder in the shortening of molecules (hydrolysis) and that significantly reduces the mechanical properties of the polymer. When bottle flakes are used, the Multi-Rotation System (MRS) of Gneuss Kunststofftechnik GmbH, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany, has prov...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-10-10, Polyurethanes (PU)
...MaterialScience AG, Leverkusen, Germany, increased the annual capacity of the existing MDI plant in Caojing near Shanghai from 350,000 t to 500,000 t this year. Wanhua is also expanding MDI capacities at its Yantai and Ningbo facilities. BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany, plans to start up a new MDI plant with a capacity of 400,000 t/a in Chongqing in 2015. Shanghai Lianheng Isocyanate Co. Ltd. (SLIC), a joint venture between Huntsman and BASF, is also planning to double MDI capacities in Caojing. ...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-10-10, Resins and Reactive Systems
...can handle the increased forces acting upon larger offshore blades. Root rings can be generated in a winding process, even at large dimensions. This is now possible thanks to an epoxy resin with long open times, developed by BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany [12] (Fig. 4).Cure Speed Below the 2-Minute-MarkPolyester and epoxy resin components made in the RTM process have been applied for some decades at small series for racing and utility vehicles. Visible and structural components, components for t...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-12-18, Press Process Integrates Intermediate Production
...asksMaterial Production. First possibilities for LFT and EFT production had to be defined and tested. Polypropylene as matrix and glass fibers as reinforcing component were selected for this. Direct drawing of the glass fibers into a twin-screw extruder or the innovative Nexxus process from Extruder Experts GmbH, Monschau, Germany, is suitable for the LFT production. The Nexxus process was to be modified to permit direct production of the EFT.Material Transport. For energy efficiency, the melted...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-02-28, High-Tech for Mature Markets
The Eureka drying system consists of three elements: the X Max dryer, the OTX drying hopper as well as the Flowmatik airflow management system. It was designed for processing up to 12,000 kg/h of different types of thermoplastics granulates. QuantityModelAirflow3 unitsX Max 9181,800 x 3 = 5,400 m3/h4 unitsX Max 9121,200 x 4 = 4,800 m3/hEureka (manufacturer: Moretto S.p.A., Massanzago, Italy) has an important role in drying PET. This process traditionally involves extremely high energy consumptio...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-02-28, Temporarily Hot
...to alternative concepts, Mr Ortegel explains, ATT stores the water contained in the mold during temperature changes, so that the process can be operated with the minimum possible energy demand.The system includes up to four external valve stations for switching the two circuits from bypass to mold operation with freely selectable timing and freely selectable max. and min. temperatures per mold zone. The process-dependent signals for the switchover times between colder and hotter medium are provi...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-03-17, Heating of Intermediates – How and with What?
...een is dependent in particular on the set heating power (power setting of the radiator), but also on the weight of the whole heater, i. e., radiator and all the other radiating elements of the heater screen, including also the heater screen covers.For a perfect temperature control of a heater screen, each radiator in the screen should ideally be individually controllable and equipped with a thermocouple. This would, however, involve correspondingly high costs. Far less expensive is the practice ...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-04-20, Measuring the Diameter
Today, online measuring devices with controlling function are standard in extrusion lines. The used measuring devices include, amongst others, gauge heads, which measure the inner and outer diameter of the hose and tube during the extrusion process. Described are two product series based on laser technology for continuous online quality control. Operators can choose between classic and high-end orientated technologies. For the measurement of a product diameter there are two established technique...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-04-20, Precursors of Networked Production
...er with partners, the Black Forest machine maker once again demonstrated optimization potentials for the efficient production of plastic parts along the entire added-value chain. The spectrum ranges from single parts to mass production, and also includes examples for networking generative production with injection molding. Michael Hehl, managing director and company speaker, sees the future of Arburg GmbH + Co KG as a systems supplier for networked production in tomorrow’s digital factories – so...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-05-21, A Question of Balance
...try (Title figure) in a demanding 4-cavity mold, distortion problems and surface defects occurred – resulting in a high scrap rate and long cycle times. After building and commissioning the mold, it was discovered that it only achieved max. 75 % of its design performance. In terms of economic viability, the costs for machine, material used, and quality assurance were far beyond an acceptable level.The most likely cause for this problem was assumed to lie in the unbalanced mold. After modificatio...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-07-20, Colorful, Lush and Smooth − All in One
...n though this type of art is based on different forms of design and expression. Generally speaking, urban art comprises the wide range of visual artistic work that exists in public space, with official, as well as non-official, variants of art included [3].Colors as Works of ArtWith its Color Preview 2016, the Grafe-Design-Center of Grafe group in Blankenhain, Germany, went on an exciting journey to explore this official form of art, together with the artist Max Kosta (Title figure). Based on ne...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-10-12, Every Grain Counts
...ith these systems. The exact material feed is achieved by the high-precision metering and weighing systems, irrespective of the batches.But of course gravimetric systems don’t always have to be the solution. The Coperion K-Tron portfolio includes, for example, with the BSP-135 feeder a bulk solids pump feeder. It allows precise and pulsation-free metering of pellets and granules to be achieved. Neither screws nor belt conveyors, etc. are used for the material transport. The conveying principle o...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-10-12, Lightweight Construction Boosts Compression Molding
...and automated mold changing. Rucks Maschinenbau GmbH in Glauchau, Germany, also a specialist in one-off manufacturing of customized presses, meets the challenge of manufacturing thermoforming systems for the most varied applications. This includes the implementation of the shortest possible cycle times, achieving highly reproducible component properties, plus a high energy efficiency. By dividing the heating plate into three segments, it is possible to precisely heat only the surfaces that are r...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-10-12, PUre Efficiency
...ion of the latest machine systems from the Streamline Series with the Variocast technology allows the potential of the HP-RTM production process to be gradually exploited further (Fig. 4). It is thus possible to heat the PU components efficiently to max. 130 °C and to process the individual components with very high mixing ratios with, in some cases, variable control. Here the mixing ratio of the catalyst component can be controlled by a separate additive strand so that an optimum reaction behav...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-10-12, Taking Full Advantage of Secondary Raw Materials
...an excellent alternative to virgin material for plastics processors. Most of all because of the fact that regrind is easy to sort and separate and is thus available as clean-sorted input material for the recycling process. Raw material sources include thick-walled packaging such as HDPE blow-molded bottles from the hygiene and cosmetic sectors and also thermoformed and injection-molded articles made of polypropylene and polystyrene such as closure caps, cups and containers for food packaging. Pl...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-10-12, Vacuum or Pressure Forming?
... forming, the atmospheric pressure at the processing site has a direct effect on the molding pressure. With 101,325 Pa (1013.25 hPa or 1.01325 bar), it is highest at sea level, and (as a rule of thumb) it drops by 0.1 bar every 1,000 m of altitude (Fig. 2). Therefore, for example, the atmospheric pressure at the Illig site in Heilbronn, Germany, at an altitude of 350 m above sea level (asl), is still about 1 bar, but in Ciudad de México (Mexico City), at an altitude of 2,310 m asl, it is only so...

