Hartman Industries, Inc., USA has added 3.5 million lb/yr of extruded polyethylene foam-sheet capacity. The company began operation just a year ago. Its manufacturing facility is 40 miles west of Philadelphia. It extrudes PE foam sheet stock in various densities, thicknesses, widths and colors. Applications include cushioning, thermal insulation, construction and packaging.
Sensor Products Inc. ,USA introduces Pressurex Pressure Points®, tactile force indicating films. Pressure Points represent a new cost effective and convenient method of utilizing Pressurex sensor film. Pressurex is a useful metrology tool in assessing compressive magnitude and distribution between contacting or impacting surfaces. Applications exist in both machine/ component inspection and calibration.
Each Pressure Point sensor film comes pre-packaged in a ready-to-use blister sealed pouch. Pressure Points are available in sizes ranging from .3″ (.8 cm) to 1″ (2.5 cm) diameter. The pouch has a clear window on one side for viewing the pressure film and a pressure sensitive adhesive on the back enabling the sensor to be quickly and easily affixed to any surface.
Marshall and Williams Plastics, a division of Parkinson Technologies relocated its Asian office from Hong Kong to Tianjin, which is in the industrial center of China. Marshall and Williams Plastics is the world’s leading producer of orientation machinery for Biaxially Oriented Polystyrene, Polypropylene and other oriented materials. They have long been a leader in the field of plastic film and sheet downstream equipment and orientation machinery. Marshall and Williams Plastics designed and built the world’s first TDO more than 50 years ago for processing polymer material. Since then it has continued to provide the plastics industry with unique, custom machinery to meet processors’ needs.
Acrison Inc. USA has launched its Model 170 Series (www.acrison.com/m170.htm) which is the first range of feeders specifically designed for complete and total product clean-out. Ideally suited for those applications where rapid product changeover is a requirement and where near-zero downtime is critical, the Model 170 Series Feeders are available in five different model sizes with a feed range from 0.0012 to 270 cubic feet an hour. These all steel, industrial-duty feeders will easily and accurately handle an exceptionally broad variety of dry solid materials without any need for mechanical changes whatsoever. In addition, these feeders will self-empty and are the only ones available with a unique discharge port to enable rapid emptying of product when required.
Klockner Pentaplast GmbH, Germany has purchased the PVDC-coated plastic films business of VAW Aluminium AG, Germany. VAW makes PVDC-coated film, paper and aluminum foil for packaging. PVDC-coated films are used primarily as a moisture barrier in pharmaceutical packaging.
Mecanor-Engineering Oy, Finland has developed a Modification Kit for existing belling machines for Rieber or Power Lock type seals. The Modification Kit includes seal magazine, seal transferring onto the belling mandrel, belling mandrels, vacuum or pressure chamber system and independent PLC control system which co-operate with the beller’s control system. The Modification Kit is suitable for any kind of PVC-pipe belling machines. Belling machines are still usable for conventional belling operation. Diameter ranges for Modification Kits are from 50 mm to 250 mm, from 110 mm to 400 mm and from 110 mm to 500 mm. Seal magazine capacities are from 20 to 200 pcs depending on the seal dimensions and the magazine type. MECANOR is supplier of the new Rieber or Power Lock type belling machines too.
Speedex Designs Ltd, now part of the IMH Group based in Wakefield, Yorkshire, England, manufacture the world renowned range of SPEEDEX downstream equipment for extrusion lines producing plastic pipes from 10 to 2000 mm diameter and profiles from 2 to 800 mm wide.
Speedex Take-Offs are all fitted with closed-loop digital AC drives to give a wide speed range of 1000:1 and accurate speed holding of better than 0.1% of set speed throughout this speed range. The photograph shows a 1600 mm capacity Take-Off being assembled prior to despatch to Thailand.
Another recent innovation is an unrivalled range of TOTALLY SWARFLESS planetary cutters for polyolefin pipes, handling from 10 to 2000 mm diameter and wall thickness up to 95mm. These machines produce a clean cut with NO SWARF at very low noise levels.
Speedex Designs Ltd is able to offer complete turnkey extrusion lines for plastic pipe or profile.For further information contact Speedex Designs Ltd on tel: +44 (0) 1924 882334, fax: +44 (0) 1924 882346, email: sales@speedex.co.uk, or via our website: www.speedex.co.uk
Biaxially Oriented PolyPropylene (BOPP) has increased its share of the PP market from 10% in 1990 to 12% by the end of 1999. BOPP film has grown faster compared to the growth of PP. BOPP market has reached a level of 3 million tonnes out of almost 27-28 million tonnes of consumption of PP in 2000. The higher growth despite 20% downgauging (thinning) shows the strength and versatility of BOPP.Environmentally friendly BOPP shrink films for packaging as an replacement for PVC will also contribute to the growth. Synthetic paper from BOPP possibly would enhance the growth. There are about 155 producers with a total capacity of 3.2 million tonnes.
Profile extrusion equipment manufacturer Technoplast, Austria plans an open house 25-26 April. The firm is one of the leading global equipment suppliers for window profile lines. One novelty will be the firm’s disc adapter, a tool installed between extruder and die to increase melt dwell time. This helps to ensure equal viscosity and homogeneity of the melt and improve the quality of profiles. Technoplast also plans to open technical offices within the next two years for the U.S. and Chinese markets. Exports already account for over 95 per cent of total sales.
A new state-of-the-art “Suntuf 2000″ polycarbonate sheet plant is the first facility of the Palram Group in the USA. It became fully operational during January 2001. The plant is located in the Arcadia West Industrial Park just west of Allentown, Pennsylvania. Suntuf 2000 occupies facilities such as warehousing, cutting, grinding and more. The new plant has already received the “2000 Pennsylvania International Excellence Award for Investment Achievements”.