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‘MODERN PLASTICS & POLYMERS’, the numero uno monthly B2B magazine for the plastics & polymers industry, offers the latest trends, in-depth views & analysis, and technical information on the world of plastics materials, machinery and products. Suffi ce to say, the key decision makers among plastics processors, mould makers and user industries regularly refer to it for their business information needs.

TRANSCRIPT

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11March 2012 | Modern Plastics & Polymers

he curtains came down on the largest plastics and rubber exhibition in

the country after a hectic 6-day schedule amid a confluence of more than

1,800 exhibitors and nearly 100,000 trade visitors. Plastindia, perhaps set

the tone of infinite opportunities for the industry for 2012 and how.

In a nutshell, apart from adding to its international stature, this edition of

Plastindia clearly emerged as an oasis in the desert, especially for the overseas

exhibitors and visitors, given the cloud of uncertainties over Europe’s business

climate. At the same time, one should also note this mega show’s outstanding role

in bringing together the domestic industry’s demand and supply sides ranging from

raw material producers and equipment manufacturers to plastics processors.

That said, if one were to wonder about any missing aspects in this show,

focussing on maybe a few operational areas that need a little more fine-tuning, will

take this jewel of India one step closer to the top of its international

league. Hopefully, these will get sorted sooner than later well before

the next edition.

Moving on, the crystal clarity of sustainable solutions is

ascertained. These will continue to drive the future of business in

many sectors including plastics and polymers. With growing consumer

awareness and forward-looking environmental regulations,

sustainability is not a trendy word in companies’ annual reports

any more. In fact, it has become a strategic imperative for

future business success.

When it comes to plastics, sustainability gets a tad

more complex in the technical sense. Hence, it was apt

and timely to see the international conference on the

sidelines of Plastindia 2012 focussing on this vital aspect.

With diverse perspectives within and outside the industry

on sustainability and given India’s rapid requirement of this

wonder material to meet the needs of a fast-rising economy,

there has to be a clear & comprehensive roadmap to tackle this

critical challenge. This is where the dedicated session on plastics

recycling and sustainability holds plenty of promises in demystifying

most of the misgivings that still remain. Of course, our endeavour

shall continue to bring you more analytical insights on this in the

ensuing editions as the industry slowly but steadily graduates towards

a sustainable tomorrow. Stay tuned.

TSustaining to succeed

Editorial Advisory BoardA E Ladhabhoy

Plastics Technologist

Dr Sushil K VermaFormer Director General, CIPET

Dr Swapan K DharaRegional Technical Head,

Basell Polyolefins India Pvt Ltd

Mohan K JainMD, Indoplast & Past President, AIPMA

P P KharasChairman, Ecoplast

Raman M PatelChairman, Industrial Products Mfg Co

Vijay MerchantPresident, Polycraft

Manas R [email protected]

EDITORIAL

13March 2012 | Modern Plastics & Polymers

39February 2012 | Modern Plastics & Polymers

CONTENTS

Note: ` stands for Indian rupee, $ stands for US dollar and £ stands for UK pound, unless mentioned otherwise

Special Focus: Injection Moulding Insight & Outlook: Engineering Plastics

26 Post Plastindia 2012

Automation Trends

74 Extrusion insights: Propelling growth through process integration

Energy Management

76 Heat recovery system: Harvesting energy, expanding margins

Policies & Regulations

80 Plastics recycling: Mechanisms for safer plastics disposal

Strategy

82 Compression moulding: Cost reduction through innovative concepts

Tips & Tricks

88 Ancillary equipment management: Measures to ensure smooth operations

Event Preview

94 Indian Medical Devices & Plastics Disposables Industry 2012: Infusing vigour to healthcare industry

Event Report

96 Plastindia 2012: Investing in the India advantage

REGUL AR SECTIONSEditorial ............................... 11

News, Views & Analysis ...... 20

Technology & Innovation .... 30

Technology Transfer ............. 32

Projects ................................. 90

39

Event List............................. 92

Book Review ........................ 98

Products .............................. 100

List of Products.................. 118

List of Advertisers .............. 122

Cover photo (Coordinate Measuring Machine): Carl Zeiss India

Photography: Mexy Xavier

Highlights of Next Edition

Precision tooling .............. 40

Tool design ...................... 42

Quality assessment .......... 46

Interface - Ajay Verma .... 48

Special Focus

53Ancillary equipment ........................... 54

Function focus ................................ 56

Chiller technology .......................... 58

Interface - Varun Kapoor ............... 62

Roundtable ..................................... 64

Polyamide alloy .............................. 66

Mould cavity .................................. 70

Insight &

Outlook

In Conversation With 36 S V Kabra, Founder, Kolsite Group of Companies

Facility Visit 50 Bright Autoplast Ltd:

Shifting gears towards ‘bright’ opportunities

15March 2012 | Modern Plastics & Polymers

FOUNDER & EDITOR, NETWORK 18Raghav Bahl

PRESIDENT & EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, TV 18Senthil Chengalvarayan

SENIOR EDITORManas R Bastia

EDITORIAL TEAMAnnabel Dsouza, Swati Sharma, Lionel Alva, Michael Anthony, Abha Mishra,

Paskaline Sebastian, Anwesh Koley (Delhi), Avani Jain (Ahmedabad)ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR

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DESIGNSharad Bharekar

CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHERMexy Xavier

PHOTOGRAPHYNeha Mithbawkar, Joshua Navalkar

BUSINESS CONTROLLERSPukha Dhawan, Lovey Fernandes, Akshata Rane, Deepak Bhatia,

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Views and opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Infomedia 18 Ltd, its publisher and/or editors. We at Infomedia 18 Ltd do our best to verify the information published but do not take any responsibility for the absolute accuracy of the information. Infomedia 18 Ltd does not accept the responsibility for any investment or other decision taken by readers on the basis of information provided herein. Infomedia 18 Ltd does not take responsibility for returning unsolicited material sent without due postal stamps for return postage. No part of this magazine can be reproduced without the prior written permission of the publisher. Infomedia 18 Ltd reserves the right to use the information published herein in any manner whatsoever.

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Printed by Mohan Gajria and published by Lakshmi Narasimhan on behalf of Infomedia 18 Ltd.Senior Editor: Manas R BastiaPrinted at Infomedia 18 Ltd, Plot no.3, Sector 7, off Sion-Panvel Road, Nerul, Navi Mumbai 400 706, and published at Infomedia 18 Ltd, ‘A’ Wing, Ruby House, J K Sawant Marg, Dadar (W), Mumbai - 400 028. Modern Plastics & Polymers is registered with the Registrar of Newspapers of India under No. MAHENG / 2008 / 25265. Infomedia 18 Ltd does not take any responsibility for loss or damage incurred or suffered by any subscriber of this magazine as a result of his/her accepting any invitation/offer published in this edition.

Business Insights •Technologies•Opportunities

NEWS, VIEWS & ANALYSIS

20 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

Advanced dry-air generators introduced by Motan Colortronic Motan-Colortronic Plastics

Machinery (India) Pvt Ltd has

introduced an extended range of

‘LUXOR A’ dry-air generators,

which are available in sizes of

80, 120 and 160 m³/hr.

Earlier, the company had dry-

air generators in the range of

250-2400 m³/hr. With these

additions, the range now includes

10 models suited for centralised

drying of all types of plastic

granulates, particularly of high-

end materials and engineering

plastics in frequently changing

batch sizes.

“Interactive menu navigation

is available via the clearly

arranged TFT touchscreen

colour monitor, considerably

easing operation. Users are able

to select all essential parameters

for their chosen material from

a pre-loaded databank. In

addition, in-house formulae

can be stored in a separate

databank,” informed Srikanth

Padmanabhan, Managing

Director, Motan-Colortronic

Plastics Machinery (India)

Pvt Ltd.

The company has added new

functions to these products, such

as conveying to up to 16 drying

bins and 24 machine material

loaders. Up to three conveyor

blowers can be employed and

any of these advanced versions

can easily be incorporated into

all available drying bin systems

from Motan. The drying bins

in the 100-2400 litre series have

been expanded by the LBA

system bins with a capacity of

15, 30 and 60 litre.

Anwesh Koley

LANXESS begins high-tech plastics production at Jhagadia To serve the growing markets of India

as well as Asia, LANXESS continues to

expand its production site at Jhagadia

(Gujarat). The specialty chemicals group

has invested nearly ` 490 crore and

created about 300 new jobs at the site.

The Semi-Crystalline Products (SCP)

business unit of LANXESS has started

production of its flagship high-tech

plastics brands Durethan (polyamide)

and Pocan (polybutylene terephthalate)

at the new plant in Jhagadia. These

products represent lighter-weight

plastic alternatives to metals and enable

carmakers & car parts suppliers to realise

considerable savings by providing less

costly production methods and easier

assembly. These are used by leading car

manufacturers including Tata Motors,

Volkswagen and Ford.

This underlines LANXESS’

commitment to the Indian subcontinent.

In the words of Dr Axel C Heitmann,

Chairman, Board of Management,

LANXESS, “By concentrating many of

our assets in Jhagadia, we are creating

a specialty chemicals hub catering to

the booming local market and the Asia

region, and there is potentially further

room for expansion at the site.”

Added Dr Werner Breuers,

Board Member, LANXESS, “Amid

megatrends such as need for sustainable

mobility, the future of LANXESS lies

in its specialisation to develop proactive

technologies, eg, green mobility

through high-performance plastics and

rubber products,” during the grand

inauguration ceremony. Further, Dr

Joerg Strassburger, Managing Director

and Country Representative, LANXESS

India, observed, “We see a promising

future for India ahead, with our customer

industries showing healthy growth rates.

This justifies our investments in India,

making it a manufacturing base for

world-class products.”

Jhagadia is LANXESS’ second largest

production site in India after its site in

Nagda in Madhya Pradesh. Jhagadia is

a state-of-the-art, 18-hectare site with

a fully automatic compounding line of

20,000-metric tonne capacity for the

SCP Business Unit.

Manas R Bastia

Die & Mould India-2012 sets the stage for high-end technology In its eighth edition, the Die & Mould India international

exhibition promises to provide a veritable platform for India’s

burgeoning die & mould industry to show its ability to

compete on an international level and a unique opportunity

to interact with various segments from the supply chain

that are integral to this industry. It is scheduled during

April 19-22, 2012, at Bombay Exhibition Centre, Goregaon, Mumbai.

While the manufacturing sector surges ahead, it must

focus on the die and mould industry considering its pivotal

role across manufacturing segments. As the industrial

growth of the country hinges greatly on the strength of the

manufacturing sector, the role of the die & mould industry

should be highlighted so as to ensure greater cognisance

among the government and trade circles. In view of the

upcoming fiscal budget, the exhibition is well timed with an

aim to further the prospects of this industry.

About organising the event, P N Surendranath, Executive

Director, TAGMA, said, “Die and mould forms a high-

end technology used in the manufacturing segment. It is

the starting point for manufacturing and also because it

covers the entire manufacturing sector from the largest to

the smallest. From development of product and prototype

to large-scale production, the impact of the die & mould

industry is felt throughout.”

Lionel Alva

Production begins with the symbolic press of a button (L-R) Dr Stassburger; Dr Michael Zobel, Head,

SCP Business Unit; Dr Leopold-Theodor Heldman, General Konsul of Germany in India; Dr Breuers; and Dr Dattaprasad Talekar, Site Head, Jhagadia

NEWS, VIEWS & ANALYSIS

22 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

Husky announces sale of Injectoplast to AlplaHusky Injection Molding Systems Ltd

has recently signed an agreement for

the sales of Injectoplast, the former

closure injection moulding operation

of KTW, to Alpla. Injectoplast was a

division of KTW, a closure mould maker

that Husky acquired in early 2011.

During acquisition of KTW, Husky had

announced divestment of Injectoplast

due to potential conflicts with its

existing injection moulding customers.

After completing a thorough process,

a deal was signed with Alpla Holding

GmbH. The deal is anticipated to

close before the end of the first quarter

of 2012.

Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd

is a leading global supplier of injection

moulding equipment and services to

the plastics industry. Alpla holding

GmbH, Austria, is part of Alpla Group

of Companies, Austria. Specialising in

plastics bottle designing and moulding,

Alpla now has a global presence in over

34 countries with 128 manufacturing plants.

KREYENBORG Group to debut advancements in backflush filtration at NPE 2012

As the global market leader for screen

changers, KREYENBORG offers the

appropriate machine for each filtration

application. The portfolio ranges from

discontinuous and continuous systems to

fully automatic backflush screen changers.

Screen changers with process, pressure and

volume flow constant method of operation

are unique in the market. These allow for

successful processing of highly contaminated

material to high-quality products in sensitive

applications. The underwater pelletising

systems of BKG Bruckmann and Kreyenborg

Granuliertechnik GmbH have proved their

excellence all over the world. These systems

are supplied with pelletiser, centrifugal drying,

water system and are ready-to-use. PLC

control is suited for all thermoplastic materials,

including production of micro-pellets.

Process throughput ranges are available from

2-80 kg/hr (Labline 100) to systems capable

of 35,000 kg/hr. For economical processing

of PET, BKG has developed CrystallCut®,

the Inline Crystallization System. With this

system, pelletising and crystallisation are

executed in one process step without the

need for additional energy.

At NPE 2012, the KREYENBORG

Group will present a diverse range of screen

changers and melt pumps, a discontinuous

infrared dryer IR-batch, as well as a BKG

CrystallCut® system for capacities up to

1,000 kg/hr.

Alok Masterbatches introduces pioneering products Alok Masterbatches has

introduced its latest range

of masterbatches for varied

plastics processing requirements.

Amit Puri, Director, Alok

Masterbatches, commented, “We

have introduced Gold standard

in black masterbatches, which are

essentially premium quality black

masterbatch with fine dispersion

for injection moulding, extrusion

and thin film application.”

The company also introduced anti-

microbial additive masterbatch,

which inhibits microbial growth,

thereby increasing the life of the

plastic product.

For the Fast Moving Consumer

Good (FMCG) industry, the

company has introduced two-tone

colour masterbatches, which offer

a wide range of colour options to

customers. Other products from

the company displayed at Plastindia

2012 include outdoor colours

(for external product application

with high light fastness) and

Magna Fil Ext, an additive filler

for woven sack application, which

increases elongation & strength

of tapes, drastically reduces dust

formation on looms and is to

be used in conjunction with

our filler masterbatches. “These

products will offer high flexibility

to plastics processors in terms of

their application and enable them

to distinguish their products in the

market,” added Puri.

Anwesh Koley

Honeywell opens new technology centre in India

Honeywell has opened a new technology

centre in Gurgaon to expand its technology

development capabilities in key areas such as

refining, petrochemical, low-global-warming

and nylon technologies & applications.

Besides, the centre will develop technology

for Aclar films for packaging, which has

special moisture barrier properties and

colour masterbatches. The facility has pilot

plants for developing and demonstrating

refining & petrochemical process technology

by UOP, part of Honeywell’s Performance

Materials & Technologies (PMT) strategic

business group.

“The new facility will allow Honeywell to

work with some of the brightest engineering

minds in India. It brings the development

of key technologies closer to our customers

in the region and complements our other

technology centres around the world,”

said Rajeev Gautam, President and Chief

Executive Officer, Honeywell UOP. The

inauguration ceremony was attended by

Jaipal Reddy, Minister of Petroleum &

Natural Gas, and other dignitaries. The new

technology centre will support Honeywell

UOP in developing and licensing process

technologies used in refining & production

of petrochemicals & renewable fuels.

Anwesh Koley

(L-R) Rajeev Gautam; Jaipal Reddy, Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas; with Jim Bujold, President, Honeywell India; and Mark Turowicz, Country Head,

Honeywell

NEWS, VIEWS & ANALYSIS

24 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

HPMC unveils innovative extruders At the recently held Plastindia 2012,

HPMC displayed its latest machinery for

the first time in India. The conical twin-

screw extruder for four pipes, a 24-m

long PVC pipe production line operating

continuously, silently and smoothly was

the major attraction. The machine can

produce four pipes of different weights

and diameters simultaneously from one

mould. A highly efficient machine, it

considerably reduces the production cost.

It has independently controlled vacuum

unit, haul-off and cutting unit for each

pipe, enabling smooth production of

four pipes of different sizes and weight

simultaneously.

Amit Kalra, Director, Hindustan

Plastics and Machine Corporation, said,

“The twin-screw extruder offers a range

of benefits to our customers, eg, efficient

energy transfer, high performance backing,

strength resistance to fatigue, increased

screw and barrel life and higher process

control.” In this extruder, all four pipes are

produced independently, reducing wastage.

It saves on labour and space, making it a

preferred choice of machine for conduit

pipe makers.

Anwesh Koley

Petainer’s ‘greenest ever’ refillable bottle Plastics packaging technology specialist

Petainer has developed a Polyethylene

Terephthalate (PET) refillable bottle,

claiming to further improve sustainability

of one of the most environment-friendly

forms of beverage packaging.

Nigel Pritchard,

Group Chief Executive

Officer, Petainer,

said, “The bottles are

‘eco-friendly’ because

these use up to 90 per

cent less virgin material

per filling. Introducing

post-consumer recyclate

means that the bottles

now require less energy

and other resources

to manufacture. These are economical in

the conventional sense, as environmental

benefits translate into lower costs. As

the cost of PET resins inexorably rises,

the economics of refillable bottles using

recycled material become even more

compelling.”

Petainer has recently developed

manufacturing technologies, which allow

more than 25 per cent of post-consumer

waste from used PET bottles to be

included in refillable bottles. The company

is now working on further improving the

use of post-consumer recyclate. Petainer

is working with bottled water companies,

carbonated drinks producers and brewers

across Europe to urge them to adopt

refillable bottles. The bottles are returned

to the retailer by the consumer after use,

and sent to the beverage manufacturer for

washing & refilling.

Avani Jain

Manufacturing Summit for empowerment of SMEs The contribution of Indian Small and

Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the

economic development of the country

cannot be overemphasised. In a fitting

tribute to this, SME Chamber of India

recently organised its national level annual

flagship event titled ‘SME Manufacturing

Summit 2012: Strategies and Initiatives

for Sustainable Growth’ in Mumbai.

The one-day summit was spread

over three plenary sessions: Challenges

and opportunities for SMEs, Strategies

for better growth and Support services

for better growth. While speaking on the

occasion, the Chief Guest, M Narendra,

Chairman & Managing Director,

Indian Overseas Bank, highlighted the

importance of Indian SMEs for the

Indian economy and the challenges faced

by this segment.

A jay S hankar, Member

Secretary, National Manufacturing

Competitiveness Council (NMCC),

Government of India, was the keynote

speaker. In his address to the audience,

he gave an overview of National

Manufacturing Policy (NMP) that aims

to take the growth of manufacturing

sector to 12-14 per cent, create 100

million jobs and increase the share of the

sector in India’s GDP to 25 per cent by

2022, from the current 16 per cent. “For

this, it is necessary to have a regulatory

environment that supports high birth

rate of new enterprises and also helps

SMEs to scale up and grow fast,”

he added.

Other dignitaries present at this

interactive forum of policy makers,

bankers and SMEs included Kewal

Handa, Managing Director, Pfizer Ltd;

R K Dubey, Executive Director, Central

Bank of India; Prashant Nagre, Chief

Operating Officer, Fermenta Biotech

Ltd; Jayesh Rambhia, President,

The All India Plastic Manufacturers’

Association; Dr Rajendra Abhyankar,

Former Secretary, Ministry of Foreign

Affairs; and Chandrakant Salunkhe,

President, SME Chamber of India.

Manas R Bastia

Ashland expands Plasdone™ PVP production Due to strong demand for Plasdone™ Polyvinyl Pyrrolidone (PVP), Ashland Inc will add new low-viscosity, pharma-grade PVP capacity at its manufacturing facility in the US. The new capacity will strengthen Ashland’s position in the market and enable it to support the growing needs of its pharma customers. Jeff Wolff, Group

Vice President, Pharmaceutical and Nutritional Specialties, Ashland Specialty Ingredients, said, “Over the next few years, Ashland expects steady growth in PVP driven by an industry need for formulation ingredients to improve the quality of finished drug products. We see strong growth in emerging markets, resulting from high demand for generic drugs and consumer demographics.”

M Narendra inaugurating the summit by lighting the lamp. (L-R) R K Dubey, Chandrakant

Salunkhe and Ajay Shankar

POST PLASTINDIA 2012

26 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

Clariant promotes sustainability and high-performance Keeping pace with the myriad ideas and

innovations afloat at Plastindia 2012,

Clariant announced the addition of

anti-microbial masterbatches based

on MedX anti-microbial agents from

SANITIZED® AG to its dedicated

Mevopur® range. This is a cutting-edge

solution to enhance the functionality and

minimise risk in product development

for pharmaceutical and medical

applications. Sahadeo Patil, Head-

Masterbatches, Clariant Chemicals

(India) Ltd, said, “Clariant’s masterbatch

solutions are supported by a controlled,

consistent and compliant approach

towards processing. This combines the

assurance of advanced performance

with cost-saving processing efficiency

and product safety to support the trend

towards high quality and sustainability

across all markets in the region.”

Annabel Dsouza

ExxonMobil Chemical showcases ‘Technology Leadership for Innovation’ theme

ExxonMobil Chemical, one of the

world’s premier petrochemical companies,

showcased its industry-leading polymer

solutions at PlastIndia 2012. These solutions

– Enable™ and Exceed™ metallocene

polyethylene resins, Vistamaxx™ propylene-

based elastomers, Santoprene™ thermoplastic

vulcanisates, Vistalon™ Ethylene Propylene

Diene (EPDM) rubber, ExxonMobil™

polypropylene resins, Exxtral™ polyolefins

and Achieve™ polymer resins – enable

innovation in packaging, automotive &

non-woven applications.

Aided by the technology leadership

and application expertise of ExxonMobil

Chemical, this product portfolio helps

customers meet changing market needs

and create higher value for end-use

applications. Enable™ resins offer a good

combination of film processing and higher

alpha olefin performance benefits in a single

resin. Exceed™ resins, besides offering

outstanding film performance, help create

value across the supply chain. Vistamaxx™

elastomers inspire new possibilities of wide

ranging flexible films, extrusion coatings

and lamination applications by delivering

enhanced levels of performance, processing

efficiencies & lower formulation costs.

ExxonMobil Chemical also

demonstrated its products in the

processing halls on machines from leading

manufacturers, where visitors could view

benefits such as downgauging in packaging

and lightweighting in automotive

applications. Present on this occasion,

Jeffrey S Beck, Global Marketing Manager,

Polyethylene, ExxonMobil Chemical,

emphasised on the company’s efforts in

developing and delivering sustainable

plastics packaging.

Manas R Bastia

High performance and sustainability go hand in hand at LANXESS LANXESS showcased its high-tech plastic

products and innovative technologies

at a 300-sq m-booth at Plastindia 2012.

The range of products included its Semi-

Crystalline Products (SCP), Inorganic

Pigments (IP) and Functional Chemicals

(FC) business units. While Durethan® and

Pocan® are from the SCP business unit,

Bayferrox® and Colortherm® represent its

IP business unit along with Macrolex®,

Mesamoll® and Ultramoll® from the FC

business unit. These products are used in

industries such as automotive, electronics,

paints and coatings, construction & textile.

Dr Joerg Strassburger, Managing

Director and Country Representative,

LANXESS India, said, “We are exhibiting

at Plastindia 2012 a range of LANXESS

products and their end-applications for

the plastics industry. Since the fair is

attended by our manufacturers, customers

and raw material suppliers, it is an ideal

platform to engage with them while

showing them our products through

their applications.” Further, Dr Christof

Krogmann, Vice President, SCP Business

Unit, Asia Pacific, LANXESS, added,

“There are many nations present at the

exhibition and it will further grow. It is

quite interesting and the right thing to do

in India is to represent our industry.”

