modern plastics & polymers march 2013

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9March 2013 | Modern Plastics & Polymers

olypropylene (PP) has been one of the top-selling polymers worldwide,

second only to polyethylene. Although the largest user of PP is the

automobile industry, this polymer finds applications in an array of industries

and is used to produce packaging films, bottle caps, fibre ropes, bicycle

helmets and nappies. In the recent past, the PP market has experienced some turbulence

of sorts mainly due to less propylene feedstock and weak demand. However, according

to Merchant Research & Consulting Ltd, this difficult phase seems transitory and will

end with a significant demand for PP arising from the expansion of its user segments.

Forecasts peg the global demand for PP to surge at a compounded annual growth

rate of a little less than 5 per cent from 2009 to 2020. At this rate, the volume is likely

to touch 59.6 million tonne in 2020. Thus far, Asia has accounted for the largest share

of the total global PP demand, and this leadership trend is likely to continue until

2020. Without much surprise, China and India, the two fastest growing economies

of the world, continue to take PP consumption forward. Although the

present per capita consumption of PP in India is quite low, its rate of

growth has been fairly high and in line with the burgeoning economy.

The growing demand mainly from end-user segments, such as

packaging, automotive and construction, in emerging economies

continues to shape the PP scenario. A complex combination of

evolving factors including product preference, economic growth

rate, demographic profiles and environmental norms will play a

key role to further define the demand–supply dynamics of PP.

Another recent study highlights the impact of on-purpose

propylene technologies in balancing the demand and supply

of propylene feedstock for the PP industry. According to

this study by Ceresana Research, huge capacity expansions

for propylene and downstream products in the Middle East

and China will significantly affect the global propylene

market. With countries in the Middle East showing the

largest increases in propylene production and demand, these

numbers are further expected to double by 2014.

Considering fluctuating feedstock prices as well as energy inputs

for final products, numerous challenges remain ahead for the global

PP industry. In this scenario, the chances of the industry moving

towards a consolidation appear highly probable. While this will unleash

opportunities for expansion of capacities and markets, one also needs

to exercise due diligence on research and development to bring out

innovative and customised products.

That said, welcome to the third edition of Plastics @ Gujarat! We have revisited the plastics industry of the State to gauge its prospects and pitfalls based on the latest developments. Turn to Spotlight for this and more.

PShaping the PP scenario

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


CONTENTS

81March 2013 | Modern Plastics & Polymers 81March 2012 | Modern Plastics & Polymers

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

Automation Trends 114 Computer-aided tool design: The automation edge

Energy Management 116 Efficiency through heat recovery: Using residual heat for higher productivity

Policies & Regulations 118 Dealing with quality: Problems and solutions

Strategy 120 Injection moulding: Reducing the costs of production

Tips & Tricks 122 Maintenance of injection moulding machine: Prerequisites for efficient operation

Event Preview 128 Indo-German International Seminar: Plastics in automotives:

Redefining possibilities

Event Report 129 Windsor Endowment Lecture on New trends in rigid and

f lexible packaging: Mapping new trends for future growth

REGUL AR SECTIONSEditorial ................................. 9

News, Views & Analysis ...... 28

Projects ............................... 124

Tenders ............................... 125

Event List........................... 126

81

41

Book Review ...................... 130

Products.............................. 131

List of Products.................. 138

List of Advertisers .............. 140

Dies and moulds .................... 82

Multi-functional

component tooling ..................... 84

Interface: Saranjit Singh ......... 86

Roundtable ............................. 88

Special Focus

93Polymers in healthcare ........................... 94

Medical plastics ...................................... 96

Interface: Manoj Bhardwaj .................. 100

Temperature control units .................... 106

Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) ......... 108

Lean thinking ....................................... 110

Engineering plastics in

medical applications ............................. 112

Green shoots ........................................ 101

All-electric IMMs ................................ 102

Interface:

Jignesh Bavishi .......................... 104

Nanda Kumar T ........................ 105

In Conversation With 38 Shirish V Divgi

Managing Director, Ferromatik Milacron India Pvt Ltd

Facility Visit 90 N A Corporation (Naroto):

Striving for customer delight with futuristic solutions

Insight & OutlookMedical Plastics

Dies & Moulds

SpotlightPlastics @ Gujarat

Details on pg no. 126

Special Focus: Injection Moulding Insight & Outlook: Engineering Plastics

Highlights of Next Edition

Cover photo courtesy: Bayer MaterialScience


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Printed by Mohan Gajria and published by Lakshmi Narasimhan on behalf of Network18.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 Network18, ‘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. Network18 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.

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NEWS, VIEWS & ANALYSIS

28 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2013

Luxus targets India’s auto market with new venture Technical plastics recycler and compounder Luxus

has formed a partnership with global polymer

distributor KPL International with the aim of

building its presence in the Indian automotive

market. The UK company has been developing

sustainable thermoplastic materials for the interior

trim market for more than a decade, building a

portfolio of polymers with the level of scratch

resistance needed by the auto industry.

Alex Clarke, Business Improvement Manager,

Luxus, said, “Increasingly, we have been asked

by our European clients if we have an Indian

presence, so this partnership will no doubt enable

us to maintain our leadership in the interior trim

and other markets.”

Rohit Chopra, Polymers Manager, KPL

International, added, “We are pleased to announce

our partnership with Luxus. Its proven technical

capabilities and strong eco credentials position it

to strongly outperform the market on both quality

and cost.”

DSM reduces water footprint at engineering plastics site in Pune As a global life sciences & materials

sciences company, DSM continues to

support its customers’ drive to achieve

increasingly ambitious sustainability

targets. The company also continues to

set important benchmarks in lowering

its own environmental footprint. In

2012, DSM dramatically reduced

the level of water consumption at its

engineering plastics compounding site in

Pune, India. The water footprint of the

operation, where the company produces

compounds of thermoplastic polyesters

and polyamides, has been slashed by

two-thirds, thanks to increased process

water recycling and strict monitoring of

potential water leakages. DSM’s Pune

site, operational since 1998, already has

a strong track record of highly efficient

water management. It was one of the

first DSM sites to completely eliminate

waste water from its production process.

Since 2010, all water used on the

site has been treated, checked and

reused for gardening purposes. These

latest improvements in Pune are a

reflection of DSM’s ongoing efforts to

reduce environmental footprint, both

within its own operations and along its

value chains.

In addition to reducing the

environmental footprint of its operations

by reducing energy consumption and

greenhouse gas emissions, it is driving

sustainability via the plastics it produces

and in the applications they are used for.

Fredric Petit, Sustainability Director –

Engineering Plastics, DSM, said, “The

company focusses its Bright Science on

a number of key aspects of products

and innovative developments in the use

of feedstocks derived from renewable

resources and more eco-efficient

application solutions. DSM also offers

alternatives for materials with hazardous

concerns and searches for materials with

recycle content that can be recycled end

of life.”

Rollepaal Engineering India to double its capacity at Ahmedabad facility Rollepaal Engineering India Pvt Ltd, a wholly

owned subsidiary of Rollepaal BV, Netherlands,

is on an expansion drive. Rajesh Sonar, General

Manager (Sales), Rollepaal Engineering India

Pvt Ltd, said, “The company is going to

double its capacity by November 2013. This

capacity expansion will be seen in terms of the

number of machines produced and the space of

the facility.”

Further, recently, the Rollepaal Group

celebrated its 50th anniversary at the

Dedemsvaart, Netherlands facility along with

their customers, agents, relations and suppliers

worldwide. The 5-day event attracted nearly

600 people, of which 170 representatives were

from the PVC and PO pipe industry. On the

third day, Rollepaal even invited their agents

who make up their global sales network.

Interesting presentations were done to update

the team on latest offerings and upcoming new

developments. On the fourth day, a seminar

with presentations was conducted on raw

material and ancillary equipment. Further,

the last two days were dedicated for an Open

House, where participants were able to witness

Rollepaal’s latest technology on bi-axially

oriented PVC and multi-layer pipes.

Avani Jain

LANXESS looks forward to India’s automotive and tyre industriesLANXESS recently hosted ‘Rubber

Day’ in Mumbai. This is the second

time in India that the company

organised such a high-level symposium

around the theme of ‘High-tech

Mobility and Emerging Trends’.

The country’s experts in rubber

production came together to discuss

India’s growing rubber industry and its

contribution to the nation’s burgeoning

transportation sector.

The event saw the involvement

of distinguished speakers, panellists

and about 300 attendees from the

rubber and automotive industries,

academia and government. Some of

the prominent speakers were M F

Farooqui, Secretary, Department of

Heavy Industry, Ministry of Heavy

Industries and Public Enterprises,

Government of India; Dr Rainier

van Roessel, Member of the Board

of Management, LANXESS AG

and Sudhir Rao, Managing Director,

Skoda Auto India. Dr Joerg

Strassburger, Managing Director

and Country Representative,

LANXESS India, remarked, “India

is clearly emerging as a global

automotive hub. All international

car manufacturers have a market in

India. This growth will usher in new

needs, new opportunities and new

challenges. We will need to develop

technology-driven solutions for a

more sustainable future.”

The panel discussions included

topics such as ‘The Future of

Mobility in India’, ‘Innovation in

Rubber for a Greener Tomorrow’,

‘Technological Trends in Automotive

Rubber Components’ and ‘Driving

Growth and Delivering Safety’.



Technip awarded important contract by JBF Petrochemicals Ltd for world-scale PTA plant in India Technip was awarded by JBF

Petrochemicals, a wholly owned

subsidiary of JBF Industries Ltd,

an important contract for a 1.25

million tonne per year latest-

generation Purified Terephthalic

Acid (PTA) unit to be located

in the special economic zone in

Mangalore, India. PTA is the

primary feedstock for polyesters

used in textiles and packaging.

The contract covers the basic

engineering, front-end engineering

design, detailed engineering and

procurement services for the Inside

Battery Limit (ISBL) and the

Outside Battery Limit (OSBL)

of the unit. The scope of work

also includes supply of materials

and construction management

services for the ISBL. The plant

will feature BP’s leading-edge

proprietary PTA technology.

Technip has operating centres

in Rome, Italy, and in Chennai,

Mumbai and Delhi, India. It will

execute the contract, which is

scheduled to be completed in the

first semester of 2015.

Marco Villa, Senior Vice

President, Technip Region B,

commented, “We are very proud to

have been selected for this world-

scale PTA project. It will bring

together the competencies of our

operating centres in India and Italy.

This contract also reinforces our

strong long-lasting collaboration

with BP for PTA. We believe that

the PTA market growth in Asia

will open up further opportunities,

and we hope to develop a long-

term relationship with JBF to

support their future developments.”

Smart innovates the smallest fully automatic extrusion blow moulding machine in the world Smart Machinery & Moulds Pvt

Ltd has launched the smallest

extrusion blow moulding machine

in the world. According to the

company, “Maximum utilisation

of floor space was the key force

driving the

need to develop

c o m p a c t

extrusion blow

m o u l d i n g

m a c h i n e s .

Customers can

gain higher

p ro d u c t i v i t y

from the same

floor space

available with them – smaller

footprint, faster cycles result in

higher output.”

Smart extrusion blow

moulding machines have smallest

floor space used in the industry

and are custom built to be suitable

for various applications. Products

covered are used for packaging

of cosmetics, pharmaceuticals,

medicals, pesticides, lubricants,

automotive and much more. The

smallest blow moulding machine

has capacity from 5 ml to 2 litre

and can be operated from very

small space. The fully automatic

machine also helps reduce

m a n p o w e r .

S m a r t

machines are

compact, fast

and energy

efficient as

compared to

the complex

large s ize

m a c h i n e s .

The main

features of Smart blow moulding

machines are single or double

station, microprocessor controls,

helical gear box, larger mould area,

superior mixing screws, AC drive,

fast dry cycle, energy efficiency

and user friendliness.

SABIC to launch new technology and innovation centres in Bengaluru and ShanghaiSABIC has unveiled plans to launch four new

technology and innovation facilities in 2013 – two

in India and China. The new centres in Bengaluru

and Shanghai will host about 500 professionals. Two

other new centres will be based in Saudi Arabia

itself and will take the number of the company’s

research facilities across the world to 18. The four

new centres represent a strategic investment of about

half a billion US dollars.

Mohamed Al-Mady, SABIC Vice Chairman &

CEO, said, “These four new facilities will empower

our global technology and innovation centres to

build on their innovative systems to develop new

technologies, improve manufacturing processes and

contribute to a sustainable environment for our

communities.”

The Bengaluru research centre is scheduled to

open in the second quarter of 2013. It will deal

with application development, strategic business

research and corporate research and will focus

primarily on diverse areas of research in chemistry,

material science, process engineering, analytical and

application technology. Its aim is to support business

as a strategic centre of excellence to cater to global

and regional needs. The centre in Shanghai will

open in the third quarter of 2013.

Plastindia Foundation to offer global investment opportunitiesPlastindia Foundation is organising the Indian visit of

a leading European delegation on March 4, 2013. This

delegation, called WINNTECH, has a cluster strength

of 2500 members in 8 clusters that will be exploring joint

venture partners in India for investment opportunities.

Some of the main objectives of the delegation

will include identification of reliable partners for

information gathering & distribution, initiation of joint

activities, business collaborations, trade opportunities,

inward investment, joint research and development

projects. The offer for co-operation includes new

developments in renewable energies & biomaterials,

technology transfer, professional channelling of request

from Indian partners and entry of cooperation requests

into the databases of the European clusters.

During its visit, the delegation would focus

on market areas such as green transport, waste

management/recycling, water/air treatment, high

efficiency building and renewable energies. Significant

amount of focus would also be put in technology that is

used in polymers/plastics, manufacturing processes and

downstream tooling.



Solvay reshapes operating structureSolvay has announced a new business

structure that reflects the Brussels-based

group’s integration of Rhodia, the French

materials group it acquired in 2011.

Rhodia’s polyamides business has been

placed into an operating segment called

Functional Polymers along with Solvay’s

chlorovinyls business. This segment

mainly supplies to the construction &

infrastructure, automotive and electrical/

electronics industries. Specialty polymers

– fluoropolymers, fluoroelastomers,

fluorinated fluids, semi-aromatic

polyamides, sulfone polymers, aromatic

ultra polymers, high-barrier polymers

and cross-linkable high-performance

compounds – are part of an operating

segment called Advanced Materials,

which also includes silica, rare earths and

special chemicals. End markets for these

materials are advanced transportation,

healthcare, energy efficient tyres,

automotive emission control, smart

devices and hybrid vehicles batteries. The

other operating segments are Consumer

Chemicals, Performance Chemicals and

Corporate Business and Services.

Jean-Pierre Clamadieu, CEO &

Chairman – Executive Committee,

Solway, said, “Through the mobilisation

of our teams, we have managed to

convert the two former companies

into one of the ten largest chemical

companies worldwide. Our new

signature ‘Asking more from chemistry’

is more than a pledge; it is a vision

and a challenge to which we are fully

committed.”

Acquisition unites plastics industry leaders Milacron and Mold-MastersMilacron LLC and Mold-Masters have announced that they

are combining to form a leading global solutions provider

positioned to serve the full range of customer needs.

Milacron is backed by its private equity investor CCMP

Capital Advisors. The transformative transaction will create

a rapidly growing company with world-class capabilities

across five businesses: Milacron (Plastics Machinery), Mold-

Masters (Hot Runners), DME (Mold Base Technologies),

Aftermarket (Parts and Service) and CIMCOOL® Fluid

Technology (Metalworking Fluids and Services).

The combined entity will provide its customers with

market-leading technologies, superb global engineering and

R&D leadership. Through their complementary product

lines, Milacron and Mold-Masters will be able to offer

a broader portfolio of exceptional products and services,

providing solutions for customers’ complex plastics needs. In

addition, with enhanced financial and operational strength,

reduced cyclicality and a diverse international footprint

with a strong market position in hot runners in Asia, the

combined company will have greater opportunities for global

expansion.

Under the terms of the transaction, Milacron will acquire

100 per cent of the shares of Mold-Masters for an enterprise

value of $ 975 million. Tom Goeke, Chief Executive Officer

of Milacron will lead the combined entity and Bill Barker,

President and CEO of Mold-Masters will continue to lead

that business. Goeke said, “The acquisition creates a global

leader in the plastics industry with the scale, technological

leadership, international presence and competitive positioning

to deliver a wide range of products and services to more

customers in more markets around the world. Mold-Masters’

expertise in the high-growth hot-runner market is second

to none, and we are excited by the unique customer value

proposition and numerous opportunities for growth that

will result from this combination.” The transaction, subject

to customary closing conditions, is expected to close in the

first half of 2013.

William J Murray becomes President of Teknor Apex

Teknor Apex, an international

polymer technology company

and one of the world’s leading

custom compounders of plastics,

has appointed William J Murray

as its new President. He holds

a Bachelor of Science degree in

Mechanical Engineering and

Applied Mechanics from the

University of Rhode Island and

an MBA from Bryant University.

He succeeds Jonathan D Fain,

who is the present CEO and

now the Chairman of the board.

Murray will be responsible

for the company’s worldwide

compounding businesses.

Teknor Apex operates twelve

manufacturing facilities in the

US, Europe and Asia. He has

also been appointed President

of Singapore-based Teknor

Apex Asia Pacific. Talking about

his new role, Murray said, “As

President of Teknor Apex, I am

responsible for directing our

global compounding businesses

for PVC, nylon and TPEs. This

includes oversight of supply

chains, technical development

and manufacturing at our

facilities around the world. In

addition to ensuring that Teknor

Apex continues to supply quality

products with a high level of

service to our existing customers,

I will focus closely on further

developing our business in high-

growth countries like India and

China. Our technical expertise

and manufacturing capabilities

on three continents make us well

positioned to provide responsive,

reliable service to customers

no matter where they operate

their plants.”

Prior to this new role,

Murray served as Executive

Vice President since 2006.

Murray joined the company

as Project Engineer in 1978.

Subsequent positions included

those of Plant Engineer, Plant

Manager and Corporate

Director of Engineering. He

was promoted to Vice President

of Manufacturing in 1992 and

to Senior Vice President of

Manufacturing in 2002. At this

time, he also became a member

of the company’s Senior

Management Team.

Sweta M Nair

William J Murray

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Plenary speakers at SPE ANTEC® 2013 to focus on latest advances in polymersPlenary speeches by four industry

leaders at the Society of Plastics

Engineers (SPE) ANTEC® 2013 will

address new technical and business

developments with great potential for

benefitting plastics. ANTEC® 2013

will take place on April 22–24, 2013,

at the Duke Energy Convention

Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, US.

Plenary sessions will take place on

each day of the conference.

On day one, the conference

will focus on topics such as ‘Fractal

Structuring in Polymer Processing’ by

Dr Han Meijer, Professor of polymer

technology, Technische Universiteit

Eindhoven, Netherlands, and ‘New

Polymer Materials Developed in

SINOPEC’ by Dr Jinliang Qiao,

Vice President, SINOPEC Beijing

Research Institute of the Chemical

Industry. Day two will include one

presentation by Dwight N Tozer,

Vice President, Adhesion Industry

Business, ExxonMobil Chemical

Company, on ‘Abundant US Shale Gas

Supplies are Revitalizing the Plastics

Industry’. The last day will showcase a

plenary speech by Gregory J Lampert,

President and CEO, General Cable,

on ‘Driving Innovation in the Wire

and Cable Industry’.

Huntsman creates new position of VP & MD, Indian Subcontinent

Huntsman Corporation announced the

creation of the new position of Vice

President and Managing Director, Indian

Subcontinent, and the appointment of Steve

Stilliard for this role. Prior to this position,

he was previously the Vice President,

Asia-Pacific, of Huntsman Corporation’s

Performance Products Division.

Commenting on the appointment,

Peter R Huntsman, President and Chief

Executive Officer, Huntsman Corporation,

said, “This appointment recognises the

need to accelerate our investment in people

and physical assets to strengthen our long-

term position in this exciting market, which

already accounts for over $ 500 million

of our sales and over 1,000 associates.”

Huntsman added, “Steve Stilliard has an

extensive experience of working and living

in the region, a proven track record in

building successful businesses in emerging

markets and has a deep understanding of

the Huntsman business and culture.”

The new role was created to provide

leadership for Huntsman’s rapidly

expanding presence in the subcontinent.

Based in Mumbai, Stilliard will report to

Paul Hulme, President, Huntsman Textile

Effects Division and the senior executive

responsible for the Indian subcontinent.

He will coordinate the corporate and

cross-divisional activities required to

deliver growth, including investments

and partnerships, strengthening the

company’s asset base, developing people

capability and building relationships with

governmental organisations and other key

stakeholders.

Sharing his thoughts about this

new position, Stilliard said, “My role is

to helm the Huntsman Organisation

across the Indian subcontinent, with an

objective to build capability for sustained

further growth from the current base of

$ 500 million revenue and approximately

1,000 employees. This will stretch across

the human capital dimension in addition to

asset development and brand positioning.”

When talking about his priorities, he

spoke about enhancing the effectiveness

of teams by ensuring internal process

improvements, investment in appropriate

infrastructure and focussing on delivery of

an enhanced experience to the company’s

customers and business partners.

Sweta M Nair

A unique world tour for the injection moulding industryHusky Injection Molding Systems has

kicked off the Husky World Tour 2013.

This is a new series of global customer

events that will take place throughout

the year in the Americas, Europe, the

Middle East and Asia Pacific. A first-

of-its-kind for the injection moulding

industry, the world tour is stated to

give current and prospective customers

more direct access to Husky’s latest

technologies at a local level. The tour

will support Husky’s increasing focus

on providing targeted solutions to help

customers in its core markets reduce

variability, improve part cost and

increase productivity.

“We are excited about the Husky

World Tour 2013 because it will give

us a number of ongoing opportunities

to showcase our technologies directly

to customers throughout the year,

while creating a platform for richer,

more focussed customer interactions,”

said Jeff MacDonald, Vice President –

Marketing, Husky. “In 2012, key industry

tradeshows played an important role in

helping launch our biggest products

and will continue to play a role for us.

Having a number of product launches in

2013, this new approach will allow us to

introduce our latest technologies as soon

as they are ready,” he added.

Husky kicked off the tour with a

Beverage Packaging Day in Korea that

was attended by more than 100 existing

and prospective customers who learned

about the latest trends and innovations

in beverage and closure manufacturing

from Husky and industry experts. This

will be followed shortly by a Specialty

Closures Day in Europe, a Beverage

Packaging Day in Latin America and

additional tour events throughout the

year for customers in the beverage

packaging, food packaging, closures,

medical and hot runner markets.

Steve Stilliard

IN CONVERSATION WITH: Shir ish V Divgi


…opines Shirish V Divgi, Managing Director, Ferromatik Milacron India Pvt Ltd. In an exclusive interview with Avani Jain, he underlines that with the growth in demand in the application sectors such as automotive, packaging, construction, irrigation, medicine and consumer durables, the demand for plastics processing machinery will increase.

What are the current demand trends and growth drivers for plastics processing machinery, especially injection moulding machinery in India?Current demand of injection moulding

machines in the Indian market is about

5,000 machines. Further, the plastics

processing industry will grow with the

demand in the application sectors such

as automotive, packaging, construction

(electrical fittings, plumbing accessories

etc), irrigation, medicine and consumer

durables. The machinery industry is

expected to grow by 12 to 15 per cent

every year. This domestic demand itself

is a good growth driver. Indian machines

are also well accepted in the Middle East,

Africa and America. With this kind of

demand, machinery manufacturers in

India would be definitely encouraged

regarding future growth. Further, in

terms of technology trends, injection

moulding machinery manufacturers are

adopting servo, two-platen and all-electric

technology for higher productivity,

precision, energy efficiency and minimal

ownership costs.

What are the important advancements in technology in this segment in recent times?

Servo-powered injection moulding

machines – Replacement of

“MOST INNOVATIONS

ARE TARGETED TOWARDS HIGHER

PRODUCTIVITY, ENERGY SAVING

AND LOW OPERATING COST”

Shir ish V Divgi


conventional power pack (induction

motor + fixed/variable delivery pump)

with servo motor gives about 40 per

cent energy savings.

Two-platen injection moulding

machines – Provide great advantage

in space saving at least up to 30

per cent, and being faster machines,

the productivity is higher. They

also consume less hydraulic oil and

energy because of their unique design

features.

All-electric injection moulding

machines - These machines are used

not only for energy and noise reduction

but also for reduction in cycle times

because of the possibility of parallel

operations. Being highly precise,

these machines result in accurate part

dimensions and weight consistency.

Application-specific injection

moulding machines - Specific

applications such as thin-walled

containers, polyethylene terephthalate

preforms, chlorinated polyvinyl

chloride fittings, multi-colour furniture

and household articles are served by

special application-specific models

equipped with related necessary

options and programs that provide

total solutions to customers.

What are the latest innovations making headway globally in this sector, and how is Ferromatik Milacron India gearing up towards these?Most innovations are targeted towards

higher productivity, energy saving and low

operating cost. Some major developments

are in all-electric, servo-driven and two-

platen machines. In fact, while we see

saturation in terms of control technologies,

innovations are primarily driven by the

need of reduction in capital and operating

cost. Keeping these points in mind,

Ferromatik Milacron India offers servo-

driven injection moulding machines,

global & high-end technology at local

cost (two-platen machines & all-electric

machines) and Nova Servo & Omega

Servo machines which are cost-effective

solutions.

What are your suggestions for the industry in terms of energy efficiency, and what steps have you taken in this regard?At the operational level, we need to employ

possible steps to reduce energy such as using

solar energy, daylight, water conservation

etc. We also have to provide solutions to our

customers through our products consuming

optimum energy. Ferromatik Milacron

India has been following this principle for

many years not only in many operational

areas but also through our products such

as replacement of conventional power pack

(induction motor + fixed/variable delivery

pump) with servo motor, all-electric injection

moulding machines up to 450 T, adopting

linear motion guides for injection units to

transfer maximum power during injection

phase and control features and programs to

save energy.

What is the cost–quality ratio of Indian injection moulding machinery as against global counterparts?As such, there is no specific and standard

cost–quality ratio followed in Indian

injection moulding machinery. Quality

and cost performances are measured in

terms of uptime, productivity, quality &

consistency of parts, lower rejections, low

capital and operating cost. Strong after-

market support and training modules help

upgrade the operator skill levels as well as

all the above parameters.

What are the challenges for the plastics processing machinery segment in India?There are few challenges faced by the

plastics industry in India. First, plastics

waste collection and recycling is a major

concern in India. Second, fluctuating raw

material prices is an issue. Third, there is

competition from global players, especially

Chinese & Taiwanese manufacturers of

low-cost machines. Last, availability of

skilled labour is also a big challenge for

the industry.

What was the toughest business decision ever made by you?Indian machines built for global markets.

How do you deal with a tough situation?One should deal with a tough situation

with patience and focus.

What are the future growth drivers of this segment?The major growth drivers for the

plastics processing machinery segment

are the growing automotive, packaging,

drip irrigation and medical sectors. At

present, the per capita consumption of

plastics in India is 7 kg compared to

the global average of 27 kg. Changing

consumer behaviour and larger

replacement from metal to plastics in

various applications are also leading

to an increase in demand for plastics

processing machinery.

What are your growth plans for the company?We want to reach our optimum

manufacturing capacity of 2,000 injection

moulding machines per annum. In addition,

we want to indulge in developments in

processing of new engineering plastics,

provide solutions from machine selection

to performance proving and focus on

after-sales services. Further, we wish to

participate in key national & international

plastics industry exhibitions. We also aim

to provide growth opportunities to all the

stake holders, ie customers, employees,

strategic partners and investors.

What are the five things that you check before signing a deal or getting into a partnership?The five things are trust, confidence,

integrity, past record with long-term

strengths and people.

What is the business etiquette that you value the most?Respecting commitments is the most

important.

Your message for aspiring professionals…One should be passionate and take pride

in whatever one does.



SPOTLIGHT: Plastics @ Gujarat

Plastics @ GujaratEnvisioning a bright future:Gujarat leads the way! ..........................................................................................................................................42

Interface:Khushboo Doshi, Executive Director, Rajoo Engineers Ltd .......................................................................................44

Mahendra N Patel, Former President, Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Chairman, Mamata Group ..........46

Rajesh K Pandya, Vice President - Operations, Parikh Packaging Pvt Ltd ...................................................................48

Rajiv Trivedi, Vice President (Marketing), Prasad Group & Chairman, Indian Plastics Institute - Ahmedabad Chapter .....50

V Ramesh, Chief Executive Officer, Negri Bossi SACMI Engineering (India) Pvt Ltd....................................................54

Roundtable:Will the rationalisation of duty for synthetic fibre help in lowering costs? .......................................................56

Processing prowess:Riding high on growth and profitability .............................................................................................................58

Manufacturing might:In pursuit of automation .......................................................................................................................................62

Infrastructure edge:Expanding the business horizon ..........................................................................................................................66

Trade policy:What Gujarat is ‘doing right’ yet ‘could do better’..............................................................................................72

Human resource development:Skill building for global competence....................................................................................................................76


PLASTICS @ GUJARAT: Envis ioning a br ight future

India is one of the top ranking

countries when it comes to the

availability of manpower, access

to local & international markets

and its strong fundamentals. It is also

the second most favoured destination for

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), with

FDI inflow growing at an average rate of

9 per cent at a time when the rest of the

world is experiencing a dark recession.

Currently the world’s 12th largest

economy, India is already on the path

to becoming the fifth largest consumer

market in the world by 2025, with

predictions that the total Indian consumer

expenditure will be approximately

$ 1.77 trillion. Rohan Shrikant Shahane,

Regional Director – South East Asia,

Machine Point Consultants SL, says,

“Gujarat has probably played the most

important role in the economic history

of India and has the fastest growing

economy of all the states within India.

In 2010, Forbes listed Ahmedabad as the

third fastest growing city in the world.

As the most industrialised state within

the nation, and the largest producer of

polymers, Gujarat will be at the forefront

of all the fast-paced developments.”

Exclusively GujaratThe unique challenge associated with

business development in Gujarat is

bridging the gap between the way that

Indians conduct business and the way

that Europeans do, as the majority

of the machines procured are from

European sellers. Various added value

solution providers in the state are

adept in intermediating between two

culturally different parties and can

ensure that the different cultural issues

that constantly arise do not affect the

negotiations. “Gujarat – the industrial

hub of the country – has managed

to get companies from fast moving

consumer goods, consumer electronics,

electrical equipment and minerals

through investment facilities of over

1,600 acre in the industrial estate of

Sanand. Companies such as Colgate

Palmolive, Hitachi, TBEA, Corning,

Allied Minerals and Bosch are together

expected to invest in excess of ` 3,000

crore in the state,” mentions Shahane.

