A Canon Communications

A Canon Communications LLC Publication Published Continuously Since 1925
September/October 2009
THE GLOBAL PLASTICS MAGAZINE plasticstoday.com/mpw
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VOL. 86 No. 8
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER
2009
plasticstoday.com/mpw CONTENTS
COLUMNS
12 As I See It
Q&A with CeDo’s David Brookes
How do you balance sustainability with profitability? The technical/
processing manager for this flexible plastics processor reveals his
company’s plan for standing out among its customers.
14 Modern Executive
Hire reps or direct salespeople?
The $64,000 (or much more) question
A smart choice always involves keeping your sellers informed.
ON THE COVER PROCESSING TECHNOLOGIES

38 Make Every 16 Processing Trends
Pellet Count: Injection molding: Fakuma: Tiny town welcoming big machine developments
Save energy this winter Pipe & profile extrusion: Putnam pushes urethane tubing thinner, wider, softer
and thereafter Sheet extrusion: PS-alloy sheet marketed as PVC replacement
Empower your processing by Polyurethane: Cast urethane makes its case
powering down. Fluoroelastomers: Proprietary process keeps fluoroelastomers’ friction down
22 Material Thoughts
The latest materials developments in elastomers, acrylonitrile
copolymer, HDPE, SMC, additives, tin stabilizers, PTFE, PS, and
16
mold releases.
28 Product Watch
New technology and business developments around the world.
WORLD TOUR
42 California thrivin’
Novel mold changing system for rapid tool switches at Pelican Products.
SPOTLIGHT
50 Helix Medical
42
Two hats: Medical device supplier and OEM.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

6 Contact MPW 45 Classifieds
6 Web exclusives 49 Calendar of Events
9 Letter from the editor 49 Advertiser index
10 First Look: News & Analysis
plasticstoday.com/mpw MODERN PLASTICS WORLDWIDE • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009 5

M P W web exclusive
Online now at
plasticstoday.com/mpw
Sr. Group Publisher Account Executive and Classified/
Farouk Systems Inc. brings manufacturing to U.S. Patrick Lundy; +1 973-808-0494
patrick.lundy@cancom.com
Recruitment Advertising Manager
Cheryl Ackerman; +1 516-496-8891
Is the low-cost off- cheryl.ackerman@cancom.com
shore myth dead? EDITORIAL Directory/Buyer’s Guide Manager
That may be wishful 3300 E. 1st Ave., Ste. 370 Iris Topel; +1 718-478-8104
Denver, CO 80206 USA iris.topel@cancom.com
thinking for some, +1 303-321-2322
but others see a +1 303-321-3552 fax Reprints
trickle of work, once Press releases Foster Printing Service
mpweditorial@cancom.com +1 800-879-9144; sales@fosterprinting.com
offshored, now being Director of Circulation
brought back home. Editor-in-Chief Sandra Martin
Matthew Defosse; +49 69-90552-132 sandra.martin@cancom.com
Costs still matter but matt.defosse@cancom.com
other factors play a Managing Editor List Rental
large role, too. For Amie Chitwood; +1 303-399-0109 Statlistics
amie.chitwood@cancom.com Jennifer Felling, postal lists
Farouk Systems, +1 203-778-8700 x138; j.felling@statlistics.com
Senior Editor/U.S. Turk Hassan, e-lists
$500k/month in legal Clare Goldsberry; +1 602-996-6499 +1 203-778-8700 x144; t.hassan@statlistics.com
expenses did the clare.goldsberry@cancom.com Audience Development Director
Leonard Roberto
trick. Senior Editor/U.S.
leonard.roberto@cancom.com
Tony Deligio; +1 303-833-9195
tony.deligio@cancom.com
Senior Editor/Asia INTERNATIONAL SALES OFFICE
Stephen Moore; +65 9687-0420 Germany, Austria, Scandinavia, Benelux,
Eastern Europe, UK
Rapid manufacturing stephen.moore@cancom.com
Canon Communications Deutschland GmbH
powers ahead Assistant Editor/Germany
Yvonne Klöpping; +49 69-90552-140
Goethestrasse 2
60313 Frankfurt, Germany
We’ve written for some years yvonne.klopping@cancom.com +49 69-90552-108
that processors should learn Online Project Manager +49 69-90552-104 fax
Jamie Quanbeck; +1 608-442-4467 Associate Publisher International Sales
as much as they can about jamie.quanbeck@cancom.com Petra Hütte
rapid manufacturing. Be it a Online Editor petra.huette@cancom.com
competitor or a tool to help you John Clark; +1 310-740-9045
Italy, Spain & Portugal
john.clark@cancom.com
gain more work, it definitely will Ferruccio Silvera; +39 02-284-6716
ferruccio@silvera.it
impact processors’ business.
CIRCULATION/SUBSCRIBER SERVICE Japan
Recent gains and news out of PO Box 3568
Northbrook, IL 60065 USA Katsuhiro Ishii; +81 3-5691-3335
the RM world only emphasize amskatsu@dream.com
+1 847-559-7590
this fact. +1 847-291-4816 fax China, Taiwan & Hong Kong
mpw@omeda.com Rudy Teng; +886 2-2799-3110
rudy.teng@hintoninfo.com
MARKETING, ART & PRODUCTION Korea
Automotive rebound: Can suppliers hold out? Marketing Manager Young Media; +82 2-2273-4818, 4819
At least one auto- Patrice Aylward; +1 440-239-4986 ymedia@chol.com
motive analyst firm patrice.aylward@cancom.com India
is projecting a big Art Director Ajit D. Nagpurkar; +91 22-25295725
Marco Aguilera ajitn@vsnl.com
revival in 2011, but marco.aguilera@cancom.com
will the industry be CORPORATE OFFICE
Senior Associate Art Director
ready? That’s the Robin Bernstein Canon Communications LLC
robin.bernstein@cancom.com 11444 W. Olympic Blvd., Ste. 900
$64 million question. Los Angeles, CA 90064-1549 USA
And if there’s light at Publications Production Director +1 310-445-4200
Jeff Tade +1 310-445-4299 fax
the end of the tunnel, jeff.tade@cancom.com
Chairman & CEO
that tunnel is looking Asst. Publications Production Manager Charles McCurdy
mighty long at this Tanya Von Grumbkow charles.mccurdy@cancom.com
tanya.vongrumbkow@cancom.com
point. Can the suppli- Chief Financial Officer
ers hold out? Ad Management Services Daniel Koskovich
Vanessa Marmon daniel.koskovich@cancom.com
vanessa.marmon@cancom.com
Sr. VP, Publications
Ron Wall
U.S. SALES OFFICE ron.wall@cancom.com
Inline transitions from OPS to PET 7261 Engle Rd., Ste. 402
Sr. VP, Events Div.
Inline Plastics will have a new plant operational by the end of the Middleburg Heights, OH 44130 USA
+1 440-239-4594 Kevin O’Keefe
year in McDonough, GA, creating rigid thermoformed packaging +1 440-239-4595 fax kevin.okeefe@cancom.com
from polyethylene terephthalate, as it works to cease processing North American Sales Manager VP, E-Media
of oriented polystyrene products. Deborah Plank; +1 480-699-7196 Jason Brown
deborah.plank@cancom.com jason.brown@cancom.com
Digital Sales Manager/ VP, Operations, Publishing Div.

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6 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009 • MODERN PLASTICS WORLDWIDE plasticstoday.com/mpw

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EDITORIAL
It has taught us some
valuable lessons
If you believe the economists, the
reports are in and the recession is
over. Without a whole lot of new

ft quoted these past months, but
O very true, is that a recession is a
terrible thing to waste. When manage-
job creation, times won’t get better
ment is forced to leave its comfort zone, anytime soon, but maybe this time the
it starts to question everything, so that away at my company is do not take
the downturn has been for many an light at the end of the tunnel isn’t a today’s sales for granted. Keep develop-
extended, painful but insightful, lean ing the next ‘Big Thing.’”
manufacturing exercise. train rushing to mow you down. “Probably the most important take-
If you don’t document what you away at my company is (besides an
learned, you’ll have to learn it again. folded, this leaves the market to a large annual raise) the selection of tasty little
We asked readers of our NewsFeed daily number of smaller suppliers. This also pastries that I so looked forward to every
newsletter to complete the sentence, “This allows us, smaller suppliers of informa- morning (the only thing that beat that
recession is proving a very tough time but tion, to have an open field.” sweet, tasty goodness was the fact that
it’s also taught us some valuable lessons. “Probably the most important take- they were free).”
Probably the most important takeaway away at my company is maintain high “Probably the most important take-
at my company is . . . ” The rest of this employee morale, (then) tough times will away at my company is be prepared and
space is devoted to sharing some of those not seem that tough.” don’t take anything for granted.”
responses from your peers. “There is an old saying about all boats The winning entry, worth a $50 Ama-
rising and falling with the tide. No mat- zon gift certificate, was sent by Rick Lap-
• • • ter how sturdy or well built the boat, one pin, product design and compliance, at
cannot escape the effects of the larger wood/plastics composites extruder Fiber
“Probably the most important take- ocean. As a company dedicated to pro- Composites, HQ’d in New London, NC:
away at my company is to keep your viding polymer solutions to the medical “This recession is proving a very
overhead as low as possible to weather the device industry, we feel fortunate about tough time but it’s also taught us some
economic storm. Today we have no debt our limited diversification. While our valuable lessons. Probably the most
and no borrowing, a strong balance sheet, industry is among the healthiest in the important takeaway at my company is
and will grow the business 18% over the broad market, the recession has impacted not giving up, focusing on improvement,
prior year even in this downturn due to all people and all companies in some capturing the voice of the customer in
staying the course with low or no debt.” way, be it direct pressure or increased this market, and looking forward, not
“Probably the most important take- aversion to risk. Concerns about inven- back, in developing new products and
away at my company is never say die. You tory, receivables, payables, and other processes that create their own worth.”
need to fight for every last client by pro- cash-flow-related issues have increased Look forward, not back, to develop
viding the best possible service experience. even in the healthiest markets.” new processes and products that create
Your sole purpose is to help your client; if “Probably the most important take- their own worth: excellent advice for
you cannot do that, then you are worth- away at my company is to take advan- every operation. Congratulations to Rick,
less because you do not add value.” tage of globalization, but manage your and thanks to all of you who responded.
“Probably the most important take- deadlines.”
away at my company is the importance “Probably the most important take-
of our human resources. Our company away at my company is that the world
will face a very difficult challenge coming has not stopped spinning, therefore we
out of the recession, possibly being too must work twice and three times as hard
lean to be able to effectively pursue new in order to keep the fresh prospects com-
business avenues.” ing to fill orders.” Matt Defosse,
“Since some of the large companies “Probably the most important take- Editor-in-Chief

FIRST LOOK
Daily news and features at plasticstoday.com/mpw
Battle of the bags: LCA says PE

In Brief
Possible packaging deal
trumps bioplastics
A Life Cycle Assessment completed All make use of virgin and PCR-
Amcor (Melbourne, Australia) offered Rio by Germany’s Institute for Energy PE but none as yet market trash
Tinto (London) $2.025 billion to acquire & Environmental Research (Heidel- bags made from bioplastics (more
Alcan Packaging Global Pharmaceuticals, berg) compared trash bags made on CeDo in this issue’s As I See It
Alcan Packaging Food Europe, Alcan Pack- from polyethylene (PE), from article, p. 12). The LCA included
aging Food Asia, and Alcan Packaging PE containing some percent- data from France and Germany,
Global Tobacco. Together these generate age of postconsumer recyclate with the bioplastic bags studied
$4.1 billion in sales, with 14,000 employees (PCR), and from bioplastics, being those that already are com-
spread among 80 plants in 28 countries. and concluded that bags mercially available in these coun-
from PCR-PE beat the tries. Bioplastics used in these bags
Milacron exits Chapter 11 others with regard to are the Ingeo brand from Nature-
Plastics processing machinery and indus- environmental friendli- Works and BASF’s Ecoflex; BASF
trial fluids supplier Milacron (Batavia, OH) ness and sustainability, recommends its material’s use for
has been sold to two financial investment with bioplastics also bags for bio-trash (food scraps,
groups, ending its brief time in Chapter 11 scoring below bags grass clippings, and such) but not
bankruptcy. The company now is privately made from virgin PE. for household refuse.
held by a group led by Avenue Capital Group The LCA was completed early this One of the key findings of the LCA
and DDJ Capital Management LLC. summer but its results were first released was that the production of the plastics is
in August by the German Assn. for Plastics the most relevant link in the entire chain
Recycled vinyl siding Packaging & Films (Bad Homburg), which with regard to environmental sustainabil-
CertainTeed (Valley Forge, PA) introduced counts about 400 of the country’s packag- ity; the differences were insignificant in the
a range of vinyl siding with 60% recycled ing processors in its ranks. The LCA was processing and transport of the bags to
material—the highest recycled content of any commissioned by five association member customers. The PCR-PE bags scored best
vinyl siding product currently on the market, companies, all involved in extrusion and under the assumption these were of a suf-
according to the company. Ultimately, Cer- conversion of plastic trash bags, and was ficient thickness and strength comparable
tainTeed plans to work with its customers to done in the knowledge that legislation to bags from virgin PE.
develop a Cradle-to-Cradle program. penalizing trash bags made from traditional The study also concluded that the eco-
plastics, and favoring bioplastics, is on the performance of bags from bioplastics is
Get the global angle on industry table in Germany and in other countries. bound to improve as their supply increases
developments via daily updates at The five companies are CeDo, Cof- and as the body of knowledge of process-
plasticstoday.com/mpw: resco, Fipp, pely-plastic, and Quickpack. ing of these materials improves.
all these stories, the magazine,
blogs, forums, and much more.
plasticstoday.com/mpw
What you had to say Polling news
Do you think healthcare

“We need a plastic part to withstand reform, including a so-called
public option, would help
lamination at 160°C. Any suggestion lower the cost of insuring
your employees?
regarding choice of material?” 100% Yes
No
We need reform, but not in
75% the way of changes currently
being discussed.
We don’t offer full-time
50%
employees health insurance.
38%
33%
25% 27%
Source: From a reader question posed on our materials forum at
plasticstoday.com/mpw. Join the debate: Got an answer, then share it;
2%
have a question for your peers, then post it. 0%