LANXESS works closely with

automakers and automotive suppliers

towards green mobility by finding out

new applications of its high-performance

products.

Manas R Bastia

Toshiba optimistic about growth of all-electric machines Plastindia 2012 provided an opportunity for plastics machinery manufacturers to increase their ambit of operations, as well as meet prospective clients, as opined by Takashi Kamiyama, Managing Director, Toshiba Machine (India) Pvt Ltd. He added, “We have a range of injection moulding and die-casting machines on display with specific features to attract customers who value quality.”

Kamiyama was pleased to see the buoyant automotive industry in India, presenting enormous opportunities

to the injection moulding industry. “Major Japanese Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) are coming to India due to the rising demand here, and machinery manufacturers must be prepared to cater to their needs,” said Kamiyama. Toshiba displayed all-electric machines at the event. Kamiyama commented that all-electric machines are more expensive than the conventional ones, as environment-friendly characteristics of such machines make them a better choice in the long run.

Anwesh Koley

ExxonMobil Chemical offers a portfolio of products for automotive applications

(L-R) Dr Michael Zobel, Head, SCP business unit; Dr Werner Breuers, Board Member;

Dr Axel C Heitmann, Chairman, Board of Management; and Dr Strassburger

POST PLASTINDIA 2012

28 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

Manjushree stresses on increased automation in productionOne of the world’s largest events

on plastics, Plastindia exhibited a

high level of automation with

high-speed and high-production

machines. Vimal Kedia, Managing

Director, Manjushree Technopack Ltd,

said, “Automation is the need of the

hour, as availability of land is decreasing,

which hampers the potential to build

new capacities. Factors such as land

constraints, labour unavailability and

higher industry requirements have made

companies move towards faster and

more efficient machines.”

Automation helps make machines that

generate less waste, less carbon footprint

and consume less energy. it is the demand of

the day, driven by government regulations

and increased consumer awareness, and

events like Plastindia help generate and

sustain this awareness.

Anwesh Koley

Rajoo unveils state-of-the-art technology

Rajoo Engineers showcased its

latest blown film lines at Plastindia

2012. The primary attraction was a

14.5-m tall five-layer blown film line.

It was the only blown film line on the

show running barrier films, among other

films, with trimless winding, a feature

that results in high material savings.

This film line had an output ranging

from 400 kg per hour for an 80-micron

barrier film with gauge variation of

±3 per cent, to 600 kg per hour for a

70-micron collation shrink film with

gauge variation of ≤3 per cent.

The extrusion giant welcomed

visitors at its booth, which sprawled

over 730-sq m area with engaging

graphics, well-depicted instruments

and live demonstrations of their barrier

film production. It displayed the biggest

and the world’s smallest multilayer

plant. “For Rajoo, this show is not a

destination, but a journey to further our

commitment to the extrusion industry

and continue to serve this industry while

being recognised as a quality and reliable

supplier in the world market,” said Sunil

Jain, President, Rajoo Engineers Ltd.

Anwesh Koley

France emphasises on innovationThe French Pavilion at Plastindia 2012

served as an ideal point of confluence

for Indian demand to leverage European

technology. The French Pavilion, set

up by Ubifrance and the French Trade

Commission in India, saw 11 French

companies exhibiting their solutions for

the plastics industry. Corelco, a leading

French manufacturer of corrugated

pipes and netting extrusion lines,

displayed its latest production lines for

pre-wired electrical components. The

netting extrusion process uses a knife

and as anvil head for rotary die-cutting,

allowing production of various netting

materials, which can be used in the

burgeoning manufacturing sectors of

India, eg, construction, agriculture, etc.

Joseph Vitello, Sales Director, Corelco,

said, “The process of stretching the

strands is known as mono- and bi-

orientation. These processes enhance

the mechanical properties of the end-

product. At Plastindia 2012, we aim to

boost international expansion and meet

local partners in the Indian market.”

Plastpolis, France’s leading plastics

innovation cluster, exhibited a range

of ideas and innovations at Plastindia

2012. With leading companies,

R&D centres, training institutions

and investors, Plastpolis facilitated

its expertise and solutions to India’s

small- & medium-sized businesses

to intensify trade between the two

countries in plastics engineering

and technology.

Annabel Dsouza

Unique collaboration between BASF and Hyundai for one-of-a-kind concept car

BASF’s booth at Plastindia 2012

was abuzz with waves of visitors.

The centre of attraction was the i-flow,

the one-of-a-kind concept car, based

on a unique collaboration between

BASF and Hyundai Motor Group.

The spectacular design of the i-flow

has a wide range of innovative features

beneficial to the environment as well

as eye-opening to many carmakers and

car lovers.

According to BASF, its contributions

to the i-flow allow greater fuel efficiency,

reduced environmental impact,

freedom of design and greater comfort

& safety. As a result, the concept

car offers vital new approaches to

sustainable mobility. Further, due to

these energy-efficient contributions

in the i-flow project, BASF has been

granted the ÖkoGlobe award, an

international environmental award

in the area of mobility, sponsored by

the University of Duisburg-Essen and

spearheaded by automotive expert Prof

Ferdinand Dudenhöffer.

Some of the key constituents

of this concept car include Ultramid®

Balance, a polyamide; Luquafleece®, a

moisture-absorbing material; Elastollan®,

a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer;

BASF polyurethane material Elastoskin®;

a new catalyst from BASF that combines

four technologies to cut emissions in just

two components; pigments from BASF’s

Sicotan®, Sicopal® & Lumogen® ranges;

and Steron®, an innovative soft-touch

coating technology; among others.

Manas R Bastia

BASF officials posing with the i-flow during its exclusive preview in India

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

30 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

New resins to reinforce thermoplastics portfolio for healthcare SABIC has launched new grades

including High-Density Polyethylene

(HDPE) resin featuring high flow

properties, which can significantly

reduce injection moulding cycle times

for a number of healthcare products.

With a melt flow rate of 30 g/10 min,

SABIC® HDPE PCG300054 provides

significant processing advantages that

yield lower system costs for healthcare

product manufacturers.

SABIC® HDPE PCG300054 resin is

typically suitable for injection moulding

thin-walled, long-flow parts such as

disposable syringe pistons, as well as caps

and closures for medical and pharmaceutical

packaging. High-flow facilitates complete

mould filling and enables the use of thin-

wall geometries that cool rapidly in order

to reduce the cycle time. This translucent

resin balances stiffness with good levels of

environmental stress cracking resistance

to ensure durability under a variety of

usage conditions.

Extrusion blow moulding with special air managementExtrusion mould specialist fhw-moulds

GmbH has developed a special solution

for removing air from extrusion moulds

and proves its innovative strength. This

brand new, optimised product is perfectly

adapted to blow moulders’ requirements

for improved cycle time.

The new extrusion mould for a 20-

litre jerry can is vented in all four corners,

and vacuum can be used to increase

the ventilation effect. The vent is cut

across the entire height of the mould

corner to eliminate the occurrence of

marks on the finished part. In this way,

entrapped air can be removed quickly

and effectively.

During extrusion blow moulding,

cycle times are completely dependent

on mould cooling times. The new

mould design with corner venting

allows significant cuts in cycle times.

Due to the optimised cycle times, the

additional costs for this special mould

have a short payback time.

An additional benefit of this

solution is that exchangeable corners

can accommodate different designs of

hollow plastic products, which translates

into more versatility and cost-efficiency

for blow moulders.

STEER launches compounding pelletising system

Super Production Line (SPL 40)

launched by STEER is a compounding

pelletising system comprising a co-

rotating twin-screw extruder with a

feeder, strand die head, water trough, air

knife, pelletiser and classifier. Built with

emphasis on reliability and safety to

cater to dynamic needs of the industry

arising of unscheduled/unplanned

requirements for small quantities,

control over Work-In-Progress (WIP)

during grade change and power failures,

the lean operation feature of the

system allows effective testing of new

formulations with minimum wastage.

SPL 40 is precision manufactured

using CAD/CAM technology. The

line is designed through the Six Sigma

process to ensure zero defects in

product quality. It finds applications in

colour and performance masterbatches,

pre-coloured compounds for auto &

appliance parts, modified polypropylene

and high-impact polystyrene.

Super production lines exemplify

engineering excellence in EPZ products

with STEER’s expertise in metallurgy,

and focus on minimising wear &

tear and corrosion in processing and

ensuring higher conformity to quality

& production efficiency.

New flexible packaging films by LINPAC PackagingLINPAC Packaging has launched two

new Polypropylene (PP) film solutions

for packaging fresh meat, poultry and

fish. The two solutions – LINtop PP HB

Lock Seal and LINtop PP HB Peelable

– meet the best shelf-life targets in the

PP market. Both product solutions are

formulated to seal various PP trays, run

smoothly in machines and seal through

contamination to ensure a safe and

secure pack.

The lock-seal film option is available

in two gauges, 35 μ and 42 μ; of these,

35 μ is the lowest gauge available on

the market, ensures cost savings and

a low carbon footprint in line with

retailers’ sustainability strategies.

LINtop PP HB Lock Seal outperforms

other films’ anti-fog qualities and has

excellent transparency for good on-shelf

presentation. LINtop PP HB Peelable

film offers safe and easy peelability,

as it peels away in one piece from the

tray. It is in line with the best market

offerings for anti-fog efficiency and

oxygen barrier and outperforms most

films for transparency qualities. These

are engineered to perform to a high

standard and have a low gauge to

minimise their environmental footprint.

LINtop film solutions are easy to

handle and complement a wide range of

PP trays, driving efficiency on the factory

floor, thus providing long shelf-life to

food products, helping retailers reduce

their waste and keeping food fresh

for longer.

TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER

32 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

Technology Offered

Conversion of batch-poly plant to C P plant A company from China is interested in providing consultancy

for the modification of batch-poly plant to C P plant like

polyester plant, polyester chip or direct spinning.

Areas of applicationChemical fibre and plastics

Forms of transferTurnkey

Plastic recycling technologies using organic and inorganic compounds An Iranian company offers plastic recycling technologies using

organic and inorganic compounds. This idea is based on the

principle of water electrolysis in which sodium chloride is kept

in proximity of turpentine/pine oil and plastics.

Areas of applicationPlastics recycling

Forms of transferOthers

Plastic recycling technologies An Iranian company is willing to provide plastic recycling

technologies using urea and ammonium carbonate and

synthetic ammonia.

Areas of applicationPlastics recycling

Forms of transferTechnology licensing

Share and Solicit TechnologyThe mission of Modern Plastics & Polymers is to spread the technology culture. Here is an opportunity to be a part of this endeavour by sending your technology on offer or technology requirements. If you belong to any of these two categories, you are invited to furnish the techno-commercial details for publication. The write-up needs to be as per the format of this section with information about the particular technology offered or requested, its areas of application and forms of transfer.

Contact: Modern Plastics and PolymersInfomedia 18 Ltd, ‘A’ Wing, Ruby House, J K Sawant Marg, Dadar (W) Mumbai 400 028. Tel: 022-3003 4671 • Fax: 022-3003 4499 Email: [email protected]

As part of our endeavour to spread the technology culture, this section provides a means to promote and facilitate exchange of select technologies. We strive to bring together suppliers of such technologies

with suitable users for negotiations and industrial collaboration.

Disposal and recycling of plastic waste A Polish firm seeks the technology for dry processing of all

kinds of plastic waste or a magnetic processing method in the

electrostatic field. The technology should allow sorting of all kinds

of plastic materials, hay-silage foils, PET, HDPE, PVC, etc, by

excluding dangerous waste. Specific technical requirements include

initial cleaning without the use of water, sorting of all kinds of

plastic materials after cleaning in a closed system, and a maximum

processing capacity of 10,000 tonne of waste per annum.

Areas of applicationPlastics industry, waste recycling, waste management

Forms of transferOthers

Lab-scale non-woven and monofilament plant An Indian company is looking for a lab-scale, non-woven and

monofilament plant in a single station.

Areas of applicationPlastics

Forms of transferOthers

Plastic recycling technologies A Sri Lankan company is seeking the latest plastic recycling

technologies, especially for automatic sorting, washing, metal

detection, granulation process system, washing plants, crushers,

extruders, etc.

Areas of applicationPlastics recycling

Forms of transferOthers

Information courtesy: Information courtesy: Dr Krishnan S Raghavan, In-Charge, Technology Transfer Services Group, United Nations - Asian and Pacifi c Centre for Transfer of Technology (APCTT), APCTT Building, C-2, Qutab Institutional Area, New Delhi 110 016, Tel: 011 - 2696 6509, Fax: 011 - 2685 6274, Email: [email protected], Website: www.apctt.org

For more information on technology offers and requests, please log on to www.technology4sme.net and register with your contact details. This is a free of cost platform provided by APCTT for facilitating interaction between buyers and seekers of technologies across the globe. After submitting technology offer or request to this website, you are requested to wait for at least two weeks for receiving a response from a prospective buyer / seeker through this website, before contacting APCTT for further assistance.

Technology Requested

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IN CONVERSATION WITH: S V Kabra

36 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

…believes S V Kabra, Chairman & Managing Director, Kabra Extrusion Technik and Plastiblends India Ltd and Founder, Kolsite Group of Companies. With over five decades of experience and excellence in the plastics materials and machinery industry, he shares his views and visions on the role of plastics industry in the nation’s surging economy, in an exclusive interaction with Annabel Dsouza.

“In future, more responsible use of plastics will grow and

fuel industry growth”

“In future, more responsible use of plastics will grow and

fuel industry growth”

S V Kabra

37March 2012 | Modern Plastics & Polymers

What are the opportunities for engineering industry in India’s growing economy?Industry sources state that the Indian

manufacturing industry in terms of resin

processing needs to invest $ 10 billion in

plant and equipment (excluding buildings)

by 2016 to accommodate overall demand

from construction and infrastructure

segments. This works out to processors

investing $ 3-4 million per day for the next

six years. Key focus areas are machines

for all types of pipes used in agriculture,

including water management and drip

irrigation as well as in the infrastructure,

housing, gas and telecommunication

segment.

In an uncertain global investment climate, how can the Indian plastics industry expand further?Indian plastics industry is mainly driven

by the domestic demand. This has its

own merits and demerits. We are mostly

insulated from global economic shocks

but, at the same time, are taking measures

to cool down the inflation and enhance

capital accessibility for new projects.

Use of plastics in the agricultural sector

is expanding rapidly. Micro-Irrigation

Projects (MIP) and the pipe industry are

growing at a rapid pace. Food demand is

growing as a result of population growth

and expanding middle class due to

increasing prosperity in the economy. As

land is becoming scarcer, the focus will be

on advanced farming to meet increasing

food demand. This will increase the use

of plastics in greenhouses, shade nets,

pipes, drip irrigation sectors. As per the

11th plan estimates, an additional area of

10,58,000 hectare needs to be brought

under drip irrigation, increasing the total

land covered to 28,50,000 hectare. These

steps will increase the market demand for

drip irrigation pipes.

How can Indian entrepreneurs introduce international standards of innovations in the domestic market?Introducing international standards in

the domestic market is a challenging

task. This year, Kabra Extrusion Technik

(KET) acquired 15 per cent stakes in

the US-based Gloucester Engineering

Company Inc (GEC), which will help

KET to attain technology and expertise in

high-end blown film plants. We have also

been associated with the US-based Drip

Research Technology Services (DRTS),

which provides drip irrigation machinery

and technology to independent drip

irrigation manufacturers across the globe.

For Chlorinated Polyvinyl Chloride

(CPVC) twin downstream line is being

manufactured as per design specifications

of our joint venture partner American

Maplan Corporation USA – pioneers in

CPVC technology. These collaborations

will enable us to provide our customers

with the Indian machinery meeting

international standards.

What are the challenges confronting the industry today?

Higher interest rates and availability

of funds result in immense pressure on

the industry as it competes with players

from developed countries, as well as

with China. The government must

devise mechanisms to find a way out

of this situation, as increasing interest

rates and Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR)

changes hurt the industry in the global

context even though these are proven

effective tools for controlling inflation.

As tax structure anomalies hurt the

organised sector, Goods and Services

Tax (GST) implementation will bring

level playing fields.

MIPs are suffering due to delays

in reimbursement of subsidies

from the government, particularly

in the southern region such as

Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and

Tamil Nadu, which results from of

political instability.

Sharp fluctuations in exchange rates

deeply hurt raw material imports and

finished goods exports.

How important is environmental conservation and community welfare for the growth of a company?Plastics have earned notoriety as being

harmful to the environment. The actual

problem lies with waste management

systems. To sustain the growing needs of

an exponentially expanding population,

we need to use plastics that are a versatile

alternative to metal and paper products.

Plastics is a useful material across

a majority of industry sectors;

moreover, responsible waste management

is an important factor. The rise in

population results in increased waste;

hence, disposal of waste in a proper way

is required. Plastics helps save fuel and

energy as it helps make lighter weight

components for various machines,

vehicles and aircrafts. In future, more

responsible use of plastics will grow and

fuel industry growth.

How has your journey been as an entrepreneur in the plastics industry?Kolsite Group has completed 50 years

of its journey, which has had a humble

beginning. We had started with

minimum resources as a small-scale

unit working under various restraints,

controls, licences and permit laws.

Although it was impossible to have

access to technology from Europe or

the US, we were determined to face the

challenges. We were dependent on our

in-house developmental activities, which

yielded success and good dividends

later on. The hardships we faced made

us more determined to succeed. After

liberalisation, the process of getting

access to technology and global markets

became easier and we were able to

accelerate our growth.

Where do you see Kolsite group in the next decade?With our leadership position in the

industry, we will continue to excel in the

fields we are present in. The growing

influence of India in global markets will

provide more opportunities for us to

develop and grow as a global player. We

will continue to invest heavily to shape

a better future for our industry and will

seize all opportunities made available to

us by a vibrant Indian economy.

Email: [email protected]

Dies & Moulds

39February 2012 | Modern Plastics & Polymers

Precision tooling:

Combining accuracy with speed ..............................................................................................40

Tool design:

Leveraging technolgy for cost benefit ......................................................................................42

Quality assessment:

Analysing performance, optimising throughput

Courtesy: Carl Zeiss India ..........................................................................................................46

Interface:

Ajay Verma, VP - Value Solutions, Dassault Systèmes .............................................................48

SPECIAL FOCUS

39March 2012 | Modern Plastics & Polymers

40 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

SPECIAL FOCUS: Precis ion tool ing

The global arena has become

extremely competit ive

with increased emphasis

on reducing lead times,

cutting down costs and wastage while

ensuring a qualitatively high output to

stay afloat. Owing to an increasing

focus on reliability and accuracy, the

need for precision equipment has

also risen to a considerable extent.

Therefore, the quality of precision

dies and moulds as well as the time

taken to design these leave an impressive

insignia on the production process.

The nature of success in the die and

mould industry begins with selection

of the right tool, but that would only

be the beginning. The intricacies of

designing complex machine parts entail

a difficult and arduous task that can

only be accomplished with technological

sophistication. Notably, the culture

of die making has changed because,

parallelly, there are many people

working on several processes related

to the production. Also, the nature of

designing precision machinery and tools

has undergone a paradigm shift as has

that of the tool maker since success in

die and mould machining begins with

choosing the right tool. However, this

does not end there, as now one must

also have a complete understanding of

the entire production process and how

to use equipment effectively to improve

productivity & profitability.

Role of softwareMachining problems are complex and

designing of complex machine parts &

tools requires maintaining a fine balance of

software as well as hardware so as to acquire

a harmony of manufacturing principles.

With the advent of computer and

information technology, manufacturing

process is moving towards the realisation

of a more automated approach

and an ideal design process with a highly

integrated approach that utilises software

to a great extent. Today, a variety of

Computer Aided Design or Computer

Aided Manufacturing (CAD/CAM)

software are available, which have become

an integral part of the plastics industry.

This software has allowed product

Machining of precision dies and moulds requires adopting highly sophisticated technology with a high degree of accuracy. Intense global competition in a high-stakes market provides a veritable challenge for the industry to live up to. Lionel Alva highlights the dynamics of the precision tooling industry today while providing insights into future trends.

Combining accuracy with speed

41March 2012 | Modern Plastics & Polymers

Precis ion tool ing

designers and mould makers to work

more efficiently. Complete enterprise

solutions are available today that allow

manufacturers to work more efficiently.

The aim of an effective CAD/CAM

solution is that tooling operations

commence prior to completion of the

design process, allowing considerable

reduction in the lead time for new

product development while cutting down

on development costs. Thus, with the

application of computer technology and

information technology, the moulding

process is moving towards realisation of

computer-integrated manufacturing.

Gopal Krishna Varier, General

Manager Operations, Vasantha Tool

Crafts Pvt Ltd, avers, “Software play a

major role in the mould manufacturing

industry, right from the concept level

to marketing of the product. Some of

the widely used software include Pro-

Engineers, Unigraphics, AutoCAD,

mould flow analysis, etc. With these

software, one can visualise the product

in totality before proceeding to the next

step.” He continues, “One can make

rapid prototypes by using these software

and present these moulds to the decision

makers. By using the simulation software,

one can check for assembly among various

parts and remove the bugs, if present.

These software are helpful at every stage

to preview the product/application and

take necessary corrective actions.”

Current trends and demand drivers With optimistic forecasts, the mould

manufacturing industry envisages a

healthy high growth with the rising

demand for high-quality plastics.

This is further led on by a surge in

demand for high surface finish and

precision moulds with shorter moulding

cycles to achieve optimum productivity

and quality. The key considerations

for moulding machines are tonnage,

clearance between platen, injection

pressure, distance between tie bars,

height of closed mould, height of fully

open mould, etc. The final mould design

cannot be created until the final product

design is complete.

Processing complexity include

filling, cooling, shrinkage, warpage, etc.

The cooling system must be capable

of meeting the requirements of the

application. The injection mould

manufacturing process includes

machining of steel plates, converting

flats and rounds to core/cavity inserts and

other critical parts with Computer

Numerical Control (CNC) milling,

CNC Electrical Discharge Machining

(EDM), CNC Wirecut, etc. Reducing

the amount of metal used, minimising

the wall thickness of plastic products

and improving the efficiency of the

final product are also challenging

and require continued effort

through research.

The current trend indicates the

demand for injection moulds in the

following categories:

High-cavitation moulds with reduced

cycle time increase productivity

Fully hot runner system eliminate

wastage of plastic raw material and

increase cycle time

Valve gate system for fast fill rate or

lower clamp tonnage requirements

In-mould closing system for high

cavitation, caps and closures and

FTP caps increases productivity and

reduces the process cost

Bi-colour moulds, moulding two

polymer with multi-colours with

aesthetic appearance and flexibility

Multi-cavity stack mould for

increasing productivity

Quality assurance is imperative for any

mould manufacturing operations and

quality begins at the start of each project

right from the raw material and ends

with successful mould qualification

to the satisfaction of customer. The

design review and manufacturability is

performed to ensure complete success

of the project. Varier elaborates, “Drip

irrigation, automobile manifolds (intake/

out-take), micro-motors, medical,

pharmaceutical, fast-moving consumer

goods, thin-walled packaging, electrical

and many more sectors are emerging as

new areas for creating more demand for

plastics & moulds. In general, in many

sectors, several metal parts are being

replaced by plastic parts due to the

versatility in processing/manufacturing

and also various other advantages offered

by plastics.”

Reliable productivity Over the years, the demand for precision

equipment has risen across all segments

owing to the inherent advantages these

offer. These are more reliable, accurate,

productive and require less manpower.