The economic boom in India has

given momentum to such sectors as

packaging, agriculture, infrastructure and

healthcare – all of which use polymers,

and therefore rely on the plastics industry.

This will result in a great demand for

plastics processing machinery and

ancillary equipment, consequently

creating a huge opportunity for business

development in the plastics industry.

This is the primary reason why several

Gujarat has constantly reinforced its position as the most industrially developed state in India – ranking first in industrial investment and second in value of production and value addition in the industrial sector. Over the years, Gujarat has diversified its industrial base substantially. Anwesh Koley delves into the prominent reasons for the monumental strides taken by the plastics industry in the state and the potential it holds for the future.

GUJARAT LEADS THE WAY!GUJARAT LEADS THE WAY!

t future


Envis ioning a br ight future

foreign players are keen on investing in

the Indian market. Furthermore, a lot

of joint ventures are expected to take

place in the Indian plastics processing

sector. Gujarat, with its favourable

location and infrastructure, is expected

to garner maximum business from the

above mentioned prospects.

All of these investments and projects

will require plastic packaging in various

forms, and the quantum of packaging

required today is only going to rise with

the times to come. “This will open new

avenues, and Japanese and American

companies coming to Gujarat will bring

in more innovative ways of packaging

and means to learn from for the plastic

packaging sector,” opines Shahane. These

units will also enable the tier 1 and

tier 2 sub-contracted manufacturers to

generate more employment for people

and hence to generate more revenue for

an individual and the state.

The plastics industry in Gujarat

is one of the oldest in India and

among the earliest initiatives towards

manufacturing of polymer raw material.

Majority of India’s plastics business

revolves around the packaging industry.

As Gujarat contributes 65–70 per cent

to the country’s plastics production, it

is home to many packaging industries

in the small and medium segment. The

$ 3,513 million worth plastics industry

in Gujarat contributes about 2.17 per

cent of India’s total exports.

Aiding the cause of the environmentGujarat recycles about a fourth of the

plastic waste of the country, thus topping

the list of the environment-friendly states

on this front. “About 20 lakh tonne of

plastics is recycled every year in India, with

Gujarat recycling about five lakh tonne of

this alone. From this, it can be gauged that

Gujarat is ahead not only when it comes

to recycling plastic waste but also when

it comes to producing and using plastics,

as we know that there is an impressive

growth of 20 per cent year on year in the

recycling of plastics,” opines Shahane.

Considering the need for more plastics

throughout the country, the industry

is working on making plastics a green

product. Because plastics has become

integral to all major industrial activities,

it is important to know its proper usage.

Considering the growing needs and the

concern for the environment, the All

India Plastic Manufacturers’ Association

conducts regular discussions with key

industry players to create and sustain

awareness about the growing need to

ensure eco-friendly plastics production.

Gujarat hosts refineries such as

RIL, Essar and IOC, chemicals and

liquefied natural gas terminals at Dahej

& Hazira and chlor alkali plants such

as Tata Chemicals, Indian Rayon, Atul,

UPL, Shriram, GACL and IPCL (RIL).

In addition, there are soda ash plants

of Nirma, Gujarat Heavy Chemicals,

Saurashtra Chemicals, Dhrangadhra

Chemicals and chemical fertiliser plants

of IFFCO, GSFC, GNFC etc. “In spite of

being called the hub of the chemical and

petrochemical industry, the Government

of Gujarat has constituted the Gujarat

Pollution Control Board with a view to

protect the environment and to prevent

and control the pollution of air and water

in the state,” says Shahane.

Towards a brighter futureThe consumption of plastics is expected

to increase three-fold from 2011 to 2016.

Commodity plastics is expected to have

the largest market share with 88 per cent,

with polyolefins restricted to 61 per cent.

The extrusion-based processes account for

Rohan Shrikant ShahaneRegional Director – South East Asia, Machine Point Consultants SL

Gujarat has probably played the most important role in the economic history of India and has the fastest growing economy of all the states within India. In 2010, Forbes listed Ahmedabad as the third fastest growing city in the world.

62 per cent of the total plastics produced,

followed by injection-moulded products

which account for 27 per cent.

To meet the future growth potentials

of the plastics industry in Gujarat, the

local processing segment needs to bring in

new technologies and scale up production

capacities. This could be achieved by

testing European technologies with higher

outputs and better processing qualities to

match expectations of the newly formed

European and American partners at very

subsidised rates.

Major international companies from

various segments of the industry including

automobiles, electronics, communication,

food processing and packaging have set up

large manufacturing plants in the state and

have helped develop the market. “The per

capita consumption of plastics in India is

only 6 kg as against 30 kg in China and

80 kg in developed economies. Gujarat’s

per capita consumption of plastics is 8

kg. With growing per capita income and

a favourable demographic profile, the

demand for plastics in India and in Gujarat

is expected to show strong growth,”

avers Shahane.


Gujarat isthe largest producer

of polymers with a $ 3,513 million worth

plastics industryand contributes 65–70 per cent to the country’s

plastics production.


PLASTICS @ GUJARAT: Inter face — Khushboo Doshi

What are the advantages of Gujarat as a hub for the plastics processing industry? Polymer manufacturing facilities have

a very long existence in Gujarat, thus

making the state the logical choice for

the birth of machinery manufacturers

and downstream processors. In addition,

the entrepreneurship skills inherent in

the Gujarati community give a further

fillip to the plastics processing industry.

Further, there are many other advantages

of Gujarat as a hub for the plastics

processing industry. First, it is the

most preferred location for industrial

investment and is endowed with rich

natural resources. Second, the state

has a very business-friendly and stable

political & bureaucratic environment.

Third, there is good availability of

skilled and educated manpower in the

state. Fourth, the state has one of the

best infrastructure in the country. Last,

existence of the automotive sector in

the state also brightens the prospects of

the plastics processing industry.

How does Gujarat’s plastics processing industry meet global quality standards?Both machinery manufacturers

and processors employ world-class

technologies. Availability of skilled and

educated manpower further enhances

quality standards. Most importantly,

to compete on the global platform,

companies need to improve quality

constantly. This ensures that the

industry conforms to global quality

standards.

What are the industry efforts towards research and development (R&D) in the machinery sector?The industry’s efforts towards R&D

have been mostly limited to adaptation

of technologies for the domestic market.

However, this is fast changing with

availability of qualified engineers and

the desire to innovate. The industry

is constantly moving forward to make

machines more energy efficient as

electricity is the second highest cost

in plastics processing. Further, in the

times to come, many foreign players will

find it more economical and effective to

conduct R&D operations in India.

What are the export opportunities for plastics processing machinery manufacturers in Gujarat?Plastics machinery manufacturers in

Gujarat have been at the forefront

of exports. The plastics machinery

manufacturers offer world-class

machinery at affordable prices with

efficient utilisation of scarce capital.

Further, existence of Gujarati diaspora

overseas has surely helped in this

effort. Thus, opportunities have been

exploited in both developing and

developed markets. However, markets

in countries of Latin America and the

Commonwealth of Independent States

are yet to be exploited. In addition,

growth in traditional markets of Africa

and Middle East is needed.

What are the challenges before Gujarat’s plastics industry?The biggest challenge for Gujarat ’s

plastics processing industry is to

become competitive with processors

in other parts of the country because

polymer-producing facilities have

now been created even in the

North and East of India. The issue of

freight disadvantage will have to be

handled as soon as possible. Further, the

processors will have to use more energy-

efficient technologies and equipment

in order to compete in the market. In

addition, cost of skilled manpower is

on the rise as the cities in Gujarat are

becoming more expensive to live, and

this would directly increase the cost for

the companies.

What are your suggestions to further boost the state’s plastics industry?A number of steps can be taken to boost

the state’s plastics processing industry

such as skill development programmes

for the plastics industry to address the

shortage of manpower, development of

industrial clusters and supply chains for

critical inputs, providing incentives to

set up plastics processing and plastics

machinery facilities in the state,

providing a technology upgradation

fund (similar to the textiles industry) for

both plastics processors and machinery

manufacturers and continuous & quality

power should be made available at

all times.


…opines Khushboo Doshi, Executive Director, Rajoo Engineers Ltd. In an exclusive conversation with Avani Jain, she talks about the growing plastics processing machinery sector in the state.

“The state has a very business-friendly and stable political & bureaucratic environment”


PLASTICS @ GUJARAT: Inter face — Mahendra N Patel

How do you assess the industrial development in Gujarat?The industrial development in Gujarat is

happening at a very fast pace. The plastics

processing segment is also growing

continuously, as these days, we are

getting an increasing number of orders

for our machines from the companies

in the state. Further, big automotive

factories are coming up in Sanand, which

means there would be more demand for

plastics and hence the plastics processing

machinery. Large projects are also

coming up in the northern part of the

state. Further, south Gujarat is being

developed as a plastics processing hub.

Many industries in the plastics segment

are also coming up in and around Dahej

as polymer plants are being set up in that

area. Easy availability of raw materials is

drawing many industries to set up their

plants in the state. In addition, industries

are attracted because of the availability

of power and job opportunities.

Furthermore, Rajkot is developing as

a plastics processing hub. Due to the

presence of special economic zones near

Kandla and Mundra, the industries are

also growing in these regions. Therefore,

the outlook for industrial development

in Gujarat is very good.

What are the advantages of Gujarat as a hub for the plastics processing industry?There is easy availability of raw materials

in the state. The state has the maximum

share in the total polymer production in

India. Because the polymer production

facilities are in Gujarat, it is obvious

that the plastics processing segment will

flourish. Transportation is becoming

expensive, so every industry wants to be

closer to its raw material supplier. Major

companies in the plastics segment are

setting up their plants near Dahej because

companies like ONGC are planning to

set up their polymer production plant in

that region.

What are the challenges before Gujarat’s plastics industry?The major challenge for the plastics

industry in the state is polymer pricing.

The prices continue to rise due to a

number of factors. These prices are

determined by the international markets

and monopolistic prices prevailing

in the domestic markets. Sometimes,

government policies are also not

favourable or discouraging - making

imports costly is one such step by the

government. Thus, raw material is not

available at competitive prices most of

the times. Further, if it is available, then

a very limited range is available. Only

generic materials are seen, and there are

no special compounds, masterbatches

etc available, ie a limited range of

specialty plastics can be seen in the

market. Another big challenge is high

energy costs. In plastics processing,

there are only two major costs for the

manufacturer, ie raw material and energy

costs. These two form 80 per cent of

the cost for the manufacturer. Although

there is good quality & continuous

supply of energy and no power cuts to

disrupt processing, the basic energy price

is very high in Gujarat. There are public

private partnerships to solve the issue of

continuous power supply, but the model

itself is complicated.

What are your suggestions to further boost the state’s plastics industry?One cannot control the raw material

prices, but if the energy prices are reduced,

then it will definitely impact the growth

of the industry. Further, land acquisition

in the state for industrial purpose is a

very complicated and costly affair. Land

availability is also limited. Thus, if the

government eases the policies related to

land acquisition, then it will definitely

help the industry to grow.

How has Gujarat performed as an investment destination?All the big companies in the various

industrial segments, including the

plastics processing segment, are setting

up their plants in Gujarat. Further, major

automotive companies have their plants

in the state, thus providing a boost to

the plastics processing industry. Thus, in

the future, more investments will be seen

in the plastics segment as there will be

more demand for plastics in infrastructure

products such as drainage pipes and

electrical fittings. The demand for plastics

in packaging would also increase.


…opines Mahendra N Patel, Former President, Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Chairman, Mamata Group. In an exclusive conversation with Avani Jain, he talks about the industrial development in the state and the challenges faced by the plastics processing industry.

“Easy availability of raw materials is drawing many industries to set up their plants in the state”


PLASTICS @ GUJARAT: Inter face — Rajesh K Pandya

What are the advantages of Gujarat as a hub for the plastics industry?A number of factors have provided a

boost to Gujarat’s plastics industry.

First, the state enjoys uninterrupted

power supply, thus plastics processing is

carried out without any interruptions.

Second, for the growth of plastics

processing industries, raw material

availability (ie polymers) is very

important; thus, the state houses major

polymer plants such as Reliance.

Third, the state has a good

infrastructural setup. The state is well

connected through roads, airports,

seaports and railways, thus providing

excellent logistics support to the

industry. Because of the three inland

ports within the state, import of raw

material is easy and fast. In addition, for

providing support to small, medium and

large scale industries, there are inland

container depots (such as Sabarmati

– Ahmedabad) within the state, thus

making way for easy clearing of

goods locally.

Fourth, there are excellent facilities

available within the GIDCs across

the state.

Fifth, there is excellent government

support to industries in the state, and

the administration is strong and stable,

which is also necessary for industrial

development.

Sixth, there is lot of skilled

manpower available in the state. There

are technical institutes, such as the

Indian Institute of Management (IIM),

Ahmedabad Management Association

(AMA), Central Institute of Plastics

Engineering & Technology (CIPET),

Indian Plastics Institute (IPI), Gujarat

Industrial Research & Development

Agency (GIRDA), Entrepreneurship

Development Institute (EDI) and so

forth, to provide skilled manpower to the

industry. There are also a fleet of other

global level institutions to provide support

to the industry. These degree, diploma

and industrial training and management

institutes deliver continuously highly

skilled and knowledgeable manpower

to all the industries. There is Industrial

Extension Bureau (iNDEXTb), a

Government of Gujarat organisation to

support industries and promote small

and medium enterprises in the state.

Seventh, the businessmen from

Gujarat are very dedicated towards their

business. This backed by their inherent

entrepreneurial skills further strengthens

the industry in the state.

Last, but not the least, there are many

industrial banks in the state to provide

quick funds to the plastics industry.

How can one further boost the state’s plastics packaging industry?At present, the industry in Gujarat does

not face any challenge because the power

supply and infrastructure are good at all

levels. Although there is good support

from the government and financial

institutes to the industries (including

small & medium enterprises and large

corporations), there is need for strategies

to further aid in the growth of the

industry. Thus, a number of steps can be

taken to further provide a boost to the

plastics packaging industry in the state.

New polymer processing plants should

be set up in the state. Further, new

special economic zones should be built

so as to promote global exports from

the state. Gujarat has vast knowledge

about plastics manufacturing, processing

and technology, while its entrepreneurs

possess good business skills. Thus,

increase of exports would definitely

benefit the industry. In the future,

industries dealing in plastics processing

machinery and the packaging segment

will see major export opportunities. The

state already has a major share in the

above segment and this will only increase

in the future.

How is Gujarat unique as an investment destination?Gujarat is unique as it has an

administration that is known globally

for its support initiatives to the various

industries in the state. In addition, the

surplus electricity in the state is a unique

selling point. Furthermore, the sharp

business sense and the entrepreneurship

abilities of the Gujarati community

are globally acknowledged. There is no

unnecessary interruption by unions.

Moreover, the stable government is

attracting the world to increasingly

invest in Gujarat. Finally, several

infrastructural projects in the pipeline

will also directly impact the growth

of industries in the state. Overall, Gujarat

is seen as one of the best destinations for

investment in India at the moment.


…opines Rajesh K Pandya, Vice President – Operations, Parikh Packaging Pvt Ltd. In an exclusive conversation with Avani Jain, he talks about the benefits offered by the state for promoting industrial sectors, especially the plastics segment.

“There is excellent government support to industries in the state”


PLASTICS @ GUJARAT: Inter face — Raj iv Tr ivedi

How do you assess the industrial development in Gujarat?The state of Gujarat has served as a good

platform to interact and conduct business.

There are ample opportunities for the

industrial development in the state due

to factors such as political stability and

a dynamic, efficient & result-oriented

government. Further, Gujarat enjoys

uninterrupted power supply as compared

to other states of India. The state also

has a private port that leads to easy

connectivity with the entire world. Above

all, one of the most important facts about

Gujarat is that it has the highest gross

domestic product growth rate compared

to other states of India. Due to these

reasons, industrialists across the country

and overseas are prompted to make huge

investments in the state.

What are the advantages of Gujarat as a hub for the plastics processing industry?There are a number of advantages. First,

major machinery, ancillary equipment and

raw material suppliers have production

facilities in Gujarat. Second, the Gujarat

government shows keen interest in attracting

industries (outside the state) from all the

segments, including the plastics industry to

set up their plants in the state. Third, the

labour problems are less as compared to

other states. Because the state has lenient

policies, it is able to attract manpower from

the other states of India.

What are the demand drivers for Gujarat’s plastics industry?Amazing growth in the automotive sector

is driving the growth of the plastics

industry in Gujarat. Major four-wheeler/

car manufacturers have established or

are planning to set up their plants near

the commercial capital of the state

– Ahmedabad. Major cement plants

and fertiliser producers in Gujarat are

expanding production capacity at a faster

rate. This is creating a good demand for

raffia bags, carry bags etc. Further, the

pharmaceutical sector is growing at a fast

pace in the state. All this is leading to

increasing demand for plastics.

How can industry–academia collaboration in the state boost technical skill development and talent building?To have good quality of entrepreneurs/

professionals in the industry, the role of

academic institutes is very important.

However, these days, institutes only provide

theoretical knowledge and the syllabus does

not include information about the latest

technologies. Thus, regular interaction

between industry and academia to boost

technical skills and talent building is

needed. There should be some focussed

practical training programme provided by

the industry, and the institutes should make

it part of the syllabus. Institutes should also

regularly update the syllabus to include

latest developments. Experts from the

industry should be appointed to the core

team of institutes to decide the syllabus.

What is the importance of institutes like Indian Plastics Institute (IPI) in promoting industry–academia collaboration?IPI organises technical seminars on

various subjects at a regular interval and

invites experts from the industry for the

presentation. It also arranges industrial

visits for students. It acts as an adviser

to various institutes related to plastics.

In this way, it helps promote industry–

academia collaboration in the state.

What are the challenges before Gujarat’s plastics industry?A few challenges faced by the industry are

inadequate infrastructure in some parts,

sudden fall or rise in raw material prices –

a major set back to processors in the state

where major units are under the small

scale industry category, lack of global

brand image and scarcity of manpower in

manufacturing facilities – manpower turn

to service sectors. Moreover, the plastics

industry in the state needs to fight

against the anti-plastics lobby by creating

awareness and emphasising on recycling.

How can the state further boost the plastics industry?Several steps can be adopted by the state.

First, a special plastics park should be

created to promote significant business

opportunity. Second, value-added quality

products need to be introduced to compete

with the Chinese market. Third, spread

awareness about solid waste management

systems to deal with plastic disposal. Last,

promote plastics industries by providing

benefits in tax structure as provided by

other states.


…opines Rajiv Trivedi, Vice President (Marketing), Prasad Group & Chairman, Indian Plastics Institute – Ahmedabad Chapter. In an exclusive conversation with Avani Jain, he talks about the growing plastics sector in the state and the need for industry–academia collaboration.

“Amazing growth in the automotive sector is driving the growth of the plastics industry in Gujarat”

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PLASTICS @ GUJARAT: Inter face — V Ramesh

What are the advantages of Gujarat as a hub for the plastics processing machinery industry? Gujarat, the largest polymer producing

state, is known for the plastics processing

machinery industry due to the presence

of many leading manufacturers in the

state for decades. Further, because of the

presence of good basic infrastructure,

the industry has grown a lot and will

continue to do so in the future as well.

Moreover, the basic raw materials like

casting, machining and other support

for machine building is readily available

in the state. As the plastics processing

machinery industry is also dependent

on uninterrupted power supply, Gujarat

has a clear advantage in being a plastics

processing hub. Support from the

proactive government has also helped in

the industry’s growth.

What are the demand drivers for Gujarat’s plastics industry? The per capita consumption of plastics,

as compared to the developed countries,

is very low in India at present. Hence,

there are huge opportunities for the

plastics machinery manufacturers in the

state. Further, the announcement of new

automotive plants in Gujarat, increasing

awareness about the healthcare industry,

focus on infrastructural development

and advancement in packaging

technology due to the increasing trend

in packed foods will definitely increase

plastics consumption and augment the

growth of plastics machinery in the

state.

What are the industry efforts toward Research & Development (R&D) in the segment?When it comes to R&D activities, the

industry needs to take various steps to

match the advancements made in the

machinery sector so as to meet the

growing demand. Further, at present,

lack of power supply in many states,

high energy costs, need to reduce carbon

footprint are pushing manufacturers in

the segment to develop energy-efficient

machines with environment-friendly

technology. Thus, collective efforts are

needed for these new developments.

Because our company is part of a

European group, we are well aware

about the latest technology. However,

the real challenge is to bring this to

India and make it economically viable

for the Indian market, which is highly

price sensitive.

What are the export opportunities for manufacturers in Gujarat?Many machinery manufacturers have

started exporting, but still the exports

are very low as compared to China.

However, with export-friendly policies

adopted by the government, there is

good scope for increasing exports.

In the future, it would be imperative

to focus on the export market so as

to compensate the price sensitivity

prevailing in the local market. There

is a huge opportunity for exports in

countries such as Africa, Vietnam etc,

where the plastics industry has just

started to grow. Further, the possibility

for exports in European countries is

good as we have already proved in many

sectors that we are capable of producing

international standard machines at

reasonable prices.

What are your suggestions to further boost the state’s plastics industry? As the plastics processing industry is

highly capital sensitive, much support is

needed from the government to further

provide a boost to the industry. Also,

developing clusters, ie common facilities

with the aim of sharing resources, will

definitely help the industry to grow.

In addition, as this industry has the

potential to create a lot of employment

opportunities, the government must

address the concerns of this industry on a

priority basis. Further, the industry needs

a lot of skilled & semi-skilled labour,

and students from technical institutes are

not fully equipped, so it is necessary for

institutes and the government to focus

on the curriculum relative to the need of

the industry. Hence, industry–academia

collaboration is needed to further provide

a boost to the industry.

How is Gujarat unique as an investment destination? Gujarat is a growing state. Further,

because of the stable government,

investment-friendly policies, better

infrastructure like roads & ports and

dedicated industrial corridors, the

state serves as an ideal investment

destination. Also, since the main issue

for the plastics processing industry in

India is the availability of uninterrupted

and quality power supply, Gujarat is

a preferred destination as there are

no long power cuts. In addition, the

natural entrepreneurship ability of the

Gujarati community and their global

presence have and will surely drive many

investments in Gujarat in the future.


…opines V Ramesh, Chief Executive Officer, Negri Bossi SACMI Engineering (India) Pvt Ltd. In an exclusive conversation with Avani Jain, he talks about the opportunities for growth of the plastics processing machinery sector in the state.

“Developing clusters will definitely help the industry to grow”


PLASTICS @ GUJARAT: Roundtable

Rahul MehtaPresident, Clothing Manufacturers

Association of India

In the Union Budget 2012–13, the rate of excise duty on polyester fibres & yarns and their raw materials Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) and Mono Ethylene Glycol (MEG) had been raised from 10 per cent to 12 per cent. Synthetic fibre, which is used to make synthetic fabric, is predominantly used by the common man. Levying high tax on synthetic fibre and not on natural fibre, which is ideally consumed by the rich, does not balance the scales. Moreover, nowhere in the world is there any tax bifurcation of natural and man-made fibre. This increase in the production cost at the initial stage of fibre and yarn itself has had far-reaching effects on the entire value chain. The excise duty should be rationalised for fibres along with their raw materials. In turn, this would benefit fibre manufacturers and downstream users, texturisers and weavers. By lowering cost, it will also help revive market sentiments and increase consumption of synthetic fabrics.

Synthetic means man-made. A synthetic fibre is a chain of small units joined together, where each unit is actually a chemical compound. In India, the basic custom duty on cotton fibre (natural fibre) is nil, whereas a basic duty of 10 per cent is levied on man-made fibres. Sweta M Nair seeks answers from industry players as to whether some kind of rationalisation in duties are to enter the scene.

Amit GugnaniSenior Vice President, Fashion – Textile &

Apparel, Technopak Advisors

Currently, there is a differential in duties between cotton textiles and synthetic textiles. Excise duty imposed on cotton textiles (6.2 per cent) is half of that imposed on synthetic textiles (12.4 per cent). With rationalisation of duty on synthetics, the garment industry will be able to procure synthetic fabrics at a lower cost, which will further drive costs down on apparel and retail – benefitting the end consumer. If custom duty differential is removed between cotton and synthetic fibres, the spinning industry will benefit in terms of options of importing man-made fibres and further by reduced domestic prices of synthetic fibres. Indian garment manufacturing has traditionally been more cotton centric, whereas globally, the demand of synthetic products has been on the rise. If the duties were to come down, then the overall manufacturing product basket of India can improve.

Abhijeet AgarwalJoint Managing Director, Shyam Texturisers Pvt Ltd

Excise is a duty payable to the Government of India on the value of the goods manufactured if your annual turnover exceeds ` 1.5 crore. In this tax levy, CENVAT scheme grants credit of duty paid on inputs, capital goods and input services used in/or in relation to the manufacture of final products. Under this scheme, the manufacturer gets credit of duty paid on inputs/capital goods and service tax on input services. To simplify this process, the government has been in talks to bring in Goods and Services Tax, which will unite all the taxes under one roof. This would lead to uniformity considering tax differs from one state to another. This should be brought in soon, and a lower duty slab should be introduced for the same. This will largely level the field between synthetic and natural fibres. Synthetic fibre by cost is cheap, and it has mass production possibility unlike natural fibre. Lower duty will surely widen its reach to more masses.

Many are vying for a fibre-neutral policy for the synthetic fibre industry. Elimination of excise and customs duty on synthetic fibre will enhance the country’s competitive advantage in the international market. To accelerate the industrial growth, the industry is looking forward

to the introduction of the Goods and Service Tax. This will help the polyester industry compete with cotton yarn, which attracts zero duty.

Editorial take:

Will theWill the rationalisationrationalisation of duty forof duty for synthetic fibre helpsynthetic fibre help inin

lowering costs?lowering costs?



PLASTICS @ GUJARAT: Processing prowess

Plastics mainly consists of

different types of materials

such as plastic granules, which

are the main raw material used.

Then there are pigments, which provide

colour to the product and the additives

that give the functional benefit to the

consumer of the end product. All these go

into making a plastic product; hence, their

proper disposal becomes very important.

Shamik Shah, VP – Sales & Marketing,

Monachem Additives Pvt Ltd, says,

“Gujarat has always dominated the growth

for the plastics industry compared to other

states of India because of various reasons.

The most important reason being the

states’ economy, which has shown a gross

domestic product growth rate 2 per cent

higher than the Indian economy. This is

one of the reasons the plastics industry

in Gujarat has also shown higher growth

compared to other states in India.”

Aiming highGlobal demand for plastic products

has not only seen a change in terms

of usage but also facilitated the need

to develop technology that produces

better final products and are in tune

with environmental concerns. This

has positively affected the number of

exporters, manufacturers and suppliers

of plastic and plastic moulding products

in India. Manufacturers of plastic raw

materials such as masterbatches, plastic

resins and plastic compounds are taking

up extensive Research and Development

(R&D) activities to ensure international

quality for their customers.

Like any other raw material used

in the production of plastics, the

masterbatch industry forms an integral

part of the polymer industry and both

are directly linked. Over the years, it has

been seen that the masterbatch market

has grown and so has the number of

players. This growth has helped existing

players to expand and new manufacturers

to establish themselves. “Gujarat, on its

part, has complemented growth avenues

substantially as 62 per cent of the total

polymer production of the country is in

Gujarat. The entrepreneurial nature of

Gujaratis has also played an important

role in new plastics industries coming up,”

avers Shah.

Because of these reasons, Gujarat can

be called as one of the top-most industrial

hubs for the plastics industry in India. In

the future, with many new investments

coming into Gujarat, the forecast is

Gujarat will be one of the top-most

industrial plastic hubs globally.

A fitting business destinationDue to the conducive business

environment in Gujarat compared to

other states, the overall industrial growth

With an established network of India’s leading petrochemical players, Gujarat presents itself as the most profitable destination for polymer and masterbatch manufacturers and suppliers. Anwesh Koley looks into the reasons why the state has seen heavy investments and technological advancements over the years in this field.

RIDING HIGH ON RIDING HIGH ON GROWTH AND GROWTH AND PROFITABILITYPROFITABILITY


Processing prowess

in Gujarat is higher compared to any

other state of India. In addition, there are

several other factors such as new plastics

processing units coming into Gujarat due

to its vision of becoming an automotive

hub. The global masterbatch market is

forecast to reach $ 8.25 billion by the year

2017. “Technology developments that

help impart desired colour and property to

the polymer and simultaneously reduce its

cost are aiding in stimulating the market’s

growth in the medium to long-term

period, given the evolving demand among

end-user industries for high performance

and functional products, according

to Global Industry Analysts. These

advancements in technology and cost-

effectiveness are already percolating into

the Indian market, coupled with increased

awareness and quality standards,” says

Parag Parikh, Partner, Universal Colorant

Company.

R&D initiativesThe polymer industry in the state has a

unique blend of quality and consistency.

“Manufacturers and suppliers offer

innovative solutions to the plastics

industry for improving performance

and reducing costs. Various research and

application development centres currently

work on a lot of new solutions that

improve final product quality and reduce

costs,” adds Shah.

Various other innovative solutions

that the polymer industry in the state

have witnessed are weight reduction in

plastic parts for the automotive sector,

improvement of nucleation properties of

polypropylene & nylon and improving

barrier properties of plastic films. Apart

from standard innovations, additive

companies have been successful in

achieving reduction in loading levels

of flame retardants for highly filled

halogen-free flame retardant compounds

for the wire & cable industry and have

substantially improved the mechanical

properties such as tensile strength,

elongation & impact for polyolefins and

engineering plastics,” says Shah. The key

considerations for polymer manufacturers

that have shown positive results are

reduction in costs at all levels and

improvement in performance.

Growing awareness among consumersPeople are now aware of hazardous chemicals.

The plastics industry is hence using

products that are free of lead and benzene

and are chemically friendly. Although there

are not many manufacturers who produce

such products, people are willing to spend

more for these products. “Since the last two

years, eco-friendly plastic products have

shown a rise in demand of 85–90 per cent,

and Gujarat has been a leading supplier.

