Strictly-Extrusion

Coperion, the global market leader in compounding systems and plants for the plastics industry, is also continuing to expand its leading position in the service sector. At the recently established e-shop customers are now able to place orders for spare parts and check on the availability of parts around the clock. By providing this service, Coperion is helping its customers to reduce their own warehousing costs. They now have direct access to a considerable proportion of Coperion.s stock. The simple, efficient ordering process reduces costs and the rapid delivery . within 24 hours in Europe if required . provides a degree of flexibility not previously possible.

Following a link on the homepage of http://www.coperion.com website leads customers directly to the new e-shop. There they can
- enquire about stock and the quantity of parts required,
- examine their specific delivery and payment conditions,
- place an order, for which an automatic order confirmation is dispatched by e-mail,
- specify individual delivery dates for the required parts,
- check the status of their current orders (entered, confirmed, picked, dispatched),
- trace back previous spare part orders and duplicate them as required.

Already more than 1,000 different parts are listed at the e-shop, including screw elements, barrels, heater cartridges and thermocouples for twin-screw compounders (ZSK) from laboratory extruders with a 25 mm screw diameter to models with a 133 mm screw diameter. Also available are pelletizer knives, filter inserts and filters for the associated melt filters and pelletizing equipment.
This stock will be continually expanded to include larger extruder systems. The e-shop.s
Information on stock and availability is always current as there is a direct link to the stock control system.

Highly secure encryption using 128-bit technology and customer-specific passwords offers all enquiries and orders the same security as with online banking . data exchange between the
customer and Coperion Werner & Pfleiderer is reliably protected against unauthorised access.

Converting companies like Carpak S.A., a Carvajal company in Colombia, South America know they need the latest technology to compete in Latin America, and also globally. Their Flexa Division in Cali, Colombia is proof of that. The 140,000 square foot plant now features a sophisticated 7-layer blown film line from Battenfeld Gloucester Engineering, which was recently installed.
‘Because Carvajal has been recognized in Latin America as a top technical leader’, states Joaquin Llano, Flexa’s Technical Manager, ‘We needed to choose state of the art equipment to maintain that position and promote the company’s vision of being an expert in the industry.’
Boasting one of only two 7-layer blown film lines in Latin America (both supplied by Battenfeld Gloucester), Carpak-Flexa Division started up production last August shortly after a very efficient installation coordinated by their Project Engineer, Jair Aristizabal. The line is running high barrier film for flexible laminations, 3.5 - 5.0 mils thick and 35′ - 72′ wide.
‘We knew Battenfeld Gloucester had one of the most advanced systems available,’ says Fabio Gonzalez, Flexa’s Project Engineer. ‘We were also concerned about technical support, because customer service is essential. The very professional group working there was a major reason for our decision to go with Battenfeld Gloucester.’
Seven ContracoolÒ extruders lead the way downstream to a sixteen inch 7-layer Optiflow LPÔ die with internal bubble cooling (IBC) and Battenfeld Gloucester’s UltraCool air ring sitting on top. The newly designed air ring produces marked improvements in bubble stability, rates and gauge variation. Its ’self covering’ feature prevents a hole or other disturbance from losing the bubble. A precise gravimetrics batch blending and resin loading system feeds the extruders. The DigisonicÔ IBC Control System provides ease of thread up, consistent layflat and faster product changeovers.
The non-contact nature of the air bearing cage allows the bubble to glide effortlessly up through the combination air board and composite roller collapsers to Gloucester’s TraversanipÒ oscillating hauloff. Here, any slight gauge variations in the film are randomized before sending the web down the 35 foot steel tower to the proven technology of the Model 1008D winder. A programmable logic control (PLC) touch screen controls all winder functions including critical winding tensions essential for specialty films.
The entire line is operated by Battenfeld Gloucester’s Extrol 6032 Microprocessor Control System, where prestored product formulas make repeatable batches easy work. The Extrol Anywhere package provides in-plant and out-of-plant process engineers or Gloucester technicians direct modem access to the Extrol any time of day.

Acrylic sheet producer Plaskolite has purchased PlastiMirror, Inc. of Rahway, a producer of mirrored plastic sheet in acrylic, polycarbonate, and PETG.