Although investments are high, the

advantages offered by these equipment

are enormous. However, care must

be taken to justify the nature of such

equipment and their role in reducing

wastage as well as keenly scrutinising

the cost of production. Areas of

improvement could be gauged through

a pre- and post-production analysis, and

the need for such equipment could be

assessed. Today, moulding machines,

extrusion machines, tool room machines

have become more accurate and

offer all the advantages mentioned

earlier, thus leading to faster delivery of

the product.

Email: [email protected]

Gopal Krishna VarierGeneral Manager Operations, Vasantha Tool Crafts Pvt Ltd

Some of the widely used software include Pro-Engineers, Unigraphics, AutoCAD, mould fl ow analysis, etc. With these software, one can visualise the product in totality before proceeding to the next step.

SPECIAL FOCUS: Tool design

42 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

Tool design in contemporary

times depends greatly upon

a keen understanding of

the overall manufacturing

process as well as the properties that

a specific part would need to imbibe

within itself depending on the operating

environment besides other design

implications. Thus, it is imperative that

tool designers are aware of the intricacies

of the production process, including a

clear knowledge of the mould and die

making process.

Tool designers must also acquire

laboratory reports of physical tests run

for plastic materials. In view of the great

degree of skill required in tool making,

it is difficult to find a toolmaker that

possesses the necessary know-how.

Tool design considerationsIn general, most plastics designers have a

good understanding of the manufacturing

process used in plastics despite its varied

and complex nature. While a decade

ago, design and engineering consisted

of about 10 per cent of the cost of a

generic mould, in recent times, the cost

of a mould is higher. Apparently, the

changing dynamics of tool design has

resulted in the need for an overhaul

of the conventional approach, where

there is a renewed focus on engineering,

depicting a more pragmatic approach.

A tool designer should consider

various aspects that can have a strong

impact on the functional and design

properties of the plastic parts. These may

include the plastic material, shrinkage

and the process equipment. The various

cost factors would be as follows:

Complexity of the shape of part

Features in the part

Overall size of the part

Undercuts in the part

Surface finish required

Tolerances on dimensions

of parts

The aim of an effective tool design is

to minimise or eliminate the possibility

of a poor initial design considering its

significant impact in terms of affecting

production cycles, reducing expenses

and the possibility of product failure as

well as overall impact on marketshare.

This helps in achieving the objective of

functional part design in the shortest

possible time frame, thus enhancing the

overall production and reducing costs.

Moreover, intense competition is a key

factor that has significantly changed the

approach towards tool design.

Sambit Pradan, Manager-Business

Development, Asia Pacific, Geometric

Ltd, notes, “The life of a tool is one of

the prime considerations and is based

The cost of a specific machine part hinges greatly on its design before it is produced. Here, a pivotal step is to have a clear idea of end-user requirements and also consider the working environment so that the design befits the scenario. Lionel Alva assesses the effects of tool design on the overall cost of plastics processing.

44 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

on the number of parts to be produced.

Different techniques are adopted for

tool design depending on the number of

parts to be produced within the expected

cycle time. Another critical aspect is the

dimensional accuracy within a multi-

cavity design, and this has a strong

impact on the overall life of the tool.”

Computer-aided tool design and automation In recent times, sophisticated technology

has helped reduce manual labour and also

the complexity of tool design to an extent.

It is the development of Computer-

Aided Design (CAD) systems that is

filling the void of the exquisite nature of

tooling designers who are fast reducing

in number. The reason for this change is

that various techniques have evolved that

use computer design systems, enabling

the following:

Parametric modeling techniques

and the use of standard library

components help create Three-

Dimensional (3D) models faster

Design rules being embedded at

the design stage instead of utilising

the conventional labour-intensive

design guidelines approach

The use of CAM technology

directly on 3D models for tool

manufacturing

Complete enterprise solutions with

customisations in CAD/Computer-

Aided Manufacturing (CAM) to

address specific needs

Furthermore, plastics manufacturers

use numerically controlled machining

centres – Computer–based Numerically

Controlled (CNC) machining centres

– besides CAD systems.

“Automation of design is pivotal to

ensure the desired output. However, the

intricacies of tool design require that

several iterations are made to create

optimum design and also to allow

for part changes. It thus makes for

an arduous task that requires a great

degree of scrutiny,” avers Avinash Shah,

Engineer, Finetech Engineers.

The development of such

technologies has provided immense

help for manufacturing the tool,

thus making the process more consistent

and productive. This makes it easier

for younger entrants in the profession

to manage the trade since the quality

of tool components today is looked

at as a function of the equipment

rather than being a process that is

skill intensive.

Building effective prototypesWhile the cost of a mould varies greatly

since its cost ranges anywhere from

less than $ 1000 for a low-production

prototype to more than $ 500,000 for

a high-production mould. Considering

these high costs, there is little room for

trial and error since it could deviate the

entire production process. Therefore,

prototyping is generally used to test

the efficacy of smaller part designs

depending on the circumstances;

however, this may be quite expensive in

the long run.

Some of the alternatives to manual

prototypes:

CAD system: It includes engineering

that allows a tool designer to work

with a 3D computer model of the tool

being designed.

Finite element analysis: This

system uses computer-aided techniques

to evaluate the worthiness of a tool.

Rapid prototyping: Producing rapid

prototype models for evaluation and

testing is a topic of great interest in

many manufacturing industries and is

fast gaining prominence. This system

uses a 3D computer drawing.

Cost-effective design A highly competitive environment has

led to a paradigm shift in a crucial

cost-effective process such as tool

design. The focus of manufacturing

is to reduce lead times by as much as

possible, which has paved the way for

the use of innovative techniques that are

time-saving while also ensuring quality

output. This marks a new era in the

field of automation and also allows for a

streamlined production process.

Email: [email protected]

Sambit PradanManager Business Development, Asia Pacifi c, Geometric Ltd

The life of a tool is one of the prime considerations and is based on the number of parts to be produced. Different techniques are adopted for tool design depending on the number of parts to be produced within the expected cycle time.

Tool design

Avinash ShahEngineer, Finetech Engineers

Automation of design is pivotal to ensure the desired output. However, the intricacies of tool design require that several iterations are made to create optimum designand also to allow for part changes.

46 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

SPECIAL FOCUS: Qual i ty assessment

Today, high-precision parts

are made of plastics or

composite materials to reduce

cost and weight and increase

productivity. These components are

used in almost all fields – automotive,

telecommunications and medical. Thus,

to meet quality demands, the products

must be meticulously verified, for which

a suitable measuring system is required

to measure and assure quality of not only

the final product, but also before bulk

production of the same.

Measure of efficiency Tooling and mould can be measured using

the conventional Coordinate Measuring

Machine (CMM). This machine can

measure almost all dimensional features

including the intricate features.

Throughput of manufacturing plastics

during the injection moulding procedure

has increased considerably, particularly

through the use of multiple cavities. These

are often an ideal solution when high

production volume has to be achieved

at low cost. With such high throughput,

proper alignment and insertion of the

tools is vital. The tool is approved for

serial production after process reliability is

achieved; thus, quality assurance demands

measuring equipment that can flexibly

and quickly deliver informative results.

Contact sensors can measure many

dimensional features, but not small

profiles. For small features, a camera-

based system is an ideal solution. A

combination of contact and optical sensor

(multi-sensor system) increases efficiency

in inspection of small, complex parts as

well as small tools & cavities of a mould.

Operators can alternate between optical

and contact measurements without

interrupting the CNC run. Multi-sensor

systems are especially used for quality

assurance and initial sampling of small,

complex parts in the plastics industry.

The CMM can be optimised

for better productivity to reduce

downtime of tool manufacturing

and mould making by automating

the measurement process with Computer

Numerical Control (CNC) measurement

run and fixturing. The software with

direct Computer-Aided Design (CAD)

(plan versus actual) comparison will help

the quality assurance unit to provide

quick feedback.

Unveiling the interiorsAs a supplement to conventional

technologies in testing and measurement,

Industrial Computed Tomography (CT)

creates the possibility of completely

capturing a part, assessing the interior

& exterior. This provides the user with

all evaluation possibilities at a glance, in

a short time and without harming the

component. CT helps to non-destructively

measure and make visible features and

The quality of plastic parts needs to be thoroughly verified so that these yield optimum performance. Assessment of part quality manufactured requires the use of appropriate measuring systems for ensuring the exact quality demands and that the best of products reach the end customer.

Analysing performance, optimising throughput

Coordinate measuring machine

Courtesy: Carl Zeiss India

47March 2012 | Modern Plastics & Polymers

Qual i ty assessment

structures from the interior of materials & parts, such as material

defects (crack, bubbles, gas, porosities, inclusions, etc) and internal

workpiece features or geometries that cannot be probed.

Existing measuring technology permits optical, contact and,

occasionally, laser measurements. Currently, parts are ground

to expose different layers and a two-dimensional section is

measured. Generally, it takes up to 40 hour for the initial sample

test report of a part. Use of CT for the same significantly

reduces time to 40 minute. The evaluation can be done offline

with measurement software. Thus, under optimal conditions,

initial sample test reports with several cavities can be compiled

in one day.

Performance testing Due to shrinkage, parts correspond exactly to the negative of

their models. The tools are made using an iterative process that

often consists of up to 10 steps. CT enables a clear reduction

in the number of these cycles by using direct ‘Tool Correction’

function of the measurement software. Thus, deviations from the

nominal geometry are not only recognised, but also reflected on

the nominal surface. This represents the level of shrinkage in the

model, and integrates the measurement immediately into the tool

correction process. The reduction in the number of tool correction

leads directly to faster availability of the parts on the market,

and hence shorter innovation cycles. Besides metrology, non-

destructive testing and defect analysis – assembly checks – can be

done; the production process can be optimised & monitored; and

products can be quickly & easily checked for defects.

Small plastic and electronic devices have to meet increasingly

higher design and quality requirements. Shorter product lifecycles

place high demands on development and production process.

The aesthetically shaped prototypes must be repeatedly checked

for compliance with design specifications, which is practically

impossible with the conventional measuring technology. Here,

CT helps develop high-quality products in a short time for volume

production.

CT measurement is not only faster, but the quality of the

measuring results also improves considerably because the parts

no longer need to be destroyed. Till date, quality inspectors had

to dissect or cast the parts to check their internal features, which

often caused distortion of the final parts. CT generates a three-

dimensional image that displays all internal and external features

in a short time.

Assurance of qualityMost measurement software provide interfaces to statistics

software. These software can be utilised for order-related

archiving of all measurement data captured. This data can be

easily accessed years later and utilised for statistical evaluation.

Hence, each process is fully monitored and traceable, which is

the key to quality assurance.

Courtesy: Carl Zeiss India – Industrial Measuring Technology Division

48 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

What are the recent trends in die & mould technology for plastics processing?The plastics industry has grown

and touched every facet of our lives

– from packaging of daily use items to

products with enhanced functionalities

in agriculture, housing, healthcare,

automotives, consumer durables and

infrastructure. The industry has occupied

a unique position in meeting the growing

material needs of consumers. It has

the ability to compete on a global scale

by absorption of new technology and

lean manufacturing practices. There is

immense scope to boost production of

machines, moulds, auxiliary equipment

and dies, as Indian manufacturers strive

to be cost-effective and focus on better

quality & technology.

In which applications of plastics do you see emerging demand for precision moulds?As the moulding industry moves towards

high-precision and multi-functional

component moulding, the demand is

increasing for use of Computer-Aided

Engineering (CAE) technologies to

shorten product development cycle

and improve product quality. Mould

flow analysis technologies can be used

as valuable tools for solving product

design, mould design and process-related

problems to enhance product quality &

productivity in the moulding industry.

What are your R&D initiatives towards die & mould design?At Dassault Systèmes (DS), Research and

Development (R&D) is a fundamental

function to have a perpetual edge over its

competitors. DS invests 23 per cent of its

revenues in R&D. Over 25 per cent of the

R&D staff is in India and is consistently

growing. Today, the plastics industry is

interwoven with some other key markets

that we operate in, eg, use of moulded

plastics in the automotive or aerospace

industry. DS engages in extensive work

of this nature to ensure that the complete

product for these businesses adheres to

precision engineering standards demanded

by the market.

How does DS keep pace with tooling solutions for high-speed plastics moulding machinery?Our success in the Indian market

lies in the combination of significant

Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)

implementations, the competitive

advantages of our brands, the performance

of our distribution channels and the

investments we make to enhance our

performance and long-term opportunities.

We have created solutions to address

different stages of product development

in not only core industries, but also in the

plastics industry.

For instance, CATIA Mechanical

products and solutions help create

any type of Three-Dimensional (3D)

assemblies for a wide range of mechanical

engineering processes, eg, casting and

forging, plastic injection & other moulding

operations, composites part design and

manufacturing, machined and sheetmetal

part design as well as advanced welding &

fastening operations.

Email: [email protected]

…opines Ajay Verma, VP – Value Solutions, Dassault Systèmes. He shares how plastics has emerged as a strategic commodity and finds applications in virtually every aspect of the industrial and household environment. In a conversation with Annabel Dsouza, he stresses how rapid technological development in materials, machinery, processes and products offers new opportunities for this industry in India.

“The industry has occupied a unique position in meeting

the growing material needs of consumers”

SPECIAL FOCUS: Inter face - A jay Verma

India is not far behind in the

global race for enhanced plastics

application in automotives. The

automotive industry in India is

currently growing at a Compounded

Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of about

8 per cent, while the automotives plastics

industry is surging ahead at a CAGR

of about 13 per cent, clearly reflecting

the promises and potential within this

sector. Among the prominent players

in the Indian automotive space, Bright

Autoplast Ltd has emerged as a system

solutions provider through integrated

technology and an extensive product

portfolio. With an industry presence of

over 40 years as Bright Brothers, the

company was incorporated as Bright

AutoPlast Ltd in 2007 as a fully owned

subsidiary of Sintex Holding. While

keeping pace with increasing demand,

the company is currently working

towards improving its manufacturing

capabilities, thereby setting an

industrial paradigm. With strategic

manufacturing units in Pune and

Nashik, Bright Autoplast has effectively

leveraged the automotive boom across

the nation. Today, the company boasts

of a pan-Indian presence in cities

such as Sohna (Haryana), Pithampur

(Madhya Pradesh) and Chennai

(Tamil Nadu).

Indru Advani, President & Chief

Executive Officer, Bright Autoplast Ltd,

says, “One of the core strengths of our

company is the capability of complete

product development from designing and

manufacturing to testing & validation.

We have an integrated manufacturing

unit that includes not only central

processes such as injection moulding,

blow moulding and assembling, but also

value-added services such as paint shop,

vacuum forming and state-of-the-art

part joining techniques like vibration &

ultrasonic welding. More than a product

supplier, Bright Autoplast Ltd today

is a solutions provider for automotive

Original Equipment Manufacturers

(OEMs) in India.”

Infrastructure edgeSpanning an area of 6,782 sq m, the

Pune facility caters to some of the

leading automotive OEMs in India

such as Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata

Motors and General Motors (GM).

Bright Autoplast also caters to some of

the leading tier I suppliers, eg, Visteon

and Plastic Omnium Varroc. The facility

is equipped with 15 injection moulding

machines with tonnage range of 80-

2,700 tonne with a combined capacity of

2,000 metric tonne per annum. Advani

highlights, “Bright Autoplast is reputed

in the industry as a supplier of high-

quality large components at optimum

cost. Along with interiors and exteriors,

we manufacture a large number of under-

the-hood components, which require high

precision, fuctionality and heat stability.

Our commitment to manufacturing

excellence is evident in the fact that we

collaborate with our machinery suppliers

to design efficient solutions through

customisation and reverse engineering.”

In the technology-driven world of automotive plastics, Bright Autoplast Ltd has established itself as a system solutions supplier for India’s burgeoning automotive industry. Annabel Dsouza and Lionel Alva analyse how the company, with an integrated manufacturing facility and pan-India presence, has emerged as a pioneer in automotive plastics application and innovation.

50 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

FACILIT Y VISIT: Br ight Autoplast Ltd

Shifting gearstowards ‘bright’opportunities

Assembly process Thorough quality check

Some of the main processes at the

facility include injection moulding with

gas-assisted technology, single/twin

sheet thermoforming, PU foaming

(RIM) etc. Bright Autoplast’s expertise

in design and development has resulted

in a vast product offering such as door

trims & pillars, instrument panels,

bumpers, radiator grills, exterior grills,

exterior claddings, and many more.

Some of the recent, innovative products

of the company include soft touch

dashboards, air induction systems,

plastics fuel tank, fuel filler system and

Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning

(HVAC) ducts. Bright Autoplast

extends its quality standards not only

to its product portfolio, but also on all

designing and manufacturing operations.

The stringent quality checks involve tried

and tested methods for analysing physical,

mechanical and thermal properties of the

moulded component. Many of the staff are

engaged in assessing the overall health and

efficiency of the machinery. By measuring

the tonnage of material moulded and

power consumed, the company maintains

a robust manufacturing culture.

Illustrious clientele Bright Autoplast has an illustrious

clientele that includes some of the

foremost brands in Indian automotives

such as Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, TVS

Motors and Honda. With a combination

of manufacturing excellence and

strategic business alignment, the

company clocked an impressive turnover

of ` 2,740 million in the previous fiscal.

Advani asserts, “With an aim towards

becoming a one-stop shop for plastics

automotive components, we try to

understand the application and design

the product accordingly. For instance,

we have supplied 66 components to

the latest Mahindra XUV 500. We also

supply a large number of components

to different vehicle models.” Apart from

the SUV segment, the company is well

established in the commercial vehicle

segment with Tata 207 and 407. Advani

continues, “We are planning to increase

our revenue share from the commercial

vehicle segment owing to its strong

growth prospects. In an uncertain global

economy, the heavy automobile sector

is relatively less impacted by fuel price

hikes. This is in keeping with our efforts

to boost the company’s top line while

keeping bottom lines steady.”

In order to further enhance product

design and development capabilities,

Bright Autoplast has project-based

alliances with several global players

such as HIVEC ( Japan), Daeji Metal

Corp (Korea) and Kautex (Germany).

Through its sister concerns Wausaukee

Composites and NIEF Plastics, the

company also synergises with the

technical advancements in Europe’s

developed automotive markets. This

enables Bright Autoplast not only

to deliver world-class solutions to

its customers, but also to raise the

technology standards of automotive tier

I suppliers across India.

Future focusThe story of Bright Autoplast is in

many ways symbolic of the burgeoning

Indian economy. With replacement

of metal by plastics being a profitable

and sustainable move, the demands

by automotive OEMs for plastics

has increased, both in properties and

volumes. In a competitive, price-

sensitive and exponentially surging

automotive industry, Bright Autoplast

is playing a catalytic role of merging

global innovations at Indian costs. The

company is expanding proactively not

only in terms of volume production, but

also Research and Development (R&D)

capabilities.

Along with the new facility in Nashik,

likely to be operational by July 2012,

Bright Autoplast is actively investing in

R&D facilities for innovative product

and process designing. “Growth and

expansion are a continuous process for

Bright Autoplast. In order to further

consolidate our business, we will

continue expanding our operations

through joint ventures, technical &

service collaborations, mergers &

acquisitions, business alliances and

strategic forward integration. We are

seeking new investment avenues in the

domestic automotive space, while also

watching out for opportunities in other

emerging markets such as Africa and

East Europe,” concludes Advani.

Email: [email protected],

[email protected]

Indru AdvaniPresident & Chief Executive Offi cer

In an uncertain global economy, the heavy automobile sector is relatively less impacted by fuel price hikes. This is in keeping with our efforts to boost the company’s top line while keeping bottom lines steady.

Final finishing of the component Paint shopPhoto: Joshua Navalkar

Bright Autoplast Ltd

51March 2012 | Modern Plastics & Polymers

53March 2012 | Modern Plastics & Polymers

Ancillary equipment:Keeping pace with global standards ..................................................................... 54

Function focus:Intelligent solutions for boosting productivity ..................................................... 56

Chiller technology:Cool ideas for profitable performanceVijay Bali, Vice President, Reynold India Pvt Ltd .................................................. 58

Interface:Varun Kapoor, Director, Sarvasv Machinery & Equipments Pvt Ltd .............. 62

Roundtable:Where does the Indian ancillary equipment industry stand globally? ................ 64

Polyamide alloy:Imparting high performance with design f lexibilityMandar Amrute, Market Development Manager, Arkema India ............................. 66

Mould cavity:Monitoring temperature for better qualityY R Anand, Partner, Unimark ............................................................................... 70

Ancillary Equipment

INSIGHT & OUTLOOK

INSIGHT & OUTLOOK: Anci l lar y equipment

54 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

Auxiliary equipment in the

plastics industry include

granulators, gravimetric and

volumetric blenders, vacuum

& pressure loaders, railcar unloaders,

metal separators, dryers, chillers, recycling

systems and reclaim equipment. Material

handling equipment and systems for

pneumatic conveying of plastic resins,

polymers and other pellet or powdered

products are also included. Higher-

performance dryers use less energy

and provide cost savings. “Increased

efficiencies are seen across the entire

range of auxiliaries, contributing to

profitability in plastics processing.

Energy savers for granulators are the

latest development this industry has

witnessed,” opines Dhaval Bhatt, Chief

Executive Officer, Sri Sai Plasto Tech.

In terms of volume production,

efficiency plays the central role. Efficient

injection moulding machines require

an energy-efficient design. However,

efficiency is not only dependent on

the energy consumption of the

machines. Efficient operation concerns

the productivity of the system as a

whole and aspects such as machine

availability, speed, precision and

reproducibility must also be taken

into consideration. Some of the latest

technologies that can help increase

efficiency are described here.

High-torque direct drivesDistributed electric drives, which are

used in all-electric or hybrid injection

moulding machines, are usually

synchronous servo motors. There are

distinct differences among these types

of motor, which affect the energy

consumption or productivity of injection

moulding machines. In contrast to

conventional synchronous servo motors,

high-torque direct drives provide high

torque even at lower speeds. These

do not use transmission systems that

reduce efficiency, and therefore, do

not have a negative effect on energy

consumption, drive dynamics, precision

and reproducibility of the machines.

Their minimal inertia, in combination

with direct power transmission, provides

high levels of dynamics (short and steep

acceleration and breaking ramps) and

zero backlash.

The absence of transmission means

that the drive requires virtually no

maintenance and is highly reliable. The

benefit of high-torque direct drives

in terms of energy efficiency becomes

obvious considering the dosing drive.

“Usually, the dosing drive is the

component in the injection moulding

machine that consumes the maximum

energy. Increasing the efficiency of this

axis will have a significant effect on

the efficiency of the overall machine. If

high-torque direct drives are used here,

no reduction or increase in the speed

or torque via belt drives or planetary

gearing will be required and, as opposed

to standard synchronous servo motors,

no energy loss will be caused by these

components,” adds Bhatt. Thus, the

efficiency of the dosing drive in the

injection moulding machine will be as

high as 90 per cent.

The benefit derived f rom the

optimised drive is more obvious when

hydraulic dosing drives are considered.

Hydraulically driven dosing axes usually

comprise a number of components.

Keepingpace withglobal standards

Manufacturers of auxiliary equipment are responding to plastics processors’ demands for machinery that can help reduce costs, improve efficiency and quality of parts and also stay competitive in the global marketplace. Anwesh Koley gauges the significance of various equipment used in the plastics processing industry.

Courtesy: Motan Colortronic

Material mixer with integrated conveyor

Anci l lar y equipment

55March 2012 | Modern Plastics & Polymers

A motor drives a pump that delivers

oil through hose lines. The oil is fed

to the hydraulic motor via a valve

and the motor generates the required

rotational movement. Every component

in a standard drive loses efficiency and

when these losses are multiplied, their

overall efficiency is rarely higher than

50 per cent when used in injection

moulding machines.