R&D in the field of plastics is constantly

going on, and manufacturers are looking

for biodegradable and eco-friendly plastics,”

adds Parikh.

The effect of conventional plastics on

the soil is far more severe as compared to

bioplastics. Besides, biodegradable plastics

have negligible impact on the soil and

thus on the environment. Plastics waste is

a significant portion of the total municipal

solid waste. According to industry

estimates, approximately 10,000 tonne

per day of plastics waste is generated in

the country.

Challenges aheadWhile the polymer industry in the state

has opened up to international standards,

shown resilience in the face of crisis and

pioneered innovative practices, there

are pressing concerns that need to be

addressed. “Currently, one of the biggest

challenges for India’s plastics industry

is the erosion of profit. Recently being

offered to customers for helping them

achieve sustainable and profitable growth

is innovative solutions through plastic

additives that allow them to differentiate

in terms of cost reduction or improvement

in performance,” says Shah.

The customer-oriented approach

adopted by the plastics industry has

always shown positive results. This,

coupled with large-key joint ventures and

influx of foreign investment in the state, is

expected to ensure high profitability and

efficient polymer processing in the years

to come.


Shamik Shah VP – Sales & Marketing, Monachem Additives Pvt Ltd

Parag ParikhPartner, Universal Colorant Company

Gujarat, on its part, has complemented growth avenues substantially as 62 per cent of the total polymer production of the country is in Gujarat. The entrepreneurial nature of Gujaratis has also played an important role in new plastics industries coming up.

Since the last two years, eco-friendly plastic products have shown a rise in demand of 85–90 per cent, and Gujarat has been a leading supplier. R&D in the fi eld of plastics is constantly going on, and manufacturers are looking for biodegradable and eco-friendly plastics.

PLASTICS @ GUJARAT: Manufactur ing might


According to a recent study

conducted by Frost &

Sullivan called ‘Automation

– Catalyzing a Resurgent

Indian Economy’, Indian manufacturing

has come under the spotlight. This is

purely because the government in its bid

to increase manufacturing’s contribution

to the Gross Domestic Product

(GDP) has brought forth the National

Manufacturing Policy (NMP), which

envisages the manufacturing sector’s

contribution to grow to about 25 per

cent by 2022. “Despite challenges, the

organic growth of industries and the

increasing awareness of the importance of

implementing automation solutions have

led to substantial demand for automation

solutions in India. Both control and

automation IT products have witnessed

a spurt in adoption across manufacturing

sectors in India, over the five years,”

reveals the report.

Optimising processMany different types of robots are used

in the plastics processing industry. These

robots are completely optimised to the

particular requirements of this industry in

terms of working range, operating volume,

minimised floor space, weight and speed.

The most common being articulated-arm

robots, one of the effective solutions for

the plastics processing industry. However,

the choice of a robot is determined less

by the payload and more by the reach.

The types of installation options for

integrating industrial robots to do a

specific production task are many, but

ultimately the solution will be a perfect

partnership between machine and robot.

Because high productivity, speed,

accuracy, cleanliness and dexterity are

areas where automation can provide

considerable advantage, processors are

paying more attention to this segment.

Avinash Wakchaure, Maintenance

Manager, Plastics Division – Gujarat

Plant, Tata AutoComp Systems Ltd,

says, “When referring to plastics, at Tata

AutoComp, we are into the manufacturing

of auto-components for exterior and

interior applications. Because each

component varies in weight from 3 to 5

kg, robots help us reduce cycle time by

20–25 per cent. Earlier, when industrial

robots were not used, human operators

had to open the doors of moulds, remove

the formed component and fix it manually.

With robots, the pick-up and drop activity

has significantly increased productivity

and limited human intervention. The

application of industrial robots has also

Efficient application of automation is helping processors world over to meet the changing needs of the industry and business environment. The evolution of automation in the Indian plastics processing industry is however not at par with the international adoption of these techniques. Sweta M Nair looks for answers to advancements in processing technology and how the Indian scenario is shaping up in the light of global competition.

Courtesy: KUKA Robotics

IN PURSUIT OF IN PURSUIT OF AUTOMATIONAUTOMATION


Manufactur ing might

helped scale up productivity.” Further,

the use of intelligent software programs

reduces and makes efficient use of non-

productive time that previously went

unused. Related to the processing stage,

robots find applications in high-speed

de-moulding, insert loading, semi-

processed component transfer between

cavities and injection machines, in-mould

decoration or labelling, off-machine

complementary component assembly

operations during or downstream from

injection cycle, gluing/sealing processes,

parts’ control operations within the

cycle time of the injection moulding

machine and product packaging after

manufacturing.

Specific applicationsSuperior quality, less waste, greater

repeatability per cycle and greater

productivity are results of efficient product

management. High-speed automation

can support statistical process control

and adapt just-in-time manufacturing

techniques leading the way of continuous

improvement. This gives processors the

competitive advantage required in today’s

plastics market. Although there are many,

one technical advantage of using robots

in plastics processing is that it contributes

significantly in reducing cycle time.

Across an extensive range of products, the

commonly used industrial robot-arms are

characterised by compact size, broad work

envelopes, high speed, precision, resistance

to all types of environments and, above

all, the flexibility to adapt to the greatest

number of tasks.

Because the processing of plastics is

not a one-step process, the inclusion of

automation can increase production. To

begin, sprue pickers, robots that quickly

and precisely remove sprues and parts from

injection moulding machines, are getting

their fair share of acknowledgement in this

industry. Pneumatic robots are designed

for precise insert and removal jobs with

fast movements and minimum vibration.

Other types of servo robots, such as three-

axis, side-entry, stack moulds or camp end

discharge, provide flexible automation for

current and future requirements. Further,

to address precision injection moulding

automation for small to large payloads,

several electric servo-driven articulating

robots have been designed. For processors

looking at deriving maximum reliability,

gantry robots have been designed for

precision, high-speed operation and

user-friendly setup. Talking about his

company’s latest offerings for the plastics

processing industry, Guru Prasad, Senior

Manager – Sales, KUKA Robotics (India)

Pvt Ltd, says, “We cater to three major

applications such as de-moulding, ultra-

sonic welding and cutting/trimming. Our

recently launched series of robots called

QUANTEC K has an extensive range

of models, comprising 11 basic robot

types. The QUANTEC K series ensures

that there is a perfectly suited robot

for every customer-specific application.

For the first time, a single robot family

covers the entire high payload range

from 90 to 270 kg, with reaches from

2,900 to 3,900 mm. The shelf-mounted

robots of the QUANTEC K series make

automation easier in the plastics industry,

with maximum flexibility in the system

planning and design phase, reduced

conception and design work and greater

planning security. With the latest state-

of-the-art drive technology and the new

KR C4 controller, the QUANTEC K

robots achieve up to 25 per cent shorter

unloading times and up to 30 per cent less

energy consumption.”

Impending implicationsA decade back, the major deterrent

of using robotics was price, but now

processors are realising the benefits

of using versatile robots. The usage of

industrial robots in the Indian plastics

processing industry is still at a nascent

stage. However, the major development

in the robotics segment is that they are

becoming slimmer and the controller

systems are becoming less complicated.

Investing in intelligent automation and

control systems to optimise manufacturing

and monitor plant operation is the way

forward for the Indian plastics processing

industry.


Avinash WakchaureMaintenance Manager, Plastics Division – Gujarat Plant, Tata AutoComp Systems Ltd

When industrial robots were not used, human operators had to open the doors of moulds, remove the formed component and fi x it manually. With robots, the pick-up and drop activity has signifi cantly increased productivity and limited human intervention.

Guru PrasadSenior Manager – Sales, KUKA Robotics (India) Pvt Ltd

The QUANTEC K series ensures that there is a perfectly suited robot for every customer-specifi c application. For the fi rst time, a single robot family covers the entire high payload range from 90 to 270 kg, with reaches from 2,900 to 3,900 mm.


PLASTICS @ GUJARAT: Infrastructure edge

The plastics industry in

Gujarat has made significant

achievements ever since

its modest but promising

beginning after commencing production

of polystyrene about four decades

ago. The plastics processing sector in

India comprises about 30,000 units, of

which Gujarat accounts for over 6,100

micro, small and medium scale units,

thus contributing to about one-fifth

of the total number of units in the

country. These units are involved in

producing a variety of items through

injection moulding, blow moulding,

extrusion and calendaring. India, in

general, and Gujarat, in particular,

possess the necessary technical skills

to produce high-quality plastic goods,

required machinery, efficient moulds

and dies. In view of versatility of

operations and low-cost production, the

state has been ideally suited to serve as

a sourcing base.

Steps towards realising a dreamThe per capita consumption of plastics

in India is only 6 kg as against 30 kg in

China and 80 kg in developed economies.

Gujarat’s per capita consumption is 8 kg.

With growing per capita income and a

favourable demographic profile, demand

for plastics in India and in Gujarat is

expected to show strong growth.

Further, a vast potential lies for the

development of the plastics processing

industry, as at present, the per capita

Encouraging investments and providing a favourable business environment have propelled Gujarat to emerge as the prime industrial hub in the country. Over the years, manufacturers have found it increasingly conducive to start businesses in the state due to a variety of factors. Anwesh Koley tracks the various reasons why Gujarat has gained that quintessential edge over other states.

EXPANDING THE EXPANDING THE BUSINESS HORIZONBUSINESS HORIZON


Infrastructure edge

consumption of plastics is only 0.7 kg

compared to the world average of 11 kg.

The capacities built in most segments

of this industry coupled with inherent

capabilities have made us capable of

servicing the overseas markets. Vivek

Kothari, Director, Shako Flexipack

Pvt Ltd, says, “Major international

companies from various segments

of industry, including automobiles,

electronics, communication, food

processing and packaging, have set

up large manufacturing plants in the

country and have helped to develop the

market. India is emerging as one of the

fastest growing markets and is expected

to grow by 12 to 15 per cent in the

coming years.”

Because of this potential offered by

the Gujarat market, entrepreneurs in the

state are motivated to acquire technical

expertise, achieve high quality standards

and build production capacities in

various facets of the thriving plastics

industry. Commendable developments

in the plastics machinery sector coupled

with similar developments in the

petrochemical sector have facilitated

plastics processors to build capacities

to service both domestic and overseas

markets. Both of these support the

plastics processing industry.

The availability of polymer raw

materials has also played a pivotal role in

the growth of this industry. “In addition

to meeting the indigenous requirement

of polymers, the state is the net exporter

of certain polymers besides the finished

goods. The export of plastic products

has been identified as a thrust area, and

entrepreneurs in the state are gearing

themselves to capture the market abroad

with greater dynamism and sincerity,”

avers Kothari. The export of plastic

articles has thus increased in the last few

years at the rate of about 20 per cent.

Riding high on reformsThe economic reforms launched in

1991 across the country have been a

boon for the industrial development

of Gujarat. “While the state already

enjoyed geographical advantages in

terms of procurement and dispatch of

goods, the reforms added further fillip

to the plastics industry in Gujarat. Joint

ventures, foreign investments, easier

access to technology from developed

countries and many more advancements

have opened up new vistas to further

facilitate the growth of this industry,”

opines Kothari.

While continual developments in

the plastics industry in the state have

shown fruitful results, there remains a

concern for the environmental impact

which is often the bi-product of

industrial growth. “Conventional plastic

and synthetic polymers are persistent in

the environment. Therefore, improperly

disposed plastic materials are often

a significant source of environment

pollution. This has resulted in mounting

worldwide concern over the increasing use

of plastics and has initiated an important

drive for development of biodegradable

plastics,” says Kothari. Various Research

& Development (R&D) activities on

biodegradable polymers have identified

these areas of concern, and remedial

measures have taken momentum. The

industry has shown eagerness to join

hands with R&D institutions to augment

research activity in this important area of

technology to save the environment and

keep it cleaner and greener.

Taking advantage of liberalisation,

the Indian petrochemical industry

invested approximately ` 350 billion in

the 1990s, raising the domestic polymer

capacity from less than 0.5 million

metric tonne in 1990 to 4.2 million

metric tonne in 2000–01. Gujarat

has been on the forefront in realising

its potential and leading the way for

petrochemical expansion. Over the years,

the main polymer production capacities

have come up in the western part of

India – in Gujarat and Maharashtra

(Reliance Industries Ltd & India Power

Corporation Ltd) – though there are

production facilities in other parts of

the country as well, such as Haldia

Petrochemicals Ltd in the east, GAIL in

the north and Chemplast in the south.

Reaffirming commitment towards growthGlobalisation of the economy and

the enhanced role of the market over

the years have the potential to offer

greater opportunities for the plastics

industry. Gujarat has a tradition of

regional specialisation in industries

such as chemical, petrochemicals and

pharma within the large scale sectors.

This, coupled with the continuous

impetus from the government, is

expected to further attract international

presence. “The long-term development

perspective of the industries present

in the state needs to take advantage of

the regional potential that exists. While

integration of world markets offers

opportunities, it demands safeguards to

minimise negative externalities and to

protect the interests of the poor and

backward sections of the population.

This is more relevant in the case of

Gujarat. It requires the need to have

a long-term perspective so that the

economy could develop policies for the

desired direction,” feels Kothari.


Vivek KothariDirector, Shako Flexipack Pvt Ltd

Major international companies from various segments of industry, including automobiles, electronics, communication, food processing and packaging, have set up large manufacturing plants in the country and have helped to develop the market.

MPP

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PLASTICS @ GUJARAT: Trade pol icy

By assuming a pivotal role in

the changing economics of the

country, Gujarat today houses

an impressive industrial belt

including a hub of petrochemical industries

that make the state a major contributor

to the national economy. To factor the

state’s advancements, the state’s governing

institutions are creating and maintaining

progress-friendly policies that promote

its strategic growth. Most policies ideally

identify a niche and then provide tailor-

made incentives and assistance. While

promoting entrepreneurship in SMEs, the

state is looking at inviting and facilitating

greater investment.

According to the Annual Survey

of Industry (ASI) 2009–10, conducted

With its eye on achieving high growth in the industrial and infrastructure sectors, Gujarat in recent years has been focussing on formulating long and short-term trade policies. After the Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2013, Sweta M Nair delves deeper to find what is in store for the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) of the plastics industry that have already made this state their home and what does the industry think of the state’s prevailing trade policies.

‘DOING RIGHT’‘DOING RIGHT’‘COULD DO BETTER’‘COULD DO BETTER’

What Gujarat isWhat Gujarat is yetyet

by the Central Statistical Organization

(CSO) under Ministry of Statistics and

Program Implementation, Government

of India, Gujarat is the most industrially

developed Indian state with regard to

industrial investment, value of production

and value addition in the industrial

sector. Owing to its broad industrial

base, the industrial development in the

state at present is not confined only to

major cities.

Congenial settingsFor the plastics industry specifically, the

discovery of oil and gas in Gujarat has

played an important role in setting up

of petroleum refineries, fertiliser plants

and petrochemical companies. At the

same time, the inception of the Gujarat

Industrial Development Corporation

(GIDC) led to the establishment of

industrial estates that provided developed

plots and ready built-up sheds for the

plastics industry. “Moreover, surplus power,

excellent law & order situation, well-kept

ports for exports and availability of land

in plastic parks with infrastructure &

single window clearance at very affordable

prices helped the Government of Gujarat

(GoG) create a fantastic environment for

the plastics business. The All India Plastic

Manufacturers’ Association (AIPMA) has

signed a memorandum of understanding

with the GoG to create plastic parks at

Dahej and Sanand. The GoG should

support the Association to run common

facility centres in cooperation with stake

holders in plastic parks,” shares Jayesh

Khimji Rambhia, Managing Director,

Premsons Plastics Pvt Ltd and Chairman,

Plastic Parks & Projects, AIPMA.

The development of infrastructure,

such as power, roads, ports, water supply

and so on, and the introduction of

business-friendly regulatory trade norms

have helped the plastics industry thrive

in the state’s environment. “Gujarat is

a golden destination, and it is the most

industrialised state with more than

38 per cent gross domestic product. It

comprises 55 special economic zones, 41

ports and 83 industrial clusters. The state

contributes about 16 per cent of India’s


Trade pol icy

Jayesh Khimji RambhiaManaging Director, Premsons Plastics Pvt Ltd and Chairman, Plastic Parks & Projects, AIPMA

The minimum land allocated by GoG in plastic parks is 1 acre. Ideally, it should be revised to 5 acre to even smaller pieces of land ranging 250/500/1,000 sq ft area.

Pinakin ShahPresident, GSPMA

Policies on intelligent manufacturing, enhanced design capabilities, conformation to international standards in production, effective energy management and profi cient supply chain management need to be formulated.

industrial production, and it is home

to some of the biggest petrochemical

companies. In line with the government’s

proactive policy, Gujarat has emerged

as a hub of the petrochemicals industry,

contributing to more than 62 per cent

of India’s petrochemicals and 65 per

cent of India’s plastics,” shares Pinakin

Shah, President, Gujarat State Plastic

Manufacturers’ Association (GSPMA).

Conducive attitudeWhile addressing the issue of framing

strategic policy at the Vibrant Gujarat

Summit 2013, Narendra Modi, Chief

Minister, Gujarat, spoke about the need

of having more focus on need-based skill

development, technological up-gradation

and research in the SME sector to

successfully compete in the global market.

He acknowledged the employment

creation ability of Indian SMEs and the

need to raise them to the next level of

quality and credibility, in ancillary industry

or as clusters. With the renewed thrust

on development of the Micro, Small

and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), the

Minister shared his views on reaching out

to the smallest of the industries across the

state so as to provide opportunities that

will help them take their business to the

next level.

Many of the state’s trade regulatory

norms fall in line with its new Industrial

Policy 2009, where emphasis is placed

on facilitation of investment in the state,

employment generation and employability

enhancement and adherence to high

quality standards. By promoting excellence

in production of high quality standards,

the policy aims at promoting the ‘Made in

Gujarat’ line. In Rambhia’s views, since the

plastics industry is dominated by MSMEs,

the GoG should bring in policies that

will largely take care of the interest of

this segment. He says, “Currently, the

minimum land allocated by GoG in plastic

parks is 1 acre. Ideally, it should be revised

to 5 acre to even smaller pieces of land

ranging 250/500/1000 sq ft area. Smaller

units would be useful for service providers

such as accountants, lawyers, electricians,

plumbers, motor-rewinders, fabricators,

screen printers, labour contractors, box-

makers, hardware suppliers etc. These

entities will make it easy to run companies

in remote locations. It will also increase

number of beneficiaries of plastic parks

where even small entrepreneurs can

reap benefits.”

Important iterationsAlong with cluster development

approach in the New Industrial Policy,

the scheme would focus on harder

interventions such as creation of cluster-

specific common infrastructure and

facilities, incubation centre, Common

Facility Centre (CFC), Industrial

Training Institute (ITI) extension centre

and other need-based facilities. In a way,

this would also encourage stakeholders to

participate in public–private partnership

initiatives to compete globally. In

order to promote the use of renewable

and environment-friendly sources of

energy, the state aspires to set up power

generation capacity of about 500 MW

through various solar technologies. “To

remain competitive in price and quality

with China, reducing the power tariff

for the plastics industry is important,”

believes Rambhia. He adds, “Plastics as

an industry sector enables major sectors

of the economy such as agriculture,

automobile, infrastructure, healthcare,

packaging and so on. All benefits

extended to the textile, food processing

and leather industries should also be

extended to the plastics sector.”

To control problems of volatile prices,

erratic supply of raw materials, lack of

sufficient & skilled manpower, high

excise duty, lack of organised solid waste

management etc need to be addressed

immediately by way of efficient governing.

“For the plastics industry in Gujarat

to be globally competitive, policies on

intelligent manufacturing, enhanced

design capabilities, conformation to

international standards in production,

effective energy management and

proficient supply chain management need

to be formulated with proper investment

incentives,” believes Shah.



PLASTICS @ GUJARAT: Human resource development

Gujarat is one of the leading

industrialised states of

India. It boasts of several

multinational corporations,

large private sector companies, strong

public sector enterprises and a large

number of small and medium scale units

in the plastics segment. In addition, the

future of the plastics industry appears

bright, as statistics show that per person

consumption of plastics has increased

significantly in recent times. Further,

Gujarat produces more than 60 per

cent of hydrocarbons, which is higher

than that produced in any other state

of the country. Moreover, the plastics

processing industry in Gujarat has a great

potential for global business. Thus, with

automobile, packaging and infrastructure

sectors booming, the plastics industry in

Gujarat will witness tremendous growth

and profitable operations.

Need for skill developmentIn order to support the growth of the

plastics industry in the state, several

factors have to be kept in mind. One

of the important factors is nurturing

professionals and empowering workforce

in the segment as this is necessary to

increase business and meet the global

quality standards. K M Shah, Managing

Director, NU-VU Conair Pvt Ltd,

notes, “Technology upgradation, be it

in the mechanical or electrical aspects

of plastics processing, is continuously

happening, and if you are not aware of

these changes, then your end product

may not be of global standards. Thus,

in such a case, it is essential to train

the workforce and to make them aware

about such changes and thus enhance

their productivity.”

Skills and knowledge are the driving

forces of economic and industrial growth

of any state or country. Countries and

states with higher and better levels of skills

adjust more effectively to the challenges

and opportunities faced by the industries.

As Gujarat moves progressively towards

becoming a ‘knowledge economy’, it

becomes increasingly important that

the state should focus on advancement

of skills for the advancement of the

plastics industry. Thus, the need to

focus on developing skilled manpower

is extremely important, and it is for the

same reason that institutes such as Indian

Plastics Institute (IPI), Central Institute

of Plastics Engineering & Technology

(CIPET), Plastindia Academy of

Technology and Management at Vapi etc

have been set up in the state.

Tushar Parikh, Vice Chairman, IPI

– Ahmedabad Chapter & Director,

Neoplast Engineering Pvt Ltd, notes,

“Skilled manpower is the demand of

every industry, and the plastics industry

is no exception. Today, with the way

companies are expanding and employing

new technologies, the demand for skilled

manpower is increasing. However, it is

a common fact that skilled manpower

With the plastics industry expanding its horizon in the country, there is a need of nurturing professionals and empowering workforce to meet global standards and provide a boost to the industry. Gujarat has ensured this by setting up several educational institutions to develop skilled workforce to strengthen its stand in the plastics segment. Avani Jain highlights the steps taken by industries and institutes in the state in this regard.

SKILL BUILDING SKILL BUILDING FOR GLOBAL FOR GLOBAL COMPETENCECOMPETENCE


Human resource development

is a scarce resource. Thus, investing in

human capital is an important step, and

an effective way to achieve this is through

industry–academia collaboration.”

He adds, “In the plastics industry,

all production processes require skilled

engineers and the high-grade machines

require skilled operators. In addition, the

companies need an efficient workforce

for marketing. Thus, through training

institutes, the industry can actually train

students to meet their requirements.”

Industry–academia collaborationIndustry–academia collaboration in the

state has offered several benefits to both

the parties in the past and has the potential

to do so in the future as well. With regard

to the plastics & polymers industry,

the industry can reap many benefits

through collaboration, such as reduced

costs, increase in knowledge and greater

marketing power as well as availability of

skilled human capital, which is the need

of the hour for the industry. Moreover,

the industry in Gujarat generally faces

substantial shortage of research talent

with the requisite skill set and experience

in advanced analytical research; however,

this collaboration will help the industry in

this aspect also. Thus, industry–academia

collaboration can serve as a strategy

for ensuring success and growth of the

plastics & polymers industry in Gujarat.

Role of institutesInstitutes also have a major role to play

in providing a boost to the plastics

industry in the state. Plastics institutes

should send out their researchers on a

deputation basis to companies to work in

their laboratories to gain experience on

new equipment and processes. Institutes

should also welcome technical staff

from the industry to interact with their

students so as to foster closer relationships

and encourage more industry-focussed

collaborations. The various plastics

institutes in the state have adopted few of

the above-mentioned steps to strengthen

industry–academia collaboration.

Parikh avers, “IPI acts as a link

between academia and industry. We invite

companies for campus placements and

while organising workshops for students.

Even technical experts are invited to

deliver guest lectures on technical and

specialised subjects. We organise one

technical seminar every year.”

These days, the institutes also

provide on-the-job training to students.

Shah notes, “Various training institutes

such as CIPET, Indo–German Tool

Room, IPI etc have laboratories and are

well equipped with all the instruments,

so the students can learn how to operate

the machines and learn about the

production process. Further, practical

knowledge is very important to sustain

in the market.”

Thus, the private sector needs to

be open to collaboration with these

institutes, as the industry gets immediate

benefits in terms of more profits and

trained manpower, while students get

the benefit of seeing their ideas work

and will get encouraged. Through this,

institutes can also be assured of regular

fund supply and required practical

exposure.

Gauging the futureThus, keeping in mind the increased

industry–academia collaborations taking

place in the plastics segment in the state,

nurturing professionals and empowering

workforce so as to meet global standards

seem an easy task. It can be seen that

Gujarat is investing steadily in higher

education and research infrastructure.

The state has both private and public

universities. While the government

supports public universities, various

bodies and societies support private

universities. In addition, Gujarat is home

to numerous research organisations and

educational institutions, which directly or

indirectly provide educational and career

opportunities in the field of plastics

engineering and technology. Thus, these

steps taken in Gujarat to develop skilled

manpower could be taken by institutes,

organisations and governments in other

states as well so as to meet global quality

standards.


K M ShahManaging Director, NU-VU Conair Pvt Ltd

Tushar ParikhVice Chairman, IPI – Ahmedabad Chapter & Director, Neoplast Engineering Pvt Ltd

Technology upgradation, be it in the mechanical or electrical aspects of plastics processing, is continuously happening, and if you are not aware of these changes, then your end product may not be of global standards.

Skilled manpower is the demand of every industry, and the plastics industry is no exception. Today, with the way companies are expanding and employing new technologies, the demand for skilled manpower is increasing.


SPECIAL FOCUS

Dies & Moulds


Dies and moulds:

Efficient moulds for increased productivity ............................................................................................ 82

Multi-functional component tooling:

Making the cut! ....................................................................................................................................... 84

Interface: Saranjit Singh, Proprietor, Bamra Engineering Works ........................................................ 86

Roundtable:

Do Indian processors have the right software to reduce mould change time? ...................................... 88



SPECIAL FOCUS: Dies and moulds

Specialised equipment are used in the plastics industry, and these require highly efficient moulds to work in harmony to produce the final plastic product. Anwesh Koley looks into the various advancements witnessed by this industry and the issues that need immediate attention.

Over the years, die and

mould makers in

India have recorded

transformational and

high all-round market growth.

Today, these makers can compete

globally. The main issue in Indian

tool rooms is shortage of capacities,

which is met through imports by

Original Equipment Manufacturers

(OEMS). The industry has shown

consistency in improving its tooling

requirements through better liasioning

and partnership with OEMs, seeking

their support in reinforcing their

commitments to increase domestic

production. With their support and

commitment, Indian tool rooms have

the potential to venture into expansion

activities with confidence and make

large amount of investments. The

advantage of this industry is its ability

to remain capital intensive. G S

Kochhar, Managing Director, Precision

Moulds and Dies, says, “Large-scale

growth in

manufacturing capacity will be needed

to meet the demands of a large number

of OEMs desiring to make India

their global manufacturing hub. The

tooling market’s growth is estimated

to grow at 20 per cent. With OEMs

desiring to develop domestic tooling

manufacturing, we can foresee rapid

manufacturing growth of tooling.”

Meeting international standardsWith the global trend towards faster

processing equipment and higher

accuracy in terms of production,

manufacturers across the country

have adopted technologies that help

achieve higher levels of innovation

and end-user satisfaction. Major

processing techniques, such as

injection moulding, blow moulding

and extrusion, warrant the use of

complex end-to-end systems for

individual units for the automotive,

electronics, household goods and

medical industries. This requires the

use of customised moulding systems

that complement the effective

functioning of equipment.

Each process requires reliable

conveying as well as dosing and mixing

systems for high-volume production.

Srikanth Padmanabhan, Managing

Director, Motan-Colortronic Plastics

Machinery (India) Pvt Ltd, says,

“Individual extrusion systems require

high-precision structures that deliver

consistency for the continuous

production of films, cables, pipes

and profiles. Raw materials and

masterbatches require accurate dosing

and mixing systems for continuous

production.”

Mould protectionManufacturers have been developing

systems to protect injection moulds

that record the force path on mould

closing. A control curve can be

EFFICIENT EFFICIENT MOULDS FOR MOULDS FOR INCREASEDINCREASEDPRODUCTIVITYPRODUCTIVITY

Courtesy: Condor Tools

Courtesy: Solid Carbide Tools


D ies and moulds

applied to this saved master curve at

a freely adjustable axial distance. If

the force path as currently measured

intersects the control curve during the

closing movement (eg a part is caught

in the parting line), the machine will

stop the closing movement. 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. The system not only provides

positive protection for injection moulds

but also reduces cycle time, with the result

that efficiency of production increases.

The moulding sector has witnessed

several innovations over the years as

manufacturers have had to adapt to

changes according to growing customer

needs. Companies are seeing much

innovation in the field of plastic moulding.

“There is a large scope in the field of

injection moulding machines, as there is

a major segment in the plastics industry

that wants to switch over from basic

manual injection moulding machines to

modern programmable logic controllers

with advanced hydraulics and energy-

saving machines,” says Kochhar.

Today, there is more emphasis on the

energy-efficient, maintenance-free and

high-responsive machines. The machines

are now fitted with servo motor-driven

pump in place of normal induction motor,

which saves energy of 20–60 per cent, and

this depends on the cycle time and other

conditions. “Also, due to the availability of

advanced hydraulics and energy-efficient

solutions, the hydraulic clamping machine,

with low maintenance and long life, is more

adopted as compared to the toggle-type

clamping machine,” adds Padmanabhan.

Right tooling techniquesTooling is an essential element of near

net shape manufacturing processes such

as injection moulding and die casting,

where it may account for over 25 per cent

of the total product cost and development

time, especially when order quantity is

small. “Development of rapid and low

cost tooling, combined with a scientific

approach to mould cost estimation and

control, has therefore become essential.

Cost drivers include the geometric

features of cavity and core, managed

by analytical cost estimation approach

to estimate the basic mould cost. Cost

modifiers include tooling parameters such

as parting line, presence of side cores,

surface texture, ejector mechanism and

die material, contributing to the total

mould cost,” adds Kochhar.

