PET to PET Reaches New Record With over 15,000 Tonnes of Recycled PET Materia

After a pandemic-related decline last year, PET to PET Recycling Österreich GmbH in Müllendorf, Burgenland, has drawn a successful interim balance for 2022 with a new record value: 15,131 tonnes of PET beverage bottles were kept in the resource cycle – this corresponds to an increase of 5.3% compared to the pre-crisis level (2019: 14,329 tons). “Together with our employees, we were able to overcome the major challenges posed by the pandemic. The armed conflicts in Ukraine have once again shown us the critical dependencies and thus the dramatic developments on energy markets,” explains DI Christian Strasser, Managing Director of PET to PET.

In the course of the increasing demand for recyclates, the company’s property was expanded by 19,000 m² this year in order to create additional storage space at the site. Interesting archaeological finds came to light during the work. A burial ground from the late Bronze Age was excavated by archaeologists and handed over for restoration. After careful processing, the finds are to be presented to the public in a suitable manner – among other things, at the upcoming celebration of the company’s 15th anniversary in September.

In addition to the expansion, PET to PET GmbH is also investing heavily in energy efficiency this year. The newly created area will be equipped with a photovoltaic system. Around 12,000 m² of PV panels will be used, which in future will cover about 10 % of the required electrical energy from the company’s own production. In further expansion stages, this figure is to be further increased. In the past, the company has already relied on 100% renewable energy for the operation of its plants.

Percentage of recyclate in beverage bottles already above European target for 2030Austria plays a pioneering role in bottle-to-bottle recycling. The majority of beverage packaging placed on the market in Austria already consists of high-quality reprocessed used beverage bottles. “We are particularly pleased that major beverage producers are already using 100% recyclate from our company to produce new bottles,” says Christian Strasser. The different use rates across all products in the market lead to an average recyclate use of well over 30%, which already exceeds the European Union’s targets (30% for the year 2030). “The PET bottle cycle in Austria is a showcase project for how high-quality packaging can be kept in the cycle and a best-practice example for many other packaging plastics,” explains Strasser.

Since June 2022, Mag. (FH) Thomas Billes has been part of the PET to PET management team as the new CFO. The native of Burgenland (40) graduated from a university of applied sciences in international economic relations and has already been working for the Burgenland-based company since 2010. After a short familiarisation period, he took over the tasks as authorised signatory for the areas of accounting, purchasing and sales. In his new position, he continues to be responsible for the commercial area of PET to PET, while Christian Strasser is in charge of the technical area, strategic corporate development and the company’s external image.

SABIC’S new SMT

-capable ULTEM 3473 resin helps reduce weight of RF filters in 5G macro cells by up to 40%

SABIC, a global leader in the chemical industry, today introduced ULTEM 3473 resin, its first polyetherimide (PEI)-based material with surface mount technology (SMT) capability. This new product addresses the growing trend toward smaller, lighter 5G macro cells by providing a possible replacement for metal. For example, ULTEM 3473 resin can help reduce the weight of an aluminum radio frequency (RF) cavity filter by up to 40 percent. In a typical macro cell with 64 filters, this weight saving can be significant. Furthermore, this new resin can help facilitate the design of new, integrated antenna filter units (AFUs), which is not achievable with metal. Using injection molding, the dipole antenna matrix and RF cavity filter body can be produced as one piece. This approach simplifies production and may lead to additional weight savings and system cost reductions.

During close collaboration with the industry’s leading companies, we have witnessed a growing number of 5G infrastructure manufacturers validating the use of lighter materials to make it easier and faster to assemble, transport and install these components,” said David Wang, senior business manager, SABIC. “By offering an effective alternative to metal and helping enable the design of integrated antenna filter units, we aim to help them achieve these goals.”

Performance, Processing and Assembly Advantages
New ULTEM 3473 resin offers performance, processing and assembly advantages over die-cast metal and thermoplastics such as filled polyphenylene sulfide (PPS). The new SMT-capable resin enables components to withstand very high temperatures, up to 260°C, during the assembly process. With a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) similar to that of metal, ULTEM 3473 resin provides dimensional stability under a wide range of operational temperatures, from -40°C to 150°C, over the long term. Dimensional stability of the material, in turn, helps ensure consistent signal filtering of the RF cavity filter by minimizing dimensional variations over these temperature ranges. In contrast, the CTE of filled PPS products increases significantly at temperatures above 85°C to 90°C, according to SABIC internal testing.

Apart from ULTEM 3473 resin’s advantages of low CTE and SMT capability, it provides excellent surface metallization performance during the chemical plating process. The result is good adhesion of the metal layer to the matrix, with low surface roughness. These factors help ensure low signal loss and long-term reliability.

Customers that opt for new integrated AFU designs made with ULTEM 3473 resin can significantly reduce cycle times compared to casting and machining aluminum. Injection molding multiple one-piece components can help manufacturers increase throughput, respond more rapidly to growing demand for 5G components and potentially reduce additional weight and system cost of 5G macro cells.

“Our new ULTEM 3473 resin is the first product in the portfolio that targets 5G macro cells and other electrical devices,” said Siguang Jiang, staff scientist, SABIC. “In addition to critical properties such as good dielectric constant and dissipation factor performance, the material offers increased heat resistance for the SMT assembly process. Its improved flowability helps customers achieve miniaturized, complex designs. Besides being an excellent candidate for 5G networking, ULTEM 3473 resin is potentially applicable to other sectors, such as industrial or electrical segments that require weight reduction solutions.”

Arburg at MSV: Showing What the Industry Needs!

• Production efficiency: electric Allrounder for for energy-efficient series production
• Automation: powerful solutions with local partners
• Digitalisation: “arburgXworld” customer portal and ALS host computer system

MSV, which will take place in Brno from 4 to 7 October 2022, is the most important mechanical engineering trade fair of the year for the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Arburg stand (Hall G1, no. 029) reflects that market is traditionally very important for the company. Two exhibits will demonstrate production-efficient series manufacturing on an electric Allrounder as well as the possibilities that adapted automation solutions can open up in day-to-day operation. The stand will also feature a demo station of the portal “arburgXworld” and its apps, as well as for the ALS Arburg host computer system as an overarching manufacturing execution system (MES).

Daniel Orel, Managing Director of the Czech Arburg subsidiary in Brno, explains the significance of MSV for the region and for Arburg: “This trade fair is extremely important for our customers in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. With its 50-year history and around 70,000 visitors attending every event, MSV enables us to present our technology portfolio to attendees and also gives us plenty of time to discuss the latest developments in the plastics industry with them.”

Digitalisation and production efficiency
For Daniel Orel, two key topics are digitalisation and production efficiency with a focus on energy requirements. The topic of digitalisation will be represented by an info station showcasing all the apps of the “arburgXworld” customer portal and explaining their functions and how they are combined in the different equipment packages. This station will clearly demonstrate how customers can boost flexibility in their day-to-day work and save time and money through intensive use of the apps.
The topic of energy requirements is also closely linked to the arburgGREENworld programme and its focus on circular economy and saving resources. For Czech and Slovak processors, the main priority is to make savings in this area in order to make production more efficient and avoid high energy costs. The hybrid and electric Allrounders are particularly helpful thanks to their highly energy-efficient operation.
At the MSV, an electric Allrounder 520 A with 1500 kN clamping force and size 400 injection unit is presented. This machine is equipped with a single-cavity mould from a Czech company to make a lunch box out of PP as an example of a classic packaging item. The cycle time is 20 seconds. The free gift – one for every visitor – clearly demonstrates a production-efficient and energy-efficient series manufacturing process can be used to produce plastic parts.

High-performance automation solutions
MSV also gives the Czech subsidiary an opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities of the Arburg Technology Factory (ATF) which houses a showroom, consulting service, spare parts facility and training opportunities alongside a machine warehouse, customer-specific machine modifications and the implementation of turnkey systems with local partners.
The second exhibit is a Kuka six-axis robot, whichs showcasse the possibilities offered by robot systems in automation solutions and turnkey systems from Arburg. The robot will build a model of the hybrid Allrounder 1120 H out of Lego bricks and take it apart again, demonstrating its accuracy and precision every time. The building kit consists of four different components and there will be a separate gripper, which can be changed automatically, for each of these component assemblies. The robot features a QR code scanner which can be used to read the codes of each subcomponent. This allows an image of the relevant component to be displayed on a screen along with an accompanying description.
Daniel Orel describes the aim of this demo setup: “As well as showing our customers the model of the Allrounder 1120 H with its parameters on the screen, we also want to demonstrate the potential robot, the gripper change and the scanner and how external products and peripheral equipment can be fully integrated.” This application is of particular interest for the companies from the extensive Czech and Slovak automotive production industry, who will need to keep automating and digitalising their processes in order to remain competitive both now and in the future.

MSV will showcase economic development
Daniel Orel also sees MSV as an opportunity to take stock of the situation in the plastics industry over the next few months up to the end of the year: “We should be able to identify the trends that are set to shape short-term developments in these uncertain times. By speaking to our customers, we get an idea of their situation and find out what is important to them at the moment and we have a good mix of information that will help us to give our customers appropriate advice and support them with their work.”

Arburg at Drinktec: innovative reusable cups

• Unique: reusable foam-moulded cups with future potential
• Strong together: combined expertise of our partners
• Versatile: broad Arburg portfolio for the beverage industry

Arburg will attend Drinktec in Munich from 12 – 16 September 2022 to showcase a pioneering application: at the Arburg stand 224 in Hall C 5, visitors will discover an outstanding innovation in the field of reusable cups. Arburg will demonstrate how an electric Allrounder 520 A injection moulding machine can produce foam-moulded IML cups from Bockatech, which are not only very light and very well insulated but also recyclable after multiple uses.

“At the World’s Leading Trade Fair for the Beverage and Liquid Food Industry, we will present a real innovation in packaging,” says Andreas Reich, Arburg’s Director Central Sales & Applied Technologies. “Manufacturing individual, reusable thermo cups using the Allrounder 520 A combines the EcoCore and MuCell processes with in-mould labelling for the first time – ensuring stable, quick and cost-effective series production.” This reusable cup by Bockatech is more stable than a paper or thermoformed cup of the same weight. In addition, the manufacturing process uses significantly less material. The end product is a very well insulated reusable cup that is even dishwasher-safe.

Strong partners
The cups, which are injected on an electric Allrounder 520 A with Gestica control system and MuCell package, are the product of a partnership with Bockatech and the other partners Borealis (material), Trexel (MuCell), Roboplas (IML automation) and MCC Verstraete (IML labels).
By combining EcoCore technology from Bockatech and Arburg’s high-performance machine with the “aXw Control ScrewPilot” for stable mould filling and the “aXw Control PressurePilot” for bionically optimised pressure control, the cups can be manufactured quickly and with low energy consumption. The cycle time for a 430-millilitre container is only around 5.5 seconds.

Light, stable and insulating, with an individual design
The material is enriched both chemically with a blowing agent (CO2) and physically using the MuCell process with nitrogen. This homogeneous solution is injected through a hot runner with a needle shut-off nozzle. The single-cavity mould then opens and the part expands. The resulting integral foam structure, with fine foam cells with diameters between five and 50 micrometres, is ultimately crucial for cooling and thermal insulation. The foam-moulded walls have a thickness of two millimetres, making them almost four times larger than those at the beginning of the process. The foam-moulded cup therefore has very good insulating properties and is suitable for hot and cold drinks. At the same time, it is very stable and can be produced with any design using the IML process.

Broad portfolio for the beverage industry
As a system partner, Arburg has many years of experience in the manufacture of closures for beverages and special items, specifically of multi-component closures. For which cube technology and Allrounder Cube machines are predestined. To implement optimised solutions in this sector, Arburg has the very experienced partner Foboha on its side. The Cube machines can manufacture standard and special closures from one, two or three components at very high levels of output with a small footprint. Not only that, but this is a reliable process, even for the processing of recyclates, PCR materials or bio-plastics. This topic, alongside resource efficiency, CO2 footprint and Circular Economy is an important component of the ‘arburgGREENworld’ programme.

A one-stop shop
Mould technology often has a big role to play in the manufacture of closures, e.g. for unscrewing and fitting lids. Electric mould functions of this kind can be implemented efficiently using the products from AMKmotion, since 2021 a company in the Arburg family.
Arburg therefore does more than supply injection moulding technology. It also provides its customers with professional project management and comprehensive consultancy support for the development of turnkey solutions for the beverage industry.

The interpack alliance takes you to the Middle East and Africa: pacprocess MEA and Food Africa will take place in December

The Middle East and Africa (MEA), and especially Egypt as a hub for the entire region, is an attractive market for the international packaging and related process industries. pacprocess MEA and Food Africa are the perfect platform.

A 20% increase in demand in the Middle East and Africa – this is the kind of growth that the German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA) is currently expecting to see. The need for packaged food in this region will presumably increase to 93 million tons over the next four years. This shows the huge potential hidden in this segment of the market alone for the international packaging sector and the related process industry.

pacprocess MEA and Food Africa are coming at exactly the right time. The trade fair duo will take place in 2022, from December 5th to 7th in Cairo, under the umbrella of the interpack alliance fair. The synergy between the events is huge, as the food industry is the biggest consumer of packaging.

“The enormous dynamics of the market in the Middle East and Africa were already palpable during past events,” says Thomas Dohse, Director of the interpack alliance. “Now is the ideal moment to enter this fascinating market.”

A rising profile: pacprocess MEA
pacprocess MEA has been the most important trade fair for processing and packaging in the region since 2019. In 2021, around 16,000 visitors came to Cairo for pacprocess MEA and Food Africa. Both events profit from support by local businesses, public authorities, associations and Egyptian governmental organisations.

The African food industry’s number one: Food Africa
As the largest professional trade fair for the food industry in Africa, Food Africa is a unique platform for entry into the African mega-market for food and agriculture. This is even more relevant in the face of the burgeoning global food crisis. At the trade fair, exporters can engage in targeted networking with local, regional and international industry representatives.

Food Africa has been part of the interpack alliance portfolio since last year. Here, as well as for pacprocess MEA, Messe Düsseldorf is working with the event organisers IFP Egypt and Konzept.

Taking advantage of the opportunities in the MEA region
After South Africa, Egypt is the most industrialised nation on the continent, and one of the fastest growing food markets in the world. Numerous trade agreements and an advantageous geographic position on one of the most important trade routes, the Suez Canal, offer ideal conditions. For manufacturers of food producing machines and packaging machines from Egypt, but also from all of North Africa and the Middle East, this is an important sales market. The African food market is expected to more than triple by 2030 and reach one trillion dollars. Accordingly, investments in production capacities are being made. Manufacturers with large export quotas in particular are focusing on modern technology to meet the demands of their different national sales markets.

Exhibitors can register directly at www.pacprocess-mea.com or www.foodafrica-expo.com for both trade fairs.

SABIC launches blockchain pilot for digital traceability of certified circular TRUCIRCLE feedstock

• SABIC’s consortium blockchain pilot project is a collaboration with technology company Finboot, advanced recycling pioneer Plastic Energy, and packaging specialist Intraplás
• The project intends to create additional transparency and digital traceability for certified circular feedstock used in SABIC’s TRUCIRCLE™ solutions

SABIC, a global leader in the chemicals industry, has launched a pilot project with technology company Finboot, advanced recycling pioneer Plastic Energy, and packaging specialist Intraplás to investigate the possibilities of blockchain technology in supporting end-to-end digital traceability of circular feedstock in customer products.

Tracing the journey of feedstock through the complex petrochemical value chain is currently a difficult undertaking. To improve this process and support the delivery of its circular feedstock to customers – part of SABIC’s TRUCIRCLE™ portfolio and services –, SABIC has launched this pilot project to demonstrate the feasibility of using a blockchain-based, value-chain IT application. SABIC’s is the first project of its kind in the industry to trace the product from feedstock production to converter, going further than previous industry applications of blockchain in end-to-end tracing. The platform offers reduced costs, time and improved data integration for all value chain partners.

Another of the key benefits of blockchain technology in the delivery of more sustainable solutions lies in its ability to validate sustainability proof points and organizations’ ESG credentials. This is of significant benefit to all members of the value chain, including external parties, as it reduces the administrative efforts associated with the certification process of materials. It is also a more reliable process, due to the reduced risk of human error.