High-torque direct drives also

have advantages when employed in

other axes such as injection or mould

movement or the ejector, which require

linear movements. Again, no reduction

or increase in speed or torque is needed

here because the required performance

will be provided directly by the drive.

Belt drives, planetary gearings or other

mechanical transmission systems are

not required, as this will have a negative

effect on the inertia of the drive. The

dynamics, rigidity and reproducibility of

the axes will also be enhanced, which, in

turn, will bring about a reduction in the

cycle time and will, therefore, increase

the efficiency of the machine.

Use of toggle systemsThe toggle system is a good example of a

technology that contributes to reducing

energy consumption and increasing

productivity, and it has a positive effect

on input and output. The optimal

force–speed characteristic will facilitate

fast movements. Moreover, dynamic

locking and unlocking reduces the

dry cycling times of the injection

moulding machine. Mechanical

locking applies a constant clamping

force, without further input of energy.

Because locking is purely mechanical

and there is no hydraulic cylinder in the

force path, a toggle clamping unit will

be extremely robust.

The toggle system technology

is currently experiencing a revival

through its use in all-electric injection

moulding machines. However, when

used on all-hydraulic clamping units,

this system helps boost efficiency and

provides high levels of reliability and

low maintenance costs.

In order to increase system

availability in the production of plastics

processing parts, it is vital to take care of

the mould by reducing its wear and tear.

Appropriate methods to do this include

linear guidance systems to ensure perfect

platen alignment and reduce machine

frame deflection. Correct design of the

overall machine will facilitate platen

parallelisms so as to reduce wear on

the mould. Moreover, reduced frictional

resistance in the guides will lead to

fewer losses, and thus an increase in

energy efficiency.

Cooling and filtration technologyAlong with reduced energy consumption,

an increase in productivity is the second

result of enhanced machine efficiency.

When developing new products, the

goals are to avoid downtimes and

reduce reject rates. A novel concept of

cooling and filtration of the hydraulic

oil of injection moulding machines is

geared towards those objectives. With

this system, another hydraulic circuit

is operated by a small, energy-efficient

rotary vane pump in the low-pressure

circuit, which is designed to exclusively

supply the oil filter and oil cooler. This

additional hydraulic circuit operates

independently from other main pressure

circuits, which facilitate the use of a

micro oil filter.

A laminar oil flow without pulsation,

even during the pause times inherent

in the cycle, increases oil service life

by 40,000 hour. In addition, the service

life of the pumps, valves, cylinders

and gaskets will increase because of

the clean oil. This will help reduce

downtime for maintenance or routine

servicing and increase production hours

per year. Continuous cooling with

optimal heat transfer facilitates higher

oil cooler flow temperatures, which

means that complex cooling systems are

not required anymore.

ChallengesThe basic problems faced by the

industry include shortage of power and

skilled manpower. The cost of power

and skilled manpower has also risen,

but has not resulted in any change on

prices. The equipment industry has

witnessed advancements in technology

related to power savings, material

handling and automation. “Modern

auxiliary equipment help in scientific

recycling of plastics and prevention

of environmental pollution. Presently,

most of the latest auxiliary equipment

designed help save power and increase

productivity. The manufacturing output

has almost doubled with the latest

auxiliary equipment that lower power

consumption, and this helps reduce

carbon footprint,” concludes Bhatt.

Email: [email protected]

Dhaval BhattChief Executive Offi cer, Sri Sai Plasto Tech

Modern auxiliary equipment help in scientifi c recycling of plastics and prevention of environmental pollution. Presently, most of the latest auxiliary equipment designed help save power and increase productivity.

Courtesy: KYOUNGIL MACHINERY CO.LTD.

INSIGHT & OUTLOOK: Funct ion focus

56 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

The global trend towards

faster processing equipment

and better accuracy in

terms of productivity has

led manufacturers across the country

to adopt technologies that help

achieve higher levels of innovation and

end-user satisfaction. The major

processing techniques such as injection

moulding, blow moulding and extrusion

warrant the use of complex end-to-

end systems of individual units for the

automotives, electronics, household goods

as well as medical devices industries.

Each process requires reliable

conveying as well as dosing and mixing

systems for high-volume production.

Individual extrusion systems require

high-precision structures that deliver

consistency for continuous production

of films, cables, pipes and profiles. Raw

materials and masterbatches require

accurate dosing and mixing systems for

continuous production.

Mould protectionManufacturers have developed systems to

protect injection moulds, which record the

force path on mould closing. A control

curve can be applied to this saved master

curve at a freely adjustable axial distance.

For example, if the force path as currently

measured intersects the control curve during

the closing movement because a part is

caught in the parting line, the machine will

stop the closing movement. As compared

to conventional mould protection systems,

these systems are reliable even at maximum

mould closing speeds; thus, the shortest

mould movement times will be achieved.

These systems not only provide positive

protection for the injection moulds, but

also reduce cycle time, which results in

increased production efficiency.

Smart solutionsThe current market for plastic ancillary

equipment offers features for optimising

and automating the production around

plastics processing machines. Dosing

and mixing units need to offer excellent

mixing quality with highest repeatability.

“Dosing additives help in regrinding

directly on the processing machine.

Innovative designs, high-quality

engineering and technical specifications

guarantee optimum performance &

reliability of processing units. It is

important for processors to understand

how to precisely dose and mix granulate,

flakes, powders and liquids volumetrically

as well as gravimetrically,” says Srikanth

Padmanabhan, Managing Director,

Motan-Colortronic Plastics Machinery

(India) Pvt Ltd. Consistent mixing

ensures higher quality, which ensures a

strong competitive edge in the market.

The numerous machines used in the plastics industry necessitate a host of ancillaries, which depend on the application and requirement of the final product. Anwesh Koley finds out how all functions, with support from reliable and cost-effective solutions as well as an intelligent control network, help optimise plastics processing.

INSIGHT & OUTLOOK: Funct ion focus

Intelligentsolutions for

boostingproductivity Courtesy: Motan Colortronic

Funct ion focus

57March 2012 | Modern Plastics & Polymers

A steady documentation process

ensures a simple operation through colour

graphic display and an added advantage

would be a touchscreen panel, which does

not require programming. An integrated

network connection guarantees recipe

integrity and lowest possible additive

consumption. Higher productivity and

consistent product quality along with low

space requirement can also be achieved. An

efficient regrinding management prevents

overdosing of other components.

Switchable non-return valvesIn the past few years, considerable

progress has been made with all-electric

injection moulding machines in terms of

precision and reproducibility. However,

with highly precise parts, a weak point

has been the non-return valve the systems

used still do not lend themselves to active

selection or activation. With conventional

non-return valves, ring or ball-type,

the closing behaviour is dependent on

various process parameters such as back

pressure, decompression, homogeneity of

the melt or injection movement. It is only

the melt pressure generated by injection

that pushes the sliding ring or ball of the

valve backwards to provide sealing. Up to

that point, a part of the plasticised melt

will flow back through the non-return

valve. The closing behaviour of the

non-return valve, and thus the amount

of material flowing back will vary with

process or material fluctuations. This

will cause fluctuations in the remaining

cushion or shot weight, which may result

in quality fluctuations of the injection

moulded part or even cause a reject.

This is where the switchable non-

return valve design finds use. The active

closing of the non-return valve at the end

of the dosing cycle will provide enhanced

process consistency. Closing the non-

return valve at the end of dosing by

reversing the direction of screw rotation

will guarantee constant and actively

controlled closing behaviour. “Process

consistency will be increased, fluctuations

in the remaining cushion and the shot

weight will be reduced, while the risk of

rejects will be minimised through this,”

says Padmanabhan. This new technology

can be used on all-electric machines for

applications that demand the highest

level of precision.

ConveyingEfficient conveying systems optimise

material flow, reduce waste and boost

productivity of the production line. In the

plastics compounding and manufacturing

process, there are many powders with

different flow properties that require

handling. For vacuum conveying of

both free-flowing and non–free-flowing

powders, hopper loader with specific

characteristics loader should be designed

such that these can be easily integrated

into the conveying systems. From the

material source, through to the point of

processing, powder handling requirements

must be effectively addressed.

In order to cope with different

material conveying throughputs, hopper

loaders are available in sizes of 10, 25 or

50 litre. System loaders are an integral

part of a centralised material conveying

system. Each system should be designed

to suit the customer. Factors such as

throughput, material types and plant

layout should be individually taken into

account. In addition to different loading

sizes, a wide variety of conveying options,

controls, blowers and filter techniques

allow creation of the optimum structure

for customer facility.

Energy-efficient drying systemsModern drying systems must be able to

do more than just function reliably when

operating in accordance with demanding

specifications. They must be economical,

energy-efficient in operation and meet

the high requirements demanded for

the best quality finished products.

“Drying systems are designed to operate

at maximum efficiency and minimal

maintenance. The integration of dry

air conveying, line purging and manual

& automatic manifold stations provide

maximum flexibility & productivity,” adds

Padmanabhan. This ensures maximum

production time for the processor by

mimimising the downtime caused during

material changes.

The way aheadFrom reliability of individual equipment

to engineering of complex integrated

systems, the plastics processing sector

needs to take into account a number of

factors. Optimising material usage and

increasing efficiency & consistency across

the entire process chain are important

factors for delivering sustainable

solutions. Over the years, equipment

manufacturers and solution providers

have modified their services according

to domestic and global requirements,

thereby staying committed to seamless

plastics processing.

Email: [email protected]

Srikanth PadmanabhanManaging Director, Motan-Colortronic Plastics Machinery (India) Pvt Ltd

Dosing additives help in regrinding directly on the processing machine. It is important for processors to understand how to precisely dose and mix granulate, fl akes, powders and liquids volumetrically as well as gravimetrically.

Courtesy: Yakohl

58 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

Vijay Bali

The chiller market in India

is divided between their

applications in extrusion

and the injection moulding

applications. The size of chillers for

extrusion machinery can vary from

10 Tonne of Refrigeration (TR) up to

200 TR, depending on the requirement.

For injection moulding, the capacities

are lower, ie, 2 TR to 40-50 TR. There

are various other centralised chillers that

can be used for multiple machineries.

The size and configuration of the chiller

will depend on the number of machines,

capacity and the process.

As far as manufacturing of chillers

and their parts such as compressors and

de-humidifiers are concerned, there has

not been much change in technology.

The scroll compressors have been in the

industry for the last 15-20 years and

screw compressors have been around for

almost 30 years. The technology used in

the operation of chillers has changed with

more focus on software than hardware.

Today, machines are more electronically

driven owing to the use of electric parts.

Earlier, common chillers were used for

all plastics processing requirements such

as blow moulding, injection moulding

and extrusion. However, with time,

competition has increased and, currently,

most companies use chillers for specific

requirements for each technique.

Chiller speed Variable speed chillers are specific to

injection moulding, and these do not

carry any advantage for extrusion. These

chillers have been designed for specific

injection moulding needs, which helps

users to produce results f rom the

process while maintaining the lowest

lifecycle cost of the equipment. In

order to harvest the desirable benefits

from the latest technology equipment

and processes, chilled water, as an

auxiliary supply, needs to be available at

precise flow rates & pressures, besides

maintaining temperature accuracy.

Different parameters of the equipment

such as capacity output, power

consumption, performance and electrical

load conditions must be inspected for

the right performance.

Chiller manufacturers need to work

within a range of capacities varying

precisely as per changing process loads,

enhancing process control and saving

energy by up to 25 per cent. Chillers must

have high-pressure multi-stage pumps

with the flow rate varying precisely as

per the process requirement. For specific

process requirements, the water pressure

must be adjustable along with rust-free

chilled water supply for accurate process

control and low equipment maintenance.

This chilled water should be controlled

via an automatic chilled water level

controller with bypass arrangement.

Air-cooled units must have

high-efficiency aluminium condensers

with high flow and low-noise fans.

Installed equipment may be

operating at their maximum efficiencies

so they must be synchronised with

Chillers are used across the entire ambit of plastics processing – injection and blow moulding, extrusion, vacuum forming, laminating, embossing, calendaring, plating and high-intensity mixers, die casting, and many more. Since a large part of industrial chillers are supplied to the plastics, rubber and process industries, companies today are concentrating on specific process temperature-control applications.

Courtesy: OPTI

Cool ideasfor profitable

INSIGHT & OUTLOOK: Chi l ler technology

performance

60 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

other modern technologies to ensure

higher levels of efficiency. Considering

the multi-faceted requirements of these

chillers, these should be manned by

technically-trained operators who must

be monitored according to the various

requirements.

Chillers with dual temperature controlDual-temperature chillers with precise

properties are designed for cooling

requirements of the processes where

the required temperature of the fluid

is varied at different utility points.

These include the features of two

differently set chillers into one, which

saves running costs and requires lesser

footprint area. Another advantage is

that these are able to maintain the total

need through just one set of auxiliary

equipment instead of many units. Such

chillers offer two separate water circuits

at varied temperatures set as per specific

needs of the process. Semi-hermatic

screw compressors with step-less

capacity control maximise efficiency as

these adjust automatically according to

process load.

It is important for chillers to be

Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) f ree in

order to meet environmental standards.

Efficiency can also be increased through

electronic expansion valves for precise

temperature control. There should be

wired as well as wireless connectivity

for remote operation and data logging.

As per the actual load, the step-less

capacity should be controlled. The

electronic expansion valves also help in

precise refrigeration flow and increased

operational efficiency.

Air-cooled condensers should

have a low Fin-Per-Inch (FPI) count,

high-gauge coated fins pneumatically

adjusted at high pressure, which will make

them ready for operating at up to 52°C.

For elevated efficiencies, economisers

should be standard. During peak ambient

conditions, it is important to save power;

hence, the chillers should have low-noise,

axial flow discharge fans.

Screw chillersThe condensers and evaporators used

in screw chillers should be designed

for high fluid flow with due scope for

higher fluid impurities. The air-cooled

condensers should be designed and

tested in extreme weather conditions,

so that breakdowns are eliminated.

Water-cooled condensers should also be

designed on higher fouling factors to

compensate for Total Dissolved Solids

(TDS) in cooling water. The capacity of

these chillers must vary exactly as per

the fluctuating load conditions in order

to ensure the best energy efficiency.

Necessary chiller fittings provided as

standard can go a long way in keeping

installation costs to the minimum.

Scroll chillersScroll chillers must be efficient and easy

to operate and maintain; also, breakdowns

should be kept to the minimum even

when the operating period continues

throughout the year without halting.

These machines should be robust in

order to have a higher operational life

and flexibility. The structure should be

potent enough to withstand temperature

fluctuations throughout the process.

Reciprocating chillersIn conditions where scheduling of

the machine for proper operation

and maintenance is not possible,

reciprocating chillers can be used.

These chillers can operate within the

largest range of ambient and operating

temperatures. Although the operating

parameters are the focus of such

chillers, these should be designed on

platforms where operating parameters

are the primary focus, but the operating

efficiencies are not compromised. Along

with robust designs, reciprocating

chillers should have data controlling

features, which, when incorporated in

them, will perform relentlessly.

With advancements in technology

and the numerous requirements from

chillers, it has become important to

combine features such as robust design,

temperature control and faster cooling

with energy efficiency. While the heat

generated during plastics processing

is managed through chillers, it is also

important to ensure that these chillers

themselves remain free of emission.

Vijay Bali is Vice President

of Reynold India Pvt Ltd.

A mechanical engineer with

an MBA in marketing, he has

19 years of experience in

the plastic equipment industry.

Email id: [email protected]: Krane

Energy-efficient material cooling technology

Chi l ler technology

62 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

INSIGHT & OUTLOOK: Inter face - Varun Kapoor

How is the plastics ancillary equipment industry growing in India?The plastics processing equipment industry

is shaping up well in India. There is demand

for extrusion sheathing lines in the cable

industry, with greater rural connectivity

and electrification programmes. We

provide equipment for machinery used in

production of insulating cables. We have

been contributing well to overall growth of

the extrusion sector.

Currently, the industry is going through

an unfavourable phase as the infrastructure

sector has not seen much activity. The

infrastructure industry is heavily dependent

on the Government, and the policy makers

are not doing enough. This has had a direct

impact on the cable industry, and hence,

on the plastics machinery industry. This

industry produces domestic cables and

power cables, where the latter is completely

dependent on infrastructural developments.

Thus, immediate inf rastructure

investments are required for benefit of the

extrusion sector.

What are the latest technologies used in this industry?We manufacture high-speed extrusion

and sheathing lines and the technology

employed here is at par with that in

Europe. We have 30 years of experience

in this industry. The technology has

undergone vast improvements over the

years, as customers have become more

demanding of the products, and global

trends are keeping domestic manufacturers

on their toes. We have witnessed

constant upgradations, especially in the

electronic and electrical aspects of

extrusion machinery.

The efficiency and speed of sheath-

ing lines have increased and companies

are focussing more on waste management.

About 70-75 per cent of our production is

exported. We export to Europe, Austra-

lia and various African countries. Indian

machinery has a big market in South Asia

– Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

How important is energy efficiency in the plastics industry?Improving efficiency is a priority for

extrusion companies and is a major

development objective for machine

manufactures. The use of high-technology

extruder screw/barrel units and extrusion

dies is a key factor here. Maximum melt

throughput with good melt quality and

the ability to process a broad range of raw

materials with the same screw are major

advantages while using barrier/mixing

screws in single-screw extruders. The

combination of grooved barrel conveying,

barrier melting mechanism and multiple-

zone mixing can substantially enhance the

performance of single-screw extruders.

The latest technology in screw and

barrels is the introduction of bimetals.

Bimetallic construction provides a

protective wear surface fused into high-

strength backing material. The design

delivers efficient energy transfer between

the bore and backing material. This feature

allows for rapid detection of process

condition changes, quick response to heat

and cool commands, precise control and

uniformity of barrel zone temperatures.

An engineered lining improves component

compatibility between the screw and

barrel wear surfaces, minimises the wear

gap and prolongs product life.

What are the challenges faced by the industry?Competition is a healthy challenge as it

encourages higher productivity with an

eye on innovations. Better infrastructural

facilities are required to make products

more competitive and provide a crucial

edge over manufacturers from other

countries. The machinery industry in

India comes under Small & Medium

Enterprises (SME), and thus having

individual research and development

centres is not feasible for manufacturers

in the short run. The Government should

initiate research activities and provide

them to machinery manufacturers. Such

initiatives will ensure a bright future for

the industry.

Email: [email protected]

…asserts Varun Kapoor, Director, Sarvasv Machinery & Equipments Pvt Ltd. With the latest technology and equipment available to Indian manufacturers, the plastics industry is poised to deliver the best results. In an interaction with Anwesh Koley, he highlights the importance of plastics consumption in India and shares his views on industry trends.

“Higher levels of infrastructural development will immensely benefit the extrusion machinery sector”

INSIGHT & OUTLOOK: Inter face - Varun Kapoor

INSIGHT & OUTLOOK: Roundtable

64 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

Amit Takkar Partner, Takkar Industries

Ancillaries to the plastics processing industry were originally supplied by companies that supplied these to other industries, ie, suppliers of agricultural equipment provided silos, bins, auger feeders, etc. This required special manufacturing skills that were initially missing in Indian companies. But, the specialised nature of the plastics processing industry meant extensive modification of off-the-shelf equipment to do the job. This set the trend of companies being formed solely to address the specific needs of plastics processors.

Globally, ancillary equipment manufacturers already had technologies to support higher production requirements with a focus on sustainability. Over the years, Indian manufacturers also grew, gained knowledge and experience. Today, these manufacturers have evolved into strong engineering companies, dedicated to solve the problems of this unique industry.

The requirements of the global plastics processing industry are on the rise and the Indian ancillary equipment sector has responded well by integrating the mechanical aspects of equipment with electronic elements. Anwesh Koley speaks to industry experts on the current position of the Indian equipment industry vis-à-vis global standards.

Umakant Sharma Marketing Manager,

Matsui Technologies India Ltd

Constant quality improvements in ancillaries such as loaders, feeders, dryers, water and robotics by Indian ancillary equipment manufacturers are evident in the high-quality processors and finished products available in the market. The plastics industry in India has matured, and only those who supply consistent quality remain formidable competitors. Companies that lose sight of continuous product improvement lose ground in the marketplace, as their product lines become outdated.

It takes a lot of learning and innovative ideas to succeed and only a few companies are willing to work on a project for the required extended period of time. New ideas and concepts take time and resources to triumph in the market. Besides, there is always the risk of failure. Thus, it is easier to take a successful product and modify it slightly. Indian equipment suppliers have successfully taken all these factors into account and are leading the way in terms of technology.

Ashwini AggarwalPresident, Brose India Automotive

Systems Pvt Ltd

The Indian ancillary industry has become the source of processing solutions not only for its customer base, but also for equipment providers. Advancements in plastics manufacturing processes often come from the expertise that has evolved in the ancillary equipment companies. This is because we are in a unique position from where we can observe all processes and problems of the entire industry. This helps processing companies to bring continuous improvements to the entire industry. Existing customers globally depend on these innovations and benefit from it. International plastics companies are gearing up to advantages offered by Indian ancillary equipment suppliers.

Manufacturers try to understand the problems of their customers and often find underlying problems that the customer may not have observed. Thus, they try to solve these problems with innovative ideas, which benefits the customers.

As new ideas often take a long time to develop fully, manufacturers find it easier to modify and sell an existing equipment or technology. However, to create a leadership position in the global arena, companies must enhance their expertise and aim to solve the

problems of the industry and those of the customers.

Editorial take:

industry stand globally?

Where does theIndian ancillary equipment

Email: [email protected]

INSIGHT & OUTLOOK: Polyamide al loy

66 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

Mandar Amrute

Polyamides are well recognised

for their outstanding mechanical

properties and good chemical

resistance. However, these

materials also absorb moisture, and

this property noticeably affects their

mechanical and electrical properties as

well as dimensional stability.

The Polyamide (PA) alloy is a unique

patented polyamide-based alloy that offers

best properties of polyamide (excellent

mechanical properties) while compensating

on its drawbacks such as moisture pick-up

and sensitivity to hydrolysis. One such

polyamide alloy under the brand name

Orgalloy® is marketed by Arkema.

Understanding polyamide alloysPolyamides are incompatible with

polyolefins. Polyamide alloy is a PA6-

based alloy with polyolefin and offers

the benefits of combined properties

of both polyamides and polyolefins.

Polyamide alloy is based on a patented

technology, which enables homogenous

mixing of polyamides and polyolefins.

Compatibilisers used are based on proven

morphology, and therefore it ensures a

consistent performance.

Key advantages of polyamide alloys: Low moisture sensitivity (retention of

mechanical and electrical properties)

Good dimensional stability

Easy to process

Good chemical resistance

Low density

Recyclability (eg, polypropylene,

polyethylene, PA, etc)

Light in weight than PA6 and

PA 6/6

High barrier properties against polar

liquids, gases and aromatics

Polyamide alloys feature high performance

properties such as high temperature

resistance, low density and mechanical

fatigue resistance, which are required in

the automotive market. Moreover, the

elastomer part of these alloys provides

several benefits in terms of processing and

productivity.

Electrical propertiesThe low moisture pick-up of polyamide

alloys guarantees the stability of their

electrical properties over time. Moreover,

due to their easy injection mouldability,

the possibility of overmoulding on

polyolefins and their dimensional stability,

this material is well suited for electrical

applications.

Dielectric rigidity is one of the

parameters, which needs to be determined

while designing a part for electrical or

electro-technical applications. Although

theoretical definition of this parameter is

the upper value of an electrical field causing

the material to brake at a given thickness,

it is difficult to find a practical definition

for the same. In theory, dielectric rigidity

is expressed in kilo Volt per millimetre

Polyamide (PA) alloy offers numerous features such as low density, low moisture pick-up, ease of processing and insensitivity to hydrolysis, which are important for various consumer electronics applications. Here is an introduction of polyamide alloy, its properties, processing techniques and some of the key applications in various sectors, particularly in automotive, electrical and electronics.