The methodology has been

implemented and tested using numerous

industrial examples globally. The average

deviation was 0.40 per cent, with mould

manufacturers relying on independent

efficiency-enhancement measures

according to specific market requirements.

The model is flexible and can be easily

implemented for estimating the cost of a

variety of moulds and dies by customising

the cost modifiers using the quality

function deployment approach.

Industry concernsThe die and mould sector seems to grow

and adapt according to changing market

needs. However, there are issues that

concern the sector. “Prices of polymers

have gone up drastically since they use

a petroleum base. Energy and labour

costs have also gone up substantially.

The challenge of the plastics processing

industry has been to manage these steep

cost increases without the same degree of

increase in sales prices and sharp drop in

margins,” laments Padmanabhan.

The measures taken by the industry

to cope with these shortcomings are to

lower input resources (eg energy and

space). Manufacturers are coming up with

equipment that have higher productivity

and consume lesser space within the

plant. Another important measure is to

reduce waste (eg operational rejections,

waste heat and spillage). Apart from

technical requirements, a major problem

is the availability of skilled work force.

Companies are working on strengthening

skill levels by rigorous training and

educational measures. All these measures

are expected to go a long way in improving

the overall quality of products.


G S KochharManaging Director, Precision Moulds and Dies

Large-scale growth in manufacturing capacity will be needed to meet the demands of a large number of OEMs desiring to make India their global manufacturing hub.

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

Individual extrusion systems require high-precision structures that deliver consistency for the continuous production of fi lms, cables, pipes and profi les. Raw materials and masterbatches require accurate dosing and mixing systems for continuous production.

SPECIAL FOCUS: Mult i - funct ional component tool ing


Usage of dies and moulds for high-performance plastics has been increasing in various industry segments. With construction, household appliances, automobile and other industries having a great demand for plastics, the market for multi-functional component tooling is broadening. Sweta M Nair finds out that although the scope of this segment is still unknown, its potential in the Indian plastics industry is huge.

The applications of plastic

products are extensive, which

provides a broad market for

plastic moulds. The overall

market trend in the mould industry is

smooth and progressive. In the future

mould market, the growth rate of

plastic moulds will be higher than other

moulds. Large-scale, high-precision,

multi-functional composite moulds are

being favoured. The trend towards multi-

functional component tooling is gradually

gaining steam.

Significant rolePopularly known as modular tools,

multi-functional component tools are

mechanical assemblies that can be utilised

for more than two functions and usually

involves a marginal variation in the end

product. In some instances, this concept

can be extended to more complex profiles

of the end components. However, the

similarities between the end components

take into consideration either the

volume or area of the component. “The

advantages of these multi-functional

component tools are many. Reduced cost,

reduced maintenance, reduced footprint

of the in-house inventory of tools, quick

change of inserts and low downtime

during maintenance are some of the clear

benefits,” says Vineet Seth, Managing

Director – India & Middle East, Delcam

Plc, UK. Providing an example, he adds,

“A mould base can be generalised to

house various modular inserts, such that

given a certain volume of material, at

least three or more different components

can be moulded using a common mould

base. Here, the ejection system is planned

in such a way that it is optimal for the

ejection of all the components that will be

moulded. In addition, the cooling system

is planned in a way to accommodate the

changes of all components involved.”

Because quick change of inserts is

possible in multi-functional component

tools, cycle times are significantly shorter,

which is good news for moulders.

Further, to some extent, the setting up

of the machine is simpler and faster.

With operations simplified and assembly

effort reduced, moulders can be assured

of quality and enhanced reproducibility.

This versatility that multi-functional

component tools offers results in less floor

space and, in some cases, lower energy

consumption.

Latest developmentsThe competitive market in the global

plastics industry is compelling moulders

to explore ways that can help them achieve

the maximum in shorter time. One way

to maximise press uptime in such an

environment is to implement faster, more

effective mould changes. Talking about

the latest developments taking place in

the multi-functional component tooling

space, Seth adds, “This technology holds

a large scope for development but is not

widely researched. However, mechanisms

to house inserts, to enable a quick change

and to optimise the runner and cooling

system in modular moulds are currently

being explored. There is also a paradigm

shift in the concepts that define a typical

mould base. There is a clear shift to use

tougher case-hardened steels because

of the expected longer life cycle of the

modular tool. Angular and profiled

guideways for a quick replacement of

inserts coupled with hardened wedges to

lock the inserts in place are other avenues

of interest.”

When moulds for plastics products

are designed, considerable care is taken

to make sure the location of the ejectors

does not disturb the proper stripping

from the core. The visual appearance

of the products can be considerably

influenced by selecting suitable ejector

components. It is important that the

mould performance becomes even more

reliable and production improves. In

CUT!THETHEMAKING

Mult i - funct ional component tool ing


multi-functional component tooling, adjustable ejection and

location pins among others are the areas in which continued

developments are taking place. “There are also challenges

in maintaining accuracy on medium and large size mould

bases – especially considering the mass production processes;

however, new-age steels and optimal hardening processes

ensure that these inaccuracies are under control. With additive

manufacturing being researched in many universities around the

world, one of the challenges of optimal cooling design is being

addressed with the help of conformal cooling channels that

can be built ground up. I believe the additive manufacturing

research area will add a lot of value to

multi-functional component tooling. For

example, a homogeneous mixture of metal

with varied tensile strength is likely to

increase the life of the tooling. Internal

bearing structures built up with graphite

particles will help reduce friction in guide

pins and other moving parts,” informs Seth.

Scope in India An overbearing population stretching the

demands of manufacturing is the primary

growth driver in any segment. The same

applies for multi-functional component tools,

where its scope is tremendous due to the

sheer demand. Simultaneously, hardware and

software programs are being developed to

enable advanced control. With regard to this,

Seth informs, “Delcam’s unique tribrid modelling and assembly

software PowerSHAPE Pro is continually being enhanced to aid the

quick design of custom tooling, which includes the rapid creation

of user-defined mould base assemblies and tooling components.

The fully parametric design enables quick change across tooling

design quickly and efficiently.” Thus, in India, moulders cater to

quite a lot of low volume high-precision components that will

actually make the use of multi-functional component tooling more

suitably productive instead of individual toolsets for every low

volume component.


Vineet SethManaging Director – India & Middle East, Delcam Plc, UK

The additive manufacturing research area will add a lot of value to multi-functional component tooling. For example, a homogeneous mixture of metal with varied tensile strength is likely to increase the life of the tooling.


SPECIAL FOCUS: Inter face - Saranj i t S ingh

Tell us about the latest trends in the die and mould industry in India.The die and mould-making industry

of India is venturing into many new

sectors, such as the aerospace sector,

to boost growth. The rising demand

for commercial aircraft along with

investments by the Centre will further

boost the presence of die and mould

manufacturers. It is believed that

technology advancement becomes

possible only when end applications of

moulding technologies boost and expand

their horizons.

Over the years, the Indian mould-

making industry is witnessing a steady

growth path due to the reason that dies

and moulds are probably used in every

industry. In the recent times, the demand

for high-precision die and mould

components has witnessed a significant

jump. At present, it is important that

the Indian mould manufacturers develop

designs that are more accurate and

raise profitability. Previously, Indian

firms mainly focussed on conventional

customers such as automobile, heavy

engineering etc, but the rising demand

from the aviation sector has lead to

advancement in technology.

Which sectors benefit the most from efficient tooling?The motor vehicle industry is the major

end user of tools and dies. Like all auto

suppliers, tool and die makers have been

adversely affected by the downturn in the

motor vehicle market since 2007. The

production of cars and light trucks fell by

31 per cent between 2006 and 2010 in the

US, which was one of the steepest declines

in decades. This had an immediate impact

on suppliers such as tool and die makers.

When motor vehicle manufacturers cut

back on design changes and reduce new

model introductions, they need far fewer

tools, dies and moulds.

Since the trough of the recession

in 2009, the domestic motor vehicle

industry has recovered, with Indian-

made car and light truck production

increasing by over 50 per cent from 2009

to 2011. It is important to note that

during the downturn, the die and mould

sector was busy all through with Original

Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs)

focussing on introduction of new models.

Today, with the boom of the auto sector,

OEMs are more keen on meeting

the market demands by focussing on

manufacturing in their plants. However,

this boom will generate new tooling

business and increase the demand for

new and sophisticated moulds.

How has the Indian die and mould market evolved over the years?The market for dies and moulds in

India is fairing quite well due to heavy

domestic demand. However, the best

quality moulds are still imported from

European countries. For the past decade

or so, mould manufacturers in India have

started developing indigenous technology

that reduces their dependence on imports.

However, processing units consider

imported moulds to be of better quality.

Mould manufacturers in India face

a lot of problems in terms of logistics

and procurement of parts. In European

countries, mould manufacturers have

developed clusters through which they

can procure all their requirements from

a limited geographical area. This reduces

cost of transportation and the overall

price of the final product. Till date, we

have to manufacture all the required parts

ourselves, which reduces delivery time

and affects the payment cycle.

What is the way ahead for die and mould manufacturers in India?With the help of automated conveying,

blending and gravimetric loss-in-weight

extrusion process control systems, one

can ensure production quality with

consistency. Creating awareness among

the key industry segments is also a big

challenge as many consumers still hold

onto the myth that process automation

is the luxury of large organisations.

Mould manufacturers in India need to

take advantage of automation solutions to

enhance productivity. Cost comparisons

consider labour cost saving, whereas the

fact is that process automation is the

way forward in quality and productivity

enhancement with better management

control over key processing inputs.


…avers Saranjit Singh, Proprietor, Bamra Engineering Works. In an interaction with Anwesh Koley, he highlights the importance of efficient moulding solutions for the Indian plastics sector and the various challenges that need to be addressed in the years to come.

“Mould manufacturers in India need to take advantage of automation solutions to enhance productivity”

SPECIAL FOCUS: Roundtable


Deepak LawaleSecretary General, Organization of

Plastics Processors of India

QMC, or Single Minute Exchange of Dies (SMED), is practised by many moulders in our country. It involves prior preparation of the next mould for loading on the machine while the current mould is still running on the machine, machine platen equipped with hydraulically operated quick clamps or magnetic mould mounting plate, mould cooling liquid lines being connected using quick couplers, being equipped with an automated material feeding system with quick change over facility and quick coupler on ejector. Further, it involves the machine’s control capability to recall mould operating data stored in memory and stopping production when the desired number of shots is produced. However, the Indian plastics processors are not using any software for QMC. Some injection moulding machine producers are also not aware of any software programs made for QMC.

Innovation and development are critical in maintaining a dynamic industrial environment. Reliable Quick Mould Change (QMC) systems are designed to integrate manufacturing processes with flexibility and adaptability. In an interaction with industry experts, Sweta M Nair finds out if Indian processors have the right software to reduce mould change time.

Sanjay DedhiaExecutive Director, Mitsu Chem Pvt Ltd

Most Indian processors do not have the resources to adapt the right software programs to reduce the mould change time. Their reasons could be failure of software to cope with varying mould sizes, the need to have vertical & horizontal types of loading systems, reluctance due to price, insufficient availability of space and non-cooperation of workers in adapting to new equipment & systems. There is a huge scope in this area for the small and medium enterprises. If we have to compete globally, we will have to eventually adapt software-based mould changes. Reduction in mould change time can be further aided by SMED, which can help processors in reducing the overall mould change time. Standardisation of mould bases and quick-change parts will further help in swapping the moulds more efficiently and when used in combination with right software programs.

Ashok HuprikarDirector, A R Engineers

While interacting with some Indian moulders, I believe they are not well aware of the QMC concept. Thus, the concept of QMC should be talked, discussed or published further. Basic QMC consists of a system of easy loading of moulds in vertical & horizontal position, automatic centring of moulds and quick clamping. A standard set of plates is fitted to moulds of different sizes. This makes the overall size of mould standard, thereby making QMC feasible. Those who do not use QMC are spending at least an hour to an hour and a half in mould change. If there are two changes per day, then one will be wasting at least three hours of production, which is almost 15 per cent. Increase in productivity of more than 10 per cent will recover cost of QMC. Ideally, training should be provided to workers, and workers should be involved in the initial discussion and installation phases. Even though QMC is a standard procedure, it is custom built for each customer after understanding requirements and limitations.

The Indian plastics industry’s initiatives towards adopting and practising new technological applications are yet to gain speed. Investments where one could reap assured benefits in the long run should be considered in the plastics industry. Injection moulding machine producers

should provide the thrust in helping plastics processors assimilate software programs for QMCs.

Editorial take:

DoDo Indian processorsIndian processors have the have the rightright softwaresoftware to reduceto reduce mould changemould change time?time?


FACILIT Y VISIT: N A Corporat ion (Naroto)

90 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 201390 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 2013

Photo: Nachiket Gujar

With the advent of new technologies and applications such as material handing products, waste management, fuel storage etc, the rotomoulding industry in India is growing at a fast pace. This has led to the growth in the business of companies like N A Corporation (Naroto), which is one of the leading players in the segment. Avani Jain notes the factors responsible for the company’s impressive success.

Striving for customer delight with futuristic solutions

The Indian rotomoulding

industry is currently standing

at exciting crossroads, with

growth and expansion in every

direction. The rotomoulding industry grew

more than 10 per cent per annum between

2006 and 2011. Houston-based consulting

firm Chemical Market Associates Inc

claims that India’s rotomoulding sector

is projected to grow from 260 million

pounds of plastic consumption last year

to 474 million pounds in 2016. Indian

rotomoulders added 88 million pounds

of capacity in the last two years. The

industry has large scope for growth in

automotive, agriculture, travel and other

industries.

Keeping pace with this growth of

the rotomoulding sector in the country,

N A Corporation (Naroto) tops the list

when it comes to companies supplying

rotomoulding parts and machinery.

Manufacturer of Naroto brand of

rotomoulding plants, the company has

completed 31 years and continues its

quest for the best. The company is a one-

stop shop for the complete product line

for rotomoulding process. Anand Panchal,

Marketing Director, N A Corporation

(Naroto), says, “The rotomoulding

machinery manufacturing and ancillary

equipment sector is fairing well in India

and even the export scenario is good.

Because the quality of Indian machines

has improved considerably as compared

with other imported machines, the market

is growing at a very fast pace. Thus,

Naroto is involved in making machines

using latest technology, which are very

well accepted in India and in the overseas

market.”

A humble beginningThe company started in the year 1982

with manufacturing of moulds for

rotomoulding tanks. Panchal notes, “At

that time, the total work space was 300 sq

m. Soon we expanded our activities and

initiated developing rotational moulding

machines, ancillary equipment including

pulveriser, mixer, extruder, scrap grinder

and mild steel & stainless steel moulds

under the brand Naroto. In 1994–95, the

first machine was exported, and since

then, we never looked back. At present,

the company is exporting to nearly 67

countries and supplying machines to 26

states in India.”

State-of-the-art facilityBased in Ahmedabad, the facility

is spread over an area of 12,000 sq m

and is involved in manufacturing of

pre-process equipment (ie colouring &

powdering machines), Programmable

Logic Controller (PLC; ie automation-

N A Corporat ion (Naroto)


based closed heating type rotomoulding

machines), open-heating type Rock N

Roll rotomoulding machines, rocking

oven machines, various models of bi-axial

machines and post-processing/recycling

equipment (ie scrap cutter & grinder).

Panchal avers, “There are separate units

for different process machinery, and all

the machines are tested thoroughly for

capacity/efficiency prior to dispatch to

customers, thus ensuring trouble-free

working at the customer’s end.”

He adds, “Currently, we have a

manufacturing capacity of 28–30 plants

per annum. Further, the company can

manufacture 1400–1500 moulds per year.”

Research & Development (R&D) initiativesThe company has employed novel

methods in manufacturing and has

an in-house R&D centre to keep up

with the international trends towards

automation and manufacturing excellence.

“The company employs a lid machine to

manufacture rotomoulded covers, thus

replacing readymade injection moulded

lid covers. There is a second charging

facility for multi-colour products. Further,

there are training facilities for the

machine operators and technical staff to

run the rotomoulding plant efficiently.

Also, reflecting the requirements of the

customers, we have initiated handling

turnkey projects across the world,”

notes Panchal.

Increasing machine efficiency The company has taken various steps to

increase efficiency of its machines. Panchal

notes, “The company manufactures energy

efficient and environmental/user-friendly

machines for its customers. Further,

changes have been made in oven design,

a four-mould carrier has been introduced

and a ‘T’ die arrangement has been

adopted for the extruder machine.”

With the growth in the rotomoulding

industry segment, concerns are growing

about achieving energy efficiency and

reducing costs. This has led to the

development of new machines and

technologies. Panchal avers, “To reduce the

energy cost, the rotomoulders are adopting

energy-efficient rotomoulding machines

that ensure reduced heating time, better

cooling media, usage of better quality raw

materials and so on. Thus, our machines

are designed especially to minimise cooking

time, thus resulting in reduced energy (fuel/

power) consumption. Every care is taken at

Naroto for ensuring energy efficiency by

implementing efficiently designed burners

& blowers, using better quality insulating

media/increased size for reducing the

resin sintering time and fuel cost per resin

weight. Further, a PLC system is used to

reduce manpower, to monitor & control the

process and to maintain error-free working

of the machines consistently. Implementing

this, the company has reduced the cooking

time from about 5 min/mm of plastic to

about 3.5 min/mm. Thus, our machines are

designed to minimise cooking time, thus

resulting in reduced energy (fuel/power)

consumption.”

High quality standardsThe company is ISO 9001:2008 certified.

Panchal says, “We employ computer

numerical control machines for precision

in manufacturing important spare

parts of machines. There are modern

testing equipment to monitor machine

performance. Further, there are raw

material testing/non-destructive testing,

dimensional & aesthetic checks, actual

product trials performed for every

machine. Last, there are well-experienced

engineers who make moulds using

computer-aided design.”

Envisioning growth and future plansPanchal concludes, “The future trend will

be to minimise the cost of production

in energy consumption by improving

the oven thermal insulation to reduce

heat loss, to improve air circulation to

reduce the resin sintering time, to reduce

the mould cooling time to increase

production and using clamping devices

for quicker de-moulding rather than

using conventional nuts & bolts. The

company is doing its best to address the

above-mentioned points. In the future,

the company also wants to reduce the

cooking time to 2.5 min/mm of plastic

and is putting in all the necessary efforts

to achieve this aim. Further, the company

has re-organised its facility area for better

flow of processes, and one more facility is

sought for future expansion plans.”


Anand PanchalMarketing Director, N A Corporation (Naroto)

The rotomoulding machinery manufacturing and ancillary equipment sector is fairing well in India and even the export scenario is good. Because the quality of Indian machines has improved considerably as compared with other imported machines, the market is growing at a very fast pace.

The workshop

Photo: Nachiket Gujar

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Medical Plastics

INSIGHT & OUTLOOK


Polymers in healthcare:Setting new benchmarks ............................................................................................................... 94

Medical plastics:Injecting healthy growth opportunities ..........................................................................................96

Interface: Manoj Bhardwaj, Managing Director, SMC Medical Manufacturing Pvt Ltd ........100

Green shoots ........................................................................................................................... 101

All-electric IMMs:Achieving energy efficiency ........................................................................................................ 102

Interface:

Jignesh Bavishi, Director, Neejtech India............................................................................104

Nanda Kumar T, President, Wittmann Battenfeld India Pvt Ltd ......................................105

Temperature control units:Keeping moulds under control!Y R Anand, Partner, Unimark ...................................................................................................... 106

Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF):A versatile f luoropolymer with many applicationsDavid Seiler and Sachin Upadhye, Arkema .................................................................................... 108

Lean thinking:Creating value for customersM Hariharan, Director, Savoir Faire Management Consultancy Pvt Ltd .......................................110

Engineering plastics in medical applications:Delivering healthy solutionsVikas Acharya, Director, Gerresheimer Pharmaceutical Packaging Mumbai Pvt Ltd ....................... 112

INSIGHT & OUTLOOK: Polymers in healthcare


The medical devices market in

India has been experiencing

a double-digit growth. The

market for medical devices

in the country is growing at a very fast

pace with a predicted annual double-digit

growth rate of 23 per cent or higher for

the coming years. This growth in the

medical devices sector is driving increased

demand for high-performance polymers

in the medical segment.

Advancements in polymer technology

have enabled plastics to be used in

medical applications that demand high

consistency, performance, precision

and compliance with regulations. Over

the years, polymer resin manufacturers,

compounders, device processors and

medical devices original equipment

manufacturers have together risen to the

challenge to provide application-specific

polymer solutions.

Beneficial features of polymersThe high purchasing power of the Indian

population has helped in making advanced

medical treatment more affordable. This

has facilitated the healthcare segment

to provide further growth opportunities

for plastics, especially high-performance

plastics such as polytetrafluoroethylene

(also called Teflon), Polyether Block-

Amide (PEBA), Polymethymethacrylate

(PMMA) Polyetheretherketone (PEEK)

and Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight

Polyethylene (UHMWPE).

These materials are chosen for their

high-performance properties such as

clarity, impact & chemical resistance,

sterilisability, lubricity and kink resistance.

Dr Subhas Chandra Shit, Deputy Director,

Central Institute of Plastics Engineering

& Technology (CIPET) – Ahmedabad,

notes, “Numerous innovations are

happening as a result of continuous

research and development activities to

increase the usage of high-performance

polymers in the medical segment. New

polymers such as UHMWPE are being

developed to cater to the need of the

medical sector. This material is used in

bone implantation. Hydrogel polymer

is an example of UHMWPE, which is

injected into the body to regulate blood

flow, ie for expansion and contraction of

blood vessels.”

Further, PEBA is the ideal material

for making catheter tubing because of its

enhanced flexibility. PEEK is also used

to make catheter tubing. Fluoropolymers

are mainly used in high-lubricity, heat-

shrink medical tubing. These are also

used to some extent in medical implants.

Acrylic compounds (eg PMMA) have

various applications in the medical

devices segment. Typical applications

include diagnostic devices, Intravenous

(IV) filter housings, IV spikes etc because

of properties such as high ultraviolet

transmittance capabilities and good

resistance to gamma radiation and to lipids

found in fluid treatment and body fluids.

Courtesy: DuPont Performance Polymers

BENCHMARKSSETTING N

EW

H i g h - p e r f o r m a n c e polymers have enhanced the opportunities for plastics usage in the medical devices industry and have made diagnosis and treatment easy and efficient. Avani Jain highlights the role and benefits of using high-performance polymers in the medical sector.

Polymers in healthcare


Traditionally, PMMA was used mainly

for curettes and cassettes. The advent

of modified acrylics has broadened its

scope in the medical devices industry. As

PMMA has greater impact and chemical

resistance than the traditional ones, it is

used in disposable IV sets. Currently, on

a global scale, acrylics account for almost

an equal share. Up to 90 per cent of

acrylic applications in the medical devices

industry are for the disposable segment.

Polyurathane, UHMWPE, PEEK

and fluoropolymers are some of the major

polymers used for orthopaedic implant

applications. PEEK is mainly used in hip,

knee and spine replacements because of

its non-elastomeric nature. UHMWPE is

mainly applied in spine implant systems,

eg spacers.

Advantages of polymersPolymers in healthcare applications

include medical device applications

(disposable and non-disposable) and

packing, wound care management and

hospital environment. Performance

polymers (eg PEEK & PMMA) are

typically used in non-disposable device

applications because they have minimal

impact on body tissues.

Dr Harindu Vyas, President

(Technical & Development), Signet

Industries Ltd, notes, “Applications of

high-performance polymers in medical

sectors start from artificial body parts

such as limbs, knee, hips etc to very

sophisticated applications such as

intravenous cannula and cardiovascular

stents. When polymeric vascular stents

are used in surgical sutures, its shape

memory property enables the wound to

heal due to its self-adjusting tension, and

thus resists the tissue rupture or damage

that can occur due to over fastening of the

sutures. This kind of polymer is known as

shape memory polymer. Thus, polymers

employed for such medical applications

are known as polymeric biomaterials. The

application also includes prostheses for

tissue replacements such as intraocular

lens, dental implants and artificial organs

for temporary or permanent assist such as

artificial kidney or heart, vascular graft etc.

He adds, “Polymers have recently found

applications in drug delivery systems.

PolyActive is a biodegradable polymeric

drug delivery system. Its biodegradability

and linear release properties make it an

excellent technology for the controlled

release of proteins and lipophilic small

molecules for both local and systemic

administration. It has applications in

pharmaceuticals and medical technology.

Further, high-performance polymers

have wide applications in orthopaedics,

dental, physiotherapy, medical safety

accessories etc.”

Moving beyond conventionA bewildering array of engineering plastics

is available for manufacturers today, and

the choices are still expanding as material

developers are continuously involved in

research and development activities to

increase the usage of high-performance

polymers in the medical segment.

Globally, about 750,000 tonne of plastics

is used in healthcare applications. Of this,

about 7,500 tonne comprises engineering

plastics (eg polycarbonate) and high-

performance plastics (eg PEEK). Thus,

high-performance plastics constitute a

small volume of all polymers used in the

medical sector. However, advancements

in medical technology in the future will

propel the consumption of engineering

plastics and high-performance plastics

in the healthcare sector. Further, quality

plays a major role in adding value to a

product in the medical devices sector.

Differentiating medical grade polymers

from standard grades would help enhance

customer satisfaction.

Shit notes, “The demand for high-

performance polymers in the medical

sector is expanding. However, the usage

and choice of material will depend on the

properties desired for specific applications.

In the future, many innovations in plastics

will be to increase their consumption

in the healthcare sector. Hydrogels,

polyurethane, biodegradable plastics are

already used in the healthcare sector,

and many new useful materials will be

developed in the future.”


Dr Subhas Chandra ShitDeputy Director, Central Institute of Plastics Engineering & Technology (CIPET) – Ahmedabad

Dr Harindu VyasPresident (Technical & Development), Signet Industries Ltd

Numerous innovations are happening as a result of continuous research and development activities to increase the usage of high-performance polymers in the medical segment. New polymers such as UHMWPE are being developed to cater to the need of the medical sector.

Applications of high-performance polymers in medical sectors start from artifi cial body parts such as limbs, knee, hips etc to very sophisticated applications such as intravenous cannula and cardiovascular stents.

INSIGHT & OUTLOOK: Medical p last ics

96 Modern Plastics & Polymers | March 201396 Modern Plastics & Polymers |

Courtesy: Pittsburgh Pastics Manufacturing

The growing population of

India plays a pivotal role in

the growth of the medical

sector in the country.

Contributing about 6 per cent to India’s

gross domestic product, the demands in

this sector are huge. This has resulted in

a considerable growth in the industry’s

manufacturing segment. The growth in

the medical sector has given a boost to

the Indian plastics industry. The global

medical plastics market is estimated to

reach nearly $ 10 billion by 2015. Most of

this growth is expected to come from the

Pacific region and Asia, including India.

These days, there is increased usage of

plastics in medical devices, which has led

to the development of new technologies

for manufacturing medical grade

plastics. Plastics processors, including

injection moulding solutions providers,

are continuously adopting new ways for

catering to market needs. Most commonly

used injection moulding solutions for

manufacturing of medical grade plastics

include all-electric IMMs, micro-IMMs,

multi-component IMMs and liquid

IMMs. There are some variances of

injection moulding solutions, which are

based on the medical plastics products.

Of these, the usage of all-electric IMMs

for moulding medical grade plastics is

increasing at a fast pace.

Jignesh Bavishi, Director, Neejtech

India, notes, “There is an upsurge in

demand of all-electric IMMs, especially

in the medical segment. This is largely

because injection moulded plastics used

in medical devices meet the stringent

specifications and quality norms. Further,

these machines help in moulding

innovative products which demand a high

level of repeatability and accuracy.”

Market statusThe demand for IMMs in the Indian

medical sector has been mainly for lower

and medium tonnage machines. Amit

Mahant, Director, PK Plastic International

Pvt Ltd, says, “Until 2005–06, lower

tonnage machines of 25–100 tonne had

the major market share (about 70 per

cent), while medium tonnage machines

of 110–350 tonne had a market share of

30 per cent. From 2007, the requirement

started increasing for medium tonnage

machines. This shows a good demand

for IMMs in the medical sector due to

increase in requirement, multi-cavitation,

faster production etc. At present, the

demand for medium tonnage machines

is 70 per cent and that for small tonnage

machines is 30 per cent.”

He adds, “If we talk about the all-

electric IMMs in particular, then

with aggressive growth in medical,

pharmaceutical and medical packaging

sectors, investment in all-electric IMMs

is expected to increase. This growth

will be further fuelled by productivity

improvement initiatives due to manpower

shortage, wage inflation and higher power

cost. Clearly, all-electric IMMs can

provide numerous advantages to today’s

medical moulders and medical grade

plastics manufacturers.”

Demanding medical sectorMedical devices are among the most

challenging products for injection

moulders to work with. In addition to the

constant pressure to reduce cycle times

and cost, medical moulders must meet

stringent Food and Drug Administration

(FDA) specifications, tight tolerances and

sterilisation requirements for many of

the parts they produce. The traditional

HEALTHY GROWTHopportunities

Injecting

The changing global healthcare landscape has resulted in increased usage of medical plastics, prompting manufacturers to continually adopt new injection moulding solutions such as all-electric Injection Moulding Machines (IMMs) for better results. Avani Jain highlights the demand for all-electric injection moulding solutions and the advantages offered by these in manufacturing high-quality medical grade plastics.


Medical p last ics

Jignesh BavishiDirector, Neejtech India

Amit MahantDirector, PK Plastic International Pvt Ltd

There is an upsurge in demand of all-electric IMMs, especially in the medical segment. This is largely because injection moulded plastics used in medical devices meet the stringent specifications and quality norms.

Injection-moulded plastic parts are quickly replacing conventional materials in medical devices not only because of their wide-ranging material advantages such as sterility and design fl exibility but also because of the cost and speed with which they can be manufactured.

hydraulic IMMs introduce variables and

complexities into the process that can

negatively impact precision and reliability.

All-electric IMMs, on the other hand,

make the process more efficient and cost

effective. They are quicker and cleaner,

especially given recent technological

advances. Thus, the usage of all-electric

IMMs is increasing in the medical sector.