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FIRST LOOK
Processors’ choice Names in the news
MPW’s January issue will include a feature looking at Tom Duffey, president of Plastic Compo-
maintenance as a hidden profit center. Would you like to nents Inc. (PCI), a Germantown, WI-
learn more about maintenance of: based custom injection molder, has been
elected for a three-year term to the
a. Primary processing equipment? board of directors of the Wisconsin
b. Auxiliary equipment?
Manufacturing Extension Partnership
c. Molds and tooling?
d. The costs of maintenance plans? (WMEP). He also is on the board of
directors for the Manufacturer’s Assn.
You can even write in your own topic. for Plastics Processors Inc. (MAPP).
Vote now at plasticstoday.com/mpw/survey. New president and CEO at Milacron
is Dennis Smith. Dave Lawrence, who had
been CEO, now serves as president of the
injection molding and extrusion machin-
Pricing summary: Steep declines don’t draw
ery and D-M-E businesses globally.
Brought to you by The Plastics Exchange and Poymerupdate.com
Pipe and profile auxiliary equipment
manufacturer Custom Downstream Sys-
Hope you enjoyed the recession while it demand again until sometime next year, and tems Inc. (CDS; Lachine, QC) announced
lasted. The summer ended in the northern overcapacity could keep prices low. that Todd Messick has been appointed
hemisphere with plastics prices steady, ris- In Asia, meanwhile, resin prices were flat its senior sales account manager–U.S.
ing very slightly, and even falling for some or dropping as this magazine went to print, Messick, based in Bartlett, IL, brings
resins, but the recovering economic outlook according to the pricing experts at Polymer- more than 15 years of experience in
likely bodes for higher prices. update.com, impacted by weakening demand. the extrusion machinery business to his
We jest about enjoying the recession, of In the Chinese polypropylene market, produc- new role.
course; demand is the biggest problem pro- ers accepted the reality and lowered prices,
cessors have faced the past 12-18 months, not with materials like polystyrene under simi-
plastics’ prices. Hopefully, consumer demand lar pressure. PVC prices trended upwards, [ On the record ]
will gather speed soon so that processors can though, with demand for Asian PVC good in
return to grousing about resin prices. export markets, including Turkey, where buy- “That will stimulate the economy.
Polyethylene producers in North Amer- ers scouted for Asian PVC cargoes. Charity starts at home.” Farouk
ica proposed carrying forward an August Polymerupdate.com also reported that, Shami, the hair stylist whose company,
increase of $0.04/lb to last month, with an as summer holidays ended in Europe, the Farouk Systems Inc., is a $1 billion firm
additional $0.05/lb hike slated for this month, need to replenish inventories was boosting specializing in hair care products, on his
according to spot-trading platform The Plas- resin demand. Ahead of that return, most decision to stop outsourcing overseas
tics Exchange (TPE) and its reporting partner prices climbed in Europe last month, with and bring molding and moldmaking to
The PetroChem Wire. Polypropylene was on rising ethylene prices also having an impact, Texas.
the move upwards, though a recent report and helping to lift polyethylene, polystyrene,
from Townsend Solutions (Houston, TX) polyvinyl chloride, and acrylonitrile butadiene “Survive and thrive; I think I’d settle
predicts global PP demand won’t hit 2007 styrene. for survive, leave thrive for another
day.” Simon Holmes, global marketing
plasticstoday.com/mpw manager, ExxonMobil Chemical, half
joking about the travails in the petro-
Here are some of the stories you might have missed chemical and related industries. Holmes
at plasticstoday.com/mpw: believes that in retrospect June 2009
will be viewed as the nadir.
• Plagued by copycats, Farouk Systems Inc. brings work to U.S.
• Viking Polymers acquires Hughes Processing “Projects are heating up again, but
• TPEs in Europe: Demand set to rise
• Cleanroom molding grows at Infinity there was a period of time where
• Water footprint analysis: Another sustainability measure enters the fray everyone was a little freaked out.”
Andrew Wheeler, VP of Windmöller &
Find these and many more, daily, at plasticstoday.com/mpw. Hölscher in North America, commenting
Start your day right; check back often.
on the marketplace.

AS I SEE IT
Sustainable, profitable, and
comfortable with retailers’ demands
By Matt Defosse Legion are the processors trying to earn a profit while also balancing their
sustainability goals. MPW spoke with David Brookes, technical/processing
manager at flexible plastics processor CeDo, about his company’s sustainabil-
ity efforts, the challenges these create, and the rewards they have reaped.
MPW: When did CeDo really start using 10 years, there has been lots of pricing recycling rigid plastics. About 12 months
more recyclate in its recipes? pressure from [imported flexible plastic ago at the Geleen plant we invested €3 mil-
Brookes: We’d traditionally used small products] from the Far East. The Asian lion-€4 million in a fourth line. It’s one of
amounts of it, but only for a limited imports were doing a lot of damage and the few plants in the world able to handle
number of products. Then in 2007 we reducing the market value; those imports this quantity of recyclate. It’s the only plant
started to develop the EcoMin concept. were being sold at unsustainable prices. in Europe with EN 15143—traceability of
At the moment we’ve extended trials feedstocks—approval. We earned that in
MPW: EcoMin? running recyclate from the building and 2008; it’s a relatively new norm.
Brookes: Yes, to maximize the amount construction industry; we’re also doing But again, our customers really appre-
of postconsumer recyclate and chalk [cal- work with PCR bottles. If these trials ciate that. We’re able to come in with the
cium carbonate] we could include in our work, they could help us replace even appropriate pricing the market expects,
products. We thought it would really set that 10% of virgin material. but with this added value. Apart from
us apart; we saw an advantage in the doing the right thing, we’re able to offer
market that we could take. Plus, it helped MPW: What sort of output do you have our customers something unique and
us meet our cost reduction requirements. in the Geleen, Netherlands plant? gain an added-value position. The whole
The EcoMin recipes now are about Brookes: We process in the order of thing is a bit holistic.
60% PCR [postconsumer recyclate], 35,000 tonnes of material there each
about 30% chalk—really 26%-27% net year, producing about 24,000 tonnes MPW: What about your plant in China?
as it’s a masterbatch—and then about of PE pellets. Most of that [recyclate] Brookes: We have a 25,000-tonne/year
10% virgin material. is sourced from ag film. Our customers processing facility in China, near Shang-
really like that as it’s closing the loop, hai, for applications that cannot be fully
MPW: Where do you source the PCR? since so many of our customers’ prod- automated, such as zippered bags.
Brookes: In 2002 we bought the recy- ucts come from these very same farms.
cling factory in Holland. Prior to that, Also, there’s a waste stream in Geleen, MPW: Is CeDo interested yet in process-
we’d been buying on the open market. about 8 tonnes of material. A lot of that ing of bioplastics?
But buying the recycling plant was key; is water, which we use to help run the Brookes: We’ve been following devel-
under our own control, we can control plant; it’s almost water positive, funny opments there for about 10 years. It’s an
the quality and the pricing. Over the last enough. Other waste is cleaned by us and interesting market. For film, there aren’t
sold—for instance, as filler in concrete. many materials that are suitable. PLA,
for example, is sort of stiff.
MPW: Recycling agricultural film must In the UK, there also were problems
require a lot of washing. initially with bioplastics as retailers were
Brookes: Actually, most of it is very clean, concerned about GMO [genetically modi-
as it’s wrapped six to eight times. But yes, fied] corn. So far, there’s very little penetra-
recycling plastic film is more difficult than tion [of bioplastics]. Plus, consumers don’t
David Brookes inspects a line at CeDo, one of Europe’s largest processors of

flexible consumer plastic products such as freezer and trash bags and cling foil.
The company runs processing facilities in England, Poland, and China for brand-
name products as well as its own Paclan and Poly-Lina brands, and also runs a
large plastics recycling facility in the Netherlands.

Executive Q&A with David Brookes
yet understand many of the terms . . . it comes down to whether

local authorities are willing to pay for these [bioplastics].
What we’ve done is give ourselves the most sustainable prod-
uct we can. Across the group, CeDo’s business is about 110,000
tonnes/year of polyethylene products, of which about 20,000
tonnes is chalk-filled and about 50,000 is PCR. We try our best
to mitigate any affects on the environment of our products.
MPW: Do CeDo’s sustainability efforts motivate its workforce?

Brookes: That’s difficult to say. The workforce knows and
is aware that—for instance, carrier bags have gotten a lot of
bad press.
MPW: Going forward, what’s on the planning board?

Brookes: One thing we’re doing, and it takes a lot of time and
effort, is working with, for example, Rapra [Smithers Rapra,
a leading plastic consultancy] to help understand and develop
plastics initiatives. Also, through this year we’re a participant
in the Plastics 2020 initiative to help improve plastics’ reputa-
tion in the UK. We try to do the right things, and it makes it
easier for everyone managing the accounts.
MPW: What problems are posed when using so much recyclate

and chalk?
Brookes: Using different levels of recyclate does cause some
problems. We produce different grades of recyclate and then
we form a cocktail of these to mitigate this.
The only drawback to running chalk is its density and
managing this in the plastic. We’ve done that by ensuring the
blender is right above the extruder’s hopper, or at least to keep
the distance between the two as short as possible.
There are more positives than negatives in processing chalk-
filled compounds. Because we don’t need to melt the chalk—we
only really need to melt the 70%-73% of the compound that is
plastic—we see energy savings of 5%-10%. We’ve 43 extruders
in Telford, mostly co-ex lines, and spend about £1 million on
electricity there alone each year, so the savings are a big deal.
MPW: Any new technology caught your eye?

Brookes: We’ve invested in some water chillers. We’ve also
bought some power refinement equipment; it helps optimize
the electrical supply voltage, improves the power quality. We’re
also looking at the next generation of gearbox-less extruders;
that’s a big one.
We’ve recently invested in some container de-stuffing equip-
ment; it makes it easier for an operator to stack pallets. We also
just invested in a device for auto-wrapping of pallets; this has
been a big one for quality and streamlining things.
MPW: And the business?

Brookes: We’re still growing, not seeing any retraction in
volume. We’ve won new business by matching on price; sup-
plying effectively, locally; and offering these added values—low
carbon footprint, PCR use, and more. It helps you win over
the retailers.
MPW

MODERN EXECUTIVE
Hire reps or direct salespeople?
The $64,000 (or much more) question
By Clare Goldsberry To hire direct salespeople or not to hire direct salespeople, and instead to
place your hopes in independent sales representatives? Eventually most small
to midsized processors and moldmakers face this question. There are pros and
cons to each approach.
im Holland didn’t like sales. “Getting

T myself out of sales was the best thing
I ever did,” said the president of Metro
Mold & Design Inc. during a panel dis-
cussion at the American Mold Builders
Assn.’s annual meeting this year. “I’m
not good in front of the customer, and
tend to back down. But the sales guy
doesn’t because his paycheck depends
on it.”
Today, Holland’s company, located
in Rogers, MN, has a VP of sales and
five salespeople who sell for Metro’s
mold manufacturing and contract
injection molding businesses. It’s a
fairly deep sales team, but Holland
believes that salespeople are key. The
firm’s molding unit has 43 presses rang-
ing from 35-650 tons.
Holland says that he tried using man-
ufacturers’ reps, but was disappointed.
“I think we just weren’t set up to manage
reps,” he opines.
At Industrial Molds Group (Rockford,
IL), Tim Peterson, VP, has struggled with
the direct vs. sales rep conundrum. On $120k worth of reasons for a rep most small to midsized companies,
his staff is one employee focused exclu- Companies use independent sales reps many have given up on reps, preferring
sively on sales, supported by the compa- primarily to expand their national or to go direct in spite of the higher costs.
ny’s engineering staff. Recently, Peterson international coverage quickly, and of Commercial Tool & Die Inc. (Comstock
tapped a sales rep to cover Michigan and course to limit pay to results, notes Pat Park, MI) employs direct salespeople
so far likes that arrangement. Bartley, president of OuterSales LLC, “because the company hasn’t had any
One obvious but common mistake is a Los Angeles-based consulting firm luck with reps,” says Todd Finley, VP.
to hire a rep, give him some brochures, that helps companies connect with sales “[Reps] don’t know the company
and turn him loose. “It takes a lot of reps. “The average cost for one direct culture because they’re never inside,” he
work on our part to manage the rep,” employee [including expenses, benefits, adds. “We have one full-time salesper-
Peterson says. “I go to Michigan on a salary, bonus, and inside support] is son for prospecting. Engineering people
regular basis and work with the rep, $120,000 per year,” she says. “The work with current customers to get more
make sales calls with him to companies average company needs 24 reps for work from them, so we have an incentive
that he’s tapped into, and generally keep nationwide coverage.” program set up for them. It’s motivated
up with the activity there.” While that number is excessive for them to do a good job with current cus-

MODERN EXECUTIVE
Some eat well, some just eat, and some starve but have hope
This processor has plenty of good experience with his independent reps.
If you want to understand how to work found good reps through that agency. a small number of highly successful
with reps, just ask Floyd Coats, presi- While admitting it can be difficult to salespeople who understand that cycle
dent of American Plastic Molding Corp. find good sales reps, he has had more and it works well for us and them.”
(Scottsburg, IN). This custom molder success with them than with direct In addition, American Plastic
has 36 presses, mold design and build salespeople. Of his current reps, Coats Molding has an engineering depart-
capabilities, and a variety of second- says the company has “three who are ment and product development group
ary operations including hot stamping, eating very well, four more who are eat- that is “quite sales oriented” and works
ultrasonic and vibration welding, and ing, and another 20 who are starving to with reps on potential customers. “If
pad printing. Selling his company’s death but have hope.” the sales rep generates a serious
capacity are 27 reps working in vari- Coats seeks representatives who lead, then we do serious followup with
ous territories. So, just how has Coats understand there may be a long time our engineering and product develop-
managed to find so many reps? between an initial sales call and a com- ment group,” Coats says. “Our sales
“I’ve used rep headhunters, a mission check. “This is due to the length reps are reinforced very strongly with
magazine from MANA [Manufacturers’ of time in product development and a mobile engineering department that
Agents National Assn.], lots of word mold design and construction, and is can go out and support them.”
of mouth, and trade show recruiting,” dependent upon marketplace activity,” Experience is often a rep’s best tool.
says Coats. “I also use references he says. “The salesperson who’s been “They know who buys from corporate
from established customers. I ask selling life insurance is accustomed headquarters in Timbuktu or who buys
them what sales reps call on them that to receiving commissions within days locally,” says Coats. “And who’s a price
supply them with other goods, which after his sales activity. Salesmen who buyer and who’s a quality buyer. A
they’ve come to rely upon because of sell cars also get paid quickly. But the salesperson who knows his territory
their tenacity and integrity. We use all industrial manufacturing side is unique. really well, and who sells three to five
of those avenues and have acquired A sales rep who can wait through the complementary lines and has been
good reps in each category.” development cycle to get his commis- doing it for 20 years, has a high prob-
Coats has used Proact 2000 and sion understands this process. I have ability of success.”
tomers and develop relationships.” In spite of all that preliminary work, Bunner. “If the reps don’t sell, you need
The perception among many small/ the relationship will fail without guid- to replace them quickly.”
midsized processors is that reps just ance and training. “The number one He adds that a key to success is
can’t do the job as effectively as a direct key to having a successful sales rep is to ensure the reps you hire also sell
salesperson can. OuterSales’ Bartley training. You’ve got to train them, bring complementary products. “This cuts
understands, but adds, “The number them in your plant, teach them about down on the frustration of explaining
one reason why companies fail using your business, make sales calls with the details of your products or services.
sales reps is because they do not select them,” Bunner emphasizes. He also says If they’re not selling a complementary
those representatives that have the cus- that manufacturers need to visit with the product, they won’t be calling on the
tomer base, product knowledge, or sales reps personally in their territory at least people you need and their efficiency goes
experience.” four times a year, and bring them into way down.” MPW
As a consultant working to connect the plant at least

the right reps with the right companies, once or twice a year
Hency Bunner, president of Proact 2000 to update them on
Start Here
LLC (Louisville, KY), also has heard all products, services,
of the reasons why reps don’t work. Like and potential cus-
OuterSales, his company also handles tomers.
the preliminary work of identifying reps Additionally,
of complementary product lines for a set goals and make
manufacturer seeking a rep, contacting,
screening, and interviewing them per the
manufacturers’ instructions, and then
expectations clear.
“You should get
80% of your busi-
plasticstoday.com
recommending those reps qualified to ness with 20% of
sell for the firm. your reps,” says