Table 1: Comparison of moisture impact in PA6 and polyamide alloy

Moisture pick-up in equilibrium PA6 Polyamide alloy

Air - 23°C - 50%RM 2.80% 1%

Water - 23°C 8.50% 3.30%

Imparting high performance with design flexibility

Table 2: General properties of polyamide alloy

Property Polyamide alloy A Polyamide alloy B

Density g/cm3 1.03 1.04

Melting point °C 220 255

Tensile strength@breakMPa %

50 50

Tensile elongation@break 220 >100

Hardness SHORE D 76 77

Flexural modulus MPa 2,000 2,100

These properties are of general purpose polyamide alloy injection moulding grade only.

68 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

(kV/mm) and is independent of thickness

of the material. Generally, it has been

observed after the internal study that

dielectric rigidity decreases with thickness.

Another factor affecting dielectric rigidity

is moisture pick-up. Moisture pick-up in

the polyamide 6 family causes considerable

decline in dielectric rigidity.

Product range and processingPolyamide alloys offer rigidity in the

range of 200-2000 MPa. Its product range

is available in rigid, flexible and pliable

series and can be processed by techniques

such as injection moulding, blow

moulding, extrusion and coextrusion. This

material can be processed on standard

extrusion or injection moulding machines

with screw designed for polyolefins. The

glass-filled range of polyamide alloys is

also available.

Applications of polyamide alloys Polyamide alloy is widely used in the

automotive sector for applications such

as under bonnet tubes, air and oil ducts

and many other blow moulded parts.

Its high barrier properties make it an

ideal candidate for food and cosmetics

packaging. It has been an appropriate

material for many engineering

and agricultural films used for soil

fumigation.

This alloy also finds applications in

electrical and electronics. Properties of

polyamide alloy, such as thermal resistance

and low sensitivity to moisture, make

it suitable for electrical and household

electronics applications:

Solenoid valves (resistance to

hydrolysis)

Coil support (dimensional stability

and dielectric resistance)

Engine mountings

Overmoulding of connectors

Protective housing for electrical

equipment and tools

Actuators, spindles and fastenings

Protective housings for electric ovens

and instruments

Material of choicePolyamide alloy is a dynamic product

suitable for electrical and electronics

applications. In addition to mechanical

properties, low moisture pick-up and

dimensional stability, this alloy has

a lot to offer in packaging and films

where low permeation properties are a

prerequisite. It is the material of choice

for blow moulding applications such

as air and oil ducts in the automotive

industry. The ease of processing on

standard extrusion and injection

machines designed for polyolefins is

an added advantage offered by this

product range.

Mandar Amrute is Market

Development Manager with

Arkema India Branch office.

Email: mandar.amrute@

arkema.com

Arkema is a French chemical company mainly operating in industrial chemicals and specialty polymers such as Polyamide–11/12 and PVDF. Polyamide alloy is marketed by Arkema under the brand name of Orgalloy®. In this article, polyamide alloy is referred to as Orgalloy®.

Polyamide al loy

Table 3: Electrical properties of polyamide alloy

Property Unit StandardPolyamide alloy

APolyamide alloy

B

Surface resistivity Ohm ASTM D257 4.8 E15 2.5 E18

Dielectric rigidity kV/mm ASTM D149 19 18

Resistance to tracking Volt NFC 26220 >600 >600

Note: Sample of 2 mm tested at 50% RM and 23°C

Figure 1: Microscopic view of compatibility of polyamide alloy

Figure 2: Density comparison between polyamide alloy and PA6/6,6

Polyamide alloyPA-6/66

9%Reduction

Density in gm/cm3

PA-6/66 Polyamide alloy

1.14 1.011.14

1.12

1.1

1.08

1.06

1.04

1.02

1

0.98

PA6 and Polyolefin incompatibles blend

Orgalloy®PA6-based allloy

INSIGHT & OUTLOOK: Mould cavi ty

70 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

Y R Anand

A cost-effective method of

monitoring the cavity activity

is temperature monitoring.

If carried out alone, this

method can be more accurate and less

expensive than cavity pressure monitoring.

A word of caution here is that in many

applications, pressure monitoring is

essential, while in more critical cases,

both pressure and temperature must be

monitored. In both cases, this is done by

using sensors effectively and intelligently,

putting their feedback to control part

quality and reduce variations between

shots and cavities.

Cavity activities There is an association between constant

machine settings and natural variations

in melt viscosity, which may occur

due to batch variations, processing

of regrind or effect of humidity.

That is, every process variation in

injection moulding alters melt flow

behaviour and, at permanently set

switchover thresholds, leads to greater or

lesser deviations. Extreme variations lead

to unfilled cavities or overfilled parts.

Automatic switchover to holding pressureIn contrast to cavity pressure sensors, cavity

temperature sensors can detect sudden

temperature increases within milliseconds,

ie, arrival of the melt at the position of

the sensor. For automatic switchover to

holding pressure, these sensors are located

ahead of the end of the flow path.

A method patented by Priamus System

Technologies AG of Schaffhausen,

Switzerland, is used to immediately

generate a switch signal. This switch signal

is used by the injection moulding machine

to automatically switch over to holding

pressure. This method eliminates the need

for optimisation with filling tests, since

the melt front is always recorded

independent of machine settings. It even

compensates changes in the machine

settings, eg, injection speed, and the

resulting changes in the melt volume.

Thus, mould setups and process

optimisation are considerably more

robust, less susceptible to problems and

easier to handle than by the classical

procedure. Natural variations in the melt

and ambient conditions are automatically

compensated, thus clearly reducing

the range of variation in the weight &

dimensions of moulded parts.

Two practical examples can illustrate

this point. In the first, a Swiss company had

compared various switchover techniques

over long periods, with the following result:

In cases where a cavity temperature sensor

cannot be located at the most favourable

position, the switch signals can be

optimised with the aid of delay times.

Dimensional variations in the injection

moulded parts are considerably smaller

during mould setup, in terms of deviation

as well as variety when the Priamus

switchover method is used rather than

conventional methods.

In the second example, an electric

plug manufacturer in Belgium was

having difficulty in processing glass

Monitoring temperature for better qualityIn the previous edition (January 2012), the author looked at various methods to eliminate the vagaries of external conditions influencing part quality and the ability to control part quality by monitoring cavity pressure in the injection moulding process. This article explores the significance of temperature monitoring in regulating quality of the parts produced.

Typical choices for good quality injection mouldingSource: Unimark

Cooling

Open loop

11 mm

120 bar

Volume fill

OvermouldedShort shot

Cavity pressure

Cavity temperature

OvermouldedShort shot

Closed loop

Automatic

Open loop(Fix level)

Mould cavi ty

71March 2012 | Modern Plastics & Polymers

fibre-reinforced materials (eg, PPA-GF33),

especially with variations in dampness

content and, consequently, viscosity. Since

automatic switchover compensates viscosity

variations, it eliminates hand sorting of

parts. With the conventional method, 5-

10 per cent was the usual percentage of

rejects, whereas with automatic switchover,

over 600,000 parts were produced without

even a single reject. Noticeable variation in

screw positions at the point of switchover

was observed as a logical consequence of

this method.

Opening and closing of shut-off nozzlesIn injection moulding, detection of

the melt front in real time is of great

significance, not only for automatic

switchover to holding pressure, but also

for many other applications. Only after

the melt position is actually known can

it be utilised for regulation and control

functions. This is difficult to do by

measuring only the cavity pressure, since

certain pressure must be built before the

switchover point is reached, ie, before

sending a signal for opening or closing of

the shut-off nozzle. Since pressure does

not build up uniformly during production,

but varies according to the actual ambient

conditions and variations in melt viscosity,

the opening or closing of shut-off nozzles

always occurs at different melt positions

when linked to this pressure level.

A cavity temperature sensor

automatically detects the melt front.

When the melt reaches the sensor, the

temperature rises quickly; therefore, the

position of the melt is always known

regardless of ambient influences or

alterations in viscosity. Thus, the opening

and closing of the shut-off nozzle can

be regulated and, automatically, by a

switchover signal generated when the

sensor position is reached or by using

delay times. This method can have

practical applications, such as to detect,

move and regulate weld line positions;

automatically open shut-off nozzles

in sequential injection moulding; or

automatically ventilate cavities via an

automatically triggered venting core.

In many cases, it is not possible to

predict the exact melt position or the end

of the flow path due to complex parts

geometry. It is also possible for the melt

position to shift due to various machine

settings. In family moulds, for example,

it is often impossible to fill all cavities

simultaneously. For such cases, there are

solutions to release a switchover action

on either the first or the last signal.

Depending on the application, this enables

preventing the parts from overfilling (first

signal) or ensures that all parts or zones

are completely filled (last signal).

Hot runner balancingHot runner moulds with one or more

cavities are subject to natural variations

caused by changes in ambient influences

as well as differences in mould

temperature or melt viscosity. That is

why injection moulded parts differ in

consistency, weight and dimensions. In

the absence of active hot runner control,

there are natural limits to the precision

of any process. The hot runner can be

controlled by automatic detection of the

melt position in the cavity and adapted

via nozzle temperature in it. If nozzle

temperature is too low at a particular

cavity or zone of a broad surface part,

the melt flow path shortens. In contrast,

the flow path extends at extremely

high temperatures. Both errors can

be systematically detected and

automatically corrected.

Earlier, only cavity pressure was

used instead of cavity temperature

sensing. Therefore, the functionality of

the method could be demonstrated in

the simple case of a multi-cavity mould

with identical cavities. This principle had

clear limitations: hot runner balancing

was based on pressure increase, which in

contrast with cavity temperature, is not

transformed into a signal prior to the

compression phase, ie, long after filling

and switching over to holding pressure.

Therefore, control based on melt position

is impossible when cavity pressure sensors

are used. Further, many applications,

such as melt flow control in car bumpers

or while processing fluid silicon, cannot

be implemented without the knowledge

of the actual melt position.

Beyond the conventionQuality control through temperature

sensing can be a cost-effective method

in the part quality improvement, and

this does not always have to depend on

cavity pressure.

Y R Anand holds a bachelor’s

degree in Mechanical

Engineering from University

of Mysore and a master’s

degree in Production

Engineering from IIT, Kharagpur. He worked

for a little over nine years in manufacturing

industries in Mumbai. Since 1980, he

has been a partner in UNIMARK. The

company sells and services machines in

plastics processing, tooling industry, micro-

electronics and wire mesh welding industry.

Email: [email protected]

An illustration of cavity monitoringSource: Unimark

No feedback

No feedbackReaction on

viscosity changes

Constant machine settings set values vs. actual values

Constant machine settings set values vs. actual values

Closed loopOpen loop

AUTOMATION TRENDS: Extrusion insights

74 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

Among the most versatile

technologies in plastics

process ing, extrus ion

machinery plays an integral

role in various plastic applications. As a

larger number of Indian processors adopt

futuristic extrusion solutions to keep pace

with the exponentially growing demand,

automation technology is making

headway in the extrusion machinery

sector. The primary goal of automation

and robotics is to enhance output and

operator safety, while reducing power &

material consumption as well as labour

costs. A typical plastics extrusion plant

performs the following three functions to

run its production – material handling,

blending/dosing and, finally, extrusion.

With constant focus on enhancing

productivity, the major contribution of

automation solutions has been towards

complete process integration through

accurate material delivery and faster

die-changeover.

Extrusion yield controlAn extrusion yield control system

maintains a constant material mass

flow (throughput) in the extruders to

maintain consistent properties of the

final product. Yield control systems use

gravimetric measurements to determine

extruder throughput. Werner Gropp,

Marketing Manager, B&R Automation,

informs, “The control system determines

the extruder throughput by analysing

how fast each batch is consumed and

gives operators a detailed & practical

view into the extrusion process by

using a large user-configurable material

database in its memory, which provides

enough information about each material

to calculate the estimated volume-

related process parameters such as

film thickness for blown film process.”

The system also calculates blow-

up ratio, draw-down ratio and other

useful process parameters. The control

system can handle any extrusion line

configuration – from simple mono-layer

installations to complex multi-layer co-

extrusion lines – including temperature

control of all extruder and die zones.

This option is cost-effective and

useful on larger extrusion lines with

30-50 temperature zones to control.

Propelling growth

With plastics consumption growing in terms of volume and applications, today’s extrusion machinery require efficient control systems and die-changing options. Annabel Dsouza takes a closer look at the innovative automation solutions that allow processors to enhance throughput and operator safety while reducing material consumption and production cycle time.

integrationthrough process

Extrusion insights

75March 2012 | Modern Plastics & Polymers

Batch blending controlAnother innovation in material dosing for

the extrusion process is the use of control

systems that rely heavily on the stability

and quality of the ‘actual weight’ feedback

coming from load cells on which the batch

blender scale is suspended. The systems

use special strain gauge analog inputs to

process load cell signals.

It is important to note that the full-

bridge measuring scheme used in strain

gauge modules provides sufficient stability

in measurement to virtually eliminate digital

filtering that would normally be used. The

batch blending algorithm increases the load

cell signal processing speed, translating

into large gain in throughput. Gropp adds,

“Our test results indicate that this blending

control system implementation may result

in 10-50 per cent of throughput increase

on batch blenders with pinch valve or

slide gate dosing mechanisms without any

changes to their mechanical designs. The

system has been tested with a wide range

of materials on blenders that use different

physical principles of material dispensing.

The control system consistently achieves

superior throughput and accuracy working

with either rubber pinch valves or steel

slide gates as actuators.”

High-performance control systems for

extrusion machine – including systems

specially designed for pipe and profile

extrusion – offer software advantages for

controlling & operating all extruder-related

components. Processors can operate follow-

up equipment, sensors for product testing,

melt pumps and measuring equipment with

single control systems. However, the key

concern of automation extrusion control

system lies in its effectiveness for smaller

capacity machines as well as larger ones.

The control system should be customised

as per individual production requirements.

Automation in die-changeoverThe process for removing extrusion dies

prior to disassembly is conventionally

an expensive and inefficient process.

The standard method has four primary

limitations:

Safety: Workers often load dies into

hot open tanks of caustic. Hot caustic

vapours present potential hazards, such as

fumes and splash, to workers. Tanks are

sometimes open and not well ventilated.

Additionally, because caustic corrodes

metal, escaping fumes can negatively

impact nearby metal structures.

Time: A slow process, it can take

8-12 hour of soaking to get enough

aluminium out of dies to permit

disassembly. This increases machine

downtime and reduces productivity.

Cost: Temperature and pH are often

not well controlled in cleaning tanks.

Technicians may not understand the

effects of temperature on the speed of

the cleaning process or necessary items

to control temperature may not be

available. pH is important in the cleaning

process, and a lack of understanding of

the non-linear nature of pH may result

in inefficient use of chemicals.

Waste: Regulations regarding waste

vary geographically. pH reduction

requires controlled addition of acid.

The standard operating procedure is

to neutralise the waste and extract the

solids through a filter press. Solids are

disposed off in a landfill and liquids are

generally of sufficient quality to enter

the city sewer system.

New improved system With increasing pressure on enhancing

output and reducing cycle times,

automation is a sought-after solution

for quick and efficient mould changes.

Automatic mould handling and

loading significantly reduces mould

changing times, gaining more

productivity and flexibility in frequent

production turnarounds. This boosts

shopfloor safety and labour optimisation.

Extrusion machinery operators can

work efficiently without the equipment

and tooling running the risk of

damage from loading operations.

Therefore, contrary to reducing labour

investment, automation solutions

actually allow processors to make

their processing lines more efficient

and safe. In the pursuit of designing

automatic extrusion control and die

changing system, standard industry

practices have been challenged

and a new improved system has been

shown to provide safety and cost

benefits that are valuable in the plastics

extrusion process.

Email: [email protected]

Werner GroppMarketing Manager, B&R Automation

The control system determines the extruder throughput by analysing how fast each batch is consumed and gives operators a detailed & practical view into the extrusion process by using a large user-confi gurable material database in its memory.

Key advantages of automatic control system for extrusion

machines Easily scalable extrusion process

– for gravimetric measurement and melt pumps

Simple operation using clear user interfaces and a large touch panel (application-specific)

Simplified input of extrusion machine parameters

Cost-savings through a complete solution for extrusion machines from largely pre-assembled software package and modular hardware

Flexibility and upgradability based on global industry standards through fully integrated automation

ENERGY MANAGEMENT: Heat recover y system

76 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

The efficiency with which

heat is extracted f rom

various processes can have

a tremendous impact on

maximising productivity and remaining

competitive. One method of recovering

energy in a plastic pipe manufacturing

process can be by utilising a sealing

gasket compression moulding process. In

this process, a gasket moulding material

is placed in a cavity with a predetermined

shape, where the cavity is formed between

a fixed and a movable mould member;

subsequently, pressure is applied between

the respective fixed and movable mould

members to cause the gasket moulding

material to conform to the shape of the

mould cavity.

A compression or injection moulding

operation is used to form a sealing

gasket, which is used in the subsequent

manufacturing operation as part of the

energy recovery system. “A Stirling engine

cycle is used to recover heat during gasket

manufacturing. The Stirling engine is

driven by waste heat from the mould

members or other associated parts of

the injection or compression moulding

apparatus,” informs Mangesh Manjrekar,

Director, Raj Engineering Works.

The recovered waste heat is subsequently

used to heat the female pipe end,

which is belled in the pipe

manufacturing process.

Managing heat with chillersThe most common method of

accomplishing heat extraction is by

using a portable chiller. The capacity of

portable chillers is generally measured

in tonne. In this use, a tonne is defined

as the capability to extract or reject

12,000 British Thermal Units (BTUs)

per hour. A 5-tonne chiller can reject

60,000 BTUs per hour. If a chiller is

needed for an injection-moulding

machine that processes 120 lb of high-

density polyethylene per hour, a 4-tonne

chiller should be selected for the job.

Generally, portable chillers are available

in sizes ranging from fractional tonnage

up to 30-40 tonne. Beyond that, the

units are too large and cumbersome to

be considered portable.

For the most part, portable chillers are

available in two varieties: air-condensed

and water-condensed. Air-condensed

units utilise a radiator-type coil and fans

or a squirrel-cage blower to condense

the refrigerant. This implies the need for

a constant supply of relatively cool and

fresh air. In contrast, water-condensed

units incorporate a shell-and-tube heat

exchanger to accomplish the same task,

thus requiring condensing water from a

cooling tower.

In process cooling, a chiller is used

to extract or reject heat from a process.

However, the chiller does not absorb the

heat – it transfers it. The compressor,

which is the heart of the refrigeration

system, draws low-pressure, low-

temperature gas from the evaporator

through the suction, or low pressure,

side of the refrigerant circuit. Inside

the compressor, the gas is compressed,

increasing its temperature and pressure.

The compressor then discharges the

compressed gas to the high-pressure

side of the system. Subsequently, the

gas flows through the condenser, where

the heat from the gas is transferred to

the condensing medium. If the chiller

is air-condensed, the heat is transferred

to the ambient air. And, if it is water-

condensed, the heat is transferred to

the cooling tower water to be released

Moulding and manufacturing of plastic parts require transferring considerable amounts of heat. Heat is added to the plastic material to mould it into the desired shape. After this, the heat must be extracted from the formed part to handle it and make it ready to sell. Anwesh Koley explores ways by which waste heat can be harvested during the manufacturing process.

Harvesting energy, expanding margins

78 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

into the air elsewhere. As the heat is

transferred, the temperature of the gas

reduces, condensing the gas into liquid.

After passing through a filter and a

sight glass, the now-liquid refrigerant

reaches the thermostatic expansion valve.

This valve creates a pressure drop in the

system as the liquid is injected into the

evaporator. Once inside the evaporator,

which is essentially a heat exchanger,

the refrigerant boils off and becomes a

gas again as the heat from the process

fluid is transferred into it. The low-

temperature vapour is then drawn out

of the evaporator into the compressor to

complete the cycle. This cycle continues

while the compressor is operating.

Selecting the best systemThe choice between an air-condensed or

water-condensed chiller requires careful

consideration. Because portable chillers

transfer the heat from the process to its

surroundings in one form or another, the

environment in which the chiller will be

used must be appropriate. Air-condensed

chillers must be located in an open, well-

ventilated space to avoid overheating.

If the chiller has a blower rather than

fans, the heated air may be carried

away via ductwork as long as adequate

makeup air is provided. In addition, air-

condensed chillers should not be used in

areas where the ambient air temperature

exceeds 35°C.

Water-condensed chillers can be

operated in hot, closed areas as long as

they are supplied with a cooling tower

water to carry away the heat. The amount

of water needed will vary according to

the capacity of the chiller. “Components

and features provided in today’s portable

chillers are drastically different from

those offered a few years ago. Probably,

the most important change has

been the introduction of scroll

compressors and brazed plate

evaporators,” opines Manjrekar.

Scroll-type compressors, which use

a mating pair of orbiting scroll plates

to compress the refrigerant, have fewer

parts than their reciprocating piston-

type counterparts. The efficiency of

brazed plate evaporators permits transfer

of significant amounts of heat in a

compact size. This change has allowed

chillers to be more space-efficient than

in the past, thus better utilising valuable

plant floor space. Other features that

are more prevalent today are nonferrous

construction to minimise corrosion and

water contamination and also features

such as microprocessor controls with

special communication capabilities.

A portable chiller can be incorporated

into a temperature control system for

an injection moulding operation. “The

chiller can be used to remove heat from

the hydraulic heat exchanger, mould

temperature controller (thermolator) and

feed throat of the injection moulding

machine. Although some of these

cooling loads could be cooled by other

means, a chiller offers certain distinct

advantages,” adds Manjrekar. Because

the chiller contains a precisely controlled

refrigeration circuit, it is capable

of supplying a consistent, accurate

temperature to the process. This could

result in more efficient moulding with

less scrap. In addition, the chilled water

loop is a completely closed arrangement,

which will provide the best water quality.

This may result in better heat transfer, less

maintenance and decreased downtime.

The final advantage is that the chiller

can produce much colder water than any

other mentioned options, which may be

important under some circumstances.

Waste heat recovery boilersGenerally, waste heat boilers are water

tube boilers in which hot exhaust gases

from gas turbines and incinerators pass

over several parallel tubes containing

water. The water vaporises in the

tubes and is collected in a steam drum

from which it is drawn out for use as

heating or processing steam. Because the

exhaust gases are usually in the medium

temperature range and to conserve space,

a more compact boiler can be produced

if the water tubes are finned so as to

increase the effective heat transfer area

on the gas side.

The pressure at which steam is

generated and the rate at which steam

is produced depend on the temperature

of waste heat. The pressure of a pure

vapour in the presence of its liquid is a

function of the temperature of the liquid

from which it is evaporated. If the waste

heat in the exhaust gases is insufficient

to generate the required amount of

process steam, auxiliary burners, which

burn fuel in the waste heat boiler, or an

after-burner in which the exhaust gases

flue need to be added.

The way aheadThe recovery of waste heat during plastics

processing plays an important part not

only in improving energy efficiency,

but also in increasing productivity. The

array of portable chillers available today

is wide and vastly different from those

offered a few years ago. Most of these

can be modified easily to accommodate

the specific needs of nearly any plastics

processor and, with routine maintenance

and water quality management, will

provide years of service.

Email: [email protected]

Mangesh ManjrekarDirector, Raj Engineering Works

Components and features provided in today’s portable chillers are drastically different from those offered a few years ago. Probably, the most important change has been the introduction of scroll compressors and brazed plate evaporators.