Advantageous all-electric IMMsThe demand for all-electric IMMs is

increasing manifold due to the benefits

they offer customers, ie energy efficiency,

greater cleanliness, quick start-up, shot-to-

shot consistency, better repeatability and

noiseless operations. Further, they have

fewer complex parts than hydraulic IMMs,

making them relatively more reliable.

Adding to the benefits offered by

all-electric IMMs, Bavishi notes, “The all-

electric IMMs are clean room compliant, ie

absolutely not a drop of hydraulic oil or oil

mist is seen around the machine. Further,

they are regarded as green machines because

they guarantee a low-emission production

environment. These machines offer a

high level of accuracy and repeatability,

have a high uptime and provide product

consistency. Also, there is no water cooling

requirements for these machines and they

require least maintenance as there are no

valves, piping and oil leaks. They ensure

constant high part quality at higher output

and result in 10–15 per cent cycle time

reduction. Further, they fulfil the stringent

norms of FDA/quality system regulation.

Moreover, the all-electric IMMs consume

the least energy among all the IMMs and

this brings down the cost per piece of

medical parts.”

Growth opportunitiesThe medical sector presents huge growth

opportunities for injection moulding

solutions providers. Mahant says, “Every

year, the demand for IMMs is increasing

by 9–10 per cent as many of the medical

components manufacturers understand

the importance of quality machines and

good manufacturing practices. Injection-

moulded plastic parts are quickly replacing

conventional materials in medical devices

not only because of their wide-ranging

material advantages such as sterility and

design flexibility but also because of the

cost and speed with which they can be

manufactured.”

In the coming years, there would be

a major demand for all-electric IMMs.

Bavishi notes, “In the future, the demand

for all-electric IMMs in moulding medical

grade plastics would increase drastically

due to switching over from hydraulic

IMMs to all-electric IMMs by medical

devices processors. The main reason

for this will be stringent regulations in

medical devices moulding, which at

present are not very effectively enforced.

Further, as we increase our exports, we

would need to comply with international

norms for medical moulding, which

naturally would inspire moulders to go for

all-electric IMMs because of the unique

features offered by them.”


Courtesy: Suzler Ltd


INSIGHT & OUTLOOK: Inter face - Manoj Bhardwaj

What are the various injection moulding solutions available for manufacturing medical grade plastics? Most medical plastic components have

to be injection moulded in clean rooms

to ensure extremely low physical and

biological contamination levels. Polymers

have to be dried and blended with

colorants/additives outside the clean room

under controlled conditions and then fed

to machine hoppers using automated

conveying systems. Finally, injection-

moulded medical components have

to be handled and packaged extremely

carefully so that the low contamination

levels are maintained even after removal

from the clean moulding room. Besides

conventional injection moulding, the

special techniques used for medical

components are Liquid Silicon Rubber

(LSR)/liquid injection moulding, multi-

shot moulding, insert moulding, micro

moulding, gas assisted moulding and thin

wall injection moulding.

What are the recent trends in the segment? State-of-the-art Computer-Aided

Engineering (CAE) software and mould

flow analysis tools are being used to

help predict properties of moulded parts

and carry out innovative experiments

to analyse injection moulding. High

precision and fully automatic injection

moulding machines are being retrofitted

with mould cavity pressure controllers for

extremely high parts consistency. Robotics

is being leveraged for automated insert

placement, ejection, parts sorting and

handling. For LSR, advanced moulding

technologies are being used for making

flash free components. Most excitingly,

medical device moulding machines are

being tightly integrated with downstream

manufacturing and assembly, such as

printing, gluing, welding, assembling

and packaging. Online testing of sub-

assemblies or finished devices is also being

integrated in some cases. Automation and

robotics play a major role in building such

manufacturing, assembly and testing lines.

What are the leading innovations making headway in the segment, and what are the recent research & development initiatives of your company? Rapid prototyping techniques such

as stereo lithography, selective laser

sintering and 3D jet printing are used

to convert Computer-Aided Drafting

(CAD) models into 3D prototypes

which help crunch time to market for

new medical devices. In metrology,

advanced visual, laser and X-ray-based

metrology devices are used for making

accurate measurements in a fraction of

time. Some of these instruments are so

fast and accurate that they are used on

moulding, manufacturing or assembly

lines for online metrology inspection. At

SMC India, we are building competencies

to help our global customers redesign

medical devices for the local market.

This requires a deep understanding of

the devices, manufacturing technologies

and relevant therapies. This also requires

knowledge of materials/parts sourcing

and local distribution channels. We

also require deep insight of the needs

of doctors, hospitals, paramedical staff

and patients. Besides building this

competency in house, we are leveraging

external competencies by partnering with

key stakeholders in the local ecosystem.

What are the future trends? Future developments involve CAE, such

as Simulia software & mould flow analysis,

which helps predict the properties of

moulded parts, innovative experiments

to analyse processing, new machineries

(processing) and recycling plastics. Usage

of rapid prototyping techniques for

converting a CAD model into a 3D part

will also be seen.

What are the company’s growth plans keeping in mind the demand for injection moulding solutions in the medical sector? SMC India’s growth plans span across

domestic & export markets in areas of

medical device design rationalisation,

injection mould design and fabrication,

clean room & white room injection

moulding, fabrication/machining of

metals & plastics, manufacture of

medical device components, sub-

assemblies and full devices. With regard

to injection moulding, we have made

substantial investments in creating state-

of-the-art design, tool room and clean

room injection moulding with cutting

technologies and will continue to expand

in all these areas.


…opines Manoj Bhardwaj, Managing Director, SMC Medical Manufacturing Pvt Ltd. In an exclusive conversation with Avani Jain, he talks about the injection moulding process requirement in moulding medical plastics. He further elaborates on the current trends and innovations making headway in the segment.

“Medical device moulding machines are being tightly integrated with downstream manufacturing and assembly”


INSIGHT & OUTLOOK: Green Shoots

With numerous green initiatives on the horizon, we bring to you in association with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) this section ‘Green Shoots’ – the latest to keep you updated on the green phenomenon and to help promote the eco-friendly manufacturing philosophy.

We will get you closer to several green practices, products and technologies that not only have a lower impact on the environment but are also safer for company personnel. Read on to get more eco-friendly, energy-saving and economical solutions that can give Indian companies a global business edge.


INSIGHT & OUTLOOK: GREEN SHOOTS: A l l -e lectr ic IMMs

IMMs play an important role in

the plastics manufacturing industry.

It is this machine that produces

formed objects which are primarily

made from thermoplastic materials. The

process in an IMM begins when a molten

plastic is injected into a mould. The

plastic then cools and solidifies, the part

is ejected and the cycle is repeated. The

process is highly energy intensive because

forming solid objects from thermoplastic

material requires high clamping force

during part formation.

IMM builders are facing unprecedented

change. The escalation of oil and natural

gas prices has put the spotlight on

innovations that focus on achieving not

moderate but considerate energy savings

in IMMs. There has never been a greater

need to deliver improved performance and

innovation in machine design. Popularity

bagged by substance, the all-electric IMM

owes its fame to its cleanroom compatibility

and dramatically less consumption of

energy. All-electric machines use only

high-speed servo motors and are a better

solution for the power-crunched industry

because repeatable and precise cycles are

possible, and they are faster than hydraulic

machines.

Being accurate An all-electric IMM is digitally controlled

and mechanically driven. Because all-

electric IMMs have no hoses to expand,

no valves to potentially stick and no

hydraulic fluid to heat up or compress,

their processes do not vary over time.

Thus, all-electric IMMs offer several

important benefits which are related to the

fact that individual motors control each

function, as opposed to a control system

consisting of a complicated arrangement of

hydraulic hoses. “As per the recent industry

trend, moulders want to move towards the

direction of achieving high productivity by

lowering the running cost. The visible shift

is in the attitude of people; earlier they were

more conscious about the initial capital

investment, but now they are a bit more

relaxed about it,” divulges Dinesh Bharti,

Senior Manager – Sales Engineering,

Toshiba Machine India Pvt Ltd. He adds,

“50–80 per cent less energy, no noise &

vibrations, high productivity & less down

time, low factory utility investment and

excellent consistency & accuracy levels are

some of the salient advantages of using an

all-electric IMM.”

Maintaining qualityInjection moulding becomes a more

predictable operation when using all-

electric IMMs. This type of technology

makes it possible to continue and use

the same process setup without affecting

part consistency or quality. With regard

to these machines, moulders often report

that good parts can be produced by the

third or fourth shot and then run without

attention until it is time for a mould

change. For instance, digital precision is

used for screw position for fill and pack

which eliminates over-packing and greatly

reduces moulded-in stress.

Unmanned shifts allow moulders to

achieve consistent machine performance

along with labour cost reduction.

Hence, utilisation of skilled labour is

greatly enhanced. “All-electric IMMs

are designed for higher productivity.

Customers in the Indian market are

accepting these machines as they are

ENERGY EFFICIENCYAddressing the global cry of conserving energy, moulders of plastic products are keeping an eye out to lap up the latest technology that will help them increase efficiency by reducing consumption of energy. All-electric Injection Moulding Machines (IMMs) are the latest rage in the industry, and Sweta M Nair evaluates the factors related to this phenomenon.

ACHIEVING

All-electric IMM from NIIGATA


A l l -e lectr ic IMMs

beginning to understand their advantages.

Moreover, if machine design is good, then

it can be suitable for any segment of the

plastics industry,” reveals Bharti.

Differential factors All-electric machines produce faster cycle

times because of independent clamp/

injection functions. Their precision shot

control saves material and prevents using

more resin, colorant or additive than

the part needs. Electric machines let

processors mould closer to the threshold

of just-the-right-amount of material,

without falling below it. Whether small

or large, all-electric machines dramatically

reduce operating costs. Connected power

requirements for an electric machine are

only 25 per cent of those of a hydraulic

machine. Bharti adds, “There are no

complex parts in an all-electric IMM.

The biggest advantage of having less parts

is minimising the spare parts inventory

cost. These machines can perform in

low running cost even at low cycle time

because individual servo motors are

constantly working. When referring to the

relationship of the machine throughput,

it all depends on the moulding process.

Nevertheless, it is certain that the

customer is going to get better unit/kg

compared with a hydraulic machine.”

Other standard features of all-electric

IMMs are excellent injection response

time & holding pressure endurance,

repeatable precision moulding, a high

rigidity clamping mechanism & frame,

stabilised precision moulding, high

cycle moulding with no time lag and

maintenance-free operation. The average

annual warranty costs of an all-electric

IMM are less than half those of an

equivalent hydraulic machine. However,

to a certain extent, estimates of energy

savings are typically based solely on

the IMM technology type and

throughput. Factors such as product

type, product cycle time, injection

temperature, clamping pressure, screw

length and clamping distance also

influence energy usage.


Dinesh BhartiSenior Manager – Sales Engineering, Toshiba Machine India Pvt Ltd

All-electric IMMs are designed for higher productivity. Customers in the Indian market are accepting these machines as they are beginning to understand their advantages. Moreover, if machine design is good, then it can be suitable for any segment of the plastics industry.


INSIGHT & OUTLOOK: GREEN SHOOTS: Inter face - J ignesh Bavishi

How has the injection moulding market changed in recent years?Trends in the injection moulding market

are concentrated on deriving high

productivity, increasing machine cavitations

and adoption of hot runner moulds with

ease. Thought process has changed from

macro to micro, and small material saving

considerably brings down cost. Customers

look minutely to each avenue to optimise

moulding cost. They acknowledge their

environmental responsibility while

moulding plastics. Advanced technology

is also no longer a luxury for a select few.

Inherent features of all-electric IMMs,

such as high efficiency, major saving in

the running cost (the power cost of all-

electric IMMs is almost 1/3rd that of

hydraulic IMMs), high accuracy, high

repeatability, reduction in cycle times, clean

room compatibility, high uptime and low

maintenance requirement, prove to be real

game changers in the market.

What are the structural differences between hydraulic and all-electric IMMs?Hydraulic drives and their interconnections

with various actuators, valves, manifolds,

hydro motors, pumps etc make hydraulic

IMMs more complicated than all-

electric IMMs with electrical drives. A

high number of discrete components in

hydraulic IMMs sometimes bring in many

variables such as oil leaks, friction losses,

temperature changes etc. All these are

replaced by few components such as ball

screw, timer pulleys, timer belts and simple

electrical wires connected with a couple of

servo motors in an all-electric machine.

With fewer components, the all-electric

IMM not only performs consistently but

also has easy troubleshooting options.

What sort of energy and cost savings are you referring to when considering all-electric IMMs?Major cost saving is in electrical power

consumption. Because these machines do

not have a drop of oil – no oil cooler

is required, so moulders can get rid of

cooling towers with their clumsy piping

and maintenance menace. Moulders can

achieve reduction in rejection rates, high

uptime due to trouble-free working, 10 to

15 per cent cycle time reductions and no

oil replacement or disposal.

Is maintenance relatively simpler in the long run for all-electric IMMs?Maintenance is simpler in electric

machines. Gone are the days when the

reliability of electronic components was

doubted. World-class electronic drives and

servo motors used in electric machines

not only withstand harsh industrial

conditions (eg quality of electrical power)

but also protect the electronic controls

from external surroundings. Moreover,

the ball screws and linear motion

guideways used in all-electric IMMs are

well proven devices that have been in use

with computer numerical control machine

tools since a couple of decades. In case

of maintenance, the downtime is very

short due to its ‘snap-on’ kind of simple

electro-mechanical drive system where

you can replace the parts with much

ease, which is usually not the case with

hydraulic machines where moulders have

to take care of clumsy piping, oil leakage,

oil cleaning, oil tank cleaning, cylinder

realignments, dismantling of RAMs etc.

What are your company’s latest offerings?NIIGATA Japan offers a range of world-

class machines. These comprise all-electric

machines ranging between 50 and 1,000

tonne. We also offer a vertical range from

30 to 150 tonne machines. The popular

series MD XB (50–100 tonne) is a

favourite among Indian customers. These

machines are preferred by the medical,

electronics and automotive segments

because of their value for money. The MD

W series (180–450 tonne) is suitable for

the automotive and packaging industry.

With repeatability to the tune of 0.008 g,

we offer machine injection speeds from

130 to 600 mm/sec.


“Moulders can achieve reduction in rejection rates”…says Jignesh Bavishi, Director, Neejtech India, representing NIIGATA, Japan, when talking about energy-efficient all-electric Injection Moulding Machines (IMMs). He also brings out interesting structural differences of an all-electric injection moulding system and discusses with Sweta M Nair the several important benefits that work in its favour.



INSIGHT & OUTLOOK: GREEN SHOOTS: Inter face - Nanda Kumar T

What recent trends have changed or shaped the injection moulding market?On an average, 50 per cent of the

running cost is calculated on the basis

of energy consumed. Most companies are

formulating ways to reduce the running

cost of IMMs. A reduction in energy cost

is a huge savings that will positively save

on the running cost as well. I believe the

Indian market is starting to take concrete

steps towards implementing energy-

saving methods. Increasing numbers of

moulders are cutting electricity costs by

switching to clean-running all-electric

machines. The current energy crunch

and massive energy price hikes also make

these machines more alluring to moulders.

Does an all-electric IMM require an auxiliary cooling system?All-electric IMMs with a highly efficient

servo drive do not need a cooling system

– any external device will increase the

running cost. Wittmann Battenfeld has

designed the machine with an integrated

system. This increases energy savings by

a huge margin.

What amount of energy and cost savings can moulders achieve by using your machines?Wittmann Battenfeld’s EcoPower,

equipped with Kinetic Energy Recovery

System (KERA), is a more efficient

machine compared to the existing

electric machines in the market. Other

advantages of the EcoPower are speed,

precise injection, repeatable holding for

long time and backpressure. It has a

clean and compact capsuled gear unit

and consumes minimal energy because of

internal utilisation of braking energy for

power supply to the control system and

barrel heating. This machine has a direct

drive and no belt, due to which there is

no loss of energy. This machine is widely

accepted in the automotive market for its

high hold on time. The EcoPower takes

up modest space and is extremely low

on noise emission. With this machine,

moulders can achieve a minimum of 60

to 65 per cent power saving as compared

to hydraulic machines.

Could you describe the standard features of your machines and services?Wittmann Battenfeld offers many standard

features that give more energy saving for the

moulder, such as incorporation of KERA,

a direct drive to reduce transmission loss,

built-in servo power pack to help in core

pulling, Windows embedded controller to

integrate with supporting equipment and

free-of-cost 24/7 web service.

How can Indian moulders achieve energy savings in injection moulding processes? To achieve efficiency in process

parameters (eg product cycle time,

injection temperature, injection

pressure, mass of resin per shot and

screw diameter), IMMs should be

optimised because energy is consumed

in the form of heat and high injection

pressure. From a moulder’s perspective,

it is important to keep investments

effectively used. At Wittmann

Battenfeld, we have sealed toggle bushes

that keep machines clean from dust.

A machine-integrated maintenance

schedule helps considerably reduce

breakdown. To suit the Indian market,

we are working towards reducing the cost

of the machine through standardisation.

Because return on investment is crucial,

moulders should reduce running costs

by installing efficient machines. Many

features of the Ecopower significantly

contribute in power saving during

operation; thus, the initial capital

investment is justified by the machine’s

energy efficiency.

From an international perspective, the

company offers a range of injection units

– from 5 to 300 tonne – suitable for all

market segments.


“The initial capital investment is justified by the machine’s energy efficiency”…says Nanda Kumar T, President, Wittmann Battenfeld India Pvt Ltd, when referring to all-electric Injection Moulding Machines (IMMs) as valued investments. In an exclusive interview with Sweta M Nair, Kumar reveals energy-saving possibilities that can be attained with all-electric IMMs.

INSIGHT & OUTLOOK: Temperature control uni ts


Y R Anand

The most time-consuming part

of the injection moulding

cycle for thermoplastic parts is

part cooling. Be it high-speed

moulds used for tiny parts, typical caps and

closures or technical parts with longer cycles,

it is always about the cooling time. This is a

direct function of the thickest section of the

wall and, to some extent, the raw material.

Accurately controlling the temperature

inside the mould results in several

advantages for a moulder:

Improved surface finish

Better dimension control

Improved product quality

Lower scrap rates

Improved cycle time and productivity

Increased machine and mould times

Lower energy costs

Let us look at what is meant by controlling

the temperature inside the mould and

what are the options for a moulder.

Fundamentally, it can be accurately cooling

or heating the mould.

Mould coolingChillers: In fast cycle applications, the

mould will have to be rapidly cooled in

order to achieve fast cycle times. Many

applications currently even run at a cycle

time of less than two seconds.

Chillers are normally of three types:

1. Air-cooled or water-cooled

2. Water-cooled

3. Cooling towers

Mould heatingTCUs: Water or oil can be used as a

medium of heat transfer from the control

unit to the mould.

Water heatingBasic TCUs are simple open tank systems

that control water temperature up to

90°C. Such units heat water to a running

temperature. They are often judged by their

kW rating. Thus, the higher the kW rating,

the faster will be the heat-up time. However,

once up to temperature, they can cool as

well as heat; hence, the term ‘temperature

controller’ is used rather than ‘heater’.

In direct cooling, the cold water is

introduced directly to the tank and hot

water is dumped into the drain or the

central cooling system. This system is

a little crude but can be good for lower

temperatures. In indirect cooling, the

cooling is provided via a heat exchanger

(coil, plate or shell and tube type). Indirect

cooling is commonly used because of a

greater level of control. For instance, a

high-capacity plate heat exchanger can be

used as opposed to a direct cooled unit to

give a low temperature, but with the added

control of an indirect unit.

Such basic units have relatively low cost

of purchase and will often use water. There

is never a mess in the event of spillage and

it provides efficient heat transfer. However,

they offer a low temperature range. There is

always potential corrosion from untreated

water in mould (as opposed to oil) and

calcification.

For heating units above 90°C, one has to

use oil as the boiling point of water is 100°C.

For moulding shops, which are reluctant to

use oil due to the fear of contamination,

there are pressurised water units that can go

up to 140°C or even 160°C.

When under pressure, water can

remain in liquid form at temperatures

well above 100°C. A pressurised TCU

becomes a closed system when the

temperature reaches 85°C, thus creating

a pressure within a sealed tank with a

fixed volume of air and water. As the

temperature increases, the water pressure

increases allowing temperatures of up to

140°C (or 160°C) without boiling. With

high pressures, significant safety features

must be included within the unit, as well

as improved pipe work for the medium.

These units can heat and cool, depending

on the demand from the consumer. Water

is low cost and efficient in heat transfer,

but it cannot reach as high a temperature

as oil. The initial cost of a pressurised

TCU is also significantly higher than that

of a standard unit.

Oil heatingThere are numerous cases where the

mould temperatures will have to be higher

than 95°C. This is often the norm for

moulding engineering polymers. TCU is

also used in die-casting, chemical, textile

and laminating processes.

Using oil allows the moulds to run at

much higher temperatures. However, heat

transfer oil is expensive, can be messy and

does not transfer heat as well as water.

In an open system, mineral heat

transfer oils can run at up to 150°C. In

a closed system, the temperature can be

increased to about 250°C. Synthetic heat

transfer oils (eg Marlotherm) can be run at

up to 360°C using appropriate oil heaters.

The advantages of the oil unit are

high temperature range (up to 360°C)

and no calcification or corrosion.

However, initial costs are higher, oil has

lower heat transfer efficiency than water,

heat transfer medium is expensive and

maintenance needs to be regular. Besides,

it is messy in the event of a leak.

Keeping moulds under control!Keeping moulds under control!The longest part of a typical injection moulding cycle is the cooling time of the part inside the mould. This article examines the choices for a moulder and the features of a good quality Temperature Control Unit (TCU).

Twin circuit TCUCourtesy: TOOL-TEMP AG, Switzerland

Temperature control uni ts


Features of good quality TCUs Accuracy of measurement: Accurate TCUs control and

display with 0.1°C least count. Such accuracy can only result

in very consistent parts. This could be critical in production

of functionally important parts in every application, especially

technical products.

Sensitive flow meter: This shows the actual flow rates of

the heat transfer medium on the control display unit. This

feature is particularly useful to detect changes in the cooling

channels due to contamination, cracks, calcification etc. Any

change in the flow rate of the medium acts as a warning for the

operator to finish the production run and inspect the mould.

Suck back arrangement: This runs the pump in reverse in

the event of a leak developing at the mould. The water is then

‘vacuumed’ around the mould allowing the production shop to

finish the production run in an emergency. The negative pressure

will not be equivalent to the positive pressure; therefore, flow

rate may be compromised. However, this can be an advantage as

leaks will occur during production and this feature compensates

that to allow continuous production.

Mould drain: This returns water or oil to the tank in the

temperature controller. It is useful prior to mould changes.

External thermocouple: Connecting an additional

thermocouple to the TCU allows moulders to monitor the

temperature at the mould rather than at the tank of the TCU.

Interface: This allows the TCU to communicate with the

moulding machine (machine with necessary hardware and

software) and can be either digital or analogue (hard-wire).

This is useful for automated production.

Composite TCUs offer a combination of chiller and

temperature controller features. Moulders can use the chiller to

control the hydraulic oil temperature in the moulding machine

and the mould temperature.

For high-quality surface finish, there are TCUs where the

temperature changes rapidly (30–150°C) with water. Such a

TCU has two independent circuits that can be operated at

different temperatures. A circuit for heating of the load is

active, and the other circuit is used for cooling. Massive jumps

in temperature can occur within a few seconds.

Summary Good production practices demand the use of a good quality

temperature controller to ensure consistency and quality

of parts.

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. Since 1980,

he has been a partner in UNIMARK,

which provides sales and service of machines

for plastics processing, tool making, micro-electronics

and wire mesh welding. Email: [email protected]

INSIGHT & OUTLOOK: Polyv iny l idene Fluor ide (PVDF)


David Seiler and Sachin Upadhye

The selection of a polymer

for an application often

requires several outstanding

properties in combination

rather than a single strong feature. PVDF

possesses several special properties as

compared to other polymer choices as

well as metallic options.

PVDF is known in many industries

for its property of resistance. It is resistant

to chemicals, weathering (stability to

ultraviolet weathering), constant moisture,

long-term temperatures of 150°C, abrasion

and impact. It also has a high resistance

to burning and smoking when in contact

with flames. In addition, PVDF is Food

and Drug Administration compliant

and has high mechanical strength, the

ability to dissolve into solution to make

films & coatings and a low permeability

to gases & fluids.

Developments in PVDFRecent technology developments

include copolymer technology (where

the vinylidene fluoride monomer is

reacted along with a fully fluorinated

comonomer to provide higher

chemical resistance for certain

applications), greater flexibility, impact

resistance, higher clarity, higher elongation

at break and the ability to be coextruded

with other polymers on achieving lower

melting point.

Another development is continuous

foam extrusion and the ability to form

moulded structures, reducing the weight

of the final product by over 40 per cent.

Foaming can increase flexibility while

maintaining high temperature during use

as well as provides improved insulation

properties. In wire & cable applications,

foaming improves the dielectric constant

(making it lower) and makes wire jackets

easier to strip. Other processes for foaming

PVDF sheets in a batch process can yield

shapes that reduce the specific gravity by

60 times the original value of 1.78.

PVDF compounding technology has

been introduced in many product types,

and some of the more popular product

offerings are carbon fibre-reinforced

products for high strength and low mould

shrink materials, conductive materials

for handling fuel and other chemicals

that have a concern with static build

up, blends with acrylics to make long-

life paint finishes & protective films

and functionalised materials that allow

bonding to other structural polymers.

If the molecular weight of PVDF can

be reduced enough and the appropriate

molecular structure obtained, then fine

fibres can be processed out of this polymer.

This would allow the production of

woven and non-woven fabrics. Although

this market is new and still developing,

it is exciting and holds a lot of promise.

Markets and applicationsArchitectural paints: PVDF is used

in paint finishes for application on to

aluminium outdoor building products

such as wall panels, doors, window frames,

roofing and other common construction

With many high-performance characteristics, Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) is a polymer that has widespread applications. The usage of this versatile polymer ranges from providing cleaner water to increasing the life of lithium ion batteries. Recent technology developments in several segments make PVDF a fluoropolymer we cannot afford to ignore.

A VERSATILE FLUOROPOLYMER WITH MANY APPLICATIONS

Courtesy: Arkema Inc

PVDF insulation for wires and cables

Polyv iny l idene Fluor ide (PVDF)


items. This product enables architects to

design buildings in nearly any colour and

the coating will not fade or flake off for

many years, even with heavy exposure to

direct sunlight. Before the adoption of

fluoropolymer paint finishes, architects

were concerned with colour fading over

time, and they often opted to design

buildings using brick, stone or concrete

rather than using painted metal. Since

the development of typical coating grade

PVDF, architects have even found ways

to create reflective paint coatings that

conserve energy for building owners,

especially those in warm sunny climates.

Chemical process industry: PVDF

and Flex PVDF are used mainly to handle

highly corrosive and hot chemicals that

would otherwise severely oxidise common

metals or would stress crack or dissolve

common plastics. The most common

chemical applications for PVDF piping,

tanks, pumps, valves and tower packing

are for chlorine & chlorinated solvents,

bromine & brominated solvents, hot acids

(chromic, hydrobromic, hydrochloric,

hydrofluoric, methane sulphonic, nitric,

phosphoric and sulphuric), mixed fuels

and high-purity deionised water. The

combination of high mechanical strength,

abrasion resistance and chemical resistance

makes PVDF fluid handling components

a favourite among mechanical and

chemical engineers who deal with highly

corrosive chemicals.

Wire and cable: Flex PVDF is used

to insulate wire and cable in many types

of constructions. Because of its high

temperature capability, flame resistance,

abrasion resistance, good flexibility and

chemical resistance, PVDF is used in

cathodic protection cables in the mining

industry, automotive wires & cables,

aircraft cables, marine cables and cables

exposed to chemicals. The fact that

this fluoropolymer has a low enough

processing temperature to be processed on

equipment also designed for polyolefins,

nylons and polyvinyl chloride gives it

a cost advantage for the manufacturer

compared to fluoropolymers that require

special equipment tooling to process.

Photovoltaic/solar energy: PVDF

films are used as the back sheet in the

production of solar panels in the energy

industry. The most cost-effective and

durable solar panels need to be designed

with materials that can handle constant

exposure to ultraviolet light and general

weathering conditions for up to 40 years

without limiting the efficiency of the

unit. PVDF films have been tested to

UL standards for relative thermal index

and are rated an amazing 140°C for

continuous use. Top laminators of solar

systems use PVDF back sheet to protect

the inner polyester layers as well as the

new inner polymer layers being developed.

Lithium ion battery binders:

With the world moving to longer life

batteries using lithium ion technology,

the manufacturers of such batteries

need to choose a long-life binder that

will maintain its function in the cathode

for the expected lifetime of the product.

PVDF binder products are used in

solution to bind the carbon in electrodes,

and its good stability allows better battery

performance over a long lifetime. By

choosing the correct molecular weight

of PVDF for the process, the battery

manufacturer can use only minimal

amounts of binder in the carbon matrix.

Water purification: Because

PVDF can be put in solution and has

chemical resistance to cleaning agents

and overall stability, an emerging market

for this polymer is in ultra-filtration

and micro-filtration membranes. Flat

sheet membranes are commonly used in

pharmaceutical applications, and hollow

fibre membrane technology is common in

water filtration systems. With the choice

of the proper PVDF, the system can be

steam-cleaned, ozonated and cleaned

with bleaching chemicals with little or

no effect on the life of the membrane

system. Water treatment companies are

increasing the usage of PVDF in their

system designs.

SummaryPVDF is not just limited to the

markets considered above. With all of

the properties discussed, there exists

a possibility of many other usages that

have yet to be discovered or are still in

the development stage. A combination

of properties makes PVDF and Flex

PVDF versatile for engineers, architects,

designers, chemists and manufacturers.

David Seiler is Americas

Business Manager, Industrial &

Global Advisor, Fluoropolymers,

at Arkema Inc. Email: david.

[email protected]

Sachin Upadhye works with

Arkema India and has more

than 15 years of experience

in the coating industry. Email:

[email protected]

Arkema has been manufacturing PVDF homopolymer and copolymer grades for more than 35 years. These polymers are sold under the brand names Kynar® and Kynar®Flex.

