Star Profile Extrusions, Canada, is building a new 100,000-square-foot window extrusion plant scheduled to open this spring. Five extrusion lines will be relocated from one of the firm´s existing plants. The vinyl window and door extruder and fabricator announced the addition at the Remodel America Show in Dallas.
Trexel, founder of the patented MuCell microcellular foam extrusion and molding process, and The Japan Steel Works have jointly announced that JSW will open two MuCell developmental facilities in Japan to serve extrusion customers in Japan and East Asia.JSW builds extrusion, blow molding, and injection molding equipment. One of the new MuCell Development Centers will focus on twin-screw and single-screw technology and the other just on single-screw extrusion.
NatureWorks PLA, a degradable starch-based polymer made by Cargill Dow LLC, is being used commercially in a packaging film application for the first time. The proprietary polylactide polymer is being used as the exterior film wrapping on golf ball sleeves sold in Japan by Dunlop Japan Ltd. The biodegradable film is manufactured by Mitsubishi Plastics. The film’s performance is said to be equal to or better than that of traditional packaging materials. In addition, it shows high clarity, high gloss, uv stability, and good dead- fold properties. Furthermore, the product is fully degradable in a municipal compost. Nature Works PLA is made from the lactic acid fermented from corn starch.
Intertech Conferences has announced that its conference, “Wood and Natural Fiber Reinforcements 2001,” will be held December 3-5, 2001 at the Sheraton World Resort in Orlando, Florida.
This conference is designed for leading suppliers, producers and end-users of reinforced materials to discuss the diverse opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for wood and natural fiber reinforcements in composites. Producers will learn about the developments in cultivating quality wood and natural fibers, compounding techniques (including moisture control and drying processes), and the impact these developments will have on traditional calcium carbonate, talc, mica and fiberglass markets.
Vinidex, the developer of the award winning Cornet process for manufacturing oriented PVC pipe, says the online process is so successful the company is now concentrating on ensuring production capacity meets target markets. Oriented PVC, known as OPVC, is a high performance, cost effective material used in pressure pipe applications, sold under the trade name Supermain. Developed in Europe in the early seventies, OPVC is much stronger than standard PVC, with ten times the impact strength and fatigue performance. The increased strength allows a pipe to be designed with half the material. “This means you can halve the resources and energy used to make it,” said Vinidex’s Peter Chapman. “This saving resonates through the supply chain all the way back to the oil fields. So there are environmental advantages as well as economical ones.”
A new generation of twin-screw extruder gearboxes provides 20-30% higher torque than any other gearboxes on the market. According to Thyssen Henschel, its new T2Max gearboxes will be used on three commercial brands of co- and counter-rotating twin-screw extruders. These entries will be introduced at the K 2001 show this October in Dusseldorf, Germany. The T2Max applies torque to both shafts, even on the co-rotating version. Both T2Max gearboxes can be retrofitted to existing extruders.
Derprosa s.a., one of the leading European produces of BOPP films, is stepping up its commitment to packaging based on renewable resources. In developing a new film produced from polylactic acid (PLA), the company has achieved a breakthrough that points the way to the future.This PLA film is made from corn starch and offers an attractive combination of properties such as excellent twist retention, high gloss, optimum clarity, water vapour permeability and complete biodegradability after only a few weeks in commercial composting facilities.Suitable applications for these films include compostable laminated packaging, cellophane substitution and packaging for bakery products.
A new automatic blown-film die from Reifenhauser Inc. uses closely spaced cartridge heaters around the die to adjust thickness profile by means of temperature changes. The new REIcotherm system raises the die temperature a few degrees at thick spots in the wall, reducing the melt viscosity and encouraging greater local thinning. A 20-in. diam. blown-film die has 104 temperature-control segments. Thickness is measured by a capacitance gauge oscillating around the bubble. It has a coated roller to protect sticky or easily scratched film surfaces.
Conair, USA has introduced Fanuc M6i, an articulated-arm robot which is able to palletize PVC fence profiles. The message: robots are not just for injection molders anymore. The robot automatically indexed 4-foot profiles extruded at more than 20 feet per minute from an ExtrusionTek Milacron coextrusion line. Conair showed off the equipment at a recent open house at its Pittsburgh technical center.
Film producer Enhance Packaging Technologies Inc., USA has added liquid packaging equipment to its product line. Enhance bought Prepac, a French-based firm with technology used by Enhance and its parent company DuPont Canada Inc. in North America for 30 years. Prepac´s product line includes equipment to form and fill polyethylene milk pouches marketed by Enhance.