Heat recover y system

POLICIES & REGULATIONS: P last ics recycl ing

80 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

Recycling is a broad term that is generally associated with post-consumer scrap. However, scrap generally falls within

two categories: post-industrial and post-consumer. Processors of all kinds try to avoid generating scrap; moreover, when generated, it is re-used by putting it back into the process. Industrial scrap includes off-specification parts, sprues, etc and is its size is usually reduced by devices such as granulators, shredders and pulverisers and re-fed into the machine. In post-consumer operations, recyclers collect bags, bottles and other end products. These products are washed, pelletised and sold by a recycler to processors or reprocessed into parts.

Recycling plasticsA big problem with plastics recycling is that it is difficult to automate sorting of plastic waste, and hence is labour-intensive. “While containers are usually made from a single type and colour of plastics, making them relatively easy to sort out, a consumer product such as a cellular phone may be made of many small parts consisting of different types and colours of plastics,” says Amit Kalra, Director, Hindustan Plastics and Machine Corporation. It is difficult to recycle such an item. However, there are several plastics that can be recycled easily.

To identify and sort recyclable plastics internationally, Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) developed a standard code in the late 1980s. This code identifies the type of plastics used to make a particular object; however, it does not indicate whether recyclable plastics was used to make that piece, nor does it indicate whether that type of plastics can be recycled. Generally located at the bottom of the plastic container, the code consists of three arrows that cycle clockwise and create a triangle with rounded corners. Inside each triangle is a number that identifies that plastic’s type, and below each triangle is a combination of letters that correspond to the scientific name of the type of plastics.Types of plastic recognised by SPI:

Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET or PETE): This is one of the most frequently recycled plastics by consumers. Containers marked with a ‘1’ and ‘PET’ or ‘PETE’ include some soft drink bottles, water bottles, plastic jars, plastic wrap, etc.

High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE): This plastics is marked with a ‘2’ and ‘HDPE’, it is frequently recycled. Some examples of this plastics is some milk cartons, juice bottles, shampoo bottles, liquid detergent containers made of plastics.

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC): This type

of plastics is marked by a ‘3’ and ‘PVC’, and is less commonly accepted at local recycling centres as it is more difficult to recycle. Common examples include clear food packages, liquid detergent containers, many construction applications, such as some traffic cones.

Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE): This is marked with a ‘4’ and LDPE, this plastics is used in some bags for packing bread and frozen food, trash cans, garbage can liners, etc.

Polypropylene (PP): This type of plastics is commonly used in the automobile and construction industries; this plastics is marked with a ‘5’ and ‘PP’. Some examples include car battery casings, oil funnels, plastic drinking straws, etc.

Polystyrene (PS): It is uncommonly used by consumers. Marked by a ‘6’ and ‘PS’, this plastics is used in some packing foam, plastic cutlery and protective packaging for electronic goods & toys.

Others: Plastics marked as ‘other’, ‘O’ or with a ‘7’ cannot be recycled since these are commonly made of a combination of the previous six types of plastics, or with a type of plastics other than those listed here, and cannot be broken down for recycling.

While there are many different types

Plastics is a convenient commodity since it is less costly and easy to mould into different designs. But, when improperly disposed off, it can lead to environmental hazards. Recycling is a good method to avoid problems arising from poor disposal of plastics. Anwesh Koley underlines the importance of plastics recycling under different categories.

Mechanisms for safer

plastics disposal

Plast ics recycl ing

81March 2012 | Modern Plastics & Polymers

of plastics, not all can be recycled, and some that are recyclable may not be eligible for curbside pick-up or accepted at the local recycling location. “Of the types of plastics that can be recycled, it is critical that they be recycled with their own type because even a small amount of the wrong type of plastics can damage the melt. Hence, sorting of plastics is a critical part of the recycling process, and many cities offer bins to help residents sort recyclables properly,” adds Kalra.

Plastics recycling processThe process of plastics recycling is performed in five stages:

Plastics collection: This is done by roadside collections, special recycling bins and directly from industries that use large amounts of plastics.

Manual sorting: At this stage, nails and stones are removed, and the plastics is sorted into three types, eg, PET, HDPE and other.

Chipping: The sorted plastics is cut into small pieces ready to be melted.

Washing: At this stage, contaminants are removed, eg, paper labels, dirt and remnants of the product originally contained in the plastics.

Pelleting: In this stage, plastics is melted and extruded into small pellets ready for reuse.

However, after washing, much of moisture remain in the material. Hence, many polymers emit vapours and gases during melting, and these must be removed so as to prevent bubbles in the product. Therefore, degassing or devolitisation of polymers is often crucial to manufacture acceptable pellet quality. This can be accomplished in several ways. Pre-drying is often not sufficient; hence, venting during extrusion is an important solution.

Function of vented screw The primary advantage of a vented screw is that it reduces the melt pressure to atmospheric pressure, so the polymer does not pump out of the vent opening. This is accomplished by increasing the channel volume so that the output of the extruder only partially fills the flights under the vent. A vented or two-stage screw is essentially a dual-design screw

on the same shaft. The first part works as a conventional screw by feeding, melting and conveying the polymer forward. The second part of the screw does the same, except that it is melt-fed by the first part of the screw. The first part of the screw operates with no head pressure, while the second part has to overcome any head pressure from the die and other downstream components. Proper design of the screw requires knowledge of the polymer viscosity, output capacity of both stages and head pressure.

Adequate venting with no leakage or vent flow does not depend solely on the design of the screw. The barrel vent opening needs to be fitted with a contoured plug called a diverter. The diverter deflects polymer away from the opening or else it will quickly get filled with the melt. The design is more of an art than a science but many variations work here, all using the same principles. Several companies specialise in a range of reprocessing machinery. Some of the materials that can be processed in the vented type extruder include PP, LDPE, HDPE, High-Impact Polystyrene (HIPS), PS, Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS), Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA), Polycarbonate (PC), Polyamide (PA) and all types of engineering plastics.

Another useful technology in recent times for reprocessing is the co-rotating twin-screw extruder. In the plastics recycling industry, the use of co-rotating extruders is increasingly becoming a winning solution. “Co-rotating twin-screw extruder is capable of yielding high mixing quality. It promotes distributive mixing. Distributive mixing aims at obtaining a final uniform composition of the extruded products,” adds Kalra.

Recycling PETPET is one of the most recycled polymers. While recycling PET, it is necessary to cope with its different degradation possibilities (eg, mechanical, thermal, oxidative, hydrolytic, etc). Hydrolytic oxidation is the most hazardous degradation process and can result in a severe reduction in molecular weight, viscosity and, thereby, mechanical properties of the material. PET is an extremely hygroscopic

material and quickly absorbs air moisture. During the extrusion process, it is necessary to limit the stress transferred by the screws (mechanical degradation); however, the humidity must be extracted from the material before the hydrolytic degradation process begins. PET dehumidification is generally carried out separately, and this requires a previous material crystallisation to avoid its softening inside the dryer (Tg = 75°C). A co-rotating twin-screw extruder can be used for carrying out in-line dehumidification inside the extruder.

Recycling requirements Besides technological advancements, several other steps should be undertaken to promote recycling of plastics. Financial incentives for recycled products and businesses involved in recycling represent an important step in allowing these industries to develop and compete on an equal footing with those using resin or other non-recycled products.

Email: [email protected]

Amit KalraDirector, Hindustan Plastics and Machine Corporation

Of the types of plastics that can be recycled, it is critical that they be recycled with their own type because even a small amount of the wrong type of plastics can damage the melt. Hence, sorting of plastics is a critical part of the recycling process, and many cities offer bins to help residents sort recyclables properly.

STRATEGY: Compression moulding

82 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

Compression moulding is a high-volume, high-pressure plastic moulding method suitable for moulding complex,

high-strength objects. Also, with its short cycle time and high production rate, many organisations in the automotive industry have chosen compression moulding for production of parts.

Compression moulding is a plastics moulding technique originally developed during the inception of the commercial plastics industry. This technique fell out of favour in the latter part of the century, while other thermoplastics methods were increasingly being accepted in the plastics industry. However, at the turn of the century, when compression moulding was ‘rediscovered’ as a highly cost-effective production process with low-cost moulds and low-maintenance machinery. This was a revolution of sorts driven mainly by

a number of domestic and global factors, especially due to the rising cost of raw material and an increasing need to cut down on energy consumption.

Compression moulding methods were adopted mainly by automobile manufacturers owing to its ability to produce lightweight materials for production of exterior, interior and under-the-hood parts, with an aim to enhance vehicle fuel efficiency. Further, the electronic equipment industry regards the compression moulding technique as a critical part of their operations. The most widespread application of compression moulding is in manufacturing thermoset parts.

Innovations aboundIn the 1990s, a new process came into light for compression moulding of automotives and other structural

composites made from long-glass–reinforced thermoplastics; this process offered inherent advantages in processing, quality of parts and overall processing using Glass-Mate or Thermoplastic (GMT) sheets. This technique involved compression moulding by using an extruded ‘hot log’ of reinforced compound. This compound was produced directly from glass and resin in a one-step process, eliminating the need to buy pre-moulded material. This is called the CPI technique and has numerous advantages over GMT sheet and even allows moulding of highly sophisticated parts. Superior flow inside the mould resulted in more uniform distribution of fibres and eliminated resin-rich areas in complex parts. The process can help reduce substantial scrap and enable reuse of scrap material, much like in injection moulding. The inherent cost advantages

Compression moulding is a plastic moulding method specifically used to mould complex, high-strength plastic components. It is fast gaining acceptance, especially in engineering applications, such as automobile plastics, owing to its short lead times and a higher production rate. Lionel Alva finds how recent innovations in compression moulding processes have helped reduce processing costs.

Cost reduction through innovative concepts

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86 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

over GMT, resulting from scrap reduction and elimination of the value-added step of sheet preparation, are the drivers for future applications and licensees. The compounding system needed a single-screw extruder built to proprietary specifications, while the preform accumulator was custom designed.

More recently in 2003, a significant innovation in the compression moulding process – Composite Flow Moulding (CFM) – delivered net-shaped thermoplastic composites with strength per unit weight reportedly competitive with those of machined steel, aluminium and titanium. This process transferred up to 62 per cent by volume of carbon fibre into a thermoplastic, yielding high-strength and abrasion-resistant screws, bolts, inserts, studs, anchor nuts and other fasteners. The CFM process starts with a pultruded carbon fibre rod, whic is made by one of the German suppliers who employed a proprietary method of incorporating high levels of carbon-fibre tow with virtually no damage to the integrity of the reinforcements. The rod is then cut into a blank whose

volume is equal to that of the final part. The blank is transferred by robot to a heating chamber where it is melted and wets out the continuous fibres, thus minimising voids. The blank is then transferred to a compression mould cavity where it is pressed at precise speed, temperature and pressure to form a part with a predictable fibre orientation to enhance part strength. The vibration-resistance of CFM fasteners has immense appeal for marine applications such as rig fittings and the like. The company has worked on to broaden the capability of CFM processing with additional resins, such as Nylon 6 and Polybutylene Terephthalate (PBT), to permit fibres other than carbon for use, particularly ceramic, glass and tantalum.

Relevance in the Indian scenarioConsidering that the plastics industry in India is largely fragmented and driven mainly by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), the compression moulding technique offers a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs. It is ideal for small- and medium-scale enterprises in India, as it has low initial setup costs and is capable of manufacturing large-sized parts beyond the capacity of current extrusion techniques. Moreover, it is an effective technique to mould parts that carry intricate details with good surface finish. It produces relatively less wastes since raw material is consumed in an optimal fashion. Automotive parts as well as a wide range of components used in electrical equipment, plumbing and hydraulic applications can be produced by the compression moulding process. Most of the items used everyday in kitchens and restaurants, such as handles for cooking

pots, cafeteria trays, kitchen utensils and dinnerware, can also be manufactured with this technique. Compression moulding has proved to be an integral part of the contemporary plastics processing environment.

Challenges to overcome While determining the production method, the product engineer should take into consideration that compression moulding may not be suitable for delicate joints or more fragile shapes. If the finished part is small, the deflashing process may require special techniques such as cryogenic deflashing. While, conventionally, compression moulding has faced numerous disadvantages such as production not being of injection moulding standards, leading to slower production cycles with less than ideal product consistency.

However, most of these disadvantages have been eliminated with recent innovations, as these have led to enormous improvement in quality, high performance consistency, faster moulding cycles and significant cost reduction at a higher output with low energy consumption. These factors have heralded a new era where this process is gaining ground again. “A significant challenge with compression moulding is its labour intensiveness as compared to other production techniques. Also, the rejected material is not always recyclable, so this problem must be looked at seriously by industry pioneers in an otherwise robust production process,” avers Nilkant Raut, Director, Raut engineers.

Cost-effective solutionCompression moulding is an advanced manufacturing process that is highly suited for the mass production of practically any moulded rubber shape from the most simple to the highly intricate, and from small ‘micro’ parts to relatively large parts. Rubber compression moulding is a manufacturing technique, which has proven to be the most cost-effective manufacturing solution for many types of moulded rubber parts used in numerous applications in many industries.

Email: [email protected]

Nilkant RautDirector, Raut Engineers

A signifi cant challenge with compression moulding is its labour intensiveness as compared to other production techniques. Also, the rejected material is not always recyclable, so this problem must be looked at seriously by industry pioneers in an otherwise robust production process.

Compression moulding

Downside of compression moulding process

Production speed is not up to standards of injection moulding

Limited largely to flat or moderately curved parts with no undercuts

Less-than-ideal product consistency

TIPS & TRICKS: Anci l lar y equipment management

88 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

Ancillary equipment serve as the basic ingredients for an efficient operational set-up for any plastics processor. Anwesh Koley looks into various measures that should be taken into consideration by manufacturers to ensure seamless plastics processing operations.

Measures to ensure smooth operations

Anwesh Koley

Plastics manufacturers across the globe maintain a host of plastics extrusion processing and provide custom-made

products for businesses or individual consumers. Plastics ancillary equipment

vary greatly in how much and what they can do, although their chief function is to break down plastics, usually into small pellets, and mould these into different shapes for making a wide assortment of goods. There is a need to ensure a homogeneous integration of all equipment in order to achieve

the desired production levels. Also, since heavy automation is involved in processing, manufacturers must ensure a harmony between the hydraulic and electronic components.

Email: [email protected](With inputs from Motan-Colortronic Plastics

Machinery (India) Pvt Ltd)

The following essential checks should be made to ensure safety in operations:

Conveyers: Automatic vacuum conveying protects the integrity of the material, eliminates waste and improves the cost-effectiveness of the factory. Central conveying systems provide the customer substantial operational cost benefits from automatic coupling station. These eliminate spillage and make more productive use of factory floor space, and improve health & safety.

Modular design: The manufacture of flat sheet film involves mixing of three or more components in a single or twin extruder. Multilayer extrusion heads are used when different raw materials are made into composite-layer film. This reduces downtimes at material changing points. High-grade digital load cell technology secures better recipe integrity due to throughput changes.

Temperature control: Dryers can be mounted directly on the throat of the processing machine or a support frame beside the machine. Advanced models have a microprocessor-controlled temperature regulator and are equipped with a safety thermostat to prevent overheating of materials. Use of corrosion-resistant materials ensures a long life and avoids contamination of plastic granules.

Maintenance: Maintenance costs can be reduced by reliable, easy-to-maintain central vacuum pump and filter systems. Centralised material storage in one silo serving multiple machines with consequent reduction of bins maximises material usage with closed loop recycling. Faster and more efficient loading of materials in the machine ensures better safety standards in the facility.

Acquiring consumption data: Precise control of the process during start-up, recipe change, fast and continuous adjustment of production capacities creates a detailed database. During orientation of machine direction, the cooled and stabilised film is heated to optimal temperature & stretched by passing through a series of closely located rollers. Stretching can be varied by adjusting speed settings.

Dryers: Optimal and constant production conditions are essential for high product quality and efficient production. The current range of hot air dryers used in plastics machinery offers an effective method of processing plastic granules and removing surface moisture. With pre-heated material, the important production parameters are under control.

PROJECTS

90 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

New projects and expansion activities are the barometers of industrial growth. These also present business opportunities to service providers like consultants, contractors, plant & equipment suppliers and others down the value chain. This feature will keep you updated with vital information regarding new projects and capacity expansions being planned by companies in the plastics, polymers and allied industries.

Chlorinated Polyvinyl Chloride (CPVC) Lubrizol CorporationProject typeNew facility

Project newsLubrizol Corporation has proposed to set up a ` 1,175-crore Chlorinated Polyvinyl Chloride (CPVC) industrial unit in a joint venture at Dahej Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC), Bharuch, Gujarat. The construction of the unit will start in January 2013 and the production by October 2014. CPVC products have great demand in South-East Asia, Middle East and Africa. Considering the investor-friendly and transparent policies and best infrastructural facilities in Gujarat, the company has chosen the state for setting up this unit.

Project locationDahej, Gujarat

Project cost` 1,175 crore ($ 245 million)

Implementation stageProposed

Contact details:Aant PantLubrizol India Pvt Ltd9/3, Thane Belapur RoadTurbheNavi Mumbai-400705 Tel: +91-22-27672568-74Fax: +91-22-27632407Email: [email protected]

Composites Processing Carbures

Project typeNew facility

Project newsSpain-based Carbures plans to invest $ 6.5 million to build a composites manufacturing plant in Greenville, USA. The company selected the location in part due to its

proximity to potential customers like Lockheed, Boeing, Proterra and BMW. Processes will include hand layup, resin transfer moulding and automated tape layup. Construction of the facility will begin shortly, and Carbures plans to have the facility online in the second quarter of 2012. It will employ 50 people.

Project locationGreenville, USA

Project cost$ 6.5 million (€ 4.9 million)

Implementation stagePlanning

Contact details:Carbures USA 5, Hercules WayDonaldson Center AirportGreenvilleSouth Carolina-29605 Tel: (+1) 864 593 3934Email: [email protected]

Multiple plastics applications Supreme Industries

Project typeNew facility

Project newsLeading manufacturers of plastics products, Supreme Industries has drawn up plans to invest ` 200 crore in the current fiscal year. An investment of ` 58 crore is being pumped into the unit for producing LPG composite gas cylinders at Halol in Gujarat as well as another ` 56 crore to start up a new unit for manufacturing cross laminated plastic products in Vadodara. Besides, it is investing ` 28 crore in a new unit at Hosur, Tamil Nadu to manufacture protective packaging products and also invest in expansion of other value-added products. The expansion will be completed by September 2013.

Project locationGujarat, Tamil Nadu

Project cost` 200 crore

Implementation stagePlanning

Contact details:Pallavi Shah1161, 11626th Floor,Solitaire Corporate Park,167, Guru Hargovindji Marg,Andheri-Ghatkopar Link Road,ChakalaAndheri (East)Mumbai-400093Tel: +91-22-67710000, 30840000Email: [email protected]

Nylon-6 processing Gujarat State Fertilizers & Chemicals Ltd (GSFC)

Project typeCapacity expansion

Project newsGSFC has decided to enhance the existing production capacity of its nylon-6 engineering plastic to meet with the requirement of engineering and film grade plastics. The project for additional 15,000 MTPA capacity will be undertaken by M/s Lurgi GmbH, who will be providing technology, knowhow, basic design, supply of proprietary items and technical advisory services to GSFC.

Project locationVadodara, Gujarat

Project cost` 125 crore

Implementation stagePlanning

Contact details:GSFCFertilizernagar Vadodara-391 750Tel: +91-265 2242051, 2242451Email: [email protected]

EVENT LIST

92 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

Conference on Indian Medical Devices & Plastics Disposables Industry 2012This event will focus on the growing range of applications and opportunities in the Indian medical devices industry. The conference will highlight the scope for plastics application in disposable medical devices manufacturing; March 23-24, 2012; at Ahmedabad Management Association (AMA) Complex, Ahmedabad

For details contact: D L PandyaB-4, Mandir AptSatellite RoadAhmedabad - 380 015Tel: 079 26740611Fax: 079 26754867Mob: 09825457563Email: dlpandya gmail.comWebsite: www.imdiconferences.com

Diemould India 2012With plastics processing scaling new heights in India, the die & mould industry is of particular significance to plastic parts manufacturing. This event will focus on tooling, CAD/CAM solutions, rapid prototyping & modeling, moulding machine/die casting machine, texturising, gauges, die spotting, etc; April 19-22, 2012; at Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai

For details contact: Tool & Gauge Manufacturers Association of India (TAGMA)A-33, Nandjyot Industrial EstateSafed Pool, A K RoadMumbai - 400 072Tel: 022 - 28526876 / 28508976Fax: 022 - 28503273Email: [email protected]: www.tagmaindia.org

Ind plastThis is an initiative to promote India as a leading producer of plastics and specialty polymers on the global platform. It will facilitate interaction and international investments in the domestic market. This will be an ideal platform for sourcing equipment, raw materials, products and engineering & consultancy services; October 5-8, 2012; at Science City Ground, Kolkata

For details contact: Vishal GanjuFICCI Mumbai 33/B, Krisnamai BuildingPochakanwala Road, WorliMumbai – 400030Tel: 022-2496 8000, 2496 6633 - 39Fax: 022-2496 6631/32Email: vishal.ganju@f icci.comWebsite: www.indiachemgujarat.com

National

JEC Europe 2012JEC is a composite industry organisation

dedicated to developing products and

services for its customers and for the

composite industry. This conference

will address the booming composites

market’s requirements of raw materials

and automation solutions. It will be

a meeting ground for the scientific

community, R&D professionals across

Europe; March 27-29, 2012; at Porte de

Versailles, Paris, France

For details contact:

Guillaume Vouioux

Journals and Exhibitions

25 boulevard de l ’Amiral Bruix

Paris-75116, France

Tel: +33 1 58 36 15 07

Fax: +33 1 58 36 15 19

Website: www.jeccomposites.com

NPE 2012 A leading international plastics technology

trade fair held in the US will showcase

a broad range of polymer technologies

for the packaging industry. It will

present innovative polymer technologies

to advance the medical devices industry

as well as automotive manufacturers;

April 1-5, 2012; at Orange County

Convention Center (OCCC), Orlando,

Florida, USA

For details contact:

Hemah Saxena

Comnet Exhibitions Pvt Ltd

# 217 B, 2nd Floor

Okhla Industrial Estate

Phase III, New Delhi - 110 020, India

011 - 42795055/42795000

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.npe.org

Chinaplas 2012This edition of Chinaplas will continue

the legacy of bringing solutions to

the global plastics industry while

highlighting the opportunities within

Asia. The exhibition will showcase the

most innovative and advanced plastics

and rubber machinery and raw materials;

April 18-21, 2012; at Shanghai New

International Expo Centre, PR China

For details contact:

Lillian Tse

Adsale Exhibition Services Limited

6th Floor, 321 Java Road

North Point

Hong Kong

Tel: (852) 2516 3374

Fax: (852) 2516 5024

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.chinaplasonline.com

International

The information published in this section is as per the details furnished by the

respective organiser. In any case, it does not represent the views of

Business Insights •Technologies•Opportunities

EVENT PREVIEW: Indian Medical Devices & Plast ics Disposables Industr y 2012

94 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

Lionel Alva

The $ 300-billion strong global

medical devices market is

growing at a Compounded

Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)

of 10 per cent and is undaunted by the

recent economic downturn. The prognosis

is healthy with demand set to rise across

all regions. This bears special significance

for developing countries such as China

and India who are to establish themselves

as major stakeholders. While the US

continues to be the biggest contributor,

other nations are fast catching up.