Glove box made of PVDF

Courtesy: Arkema Inc

INSIGHT & OUTLOOK: Lean thinking


M Hariharan

According to James Womack, a lean organisation searches for a perfect process that is valuable (creates value

for customers), capable (minimises process variability), available (has reliable processes), adequate (meets the demand), flexible, flowed (moves towards one-piece flow), pulled (provides when customers want) and levelled (anything, any time).

Building blocks for a lean journeyCustomer value: Lean thinking focusses on creating value for the customer. Value is critical for an organisation to

Identify the consumer (not only the immediate customer appearing in the books but all the stake holders who are impacted by the offerings)

Articulate the value proposition Identify the gaps in value creation

and fulfilmentThus, value forms the starting point of the lean journey.

Do unto others as they would wish to have done unto themselvesAnything that does not add value for the customer is waste. Lean thinking focusses on waste elimination. Taichi Ohno, the guru of the Toyota Production System identified seven areas of waste (Muda) that destroy customer value. 1. Defects (output beyond the tolerance

limits)2. Overproduction (work performed well

and before the customer wanted it)

3. Waiting (work waiting to be processed; men waiting for instruction)

4. Transportation (movement of work outside the workplace to get processed somewhere else and brought back; resources moved to locations where it is not needed)

5. Inventory (work completed and waiting)

6. Motion (movement of information through hierarchy; strain in working postures)

7. Extra processing (rework, iterations more than warranted)

Ohno also identified overproduction as the mother of all wastes.

Shigo Shingo, who developed the concept of Single Minute Exchange of

Die, added “Non-utilised creativity of people” as the eighth area of waste.

All these waste areas arise primarily because we tend to focus on local efficiencies at the cost of global efficiencies. Our processes focus on internal customers and fail to think from the perspective of external customers. We expect our customers to give us orders to take care of our minimum batch quantity requirement. What we fail to understand is our customers’ minimum requirement is much lesser than our minimum batch quantity.

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is often misunderstood to expect our customers to change their requirements to meet our requirements. We need to “Do unto others as THEY would WISH TO HAVE DONE unto THEMSELVES.”

What the customer ‘does’?The common refrain is ‘understand what the customer wants’. Quite often, the customer may not be in a position to articulate what he wants. More appropriately, we need to understand what the customer does with what we give him. Let us take the following example. Refractory is a product such that if the quality improves, the sales drop. If the quality improves, the wear and tear of the refractory could minimise. Hence, it would be replaced less often. So long as the sales representative of the refractory company meets

CREATINGcustomers

value for

Lean thinking is about aligning the people and process to the purpose (customer value) so that the provider prospers. Going lean does not mean getting into cost reduction, but it focusses on getting more with less.

We expect our customers to give us

orders to take care of our minimum batch

quantity requirement. What we fail to

understand is our customers’ minimum requirement is much

lesser than our minimum batch quantity.

Lean thinking


the purchase executive of the steel maker, only the want of the purchase executive to reduce the price of the product emerges as the customer want. If we start looking beyond the purchase executive’s want of reduced price, we can understand what the production in-charge does with the product we give the company. With improved refractory quality, the number of times the furnace is stopped to relay the bricks comes down. This leads to released capacity available for producing more from the same plant. If this value proposition is addressed, it is no more a relationship between the sales and purchase. It will emerge as a relationship between the supplier design engineer and the user’s production in-charge.

As Theodre Levitt said, “People don’t want a quarter-inch drill; they want a quarter-inch hole.”

Who actually pays for the product/service?After understanding what the customer does, we need to look beyond the apparent customer representative to understand the real customer. The customer is not the only one who pays for a service. Everyone who is impacted by a product/service has a say in the purchase decision. In the case of a customer for a product such as earth-moving equipment (dozers), many people impact the purchase decision of the product – Purchase executive (normally looks at the lowest price), Mine in-charge (normally expects a faster output from the equipment), Dozer operator (wants a hassle-free user experience), Maintenance (expects the uptime to be higher), Finance (expects easier paper work for funding), Material handling (expects lower cost of operation) and Safety (expects the equipment to be safe to operate). In a typical situation of the sales representative meeting the purchase representative, most of the other interests are either missed out or compromised.

To define the customer requirement, it is imperative to look beyond the immediate decision maker.

ConclusionLean implies being effective and not simply efficient. Processes that fulfil the customer requirement are effective processes. Doing these processes consistently is being efficient. To create an efficient process, we have to understand whether the process that we need to excel in is required by the customer. Thus, the critical first step to embark on a lean journey is defining who the customer is, what he wants and what he does.

M Hariharan practises consultancy in the field of cost management, lean thinking, constraint management, management control system and business excellence as Founder Director at Savoir Faire Management Services. Savoir Faire helps

organisations to improve their profitability by aligning their people and processes to customer value and articulate the bottomline impact using the cost excellence (CE©) model. Email: [email protected]

INSIGHT & OUTLOOK: Engineer ing plast ics in medical appl icat ions


Vikas Acharya

Advanced technology, novel

materials and new concerns

have transformed the

healthcare scenario across

the globe, inspiring new standards in

plastics for medical devices. With a

promise to ensure active healthy lifestyles

and quality of life, the usage of plastics is

gaining prominence in medical devices

and equipment. Manufacturers are

also continually engaged in developing

breakthrough materials, novel product

designs and line extensions. Innovations

in medical plastics are expected to

fundamentally transform the healthcare

and delivery subsystems. Further, the

ability of plastics to reduce cost allows

disposables to replace devices that were

previously cleaned, sterilised and reused.

There is a worldwide growth in demand

for intelligent drug delivery and quality

primary packaging solutions.

Innovation is key for the medical-

grade plastics industry in order to

deliver tailor-made solutions for medical

and pharmaceutical applications. Glass

has conventionally been used in the

medical devices industry. For designing

and developing plastic grades for this

industry, it is essential to understand

the requirements and limitations of the

end user. Here, material compounders

and product designers can combine the

advantages of both glass & plastics. One

result of this overarching competence

is the new multi-layer plastic vial

made from cyclic olefin polymer and

polyamide. Glass and plastics experts

in various countries have succeeded

in significantly improving essential

product characteristics. To achieve

this, the usually single layer wall of

the plastic injection vial is modified

to a multi-layer design through the

use of state-of-the-art injection blow

moulding technology. An intermediate

layer of polyamide is placed between

the two layers of cyclic olefin polymer,

increasing impermeability.

Quality issuesOutstanding quality and continuous

innovation are integral to design and

development of medical devices. An

essential factor for high product quality

for the pharma & healthcare industry

is production, processing & product

assembly in clean & controlled shop

floors. Defect-free manufacturing

translates not only into a healthy bottom

line but also builds brand equity with

confidence and consistency. Thus, it is

necessary to constantly review the status

quo and improve processes, products and

services. In a quality- and innovation-

driven industry such as medical

applications, it is important to promote

continuous learning in the laboratory and

shop floor, thereby encouraging a culture

of excellence and high performance.

To guarantee that manufacturers

can maintain and develop high-quality

claims and offer customers the best

possible product, quality culture must

be an integral component of corporate

strategy. Constant knowledge transfer

and proactive, partnership-oriented

direct dialogue with business partners

are ideal ways to stay competent in the

pharma & healthcare industry.

The plastics advantageBesides delivering standard drug

packaging systems, plastics is employed

to develop highly innovative and

complex systems for all types of inhalers

for treatment of respiratory diseases and

insulin pen systems for patients with

diabetes to various disposable products

for laboratory & molecular diagnostics.

Plastics has the unique ability to

provide a wide range of high-quality

primary packaging for liquid and solid

medication. This includes application

& dosage systems, such as eye droppers

and miniature nasal spray vials, as well

as special containers for tablets &

powders. This range is complemented

by key design features, including

multi-function closure systems with

tamper-evident, child-resistant closures

and integrated desiccants.

Revolution through innovationThe pharma packaging components for

the new generation of biopharmaceuticals

play a major role in the development of

drug delivery systems. This is because

these components have significant

influence on the stability and safety of

the respective drug formulation launched

as parenteral solutions. The innovative

With engineering plastics making rapid inroads into medical applications, the key to competency and profitability lies in innovating for quality and safety. From implants to disposables, plastics offers various advantages including design flexibility, impact, strength, biocompatibility and the ability to be formed into many different shapes through different processing methods.

ourtesy: OPTI

Deliveringhealthy

solutions

Engineer ing plast ics in medical appl icat ions


design of high-performance multi-layer

vials based on a combination of the

plastic material cyclic olefin polymer is

highly compatible to sensitive biodrug

formulations and is a single polyamide

layer that provides high-barrier

properties to protect sensitive drug

formulations from oxidation or water

vapour. The inertness of the inner drug

contact surface and improved barrier of

multi-layer vials against oxygen improve

drug stability over shelf life. Advantages

for the pharma industry are increased

efficiency and higher dose accuracy.

For various reasons, safety requirements

have been forcing the pharma industry

to look for high crack-resistant

packaging. Here, multi-layer vials

demonstrate superior resistance against

break or crack as compared to glass

vials. The specific multi-layer design

with its inner polyamide layer provides

additional integrity assurance even when

unusual forces are applied to these

types of containers.

Although injection vials made of

glass are important products for the

pharma industry in Europe and North

America, their enormous demand in

emerging markets is demanding rapid

plastics usage. Further, growth segments

in the still predominant Western pharma

markets are drug delivery systems

made from plastics and glass, which

facilitate administration, dosage & safe

application of medicines. Global solution

providers invest increasingly in these

innovations, eg insulin pen and

skin-prick aid are important products for

the diabetes market.

Demand for pre-fillable syringe

systems made of glass is also displaying

unprecedented growth. This is due to

steady spread of certain illnesses such

as diabetes and asthma. The importance

of self-medication is also growing. Thus,

there is plenty of room for innovations in

the field of drug delivery systems. Here,

the focus is on medical systems based

on plastics and realised by a full-service

basis for companies involved in pharma,

diagnostics and medical technology.

From product idea to continuous

series production, the emphasis

is on individually customised and

user-friendly technology.

Vikas Acharya is the Director of Gerresheimer

Pharmaceutical Packaging Mumbai India Pvt

Ltd. Email: [email protected]

Characteristics of medical plastics solution providers

360 degree services: From product development to export logistics

Global network of production sites and clean-room facility

In-house mould making for product flexibility

Machinery engineering capacity to increase cycle times

Innovative automation engineering to reduce human interaction

Competence in validation/certification and worldwide quality standards

AUTOMATION TRENDS: Computer-a ided tool design


A decade ago, the vocation of

mould making was largely

based on skilled experience

and artisanship. Typically

trained under an apprenticeship scheme,

the moulder or maker acquired his

skill set through time-consuming years

of practice. This arrangement was

overhauled completely when CAD/

CAM technologies were introduced in

the late 70s. However, in contrast to

other industry verticals, its acceptance in

mould designing has been relatively slow.

Until only quite recently, commercial

software systems have begun to appear

and are being adopted in the tool-

making and moulding industry. The high

concentration of mould design activities

has led to the development of many

software programs focussing their effort

on providing solutions to the mould

design aspects.

Distinct challengesAutomated parting line, surface

determination, core & cavity design,

runner & gate selection, analysis of

temperature distribution and flow of

plastic material in the mould and the

effective interfacing with different mould

bases are focus areas of these software

systems. However, this segment has

challenges of its own. “One of the biggest

challenges in CAD for plastic tool design

is the creation of a parting line for a given

component, particularly when profiles

become increasingly intricate. Although

the intention of this software tool is

to make life easier in times like these,

continued development of the software

along with training of the designer can

address this issue. Another challenge

is overcoming the diversity in CAD

model formats and unifying it, especially

when neutral formats come with their

own baggage of data losses, surface

mismatch, units mismatch etc. Therefore,

data exchange is also one of the major

challenges in the plastics tool design

industry. Furthermore, in small plastic

parts for the electronic and automotive

industries, there are many areas in a

core/cavity that cannot be machined on

a computer numerical controlled milling

machine. Such areas need to be ‘extracted’

for electrical discharge machining and

automatically masked for the subsequent

milling process. Finally, the creation of

the mould base itself, based on industry

standards or user-defined standards,

continues to be a challenge,” reveals

Vineet Seth, Managing Director – India

& Middle East, Delcam Plc, UK.

Although the industry as of now

has developed simulation tools such as

Moldflow (which addresses flow-related

troubleshooting), many manual changes

are done in the 2D drawings of each

individual item in the mould assembly due

to limitations of software programs. Rajiv

Bajaj, Head Manufacturing, Autodesk

India & SAARC, adds, “The main

concerns would be to make the CAE tool

design software to update automatically,

which means any change made in the

part automatically gets updated in the

tool design software with good accuracy.

Moving on, the next major test would be to

infuse manufacturing intelligence, where

a software program would be capable of

Tooling design for manufacturing processes refers to direct tooling for making parts such as moulds and dies. In the last two decades, Computer-Aided Design (CAD), Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) and Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) tools have been developed to assist mould designers in mould design configuration, analysis and machining. In a bid to grasp the automation scene in computer-aided tool design, Sweta M Nair quizzes players of this segment.

114 Modern Plastics & Polymers |

THE

EDGEAUTOMATION

Delcam’s automated electrode solution

Computer-a ided tool design


automatically generating a parting line

considering manufacturing feasibility and

optimal tooling expenditures without any

human interference. Having a built-in

database of plastic materials in the CAE

tool is another area of development.

Hence, the next logical step would be

to have a tool which can address core

manufacturing decisions.”

Automation edge With unlimited possibilities, computer-

aided manufacturing makes it possible

to evolve, broaden and produce

several similar products with the same

equipment. “With the software, now it

is easier to create solid models of any

non-standard components and define

relationships with the other components.

Furthermore, all identical parts within an

assembly are recognised automatically as

instances of the same component. This

prevents unnecessary duplication of data,

reduces overall model sizes and makes

regeneration of the complete tool much

faster after design changes. Automated

methods to generate the general assembly

and all the component drawings are now

made faster and more reliable. Thus, the

time needed to produce a complete set of

drawings for even a complex mould takes

no longer than a day in contrast to the two

to three weeks that were typically needed

with traditional drawing methods. One

of the latest advancements in tool design

automation is the end-to-end electrode

design, manufacture and inspection suite.

This automates the process of extraction

of an electrode or a group of electrodes by

means of a step-by-step wizard that takes

the user through selection of areas to

creating automated tool-paths and probe-

paths for machining and inspection,

respectively,” says Seth.

The need of the hour is on formulating

new-age solutions that have been

formulated with regard to mould cooling

analysis when using computer-aided tool

design. Sharing the latest on this topic,

Bajaj adds, “Transient cooling has really

emerged as a fantastic tool in CAE. With

this, heat fluctuations in the mould are

recognised. It helps in understanding

when a stable state is achieved from

production start-up. This solution can be

integrated with tool designing software

wherein the software recognises high heat

fluctuations in mould vicinity and creates

cooling channels.”

Areas of improvementSignificant advancements in CAD/

CAM software help ensure that the final

component of a mould tool complies

with the design parameters with a high

degree of accuracy that can be verified

automatically at each crucial stage.

However, there is room for improvement

when concentrating on certain areas.

Achieving optimal clamping force at

the designing table is more of a science

than an art. Factors such as area of the

part, runner system, mould surface, cavity

pressure, opposing force etc along with

the additional factor of safety are taken

into consideration. To this, Seth explains,

“Experience factor, external factors such

as heat and type of moulding machines

are other variables that contribute to

the optimal clamping force calculation.

Now you can imagine that it is not a

straightforward summation. This area not

only needs more research but also more

practical training for the operator and

production engineers in order to optimise

this function further.” Bajaj too voices a

similar concern; he says, “There is a lot

of difference in the clamping results from

the 2010 version. However, there have

been times when the customer has raised

issues that clamping tonnage predictions

are not near to their practical results. The

effect of side cores on clamp is another

area which could be addressed.”

For enhanced automation to enter the

scene, computer-aided tool design should

be coupled with practical experience and

technical knowledge. This would lead

to the creation of a range of effective

tools that would help in solving day-

to-day challenges. Moreover, working

closely with moulders and documenting

their feedback would enable designers

to prioritise and zero-in on specific

problems.


Vineet SethManaging Director – India & Middle East, Delcam Plc, UK

One of the biggest challenges in CAD for plastic tool design is the creation of a parting line for a given component, particularly when profi les become increasingly intricate.

Rajiv BajajHead Manufacturing,Autodesk India & SAARC

Transient cooling has really emerged as a fantastic tool in CAE. With this, heat fl uctuations in the mould are recognised. It helps in understanding when a stable state is achieved from production start-up.

ENERGY MANAGEMENT: Ef f ic iency through heat recover y


The efficiency with which heat

is extracted from the various

processes can have a tremendous

impact on maximising

productivity and remaining competitive.

A method of recovering energy in plastic

pipe manufacturing uses a sealing gasket

compression moulding process in which

a gasket moulding material is placed in a

cavity – formed between fixed and movable

mould members – with a predetermined

shape. Pressure is then applied

between the 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 that 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 manufacture. The

Stirling engine is driven

by waste heat from the

mould members or

other associated parts

of the injection or

compression moulding

a p p a r a t u s , ” s a y s

Mangesh Manjrekar, Director, Raj

Engineering Works. The recovered

waste heat is used to subsequently

heat the female pipe end in the

pipe manufacturing process.

Managing heat through chillersThe most common method of

accomplishing heat extraction is through

the use of a portable chiller. Portable

chillers are generally sized according to

tonne of capacity. Here, 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 is processing 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 really be considered portable,” says

Vijay Bali, Vice President, Reynold India

Pvt Ltd.

For the most part, portable chillers

are offered in two styles: 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,

fresh air. By contrast, water-condensed

units incorporate a shell-and-tube heat

exchanger to accomplish the same

task, requiring condensing water from a

cooling tower.

Chiller speed according to requirementsVariable speed chillers are specific to

injection moulding and it does not carry

any advantage for extrusion. These chillers

for higherUsingRESIDUAL HEAT

PRODUCTIVITYMoulding and manufacturing of plastic parts require transferring considerable amounts of heat. Hence, it becomes important to follow heat recovery mechanisms to enhance efficiency in the moulding process. Anwesh Koley explores the various ways by which plastic waste heat can be recovered.

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Ef f ic iency through heat recover y


have been designed for specific injection

moulding needs that help users to

produce results from the process while

maintaining the lowest life cycle cost

of the equipment. In order to gain

the desirable benefits from the latest

technology equipment and processes,

chilled water, as an auxiliary supply,

needs to be available at precise flow rates

and pressures, in addition to 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 the 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 by-pass

arrangement. Air-cooled units must have

high-efficiency aluminium condensers

with high flow and low noise fans,”

adds Bali.

Installed equipment may be

operating at their maximum efficiencies,

so they must be synchronised with other

modern technologies to have higher

levels of efficiency. Trained people must

operate these chillers considering their

multi-faceted requirements.

Water-condensed chillersThe 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 suitable. 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 can be supplied with cooling

tower water to carry away the heat.

The amount of water needed will vary

based on the capacity of the chiller.

“Components and features available in

today’s portable chillers are drastically

different from those offered just a few

years ago. Probably the most important

change has been the introduction of

scroll compressors and brazed plate

evaporators,” says Manjrekar.

Scroll compressors, which use a

mating pair of orbiting scroll plates

to compress the refrigerant, have

fewer parts than reciprocating piston

compressors. The efficiency of brazed

plate evaporators permits the transfer of

significant amounts of heat in a compact

size. This change has allowed chillers to

be much more space-efficient than in

the past, making better use of valuable

plant floor space. Other features that are

more prevalent today are non-ferrous

construction to minimise corrosion &

water contamination and features such

as microprocessor controls with special

communication capabilities.

Way aheadThe recovery of waste heat during plastic

processing plays an important part

not only to increase energy efficiency

but also to increase productivity. With

the 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

important to ensure that these chillers

remain free of emission.


Mangesh ManjrekarDirector, Raj Engineering Works

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

Vijay BaliVice President, Reynold India Pvt Ltd

For specifi c 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 by-pass arrangement.

POLICIES & REGULATIONS: Deal ing with qual i ty


The consumption of Indian polymer products is on the rise. While manufacturers were sceptical about using

the latest technology earlier, this trend has given way to extensive Research and Development (R&D) in the field of masterbatches. We now witness the advent of the latest machinery in the country. The plastics industry is currently gearing up towards reducing the pollution caused by the industry. Several machines have been developed that produce less wastage and help in reprocessing of the waste. “Polymer consumption is expected

to double in the next three years as products by Indian manufacturers are competitively priced as compared to those by European manufacturers,” says R K Aggarwal, Managing Director, Prayag Polytech Pvt Ltd. Manufacturers now ensure that the waste they produce is either disposed properly or can be recycled.

Quality issuesThe primary requirement for the industry is availability of high-grade polymers. The final plastic product depends heavily on the quality of raw materials available with manufacturers.

Rajeev Bhatia, CEO, Premier Pigments & Chemicals, says, “We face an acute problem of low-quality polymers for the industry. The Indian quality is not up to global standards; hence, we have to import from Europe, particularly from Germany.” Dependence on imported polymers has not changed in the past years, with manufacturers finding it difficult to find options in the domestic market. The industry requires imports for specific materials such as Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), which is in short supply. This is because India has a net shortage of PVC and few large-scale players manufacture this raw material.

Courtesy: Ngai Hing Hong Ltd

ANDANDPROBLEMSPROBLEMS

SOLUTIONSSOLUTIONSThe Indian polymer industry has adapted well to changes in the global market. It is now moving towards evolving as a major global player as the international plastics fraternity is noticing the high quality standards followed in India. However, the enthusiastic expansion plans of companies in the polymer industry are wrought with challenges that hinder the smooth working for manufacturers. Anwesh Koley analyses some of these obstacles and suggests suitable steps.

Deal ing with qual i ty


“The Indian consumer is increasingly becoming aware about the compatibility of the packaging material with the product inside. Hence, manufacturers of raw materials ensure that no hazardous chemicals are used in the production of plastic products and are also refraining from using metals,” says Aggarwal. Earlier, such initiatives were taken only for plastic products used for packaging food items, but gradually, the entire packaging industry along with manufacturers of fast moving consumer goods have adopted such practices due to consumer demand. These days manufacturers of air-conditioners, refrigerators and even automobiles are using heavy metal-free plastic materials as these not only reduce the final mass of the product but also help in better designing avenues for the product.

Role of the governmentThe government does not have specific policies for the polymer industry and, while this has not hindered manufacturers from being profitable, policy support in some areas could make a difference. “The government needs to have a better understanding of the usage of polymers and their applications. This will help manufacturers as the customer will better understand the quality of the product,” feels Bhatia.

Even for polymer machinery manufacturers, advancements in plastics technology provide scope to adopt internationally accepted standards and higher consumer satisfaction. “New resins, additives and fillers are entering the market, which can enhance material properties without much change in the price. As compared to the conventional single-screw machine, twin-screw extruders and gravimetric feeders have taken a lead with higher output, better quality and less involvement of people,” says Aggarwal.

The latest technology in plastics helps in better detection of the material according to specific requirements. Most companies have their own R&D facilities, and those that do not, generally outsource research activities to achieve a more customer-centric final output. The latest technology used in the raw

material production machinery ensures that more customisation can be achieved along with higher rigidity.

Land constraintAnother constraint for manufacturers is space availability. At times, expansion plans of companies are stalled due to lack of infrastructure and land availability. Most manufacturers operate in small areas and often do not have adequate space to implement measures towards achieving green productivity norms. “Even after going ahead with our expansion plans, we cannot achieve the desired levels of efficiency as we are handicapped for space of operation. Acquiring land is an area of concern, as it is often a cumbersome procedure,” says Aggarwal. European polymer manufacturers operate on a much larger scale compared with their Indian counterparts.

Pricing it rightPricing is an important factor determining the growth of the polymer industry. In the long run, pricing determines the competence of a country. “The prices of masterbatches have been on an upsurge for the last few years due to a sharp rise in raw material prices and consolidation of international raw material suppliers. Sourcing quality raw material from consistent and reliable suppliers will be the key in the coming years,” says Bhatia. New masterbatch players, both domestic & international, will need to keep the selling prices competitive, thereby presenting a challenging market scenario and reduction in margins. The volume growth should help sustain most players but, as in most industries, efficiency and innovation will be required.

Future outlookThe latest technology in polymer processing needs to be supported well with proper infrastructure. Manufacturers are willing to innovate and bring quality up to international standards, but without adequate power and land availability, expansion plans cannot be taken forward.


Rajeev BhatiaCEO, Premier Pigments & Chemicals

We face an acute problem of low-quality polymers for the industry. The Indian quality is not up to global standards; hence, we have to import from Europe, particularly from Germany.

Polymer consumption is expected to double in the next three years as products by Indian manufacturers are competitively priced as compared to those by European manufacturers.

R K Aggarwal Managing Director, Prayag Polytech Pvt Ltd

STRATEGY: In ject ion moulding


The accessibility of plastics has increased with the rising number of industries using plastics. This has bolstered the

growth of the injection moulding process. At present, the injection moulding industry in India is growing at 14–15 per cent per annum. Commenting on the market for injection moulding machines in India, Praveen Sharma, Managing Director, Hinds Plastic Machines Pvt Ltd, says, “The demand for injection moulding machines is different in different sectors. If we talk about the automobile sector, then the demand has decreased in the last three to four months as the overall

economic growth has also slowed down. However, in the field of commodity plastics & packaging, the demand is quite high and is continuously increasing.”

Despite the rising growth and opportunities for injection moulding machinery, the industry is faced with certain issues that need to be tackled at the earliest so as to increase the demand further. One of the basic issues is cutting cost without compromising on the efficiency of the process.

Hitesh R Shah, Business Head – Injection Moulding Machines, Windsor Machines Ltd, notes, “In the global competitive market, every manufacturer

is required to offer better priced, high-quality machines that produce higher volumes, and the injection moulding machinery segment is no exception. This forces a drive of cutting the cost and increasing efficiency in producing quality products. To reduce the cost of production, aspects such as power cost, productivity, machine breakdown time and material cost can be tackled.”

Cost considerationsThere are various cost components that one needs to consider at various stages of the injection moulding process. Shah avers, “During production, machine selection, energy consumption, cycle time and rejection rates have to be considered. Thus, one needs to pay attention to optimum machine selection, which increases productivity due to lower cycle times. Further, selection of machines with servo motor will lead to low power demand per kilogram. In addition, six sigma should be practiced for better quality control and for reducing rejection. Moving ahead, the quality-related costs depend on shot-weight inconsistency and colour dispersion quality. Further, during changeover, increase or decrease in cost

REDUCINGREDUCING THE THE COSTS COSTS OFOF

PRODUCTIONPRODUCTIONInjection moulding has been the preferred processing technology for part manufacturing that requires high output and accuracy. With the increasing demand for injection moulding machinery, the concerns over reducing the costs for ensuring efficient injection moulding process is also increasing. Avani Jain notes some of the cost reduction techniques that can be adopted by injection moulding processors.

In ject ion moulding


may be due to mould changeover times and purging costs. Thus, one should also use mould height adjustment and auto purging. Lastly, the maintenance cost involves spares and down time costs. Thus, reduction in spare cost can help reduce the maintenance cost to a very large extent.”

These steps can be adopted by the injection moulder during the various stages. Apart from these, there are various other considerations that the processor should keep in mind. “First, preventive weekly & monthly maintenance is very important to reduce breakdown cost. Second, moulds should use advanced technology (ie fully automatic) and, if possible, the mould should have hot runners. The cost of these moulds may appear higher at the time of purchase, but in the long term, it reduces the cost of runner regrinding and the cost of removing burrs manually. Third, the machine should be equipped with the required auxiliary equipment, such as hopper, dryer & auto loader, which saves the time & cost of loading the material manually. Fourth, time-to-time inspection of the final product to minimise rejection is also important,” notes Sharma.

He adds, “Our company provides training to the end users on a regular basis so as to make them friendly with the machine and educates them on how to maintain the machine. That can minimise breakdown and increase the efficiency of the machine, which can also reduce the overall cost of production.”

Increasing overall efficiencyThus, the industry is continuously setting new highs each year thanks to the increased ability of Indian injection moulding machinery suppliers to accommodate better technologies to enhance production and reduce costs. Sharma notes, “To increase the efficiency of the moulding process, the machines are designed in such a way that the machine gives higher output with minimum rejection. To achieve this aim, we design the machine with closed loop circuit that ensures correct injection pressure required to inject the material into the mould in each cycle. In addition, the machine has advance technology control through a programmable logic controller, which can graphically display the injection

pressure and various other parameters to ensure zero rejection production. The production in-charge checks the hourly production, the number of good and bad shots as well as the reasons of bad shots etc.”

Further, there are an umpteen number of innovations occurring in the injection moulding segment for improving the quality of machines. Sharma avers, “To improve the quality of machines, we provide the machines with the latest technology and all the advanced features. In fact, we were one of the first manufacturers in North India who introduced the servo-controlled RAM-type injection moulding machine in 2009, which saves energy up to 40 per cent. Also, we have a quality check of each and every component at different stages of machining.”

Noting the advantages of servo motors in reducing power costs, Shah says, “These days, servo motor-driven geared pump machines are also increasingly used because the geared pump offers the highest efficiency of transmission. This, when used with servo motor feedback and drive, offers the best response level of actuators, resulting in high repeatability and highest power cost savings.”

Future trendsInfluence of technology in plastics processing machinery adds value by reduction in cost and increase in profit. Shah avers, “Reduction in cost during the injection moulding process can be achieved by lower power cost, high consistency in production, high repeatability of performing parameters, lower machine down time and lowering material content without compromising on the physical properties desired of moulding.”

The future injection moulding machine will be the all-electric machine with an affordable price. Sharma concludes, “We have to develop these machines to fall within the budget of a moulder. We also have to expand our manufacturing facilities to produce injection moulding machines in large volumes. The tool room should be equipped with the latest equipment & machinery, and each part of the machine should go through different stages of quality checks & trials.”


Praveen SharmaManaging Director, Hinds Plastic Machines Pvt Ltd

Hitesh R ShahBusiness Head – Injection Moulding Machines, Windsor Machines Ltd

We design the machine with closed loop circuit that ensures correct injection pressure required to inject the material into the mould in each cycle.

In the global competitive market, every manufacturer is required to offer better priced, high-quality machines that produce higher volumes, and the injection moulding machinery segment is no exception.