Kunststoffe international, 2016-04-08, Good Fire Protection with Simple Flame Retardants
Bioplastics are comparable to conventional materials, not only in terms of their mechanical properties. By adding simple mineral additives the fire protection of these materials is improved substantially. Different flame retardants were tested for a sandwich board from bio-based polyurethane with linen cover layers, and their performance has been proven. Natural fiber-reinforced polyurethanes (PU) are currently mostly used in the automotive sector. The key applications are compression molded par...

Kunststoffe international, 2016-04-08, Thermoforming and Cooling
...ming begins with the contact between the hot plastics and the mold surface during forming and ends with the start of the demolding process. The part can be demolded as soon as the hottest point (inside the molding wall) is below the maximum continuous operating temperature of the plastic. An important aspect here is the adaptation of the mold temperature in order to prevent any deformation of the molding. The maximum mold temperature is generally limited by the continuous operating temperature o...

Kunststoffe international, 2016-07-20, Reliability Made Easy
... in current projects are investigating, e. g., the structural integrity of hybrid components which fundamentally depends on the cohesiveness at the interfaces between different materials.One possible approach in this context would be to include mechanical clamping between FRP and metal to enable load-path oriented component design. In this novel process, the metal surface is treated by targeted impact and deformation in such a way as to enable direct application of force between reinforcing fibe...

Kunststoffe international, 2016-07-20, The Agony of Filter Choice
When constructing or redeveloping extrusion lines companies face a multitude of questions when deciding up which melt filter to match with the production. Which filter is right for a specific application? Which parameters need to be observed to create an efficient and low-maintenance filter system? At present there are two general solutions for melt filtration available on the market: large surface filters and screen changers. Large surface filters are used if the production process is continuou...

Kunststoffe international, 2016-10-17, Reactive Systems and Fiber-Reinforced Composites
...tant adhesives for FRP and hybrid applications, there are heat-stable resin variants for composite applications on the market that have glass transition temperatures of 200 °C and higher – far beyond the reach of everyday PU [6]. Pultrudable aliphatic polyurethanes with high UV and chemical resistance are now available for the first time [17]. This marks the emergence of a serious competitor for epoxides [18], even if it will likely take epoxy converters some time to become accustomed to the moi...

Kunststoffe international, 2016-11-30, Continuously toward Industry 4.0
... system allowed the potential of Industry 4.0 to stand out particularly strongly. Three times a day at the stand of Windmöller & Hölscher of Lengerich, Germany, one could watch their Turboclean automation module control a complete order change including changes in film width, thickness, and color. "We have made Packaging 4.0 come alive for the visitors by performing a product change in just 12 min," said Dr. Jürgen Vutz, Chairman of the Management Board and refered to the economic benefits. Afte...

Kunststoffe international, 2017-03-27, Layer-for-Layer Precision plus High Performance
...r, as the component’s geometry is highly complex, and rotational speeds in this area are low, due to the distance from the pivotal point (Fig. 3).To meet the high demand on stiffness, the majority of tapes are inserted in the longitudinal direction of the rotational axis. In addition, several tape layers are introduced at angles of ± 45° and 90° to the longitudinal axis. With the help of FEM calculations (Fig. 4), Prime aerostructures GmbH determined the most favorable design considering the dif...