The 9th edition of Indian Medical

Devices & Plastics Disposable Industry

2012, is scheduled to be held from March

23-24, 2012, at Ahmedabad Management

Association (AMA) Complex,

Ahmedabad. The event will provide a

strong platform to find new avenues for

growth, bring together the best minds in

the Indian medical devices industry and

provide a unique opportunity for direct

interaction with experts.

Setting the stageThe conference will allow industry leaders,

experts and authorities to plan a course

of action to further boost the country’s

prospects in an increasingly competitive

global arena. It will examine in detail

factors including key trends, drivers and

challenges that impact the growth of this

market, providing a complete outlook

over 25 best practices presentations from

some of the leading professionals from

the government, research, industry and

academic institutions.

Compliance to requirements and

standards set by the regulatory framework

is integral to success in development &

marketing of medical devices. This is

particularly important since the Indian

medical devices industry has been growing

sturdily despite the economic crunch,

prompting multinationals to set up

companies in India to tap into the prospering

domestic market. But, to establish themselves

effectively, they must be aware of the safety

regulations for medical devices in India.

Pradeep Rao, Managing Director, Pradeep

Surgipack, says, “High import duty on raw

material import is a major constraint. While

the duty structure is same for raw materials

and finished goods, it would be ideal if

import duty on raw materials is reduced

as compared to finished goods, giving the

local manufacturing industry easy access to

quality inputs, while restricting import of

finished goods at lower prices. Adherence to

quality standards and certifications should

be mandatory for all manufacturers and

preferably come under the purview of the

Drugs Controller General of India.”

Incredible prospectsThe conference provides an opportunity

to establish India as a research and

development hub. In 2009, the Indian

market for medical equipment was

estimated at $ 1,908 million. Trends

insinuate increasing investments at a steady

rate into the private sector infrastructure

along with increased healthcare funding

from the Government will consolidate

the robust growth of this market.

Email: [email protected]

The 9th national conference of the Indian Medical Devices & Plastics Disposables Industry promises to provide an ostentatious spectacle of an impressive assortment of technological innovation and groundbreaking ideas that will revolutionise the industry. Here is a chronicle of some of the expectations of this landmark event.

Infusing vigour to healthcare industry

EVENT REPORT: P last india 2012

96 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

Annabel Dsouza

Much has been said about

the performance and

potential of India’s

status as an emerging

market. However, Plastindia 2012

proved to be a pulsating testimony not

only of the promising market scenario,

but also of the buoyant spirit of

the Indian entrepreneur. The eighth

edition of the triennial Plastics

Exhibition and Conference was

held f rom February 1-6, 2012, at

Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. Spread

over 100,000 sq m, Plastindia 2012

hosted more than 1,800 exhibitors

and 100,000 business visitors from

40 countries.

Plastindia 2012 was inaugurated

by Chief Guest K Jose Cyriac,

Secretary, Department of Chemicals

and Petrochemicals, Government

of India. Neel Kamal Darbari, Joint

Secretary, Department of Chemicals and

Petrochemicals, Government of India,

was the Guest of Honour at the occasion.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony,

Cyriac said, “The plastics industry

has been growing at a fast pace and is

expected to maintain a similar growth

rate in the coming years. Plastindia

exhibition has grown in terms of number

of Indian & international exhibitors and

visitors. It is a clear testimony to the fact

that India now plays a pivotal role in the

global plastics industry.”

Ashok Goel, President, Plastindia

Foundation, speaking on the occasion

observed, “Over the years, Plastindia

has grown to become the second

largest fair in plastics in the world.

With plastics foraying into important

sectors of Indian manufacturing such

as infrastructure healthcare, agriculture,

packaging and automobiles, we believe

that Plastindia 2012 can play a big

role here by providing a platform for

alternative raw material/additives source

and the latest technology.”

Business panoramaApart from knowledge sharing and

technology exposure, Plastindia

2012 incited among the industry

players great interest for international

partnerships, especially in the areas

of pipes and profiles, packaging and

automotives. Being at the centre of

Indian manufacturing, the plastics

industry needs to keep pace with the

global innovations making headway in

India. This is particularly relevant for

Investing in the India advantage

As Plastindia brought down the curtains on its eighth edition, the Indian plastics fraternity opened itself to a new world of opportunities. Along with large and small domestic companies, this show witnessed many global solution providers who want to collaborate with the $ 25-billion strong Indian plastics industry.

Plast india 2012

97March 2012 | Modern Plastics & Polymers

the consumer durables and automotive

markets where the consumers’ appetite

is changing f requently. This spells

enormous opportunities for the entire

value chain while also creating a need

for inclusive technology facilitation.

The optimistic stance of the

exhibitors was reflected by Sunil Jain,

President, Rajoo Engineers Ltd. He

said, “For Rajoo, this exhibition is not

a destination, but a journey to further

our commitment to the extrusion

industry and continue to serve this

industry while being recognised as a

quality, reliable and trusted supplier in

the global markets.” With the global

plastics industry pledging their faith

in the Indian economy, Plastindia

2012 offered a glimpse into futuristic

solutions that are making their way

into Indian plastics processing. At the

British Pavilion, Claudia Finamore,

Marketing Manager, ColorMatrix,

said, “Plastindia offers an invaluable

opening into India’s growing

market. For our company, the

world’s largest plastics trade show,

K Show Düsseldorf is predominantly

a maintenance event where we get the

opportunity to interact with existing

customers. The major difference at

Plastindia is that we can reach out

to new customers by introducing our

innovative solutions to their processes.”

Emphasis on sustainability Besides the exhibition, Plastindia 2012

conference witnessed a large gathering of

experts and visionaries from the Indian

& global plastics fraternity. They shared

their views and visions on technology

& trade besides offering extensive

networking opportunities. This two-day

conference proved to be a platform for

sharing knowledge among scientists,

technologists, business professionals

and, more importantly, students &

future leaders of the plastics industry.

Among the various subjects impacting

the plastics industry, sustainability was a

key concern and the speakers highlighted

the need for comprehensive solutions,

inclusive of the plastics value chain as

well as the end user.

This edition of Plastindia featured

an updated version of Proplast. Proplast

was first started in 2006, dedicated to the

finished goods segment of the plastics

industry. This exclusive pavilion, served as

a one-stop-shop for Original Equipment

Manufacturers (OEMs), product packers,

Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG)

companies, retail chains, etc. The show

also had a special pavilion for recycling

and agricultural applications of

commodity and engineering plastics.

Through this pavilion, Plastindia

Foundation introduced all the

participants to its plasticulture

project. Plasticulture seeks to cover

17 million hectare of agricultural land

in India under micro-irrigation schemes,

which will further boost the prospects of

plastics consumption across the country.

Goel added, “India recycles 60 per cent

of its used plastics, higher than the

world average of 22 per cent. Contradictory

to what most people believe, plastics

and plastic bags account for only

3 per cent and 0.3 per cent of the

municipal waste, respectively. For

building plastics’ image as a green

material, Plastindia Foundation is

showcasing through various campaigns

the recyclability of plastics and lower

carbon footprint during its processing

as compared to conventional materials.

The problem lies in the handling

and disposal of plastics and the real

challenge is waste management. One

needs to start waste segregation at

source, ensuring easy and effective

recycling, as has been successfully done

in case of Polyethylene Terephthalate

(PET) bottles.”

Investing in talentKeeping pace with the rapid expansion

of the domestic plastics industry,

Plastindia Foundation has decided to set

up an integrated campus under the name

of Plastindia International University.

This university will be affiliated to

Gujarat Government and is likely to

start operations in 2013. It will cater to the

training and development requirements

of the plastics industry. The objective

of Plastindia International University

is to provide engineering and management

education up to the postgraduate

level coupled with industrial

research, project management and

entrepreneurship. It will ultimately

incorporate doctorate level programmes

at a later stage. With this activity,

Plastindia Foundation is moving

ahead with one more successful step,

by collaborating with two foreign

universities – University of Wisconsin

Madison, USA, and University of

Massachusetts, Lowell, USA.

Email: [email protected]

Inaugurating Plastindia 2012: (L-R) K K Seksaria, Treasurer, and Bipin Shah, Vice President, Plastindia Foundation; K Jose Cyriac, Secretary, and

Neel Kamal Darbari, Joint Secretary, Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Government of India

BOOK REVIEW

98 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

Compounding of polymers had started with the beginning of rubber industry 150 years back. Today, this industry has reached maturity. The book Thermoplastic and Rubber Compounds gives a description of the technology and physical chemistry of rubbers and plastics. It also explains the culture in both industries and concepts behind the complex and sophisticated recipes.

The book highlights the mechanism of additives during compounding as well as their interactions with one another. Hence, this book is useful for both students and formulation chemists working in the industry. The book begins with a chapter on ‘Overview of Compounding Ingredients’ and describes the additives used by both plastics and rubber industries; it ends with a chapter on the mixing machinery used by the two industries. A good attempt has been made to explain 150 years of development span of compounding machinery used by the industry today.

The purpose of this book is to describe the components and composition of major types of polymer compounds used by plastics and rubber industries along with the mechanism of their effectiveness, which it has successfully achieved.

Thermoplastic and Rubber CompoundsAuthors : James L White and Kwang-Jea KimPrice : ` 7,275

The hot runner technology has reached a high level of technical know-how today. Designers, mould makers, hot runner suppliers and raw materials producers across the world have collaborated and perfected this technology.

The book Hot Runner Technology explains various topics, starting with basic concepts of heat technology and then explaining the hot runner components, manifold blocks and nozzles. The author has followed the old rule of ‘learning through experience’ by analysing past failures through hands-on experience and come up with new developments and inventions. At every stage, the author has narrowed down his observations and suggestions into pointers, which would be extremely helpful for the reader in absorbing the knowledge.

Other topics covered in this book, which are related to hot runner technology, are the basic concepts of plastics technology, material behaviour under mechanical load, such as notch effects under static and dynamic load, corrosion and wear as well as design aspects of the special hot runner system.

Therefore, this book is valuable for product and mould designers, tool room engineers, process engineers as well as students.

Hot Runner TechnologyAuthor : Peter UngerPrice : ` 9,450

Avaliable at: Wisdom Book Distributors, Hornby Building, 1st floor, 174, D N Road, Mumbai 400 001Tel: 022-2207 4484/6631 8958 • Telefax: 022-2203 4058 • Email: [email protected]

Reviewer: Dr Yatish B Vasudeo, President, BY INNOVATIONS Consultancy (I) Pvt Ltd

PRODUCTS

100 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

This section provides information about the national and international products available in the market

Screen changer

This machine is offered for each filtration application. The spectrum

ranges from discontinuous and continuous systems to fully automatic

backflush screen changers. Screen changer with process-, pressure- and

volume-flow constant mode of operation is also offered. The screen

changer is used for filtration application. Relating to throughput

the scope ranges from 2-80 kg/hr to systems with 35,000 kg/hr. For

economic processing of PET, inline crystallisation system CrystallCut

is used. With this, pelletising and crystallisation is affected in one

process step, without supplying additional energy.

Kreyenborg GmbH

Muenster - Germany

Tel: +49-251-214050

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.kreyenborg-group.com

Thin film dryerThe wiped and

agitated thin

film dryer comes

in a spectrum of

sizes, tailored to

suit customers’

a p p l i c a t i o n

needs. The

design varies

according to

the applications.

These dryers come in horizontal (pre-dominantly) and vertical

configurations, with a variety of proprietary wiping and scraping

arrangements, accompanied by solvent-recovery systems where

required.

Alpha Process Engineers

Chennai - Tamil Nadu

Tel: 044-28111351

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.alphaprocessengineers.com

High-pressure compressorThis high-

p r e s s u r e

compressor is

used for PET

blowing. Its

features are

valve piston

and rider

rings designed

for annual

one time

maintenance, low RPM & rugged cast iron design ideal for heavy-

duty continues 24x7 operating year-after-year, forged crank shaft

& connecting rod, precision main & crank pin bearings with force

feed lubrication have very high load-bearing capacity. Two throw

balance-opposed frames are designed to minimise unbalanced forces.

Cylinders constructed with large cast-in-water jackets are specially

designed intercoolers for dimensional stability and for better cooling

under continue operation.

Comp-Tech Equipment Ltd

Ahmedabad - Gujarat

Tel: 079-22201296, Mob: 09825039768

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.comptechcompressor.com

Injection moulding machineThis rubber injection moulding machine

is ideal for moulding precision parts

with accurate process control and high

productivity. The VE series is a state-of-

the-art vertical hydraulic PLC-controlled

4-post rubber screw injection moulding

machine designed to maximise the

accuracy of the shot size. The VEC series

is a 25- and 50-tonne screw injection

moulding machine designed with a

C-frame type clamp for unobstructed

loading of inserts or extrusions and ease

of removing moulded parts.

J R D Rubber & Plastic Technology

Pvt Ltd

New Delhi

Tel: 011-27128281

Mob: 09810121208

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.jrdrubber.com

Name:___________________________________________________Designation:_________________________________________

Company:_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Address:_______________________________________________________________________________________________

City:_________________________________________Pin:_______________________State:__________________________

Tel:________________________________________Mob:_______________________________Fax:_________________________

Email:__________________________________________________Web:_______________________________________________Business Insights •Technologies•Opportunities 3/

2012

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NUMBER/S OF YOUR

CHOICE AND SEND

TIP-15Product Sourcing Just Got Simpler

1 See the index page in this issue. Every product carries a number.2 Choose products of your choice from the list.3 Write their serial numbers (as per the index page) of your chosen product/s one-by-one in the boxes.4 Fill in your complete contact details. 5 Send it to us at the address printed overleaf.

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Special Projects

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INFOMEDIA 18 LIMITED

PRODUCTS

103March 2012 | Modern Plastics & Polymers

Temperature controllerThis is a

microcontroller-

based temperature

controller, which

meets custom-built

industrial process

a p p l i c a t i o n s .

The controller is

available in double

or single four-

digit display. It

can be used for

process and set value indication, output heater relay and alarm

relay, supply of 230 V AC, 12 V DC, ON/OFF or TP action

for heating control, etc. The temperature controller offers a

password facility for configuration mode to avoid unauthentic

entry. It is available in sizes of 96 x 96 mm, 72 x 72 mm,

96 x 48 mm and 48 x 96 mm. Analogue and digital base controller

is also offered.

Wavetronics

Ahmedabad - Gujarat

Tel: 079-22811329, Mob: 09327003425

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.wavetronics.co.in

PRODUCTS

105March 2012 | Modern Plastics & Polymers

Plastic injection moulding machine

The range of plastic injection

moulding machine is suitable for

manufacturers and engineering

industries. Designed using latest

technology, the range is known

to perform better even in harsh

conditions. This plastic injection

moulding machine is available

in various specifications to

suit different requirements of

engineering and manufacturing

industries.

Injection moulding machineThe ABH series vertical plunger-type plastic

injection moulding machine is equipped with

hydraulic system for mould locking/opening and

injection/rifling by lever operated valve. It comes

with two-zone digital temperature controller and

c o n s u m e s

less power.

The locking

and injection

system is

o p e r a t e d

by digital timer. This machine

is available in manual, semi-

automatic and fully automatic.

It is provided with adjustable

automatic hydraulic hopper.

The machine comes with digital

shot counter and emergency stop

push button.

Amrut Brothers

Ahmedabad - Gujarat

Tel: 079-22928163

Mob: 09824093682

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.amrutbrothers.com

Mechatronics Machinery & Tools (India)

Delhi

Tel: 011-27830809, Mob: 09810129642

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.mechatronicsmachinery.com

PRODUCTS

106 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

Temperature controller and waterflow regulatorThis temperature

controller controls

the temperature

of manifold block

and the nozzle

with correct

circuit connection

and parameters

on the panel. It

also maintains

a constant

temperature within the system as well. The water flow regulator is

designed to work with mould heaters, water chillers and cooling

towers, which can be connected to more than one mould connector. It

has functions like temperature and flowrate display, flowrate control

in order to meet the requirement of different working conditions.

Modularised combination ensures installation and maintenance. It

is a necessary equipment for modern plastics industry to improve its

moulding efficiency.

Shini Plastics Technologies (India) Pvt Ltd

Thane - Maharashtra

Tel: 0250-3021132

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.shini.com

PRODUCTS

110 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

Digital printing technologyThe online digital

printing technology

attributes to the

printers with high-

resolution piezo

inkjet technology,

thereby offering the

packaging industry

the most efficient

and state-of-art-

technology in

terms of hardware,

software, accessories

and consumables.

I n t e r m s

of application, it is cost-effective modern technology, used

for marking, printing and helps in traceability. The simplified

operation at each level of production process is versatility in

application software to design, the logos, text, barcodes, variable

and fixed data field, option for multi-colour printing, standalone or

network printing.

M & M Technologies Pvt Ltd

Navi Mumbai - Maharashtra

Tel: 022-27781580

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.mmtechnologiesindia.com

CAM followersThe stud-type

CAM followers

are available

with standard

and eccentric

stud cage/

needles guided

c y l i n d r i c a l /

crowned outer

race, grease

filled ready-to-use. Holes for grease nipple and plug fitting are

provided. The CAM followers are used as full complement bearings

and can take heavier loads at a lower speed. These are grease-

lubricated, maintenance-free and have slight gap adjustment by

eccentric. The CAM followers are applicable in all medium and heavy

industries.

NMT Group

Ahmedabad - Gujarat

Tel: 079-22821527, Mob: 09328271660

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.nmtgindia.com

PRODUCTS

113March 2012 | Modern Plastics & Polymers

Plastic brighteners/shiners and whitenersThese plastic

br ighteners ,

shiners and

w h i t e n e r s

are used

for natural

t ransparent ,

colours and

milky white

end products.

These are

also used for

adding clarity

and gloss

finish to natural transparent polymers. The products give shining and

bright finish colours to end products. These remove yellowness and

dullness from the end products and make them super milky white.

The products are used in virgin, second, dull natural or milky white

sutli, ropes, twine, reprocess granules, HDPE-LDPE-PVC pipes &

profiles, etc.

Plast Fine Polymers

Ahmedabad - Gujarat

Tel: 079-65242332, Mob: 09825587152

Email: plastf [email protected]

PRODUCTS

114 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

Flat surface finish brushes

These flat surface finish brushes are used for smooth and resplendent

metal surfaces. The brushes are used in stainless steel fabrication

industries. Valgro-Fynex metal surface finishing system is the most

versatile solution for all applications where a linear scratch pattern

is required. These ensure reduction in costs and find use in various

mediums like stainless steel, aluminium, brass, copper and alloys.

These systems consist of combi and plain brushes.

Valgro Engineers Pvt Ltd

Ahmedabad - Gujarat

Tel: 079-22972603, Mob: 09374083443

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.valgroabrasives.com

EPS cup making machineThis machine

ensures a high-

volume production

since it comprises

a highly efficient

pneumatic control.

Equipped with 16

cavity moulds, it

is designed to run

at an optimised

cycle time and

c o m p a r a t i v e l y

offers a 60 per cent

higher production

rate. This machine is used for making drinking cups for hot and

cold drinks and ice-cream cups. Besides, even disposable trays, plates,

containers, etc, can easily be made by changing the mould.

Neejtech India

Ahmedabad - Gujarat

Tel: 079-26561312, Mob: 09825040231

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.neejtech.com

PRODUCTS

116 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

The information published in this section is as per the details furnished by the respective manufacturer/

distributor. In any case, it does not represent the views of

Business Insights •Technologies•Opportunities

FORM IV

Statement about ownership and other particulars aboutModern Plastics & Polymers, as required to be published in the fi rst issue every year after the last day of February.

1. Place of Publication: Ruby House, ‘A’ Wing, JK Sawant Marg, Dadar (W), Mumbai-400028

2. Periodicity of Publication: Monthly 3. Printer’s Name: Mr Mohan Gajria Nationality: Indian Address: Infomedia 18 Ltd, Ruby House, ‘A’ Wing,

JK Sawant Marg, Dadar (W), Mumbai-4000284. Publisher’s Name: Mr Lakshmi Narasimhan Nationality: Indian Address: Infomedia 18 Ltd, Ruby House, ‘A’ Wing,

JK Sawant Marg, Dadar (W), Mumbai-4000285. Editor’s Name: Mr Manas Bastia Nationality: Indian Address: Infomedia 18 Ltd, Ruby House, ‘A’ Wing,

JK Sawant Marg, Dadar (W), Mumbai-400028 6. Names and addresses of Individuals who own

Modern Plastics & Polymers & partners or shareholder holding more than 1% of total capital: Infomedia 18 Limited (formerly known as Infomedia India Limited), Ruby House, ‘A’ Wing, JK Sawant Marg, Dadar (W), Mumbai-400028 is the owner of Modern Plastics & Polymers.

Details of the shareholders of Infomedia 18 Limited who are holding more than 1% of the paid up equity share capital of the company as on 20-02-2012:

1. Network18 Media & Investments Limited, 503,504 & 507, 5th Floor, Mercantile House, 15 Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi - 110001

2. Acacia Conservation Fund LP, Citibank N A, Custody Services 3rd Flr, Trent House, G Block, Plot No. 60, BKC, Bandra (East), Mumbai - 400051

3. Pramod Premchand Shah, Kalpana Pramod Shah, Agra Building, 1st Floor, 121/4 M.G.Road, Mumbai - 400023

4. Acacia Institutional Partners, LP, Citibank N A, Custody Services 3rd Flr, Trent House, G Block, Plot No. 60, BKC, Bandra (East), Mumbai - 400051

5. SPS Capital & Money Management Services Pvt Ltd, 66,Tamarind Lane, 4/5,Haji Kasam Bldg, 1st Floor, Fort, Mumbai - 400023

6. Sanjiv Dhireshbhai Shah, 201-203, Sapphire Complex, Nr. Cargo Motors, C.G. Road, Ahmedabad - 380006

7. The Oriental Insurance Company Limited, Oriental House, P B 7037, A-25/27, Asaf Ali Road, New Delhi - 110002

8. Accurate Finstock Pvt Ltd, 9th Floor, Shikhar, Adani House, Nr. Mithakhali Six Road, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad - 380009

I, Lakshmi Narasimhan, hereby declare that all particulars given above are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Dated: 20th February 2012

Lakshmi NarasimhanSignature of the publisher

Plastic injection moulding machine

The Optima series plastic injection moulding machine is characterised

by the proven, reliable machine design with an attractive price to

performance ratio. This machine has clamping force of 450-1750

kN. Features include: proven 5-point double toggle mechanism, self-

lubricating bushes for toggle mechanism, automatic mould height/

thickness adjustment, automatic centralised grease lubrication, choice of

three injection units for each clamping force, twin cylinder injection unit,

automatic barrel heating function, ceramic band heaters, etc.

Electronica Plastic Machines Ltd

Pune - Maharashtra

Tel: 020-22922212

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.elpml.com

Blown film extrusion lineThe mono-layer blown

film extrusion line is used

for HM-HDPE/LLDPE/

LDPE/PP. It comes in

width of 90 mm to 1300

mm and has an output

of 20 kg/hr to 70 kg/hr.

The plant is available with

stationery and rotating die.

Applications are in plastic

bags, vest bags, liners,

garbage bags, packaging

films, stretch films, shrink

films, detergent bags, etc.