TIPS & TRICKS: Maintenance of in ject ion moulding machine


Injection moulding is one of the most prominent methods used in the plastics industry. Over the years, this technique has helped manufacturers by offering them design versatility and a variety of texture options for the final product. It thus becomes important for manufacturers to keep in mind certain factors required for the maintenance of Injection Moulding Machines (IMMs). Anwesh Koley highlights the prerequisites for efficient operation of IMMs.

The process of injection moulding involves various steps that must work in tandem for the final output

to be produced according to the required specifications. A significant

number of accidents have occurred because safety devices supplied with machines have deteriorated by use or have been removed and not replaced. Electrical and mechanical parts involve separate techniques to be

kept in a healthy working condition. This requires both manual as well as motorised elements to keep equipment in order. (With inputs from AB Diachem Systems Pvt Ltd)


Maintenance of hydraulic system: The injection pressure in an IMM is a major factor that determines product quality. Hence, the stability of the hydraulic system is very important. Failure of the hydraulic system mainly results due to the improper working of temperature controls and oil pollution. The operator must check the temperature control in this situation, and if unusual, must notify maintenance personnel to reduce the oil temperature.

Preventive maintenance work: The manual central lubrication system, lubrication distributor and lubricant hose should be checked daily. The four Gelin columns must be kept clean. The feet moving template slip and slide should be kept clean and lubricated. The designed working pressure should be kept at the exact level to clamp the mould. The mould position should be adjusted only when the mould is opened to the maximum.

R e p l a c e m e n t a n d temperature control: The mould should be replaced periodically so that it does not allow cooling water flow to the control box. The control box temperature should be checked; temperature must not be too high or else it will affect the computer. Speci f ied voltage relays should be used if the relays need to be changed. Regular dust removal from the electric box is a must.

M a i n t a i n i n g o i l t e m p e r a t u r e : O i l temperature should be maintained at 30–55°C. If the oil temperature exceeds 55°C, long-term operation will cause problems (oxidation and operational deterioration). The internal oil cooler should be cleaned once in six months to prevent damage/maintain optimum internal cooling performance. Contaminated hydraulic oil leads to valve failure and accelerated wear of hydraulic components.

Regular maintenance: The two guiding cylinder pillars of the injector and the surface and dry injectors should be clean. Besides plastic materials and additives, no other thing can be added into the hopper. If there is extensive use of the turning mill outlet, the hopper magnet should be added to prevent metal fragments into the barrel. In case the barrel set up melting temperature is not reached, the hydraulic motor should not be activated.

Electrical parts: Electrical parts constitute the main units of any IMM. If sufficient attention is not paid to maintenance, electrical components may easily loosen due to machine vibrations and cause machine failure. The terminal block and wiring should be periodically inspected and tightened in order to avoid any loose electrical ends. External wiring should avoid collision, and the use of friction materials should be avoided.

Prerequisites for efficient operation

The following minimum checks should be made to ensure that safety is maintained:

PROJECTS


Plastic parkAll India Plastics Manufacturers Association (AIPMA)Project typeNew facilityProject news All India Plastics Manufacturers Association (AIPMA) is planning to set up a plastic park in Dahej, Gujarat. Nearly 30 plastics manufacturers in and around the financial capital of India will be investing ` 600 crore in the upcoming plastic park in Dahej. The units are eyeing to save capital and operations costs by moving to the state. The plastic park will be spread across 200 acre. The first phase of the project will have firms establishing non-polluting units on more than 125 acre.Project location Dahej, GujaratProject cost` 600 croreImplementation stage Planning

Contact details:All India Plastics Manufacturers Association (AIPMA)AIPMA House, A-52, Street No. 1, MIDC Marol, Andheri (East), Mumbai – 400 093 Tel: 022-28217324/25, 28352511/12 Fax: 022-28216390 Email: off [email protected]

Polyester film plantSRF Industries (Thailand) LtdProject typeNew facilityProject newsSRF Ltd, a multi-business entity engaged in the manufacture of chemical based industrial intermediates, has announced to set up a film plant in Bangladesh and a metalliser in Thailand. The company is planning to set up a polyester line with a capacity of 28,500 tonne annually in

Bangladesh and a metalliser with a capacity of 7,050 tonne annually in Thailand at a total investment of about ` 290 crore.Project location Bangladesh and ThailandProject cost NAImplementation stage Planning

Contact details: SRF Industries (Thailand) Ltd3 Map-Ta-Phut Industries Estate I-1 Road Tambol Map-Ta-Phut Amphur Muang, Rayong 21150 Thailand Tel: +66-38-683600-6 Fax: +66-38-683101

Polyvinyl chloride & high-density polyethylene pipes and fittings Suraj Logistix Pvt LtdProject typeNew facilityProject news Suraj Logistix Pvt Ltd is planning manufacturing of polyvinyl chloride & high-density polyethylene pipes and fittings.Project location JharkhandProject costNAImplementation stage Planning

Contact details:Suraj Logistix Pvt Ltd706, New Sitaramdera PO Agrico, Jamshedpur – 831 009 Tel: 0657-2429701 Fax: 0657-2439087

Polyvinyl chloride rigid pipes and fittings Unibell Polyplast

Project typeNew facilityProject newsUnibell Polyplast is planning to set up a polyvinyl chloride rigid pipes and fittings manufacturing unit.Project locationPatna, BiharProject cost ` 30.315 millionImplementation stagePlanning

Contact details:Unibell PolyplastPlot No. 393, Baghakole Bihta–Bikram RoadGreater Patna – 801112 Tel: 09162666060, Fax: 08603475395 Mob: 08298895402 Email: [email protected]

Rigid polyvinyl chloride pipes and fittings Finolex Industries LtdProject typeNew facilityProject news Finolex Industries Ltd is planning to set up a new polymers project at Ratnagiri in Maharashtra. The project involves manufacture of rigid polyvinyl chloride pipes and fittings.Project location Ratnagiri, MaharashtraProject costNAImplementation stage Planning

Contact details:Finolex Industries Ltd P14 Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park MIDC Ph. 1, Hinjewadi, 26-27, Mumbai–Pune Road, Pimpri, Pune 411 018Tel: 020-27475963

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.

Information courtesy: Tendersinfo.com

1, Arch Gold, Next to MTNL Exchange, Poisar, S V Road, Kandivali (W), Mumbai - 400 067, Maharashtra, India

Tel: 022 28666134 • Fax: 022 28013817 • Email: [email protected]

TENDERS


Latest Popular Tenders brought to you by www.tendersinfo.com

High-density polyethylene/polypropylene woven bagsOrg : Udayapur Cement Industries Ltd

TRN : 14741988

Desc : Supply of 10,00,000 pieces high-density

polyethylene/polypropylene poly woven bags

BOD : 11 Mar 2013

Loc : Nepal

BT : Global (ICB)

Plastic sheetsOrg : New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC)

TRN : 14612483

Desc : Providing and fixing ultraviolet

stabilised fibreglass reinforced

plastic sheet in veranda of flats

BOD : 11 Mar 2013

Loc : New Delhi

BT : Domestic (NCB)

Poly filmOrg : Northern Command

TRN : 14733036

Desc : Procurement of food grade

poly film at military farms

BOD : 13 Mar 2013

Loc : Dehradun, Uttaranchal

BT : Domestic (NCB)

Perspex sheetOrg : Chittaranjan Locomotive Works

TRN : 14754857

Desc : Providing Perspex sheet for

lighting arrangement in the shop along

with aluminium paint

BOD : 14 Mar 2013

Loc : Burdwan, West Bengal

BT : Domestic (NCB)

Plastic bottlesOrg : Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale

della Lombardia e Dell - Emilia Romagna

TRN : 14506648

Desc : Supply of plastic bottles for milk analysis

BOD : 15 Mar 2013

Loc : Italy

BT : Global (ICB)

Plastic sintering machineOrg : Hřgskolen I Gjřvik

TRN : 14567827

Desc : Acquisition of plastic sintering machine

BOD : 15 Mar 2013

Loc : Norway

BT : Global (ICB)

Bags and sacks for recyclable wasteOrg : Skien Kommune

TRN : 14735415

Desc : Supply of bags and sacks

for recyclable waste

BOD : 18 Mar 2013

Loc : Norway

BT : Global (ICB)

High-density polyethylene spiral vatsOrg : Department of Atomic Energy

TRN : 14503880

Desc : Design, fabrication, testing and

supply of high-density polyethylene

spiral vats mounted on fibre-reinforced

plastic-coated mild steel structure

BOD : 18 Mar 2013

Loc : Mumbai, Maharashtra

BT : Domestic (NCB)

Plastic containersOrg : Nagasaki University

TRN : 14513416

Desc : Supply of plastic containers

BOD : 18 Mar 2013

Loc : Japan

BT : Global (ICB)

Org: Organisation’s name, TRN: Tendersinfo Ref No, Desc: Description, BOD: Bid Opening Date, Loc: Location, BT: Bidding Type.

Latest Popular Tenders brought to you by www.tendersinfo.com

Information courtesy: Tendersinfo.com

1, Arch Gold, Next to MTNL Exchange, Poisar, S V Road, Kandivali (W), Mumbai - 400 067, Maharashtra, India

Tel: 022 28666134 • Fax: 022 28013817 • Email: [email protected]

EVENT LIST


Indo-German International Seminar For the 5th time, the Organization of

Plastics Processors of India (OPPI)

and the German Plastics and Rubber

Machinery Association within VDMA

will jointly organise the Indo-German

International Seminar on ‘Plastics

in Automotives’. This technology

seminar aims to introduce a wide

range of emerging plastics processing

technologies to Indian plastics

processors. The conference will focus on

plastics machinery for the automotive

industry, emphasising the practical use

of technologies to improve processes;

March 7–8, 2013; at Trident, Chennai,

Tamil Nadu

For details contact:

Deepak Lawale

Secretary General

Organization of Plastics Processors of India

404/405, Golden Chambers,

New Link Road

Andheri (W)

Mumbai – 400 053

Tel: 022-66923131/32

Fax: 022-26736736


Compack Chennai Compack 2013 displays one of the most

impressive and efficient collection of

packaging equipment and materials which

are of advanced technology. This event

will demonstrate the most important

packaging and processing solutions. The

visitors coming to Compack 2013 will

comprise high profile executives from

the packaging and transportation sectors;

June 7–9, 2013; at Chennai Trade &

Convention Centre, Chennai, Tamil Nadu


Narendar Bafna

Smart Expos

New No. 116, Manickam Lane

Mount Road, Guindy

Chennai 600 032

Tamil Nadu

Tel: 044-22501986/1987

Mob: 09952966752


Website: www.compackexpo.com

IPLEX ChennaiThe Tamil Nadu Plastics Manufacturers

Association, the organiser of IPLEX,

has come forward to exhibit various

moulds and dies, equipment and

machineries exclusively required by the

plastic manufacturing sector of India.

The exhibitors are well versed with the

respective range of products so that

attendees can select the best for their

firms; June 27–30, 2013; at Chennai

Trade & Convention Centre, Chennai,

Tamil Nadu


Senthil Kumar N

The Tamil Nadu Plastics

Manufacturers Association

C-1, First Floor, Rams Square

Village Road, Nungambakkam

Chennai

Tamil Nadu

Tel: 044-28250107

Pharmapack ExpoPharmapack Expo is the most

cost-effective marketing opportunity

and is the best opportunity to meet

senior buyers and decision makers

from all facets of the user industry.

The exhibits will include packaging

materials & products, glass & plastic

jars and bottles, aluminium & plastic

tubes, corrugated & cardboard boxes,

dosing machines for liquids & powders,

filling machines, blister packing

machines, strip packing machines, labels

& labelling equipment, form-fill-seal

machines etc; September 12–14, 2013;

at Bombay Exhibition Center (BEC),

Mumbai


Intel Trade Fairs & Expositions Pvt Ltd

113, New Sonal Link Industrial Estate

Building No. 2, Link Road

Malad (W)

Mumbai - 400 064

Tel: 022-26003977


Website: www.pharmapackexpo.in

PlastShow PlastShow is dedicated to offering a

comprehensive range of plastic products

and processing equipment. The event

strives to offer complete information

about the recent inventions of the plastic

manufacturing sector. The exhibitors

find this expo to be the perfect business

meeting place where the exhibiting

companies get an opportunity to

establish themselves and promote their

brands; September 27–30, 2013; at Vapi

Industrial Association Ground, Vapi,

Gujarat


Brijesh Purohit

Sunline Infotech

118, Lotus Arcade

Opposite Automotive

Gondal Road,

Rajkot, Gujarat

Tel: 0281-2460135

National

India’s premier industrial trade fair on products and technologies related to Machine Tools,

Hydraulics & Pneumatics, Process Machinery & Equipment, Automation Instrumentation,

Packaging & Auxiliaries, IT Products, Electrical & Electronics, Material Handling and Safety

Equipment.

For details contact:Network18 Media & Investments Ltd, Ruby House, 1st Floor, J K Sawant Marg,

Dadar (W), Mumbai 400 028. Tel: 022 3003 4651 • Fax: 022 3003 4499

Email: [email protected] Web: www.engg-expo.com

HyderabadAndhra Pradesh

May 31-Jun 3, 2013

EVENT LIST


Cables 2013Cables 2013 is recognised as the leading

forum looking at polymer developments

in the cables industry. This well-

established event regularly attracts over

245 international delegates from the global

supply chain. The conference aims to bring

together cable producers, raw materials

suppliers and equipment manufacturers;

March 5–7, 2013; at Maritim Hotel,

Cologne, Germany


Applied Market Information Ltd

AMI House

45-47 Stokes Croft

Bristol

BS1 3QP

Tel: +44(0)117 924 9442

Fax: +44(0)117 989 2128


International Fair of Plastics & Rubber ProcessingInternational Fair of Plastics & Rubber

Processing (EPLA) is a specialised

international trade exhibition for the

plastics and rubber processing industry.

EPLA is an ideal platform for exhibitors

from the industry to display their new

products and services; March 5–7, 2013;

at Poznan International Fair Grounds,

Poznan, Poland


Poznan International Fair Ltd

Glogowska Street 14

Poznan, Poland

Tel: +(48)-(61)-8692000

Fax: +(48)-(61)-8665827

Website: www.epla.pl/en

Plast SofiaPlast Sofia is an event with a record of

bringing international exhibitors and trade

visitors with great decision-making powers

under one roof. Exhibitors belonging to

this sector will display their products and

items in order to acquaint customers with

the latest technologies and services and lure

them into forming professional contracts

and ties; March 6–8, 2013; at Inter Expo

Center Sofia, Sofia, Bulgaria


Bulgarreklama Agency

147 Tsarigradsko Shaussee

Sof ia, Bulgaria

Tel: +(359)-(2)-9655286

Fax: +(359)-(2)-9655231

Plast Imagen MexicoPlast Imagen Mexico is an international

trade fair. This leading specialised exhibition

is considered the natural venue in Mexico

for machinery manufacturers interested in

international expansion for their products;

March 12–15, 2013; at Centro Banamex

Exhibition Centre, Mexico


Carlos Gutierrez Marin

E J Krause & Associates, Inc

6550, Rock Spring Drive

Suite 500, Bethesda, Maryland, USA

Tel: +(1)-(301)-4935500

Website: www.plastimagen.com.mx

Pro-Plas Expo 2013Pro-Plas Africa is an international regional-

leading trade fair. It is considered the

natural venue for machinery manufacturers

interested in international expansion for

their products throughout South Africa.

Traders and investors of the region will be

marking this event on their calendar as a

must attend event; March 12–15, 2013; at

Expo Centre Johannesburg, Johannesburg,

South Africa


Michelle Bedser

Specialised Exhibitions (Pty) Ltd

PO Box 82196

Southdale 2135, South Africa

Tel: +27-11-8351565

Mob: +27-829557718

Fax: +27-11-4962854


Website: www.propakafrica.co.za

Korea International Plastics Rubber ShowKorea International Plastics Rubber Show

(KOPLAS 2013) is a premium exhibition

providing the latest and the best in plastic

materials for manufacturing and processing

industries alike. It is known to be the

leading specialised exhibition of its kind;

March 12–16, 2013; at Kintex – Korea

International Exhibition Center, Goyang,

Korea


Korea E & Ex, Inc

Room 2002, WTC 159-1 Samsung-Dong

Kangnam-Ku, Seoul, Korea

Tel: +(82)-(2)-5510102

Fax: +(82)-(2)-5510103

Website: www.koplas.com

Thai International Plastics & Rubber ExhibitionTIPREX is one of the premium exhibitions

providing the latest and the best in plastic

materials for manufacturing and processing

industries alike. The unique feature of

the expo is the presence of the entire

spectrum of plastic and rubber products

manufacturers from tyres to tubes, hoses,

industrial components, extruded profiles,

moulded goods, latex articles etc; April

3-6, 2013; at Bangkok International

Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC),

Bangkok, Thailand


Messe Dusseldorf Asia Pte Ltd

3 HarbourFront Place, #09-02

HarbourFront Tower Two

Singapore 099254

Tel: +(65)-(6)-3329620

Fax: +(65)-(6)-3374633


Website: www.tiprex.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


EVENT PREVIEW: Indo-German Internat ional Seminar


Sweta M Nair

Apart from being lightweight

and versatile, automotive

plastics is here to stay and make

a magnanimous difference.

Allowing efficient design changes in single

piece or modular components, versatility

is the key ingredient that is playing up

on everyone’s mind. At the customer end,

plastics in automotives is helping original

equipment manufacturers to cut down

on manufacturing costs and to enhance

vehicle affordability. This phenomenon is

gaining steam in India because statistically

only about 10 per cent of a car’s weight is

made up of engineering plastics, leaving

much room for more plastics adoption.

Voicing some of the biggest trends and

presenting the latest technology, this two-

day Indo–German International Seminar

on ‘Plastics In Automotives – Redefining

Possibilities’ is scheduled to take place on

March 7–8, 2013, at the Trident, Chennai.

Organised by the Organization of Plastics

Processors of India, the event is supported

and sponsored by Der Verband Deutscher

Maschinen- und Anlagenbau (VDMA)

– German Engineering Federation. This

seminar has received official support

from the Department of Chemicals and

Petrochemicals, Government of India;

Automotive Component Manufacturers

Association of India (ACMA), Society

of Indian Automobile Manufacturers

(SIAM) and others.

Charting growthPlastics consumption is increasing, and

further growth is expected because of

the enormous rise in demand for plastic

products in numerous key sectors, such

as the automotive industry. The demand

for equipment for the processing and

manufacture of plastics is growing

continuously, and the demands regarding

quality, productivity and reliability of the

machinery used are rising.

The 5th edition of this conference

will focus on plastics machinery for the

automotive industry by emphasising on the

practical use of technologies to improve

processes. About thirteen renowned

speakers from some of the world’s leading

plastics machinery producers from

Germany will present papers focussing

on latest technologies. The speakers will

be from the leading European companies

and will cover the entire gamut of usage

of plastics in automotives.

Introduction to emerging technologiesOn day one, presentations will cover

topics such as ‘Advanced injection

moulding techniques for high precision

and surface parts in the auto industry’,

‘Innovative solutions for multicomponent

applications’, ‘Modern manufacturing with

injection moulding machines – Production

efficiency + Optimization’, ‘New injection

moulding technologies for the future

automotive industry’, ‘Corrugated pipes

for technical applications in automotive

industry’, ‘Methods of weakening

instrument panels and doors for invisible

air bags’, ‘Composite spray moulding in

the automotive industry’ and ‘Advanced

foil application processes – Combination

of decoration and function’. Besides

updating manufacturers of the latest

technological advancements, the

presentations could help gain insight on

applications. On day two, the programme

will have topics on ‘How extrusion blow

moulding can help to overcome today’s

challenges in the automotive industry’,

‘Thermoforming and joining of a door

panel’, ‘Robot-based applications for the

plastics automotive components’, ‘Modern

automation with robot systems and

auxiliary equipment’ and ‘Lightweight

moulding with Cellmould & BFMold’.

Leading companies such as Daimler,

Mahindra & Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki,

Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, Mann

& Hummel, Bayer Material Science,

Reliance, Ferromatik, Mutual, Toshiba

Machines, TVS, Varroc, Supreme

Industries, Giess, Rane Group, Ti Anode,

Tipco, Inergy, RTS, Zylog, Indian Oil

Corporation, HPCL-Mittal Energy Ltd

etc will be some of the main attendees.


The inclination towards replacing metals with plastics in the making of vehicle components has become a global phenomenon. An assembly of some of the biggest names representing this trend is the need of the hour. With demands in this fast-paced environment increasing, the industry scouts for the latest innovations. In such circumstances, the Indo–German International Seminar on ‘Plastics In Automotives – Redefining Possibilities’ is going to be an eye-opener.

Plastics in automotives: Redefining possibilitiesPlastics in automotives: Redefining possibilities

A previous event organised by OPPI and supported & sponsored by VDMA

EVENT REPORT: Windsor Endowment Lecture on New trends in r ig id and f lex ib le packaging


Avani Jain

Tapping the growing trends

in the flexible and rigid

packaging market, IPI

– Ahmedabad Chapter,

organised a very interesting seminar –

Windsor Endowment Lecture on ‘New

trends in rigid and flexible packaging’ on

February 16, 2013. The Technical Session

Chairman for the seminar was Dr E

Sundaresan, Product Head – PE, Reliance

Industries Ltd.

Talking about the main aim of the

event, T S Rajan, Chief Operating Officer,

Windsor Machines Ltd, said, “We always

want to share latest information with the

student community. Further, integration

of academics and technical information

is very necessary for increasing the

knowledge of students. Thus, this

platform provides an opportunity to the

students to gain knowledge about the new

developments in the industry. Moreover,

various industry players come together at

such a platform and get to know about

the latest happenings.”

Inaugural addressIn his inaugural address, Rajiv Trivedi,

Chairman, IPI – Ahmedabad Chapter,

said, “The plastics packaging (flexible

and rigid) industry in India is growing

at a very fast pace. At present, the total

Indian packaging industry is valued at

$ 13 billion, and of this, the plastics

packaging industry’s share is about $ 6.5

billion. The innovations in the segment

are driven by lightweighting, corrosion

resistance, attractive design etc. Further,

increasing disposable income, changing

lifestyle patterns and health consciousness

are the key factors that are driving the

growth and innovation in the segment.

Thus, the key reason for organising this

seminar was to spread awareness about

the new trends in the industry.”

Fruitful discussionsThe speakers made their presentations

on various subjects. Rakesh Shah, Head

– Technical Services, Reliance Industries

Ltd, spoke on ‘New trends in rigid and

flexible packaging’. He said, “There is a

shift from rigid to flexible packaging. At

present, the major market share is held

by flexible packaging followed by rigid

packaging. In the future, factors such as

safety, convenience and affordability will

bring further changes.”

Divakar Vyas, Senior Manager

(Sales), Windsor Machines Ltd

(Injection Moulding Division), shared

his knowledge on ‘Developments in rigid

packaging’. He mentioned, “The rigid

packaging industry is growing at the

rate of 16–20 per cent per annum. The

growth in this sector is mainly driven by

the food and pharmaceuticals segment.

At present, the focus in the segment

is to provide lightweight & recyclable

solutions and increase barrier properties.

In the future, there will be demand for

more sustainable materials.” Further,

Vikas K Deo, Senior Manager (Business

Development), Windsor Machines Ltd

(Extrusion Division), threw light on

‘Developments in flexible packaging’.

S A Siddiquee, Equipment Builder

Manager, ExxonMobil, spoke about

‘Energy-efficient hydraulic oil’ and Ashok

S Bhimani, Partner, Astech Systems,

shared his knowledge on ‘New mould

technologies for thin wall moulding’.

Platform for learningThe seminar saw 125–140 participants

including students and industry associates.

The event served as a knowledge sharing

platform for all. Sundaresan averred, “It

is very important to spread information

about new trends not only among the

industry but also among the students.

On a platform like this, when students

hear about new trends and technology,

their knowledge increases as this kind

of information is not available on the

internet or anywhere because it is

proprietary information. ”


The plastics packaging (rigid & flexible) industry is growing at a very fast pace. Continuous innovations are taking place in the segment so as to match not only the domestic but also the global needs. In such a scenario, the Windsor Endowment Lecture on ‘New trends in rigid and flexible packaging’ organised by Indian Plastics Institute (IPI) – Ahmedabad Chapter, provided a platform for industry experts to share their knowledge with students and the industry.

Mapping new trends for future growth

An eminent panel (from L–R): Divakar Vyas, Senior Manager (Sales), Windsor Machines Ltd (Injection Moulding Division); Rakesh Shah, Head – Technical Services, Reliance Industries Ltd; Dr E Sundaresan, Product Head – PE, Reliance Industries Ltd; Vikas K Deo, Senior Manager (Business Development), Windsor Machines Ltd (Extrusion Division); S A Siddiquee, Equipment Builder Manager, ExxonMobil and Ashok S Bhimani, Partner, Astech Systems

BOOK REVIEW


This book, in its second edition, has a total of ten chapters. These chapters are on the fundamentals of polymer physics and melt rheology for those who lack previous training. Hence, the book starts with a basic level that emphasises conceptual understanding and progresses to the advance level for ambitious readers.

This second edition has three new chapters on die design, elastic effects in melt flow in addition to content in the previous chapters of the first edition. International experts have also contributed to the new content. The advent of high-performance screws improving the performance of single extruders is well highlighted. The chapter on theories of single screw extrusion details mathematical models on solid conveying, melting and metering with effects of flight clearance. This will help readers to understand how the theoretical models can be used in practice. This book will also provide readers an opportunity to apply the knowledge gained to commercial practice. This book will help process engineers to acquire much knowledge of the materials being processed as well as engineering aspects of process to fully understand both process and product.

In the author’s words, “The philosophy and content of this book reflect my industrial academic and consulting experience of 38 years.”

Extrusion of Polymers 2nd Edition Theory and PracticeAuthor: Chan I ChungPrice: ` 13,115

This book first appeared as ‘The ICI Polyurethanes Book’, and today, under the present owners since 1999, has been published as ‘The Huntsman Polyurethanes Book’.

This is a fully revised and updated edition covering flexible and rigid foams, elastomers (including thermoplastics) coatings, adhesives, sealants & encapsulants and composites.

The technical editor Dr David Randall and editor Steve Lee have invited contributions of 30 authors which makes the book complete with theory and practices.

In addition to raw materials and chemistry of polyurethanes, the book covers environment, health and safety aspects.

The original purpose of understanding of production, properties and potential of polyurethanes is well maintained, as the book will give better understanding and broaden knowledge of polyurethanes to readers.

The Polyurethanes Book

Available at: SCI-TECH Books & Periodicals, 414, Janki Centre, Veera Desai Road, Andheri (W), Mumbai – 400053Tel: 022-26735260/66970507 • Fax: 022-6735424/26735260 • Email: [email protected]

Reviewer: Dr Yatish Vasudeo, President & CEO, By Innovations Consultancy India Pvt Ltd

Editors: David Randall & Steve LeePrice: ` 21,389

PRODUCTS


Looking For A Specific Product?Searching and sourcing products were never so easy.

Just type MPP (space) Product Name

and send it to 51818eg. MPP Moulding and send it to 51818

Gravimetric doser This highly advanced and cost-

effective single component

gravimetric feeder is used for

injection molding, extrusion and

blow molding machines. It can

also be used for feeding more

than one component by adding

another unit. It is used for dosing master batches, additives and

reprocessed materials in granule, powder and liquid form. It has a user-

friendly multiple language graphic display with advanced algorithm

and has TCP/IP card for communicating with any MES software.

With the gravimetric doser, significant saving is achieved with its

consistent accuracy and repeatability, even at very low output rates. It

is very simple and easy to operate with automatic calibration. It comes

with integrated automatic venturi vacuum loader for masterbatch. Its

unique design helps in fast screw change and quick material change,

thereby saving time and money. With minimum cost, it can be used

for more number of machines and is very easy to remove and fit on to

different machines.

Vista Intertrade Pvt Ltd

Pune – Maharashtra

Tel: 020-46781106, Mob: 09890512147


Website: www.liad.co.il

Servo pumpThe servo pump can be connected to injection

moulding machines, blow moulding machines

and hydraulic presses without difficulty.

Combining the advantages of hydraulic power

transmission with robust and inexpensive drive

elements, it achieves high density of power

and force with low inertia. The servo pump

significantly reduces the energy consumption of hydraulic machines while

enabling shorter cycle times, higher accuracy and reduced noise levels.

It finds applications in hydraulic/hybrid injection moulding machines,

machines for processing rubber, pressure die casting machines, all sorts of

presses, bending machines etc.

Baumuller India Pvt Ltd

Pune – Maharashtra

Tel: 020-40160303, Mob: 09850834273


Website: www.baumuller.in

PRODUCTS


Self sustainability: One must look for a product

that has the potential ability to sustain itself in

tough times. This will help determine the product’s

capability when the market boosts, reducing its

risk factor.

Dwaipayan Mandal (Managing Director)Divine Automation Pvt Ltd

Energy saver for three-phase AC induction motor This energy saver is a field-proven

thyristorised microcontroller-

based unit. The soft start–soft

stop for three-phase motors

energy saver can instantly detect

any change in load variation and

automatically adjust the output

voltage by matching output to

load. The losses (iron/magnetising

and copper loss) inherent in all AC

induction motors are considerably

reduced, thereby improving the

motor efficiency and reducing electricity bills. A bypass contactor is

built-in for soft starter. The soft start facility is incorporated in all

three phases of the energy saver. It provides a gradual and controlled

increase (soft start) and decrease (soft stop) in the voltage applied to

the motor terminals, thus eliminating the high peak current created

during the starting cycle of induction motors. The power ranges from

5 hp to 150 hp at 440 V. It has a compact and efficient thyristorised

microcontroller design, choice of startup functions, breakaway pulse,

voltage ramp, voltage or current limiting, power optimiser and an

additional microcontroller motor protection device. If average load

is less than 50 per cent, then good level of energy is saved. It finds

applications in air conditioning systems at malls, office complexes and

in elevators, industrial presses, injection moulding machines, conveyors,

quarries/mines, crushers etc to reduce starting load on generator on

ships and more.

