Strictly-Extrusion

Paulson Training Programs and Davis-Standard, Pawcatuck have come out with a customized version of Paulson’s “Single-Screw Extrusion Operation and Control” interactive training program on CD-ROM. The 4-hr course is customized for Davis-Standard extruders. It features video, text, audio, and 3-D animations of the extrusion process. Davis-Standard customers can now train all of their personnel on the specifics of single-screw extruders using the powerful training methods of Paulson Training Programs. More information can be obtained from either company.

Leistritz, Germany, has released a twin-screw extruder that has a screw diameter of 110 mm, a screw speed of up to 1200 rpm and delivers a torque of 16,900 Nm. Called the ZSE 110 HP, it can extrude up to 10 t/h. Typical application areas are filling and reinforcing of polyolefins as well as processing of engineering thermoplastics and elastomers. The ingenious modular systems for the processing section and drive make scale-up from laboratory to production very straightforward.

BASF AG,Germany, together with Pagendarm BTT GmbH, is building a technical center facility for coating webs with aqueous pressure-sensitive adhesives at a maximum speed of 1500 meters per minute. BASF says it will have the fastest coating machine for pressure-sensitive adhesives in the world. Joint trials with customers are planned to start in 2003. The existing facility of Pagendarm will be revamped to specialize in application of uv hot-melt adhesives at up to 600 meters per minute. Aqueous pressure-sensitive adhesives are marketed by BASF under the brand name Acronal and uv hot-melt adhesives under the brand name acResin.

The Dual Channel Indicators from Gefran CRL are designed to be used with melt pressure transducers and temperature sensors on plastic manufacturing machinery. Input 1 is for strain gauges and pressure transducers. Input 2 is for thermocouples, RTD, PTC, NTC, 0-60mV, 12-60mV, 0-1V, 0-5V, 1-5V, 0-10V, 2-10V, 0-20mA and 4-20mA. Sample time is 15–120 msec and accuracy is 0.2% at full-scale. There is no need to change any hardware or use external shunts to go from one type of input to another, simply change a parameter on the input configuration menu. To manage non-linear sensors, there is a 32-element custom linearisation of the main input. The front panel, with IP65 protection rating, has a two 4-digit display (one for pressure and one for temperature) each with 13 mm high red LEDs, a keyboard, three function keys and a fourth key that can be configured as hold, alarm reset, and set change functions. The functions can also be assigned to an optional digital input. The 40TBs hardware allows it to have up to four outputs. The wide selection includes relay, logic and analogue outputs. The serial communications option, available in standard RS 485, is also available as an option. The device is supplied in an easy configuration with just a few simple software parameters. To program, customers can use the ‘Winstrum’ PC configuration kit, configuration software for Windows (95, 98, NT), which configures the entire device in seconds, saves programs, prints data, displays trends, and saves historical data, in addition to saving configurations. ‘Winstrum’ is standard on the 40TB.

Poor sales prospects and the lack of a buyer has led Nextrom Holding SA to shut down its cast and blown film machinery operation in Italy with a loss of 67 jobs. The company blamed the low activity and poor outlook in the plastic film equipment market for a very low order book at the subsidiary, Nextrom SpA. of Milan.

One of the Glynwed Pipe Systems businesses bought by Etex last year has been sold on. Plastics and rubber seal maker VIP-Heinke has been bought by a consortium including Close Brothers Private Equity and Grove Industries, which owns United Polymers Group. Non-executive chairman of Grove Industries David Grove has taken on a similar role at VIP-Heinke, while chief executive of United Polymers, Rod Lister, becomes a director at VIP-Heinke. No price has been put on the company, but VIP-Heinke’s turnover last year was around £12 million.

The concept of wood-plastic composites is starting to excite interest Europe as methods of combining the two materials are developed and as the market continues to expand in the USA and in other parts of the world. AMI is pleased to announce the launch of another innovative event which aims to offer a comprehensive itinerary covering the latest developments in natural fibres based composites. „Wood-plastic composites – a sustainable future“, 14-16 May 2002, Renaissance Penta Vienna Hotel, Vienna, Austria, will focus on various aspects of wood-plastic composite manufacture and provide insight into its market potential.
It will provide an international forum for all companies within and outside of the forest products industry willing to embrace the environmental salience and profit potential of wood-plastic composites and will therefore aim to encourage the effective use of composites, improve partnering and collaboration between companies and raise the profile the industry.

The conference programme will be divided into a number of sessions that will look at legislative/environmental standards and requirements, raw materials and additives, surface treatment and added value, developments in processing and tooling as well as case studies from key industry players examining their innovative applications and products. The conference will be followed by a special half-day session and open house at Cincinnati’s premises in Vienna, featuring various practical demonstrations of wood-plastic composites extrusion. Further information: hs@researchami.com

Gossen Corp.,USA, is adding extrusion capacity at its Cartersville plant. The move by the Milwaukee-based producer of PVC millwork and windows will increase the company’s production capacity by about 8 percent. The company added five lines late last year and have followed up with three more lines this year.

Basell and PKN Orlen in Polish PE and PP joint venture Supervisory Board of Polish petrochemical group Polski Koncern Naftowy, Poland, has given approval for a new joint venture with Europe’s polyolefins market leader, The Netherlands, to build and operate a 320,000 t/y PE plant and a 400,000 t/y PP plant at Plock, Poland. PKN’s General Meeting on 21st of February is expected to approve the JV, too. Start-up of the EUR 350m complex is scheduled for the end of 2004 or the beginning of 2005.

Advanced Environmental Recycling Technologies Inc., USA, will invest US$18 million to construct a production facility for its composite decking and railing. The new facility, scheduled to start production in 2003, will be the firm’s second in Springdale, Ark. The firm scored a success by forming a partnership with Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse.