Chinaplas 2013 (the 27th International Exhibition on Plastics and Rubber Industries), will be held on May 20 to 23, 2013 at China Import & Export Fair Complex, Pazhou, Guangzhou, PR China, showcasing a wide range of technologies and machineries for the plastics industry for various application sectors. The extended four-day exhibition is expected to have a record-breaking scale of 220,000m2, over 2,900 exhibitors (including more than 500 new exhibitors) from 38 countries and regions together with 14 countries/regions pavilions. The organiser Adsale Exhibition Services expects 115,000 professional visitors from over 150 countries and regions.
www.ChinaplasOnline.com
Over 200 mould players will participate in the enlarged Die & Mould Zone at the fair. (photo: Adsale)
Besides the extension to four days, the fair will also feature additional new elements:
In hall 8.1. there will be a new theme zone, namely “Film Technology Zone”, established to cater for the increasing needs of plastic film buyers from the medical, electronics, IT, solar power, packaging and building industries. A number of well-known film technology suppliers, such as Sun Centre, Webcontrol, Han King, Queen’s, Jandi’s, Conair, Andritz, Atlas, Rajoo, ESOPP, Bobst, HCH, Guangda and General, etc will be jointly showcasing a wide range of exhibits which include extrusion lines for blown film, flat film and sheets, stretching lines for film and filament, slitter rewinders, winding equipment, measuring & testing equipment for film, auxiliary equipment for film extrusion lines, printing machines for film, lamination and coating machines and other film processing technologies. Visitors of this theme zone can also discover more related exhibits at the “Plastic Packaging & Blow Moulding Machinery Zone”.
The “Die & Mould Zone” will be enlarged by 18% compared to the last edition. Located in hall 3.2 and 4.2, the zone will display various kinds of moulds and processing equipment, such as blow moulds, CAD-CAM, extrusion dies, hot runner systems, injection & compression moulds, mould & die cleaning equipment, mould clamping systems & energy couplings, standard parts for moulds, steel for moulds, texturing and mould fixing devices. Over 200 Chinese and internationally-renowned mould players, such as LKM, Push, Sino Mould, Jing Cheng Mould, Mold-Masters, Yudo, Hotsys, Mould-Tip, Incoe, Keda, Sure Hot Runner, Carl Zeiss, Huida and Hexagon Metrology, etc, together with two pavilions organised by Hong Kong Mould & Die Council (HKMDC) and Taiwan Mold & Die Industry Association, will demonstrate their strong participation with their flagship technology.
Two specialised regions will be established under “Chemicals & Raw Materials Zone”. They are “Color Pigment & Masterbatch Zone” and “Additive Zone”, which will be located in hall 9.3 and 10.3 respectively. More than 170 related suppliers will show their presence in these two specialised zones, such as Liwang, Meilian, Orion, Hongda, Sunris, Dunwa, AGC, GCH, Qujing Zhongyi, Boiln, Canal and East Hongqiao. The organisers believe that this newly centralised arrangement will provide a more user-friendly and effective sourcing platform for buyers to source colour pigment, masterbatch and additive.
And last, but not least, the coming edition will have two different entry tickets, namely one-day pass (RMB 30/€3.72) and four-day pass (RMB 50/€6.22). Visitors who successfully pre-register online at www.ChinaplasOnline.com on or before May 16, 2013 will enjoy RMB 150/€18.68 privileges including free admission, plus a free coupon to redeem the exhibition catalogue.
Thinner, stronger packaging films
Hall 10.2, booth A41
ExxonMobil Chemical deliver solutions for the entire value chain, including opportunities to improve performance, reduce total costs and help meet the growing trends for sustainable solutions. Metallocene polyethylene (mPE) and Exceed mPE resins and Vistamaxx propylene-based elastomer (PBE) are used for a broad range of flexible packaging applications. They may allow converters to develop downgauged flexible films with good mechanical properties and sealing strength which can then enhance package integrity. This makes these brands suitable for a broad range of film applications in consumer and retail packaging, industrial packaging and agricultural films.
Vistamaxx PBE used for stretch hood film formulation. (photo: ExxonMobil Chemical)
Adding Vistamaxx PBE to an existing stretch hood film formulation being used at an ExxonMobil Chemical plant in Belgium is said to deliver up to 16% reduction in material use. Tests undertaken by ESTL of Belgium indicate that 25kg sacks of polymer pellets are kept secure and stable on the pallet. The modified three-layer film structure comprises 100% Exceed mPE resin in the outer layers and 15% Vistamaxx PBE and 85% Nexxstar EVA copolymer resin in the core. The Exceed mPE resin-based skin layers are said to deliver toughness, improved resistance to hole formation and tear propagation and good optical properties. Nexxstar EVA copolymer resins provide high holding force and stretch capability. The addition of Vistamaxx PBE in the core layer allows elastic recovery to be enhanced. The film met the application’s stretch ratio target of 55% and was thinner than the original film, having been downgauged from 100 to 90µm.
www.exxonmobilchemical.com
Expanded additive portfolio
Hall 10.2, booth A51
Songwon Industrial Group is expanding its comprehensive product range with the addition of two important additives for the polymer industry as well as the capability to produce One Pack Systems (OPS) in significant volume.