Satronix (India) Pvt Ltd

Mumbai – Maharashtra

Tel: 022-26325242, 022-27122758

Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Website: www.satronixindia.com

Portable chiller Portable chiller has a high ambient option

available that provides consistent cooling

up to 120°F ambient-5 to 15 hp single

refrigeration circuits. The 50°F leaving

water capacity ranges from 1.2 to 28.8

tons. Range of leaving water temperature

is 20–65°F. Compressor ranges from 1.5

to 15 hp. Nominal flow to process is 6–138

gpm. Various options include dual pumps,

PLC control, condenser fan VFD and a shell and tube condenser.

Nu-Vu Conair Pvt Ltd

Ahmedabad - Gujarat

Tel: 079-32985993, 25841181

Fax: 079-25841259, 25836164


Website: www.conairgroup.com

PRODUCTS


Plastic brighteners/shiners and whitenerPlastic brightener,

shiner and whitener

is used for natural

transparent, colours

and milky white

end products. It

is also used for

adding c larity

and gloss finish to

natural transparent

polymers. The

products give

shining and bright

finish colours to end products. It removes 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 and

profiles etc.

Plast Fine Polymers

Ahmedabad - Gujarat

Tel: 079-65242332

Mob: 09825587152

Email: plastf [email protected]

Crystallised hopper dryer Crystallised hopper dryer

has unique mixer inside

the stainless insulated

hopper which stirs the resin

simultaneously while drying.

To crystallise, it increases

the IV value and speeds up

the crystallisation process.

The mixer dries evenly

and in a short time. It is

the best choice for PET

users and applies to blow

and injection moulding

machinery factories. With

the expansion of PET bottles

application, there is a high-

performance requirement on

preform injection moulding

equipment.

Yann Bang Electrical Machinery Co Ltd

Guandong - China

Tel: +86-4-2271-6999

Fax: +86-4-2271-1988


Website: www.yannbang.com

PRODUCTS


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

Form IV (See Rule 8) (Press and Reg. of Books Act, 1867)

1 Place of Publication: Ruby House, ‘A’ Wing, JK Sawant Marg, Dadar (West), Mumbai - 400 028

2. Periodicity of Publication: Monthly

3. Printer’s Name: Mr Mohan Gajria Nationality: Indian Address: Ruby House, ‘A’ Wing, JK Sawant Marg, Dadar (West), Mumbai - 400 028

4. Publisher’s Name: Mr Lakshmi Narasimhan Nationality: Indian Address: Ruby House, ‘A’ Wing, JK Sawant Marg, Dadar (West), Mumbai - 400 028

5. Editor’s Name: Mr Manas Bastia Nationality: Indian Address: Ruby House, ‘A’ Wing, JK Sawant Marg, Dadar (West), Mumbai - 400 028

6. Names and addresses of individuals who own the newspaper & partners or shareholders holding more than 1% of the total capital: Network18 Media & Investments Limited** is the owner of the publication, namely Modern Plastics & Polymers, having its registered offi ce at 503, 504 & 507, 5th Floor, Mercantile House, 15, K G Marg, New Delhi - 110 001.

Details of the shareholders of Network18 Media & Investments Limited who hold more than 1% of the paid up equity capital of the Company as on 20-02-2013 are given below:

a. RRB Mediasoft Private Limited, 403, Prabhat Kiran, 17, Rajendra Place, New Delhi - 110 008

b. RB Mediasoft Private Limited, 403, Prabhat Kiran, 17, Rajendra Place, New Delhi - 110 008

c. RB Media Holdings Private Limited, 403, Prabhat Kiran, 17, Rajendra Place, New Delhi - 110 008

d. Watermark Infratech Private Limited, 403, Prabhat Kiran, 17, Rajendra Place, New Delhi - 110 008

e. Colorful Media Private Limited, 403, Prabhat Kiran, 17, Rajendra Place, New Delhi - 110 008

f. Adventure Marketing Private Limited, 403, Prabhat Kiran, 17, Rajendra Place, New Delhi - 110 008

g. Shinano Retail Private Limited, 4th Floor, Court House, Lokmanya Tilak Marg, Dhobitalao, Mumbai - 400 002

h. Nexg Ventures India Private Limited, C-157, Industrial Area, Phase - VII, Mohali, Punjab - 160 055

i. Arizona Global Services Private Limited, 1204, 12th Floor, Hemkunt Chambers, 89, Nehru Place, New Delhi - 110 019

j. Acacia Banyan Partners, Citibank N A, Custody Services, 3rd Floor, Trent House, G Block, Plot No. 60, BKC, Bandra (East), Mumbai - 400 051

k. Independent Media Trust (held in the name of its trustee), Empire Complex 1st Floor, 414, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai - 400 013

l. Network18 Media Trust (held in the name of its trustee), 503, 504 & 507, 5th Floor Mercantile House, 15 Kasturba Gandhi Marg, Delhi - 110 001

m. Network18 Group Senior Professional Welfare Trust (held in the name of its trustee), 503, 504 & 507, 5th Floor Mercantile House, 15 Kasturba Gandhi Marg, Delhi - 110 001

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

Dated: 20th February 2013

LAKSHMI NARASIMHAN

Signature of the publisher

** ownership of this magazine stands transferred from Infomedia Press Limited (formerly known as Infomedia18 Limited) (hereinafter “Infomedia”) to Network18 Media & Investments Limited (Network18) in pursuance of the scheme of arrangement between Network18 and Infomedia and their respective shareholders and creditors, as approved by the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi and the necessary approval of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is being obtained.

Side sealing machine

The side sealing machine has a

robust structure fit for side sealing

70 to 450 gsm fabrics up to 100 ft

maximum. The sealing machine

seals off HDPE/PP laminated

fabrics, LD sheets of above 500

gauge and PVC coated, SRF

nylon sheet, flex banner (poster),

polyester fabric coated material.

The structure length is 2 mtr long

and includes pressure system,

electrical control panel, air blower,

rope reinforcement attachment

edge welding width of 25 mm to

45 mm, automatic rope insertion

and edge sealing. The machine also

features a control panel with an

in-house electronic and electrical

assembly for the machine and a

timer circuit to control the speed.

Moreover, the machine has a three

phase power load supply, drive

system, heating system etc.

Shri Gurukrupa Engg Works

Vadodara - Gujarat

Tel: 0265-3042371

Mob: 09376218406

Fax: 0265-2653007


Website: www.shrigurukrupaengg.com

Thickness measurement gaugeThickness measurement gauge is designed

for use with all non-magnetic/ non-ferritic

materials such as plastic, wood, glass, ceramic,

glass fibre, carbon fibre, non-ferrous metal

etc. Application areas include wall thickness

measurement of all types of containers such

as bottles, cans and injection mouldings,

complex shapes etc. It works on the magneto-

static principle and the gauge reaches a

measuring rate of up to 20 readings per

second. Two sensors are available covering

ranges from 0 – 4 mm and 0 – 10 mm.

Measuring accuracy up to ± (0, 5μm + 1%

of reading) can be obtained. Low range

sensitivity is 0.1 μm. It is operated simply

by sliding the probe across the area to be

measured.

Bombay Tools Supplying Agency

Mumbai - Maharashtra

Tel: 022- 23426495, 23421326

Fax: 022 -23401933


Website: www.bombaytools.com

PRODUCTS


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


Die changing system This is an automatic and

labour-saving quick die-

changing system and

a printed circuit board

punching and stripping

system. Production

cost can be reduced by

automatic production,

improved machine activation and high-quality finished

ejection products. The automatic mould changing trolley

system contains one-button fully automatic move-in and

move-out types as well as semi-automatic move-in and

move-out types.

Forwell Precision Machinery Co Ltd

Changhua County - Taiwan

Tel: +886-4-8345196

Fax: +886-4-8345197


Website: www.forwell.com

Pulveriser The pulveriser is suitable for processing

of P.V.C pipes, LLDPE, LDPE, HDPE,

EVA, PS silicone rubber and PET. It

is also used in rotational molding and

master batch manufacturing industries.

The pulveriser eliminates the use of

conventional type drum mixer, high speed

mixer for colour pigments, additives for subsequent processing in

extruders or compounding machines. Instead of blending the colour

pigments/additives with granules which results in uneven blending

in the final product, the granules are pulverised in the pulveriser

machine to produce the resin powder. The polymer resin powder

is then blended with the required colour pigments/additives in the

conventional mixer and processed in the compounding machine/

extruder. The pulveriser helps achieve optimum production and

ensures superior quality standards in the finished products.

N. A. Corporation

Ahmedabad - Gujarat

Tel: 079-25840374, 25841821

Fax: 079-25840809

Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Website: www.naroto.com, www.pulverizer.in

LIST OF PRODUCTS


4 loop din rail PID controller .....................................55

Ac drive and soft starter .............................................87

Acoustic enclosure ................................................................. 51

Additive masterbatch ...................................................... 33, 47

Air audits blower ................................................................... 20

Air bubble film extrusion line ............................................... 65

Air bubble sheet plant ........................................................... 77

Air cooled die face pelletiser ................................................. 27

Air-conditioner part .......................................................... FGF

All electric machine .............................................................. 23

Aluminum extrusion ........................................................... 133

Analog timer ........................................................................... 6

Automatic material handling system .................................... 27

Automation system ............................................................... 79

Barrel ......................................................................144

Barrel screw ........................................................................... 99

Batch weigh blender ............................................................. 26

Biodegradable masterbatch ................................................... 47

Black masterbatch ........................................................... 33, 47

Blender ......................................................................... FIC, 19

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

Blower series ......................................................................... 79

Blown film extrusion system ......................................BGF, BC

Box series wormgear unit ...................................................... 25

Cam follower ...........................................................137

Cast film line......................................................................... 77

Central chilling system ......................................................... 57

Chemical and industrial pump ........................................... 103

Chiller ................................................................................. 107

Circular weaving machine ..................................................... 14

Clamp .................................................................................. 133

Clean room application ......................................................... 49

Cleaning oven ..................................................................... 144

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

CNC vertical machining centre ............................................ 53

Colour masterbatch ................................................... 15, 33, 47

Compact chiller ............................................................. 57, 143

Complete range of rational moulding machine

and rational mould ................................................................ 22

Compounding extrusion........................................................ 22

Compressed air dryer ...................................................... 29, 73

Compressor ..................................................................... 20, 29

Conductive compound .......................................................... 47

Conical twin screw extruder ........................................... 27, 70

Connector .......................................................................... FGF

Continuous screen changer ................................................. 144

Control panel ...................................................................... 131

Conventional phase failure relay ............................................. 6

Convertor ............................................................................ 131

Conveying and handling system ........................................... 61

Counter .............................................................................. 6,55

CPVC pipe ....................................................................... 10,21

Crystallised hooper dryer .................................................... 133

Crystalliser............................................................................. 73

Cutting and stitching machine ............................................. 14

Cylinder engraving - lenticular and optical roll mould ...... 131

D.A / Glyd seal with NBR/FKM O-ring

chevron set strip ...................................................... 137

Data logging software ......................................................... 131

Dehumidifying air dryer ............................................FGF, 143

Dehumidifying dryer .................................................... FIC, 52

Delphi ATDC brake motor .................................................. 25

Delphi three-phase motor ..................................................... 25

Die changing system ........................................................... 135

Digital counter ...................................................................... 55

Digital meter ......................................................................... 55

Digital panel meter ............................................................... 12

Digital temperature controller ............................................... 40

Digital timer .......................................................................... 55

Din rail PID controller ......................................................... 55

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

Dosing and mixing ................................................................ 79

Drive...................................................................................... 40

Dry van pump ....................................................................... 51

Dry-break coupling ............................................................... 20

Drying and dehumidifying.................................................... 79

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

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

Drymax PET-dehumidified dryer ..................................... FIC

Dual channel with modbus ................................................... 40

Dynamic controller ............................................................... 40

Ejector.......................................................................20

Elastomer extrusion pump .................................................. 111

Electric injection moulding machine gearbox ......................... 7

Element shrink disc ............................................................ 137

Energy saver for three phase AC induction motor ............ 132

Exporter of thermoplastic component ................................ 113

Extruder machine ............................................................ 37, 75

Extrusion ....................................................................BGF, BC

Extrusion coating lamination plant ................................. 14, 77

Extrusion system ........................................................BGF, BC

Feeding .....................................................................61

Feeding and conveying .................................................... 73, 79

Ferrous casting .................................................................... 133

Film extrusion line ................................................................ 65

Fixture ................................................................................. 133

Flame retardant masterbatch ................................................ 33

Flashing light alarm annunciation unit................................. 55

Foam sheet ............................................................................ 65

Forged component .............................................................. 133

Freewheel-one-way-clutch .................................................. 137

Fueling system ....................................................................... 20

Fully automatic strapping plant ............................................ 77

Gear pump .............................................................. 144

Granulating and recycling ..................................................... 79

Granulator ............................................................ FIC, 73, 143

Gravimetric blender ............................................................ 143

Gravimetric doser ................................................................ 131

Grip plier............................................................................. 133

Guide band, wiper and coupling ......................................... 137

HDPE tarpaulin heat sealing machine ........................... 24

Head lamp and tail lamp ............................................. FGF

Heart valve frame .................................................................. 34

Heat transfer roll ................................................................. 144

Heater cooler mixer............................................................... 27

Heating and cooling .............................................................. 79

High cavitation ..................................................................... 49

High performance screw ..................................................... 144

High precision hydraulic clamping

injection moulding machine .................................................. 97

High speed mixer ............................................................ 37, 75

HM/HDPE/IDPE/LIDPE ................................................. 77

Hold back ............................................................................ 137

Hopper loader ..................................................................... 143

Horizontal handle clamp .................................................... 133

Hot air dryer ........................................................FGF, 52, 143

Hot runner system ................................................................ 79

Hydraulic injection moulding machine ................................. 23

Hydraulic motor .................................................................... 35

Hydraulic press ...................................................................... 27

Hydraulic pump .................................................................... 35

Hydraulic sealing solution ................................................... 137

Hydraulic servo drive ............................................................ 35

IML technique ..........................................................49

Industrial process chiller ....................................................... 57

Infomedia yellow page ........................................................ 123

Injection moulded component ............................................ 113

Injection moulding machine ........................FGF, 5, 16, 17, 80

Inline drip irrigation plant .................................................... 71

Inline drip tubing ............................................................. 10,21

Jig ........................................................................... 133

Jumbo bag dumping station .................................................. 27

Keyless transmission element ................................... 137

Knob and switch ............................................................... FGF

Lab extruder ..............................................................27

Lab mixer .............................................................................. 27

Large flow water heater ........................................................ 79

Loader ................................................................................ FIC

Loading arm .......................................................................... 20

Machined component .............................................. 133

Manual and hydraulic screen changer ................................. 144

Masterbatch ........................................................................... 33

Masterbatch mixer ................................................................ 27

Product Pg No Product Pg No Product Pg No

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

Looking For A Specific Product?Searching and sourcing products were never so easy.

Just type MPP (space) Product Name and send it to 51818eg. MPP Moulding and send it to 51818

LIST OF PRODUCTS


Material dryer ....................................................................... 19

Material storage .................................................................. 143

Medical mould ...................................................................... 49

Milky polymer ..................................................................... 132

Mono and multilayer sheet line ............................................ 14

Monofilament line................................................................. 14

Monolayer blown film ..................................................... 10, 21

Monolayer blown film line .........................................BGF, BC

Motor .................................................................................... 25

Motors and drive ................................................................... 87

Mould changing system ........................................................ 85

Mould repair ....................................................................... 131

Mould temperature controller ................................. 52, 57, 143

Mould ........................................................................ 22, 37, 75

Moulding ............................................................................... 49

MTC .................................................................................. FIC

Multi component mould ....................................................... 49

Multilayer cast film line ........................................................ 14

Multilayer blown film ..................................................... 10, 21

Multilayer blown film line ...................................14, BGF, BC

Multilayer blown film plant .................................................. 77

Multilayer co-extrusion sheet line ......................................... 18

Natural polymer ....................................................... 132

Non-ferrous casting ............................................................. 133

Oil chiller ..................................................................57

Oil cooler ............................................................................ 107

Optic sheet extrusion line ..................................................... 18

Optical brightener ................................................................. 47

Panel cooler ............................................................. 107

Panel meter ............................................................................. 6

Paperless recorder .................................................................. 12

Parallel and right angle axes gearbox ...................................... 7

Pelletiser .............................................................................. 144

PET/PE washing line ........................................................... 14

PET box strapping plant ...................................................... 77

PET master matches ............................................................. 33

PET perform dedicated machine.......................................... 59

PET sheet extrusion.............................................................. 18

PET-line injection moulding machine ................................. 23

Phase failure relays .................................................................. 6

PID controller ..................................................................... 131

PID process controller .......................................................... 55

PID temperature controller ................................................... 55

Pipe extrusion solution .......................................................... 45

Plastic auxiliary equipment ................................................... 26

Plastic brightener ................................................................ 132

Plastic brightener/shiner and whitener ............................... 133

Plastic conveyor belt .............................................................. 37

Plastic masterbatch................................................................ 69

Plastic processing machine .................................................... 14

Plastic processing machinery ancillaries and spare ............... 99

Plastic ternopol ................................................................... 132

Plastic textile and machinery .............................................BIC

Plastic whitener ................................................................... 132

PLC ....................................................................................... 40

Polymer production pump .................................................. 111

Polyolefin pipe ................................................................. 10, 21

Portable chiller .................................................................... 132

PP/HDPE-semi automatic strapping plant ......................... 77

Pp glass filled compound ...................................................... 33

Pp mineral filled compound.................................................. 33

Pp-r pipes ........................................................................ 10, 21

Pp TQ plant .......................................................................... 77

Pp/HDPE raffia tape line ..................................................... 77

Precision fabrication work ................................................... 133

Precision moulding ............................................................ FGF

Precision temperature control ............................................. 131

Priming valve......................................................................... 20

Printing and cutting/rewinding machine .............................. 14

Process controller .......................................................... 12, 131

Process indicator ................................................................... 55

Product assembly ................................................................. 133

Profile controller .................................................................... 40

Profile sheet ........................................................................... 65

PRP powder ........................................................................ 132

Pull action ........................................................................... 133

Pulveriser ........................................................... 22, 37, 75, 135

Pump ....................................................................... 20, 51, 111

PVC foam core pipe ....................................................... 10, 21

PVC mixer cooler............................................................ 10, 21

PVC palletising lines ....................................................... 10, 21

PVC pipe......................................................................... 10, 21

PVC profile lines ............................................................. 10, 21

Quick die change system ............................................85

Quick mould change system ................................................. 85

Rapid prototyping ....................................................... 8

Reclaim system ...................................................................... 65

Recycling line ........................................................................ 14

Reducer ................................................................................. 25

Relay ........................................................................................ 6

Resin dehumidifier ................................................................ 73

Resin dryer ............................................................................ 89

Rigid sheet ............................................................................ 65

Robot .................................................................................. FIC

Rock and roll machine .................................................... 37, 75

Roots blower ......................................................................... 51

Round table carrousel ............................................................ 37

RTD .................................................................................... 131

Safety access equipment .............................................20

Screw ..................................................................................... 99

Seal ...................................................................................... 103

Secon and dull polymer ...................................................... 132

Servo energy saving machine ................................................ 59

Servo pump ......................................................................... 131

Shut off nozzle .................................................................... 144

Shuttle remoulding machine ................................................. 22

Side sealing machine ........................................................... 134

Single bag feeding system ..................................................... 27

Single mill pulveriser ....................................................... 37, 75

Single screw extruder ............................................................ 27

Single screw extruder gearbox ................................................. 7

Single screw extruder plant ................................................... 70

Software for central monitoring............................................ 73

Solid state relay ................................................................... 131

Stack mould .......................................................................... 49

Storage tank equipment ........................................................ 20

Straight line action .............................................................. 133

Strand pelletiser..................................................................... 27

SV power cooled motor ........................................................ 25

System solution ..................................................................... 79

Tank truck equipment ................................................20

Tape stretching line with inverter driven cheese winder ...... 14

Technical mould .................................................................... 49

Temperature controller .................................. 6, 12, 40, 55, 131

Temperature indicator ............................................................. 6

Temperature sensor ............................................................. 131

Temperature transmitter (dual) ............................................. 55

Tensioner nut ...................................................................... 137

Thermocouple ..................................................................... 131

Thermoformer ............................................................BGF, BC

Thermoforming ..........................................................BGF, BC

Thermoforming and PS foam....................................BGF, BC

Thermoplast production pump ........................................... 111

Thick and wide plastic sheet extrusion line .......................... 18

Thickness measurement gauge ............................................ 134

Three arm bi-axial moulding machine .......................... 37, 75

Thyristorised power controller ............................................ 131

Timer .................................................................................... 55

Toggle action clamp ............................................................ 133

Toggle injection machine ...................................................... 23

Toggle press ......................................................................... 133

TPE/TPU compound ........................................................... 33

TPU masterbatch .................................................................. 15

Track roller .......................................................................... 137

Transmissions and pot........................................................... 20

Turned component .............................................................. 133

Twin - screw co-rotating extruder ................................ 34, 141

Twin - screw element .................................................... 34, 141

Twin - screw extruder ................................................... 34, 141

Twin mill pulveriser ........................................................ 37, 75

Twin roll mill ........................................................................ 27

Twin screw extruder gearbox .................................................. 7

Twin screw extrusion line ..................................................... 70

Two plate injection moulding machine ................................ 23

Two layer blown film ...................................................... 10, 21

Ultra sonic flow meter ................................................12

Underwater pelletiser ............................................................ 27

Universal controller ............................................................... 40

Universal input temperature scanner .................................. 131

Universal masterbatch ........................................................... 33

UV & PU masterbatch ......................................................... 33

UV stabiliser .......................................................................... 47

Vacuum booster pump ................................................51

Vacuum dryer ........................................................................ 52

Vacuum forming machine ..........................................BGF, BC

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

Vacuum pumps and system ................................................... 20

Vacuum system ...................................................................... 51

Variable displacement pump energy-saving machine ........... 59

Vario speed variator ............................................................... 25

Vertical handle clamp .......................................................... 133

Vertical machining center ..................................................... 63

Vfd’s and soft starters for modern industry .......................... 87

Vibratory screening system ................................................... 22

Vibro screen .................................................................... 37, 75

Virgin polymer .................................................................... 132

Volumetric dosing unit .......................................................... 73

Water chiller ..............................................................73

Water jetting ......................................................................... 20

WFR .................................................................................. FIC

White masterbatch .......................................................... 33, 47

Wiper NBR O-ring piston seal .......................................... 137

Wire EDM ........................................................................... 53

Product Pg No Product Pg 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


ACS Auxiliaries India Pvt Ltd ...................... 26

T: +91-02135 - 329112

E: [email protected]

W: www.aecinternet.com

Adinath Controls Pvt Ltd ............................131

T: +91-2764-286573


W: www.adinathcontrols.com

Alok Masterbatches Ltd ............................... 15

T: +91-011-41612244


W: www.alokmasterbatches.com

Blend Colours Pvt Ltd .................................. 33

T: +91-40-2436 1499


W: www.blendcolours.com

Boge Compressed Air System ....................... 29

T: +91-044-43009610


W: www.boge.in

Bry Air (Asia) Pvt Ltd .................................. 89

T: +91-’011-2390677


W: www.bryairsystems.com

Chamunda Equipments ...............................133

T: +91-79-27522437


W: www.chamundaequip.com

Chi Chang Machinery (India) ....................... 65

T: +91 9820141845


Dyna Automation Pvt Ltd ............................ 35

T: +91-79-26404605


W: www.dynahydraulics.com

Everest Blowers ............................................ 51

T: +91-11-45457777


W: www.everestblowers.com

Ferromatik Milacron India Pvt Ltd ............... 23

T: +91-79-25890081


W: www.milacronindia.com

Forwell Precision Machinery Co., Ltd. .......... 85

T: 886-4-834-5196


W: www.forwell.com

Freeze Tech Equipments Pvt Ltd .................107

T: +91-044-42152387


W: www.freezetechequip.com

Gardner Denver Engineered Pro. (I) ............. 20

T: +91-79-40089312


W: www.gardnerdenver.com

Gelco Electronics Pvt Ltd ............................... 6

T: +91-79-22200902


W: www.gelco-world.com

Heattrans Equipments Pvt.Ltd. ...................133

T: +91-79-25840105


W: www.heattrans.com

Hiflon Polymers Industries ..........................137

T: +91-79-25857182


W: www.fluoroplastind.com

Hindustan Plastic and Machine Corporation 70

T: +91-011-25473361


W: www.hindustanplastics.com

J P Extrusiontech Limited ............................ 14

T: +91-2646-222163


W: www.jpextrusiontech.com

Jacobsen Lenticular Tool & Cylinder Engraving

Technology Co., ( Jaco Tech) ........................131

T: 1-630-467-0900


W: www.jacotech.com

Kabra Extrusion Technik Ltd ................... 10, 21

T: +91-22-2673 4822


W: www.kolsite.com

Konark Plastomech Pvt Ltd .......................... 77

T: +91-79-22891670


W: www.konarkplastomech.com

K-Tron Process Group ................................. 61

T: (856) 589-0500

W: www.ktron.com

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

T: +91-044-26812000


W: www.larsentoubro.com

Lan Marketing Pvt Ltd ................................111

T: +91-022-27893645


W: www.maag.com

Larsen & Toubro Ltd ................................... 31

T: +91-22-6752 5656


W: www.larsentoubro.com

Laxmi Hydraulics Pvt Ltd ............................. 87

T: +91-217-2352001


W: www.lhp.co.in

Lohia Starlinger Ltd. ................................. BIC

T: +91-011-30641770


W: www.lohiagroup.com

Makino India Private Limited....................... 63

T: +91-80-28419500


W: www.makino.com

Matsui Technologies India Ltd. .................... 52

T: +91-0120-4243862


Micon Automation Systems P. Ltd ................ 55

T: +91-79-32900400


W: www.miconindia.com

Mifa Systems ................................................ 40

T: +91-79-26870825


W: www.mifasystems.com

Mold - Masters Technologies Pvt Ltd ........... 67

T: +91-422-4502171


W: www.moldmasters.com

N.A. Corporation ......................................... 75

T: +91-79-25840374


W: www.naroto.com

Nand Composites Pvt Ltd ...........................113

T: +91-9822016337


W: www.nandcomposites.in

Neejtech India (Braunform) .......................... 49

T: +91-79-26561312


W: www.neejtech.com

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

Our consistent advertisers COC - Cover on Cover, FGF - Front Gate Fold, FIC - Front Inside Cover, BIC - Back Inside Cover, BC - Back Cover

LIST OF ADVERTISERS


Neejtech India (Niigata) ............................... 17

T: +91-9909974224


W: www.niigataindia.com

Neoplast Engineering Pvt Ltd ...................... 27

T: +91-79-25830602


W: www.neoplastindia.com

Network18 ..................................................123

T: +1800 200 1010 (toll free)


W: www.yellowpages.co.in

NMTG Mechtrans Techniques Pvt Ltd. ......137

T: +91-79-22821527


W: www.nmtgindia.com

Nu-Vu Conair Pvt. Ltd ................................143

T: +91-9376783206


W: www.conairgroup.com

Piovan India Pvt Ltd .................................... 73

T: +91-22-27782367


W: www.piovan.com

Plast Fine Polymers .....................................132

T: +91-79-65242332


W: www.plastfine.com

Plastiblends India Ltd .................................. 47

T: +91-022-67205200


W: www.plastiblendsindia.com

Prasad GWK Cooltech Pvt Ltd..................... 37

T: +91-79-25830112


W: www.prasadgroup.com

Prayag Polytech Pvt Ltd ............................... 69

T: +91-011-47262000


W: www.prayagmb.com

Procon Technologies Pvt Ltd ........................ 12

T: +91-79-27492566


W: www.procon.co.in

R R Plast Extrusions Pvt Ltd ........................ 18

T: +91-22-42461500


W: www.rrplast.com

Rajoo Engineers Ltd...........................BGF, BC

T: +91-2827-252701


W: www.rajoo.com

Rollepaal Engineering India Pvt Ltd............. 45

T: +91-9898598712


W: www.rollepaal.com

Rotomotive Powerdrives India Ltd. ............... 25

T: +91-2692-230430


W: www.rotomotive.com

S&T Engineers ............................................ 53

T: +91-422-2590810


W: www.stengineers.com

Sacmi Engineering India Pvt Ltd .................. 80

T: +91-7600003968


W: www.negribossi.com

Sanity International ..................................... 99

T: +91-79-65227458


W: www.sanityindia.com

Seal Jet Seals ...............................................103

T: +91-020-27121581


W: www.sealjetseals.com

Shini Plastics Technologies I Pvt Ltd ............ 79

T: +91-250-3021166


W: www.shini.com

Shree Momai Autocast Containers ................ 22

T: +91-2668-266440


W: www.shreemomai.com

Shri Gurukrupa Engineering Works ............. 24

T: +91-265-3042371


W: www.gurukrupaengg.com

Soham Technologies Private Limited ............ 57

T: +91-2717-654353


W: www.sohamtechno.com

Specific Engineering ...................................141

T: +91-265-2646871


W: www.specificgroup.com

Sri Sai Plasto Tech ....................................... 59

T: +91-044-42994365


W: www.srisaiplastotech.com

Steer Engineering Pvt Ltd ............................ 34

T: +91-80-23723309


W: www.steerworld.com

Stratasys Gmbh. ............................................. 8

T: 49-69-420-9943-0


W: www.stratasys.com

Supermac Machinery .................................... 97

T: +91-9998040433


W: www.supermacmachinery.com

Suresh Engineering Works ........................... 71

T: +91-731-2527872


W: www.sureshengg.com

Toshiba Machine (India) Pvt. Ltd. ................ 16

T: +91-011-43291111


W: www.toshiba-machine.co.jp

Unimark (Maguire) ....................................... 19

T: +91-22-25506712


W: www.unimark.in

Wittmann Battenfeld India Pvt Ltd ............FIC

T: +91-044-42077009


W: www.wittmann-group.com

Woojin Plaimm Co Ltd .................................. 5

T: +91-9810043265


W: www.plaimm.com

Xaloy Asia (Thailand) Ltd. ..........................144

T: +91-79-40327380


W: www.xaloy.com

Zambello Riduttori Group ............................. 7

T: 39-0331-307-616


W: www.zambello.it

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

Our consistent advertisers COC - Cover on Cover, FGF - Front Gate Fold, FIC - Front Inside Cover, BIC - Back Inside Cover, BC - Back Cover

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 Previous Month.

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modern plastics & polymers march 2013

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