Dura Exports Pvt Ltd

Mumbai - Maharashtra

Tel: 022-26744053, Mob: 09930476588

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.duraexport.com

LIST OF PRODUCTS

118 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

1 ABS ..............................................................103

2 AC drive .............................................................. 110

3 AC motor .............................................................. 49

4 Additive masterbatches .............................. 10, COC

5 Air bellow ............................................................. 87

6 Air bubble sheet plant............................................. 8

7 Air cooled chiller .................................................. 43

8 Air treatment ........................................................ 89

9 Air-conditioner parts ........................................FGF

10 Ammonia liquid chiller ....................................... 111

11 Automatic leak testing machine ......................... 107

12 Automation panel ................................................. 95

13 Automation system ............................................... 85

14 Automation ........................................................... 35

15 Axial flow fan ...................................................... 106

16 Bag making machine ........................................47

17 Barrel ..................................................................BIC

18 Beryllium copper plastic mould materials .......... 121

19 Bi-axial plant ....................................................... 123

20 Bio-degradable masterbatches..........................COC

21 Black masterbatches ................................... 10, COC

22 Blender ......................................................... FIC, 91

23 Blending unit ....................................................FGF

24 Blow moulding machine ............................... 18, 107

25 Blower series ......................................................... 85

26 Blowers and fans ................................................. 106

27 Blown film extrusion line.................................... 116

28 Blown film extrusion systems ............................. BC

29 Bottle testing equipment ....................................... 69

30 Brake motor .......................................................... 49

31 Brine chiller .......................................................... 43

32 Bulk milk cooler .................................................. 111

33 Buschjost series ..................................................... 87

34 CAM followers ..............................................110

35 Cast film line .......................................................... 8

36 Centrifugal air blower ......................................... 106

37 Chillers for batching plant .................................... 43

38 Circular weaving machine ..................................... 99

39 Clean room application ......................................... 17

40 Cleaning oven ....................................................BIC

41 Cluster facia ......................................................FGF

42 CNC vertical machining centre ............................ 25

43 Co-extrusion blown film plant ............................... 8

44 Co-extrusion dies .................................................... 8

45 Color masterbatches ................................... 33, COC

46 Colour mark sensor ............................................... 95

47 Colouring extrusion plant ................................... 123

48 Compounding extrusion plant ............................ 123

49 Compressed air system .......................................... 21

50 Compressor ................................................... 21, 106

51 Conductive compounds ....................................COC

52 Conference .......................................................... 112

53 Conical twin-screw extruder ........................... 59, 61

54 Connector and cable assembly .............................. 29

55 Connector .........................................................FGF

56 Continuous screen changer ................................BIC

57 Control system ...................................................... 95

58 Conveying blower ............................................... 106

59 Conveying system ................................................. 35

60 Cooling tower ....................................................... 89

61 Counters and power supplies .................................. 7

62 CPVC pipe ..................................................... 12, 19

63 Crane control ........................................................ 95

64 Cutting and stitching machine ............................. 99

65 Cyclic olefin copolymer ...................................... 119

66 Dairy machinery ............................................111

67 DC motor ............................................................. 49

68 Dehumidified air dryer .....................................FGF

69 Dehumidified dryer ...................................... FIC, 63

70 Differential pressure transmitter ........................... 29

71 Digital panel meter ............................................... 14

72 Digital printing technology ................................ 110

73 Door trim ..........................................................FGF

74 Dosing and blending system ................................. 35

75 Dosing and mixing machine ................................. 85

76 DPT with LCD display ....................................... 29

77 Drying and dehumidifying system ....................... 85

78 Drying system ....................................................... 35

79 Drymax air-hot air dryer ................................... FIC

80 Drymax dryer ..................................................... FIC

81 Drymax pet-dehumidified dryer ........................ FIC

82 Dyestuff ................................................................. 34

83 Electric injection moulding machine gearboxes .. 9

84 Electrical panel ...................................................... 95

85 Encoder ................................................................... 7

86 EPS cup making machine ................................... 114

87 Exhaust valve ........................................................ 87

88 Exhibition - 8th Die & Mould

India international exhibition ............................... 52

89 Exhibition - Plastivision Arabia-2012 ................ 108

90 Extruder feeding system ..................................... 103

91 Extrusion coating lamination plant ........................ 8

92 Extrusion coating line ........................................... 99

93 Extrusion dies ..................................................... 126

94 Extrusion lamination machine ............................ 117

95 Extrusion lamination plant ................................. 117

96 Extrusion plant.................................................... 123

97 Extrusion system ................................................. BC

98 Extrusion tape stretching machine ..................... 117

99 Extrusion tape stretching plant ........................... 117

100 Extrusion ............................................................. BC

101 Feeding and conveying system ..........................85

102 Flame retardant masterbatches ............................. 10

103 Flameproof motor ................................................. 49

104 Flange mounting motor ........................................ 49

105 Flat surface finish brushes .................................. 114

106 Flexo-printing machine ........................................ 47

107 Flow regulator ....................................................... 87

108 Fluorescent ............................................................ 34

109 Fuel burner .......................................................... 106

110 Gear box ........................................................104

111 Gear motor.......................................................... 104

112 Gear pump ................................................. 103, BIC

113 Granulating and recycling system ......................... 85

114 Granulator .......................................................... FIC

115 HALL/MR sensor ...........................................29

116 HDPE caps and containers .................................. 65

117 HDPE woven sack manufacturing plant ............ 117

118 HDPE ................................................................. 103

119 Head lamp & tail lamp ..................................... FGF

120 Heart valve frame ........................................... 72, 73

121 Heat transfer rolls ..............................................BIC

122 Heating and cooling system............................ 35, 85

123 Helical inline geared motor/reducer ................... 104

124 Hi speed rotogravure printing machine ................ 47

125 High-cavitation mould.......................................... 17

126 High-performance screws ..................................BIC

127 High-pressure compressor .................................. 100

128 High-pressure transducer ...................................... 29

129 High-speed mixer ............................................... 106

130 Hips ..................................................................... 103

131 HMHD ............................................................... 103

132 Hot air dryer ............................................... 63, FGF

133 Hot runner system ................................................ 85

134 Hot runner temperature controller ....................... 95

135 IML technique ................................................17

136 Inductive sensor .................................................... 29

137 Industrial automation .......................................... 109

138 Industrial control and sensing device ...................... 7

139 Industrial cooler .................................................... 89

140 Infrared dryer ...................................................... 103

141 Infrared heater ...................................................... 95

142 Injection moulding

machine ..........FGF, 18, 23, 31, 100, 105, 115, BGF

143 In-line drip irrigation plant ................................ 114

144 Inline drip tubing ............................................ 12, 19

145 Inline shaft mounted

helical geared motor/reducer ............................... 104

146 Insert moulding machine ...................................... 18

147 Instrumentation and control ................................. 95

148 ISO star ..........................................................87

149 Junction box wireless ............................................. 29

150 Junction box .......................................................... 29

151 Knobs and switches ......................................FGF

152 Lamination machine ........................................47

153 Large flow water heater ........................................ 85

154 LDPE .................................................................. 103

155 Level controllers ...................................................... 7

156 Lintra rodless cylinder ......................................... 87

157 Liquid crystaline lymer ....................................... 119

158 Liquid ring vacuum pump .................................. 106

159 Liquifier ................................................................ 43

Sl No Product Pg No Sl No Product Pg No Sl No Product Pg No

FGF - Front Gate Fold, FIC - Front Inside Cover, BIC - Back Inside Cover, BGF - Back Gate Fold, BC - Back Cover

To know more about the products featured in this magazine, fax us on 022-3003 4499 or tear and post to us the ‘Product Inquiry Card’ by following the 5 easy steps given there. Alternatively, you may also write to us at [email protected] or

call us on 022-3003 4684, and we will send your inquiries to the advertisers/companies directly to help you source better.

LIST OF PRODUCTS

120 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

160 Loader ................................................................ FIC

161 Manual and hydraulic screen changer ............BIC

162 Material dryer ....................................................... 91

163 Material testing instrument .................................. 69

164 Measuring and monitoring relay ............................ 7

165 Medical mould ...................................................... 17

166 Melt pressure transducer ....................................... 95

167 Micro-fine pulverising systems ........................... 123

168 Modbus ................................................................. 29

169 Monolayer blown film line ................................. BC

170 Monolayer blown film plant ....................... 8, 12, 19

171 Motor .................................................................... 49

172 Mould changing system ...................................... 105

173 Mould temperature controller ............................... 63

174 Moulding machine ................................................ 17

175 Multi-component mould ...................................... 17

176 Multi-layer blown film line............................99, BC

177 Multi-layer blown film plant .................................. 8

178 Multi-layer blown film .................................... 12, 19

179 Multi-stage centrifugal air blowers ..................... 106

180 Neat resin ........................................................34

181 Nylon................................................................... 103

182 Oil chiller ........................................................43

183 Oil ....................................................................... 106

184 Optical brightener ............................................COC

185 Packaging service provider .............................124

186 Paper chemicals ..................................................... 34

187 Paperless recorder .................................................. 14

188 Parallel and right-angle axes gearbox ..................... 9

189 PBEGL geared motor .......................................... 49

190 PC ....................................................................... 103

191 Pelletiser .............................................................BIC

192 Pet bottle testing equipment ................................. 69

193 Pet container ......................................................... 65

194 Pet masterbatches .................................................. 10

195 Pet perform dedicated machine ............................ 67

196 Photoelectric sensor ................................................ 7

197 Photosensor ........................................................... 29

198 Plastic board production system ........................... 38

199 Plastic brighteners/shiners and whiteners ........... 113

200 Plastic extrusion machinery ................................ 106

201 Plastic injection moulding machine ...... 27, 105, 116

202 Plastic masterbatches ............................................ 45

203 Plastic processing machine.................................... 99

204 Plastic scrap grinder ............................................ 106

205 Plastic sheet extrusion plant ............................... 117

206 Plastic textile and machinery ................................ 77

207 Plate heat exchanger ........................................... 111

208 Plybutylene terepthalate ...................................... 119

209 PMMA ............................................................... 103

210 Pneumatic valve .................................................. 111

211 Polyacetal copolymer ........................................... 119

212 Polymer valve ...................................................... 103

213 Polyolefin pipe................................................. 12, 19

214 Polyphenylene sulfide .......................................... 119

215 PP caps .................................................................. 65

216 PP container .......................................................... 65

217 PP glass-filled compounds .................................... 10

218 PP mineral filled compounds................................ 10

219 PP woven sack manufacturing machines ............ 117

220 PP/HDPE/PET ..................................................... 8

221 PPCP .................................................................. 103

222 PP-R pipe ....................................................... 12, 19

223 Precision moulding machine .............................FGF

224 Press ...................................................................... 38

225 Printing and cutting/rewinding machine .............. 99

226 Printing press ........................................................ 38

227 Process controller .................................................. 14

228 Process tank ........................................................ 111

229 Products exporting ................................................ 65

230 Proportional valve ................................................. 87

231 Proximity sensor ...................................................... 7

232 Pump ................................................................... 106

233 PVC foam core pipe ....................................... 12, 19

234 PVC mixer cooler ........................................... 12, 19

235 PVC palletising line ........................................ 12, 19

236 PVC pipe ........................................................ 12, 19

237 PVC profile line .............................................. 12, 19

238 Quick die change system ................................105

239 Quick mould change system ............................... 105

240 Raffia tape line ................................................. 8

241 Rail tanker ........................................................... 111

242 Recycling machine ................................................ 47

243 Recycling system ................................................... 35

244 Refrigerant pump ................................................ 111

245 Refrigeration ....................................................... 111

246 Right-angled helical bevel geared motor/reducer 104

247 Right-angled helical worm geared motor/reducer 104

248 Robot system ......................................................... 23

249 Robot ................................................................. FIC

250 Robotics .............................................................. 113

251 Rotary automatic hot-colour marking machine.... 93

252 Rotational mould ................................................ 123

253 Rotational moulding machine ............................. 123

254 Rotogravure printing machine .............................. 47

255 Rotomoulding machine ....................................... 123

256 Roundline cylinder .............................................. 87

257 Safety light ....................................................... 7

258 Sandwich BOPP lamination ............................... 117

259 Screen changer ............................................ 101, 103

260 Screw compressor ................................................ 111

261 Self-adhesive tape ............................................... 113

262 Sensor .................................................................... 95

263 Servo drive ............................................................ 95

264 Servo energy saving machine ................................ 67

265 Sheet calendaring line ........................................... 38

266 Short-stroke cylinder ........................................... 87

267 Shut-off nozzle ..................................................BIC

268 Shuttle series plant .............................................. 123

269 Side channel blower ............................................ 106

270 Side sealing-bag making machine ........................ 47

271 Single-screw extruder gearbox ................................ 9

272 Single-screw extruder plant ............................ 59, 61

273 Slipring crane-duty motor .................................... 49

274 Slitting machine .................................................... 47

275 Solenoid valve ....................................................... 87

276 Solid granulator ................................................... 123

277 Special silo .......................................................... 103

278 Spool valve ............................................................ 87

279 Stack mould .......................................................... 17

280 Stretch blow moulding machine ........................... 18

281 Switching device ................................................... 95

282 Switching relay ........................................................ 7

283 Synthetic string plant .............................................. 8

284 System solution ..................................................... 85

285 Tanks and silos ..............................................111

286 Tape stretching line............................................... 99

287 Technical mould .................................................... 17

288 Temperature controller and

waterflow regulator ............................................. 106

289 Temperature controller .............................. 7, 14, 100

290 Testing instrument ................................................ 69

291 Thermoformer ..................................................... BC

292 Thermoforming and PS foam ............................ BC

293 Thermoplastic alloy ............................................... 34

294 Thermoplastic compound ..................................... 34

295 Thin film dryer ................................................... 100

296 Timer ...................................................................... 7

297 TPE/TPU compound ........................................... 10

298 TPU masterbatches ............................................... 33

299 Trade show organiser ............................................ 16

300 Trim handling system ......................................... 106

301 Twin-screw co-rotating extruder............. 72, 73, 125

302 Twin-screw element ................................ 72, 73, 125

303 Twin-screw extruder gearbox .................................. 9

304 Twin-screw extruder ............................... 72, 73, 125

305 Twin-screw extrusion line ............................... 59, 61

306 Two-layer blown film ...................................... 12, 19

307 Ultra sonic flow meter ......................................14

308 Underwater pelletising system ............................ 103

309 Universal masterbatches ........................................ 10

310 Universal quick mixer ......................................... 103

311 UV and PU masterbatches ................................... 10

312 UV stabiliser .....................................................COC

313 Vacuum dryer...................................................63

314 Vacuum forming machine ................................... BC

315 Vacuum loader ................................................... FGF

316 Vane damper ....................................................... 106

317 Variable displacement pump

energy-saving machine .......................................... 67

318 VDMA cylinders ................................................. 87

319 Ventilator ............................................................. 113

320 Vertical machining centre ..................................... 79

321 Vibratory screening system ................................. 123

322 Vision sensor ........................................................... 7

323 Warehouse .......................................................38

324 Water-cooled chiller .............................................. 43

325 Water-ring vacuum pump ................................... 106

326 White masterbatches ................................. 10, COC

327 Wire EDM ........................................................... 25

328 Wired connection ................................................. 29

329 Wireless receiver ................................................... 29

330 Wireless ................................................................. 29

Sl No Product Pg No Sl No Product Pg No Sl No Product Pg No

FGF - Front Gate Fold, FIC - Front Inside Cover, BIC - Back Inside Cover, BGF - Back Gate Fold, BC - Back Cover

LIST OF ADVERTISERS

122 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

Advertiser’s Name & Contact Details Pg No Advertiser’s Name & Contact Details Pg No Advertiser’s Name & Contact Details Pg No

Our consistent advertisers

Adroit Control Engineers ............................. 95

T: +91-11-47600700E: [email protected]: www.adroitcontrol.com

Aerodry Plastics Automation Pvt Ltd ............ 35

T: +91-120 4766777E: [email protected]: www.aerodry.com

Aeromec Marketing Co Pvt Ltd .................... 93

T: +91-250-2454915E: [email protected]: www.aeromec.in

Alok Masterbatches Ltd ............................... 33

T: +91-11-41612244E: [email protected]: www.alokmasterbatches.com

Ash Win Engineers .....................................123

T: +91-79-22811879E: [email protected]: www.ashwinengineersindia.com

Ask Enterprises ...........................................124

T: +91-09860921110E: [email protected]: www.asktechnopack.com

Blend Colours Pvt Ltd .................................. 10

T: +91-40-2436 1499 / 2436 0887E: [email protected]: www.blendcolours.com

Boge Compressed Air System ....................... 21

T: +91-44-43009610E: [email protected]: www.boge.in

Dirco Polymers Pvt Ltd ...............................103

T: +91-124-4367450E: [email protected]

Dongguan Alfa Automation Machinery Ltd .. 113

T: +86-769-8318-0326E: [email protected]: www.alfarobot.com

Expo Centre Sharjah ...................................108

T: +91-22-67778899E: [email protected]: www.plastivisionarabia.org

Forwell Precision Machinery Co., Ltd. .........105

T: +886-4-834-5196E: [email protected]: www.forwell.com

Gem Equipments Ltd ................................... 89

T: +91-422-3267800E: [email protected]: www.gemindia.com

Gujarat Machinery Pvt Ltd ..........................117

T: +91-79-29295988E: [email protected]: www.gujaratmachinery.com

Himalayan Packaging Industries P Ltd ......... 65

T: +91-120-4269355E: [email protected]: www.himalayangroup.co.in

Hindustan Plastic And Machine Corporation ...59,61

T: +91-11-25473361E: [email protected]: www.hindustanplastics.com

Husky Injection Molding Systems P Ltd .. .BGF

T: +91-22-25706316E: [email protected]: www.husky.ca

IDMC Limited ...........................................111

T: +91-2692-225399E: [email protected]: www.idmc.coop

IMI Norgren Herion Pvt Ltd........................ 87

T: +91-120-4089500E: [email protected] W: www.norgren.com

Ishan International ....................................... 47

T: +91-9737992000E: [email protected]: www.ishan-intl.com

J.P. Extrusiontech Limited ............................ 99

T: +91-2646-222163E: [email protected]: www.jpextrusiontech.com

Jagmohan Pla-Mach Pvt Ltd .......................107

T: +91-22-25955678E: [email protected]: www.jagmohan.com

Jing Cheng Mold Machinery Co., Ltd ..........126

T: +86-576-8461-0001E: [email protected]: www.jc-times.com

Kabra Extrusion Technik Ltd ................... 12; 19

T: +91-22-2673 4822E: [email protected]: www.kolsite.com

Katlax Enterprises Pvt Ltd ............................ 29

T: +91-9328197614E: [email protected]: www.katlax.com

Kotra & Woojin Selex Co., Ltd ..................... 27

T: +91-09941342299E: [email protected]: www.woojinselex.com

Kreyenborg Group .......................................103

T: +49-251-214-050E: [email protected]: www.kreyenborg-group.com

L & T Plastics Machinery Ltd .................. FGF

T: +91-44-26812000E: [email protected]: www.larsentoubro.com

Larsen & Toubro .........................................109

T: +91-22-6752 5656E: [email protected]: www.larsentoubro.com

Lohia Starlinger Ltd. .................................... 77

T: +91-11-30641770E: [email protected]: www.lohiagroup.com

Loxim Industries Limited ............................. 34

T: +91-2717-308000E: [email protected]: www.loxim.com

Makino India Private Limited....................... 79

T: +91-80-28419500E: [email protected]: www.makino.com

Matsui Technologies India Ltd. .................... 63

T: +91-120-4243862E: [email protected]

Medical Plastics Data Service ......................112

T: +91-79-26740611E: [email protected]: www.imdiconferences.com

Mipalloy .....................................................121

T: +91-44-24541068E: [email protected]: www.mipalloy.com

Neejtech India (Braun) ................................. 17

T: +91-79-26561312E: [email protected]: www.neejtech.com

Neejtech India (Niigata) ............................... 31

T: +91-9909974224E: [email protected]: www.niigataindia.com

Ocean Extrusions ........................................... 8

T: +91-79-22902200E: [email protected]: www.oceanextrusions.com

Omron Automation Pvt. Ltd. ......................... 7

T: +91-80-40726400E: [email protected]: www.omron-ap.com

Plastiblends India Ltd ..............................COC

T: +91-22-67205200E: [email protected]: www.plastiblendsindia.com

Poly Mechplast Machines Ltd ....................... 18

T: +91-265-2631211 E: [email protected]: www..polymachplast.com

Polyplastics Marketing (India) Pvt Ltd.........119

T: +91-22-67587668E: [email protected]: www.polyplastics.com

Power Build Ltd ..........................................104

T: +91-2692-231070E: [email protected]: www.pbl.co.in

Prayag Polytech Pvt Ltd ............................... 45

T: +91-11-47262000E: [email protected]: www.prayagmb.com

Presto Stantest Pvt Ltd ................................. 69

T: +91-129-4085000E: [email protected]: www.prestogroup.com

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LIST OF ADVERTISERS

124 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2012

Advertiser’s Name & Contact Details Pg No Advertiser’s Name & Contact Details Pg No Advertiser’s Name & Contact Details Pg No

Our consistent advertisers

Procon Technologies Pvt Ltd ........................ 14

T: +91-79-27492566E: [email protected]: www.procon.co.in

Raj Engineering Works ...............................106

T: +91-20-65104541E: [email protected]: www.rajengg.net

Rajoo Engineers Ltd....................................BC

T: +91-2827-252701E: [email protected]: www.rajoo.com

Reynold India Pvt Ltd .................................. 43

T: +91-120-4664000E: [email protected]: www.reynoldindia.com

S&T Engineers ............................................ 25

T: +91-422-2590810E: [email protected]: www.stengineers.com

Shanghai Forward Machinery Co.,Ltd .......... 38

T: +86-21-5990-8899E: [email protected]: www.forwardsh.com

Shini Plastics Technologies I Pvt Ltd ............ 85

T: +91-250-3021166E: [email protected]: www.shini.com

Specific Engineering ...................................125

T: +91-265-2646871E: [email protected]: www.specificgroup.com

Sreelakshmi Traders ....................................113

T: +91-44-24343343E: [email protected]: www.sreelakshmitraders.com

Sri Sai Plasto Tech ....................................... 67

T: +91-44-42994365E: [email protected]: www.srisaiplastotech.com

Steer Engineering Pvt Ltd ........................72,73

T: +91-80-23723309E: [email protected]: www.steerworld.com

Suresh Engineering Works ..........................114

T: +91-731-2527872E: [email protected]: www.sureshengg.com

Tagma .......................................................... 52

E: [email protected]: www.tagmaindia.org

Taiwan External Trade Development Council (Taitra) ...................... 16

T: +886-2-2725-5200E: [email protected]: www.taitra.org.tw

The Indian Electric Co ................................. 49

T: +91-20-24474303E: [email protected]: www.indianelectric.com

Toshiba Machine (India) Pvt. Ltd. ...............115

T: +91-11-43291111E: [email protected]: www.toshiba-machine.co.jp

Unimark (Maguire) ....................................... 91

T: +91-22-25506712E: [email protected]: www.unimark.in

Unimark (Stahuli)......................................... 23

T: +91-22-25506712E: [email protected]: www.unimark.in

Vacon Drives ...............................................110

T: +91-44-24490024E: [email protected]: www.vacon.com

Vacunair Engineering Co Pvt Ltd 106

T: +91-79-22910771E: [email protected]: www.vacunair.com

Wittmann Battenfeld India Pvt Ltd ............FIC

T: +91-44-42077009E: [email protected]: www.wittmann-group.com

Xaloy Asia (Thailand) Ltd. ........................ BIC

T: +91-79-27541971E: [email protected]: www.xaloy.com

Zambello Riduttori Group ............................. 9

T: +39-0331-307-616E: [email protected]: www.zambello.it

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Reg No: MH/MR/WEST/234/2012-2014 RNI No: MAHENG / 2008 / 25265 Licence to Post at Mumbai Patrika Channel Sorting Offi ce, Mumbai GPO., Mumbai 400 001.

Date Of Posting 1st & 2nd Of Every Month / English & Monthly.Date Of Publication: 28th Of Every Month.

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