Songwon is already a producer of additives in China. Songwon Baifu Chemicals (Tangshan), a joint venture with Tangshan Baifu Chemical successfully commenced operations on July 1, 2012 with a production capacity of 8,000t of thioester antioxidants, based on a fully backward integrated production process, making it a big player in capacity for thioester products.
Songwon Baifu Chemical’s thioester antioxidant manufacturing with a production capacity of 8,000t of thioester antioxidants, based on a fully backward integrated production process (photo: Songwon Industrial)
Songwon has also entered into a long term distribution agreement with Sabo to distribute Sabo’s Hindered Amine Light Stabilisers (HALS) product range of light stabilisers on a global basis. Sabo is based in Levate, Italy and a global leading producer of monomeric and polymeric HALS.
www.songwon.com
Catheter formulation for medical device manufacturer in China
Hall 11.2, booth E21
PolyOne and Neu Specialty Engineered Materials announced that Neu’s collaboration with FinLumen, Beijing has resulted in better performance, processability, part quality and appearance for a minimally invasive surgical catheter. Neu, a leading provider of polymer solutions for healthcare device manufacturers worldwide, worked with Demax Medical Technology, a company specialising in devices for interventional cardiology, to develop a speciality material that meets end use and regulatory requirements while reducing scrap rates by 50%.
www.polyone.com
Solution for surgical catheters (photo: PolyOne)
Flame retardant, scratch resistance, co-adhesion with nylon
Kraiburg TPE will be introducing three new products within the Asia-Pacific region. These products are characterised by good properties such as flame retardant, scratch resistance, CO/NY (co-adhesion with nylon).
The FR/AP series is a newly developed halogen-free intumescent flame retardant based on phosphorus and nitrogen synergism, and the flame retardant effect is achieved through intumescence. When exposed to flames, the thermoplastic material will foam. When this happens, the carbon foam layer will protect the polymer with its heat insulating effect, limiting oxygen access to prevent the thermoplastics from dripping. The overall results of this HFFR compound showed good flame retardant consistency and processability. The FR/AP series is also said to offer a new dimension of colourability especially for the manufacture of electrical and electronic components, injection moulding parts for construction areas such as switchboxes, cable distributors as well as indoor applications, including automotive, ship, aircraft and many other applications.
The new SCR series is said to offer good scratch resistance, such as mechanical stress with the scratching motion of a sharp edge or rounded object. Besides scratch-proof feature, the SCR series is said to offer a good surface finish that attracts little dust. According to the company, it has also demonstrated excellent mechanical properties with equally good PP adhesion. It has colourable natural compounds that allow product designers flexibility when designing specialised applications like automotive indoor parts, anti-slip mats, soft touch push buttons, switches, handles, and more. Other applications for the SCR series include the manufacture of products for the building industry such as screwdriver, toolbox and so forth. For the consumer industry, it includes everyday products that demand superb scratch resistance like mobile phone casing parts, covers, ski and hiking sticks, etc.
Kraiburg TPE booth at Chinaplas 2012 (photo: Kraiburg TPE)
The new CO/NY series is said to feature good nylon/PA bonding with TPE compound, even with softer compounds, and to have good adhesion in co-injection and insert moulding. It offers product designers flexibility and versatility as the CO/NY series’ natural compounds make it easy to colour, has tactile surface with a soft touch and good flow characteristics. Its wide hardness ranges from 40-90 Shore A and it is currently UL 94 HB listed (pending).
The CO/NY offers a wide range of applications in different industries, including the manufacture of handles for hand tools, power tools, over-moulded housings for the building/construction industry, electrical and electronic components, seals and diverse design and functional elements for the consumer industry and durable components like air inlet piping, cowl, stop button, door sill and more for the automotive industry.
www.kraiburg-tpe.com
Optimised IV tube manufacturing
Hall 1.1, booth M51
Maillefer has announced new features for its PML extrusion lines for the production of medical intravenous PVC (IV) tube. The advantages are increased speed and product optimisation that are carried over to the manufacturing processes located downstream.
A smooth and glossy IV tube surface has the undesirable effect of surface tackiness, which is accentuated when conditioned on coils. The winding and later unwinding operations are slowed as a result. Maillefer has added features to its extrusion technology that result in a tube surface with lower adherence. The positive gain is felt on the extrusion line speeds and on the following operation being sourced with coiled tube.
