Low permeation POM for blow molded tanks

Celanese Corporation unveiled Hostaform LPT POM, a low-permeation and toughened polymer specifically designed for a wide range of demanding Small Off-Road Engine (SORE) applications, jerrycans and other containers.The new Hostaform POM delivers a balance of impact and durability performance that customers need to meet U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board (CARB) regulations for SORE systems, according to the company. 

Hostaform S 9364 LPI is specifically designed for injection molding and S 9364 LPB for blow molding to perform in fuel systems that use ‘advanced fuels’. Traditionally, SORE fuel tanks have been molded in high-density polyethylene (HDPE), but new stringent EPA and CARB set permeation regulations require manufacturers to find a cost competitive alternative material solution. The LPT POM grades deliver an easy to use, single-layer solution that meets EPA and CARB permeation regulations and which will not degrade, scratch or wear off. Up to 25 percent reduction in manufacturing time versus other gas tank materials can be achieved.

www.celaneseblog.com

Hostaform LPT POM is used in demanding Small Off-Road Engine (SORE) applications (photo: Celanese)


3 years ago
0
1281

Dave Technical Services: Mini Blow Moulding Machine

Dave Technical Services launched the Mini Blow Moulding Machine model DI 100. The machine is said to offer fast production at low power consumption and to require very small space. It is available in 50, 100 & 200ml models and also in screw type models in 250ml, 500ml, 1, 2 and 3l capacities. Machines are suitable for processing polymers such as LDPE, LLDPE, HDPE, PP, PS, HIPS, EVA, etc. The mini model is capable of producing a wide product range to cater for various industry requirements simply by changing moulds as required on the same set up. The Mini Blow Machine caters for the requirement of various industries such as pharma, cosmetics, medical, chemicals, oral care, pesticides, agrochemicals, veterinary products and others.

www.davetechnical.com

Mini Blow moulding machine (photo: Dave Technical Services)


4 years ago
0
1850

HDPE ISBM technology brings Total, Husky and Sidel together

Total, Husky and Sidel teamed up to deliver a new cost-efficient solution for the packaging market. Their two-step HDPE ISBM technology combines the advantages of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) resin and Injection Stretch Blow Molding (ISBM) technology. As an alternative to both Extrusion Blow Molded (EBM) HDPE and ISBM PET, it offers specific benefits that reduce material and conversion costs. Two-step ISBM provides very good bi-orientation, which increases bottle performance in general and mechanical performance specifically, while considerably reducing the weight of the package. Two-step ISBM technology also offers good productivity levels, making it possible to reach throughputs of around 60,000 bottles per hour.

According to the companies, the two-step HDPE ISBM technology can be an attractive alternative to the traditional EBM process in many typical applications. An example comparing 30 million bottles using two-step HDPE ISBM technology to EBM production has shown cost savings of at least 15%, principally due to lightweighting and lower operating costs as a result of higher output, less maintenance and reduced energy consumption.

www.total.com

www.husky.ca

www.sidel.com


4 years ago
0
1876

Bekum: Production of a cosmetic bottle in highly transparent PP

Bekum is presenting the all-electric Eblow 407D (C-frame clamp design), equipped with a triple spiral mandrel extrusion head running production of a cosmetic bottle in highly transparent polypropylene. The C-frame clamping unit was introduced to the public for the first time at the K2010 and has been supplied into the marketplace as one of the advantages of the Bekum 07 series of blow moulding machines with electric or hydraulic drive concept. The patented closing unit is said to offer accuracy and the design principle has been created for long-term continuous operation.

Low-friction linear guides are said to insure efficient use of energy, precise, low-wear operation, and long run times. Exact platen parallelism during the closing process and the uniform distribution of forces over the entire mould area are said to produce not only flawless product weld lines, but also promote extended mould life. According to the company the consistent use of Bekum's spiral flow extrusion heads results in uniform wall thickness distribution in the parison, which is also beneficial to article quality. This extrusion head type is said to provide additional productivity in that colour change times are extremely short.

www.bekum.de


4 years ago
0
937

42nd Automotive Innovation Awards: Part5

The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) announced the winners and finalists for its 42nd Automotive Innovation Awards Competition on November 7, 2012 during a Gala at Burton Manor in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan, USA. Winner and finalists of the category Powertrain were as follows. More details relating to other categories can be found in former and subsequent issues of Plastics.