PROCESSING
TECHNOLOGY PROCESSING TRENDS
PROCESSING TRENDS: p. 16 INJECTION MOLDING
• Putnam pushes urethane tubing
thinner, wider, and softer
• Cast urethane makes its case;
Tiny town welcoming big
and more. machine developments
By Matt Defosse With NPE only recently ended, you
might not expect much new equip-
ment or processing technology to be

aybe the manufacturers needed
M those few post-NPE months to get
these processing cells tuned, or maybe
revealed at Fakuma, the big injection
MATERIAL THOUGHTS: p. 22 it’s simply a cost-saving move: Many of molding show in Germany’s small
the leading machine OEMs are within
• TPE overmolds onto copper a few hours’ drive of Friedrichshafen, town of Friedrichshafen. You’d err.
without degradation which hosts Fakuma from Oct. 13-17.
• Elastomer combines ultrasoft Plus, the European molding machine electric e-motion 310/100 T press for clean-
touch with robust physical properties market is about three to four times the room molding and an Engel victory 160
• Improved Barex makes for size of that of North America. Regardless ecodrive. The former will process PP pipette
of the reasoning, the show once again tips on 6-second cycles; this will include
crystal-clear cosmetics packaging
will be a feast for injection molders. injection plus camera-monitored QC and
• Two HDPE rotomolding grades
The evidence? Exhibit A comes from their placement on racks sorted by cavity.
launched
Arburg (Lossburg, Germany), which The latter machine replaces the 150-tonne
• Nanoparticle additive enters early this year rolled out its new take on size and, reports Engel, offers more space
commercial market hybrid machines with its Hidrive range and flexibility. Engel says the victory 160
• Nanotechnology lightens, (search for “new take on hybrids” at is the first fully hydraulic injection molding
strengthens SMC trunk; and more. plasticstoday.com/mpw). The Hidrive- machine with the company’s servo-hydrau-
equipped press running at Fakuma, an lic ecodrive. Also new at Engel will be the
Allrounder 520 H with a clamping force first of its viper robots’ range.
of 1500 kN and a size 800 injection unit, KraussMaffei (Munich, Germany) will
will run a 32-cavity mold with a full hot be hyping its thin-walled packaging strength
on an all-electric molding machine, an EX
160-1000 fitted with the company’s Ultra
injection unit, processing inmold-labeled PP
(IML-PP) food containers in a two-cavity
PRODUCT WATCH: p. 28 mold. An SR80 side-entry robot inserts the
label bands in the mold, removes the fin-
• Reifenhäuser’s acquisition of ished containers from the non-operator
Kiefel Extrusion changes landscape side, and stacks them on a conveyor belt.
• Turkish pipe, profile processor At the stand of Wittmann Battenfeld
adds a dozen to its machine park (Vienna and Kottingbrun, Austria), visitors
• New concept touted for 4K parts Herbert Kraibühler, Arburg’s technical will be able to catch a first glimpse of the
director, is plenty pleased with the
• Recycler trades up to stay on the company’s new Hidrive line.
company’s new entry into the all-electric
cutting edge machine competition, dubbed the EcoPow-
• MOD carts away second er Series. Battenfeld had many years of
runner system, processing polypropylene all-electric manufacturing experience but
Leonardo; and more.
(PP) syringe barrels in 6-second cycles. halted production of these; in early 2008
Of the manufacturer’s nine presses at the auxiliary and robot equipment manufac-
show, five will belong to the Allrounder All- turer Wittmann acquired the company.
drive (fully electric) or the Hidrive ranges. Netstal (Näfels, Switzerland) will bring
Meanwhile, Engel plans to make a three presses to the event, including a thin-
splash with multiple new developments, walled IML-PP packaging application on
among them two new models: a fully an Evos 3500-2000. Netstal introduced its

Battenfeld Extrusion
Global: 5 production sites on three continents
and a worldwide sales network
– Everywhere close by.
Competent: Extruders and complete, modular
extrusion lines, perfectly matching components
– Everything from a single source.
Solution driven: Flexible, customized solutions
for pipe, profile, film and sheet extrusion
– Our know-how for your success.
ideas
Battenfeld Extrusion
Battenfeld Extrusion Kempen GmbH American Maplan B+C Extrusion Systems (Foshan) Ltd. Kabra Extrusiontechnik Ltd.
Extrusionstechnik GmbH Corporation 2 Jinxiang Road, Daliang, Shunde,
Königstraße 53 Hooghe Weg 4 823 S. By-Pass, P.O. Box 832 Foshan, Guangdong, PRC “Kolsite House”, Veera Desai Road,
D-32547 Bad Oeynhausen D-47906 Kempen USA - McPherson, KS 67460 P.C.: 528300 Andheri (West), Mumbai - 53, India
Phone +49 (0) 5731 242-0 Phone +49 (0) 2152 1495-0 Phone +1 620 241 6843 Phone +86 757 2238 0112 Phone +91 22 2673 4822 25/6695 2681
Fax +49 (0) 5731 27124 Fax +49 (0) 2152 1495-50 Fax +1 620 241 2142 Fax +86 757 2238 0195 Fax +91 22 2673 5041/6695 2680
welcome@bex.battenfeld.com welcome@extrusion-kempen.com welcome@maplan.com welcome@bcc-extrusion.com sales@kolsitegroup.com
www.bex.battenfeld.com www.bex.battenfeld.com www.maplan.com www.bcc-extrusion.com www.kolsitegroup.com
PROCESSING
Evos concept at K 2007 but has tinkered PIPE AND PROFILE EXTRUSION
with it since; the Evos now is available with
clamping forces from 3000-5500 kN. Putnam pushes urethane tubing
Based on a hybrid drive technol-
ogy, all axes on the Evos machines are
thinner, wider, and softer
individually and digitally closed loop By Tony Deligio
controlled; this includes even secondary
movements such as nozzle contact press- Minimally invasive devices continue to
ing. According to Netstal, all of this con- test the limits of medical polymer tubing,
trol makes for better process control and and Putnam Plastics Co. (Dayville, CT)
more precise and repeatable molding. says it has responded with a technology
Driving in from Malterdingen, Germa- to create thin-walled, large-diameter,
ny is the team from Ferromatik Milacron, low-durometer urethane extrusions.
who promise to be running one of the The minimally invasive movement in
company’s new Vitesse 300 presses, called surgery is forcing device engineers to fit
“the fastest injection molding machines a greater amount of technology through
available” by the company’s Robert Trube, a smaller working channel. Byron Flagg,
director sales and marketing. What more product manager extrusion and finish-
can one say? Well, the machines, first ing at Putnam, says while the opera-
shown at an open house earlier this year tional requirements of the tubing are a
and reported in a May NewsFeed newslet- natural fit for thermoplastic urethane,
ter (search for “Ferromatik in fast lane with the material poses some extrusion chal-
Vitesse” at plasticstoday.com/mpw), are lenges. Flagg notes that as diameters
equipped with an electric screw drive for increase and wall thickness and durom-
parallel functions, which Ferromatik says eter decrease, the extrusion process can Tooling and downstream handling
is the driving force behind those short cycle become unstable. That instability can advances have allowed Putnam Plastics
to create TPU-based tubing that has
result in a wider tolerance range and thinner walls, larger diameters, and a
lower yield rates, leading device devel- lower durometer.
opers to compromise their designs. In
addition to challenges during manufac- had previously been 0.015 inch (0.38
ture, in post-fabrication such extrusions mm), it can now be reduced to 0.003
can be difficult to handle without con- inch (0.08 mm). Likewise, if the outer-
tamination or damage. dimension (OD) tolerance had previously
While he can’t offer specific details been ±0.010 inch (0.25 mm), it can now
on the proprietary process Putnam has be trimmed to ±0.002 inch (0.05 mm).
employed to overcome these challenges, The company says that while the
Flagg did tell MPW that the trade secrets new capability is applicable across a
involved begin with the custom extrusion range of custom extrusion designs, the
Netstal’s Evos machine promises to
pump out plenty of IML-PP containers. tooling and continue with downstream greatest impact can be seen in tubes
equipment and processes that “enhance with ODs greater than 0.500 inch and
and preserve the dimensional integrity of wall thicknesses of less than 0.015 inch,
times. Stability is provided via a reinforced the extrusions.” Flagg says the process is with urethane durometers lower than
machine base with linear guides. compatible with standard medical-grade 90 Shore A.
We’ll report later with more detail on thermoplastic resins such as Lubrizol’s Earlier this year, MPW highlighted
these as well as other innovations from TecoFlex or Dow’s Pellethane, and that a Putnam technology dubbed Total
Fakuma. The show, like most, has suffered it utilizes a single-screw extruder. Intermittent Extrusion (TIE; search for
somewhat in the current economic climate. The company says greater process sta- “The complexity of medical tubing” at
From the exhibitor list in mid-September, it bility results in a larger design envelope, plasticstoday.com/mpw). The company
appeared only one Italian molding machine while improved material handling reduc- says this proprietary technology differs
maker, BMB, would exhibit, and Husky es costs by increasing yields and product from this latest advance, and instead
and Haitian (and its Zhafir subsidiary in quality. Putnam offers the example of an allows tubing to be extruded with vari-
Germany) are no-shows. But with more 80 Shore A durometer urethane extru- able durometers along the length. When
than 1000 exhibitors, including many of sion with a diameter greater than 0.5 they spoke with MPW, Putman officials
Europe’s best moldmakers, MPW’s staff inch (12.7 mm). The company says that did say they were currently working on
there won’t lack for things to see. if the minimum, feasible wall thickness a next-generation TIE technology.

PROCESSING
TECHNOLOGY
SHEET EXTRUSION
PS-alloy sheet marketed as
PVC replacement
Sheet extruder Goex Corp. (Janesville, WI) says it has devel-
oped polystyrene-based alloys that are designed to serve
as cost-effective, performance-driven
alternatives to polyvinyl chloride. Like
high-impact polystyrene, the alloys are
less dense than PVC, but they also
offer performance advantages that HIPS
often lacks. GEARBOXES FOR
SINGLE-SCREW EXTRUDERS
Sheet made of the alloys is marketed
under the company’s Styrex brand and
is available in different grades, includ-
ing 490 Clear and 690 White general-
Bob Waddell, VP of
purpose sheet designed for graphic arts sales and marketing
and thermoform applications. The Sty- for Goex.
rex 690 grade is marketed for surface-
printed plastic sheet applications. For plastic cards, cards
that require embossing, or other demanding applications, the GEARBOXES FOR
Styrex 720 (white) grade is available. COROTATING AND
Bob Waddell, VP of sales and marketing for Goex, was COUNTER-ROTATING
quite open about the processor’s marketing angle. “Although TWIN SCREW EXTRUDERS
we believe that much of the negativity about PVC is exagger-
ated, the bottom line is that customer perception is what we
GEARBOXES FOR
ELECTRIC INJECTION
MOULDING MACHINES
Goex says its new PS-based sheet beats HIPS for toughness
and is easier to cut.
accept as market reality,” he said. “We’re not in business to

determine the merits of PVC, or any other resin for that mat-
ter. Our goal is simply to offer our customers that want a PVC
alternative another aisle to shop.” PVC is in fact among the Sede Centrale / Head Of fice & Factor y
materials that Goex processes.
via Manzoni, 46 - 20020 MAGNAGO (MI) - I TA LY
High-impact polystyrene (HIPS) and other styrenics offer
Te l . +39 0331 307616 - Fax: +39 0331 309577
density savings vs. PVC and thus more yield per pound (or
e-mail: info@zambello.it - http://www.zambello.it
kg), but HIPS’s mechanical performance is not on par with
PVC’s. According to Goex, sheet extruded from the new alloys U.S.A Office: 55 Haul Road Wayne,New Jersey 0740
changes the performance comparison, because it offers better Phone: +-1-973-696-4330 or Toll Free: 1866-696-4330
Fax: +1-973-694-0551
toughness and is easier to cut than standard HIPS, while also E-mail : extruder1@usa.net or sales@atstc.com
maintaining PS’s yield benefit. MD