The new features for the PML extrusion line offers easy-to-handle coils while delivering tube that is easily separable. (photo: Maillefer)
Three conditioning possibilities are available from the line: a full length coil, a multiple length coil and individual cut lengths. The classic method calls for tubes of long length wound into coils through use of a fully automatic dual coiler at the end of the extrusion line. The delivered coil then needs to be unwound and cut into individual lengths during the assembly step. Another solution is to deliver short lengths produced directly on the extrusion line with an integrated cutting machine. The third solution innovates by combining both methods. Here, short tubes are prepared online, while maintaining a tractable tube for coiling. The advantage is having easy-to-handle coils while delivering tube that is easily separable.
Maillefer’s PML 032 line is geared for a speed of 300m/min. The line is said to operate at constant speeds, even during coil transfers. Available control features include process monitoring, data logging, event alarms, recipe storage, scheduler, report generator and video monitoring. According to Maillefer, the entire line is designed and built to the strict requirements of the medical device industry.
www.mailleferextrusion.com
Premiere of all-electric injection moulding machine in China
Hall 4.1, booth J4
Innovative system solutions for more efficient processes and a greater competitive advantage are the focus of the Engel trade fair booth. Live on show: the new all-electric Engel e-mac injection moulding machine, demonstrating its capability in the manufacturing of electronic mass products. At Chinaplas 2013, the new model series is celebrating its first airing in China.
An Engel e-mac 50/50 will be producing holders for semiconductor chips made of polyetherimide, an application that poses an extremely tough challenge in terms of the injection moulding machine’s precision. The holders measre 26 by 23mm, but the critical factor above all others is the thin wall thickness of just 0.65mm and the mesh structure to be created with an inner edge length of 0.42mm. Despite these exacting requirements and the hard-to-handle raw material, the e-mac achieves a cycle time of just 19s in this application. With an acceleration of over 20m/s2, according to Engel, the injection axis of the Engel e-mac is now the world’s fastest of its kind. Additionally, the synchronous movements of the drive axes ensure fast cycle times.
New all-electric Engel e-mac injection moulding machine, demonstrating its capability in the manufacturing of electronic mass products (photo: Engel)
Due to its compact footprint, the Engel e-mac saves shop floor space and is frugal in its use of resources. From injecting and metering to mould and ejector movements, all drives in theEngel e-mac are servo-electric. They are operated by a modern axis system solution involving a stabilised intermediate circuit. The braking energy is recovered and fed back into the grid. The Engel e-mac series has four machine sizes with clamping forces of 50, 75, 100 and 180t. Equipped with the proven CC 200 control unit, the Engel e-mac offers complete modularity and automation technology integration capability. While the Engel e-motion machines have established themselves in medical technology and in fast running applications in the packaging industry, the Engel e-mac is said to be an economical alternative for applications in technical moulding and the electronics industry.
www.engelglobal.com
From packaging to medical applications
Hall 5.1, booth A41
Under the theme “Production Efficiency”, Arburg is presenting its range of hydraulic, hybrid and energy-efficient electric Allrounders. The exhibits include a hybrid Allrounder 520 H packaging model, an electric Allrounder 370 E for medical housings and a hydraulic two-component Allrounder 520 to produce orange peelers.
A new version of the hybrid Allrounder Hidrive series, identifiable by the letter “P” on the machine, is dedicated and optimised to meet the requirements of the packaging industry. Features of this “P” version include a fine tuning of opening stroke, clamping force and the distance between tie bars. Besides precise and energy-saving mould movements realised by servo-electric toggle-type clamping units, features are high plasticising capacities due to the barrier screw and servo-electric dosage drives employed. The hybrid Allrounder 520 H packaging model exhibited has a clamping force of 1,300kN and size 400 injection unit. It produces a typical packaging item, an ice-cream tub, in a cycle time of 3.5s.
Electric Allrounder 370 E produces housing component for medical technology
For the medical market, an electric Allrounder 370 E will produce a housing for use in a fluid mixing system. The exhibit has a clamping force of 600kN and works with a size 170 injection unit. This electric Edrive series features in particular low emissions, and is therefore also suitable for cleanroom applications. All parts handling is carried out by a Multilift Select robotic system. Multilift robotic systems, like the Integralpicker machines, are fully integrated in the Selogica machine control system, and can be programmed conveniently thanks to the teach-in function.