Black Clawson Company, USA, has completed the sale of the assets of its Black Clawson Converting Machinery LLC division to a new company formed by the management team of Black Clawson Converting Machinery and investment partners, Hamilton Robinson LLC. The new company, Black Clawson Converting Machinery, Inc., will operate from its existing location. The new company has offered employment to all of Black Clawson Converting Machinery LLC active employees.

DuPont Packaging & Industrial Polymers today announced a price increase of 0.10 Euro/kg effective April 1st 2003 for all its ethylene copolymer resins sold in Europe, Middle East and Africa, including Appeel® lidding sealant resins, Bynel® adhesive resins, Elvaloy® modifier resins, Elvaloy® AC acrylate copolymer resins, Elvanol® polyvinyl alcohol, Elvax® vinyl acetate copolymer resins, Fusabond® modifier resins, Nucrel® acid copolymer resins and Surlyn® ionomer resins. This move follows DuPont’s recently announced increases for these materials in North America, South America and in Asia Pacific.
Ethylene copolymer products are used in the manufacture of packaging, sporting goods, caps and closures, and a variety of construction industries. These products are manufactured at DuPont’s facilities in Texas, USA, in Dordrecht, Netherlands, in Antwerp, Belgium and in Chiba and Otake, Japan.

Blown-film air-ring supplier Future Design Inc. has created a new division to produce electrical control panels for a wide variety of manufacturing processes. The Electrical Panel Shop (EPS) Div. is headed by Steve Ellis, who has 20 years’ experience supplying, installing, and servicing panels and components.

Noveon, Inc., USA, has purchased sheet-extrusion technology and other assets from SJM Eurostat S.A. in Point-de-Poitte, France. SJM supplies static-control products to the electronics industry in Europe. Noveon says it will immediately begin servicing customers with ESD-control sheet products toll-produced for Noveon by SJM. The sheet-extrusion technology acquired by Noveon covers carbon-filled HIPS, ABS/PC, HDPE, and EVA. Noveon also plans to introduce a new dual-layer HIPS product that combines the conductive carbon-filled technology from SJM with a layer of Stat-Rite inherently static-dissipative polymer technology from Noveon. The new sheet product enhance Noveon’s ability to supply thermoforming customers.

Rib Loc Group Ltd. has licensed the U.S. firms BRH Garver Inc. SOS Construction Inc. to install its no-dig pipe rehabilitation technology. Rib Loc’s technology uses PVC lining to repair underground pipes without unearthing them. The two new U.S. licensees are subsidiaries of Los Angeles-based PPR Pipe Rehabilitation, which was acquired by rePipe Inc. in July.

Kömmerling (Tianjin) Kunststoff Co.,Ltd. has opened a new 90.000–square meter manufacturing plant in Tianjin. Targeting the rapid development of the construction industry in China combined with a high demand for long lasting quality products, Kömmerling has moved to this modern facility. The new plant can produce 10.000 tons of window profiles annually and occupies facilities such as dry blend mixing, extrusion, warehousing and laminating department. For this purpose the company imported several machines from Germany and also invested in new downstream equipment from Battenfeld Chen in Shunde. High-quality standard and local support and service in China are the main reasons to choose extrusion equipment from Battenfeld Chen. Kömmerling intends to boost capacity soon. The expansion will take place in three (3) stages with the target of a total extrusion capacity for PVC window and door profiles of 50.000 tons annually.
“We will endeavor to meet diversifying customers’ requirements by strengthening our marketing systems. Simultaneously we will strive to achieve value-added results focusing on higher profitability for our customers and ourselves”, said General Manager Karl H. Freund.
Kömmerling (Tianjin) Kunststoff Co.,Ltd. has started producing high-quality window and door profiles in China eight years ago and is an affiliate of Kömmerling Kunststoff GmbH in Germany, Europeans leading manufacturer of PVC window profiles. As one of the first companies worldwide Kömmerling successfully made use of rigid PVC for the production of windows in the year 1967.

Variform Inc., USA, is closing its vinyl siding extrusion facility in Butler. The shuttering will affect 102 employees. Variform owns the 100,000-square-foot facility. During the past year, the company has installed newer lines at extrusion locations in Kearney, Mo.; Martinsburg, W.Va.; and Jasper, Tenn.