PROCESSING
POLYURETHANE
Cast urethane makes its case
Low-cost tooling and extreme wear
and abrasion resistance are some
of the benefits cast urethanes can
offer—properties that could serve a
wide variety of end markets—but that
doesn’t mean they do.
“I went to engineering school; I’ve got
seven other engineers here; and not one
of us had a class in urethanes when we
were going to school,” explains Mike
Katz, president of custom urethane and
rubber processor Molded Dimensions
(Port Washington, WI). “We all learned
about metal and fractured metal prob-
lems, and the younger people learned
about plastic, but nobody learned about
a single thermoset, and that would be
similar with all our customers.”
That general ignorance concerning the
material and process, generally known as
Buying the business in 2001, Mike Katz and his wife now run cast urethane and
hot cast pouring or performance poly- rubber parts supplier Molded Dimensions. Initially founded in 1951, the company
urethane, means that for Katz and other branched into thermosets, and specifically urethanes, in 1973.
cast-urethane companies, the first step
is to educate people about the benefits could go under the hood of a car,” sizable contraction, but not the freefall
of the technology, which sees use in a Katz explains. “We’re not there yet, but experienced in other segments. “It makes
wide range of end markets. “We like certainly there have been advances to sense that polyurethane might go down
to say [markets range] from marine to increase the ability of urethane to go in less than others,” Katz says, explain-
medical and everything in between,” warmer applications than it used to be.” ing that many of the parts the industry
Katz explains. Mining represents a larger In a fan belt or tires, urethane would dra- makes are wear items that will, eventual-
market, thanks to the material’s afore- matically increase service life compared ly, break down. “So [business continues]
mentioned wear and abrasion resistance, to the rubber applied today. In addition even if you’re not building new machines
as well as its load-bearing capabilities. to higher-heat grades, Katz says there or new systems—our customers aren’t
Parts themselves can vary from 6-ft- have been applications that satisfy Food building new pitching machines, as an
diameter sealing surface rings to rollers & Drug Administration (FDA) regula- example, but the rollers that are on that
on roller coasters or pitching machines, tions, opening new markets, particularly pitching machine are still going to wear
to the small gasket in airplane seats that as a replacement for stainless steel. out over time.” The end result is cast ure-
engages when you depress the armrest On the machinery side, Katz says thane residing in a more narrow peak-to-
button to recline. today’s metering and mixing equipment trough band. “It may be that our peaks
Cast urethane often replaces met- represents a vast improvement over past are not as high as others’,” Katz says,
als, with its slight give providing it an technology. Specifically, the systems “but our valleys probably aren’t as low
advantage over steel, which, in a wear offer greater precision, with mass flow as others’, either.”
situation, will continually shed small technology replacing gear pumps. “That, Cast urethane’s steady strength also
amounts of material. There are barri- in the end, is getting more consistent, lies in its ability to replace other materi-
ers to urethanes claiming new turf, but higher-quality product for the custom- als. From a design standpoint, Katz says
material advances are starting to address er,” Katz says. that for low- to medium-volume products
these. Chief among the obstacles to it’s a good alternative for thermoplastics,
greater urethane usage, particularly in Steady prospects especially when tooling costs are consid-
automotive, is its lack of high tempera- During the current downturn, Katz says ered. Unlike plastics, Katz notes that with
ture performance. the drop in Molded Dimension’s busi- urethane it’s not as important to maintain
“The holy grail in urethane is to get ness mirrors the cast urethane industry as constant wall thickness, giving designers
it to last at high temperatures so you a whole, with orders off around 20%—a more freedom in a part’s shape. TD

PROCESSING
FLUOROELASTOMERS ent. The most dramatic improvement is rial also is likely in nasal and lipo-
Proprietary seen with low-hardness, polymer-rich elas-
tomers such as a 55 Shore A compound,
suction canula (tubes inserted into the
body). Typically for these applications
process keeps reports MR&P. In answer to questions and other applications requiring a low-
friction surface, fluoroelastomers would
fluoroelastomers’ from MPW, the processor replied that the
F-Treatment (F for fluoroelastomer) pro- be coated with molybdenum disulfide,
friction down, cess is not patented but is proprietary and graphite, silicone oil, or PTFE powder.
“would be very difficult to duplicate.” Some are not medically acceptable, oth-
forever The processor says application of ers wash off, and none lends itself to
parts processed from the treated mate- repeated autoclaving. MD
A process developed by plastics
processor Minnesota Rubber & Plas-
tics (Minneapolis, MN) should help
expand the use of fluoroelastomers
in applications such as endoscopic
surgical instruments. During a post-
curing process, the process is able
to reduce parts’ friction, perma-
nently, so that there is no need for
coating of the parts nor must users
be concerned about coatings being
stripped away during repeated auto-
claving or sterilization.
Surgeons handling medical devices such
as those endoscopic surgical instruments
The chart shows how F-Treatment

reduces fluoroelastomers’ CoF and
keeps it low.
require insertion and retraction of these

through a seal to feel smooth and easy.
The more the material adheres to the shaft
of the instrument, the more force it will
take to manipulate the instrument.
According to MR&P, its F-treat pro-
cess provides a permanent low coefficient
of friction surface that will not dissipate
with wear. F-treat modifies the CoF (coef-
ficient of friction) of the entire fluoroelas-
tomer compound, not just the surface, so
that if abrasion or wear occurs, a modified
low-friction surface will always be pres-

PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY
MATERIAL THOUGHTS
RESINS & COMPOUNDS
TPE overmolds onto copper without

degradation
A Rochester, IL-based compounder of thermoplastic elasto-
mers, Elastocon TPE Technologies Inc., now offers a new TPE
grade it says can be overmolded directly onto copper without
concerns of degradation. The Shore 50 hardness material also
is available for blowmolding and extrusion.
Called Elastocon 8150B TPE and based on SEBS (styrene-
ethylene/butylene styrene), the company predicts it will see use
in automotive and industrial applications. It can be directly
overmolded onto copper or used in applications where the
material might come into direct contact with residual copper
dust created from friction or abrasion—an example would be
an environment with electric motor brushes where the residue
can cause plastics to degrade or sustain damage.
The material is available as a concentrate for a processor’s
own custom recipe, or can be supplied in ready-to-process
black pellets. All Elastocon grades are free from latex, and are
RoHS and California Proposition 65 compliant.
Elastocon TPE Technologies Inc., Rochester, IL, USA;
Get a jump on applications requiring overmolding of copper
+1 888-644-8732; www.elastocontpe.com with a new TPE grade.
Elastomer combines as Unrestricted, MED-4286 can also be Barex acrylonitrile copolymer offers
ultrasoft touch with considered for use in long-term implants high barrier properties to gases such as
robust physical (those implanted 29 days or longer). oxygen and nitrogen, as well as chemical
properties Brian Nash, VP of marketing and sales resistance and inertness. It also brings to
A new ultrasoft elastomer reportedly at Nusil, said the material serves applica- packaging a barrier to aromas, fragranc-
offers the healthcare and pharmaceutical tions that require “a soft, yet moldable es, and volatile components. It is used
industries a feel similar to a firm gel but material that can keep its form.” MED- in a wide variety of applications and
with greater physical properties, providing 4286 has a one-to-one mix ratio and is processes, including in extruded and cal-
a product ideal for potting, encapsulating, packaged in a side-by-side kit for easier endered sheet, blown film, injection and
or molding devices. MED-4286 is a pliable use. For implants of fewer than 29 days extrusion blown bottles, and injection
silicone elastomer designed for applica- or applications that come in contact with molded and engineered components.
tions requiring low 000 durometer, as body fluid and/or skin, NuSil offers a Barex resins comply with EEC
well as low modulus and high elongation. restricted version of MED-4286. Directives for direct food contact and
The material has a low, pourable viscos- NuSil Technology LLC, Carpinteria, CA, USA; meet requirements for a USP Class VI
ity and 12-hour work time. Designated +1 805-684-8780; www.nusil.com Medical Plastic and EU pharmacopoeias.
Ineos Barex, Delaware City, DE, USA;
+1 302-838-3278; www.ineosbarex.com
Improved Barex makes
for crystal-clear
cosmetics packaging Two HDPE rotomolding
Introduced by Ineos Barex, the new grades launched
grade of Barex, dubbed Cosmetic Clear By using low-pressure gas-phase catalysis
Barex, is targeted specially at processors technology, two new high-density poly-
of applications where improved trans- ethylene (HDPE) grades reportedly pro-
parency is required. The new grade offers vide improved cold-temperature impact
higher clarity than past ones (Barex by and environmental stress cracking resis-
MED-4286 is for applications requiring a
nature has a straw-colored tint). tance for custom rotational molders.
soft, flexible, moldable elastomer.

New developments
Lupolen GX 5002 and Lupolen GX and improved stiffness could enable con- storage. The company also states that
5003 from LyondellBasell Industries uti- verters to tackle thin-wall design and Lupolen grades have a wide processing
lize that company’s Lupotech G technol- lightweight part requirements. In addi- window, with cooking time—one of the
ogy to produce HDPE grades suitable for tion, the increased density combined determining factors of cycle time in roto-
industrial storage tanks, containers, inter- with a high environmental stress cracking molding technology—being shorter, and
mediate bulk containers, furniture, and thereby reducing the overall cycle.
playground and sporting equipment. The LyondellBasell’s existing rotomolding
company says the materials offer a good offerings include the range of Microthene
balance of impact resistance and stiffness, HDPE, low-density polyethylene (LDPE),
with low-temperature impact performance and linear low-density polyethylene
down to –30°C, allowing its use in applica- (LLDPE) powders, as well as Petrothene
tions that must withstand harsh transport HDPE and LLDPE resin pellets. The
conditions in cold weather. In terms of Microthene HDPE comes in three grades
environmental stress cracking resistance, ranging in density from 0.942-0.945
LyondellBasell reports that full notch creep with melt indexes from 1.7-5.0.
test (FNCT) results showed that Lupolen LyondellBasell Industries, Rotterdam,
GX 5002 resins outperformed competitive Netherlands; +31 10-275-5500;
ones and maintained mechanical proper- www.lyondellbasell.com
ties, with a relatively high melt flow rate
(MFR) of 7.5 g/10 min. The MFR gives the
materials design flexibility for more com- ADDITIVES & FILLERS
plex applications like containers, crates,
marine equipment, outdoor furniture, and Nanoparticle additive
leisure and playground equipment. enters commercial market
In a release, Cees Besems, techni- Plastics and chemicals supplier Lanxess
Rotomolder Promens applied Lyondell-
cal manager of industrial packaging for says it has developed a polymer additive
Basell’s new Lupolen HDPE grades, with
LyondellBasell, said it is important to high melt flow rates and good impact for plastics and rubber that is now avail-
balance the MFR against mechanical resistance, for this storage container. able for industrial use. Made of nano-
properties, pointing out that, typically, scale organic particles, this additive can be
high melt flow and cold temperature resistance can boost the creep resistance, used to improve the material properties of
impact can be mutually exclusive. By which is important for large rotomolded elastomers and thermoplastic materials.
optimizing each without detriment to the containers and tank applications that Patents associated with the additives
other, LyondellBasell says higher MFR are exposed to internal pressure during cover the processing method, the use of

MATERIAL THOUGHTS
nanoparticles in rubber mixtures, and functionality standpoint, it also allows
the impact on thermoplastics and ther- the integration of storage, attachment
moset plastics. The Technical Rubber points for outer body panels, hardware
Products business unit markets these attachments for electrical components,
nanoscale particles under the trade- and air ducts.
mark Nanoprene, while Lanxess sub- To reinforce the SMC, MFG replaced
sidiary Rhein Chemie Rheinau GmbH low-density bubble fillers with Southern
sells the additive under the brand name Clay Products’ Cloisite silicate platelets,
Micromorph. which measure 1 nm thick and 70-150
Nanoprene consists of pre-crosslinked nm across. The nanoparticles have been
rubber manufactured in an emulsion surface modified with an organic chem-
process that helps the supplier control istry to foster complete dispersion and
the degree of crosslinking (glass transi- miscibility with the resin.
tion temperature) or polarity of the In terms of properties, Nano-fill SMC
particles, so that these can be tailored has a lower density of 1.5 than conven-
depending on the application. Particle tional SMC, with a 10% improvement
sizes range between 40 and 200 nm. The in mechanical strength. Bond adhesion
additive, available as a granulate, pow- with a two-component adhesive was
der, paste, and masterbatch, processes also boosted by 25%-30% compared
like other elastomers. to the bubble-filled SMC. Properly dis-
Lanxess, Leverkusen, Germany; persed, the additives have been proven
+49 214-30-33333; www.lanxess.com to enhance flexural and tensile modu-
lus, says MFG, while also lowering the
coefficient of linear thermal expansion
Nanotechnology lightens, (CLTE), which can impact fit for auto-
strengthens SMC trunk motive components.
Nanoparticle-layered magnesium alu- Southern Clay Products, Gonzales, TX, USA;
minum silicate platelets and FRP +1 800-324-2891; www.scprod.com
(fiber-reinforced plastic) have created
a structural low-density sheet molding
compound (SMC) that replaces a pre- New tin stabilizer helps
vious-generation SMC in a one-piece trim pipe, profile
molded trunk compartment. Earlier extrusion costs
this year, Molded Fiber Glass Cos. Plastics and additives supplier Arkema
(MFG; Ashtabula, OH) was awarded says Thermolite 140 tin stabilizer, its
The Process Innovation Award at the newest addition to the established
American Composites Manufacturers Thermolite family of heat stabilizers,
Assn.’s Composites+Polycon 2009 show can help processors take a healthy 10%-
for the nanocomposite SMC one-piece 20% off the cost of overengineered pipe,
molded automotive rear trunk assembly siding, and other rigid PVC products.
or tub. The proprietary SMC was initial- That figure comes courtesy of the
ly created for the 2009 Pontiac Solstice supplier’s Kimberly Litz, functional
Coupe and has since seen use in the 2009 additives’ sales and market manager, in
Chevrolet Corvette Coupe and Corvette an answer to e-mailed questions from
Z06. All materials on this assembly were MPW. “The cost savings come from the
tested and approved to General Motors’ fact that T-140 can be used at similar
GMP-UP-032 specification. loading levels to these higher-cost prod-
MFG says the composite material ucts with similar performance. The cost
yields an SMC with a specific gravity of savings have ranged from 10%-20%
1.5, reducing mass, increasing strength, where T-140 is employed,” she replied.
and lowering cost by increasing produc- The new material already is listed
tion rate and volume. In addition to cut- in the Plastic Pipe Institute (PPI) range
ting weight, the one-piece composite tub formula and, says the supplier, offers
design lowered tooling costs by replac- heat resistance in pipes produced for
ing multiple metal stampings. From a use in warmer climates and has shown