Two-component Allrounder produces orange peeler with LSR element
An orange peeler, featuring pleasant haptic properties of the handle made of LSR, is produced on a hydraulic two-component Allrounder 520 S with a clamping force of 1,600kN and size 290 and 100 injection units. With this system, the company demonstrates its competence in both multi-component injection moulding and the processing of liquid silicone (LSR). Local mould-making firm Hongrita provides the tooling.
www.arburg.com
Arburg moulds a hard/soft combination of thermoplastic and LSR at the Chinaplas. The two-component Allrounder 570 S therefore also features an LSR injection unit and associated peripherals. (photo: Arburg)
Mixing and dispensing system from a single source
Hall 5.1, booth B65
Rampf Dosiertechnik is exhibiting the DC-CNC 800 low-pressure mixing and dispensing system. The compact dispensing cell will use Raku-Pur Speed Technology to apply a foam gasket from Rampf Giessharze on site. The DC-CNC 800 low-pressure mixing and dispensing cell is a good solution for the 2D or 3D application of casting, sealing and adhesive systems. The basic set-up of the cell is equipped with an integrated control cabinet and can be fitted with piston pumps or gear pumps. Further features include the Siemens Sinumerik modular control system and integrated process control for continuous monitoring of pressure, fill level and speed. The mixing and dispensing system can optionally be equipped with a high-pressure rinse agent recycling system, high-pressure water rinsing or various items of automation equipment, depending on the application in question.
The DC-CNC 800 is an updated and enhanced version of the DC-CNC model. New developments include standardised operating concepts for the sliding table, rotary index plate and conveyor feed. The company states that the system also features improved material preparation with larger tanks, meaning that small containers can be fully filled in one step. This is also to ensure more material-friendly homogenisation and faster degassing. Accessibility has also been improved for maintenance work on the dispensing pumps and controls, says Rampf.
www.rampf-dosiertechnik.de
The DC-CNC 800 low-pressure mixing and dispensing system is said to have improved material preparation with larger tanks, meaning that small containers can be fully filled in one step. (photo: Rampf)
Localised extrusion pumps
Hall 5.1, booth B71
Maag Pump Systems and Automatik Plastics Machinery will once again be joining forces to exhibit at the show. Maag Pump Systems will unveil its new EA pump, developed specifically for the Asian market. The company’s Extrex pump family will be on display, also as part of an extrusion system featuring a screen changer for a wide range of applications.
To further increase its footprint in the Far East and re-state its interest in the Asia-Pacific region, Maag is launching its Extrex EA, a localised extrusion pump providing a differential pressure of up to 200bar and covering most extrusion applications. Assembled in the company’s new facility in Shanghai, the pump also integrates key components, such as gears and bearings made in Maag’s European facilities.
The new Extrex -5 pump family is a modular system. The standard design covers three different pressure ranges providing maximum possible throughput for the required pressure range. Optimised modules and clearance classes are available to meet specific application requirements, depending on viscosity and throughput. Maag’s Extrex pumps are designed to withstand differential pressure of up to 400bar and discharge pressure of up to 500bar.
www.maag.com
Compact system for laser plastic welding
Hall 5.1, booth L 27
LPKF launches the volume-production version of the LPKF InlineWeld 6200. This system enables strong reliable laser welds to be created even when only a small footprint is available for the equipment. The system can be used integrated within the client’s own production set-up.
The LPKF InlineWeld 6200 succeeds the tried-and-tested LPKF InlineWeld 6600 (formerly known as LQ-Integration), and requires even less space. It consists of two components: the control unit measures a mere 40 x 53 x 60cm (w x h x d). This contains the control electronics and the laser source, all housed within a maintenance-friendly 19” rack system. The control unit can be positioned outside of the actual working area independent of the head module which does the welding, for instance, either above or below the component handling equipment. The control has a field bus interface to communicate with master computers and transfer the tracking data.
The head module is permanently connected to the control unit and consists of a laser scanner and the clamping tool. Thanks to its small footprint of only 330 x 370mm it can be positioned within even the most restricted spaces.
The LPKF InlineWeld 6200 is equipped with a tool that is also designed for laser protection (laser class 1). The tool holder holds the components to be welded. The maximum welding contour dimensions are 100 x 100mm. The upper drawer is used for the fast, tool-free swap-ping of the clamping device.
The InlineWeld 6200 system enables laser welds to be created even when only a small footprint is available for the equipment. The system can be used integrated within the client’s own production set-up. (photo: LPKF)
The flexible welding unit can be integrated on rotary tables or conveyor belt systems within fully-automatic production systems. It can also be used economically and productively in partially automatic production layouts, for example, with manually-fed drawers.
The laser welding system is equipped with laser sources with outputs of up to 120W – the power required depends on the intended components, the production set-up and the specified cycle times. The glass protecting the optics is said to be easily cleaned because it is also located in an easily accessible drawer. Every LPKF laser welding system is supplied complete with efficient software to define the welding contours.
www.lpkf.com