4 years ago
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1569

Low-emission and heat-resistant

In the automotive industry there is a growing demand for products to be designed quickly and flexibly to meet the needs and wishes of the OEMs. A low-emission polypropylene (PP) compound and a masterbatch from the Grafe Group (Germany), specially developed for fibre reinforced structural components, help reduce odour in auto interiors and produce engine components that can withstand even high temperatures. To comply with the requirements for an improved vehicle interior climate, the company has developed a low-emission PP compound for extrusion blow moulding in collaboration with a major German OEM.

Clockwise from left: Steffen Felzer, Managing Director; Manuel Heimerl, Team Leader automotive; Tobias Dübler, Sales Department automotive applications – all Grafe – and Alexander Büchler


4 years ago
0
2549

MuCell Extrusion doubles production space

MuCell Extrusion LLC has almost doubled its assembly space in 2013, with the addition of a new 557 square meter (6000 square foot) building adjacent to its headquarters in Woburn, MA (USA). The new building is designed for assembly and testing of its supercritical fluid hardware, which now includes units available to handle injection pressures of up to 1000 bar (15,000 psi).

The company expects to ship about 50 systems this year, spread just about evenly between customers in Asia, North America and Europe. It is serving several different markets, including blown film and blow moulding, as well as sheet, wire and cable and pipe applications. The company will also introduce its SCF hardware able to handle injection pressures of 1000 bar (15,000 psi). These units complement the existing 500 bar (7,500 psi) units, which enable precise control of gas at any output rate. They are particular suited for microcellular foam extrusion, which requires extremely precise control of gas, often at high pressures.

www.mucellextrusion.com


4 years ago
0
822

Recyclable, adaptable, EBM PET

The familiar extrusion blow moulding (EBM) process is used to produce billions of plastic containers of many shapes, sizes and applications each year. Bottles are produced by closing a mould around a parison (a continuously extruded tube of plastic) and injecting air into it to expand and freeze the plastic against the mould. Secondary processing is often required to remove excess plastic from the top, sides or bottom. The EBM process is used on several platforms – including both shuttle and wheel machines – and can be used to produce handled containers for larger volume packages. 

Handled bottles in new EBM grades demonstrate good physical strength and are recyclable. (photo: Plastic Technologies)


4 years ago
0
2189

Clariant: PET Blowmolding machine to support packaging customers

Clariant is extending its colour and special effects’ testing services for packaging sector customers in North America by installing a new production-scale stretch blow-moulding machine. This machine and other available services at its ColorWorks Design & Technology Center in West Chicago, Illinois, make it possible for developers of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic containers to evaluate Clariant colour and special-effect masterbatches in full-size, three-dimensional bottles instead of flat injection-moulded chips. The machine is typical of those used in actual package manufacturing, so designers and brand managers are now able to develop realistic samples for almost immediate evaluation. Clariant also has extrusion blow-moulding machines available to produce for mono- and multi-layer containers made of polyolefins.

The Clariant blow-moulding machine is custom fitted with a single-cavity mould to produce a 250-ml oval bottle with one flat side. Clariant has adopted this shape as standard throughout its global network. This kind of container is very suitable for simulating the look of a wide range of packaging shapes commonly used in personal care, beauty and cosmetics, as well as beverage applications. When it comes to evaluating colour, the blown bottles offer advantages over flat colour chips. Making the bottles is a two-stage process, with preforms moulded initially in a 66-ton injection-moulding machine and then reheated and blown in the stretch blow-moulding machine. Both pelletized and liquid masterbatches can be evaluated.

www.clariant.com


4 years ago
0
862

Bimodal HDPE grades from Europe

Sabic will start commercial production of new grades of bimodal high density polyethylene (HDPE) in the second quarter of this year. The grades are suitable for containers up to 5L and intended for jerry cans, drums and other large containers. The company states that some processors are concerned about future supply of bimodal HDPE grades from Europe, and that this is one of the main reasons to produce bimodal HDPE blow moulding grades in its Gelsenkirchen plant. Initially, the plant will supply two grades, both with a density of 0.958 g/cm3, with melt flow rates (MFR) of 22 and 28 g/10 min (21.6 kg) respectively. 

Bimodal HDPE (which exhibits two peaks in its molecular weight distribution) has a very good environmental stress crack resistance (ESCR) and has low die swell. In some cases the new grades can also provide customers productivity advantage such as a faster cycle time or weight-out, it is said.

www.sabic.com


4 years ago
0
857