CATCH A GLIMPSE OF ALL YOU WON’T SEE,
IF YOU MISS OUR IN-HOUSE EXPO.
Our in-house EXPO is really worth seeing. We‘ll unveil new technologies in film extrusion and package
O
O U S E EXP printing, plus show an entire range of economical and attractive solutions from high-performance
IN-H H, GE
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machinery to machines for the modest budget. Let us give focus to your vision! For further
ERIC 9
LENG
1. 200
− 12. 1
information or to register, please visit our website: www.wuh-group.com.
10
PASSION FOR INNOVATION
Windmöller & Hölscher KG | Phone: +49 5481 14-0 | Fax: +49 5481 14-2649 | info@wuh-group.com | www.wuh-group.com
MATERIAL THOUGHTS New developments
no discoloration during storage in high range of rods, sheets, and tubular shapes fact says it already can supply the sheet
temperatures. Thermolite 140 tin sta- for machining. Formed parts are also extruded from polypropylene.
bilizer can be used in nearly all pipe/ available. In answer to questions from MPW,
conduit applications at similar use lev- Quadrant Engineering Plastic Products, officials at the firm would not reveal
els as higher-tin, higher-priced stabilizers, Reading, PA, USA; +1 800-729-0101; how small the recyclate is being ground,
reports Arkema. www.quadrantepp.com only saying it has worked out the opti-
Arkema, Functional Additives business unit, mum particle size to make a blemish-
Philadelphia, PA, USA; +1 215-331-7654; free sheet from 100% recycled material.
www.additives-arkema.com PS sheet derived 100% They also said that no gas addition (for
from PCR rigidity or light weight) was necessary;
Axion Polymers, the plastics process- the density of the sheet (1.05) is the
SEMI-FINISHED PRODUCTS ing division of recycling specialist Axion same as the density of polymer used to
Group, has launched a range of poly- make it.
New PTFE grades plan styrene (PS) sheet derived 100% from Axion Polymers, Manchester, England;
to stick around for a recyclate as the start of a new range of +44 161-737-6124; www.axionpolymers.com
long time products it predicts will find many tak-
Semi-finished plastic products supplier ers, with initial demand expected most
Quadrant EPP says it has expanded its readily in horticulture and cosmetics MOLD RELEASES
range of available polytetrafluoroethyl- packaging applications.
ene (PTFE) products to include ones PEEK-based coating
offering wear resistance even beyond helps shoes exit mold
that of normal longwearing PTFE. Taiwanese injection mold manufactur-
The additions to the company’s er Du Wei Enterprise Co. has switched
Fluorosint product family are the “super” from polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and
wear-resistant grade of Fluorosint HPV, other traditional mold release agents to
now available in full production size Vicote, a polyetheretherketone (PEEK)-
ranges, and the “extreme” grade of based coating made and marketed by
Fluorosint MT-01, new to the market. PEEK supplier Victrex. For one of Du
Fluorosint HPV was first mentioned Wei’s two-color shoe sole molds pro-
by the company in 2007 but had been cessing ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA),
Thermoformed plant pots are one target
available only in developmental sizes application for 100% PCR-PS sheet. the Vicote product has proven to have
and shapes. This full launch brings with
it data collected that Quadrant says PS remains a popular material for a
found the bearing performance or “PV” wide variety of applications due to its
of Fluorosint HPV to be more than balance of properties, processability, and
40% higher than other FDA-compliant price, but the material does not carry the
PTFE-based materials, meaning parts sort of environmentally friendly reputa-
made of the new material can withstand tion that has become increasingly impor-
higher load and higher velocity. Wear tant. Axion hopes to help change that
resistance of the new material also is perception.
said to be higher than other existing Available in varying widths and thick-
FDA-compliant PTFE-based materials. nesses and marketed under the Axfoil
This testing was generated in one of brand name, the sheet meets ISO 9000 Du Wei’s injection molds now are coated
Quadrant’s laboratories using docu- quality-control standards. When extrud- with Vicote PEEK-based coating.
mented test procedures. Fluorosint HPV ed from PS recovered from waste electri-
can replace bronze, steel, and powdered cal/electronic devices, the processor says a lifetime of up to 1.5 months (about
metal parts. it generates 93% less carbon dioxide 5000 cycles), some 30 times greater than
Fluorosint MT-01 reportedly com- in its manufacture compared to virgin PTFE coatings.
bines higher temperature resistance with PS. The sheet can be thermoformed or The PEEK-based coating has a
low deformation and low CLTE (coef- converted and is supplied in reels up to continuous use temperature of 260ºC
ficient of linear thermal expansion). It 950 mm wide and up to 2 mm thick. (500ºF) and can maintain its mechanical
was developed for high-temperature appli- The product is being launched as a black properties in high-temperature operating
cations such as bearings, seals, and wear PS sheet, but Axion expects to expand environments.
surfaces where higher loads are present. the range to include other materials and Victrex, Lancashire, England;
Quadrant offers these materials in a colors over the coming months, and in +44 1253-897700; www.vicote.com

PRODUCT WATCH Innovation & Optimization
EXTRUSION
Reifenhäuser’s acquisition
of Kiefel Extrusion
changes landscape
Although ownership of two leading blown film extruder
manufacturers (Gloucester and Kiefel Extrusion) has changed
in the past years, the blown film machinery market has seen
little in the way of mergers and acquisitions for many years.
The company Reifenhäuser changed that in late August when
it announced its acquisition of the blown film extrusion line
business of Kiefel, combining this with its own blown film
Ulrich (left) and Klaus Reifenhäuser with Edgar Gandelheidt (center),
extruder business to create Reifenhäuser Kiefel Extrusion managing director of the newly formed company.
GmbH, a company it claims brings global market leadership
with a 25%-30% market share. was to keep all current employees. The engineering teams of
Kiefel’s former owner, film tenter equipment manufacturer both will be combined and co-led by the former leaders at both
Brückner, kept the thermoforming and welding machinery firms: Jens Spigots from Reifenhäuser and Jochen Hennes from
businesses, which also bear the Kiefel name. Kiefel. A similar arrangement will handle sales and marketing,
Edgar Gandelheidt, past MD of Kiefel Extrusion, stays on with Kiefel’s Kurt Freye and Reifenhäuser’s Bernd Schroater
as managing director of the new firm. Ulrich Reifenhäuser, teaming for Reifenhäuser Kiefel Extrusion. By the K show
chairman of the board at his family’s company, said overlap in Düsseldorf, Germany in October 2010, the newly formed
of the two firms’ customer base was only about 10%-15%. company intends to have a new machine to display that execu-
The two firms competed directly for some blown film line tives there say will combine the best of both brands.
orders, but “on our lost order reports we rarely saw each Neither Reifenhäuser nor Brückner officials would reveal
other’s names,” added Gandelheidt. the price of the acquisition. Peter Wellenhofer, chairman of
The two firms also match well geographically, said Gandel- the board for Brückner Technology Holding GmbH, in reply
heidt, with Kiefel having had a stronger presence in, for instance, to a question from MPW asking if his company had concrete
Latin America, whereas Reifenhäuser has been stronger in the plans for the revenue from its sale of Kiefel Extrusion, said
Middle East. Reifenhäuser has a manufacturing facility in China, Brückner Technology Holding plans to continue strategic
which is included in the merger, as is some manufacturing and moves to add to its portfolio—including companies from
engineering capacity in Troisdorf. Headquarters for the new firm other branches—to help it weather the very volatile nature of
will be Worms, Germany, Kiefel Extrusion’s longtime base. the market for film orientation equipment, such as that made
The newly formed Reifenhäuser Kiefel Extrusion will and sold by its flagship company.
employ about 300. Asked whether the merger will lead to Reifenhäuser Kiefel Extrusion GmbH, Worms, Germany;
employee terminations, Ulrich Reifenhäuser said the intent +49 6241-902-0; www.reifenhauser-kiefel.com
Modular monitoring The first of these new modular sys- sures the energy flows in the machine
concept keeps watch tems is operating as a pilot project at and visualizes the distribution of ener-
on entire extruder one of the manufacturer’s PVC window gy. From these, it calculates the specific
To simplify monitoring of all extrusion profile customers. energy consumption per kilogram of
line parameters, extruder manufacturer The energy monitoring module mea- the extruded product. Processors can
Battenfeld Extrusionstechnik GmbH use the information to determine which
has developed a modular concept con- measures they take have the greatest
sisting of three components: energy effect on energy efficiency.
monitoring, production monitoring, Maintenance monitoring, the second
and maintenance monitoring. The sys- component of the new system, supports
tem is integrated in its BMCtouch cli- a processor’s desire to do maintenance
ent-server operating system so that all on a predetermined schedule by means
relevant data can be shown at any place of maintenance alarm signals, akin to
and time. The new system helps profile processors to better the “change oil” light in a car. Service
optimize and benchmark their extrusion lines.

4 th
Next Generation: Green
SAVE THE DATE !

10 / 11 November, 2009
The Ritz-Carlton, Berlin
Conference Contact:
conference@european-bioplastics.org
www.conference.european-bioplastics.org Phone: +49 30 284 82 358
PRODUCT WATCH Place
intervals are included in the calculation, time, and calculates key production Turkish pipe, profile
and model calculations are carried out figures from these data. This helps a processor adds a dozen
for machine components with a load- processor to make direct comparisons to its machine park
dependent service life, such as drive between different extrusion lines and A vote of confidence in its growth oppor-
systems. transfer best practices from one line tunities has been made at IBG Pakplastik
Production monitoring, the third across an entire plant. (Istanbul), one of Turkey’s largest plas-
component, automatically collects data Battenfeld Extrusionstechnik GmbH, tics processors, which this year has taken
about the production status of a line, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany; +49 5731-2420; delivery of 10 new profile extruders and
such as setup times, uptime, and down- www.bex.battenfeld.com two new polypropylene (PP) pipe lines.
Plan ahead for your visit to

EUROMAP recognized fairs
One of Turkey’s largest processors, IBG, greatly

extended its pipe and profile capacity.
All of the new machines were made by

KraussMaffei Berstorff, which counts
IBG as a customer since the early 1990s.
IBG’s primary business remains win-
The overall events schedule of the plastics and rubber industry is wide-ranging and does not always
meet the requirements of both exhibitors and visitors. As a result EUROMAP, the European Association dow profile extrusion and extrusion of
of Machinery Manufacturers for the Plastics and Rubber Industries, supports a number of major national
and international exhibitions with an excellent track record in the European machinery industry: vinyl siding or other building products,
but in 2005 it decided to expand into
INTERPLASTICA Moscow January 26-29, 2010 Messe Düsseldorf, plastic pipe extrusion at its plant in
Fax +49 21145607740 Konya. The company now produces pipe
www.interplastica.de
sized from 16-1000 mm in diameter,
CHINAPLAS Shanghai April 19-22, 2010 Adsale Exhibition Services,
Fax +852 25165024 processing PP, polyethylene, corrugated
www.chinaplasonline.com pipe, and aluminum composite pipe.
K Düsseldorf October 27-November 3, 2010 Messe Düsseldorf, One of the new pipe lines is being used to
Fax +49 211 4560668
www.k-online.de
extrude a relatively new pipe system for
hot water transport in which the pipe is
ARABPLAST Dubai January 9-11, 2011 Al Fajer Inform. & Services,
Fax +97 14 3403608 coextruded (three layer) with the middle
www.arabplast.info
layer filled with glass fiber.
NPE to be defined 2012, to be defined Smith Bucklin Corp., KraussMaffei Berstorff, Hannover, Germany;
Fax +1 312 6440575 +49 511-57020; www.berstorff.com
www.npe.org
PLASTINDIA New Delhi February 1-6, 2012 Plastindia Foundation,

Fax +91 11 26845861
www.plastindia.org Thermo Fisher launches
PLAST Milan Spring 2012 Promaplast, new web-gauging
Fax +39 02 57512490
www.plast12.org
platform
Thermo Fisher has launched a new gaug-
ing platform designed to measure weight
EUROMAP acts on behalf of Europe's plastics and rubber machinery manufacturers´ Associations: Austria,
France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom. or thickness in cast film extrusion, sheet
Useful link to detailed technical information included in the European Machinery Directory: extrusion, nonwovens, vinyl calender-
ing, and extrusion-coating applications.
www.euromap.org The IPlus! is billed as an economic
EUROMAP General Secretariat c/o VDMA • Lyoner Str. 18 • DE 60528 Frankfurt Main entry-level sensing product intended to
Tel. +49 69 66031832 • Fax +49 69 66032832
meet the demands of film processors
who want high performance at the right
price, but whose application doesn’t

Innovation & Optimization
Place
require Thermo Scientific’s 21Plus! plat- up to four materials. Not only is the that injection molders can run the SCPS
form. The 21Plus!, which is suitable concept new, but the firm claims it also mold in a conventional injection molding
for coating, vinyl/rubber calendering, is considerably less costly than the more machine without any additional equip-
nonwovens, building products, and split established options. ment, according to Zahoransky.
bubble film, can be scaled from a single- Zahoransky has patents already on The moldmaker says the four-com-
sensor measure-only unit to an enter- what it has named SCPS (Servo Cav- ponent mold is only slightly larger than
prise-wide integrated setup, covering ity Positioning Systems) mold technol- a standard mold and requires no platen
several line-wide systems with up to 15 ogy. One major advantage of the SCPS enlargement or guide pillar extensions.
sensors and six scanning frames apiece. system over other 3K or 4K molds is Molding with a 4K SCPS mold can be
The IPlus! reportedly provides reliable,
real-time assessments of material weight
or thickness by using up to 2000 measure-
ment-profile points and a high-resolution
sensor. The optional AutoDie Profile
Control’s advanced nonlinear mapping
capabilities are said to help reduce scrap
or nonconforming product, and thereby
cut material costs. In terms of other
features, the system has basis weight,
direct thickness, or moisture-weight mea-
surement; two- or three-zone calendering
control; data management/archiving; and
remote support capabilities.
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Wilmington, MA,
USA; +1 781-622-1000; www.thermo.com
MOLDMAKING
New concept touted

for 4K parts
German moldmaker Zahoransky says it
has developed a new concept—substan-
tially different from rotary table, index-
ing platen, or stack-turning molds—for
the processing of multicomponent parts
Zahoransky says its four-component mold

concept betters currently used ones.

