Strictly-Extrusion

SGL Acotec, Germany, claims to have revolutionised the production of glass-reinforced composite pipes using PTFE liners, with its new Keravin PTFE pipes. SGL Acotec technical manager Dr Ralf Troschitz said: “We are the first company in the field to be able to clad a semi-finished extruded PTFE pipe with glass and carbon fibre fabric. The lamination of the GRP carrier layer is then made in the traditional way.” The company said prior to the development, the pipes could only be made from clad sheet material, since the sheets had to be pre-heated, formed into a pipe shape and welded along the length. Using the bought-in PTFE , Troschitz said: “We can now desist from that process entirely for the first time.” SGL Acotec sees potential in substitution of metal pipes with enameling or loose Cladding; Troschitz added that an electrically conductive version is available.

The company claimed the pipes provide an improved technical performance. It pointed to general weaknesses at the flange connection points and undesirable permeation effects in the liner that have previously caused corrosion on steel support piping.

CertainTeed Corp., USA, broke ground recently on a new vinyl window manufacturing facility in Lebanon, about 25 miles northwest of Indianapolis. It is expected to be up and running by next Spring. The plant will be a window fabrication facility. The vinyl components of the windows are extruded by CertainTeed’s Hagerstown facility. The Lebanon facility will initially employ 100-120 people, but could reach 350 within five years.

New Castle Industries, USA, a major producer of screws, barrels, and heat-transfer rolls, has opened a Technical Lab and Training Center at its headquarters. Designed for customer evaluations and training, the facility has a complete 53-in.-wide sheet line with 3.5-in., 24:1 extruder, plus a new 180-ton injection molding press for screw development and testing.

AMI is pleased to announce the launch of a new event: The Plastics Industry Strategy Seminar. This 1-day seminar aims to clearly and concisely discuss the main trends and challenges faced by both material suppliers and processors in the thermoplastics market. The papers, all presented by Mr Andrew Reynolds, Research Director, will build up to form a unique report on trends in the world plastics industry. With unique access to one of the industry’s leading consultants, you will be able to get answers to the questions of importance to your business. Delegates will also receive detailed marketing and statistical data on the size, growth prospects and strategic direction of the plastic industry trends. This will include both information on local market demand as well as the global context for developments.

19th November 2002, AMI Offices, Bristol, United Kingdom
If you would like further details about this event, please contact Maud Lassara on +44 117 924 9442 Fax: +44 117 311 1534 or email ml@amiplastics.com

Annual resin consumption in the European pipe market will reach 4.1 million tonnes by 2005, with overall growth projected at 3.1% a year, according to David Durand, director of global research at Phillip Townsend Associates.
The growth will be more marked in Central and Eastern Europe, at 5.4% a year, than in Western Europe, here consumption is forecast to expand at 2.4% a year over the same period.

Durand identified polypropylene and cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) as the fastest growing resins in the European pipe market. He said: “We expect 9% growth a year in PP because of new grades that will allow replacement of both traditional non-plastic materials and PVC in the building sector and in sewer pipes. Growth in PEX, estimated at over 5.5% a year, will be driven by indoor heating and plumbing.”

While not growing as fast as PP, PVC and HDPE will remain the dominant resins in European pipes, Durand forecast. “PVC provides a good cost/performance balance despite environmental pressures, while PE is the preferred resin for pressure pipe for gas and water distribution.”

Main applications across Europe for the pipe market include sewage (30%), water distribution (16%) and building pipe (15%). The fastest growing applications are gas distribution, cable conduit and building pipe. “We expect to see around 5% increase in gas distribution applications driven by increased use of high pressure HDPE grades versus steel,” he said.
David Durand will be one of 17 speakers at European Plastics News’ Pipes 2002 conference in Brussels on 5-6 November. For details contact EC Conferences on +44 (0) 20 7505 8564.

The Bemis Company, USA, one of the world´s leading manufacturers of flexible packaging materials with sales of US$ 2.3 bn, is acquiring the Walki Films division of Finnish paper giant UPM- Kymmene for US$ 70m at the end of the year. In return, UPM will take over the worldwide MACtac business from Bemis for US$ 420m. Both deals are to be settled in cash.
With sales of EUR 123m and 500 employees, Walki is one of the big European producers of high barrier film (vacuum and modified atmosphere) for foods. With the acquisition, Bemis will double its European sales and thus considerably reinforce its presence in Europe. The two Walki facilities in Valkoakoski / Finland and Epernon / France will continue to operate under the management of Bemis.
MACtac produces two-sided adhesive tape and self-adhesive film for labels, as well as for graphic and decorative products, achieving sales of US$ 491m. Apart from six facilities in the US and Mexico, the Belgian plant also forms part of the acquisition. Mactac additionally operates a worldwide distribution network. UPM will allocate the division to its own Raflatac business. Raflatac already achieves sales of EUR 670m from self-adhesive labels in paper and plastic and has almost 2,000 employees worldwide.

Pannon Aldra, the Hungarian PVC films joint venture of Pannonplast, Budapest, and Alkor Draka, a Solvay subsidiary, have announced plans to end manufacturing of calendered flexible PVC films before the end of 2002 to concentrate on trading activities. Some 130 jobs will be lost. The company has been “severely hit” by the contraction of the European markets and the crisis in the German building industry in particular. Despite considerable investment in modernisation and restructuring, it has failed to break even.

A new black color concentrate for PVC enables plastics and wire and cable manufacturers to achieve higher throughput rates than with conventional concentrates while not compromising the uniformity of pigment distribution during melt processing, it was announced today by Teknor Color Company.

Designated CS-2001-3 Black, the concentrate has achieved successful use in several vinyl processing operations, according to marketing manager Stephan Pronovost, including a profile extrusion company that increased output by 20% after switching to the new colorant.Key to this improved productivity is Teknor Color’s use of a new carbon black pigment that disperses more uniformly and at higher loadings in the PVC carrier resin than conventional carbon blacks. The resulting concentrate incorporates into wire and cable compound more readily and consistently than standard black PVC concentrates during melt processing, said John Wood, technical manager: “New CS-2001-3 Black concentrate is twice as efficient as our older-generation PVC blacks and exhibits pigment agglomerations that are 30 to 50% smaller.”

Plastic pipes have extensive growth potential for sanitary and heating applications. Due to their outstanding property profile and easy installation, aluminium plastic composite pipes are particularly suitable for these applications and in some areas, they are likely to replace conventional copper pipes. In anticipation of this emerging market, Italian pipe producer Tuboplast has now placed a large order with Battenfeld Extrusiontechnik for extensive extrusion equipment to be used in its new production line. The new line is equipped for the extrusion of aluminium composite pipes with a diameter range of 14–40 mm. The manufacturer opted for the production of high-tech pipes with a five-layer structure. In its core, the pipe wall contains an aluminium layer that is embedded in two layers of silane cross-linked PEHD, which are each joined to the aluminium core layer with an adhesive layer. The combination of two disparate materials within one aluminium composite pipe requires a highly complex production process.

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