PRODUCT WATCH Place
done on a press half the platen size over the finished parts during the next PUR PROCESSING
and clamp force of one needed for injection phase. The removal requires
an existing 16-fold three-component no extra cycle time. The empty mold High-pressure PUR
mold with an indexing platen, reports halves are handed over to the nozzle metering in a low-
Zahoransky. side and carried via a second spindle footprint package
The entire control sequence of the drive during the mold-opening phase Hennecke has developed a new genera-
mold, including the drives for all other from the removal station to the primary tion of compact metering machines, the
injection units and the hot runner con- injection station (Station 1). The mold QFoam series, which it says are the first
trol equipment, is handled by the mold’s closes, the cycle is completed, and a
own newly developed control system. new process begins. At each cycle, the
This system also controls any core pull- pre-injection molded and finished parts
ers. All the movements in the mold are are injected simultaneously, and the
servodriven and independent from the finished parts are taken off the removal
machine hydraulics. station. About 3 seconds are needed for
opening, carrying the mold inserts to
How does it work? the next station, and mold closure.
Here is how the moldmaker describes The new SCPS mold technology (in
the processing sequence. The mold opens a dry run demonstration) will be shown
after the pre-injection molded parts are for the first time at the Fakuma exhibi-
injected in Station 1. They are then tion in Friedrichshafen, Germany this
taken to the second injection station month. The company will show a four-
via a spindle drive, where the parts are component mold with removal station.
finished and carried by spindle drive Zahoransky Formenbau GmbH,
to the removal station after the mold Freiburg, Germany; +49 761-7675-0;
Hennecke’s new QFoam high-pressure metering
has opened. A handling unit takes www.zahoransky-group.com machine.
CROWN “Super Pellet Dryer” dewater-

ing-fluidizing-classifying-dryer offers
easy “Auto-Clean” cycle for quick clean
out and changeover. It is beneficial for
soft materials or compounds that are
difficult to dry. Utilizes Patent Pending
high velocity water stripping technol-
ogy, vacuum dewatering and air fluid-
ized temperature control and drying
as well as classifying.
Contact CROWN at sales@crown-cdl.

com or request information via our
web site at www.crown-cdl.com/
request.html
Start Here
plasticstoday.com

Innovation & Optimization
Place
metering machines designed and con- PLANT LOGISTICS

structed for the mass market. The two-
component machine is said to combine Palletize loads right on the forklift
the advantages of PUR high-pressure For processors tasked with handling palletizing of their customers’ or their own
technology at a lower cost than proces- products, the Yellow Jacket 110 series of orbital stretch wrap machines is designed
sors are accustomed. to help increase efficiency and lower pallet wrapping costs by facilitating the securing
Hennecke predicts the new series of of any standard, oversized, or odd-shaped palletized
machines also could substitute for low- loads right on the forks of the forklift. A new film
pressure technology in some applica- carriage is said to allow for fast
tions. The QFoam machine comprises and easy film loading. The new
a newly developed air-cleaned mixing machines also can be upgraded
head and the company’s established from a manual machine to a
metering technology from its BaseLine semi-automatic
and TopLine series. machine.
Output can range from 100-1500 g/ GaleWrap,
sec depending on the size of the machine. Douglasville,
The hand-operated mixing head is used GA, USA; +1
for cold-curing flexible foam, compact 866-425-3727;
systems, filling foam, integral skin foam, www.yellow-
energy-absorbing foam, and rigid insu- jacket110.com
lating foam. According to the manufac-
turer, the series’ modular build enables it
to fill orders quickly. The Yellow
Hennecke GmbH, Sankt Augustin, Germany; Jacket 110
+49 22-41-3390; www.hennecke.com stretch wrapper.
HIGH TECH PLASTIC RECYCLING
Our technology is built on the valuable experience of

over 3,300 systems delivered worldwide,
ensuring you have an edge over global competition.
www.erema.at
We know how.
EREMA NORTH AMERICA INC. · 23 Old Right Road - Unit#2 · Ipswich, MA 01938 / USA · erema@erema.net · www.erema.net
EREMA Engineering Recycling Maschinen und Anlagen Ges.m.b.H. · A-4052 Ansfelden/Linz · Austria · erema@erema.at


Place
ROTOMOLDING the language of automa- Lightweight laundry carts are the

tion” at plasticstoday. first products from the second
MOD carts away second com/mpw for an intial Leonardo.
Leonardo; Ferry, Persico report in May 2003). porting their standard vol-
work together According to MOD, ume of goods at less weight,
Rotomolding processor Meese Orbit- the automated system according to MOD. The
ron Dunne Co. (MOD; Ashtabula, OH) operates faster than leading U.S. manufacturer
was the first to install a Leonardo fully traditional rotomold- of rotomolding machinery,
automated rotomolding cell in a North ing machines and yields Ferry Industries Inc., last
American facility, and now the firm says more consistent product November signed a market-
its second of these is up and running too. quality yet it requires less ing agreement with Persico
The machines are designed and manufac- energy and reduces mate- whereby Persico will act as
tured by Persico SpA (Nembro, Italy). rial waste, offering faster Ferry’s European sales and ser-
Installed in the processor’s La Mirada, lead times with substantial vice force for Ferry’s Rotospeed
CA facility one year after the first roto- reductions in overhead. line of rotational molding machines, and
molding system was installed in the com- The first product to be manufactured on Ferry serves as Persico’s North American
pany’s Madison, IN plant, the new unit the system was MOD’s 72S bulk laundry agent for its Leonardo machines.
enables MOD to offer its customers auto- truck, a new design with rounded corners, Persico SpA, Nembro, Italy; +39 035-4531611;
mated processing from facilities near both internal ribs, and strength, but one that Ferry Industries Inc., Stow, OH, USA;
coasts. (Search for “Rotomolders learning enables customers to save on fuel by trans- +1 330-920-9200; www.ferryindustries.com
SIZE REDUCTION MEASUREMENT & TESTING
Recycler trades up to stay on the cutting edge Mocon labs take

When your motto is “Scrap everything you think you know about unusable plas- packaging processors
tic,” you had better be able to tackle the hard recycling jobs. Plastics recycler Butler- for a test drive
MacDonald Inc. (Indianapo- New laboratories in the U.S., China, and
lis, IN) says recent machin- Germany will allow packaging proces-
ery investments are helping sors to try out Mocon Inc. testing instru-
it do just that. Its customers mentation prior to purchase. Saying the
include plastics compound- labs provide its clients with a “prepur-
ers, telecommunications com- chase testing environment,” the sites will
panies, and producers of CDs support a range of tests—headspace,
and DVDs, aeronautical and water vapor, leak rate/hole size determi-
automotive parts, vinyl siding nation, burst, creep, seal strength, heat
and windows, PET bottles, sealing, hot-tack, coefficient of friction,
and pharmaceuticals. vacuum decay, and shelf-life analysis—
“If something plastic- for a variety of package types, substrates,
based is hard to recycle, that’s and components, including flexible struc-
where we come in,” says J. tures, rigid bottles, foil seals, pouches,
Butler-Macdonald’s new granulator helped it increase capac-
ity and drop labor costs. Scott Johnson, Butler-Mac- aseptic boxes, trays, and lidstock.
Donald’s president, CEO, and The tests are conducted by a Mocon
chief system designer. Recently the company installed an SMS 80/120 granulator technician, who will send the customer a
from Herbold Meckesheim. The German manufacturer is represented in the U.S. report detailing the number of packages
Midwest by Jeda Equipment Services in Indianapolis. tested, how many samples were taken of
Herbold designed the new granulator to Johnson’s specifications, which each, the package size, the type of instru-
included adding a metal-detecting feed conveyor. Installation was completed in ment used to conduct the test(s), and the
mid-2008. The new unit’s fast evacuation of granulated plastic helps output reach results from each sample. The report also
8500-9000 lb/hr. Johnson says, “We base our pricing on hours, so [with the new includes photographs of the customer’s
unit] our labor cost has dropped to about 60% of what it used to be, across the package attached to the instrument while
board. And now we have time to take on more business.” the testing was being conducted. Techni-
The rotor and bed knives of the SMS 80/120 reportedly can be exchanged and cian notes on the report describe how best
adjusted quickly in a fixture outside the granulator. Interchangeable screens are to conduct the testing as well as conclu-
available to help control the size of particles exiting the granulator. sions on the quality and repeatability of
Herbold Meckesheim, Meckesheim, Germany; +49 6226-9320; www.herbold.com the process. Mocon says that more than 50

Faster. Better. Cheaper.
North America’s Automation & Assembly
Events for Advanced Manufacturing
February 9–11, 2010 April 28–29, 2010

Anaheim Convention Center Charlotte Convention Center
Anaheim, CA Charlotte, NC
ATXwest.com AM-Expo.com
June 8–10, 2010 September 28–30, 2010

Jacob K. Javits Convention Center Donald E. Stephens Convention Center
New York, NY Rosemont (Adjacent to O’Hare Airport), IL
ATXeast.com ATExpo.com
For information on attending or exhibiting, please call

310/445-4200 or visit the show Web sites above.

Place
companies from multiple countries have other base geometries can be more challeng- the reduction of air conveyors, its hygiene
taken advantage of this option during the ing,” explains Ron Puvak, new business and improved efficiency, and a lower cost
few months the labs have been open. development at PTI, the manufacturer. both in the initial investment and the
Mocon Inc., Minneapolis, MN, USA; The device includes a USB port for running costs. The entire system can be
+1 763-493-6370; www.mocon.com downloading up to 250 readings, which controlled with one operator.
can then be imported into a spreadsheet. Sipa SpA, Vittorio Veneto, Italy;
Ensure even the thinnest It can measure in pounds (of force) per +39 438-911511; www.sipa.it
of walls hold their seal inch or newtons per meter.
The thinner the walls on molded plastic Plastic Technologies Inc., Holland, OH, USA; King of beers takes
closures become, the greater the chance +1 419-867-5400; www.plastictechnologies.com home 5000th stretch
that leakers can enter the distribution blowmolding unit
channels. Too much torque on thin-walled BLOWMOLDING Anheuser-Busch InBev is the owner of
closures can lead to distortion, while too the 5000th stretch blowmolding machine
little torque won’t ensure a good seal. Italian trio team for blowing/ made by France’s Sidel. The beer giant
Processors of caps and closures, and their labeling/filling unit is using the new unit to blow 2- and
customers, may therefore be interested in Last month’s Drinktec expo in Munich was 3-liter PET bottles in Romania, one of
a new torque tester said to simplify torque the launch pad for a number of new bever- the world’s top 10 countries for beer
testing of these while also improving accu- age packaging developments, among them consumption.
racy and minimizing downtime. the new Sincro Tribloc unit for PET bottle Sidel only reported the sale recently
Called the TorqTraQ, it can be hand- stretch blowmolding, labeling, and filling/ but the machine has been in operation
held, unlike heavier traditional torque capping. Banding together to develop the since April 2009. With 5000 stretch
metering units that are mounted on table- production cell are three Italian companies: blowmolding machines installed since
tops. It works by positioning a closure-spe- Sipa (stretch blowmolding machinery), PE the 1980s, Sidel is able to claim market
Labellers (labeling machines), and Berchi share of about one-half of total machines
(filling and the end-of-line systems). Sipa worldwide. Leading competitors include
earlier this year acquired Berchi to help it Corpoplast, Sipa, and Krones.
better compete with Sidel and Krones, both The 5000th blowmolder is an SBO
of which manufacture stretch blowmolding 14/20 Universal and joins a stable of
machinery and beverage filling lines. about 40 Sidel blowmolding machines
On the Sipa stand at the Drinktec in operation at Anheuser-Busch InBev.
2009 exhibition, a 9.9g bottle already ABInBev’s market share is nearly 20%
in production in the United States was in Romania, where almost 48% of beer
blowmolded, filled, and labeled. bottles are made from PET.
According to Sipa, the main advan- Sidel, Le Havre, France; +33 232-858687;
TorqTraQ poses competition to bench-top
equipment. tages of the system are its space savings, www.sidel.com
cific chuck, located on its underside, over

the cap that is to be tested. According to LOGISTICS & SERVICES
the manufacturer, chucks can be changed
out in less than a minute to measure torque ChemSite helps processors get to the source
on different closures. The closure-specific BASF, Bayer, Ticona, Sabic Innovative Plastics, Arkema . . . long is the list of leading
approach enables the device to accurately plastics suppliers with their headquarters or European HQ within a 3-hour drive of
meter a broad range of metal and plastic ChemSite, an industrial park appealing to processors considering relocation. Evonik
closures—including those with irregular Degussa, Sabic Polyolefins, DuPont, Ineos Nova, Vestolit, and Lanxess, in fact, already
shapes and features, such as dispensing. have operations in the park, which opened in 1997. Based in Germany’s North Rhein-
“The TorqTraQ device works much Westphalia, it’s also within a few minutes’ drive of many processing machinery manu-
differently from traditional bench-top mod- facturers. Within the park, processors can purchase from their neighbors PVC, PE, PP,
els. Those units actually grip the base; that PS, PA, high-end polymers, additives, pigments, and more. All that would mean little
can distort the bottle. Further, torque is without customers, but according to ChemSite officials, about 50% of the circa 500
measured by applying manual force to the million residents of the European Union can be reached from the site within 24 hours
closure. As a result, the operator can end by truck. Europe’s largest interior harbor and multiple airports also are nearby.
up squeezing the cap, which could poten- As expected, the site’s management helps processors come into a plug-and-play
tially distort the torque reading. Because environment by assisting in negotiations with local authorities, as well as with
those traditional units are designed to hold suppliers of sewage, logistics, and other services. Energy is provided through a site-
bottles with round bases, using them with coordinated network. ChemSite, Marl, Germany; +49 2365-49-2530; www.chemsite.de

Here is where
you’ll find it all!
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10507_PT08
Make every pellet count
Save energy this winter and thereafter

By Tony Deligio
Plastics processors, through their own volition or with a gentle push from government or customers,
are increasingly concerned with measuring the amount of energy they use and finding ways to cut that
consumption. The good news is there are a growing number of resources to help them do just that.
T im Stojka’s energy epiphany came

at his desk as he cut a sizable check
for his company’s monthly utility
invoice. “I was looking at the bill and I
extrusion, and blown-film plants, with the
initial installations dating to spring of this
year. The technology itself has two differ-
ent models. The first involves inline sen-
company’s patented E-Save technology
promises energy savings up to 40% on
constant-speed/variable-load equipment
like granulators, crushers, escalators, and
said, ‘I don’t even know where this went,’” sors, where a microchip is connected inline conveyors. Customers in the plastics realm
Stojka explains. “It was kind of like signing with the power source. include Berry Plastics, Graham Packaging,
a credit card bill with no detail.” CEO at and Ball, with Berry installing 28 motor
hot runner temperature control manufac- efficiency controls on 24 granulators at
turer Fast Heat Inc. (Elmhurst, IL), Stojka its Anaheim, CA facility. In that instance,
decided his business, and others, could the local electric utility determined Berry’s
greatly benefit from knowing where and annual energy consumption would be cut
when energy was used. “You’ve heard by more than 195,000 kWh.
the old mantra: If you can’t measure it, The unit works by monitoring the cur-
you can’t manage it,” Stojka says. “That’s rent’s phase lag and voltage relationship
what’s happening with electricity. People (where kW = volts times amps) in a motor
just get this bill at the end of the month and operating at less than full mechanical load.
there’s no way to really A) understand and The control cuts back the voltage to pre-
B) measure it, so they can manage it.” cisely what the motor requires to maintain
Seeking to provide what he calls “ener- the rated speed and torque under the
gy visibility,” Stojka officially launched present load. In addition to reducing the
Agentis Energy in June at NPE2009. Using electricity consumed, Power Efficiency says
wireless sensors to track energy usage, and motor life is increased.
then sending the data to a Web- The original idea for a three-phase
based application, Agentis is aim- power factor control with induced electric
ing to help processors better man- and magnetic fields sensing was developed
age what is often their second-highest cost, Power Efficiency’s motor efficiency by Frank Nola, who at the time was an
control acts as a soft starter and
trailing only material. engineer at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight
energy regulator, taking the place of
“Processors manage resin very closely an existing starter or being installed Center. NASA patented the technology in
but energy’s kind of been one of those in series. 1984, with Power Efficiency later licens-
things that they have, as I did, treated as a ing it. In January 1997, Power Efficiency
fixed cost,” Stojka says, “and the only way The second applies a current transformer, filed a patent application for a new phase-
to take it from a fixed cost to a variable or essentially a ring that encircles the main detector technology, which has since been
cost is to measure it. If you can measure line and measures current and voltage. accepted, with three more applications
it, then you can start to set budgets for it, pending. That patent deals with modifica-
hold people accountable, figure out where From managing energy to cutting it tions the company made to address engi-
your high energy users are, and focus on Using technology originally developed at neering changes in the manufacture of AC
energy efficiency and improvement.” NASA, Power Efficiency Corp. (Las Vegas, induction motors.
Stojka says the company has fully func- NV) is hoping to help processors cut ener- Jay Mistry, director of business devel-
tioning systems at a range of process- gy usage by matching the voltage intake opment at Power Efficiency, says good
ing facilities, including injection molding, of electric motors to the current load. The candidate applications are ones that have

Pairing wireless sensors with rout-

constant speed and load variability, so that ers to feed data to the Internet, Agen-
at certain times they’re idling or at low load tis hopes to give customers “energy
value. The company hints at its potential visibility,” using Web-based software
to show in real time how much energy
market by citing U.S. Dept. of Energy
their equipment is using and at what
data saying U.S. industrial customers spend cost, among other variables.
more than $60 billion annually on electric-
ity, with motors consuming better than
60% of that total. Many motors are oper- control unit (TCU) combo or Turbogel
ating at light or variable loads, meaning TCU to obviate the need for central chill-
they are wasting energy and are potential ing systems. At NPE2009, the company
candidates for savings. To date in plas- introduced and upgraded Ecodry, which
tics that’s meant size-reduction equipment, used changes to software and design to
although the company is conducting tests boost energy efficiency by an additional
on some primary processing equipment. companies, and the overall environment is 10%. It also introduced the Ecoflex cen-
more geared towards energy savings.” tral chiller, which uses Turbocore technol-
Charged up Steve Petrakis, president of cooling sys- ogy where electromagnets propel the drive
According to Mistry, and others con- tem supplier Frigel North America (East shaft, which essentially floats, cutting sys-
tacted for this article, energy efficiency is Dundee, IL), has seen a similar sense of tem friction and energy needs.
a cause whose time has come. At differ- urgency. “Corporations, especially larger “Whether they’re prepared to do it
ent times, most notably during the 1970s ones, actually have edicts out that say, ‘All or not, I think everybody is starting to
oil embargo, countries and industry have right, this year, as a corporation, we have understand that this is the technology of
claimed to have found religion in regard to lower our energy costs by 20%,’” Petra- the future,” Petrakis says. “Cooling tow-
to conservation, only to lapse back into kis says. “So the first thing they do is run ers will eventually go away. We’ve been
energy apathy, but the current focus is around and change all the light bulbs in fortunate that in the U.S. we’ve always
driven by a factor that carries greater cur- the building, and that helps a little bit, had plentiful water, relatively inexpensive
rency than eco-consciousness. but once you get through your first year, water, and relatively inexpensive energy,
“I’m going to cite you two time peri- the next year, you say, ‘OK, now we but now that’s changed.”
ods,” Mistry says. “One is now and the need another 20%.’ Now you’ve got to The fixation on energy extends to all
other is the late ’70s, early ’80s. Back then, start looking seriously, and you’ve got to power consumers on a plant floor, includ-
when this technology was out, there was start looking at your equipment.” ing dryers, a fact that hasn’t escaped Jamie
interest in it, but the cost per kilowatt was Frigel markets what it calls Intelligent Jamison, dryer product manager at auxil-
like $0.03 or $0.04, so the actual amount Process Cooling, where ambient air is used iary supplier Conair (Cranberry Township,
of cost savings that you got was minimal, to cool clean process water. Its Ecodry PA). “Typically, [energy efficiency’s] the
and as a result of that, it wasn’t much of a uses a closed-circuit fluid cooler instead first thing we seem to get asked about by
focus. Today, those energy costs continue of a traditional cooling tower, with water customers—how our equipment is energy
to rise—look at Southern California— returning from the process pumped into efficient, things we can do with our designs
you’ve got areas that are paying $0.20- heat exchangers and cooled with ambient for energy efficiency,” Jamison says.
$0.24/kWh. That’s crazy. So right now, air flow. Ecodry can be used in conjunc- “Most of the customers have specific
there’s no question there’s a focus by tion with a Microgel chiller/temperature task forces or groups assigned to determine
The cost of electricity

In addition to concerns about emissions, energy efficiency is is $0.1645—while plastics-heavy states like Ohio ($0.0791),
being driven by financial concerns as the cost of electricity Michigan ($0.0853), and Illinois ($0.0846) fall below the
continues to rise. According to the U.S. Energy Information national average.
Administration (EIA), the average retail price of electricity has The price of energy inefficiency is much stiffer in Europe.
risen 46% since 1995 from $0.0689/kWh to $0.1006/kWh. According to the European Union Energy Portal (Brussels; www.
Over that same time period in the commercial market, electric- energy.eu), the February 2009 average cost per kWh for elec-
ity costs are up 26% from $0.0769/kWh to $0.1043/kWh, tricity usage of 2000 MWh/year is €0.1267 (about $0.18), with
while in the industrial sector, they’ve risen 35% from $0.0466 the cheapest electricity in Bulgaria (€0.0798) and the most
in 1995 to $0.0717/kWh. expensive in Italy (€0.2032). For consumers that use 24,000
According to the EIA, the average retail price of electricity per MWh/year, the average cost is €0.1067 ($0.15), with the low-
kWh in 2007 was $0.0913. Taking out the outliers (Hawaiians est rates in Estonia (€0.0581) and the most expensive once
pay an average of $0.2129/kWh while in Idaho the going rate again in Italy (€0.1668). Plastics stalwart Germany ranks in the
is $0.0507/kWh), the Northeast is a region where you wouldn’t top five most expensive countries, hitting €0.1654 ($0.24) for
look forward to your utility bill—cost per kWh in Connecticut commercial consumption and €0.1515 ($0.22) for retail.

Shown here a release, Hill said reducing energy usage

installed, Agen-
starts with measuring it—a task that will
tis’ energy moni-
toring systems become compulsory, in his opinion. “There
relay consump- is no question that all of industry—plastics
tion information included—will be required to demonstrate
wirelessly to a
carbon footprint activity sooner rather
router, which
then posts it to than later. It’s an extra factor for most
a Web-based businesses to incorporate, but it will pay to
interface in real start making those calculations now.”
time.
Staying power
Wheel regenera- For their part, Power Efficiency’s Mistry
tive desiccant, and and Frigel’s Petrakis think the new priori-
LPD vacuum— ties are here to stay. “I think that we’re at
offer high efficien- the start of this thing, and I think we’ve
cy, especially when got five to 10 more years of this type of
how they can cut costs,” explains Gene compared to twin-bed desiccant systems. feeling where we need to do something
Flockerzi, general manager PET and pack- Plastics equipment supplier Wittmann about energy savings,” Mistry says.
aging at Conair, “and with that, energy’s Battenfeld has experienced the same spike “I would say in the next 10 years, there
the first thing that comes to mind.” For in inquiries regarding energy efficiency, are going to be many government man-
Conair, that customer interest has driven with UK managing director Barry Hill say- dates that are going to force total energy
several advances, including its EnergySmart ing the company is now regularly deploy- efficiency, total water conservation, and
drying line, which features a temperature ing its own bespoke energy-measuring less chemical usage within processes,”
monitor inside the hopper to gauge the service for customers and potential clients. adds Petrakis.
amount of heating and blowing needed, as The system shows processors their con- Whether or not the changes are man-
well as a dewpoint control, which accounts sumption pattern for existing machines, dated, they will allow processors to gain
for changes in the ambient atmosphere and as well as projected consumption. These more control over their process and, ulti-
adjusts drying parameters accordingly. data are used to show potential savings mately, their costs. “If a company is mold-
Flockerzi explains that a typical drying that can be made by switching to current ing a part that’s costing them $0.10 to
system would be sized to accommodate models, factoring in financial incentives make,” Agentis’ Stojka explains, “they
the maximum throughput of machine such as the UK’s Carbon Trust. know what the raw material accounts
it’s supplying resin to—a standard that’s Wittmann Battenfeld UK has also initi- for, but what portion of that is energy?
often overkill. “I’m going to say 95% of ated an old-for-new machinery trade-in They want to know on that particular line,
the time the customers aren’t even run- package for injection molding machines. In what’s the energy cost in dollars.” MPW
ning near maximum throughput,” Flock-

erzi says. “So with our system, we’re
able to dial the dryer down so it meets Rebates prompt energy efficiency
the actual extruder or injection molding In addition to the stick of higher prices and, in some cases, penalties, energy utili-
ties and state and local governments in the U.S. are offering energy consumers
machine’s output. That way, no matter
carrots in the form of rebates, loans, and tax incentives to improve energy efficiency.
what throughput you’re running at, you’re There are limited offerings from the federal government at this time, and the stan-
utilizing the least amount of energy pos- dards and incentives vary not just from state to state but from city to city and utility
sible for that application.” to utility, making figuring out what your company might qualify for a challenge.
Aiming to ease that challenge is DSIRE (Database of State Incentives for Renew-
Maguire Products Inc., which supplies
ables & Efficiency), a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility,
three varieties of drying systems from its and federal incentives and policies that promote renewable energy and energy
plant in Aston, PA as well as from its efficiency. Established in 1995 and funded by the U.S. Dept. of Energy, DSIRE
subsidiary, Novatec, in Maryland, pro- (www.dsireusa.org) is an ongoing project of the N.C. Solar Center and the Interstate
Renewable Energy Council.
motes energy efficiency as a priority in
According to DSIRE, the Golden State is the most generous in terms of incen-
all its systems, including Maguire’s LPD tives, with California offering 68 rebates through utilities, six grants (one state,
low-pressure vacuum dryer and hot- five utility), 15 loans (two state, 10 utility, and three local), and five green building
air, desiccant, infrared, and membrane incentives through local government. In total, the U.S. and its territories offer 785
rebates, 56 grants, and 201 loans through utilities and state and local government.
dryers from Novatec. The company
At this time, the federal government offers personal (two) and corporate (four) tax
believes three systems in particular—the incentives, as well as grants (two) and loans (four).
NovaDrier compressed air unit, Nova-

The Trade Shows Connecting You
to the Latest Plastics Solutions to Help
Reduce Your Cost and Improve Your Process
February 9–11, 2010 April 28–29, 2010

Anaheim Convention Center Charlotte Convention Center
Anaheim, CA Charlotte, NC
June 8–10, 2010 September 28–29, 2010

Jacob K. Javits Convention Center Donald E. Stephens Convention Center
New York, NY Rosemont, IL (adjacent to O’Hare Airport)
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CANON COMMUNICATIONS LLC
11444 W. Olympic Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90064
PLASTECshow.com
/i\ÊÎ£äÉ{{x{ÓääÊUÊ>Ý\ÊÎ£äÉÈ{ For information about exhibiting, visit PLASTECshow.com or call 310/445-4200
NORTH AMERICA
WORLD TOUR
Business, Strategies & Markets
California thrivin’
By Tony Deligio How could you grow your business by roughly 20% per year over the
last four years without adding machines or people? Increase efficiency
at the same time.
elican Products (Torrance, CA), a

P manufacturer of protective cases and
lighting equipment, has done just that—
increase the number of parts it injection
molds at its California headquarters with-
out enlarging its machinery or personnel
footprint—with the productivity gains
most evident in its bottom line.
“I think the overall strategy has been
grow and keep your overhead,” explains
Shailesh Bambardekar, director of opera-
tions at Pelican. “Don’t allow your over-
head to grow at the same ratio your
revenue is growing. Then your profit
continues to grow. We’re just getting
more out of what we have every year, and
that’s the key.”
At this point, what the company has Pelican’s watertight cases, which are used by the defense industry among others,
in Torrance is a total of 200,000 ft2, with feature a lifetime warranty.
120,000 ft2 of that dedicated to manu-
facturing, housing 22 injection mold- kicks in, including one-week, 30-day, has been the development of a novel
ing machines, which range in size from and 90-day followups. Since all the ideas mold-changing technique. Four years
50-1800 tons, with all but one from Mila- likely can’t be implemented in the same ago, Bambardekar estimates tool chang-
cron. To ensure it maximizes its output, week, a to-do list is created and posted in es took 8 hours—when MPW visited
the company adopted its own version of the work area, mapping out the changes. recently that number had been cut to
Toyota Production System (TPS), includ- After 30 days, Bambardekar has his own 15-20 minutes. It’s quite a feat, especially
ing kanban inventory control and regular review, seeing if the list is being imple- considering the size of the tools. “They
kaizen events. The kaizen events typically mented or if resources are needed. used to keep a day’s worth of inventory
take one week, including a presentation here,” Bambardekar says. “When you
of findings. Better, faster mold changes can change a mold in 15 minutes, you
Spearheading improvement of the var- Pelican’s business is split roughly 70:30 don’t need to keep inventory.”
ious cells are the workers that staff them. between protective cases, which are used Pelican’s systems center on heavy-
“The ideas for the continuous improve- by the defense industry (among oth- duty carts with rollers. The carts, when
ment come from the people who work in ers), and flashlights, including specially attached to a press, automatically center
the particular area,” Bambardekar says. designed lights for law enforcement. on the machine, with the tool rolling
“So obviously, whatever they’re doing, Both product lines have a variety of off the cart into the machine thanks to
they want to do it better, and they think models, and within those a range of col- rollers that have been added between
they can do it better and then they work ors, so that Pelican estimates it has more the platens. Instead of a central area,
on it.” than 1000 SKUs with around 120 prod- most molds are stored on a rack next to
To increase the likelihood of improve- uct families. In spite of the complexity the machine they run on. Bambardekar
ment, Pelican provides the workers nec- of its workload, Pelican has streamlined estimates that the company has close to
essary resources, including time, freeing production and staging through a variety 200 active molds, 20% of which are run
them from their work for the event. of measures. every day. To maximize production, the
After presenting findings to the executive The chief reason it has grown its busi- company stages lights and cases that are
team, a continuous improvement protocol ness without having to add machines the same color so there isn’t machine

NORTH AMERICA
WORLD TOUR
Business, Strategies & Markets
downtime during purging. “If a machine tom hues available, while the cases have
has eight different SKUs, and two of five primary colors and some custom
them are yellow in color, and the rest colors as well.
are black,” Bambardekar says, “I want Where the company can automate it
to make sure all the black are done in has, bearing in mind one principle. “Our
sequence.” automation philosophy is a little differ-
ent,” Bambardekar says. “We automate
Feeling the flow for repeatability and consistency, not
As part of the modified TPS system, to reduce headcount.” As an example,
Pelican has arranged production for he cites the o-ring that all the lights
workflow. Raw material is brought into have. Pelican attempted to automate
the back of the plant, molding is in the that, but found that “human beings can
center, and secondary operations, includ- make adjustments that robots can’t”
ing decoration, assembly, and packaging, and opted to stay with more-consistent
are in the front. This last area includes a human o-ring insertion.
15,000-ft2 assembly section dedicated to The final cogs in Pelican’s efficiency
the flashlight products. machine involve production planning,
The front flashlight area is where the with two key investments: one human
light and all its components—including and one software. In July 2008, Pelican
the body, shroud, and lens, which are invested $7.5 million on an SAP ERP Only using automation where it can
molded onsite—come together. When system. This program has allowed all free workers for more value-added
MPW visited, Pelican was assembling of Pelican’s companies to go “live” (the work, Pelican added this six-axis
Fanuc robot to remove runners from
a new light developed in conjunction company has a presence in Australia, a case.
with the Los Angeles Police Dept. Its Canada, Spain, New Zealand, Japan, and
specifications included rechargeability, China). It has also contracted the capacity
high impact strength, and fire resistance. of a German firm, which it now figures bardekar. The hire was actually an inter-
The end result is a Xenoy PBT body with into its global output. nal one, with Bambardekar “stealing” the
nylon lens for a finished product that “Our planning horizon is 32 hours,” person from Pelican’s IT department.
weighs 10 oz with its lithium-ion battery. Bambardekar says. ‘So today we freeze
Nearby a bright green light was being the plan for the next 32 hours, and every Maximizing output
hot stamped with “NYC Transit.” morning the requirements are generated Given the company’s success, some
As lights are completed (which hap- by the ERP system, the planners look at might think they’re in the market for
pens often—a flashlight is finished them, and then they sequence them to some equipment, but if you’re looking to
every 13-20 seconds) and part stock make sure they’re done in the most effi- sell Pelican some machinery, wait until
diminished, a pickup order goes out to cient manner without a lot of waste. You they call you. “We basically want to run
replenish a cell, utilizing a barcode-based can’t plan for one week because you’re every machine 24/7 before we’d actually
inventory system. taking orders in every day and require- purchase more capacity,” Bambardekar
In between molding and assembly, ments change every day.” says. “We want to utilize our available
the company maintains a buffer storage As part of the human-planning ele- capacity to 100%.” It’s on its way, tran-
area, stocking parts for the three flagship ment, Pelican added a sales and operation sitioning from 24/5 work three years ago
flashlights and the LAPD product. The planner to “take the element of surprise to 24/7 production over the last year-and-
lights have four primary colors, with cus- out of planning,” according to Bam- a-half on cases.
It’s no secret that the cost of manu-
facturing in the U.S. is higher than in
many parts of the world, and that fact
is particularly true in the Golden State.
If manufacturing is to remain viable in
places like Torrance, processors might be
wise to follow Pelican’s example. “People
often wonder how we can prosper in
Southern California,” Bambardekar says.
Motioning toward the well-oiled flow of
the assembly area, he answers the ques-
Pelican Products’ global headquarters in Torrance, CA covers 200,000 ft2, including tion himself. “This is one way we can
120,000 ft2 of manufacturing. compete with China.” MPW

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS ADVERTISER INDEX
OCTOBER COMPANY PAGE
4-7 NRC Annual Congress & Expo 2009, Portland, OR Arburg GmbH + Co KG 3
National Recycling Coalition Inc.
Tel: +1 202-789-1430; Fax: +1 202-789-1431 Battenfeld Extrusionstechnik GmbH 17
info@nrc-recycle.org; www.nrc-recycle.org
5-7 API Polyurethanes Technical Conference 2009 Canon Trade Events 35, 41
Ft. Washington, MD
Alliance for the Polyurethanes Industry
Crown Machine uwp Inc. 32
Tel: +1 703-741-5103; Fax: +1 703-741-5655 En Chuan Chemical Industries Co. Ltd. 4
www.polyurethane.org
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Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute Euromap 30
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European BioPlastics Conference 29
7-8 SPI Film & Bag Federation Fall Conference 2009 Foster Printing 48
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Society of the Plastics Industry, Film & Bag Federation Hans Weber Maschinenfabrik GmbH Insert
Tel: +1 202-974-5218; Fax: +1 202-296-7675
nfreiburg@plasticsindustry.org; www.plasticbag.com Heitec Heisskanaltechnik GmbH 23
13-15 PEPP 2009 Polyethylene Polypropylene Chain Hosokawa Alpine 52
Zurich, Switzerland
Maack Business Services Idemitsu Kosan Co. Ltd. 7
Tel: +41 44-781-3040; Fax +41 44-781-1569
mbspolymer@bluewin.ch; www.mbspolymer.com Matsui Mfg. Co. 21
13-17 Fakuma 2010, Friedrichshafen, Germany
P.E. Schall GmbH & Co. KG
Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co. Inc. 31
Tel: +49 7025-920-60; +49 7025-920-6620 Plast Eurasia Istanbul 13
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20-22 Medical Design & Manufacturing Minneapolis/MidPak Plastics Today 15, 32, 37
Minneapolis, MN
Canon Communications LLC Shini Plastics Technologies Inc. 24
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North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce
Tel: +1 978-353-7600, ext. 242 Total Petrochemicals IBC
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29 Plastics Industry Strategy Seminar 2009 Univar USA 8
Houston, TX Vortex Valves North America 32
Applied Market Information LLC
Tel: +1 610-478-0800; Fax: +1 610-478-0900 Windmöller & Hölscher 25
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Xaloy 52
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SPOTLIGHT Carpinteria, CA
San
ON HELIX MEDICAL rancisco Oakland
San Jose Union City
Fresno
California
Bakersfield
Arroyo Grande
Carpinteria
Los Angeles San
A contract manufacturer serving the medi-

cal market, Helix Medical also produces a
proprietary line of finished medical devices,
giving the company a unique perspective
on the no-compromise demands of the
healthcare industry.
Helix’s two hats: Medical oesophageal Punc-

ture (TEP) products
high-consistency silicone rubber. Mate-
rial is brought through a positive-pressure
device supplier and OEM for laryngectomy
patients, and a pro-
room, and for some products, barium
sulphate is compounded in to impart
prietary brand of radio opaqueness. The tubing, which
California’s Silicon Valley is famous, platinum-cured silicone tubing and fluid- must be crosslinked, is sent through an
but lesser known is the state’s Sili- handling components. With that certifica- infrared light, with surface temperatures
cone Beach, located in and around tion comes a requirement to track every- measured to assess curing. A tensioning
Santa Barbara, where high technol- thing that enters and leaves the building, wheel draws tubing in, measures a length,
ogy is applied to a different sector— from raw materials to packaged devices. and then cuts, with a twin-access laser
medical devices. Starting life in Santa Nowhere is that more evident than in micrometer determining the outer diam-
Barbara but since moving 13 miles the company’s document room, where eter. Wilkinson says tubing is extruded
to Carpinteria, contract manufacturer Helix maintains a history for everything as small as 0.06 inch with up to nine
Helix Medical is an important part of it ships, from seven years to the life of lumens. In addition to a Class 8 assembly
the region’s burgeoning healthcare the product. Give the company a lot area with sterile packaging, the extrusion
sector and can be considered a char- number, and it can give you a product’s building has a quality control room with
ter member of its Silicone Beach. complete history from cradle to grave. a full range of ASTM testing.
Rob Wilkinson, director of quality, The fact that it must meet such rig- Building No. 2 houses injection mold-
has been with Helix for 15 years, seeing orous record-keeping and manufacturing ing, with LSR and thermoplastics running
its start in Santa Barbara, as well as its requirements lends the company credibil- on horizontal, vertical, and even a micro-
move to Carpinteria at the end of 1993. ity when it seeks business with medical molding unit. In addition to compression
Today the company has expanded to device OEMs, according to Chris Wood- transfer molding machines, the company
three contiguous buildings with 65,000 ruff, director of marketing at Helix. “[The runs vertical and horizontal machines,
ft2 of manufacturing space, including device certification] is a very nice asset or with three more verticals recently added.
LIM, compression/transfer, insert, micro, confidence point for customers consider- Helix, which is owned by elastomeric
and two-shot molding, plus extrusion, ing contract manufacturing services with seal joint venture Freudenberg-NOK, has
assembly, packaging, and sterilization. In us,” he explains, “because they know all seen the ranks of medical suppliers swell
April, it converted a warehouse distribu- the products coming out of Helix Medical, as manufacturing firms flee struggling mar-
tion center into a Class 8 cleanroom, add- whether proprietary tubing or products kets like automotive, but it still feels the
ing eight injection molding machines sized made to their drawings, are going to be sector is expanding enough to support
from 40-60 tons and an overhead crane. manufactured under an ISO medical device itself and many additional players. “I think
In addition to supplying molded and quality system—it’s a nice differentiator.” there’s enough general market growth that
extruded components and assemblies to Building No. 1 on Helix’s campus everyone can pursue his own specialty, or a
the medical market, Helix is ISO certified houses extrusion of single and multilu- certain area of medicine,” Woodruff says,
13485:2003 as a finished medical device men tubing, as well as profiles. At the adding that Helix alone touches 12 seg-
manufacturer thanks to its InHealth line of heart of the Class 7 cleanroom are seven ments within the broader medical sector.
Blom-Singer Voice Prostheses and Trache- custom-configured extruders, which run Tony Deligio • tony.deligio@cancom.com

geGSO9eJPenSj_elS_M7
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A Canon Communications LLC Publication Published Continuously Since 1925

Sustainability reaps rewards at CeDo

Big money, big decision:

The ultimate accountability:

High performance. The new ALLROUNDER H machines. Perfect for energy-efficient,

ON THE COVER PROCESSING TECHNOLOGIES

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

plasticstoday.com/mpw MODERN PLASTICS WORLDWIDE • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009 5

Digital Sales Manager/ VP, Operations, Publishing Div.

6 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009 • MODERN PLASTICS WORLDWIDE plasticstoday.com/mpw

www.univarusa.com | 1.800.234.4588 | univar.marketing @ univarusa.com

reports are in and the recession is

over. Without a whole lot of new

plasticstoday.com/mpw MODERN PLASTICS WORLDWIDE • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009 9

Battle of the bags: LCA says PE

Do you think healthcare

10 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009 • MODERN PLASTICS WORLDWIDE plasticstoday.com/mpw

Extruder NE 5 with two

Extrusion of technical profiles

Customer unique answers

Processors’ choice Names in the news

plasticstoday.com/mpw MODERN PLASTICS WORLDWIDE • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009 11

sustainability goals. MPW spoke with David Brookes, technical/processing

manager at flexible plastics processor CeDo, about his company’s sustainabil-

David Brookes inspects a line at CeDo, one of Europe’s largest processors of

12 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009 • MODERN PLASTICS WORLDWIDE plasticstoday.com/mpw

yet understand many of the terms . . . it comes down to whether

MPW: Do CeDo’s sustainability efforts motivate its workforce?

MPW: Going forward, what’s on the planning board?

MPW: What problems are posed when using so much recyclate

MPW: Any new technology caught your eye?

MPW: And the business?

plasticstoday.com/mpw MODERN PLASTICS WORLDWIDE • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009 13

place your hopes in independent sales representatives? Eventually most small

cons to each approach.

im Holland didn’t like sales. “Getting

14 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009 • MODERN PLASTICS WORLDWIDE plasticstoday.com/mpw

As a consultant working to connect the plant at least

plasticstoday.com/mpw MODERN PLASTICS WORLDWIDE • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009 15

might not expect much new equip-

ment or processing technology to be

16 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009 • MODERN PLASTICS WORLDWIDE plasticstoday.com/mpw

18 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009 • MODERN PLASTICS WORLDWIDE plasticstoday.com/mpw

accept as market reality,” he said. “We’re not in business to

plasticstoday.com/mpw MODERN PLASTICS WORLDWIDE • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009 19

20 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009 • MODERN PLASTICS WORLDWIDE plasticstoday.com/mpw

The chart shows how F-Treatment

require insertion and retraction of these

plasticstoday.com/mpw MODERN PLASTICS WORLDWIDE • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009 21

TPE overmolds onto copper without

22 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009 • MODERN PLASTICS WORLDWIDE plasticstoday.com/mpw

plasticstoday.com/mpw MODERN PLASTICS WORLDWIDE • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009 23

24 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009 • MODERN PLASTICS WORLDWIDE plasticstoday.com/mpw

PASSION FOR INNOVATION

MATERIAL THOUGHTS New developments

26 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009 • MODERN PLASTICS WORLDWIDE plasticstoday.com/mpw

PRODUCT WATCH Innovation & Optimization

28 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009 • MODERN PLASTICS WORLDWIDE plasticstoday.com/mpw

Next Generation: Green

SAVE THE DATE !

PRODUCT WATCH Place

Plan ahead for your visit to

One of Turkey’s largest processors, IBG, greatly

All of the new machines were made by