Waleed Al-Shalfan, Vice President Polymers Technology & Innovation at SABIC, said: “At SABIC, we have a deep commitment to innovation and technology that can help us to deliver more sustainable solutions to our customers. Our vision to create a circular economy for plastics requires a total transformation of the value chain, and pioneering partnerships with partners both upstream and downstream. Blockchain technology holds exciting potential for the provision of our TRUCIRCLE products to customers, and therefore for our commitment to supporting customers in their sustainability ambitions.”

Finboot’s MARCO software solution acts as middleware layer and will track the TACOIL produced by Plastic Energy from their recycling process, the delivery of this oil to SABIC for conversion into its TRUCIRCLE circular polymers, and finally the delivery of the polymers to Intraplás for conversion into their packaging solutions. The technology also ensures that all data gathered remains immutable while shared across suppliers, customers and regulators – providing transparency, auditability and accountability in a complex industrial ecosystem.

Juan Miguel Pérez Rosas, CEO of Finboot, commented: “We are excited to embark on this pilot as it will significantly contribute to the development and progression of a circular economy, while setting the example for best practice for the global manufacturing sector. SABIC is at the forefront of its industry, always looking to the future and investing in technology and innovation to accelerate its digital transformation that supports the circular economy.”

Marisa Alves, Chief Procurement Officer at Intraplás, added: As a global provider of packaging solutions, Intraplás has the clear ambition to make sustainable packaging broadly available to the market, without compromising the environment and food safety, something that boosted the participation on this important project with our supplier and long-term partner SABIC. The blockchain technology project will reinforce our objectives even more, as it will help us to improve performance, create additional transparency to the supply chain and promote digital traceability for our certified circular packaging. This is an Intraplás contribution, through more concretely sustainable solutions, to a real circular economy.”

Carlos Monreal, Founder and CEO of Plastic Energy commented, “As a company who has developed our own innovative technology, we at Plastic Energy are excited to explore the opportunities that new technologies like blockchain can offer. This pilot has the potential to make a big impact in the value-chain, providing a new level of traceability and transparency for recycled plastics, and demonstrating how advanced recycling can play a valuable role in the circular economy of plastics.”

MEAF shows best in class ‘green’ extrusion solutions at K 2022

At K2022, the world’s largest trade show for the polymer industry in Düsseldorf, Germany, 19 to 26 October, MEAF Machines will demonstrate its best in class extrusion solutions at booth A22 in Hall 17.

Thanks to its highly efficient design, MEAF’s extrusion have a 30 to 65% smaller carbon footprint than many of its competitors while allowing for a further reduction in raw material use. In addition its in-build flexibility allow MEAF’s extruders to work with almost any thermoplastic material, including biopolymers and recycled materials like bottle flakes and post-consumer regrind, thus helping plastics processors to go ‘green’.

Manufacturers in the food packaging sector are under huge pressure from regulators, supermarkets and consumers to reduce the amount of plastics used, while still maintaining food safety, attractiveness and recyclability. By partnering with Swiss manufacturer Promix Solutions, MEAF has added physical foaming capabilities to its extrusion lines. This allows for a further reduction in material use and lower weight, without compromising on features such as stackability and strength. Thanks to the use of nitrogen rather than the often used butane and propane, the process has almost no environmental impact.

An industry sector which only recently has started to move towards a ‘greener’ future is the carpet and artificial turf sector. Where previously they would use non recyclable materials like bitumen and latex, they are now looking at switching to thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) and TPU for their carpet backing to allow for their products to become fully recyclable rather than being incinerated or ending up in a landfill . This however requires a considerable switch in the production process and a new way of thinking for many carpet manufacturers, reason for MEAF to adjust its in-house extrusion test line for various carpet backing solutions.

Energy and material efficiency have always been at the heart of MEAF’s design philosophy, longbefore it became fashionable. This has helped to company to gain a foothold in far-away placeswhere reliable energy and raw materials come at a premium. “That is the advantage of being arelatively small company,” says Elwin Houtekamer, Director at MEAF Machines BV. “We are more agile than the big manufacturers and work as equal partners with specialised innovative suppliers. This way we are always at the forefront of extrusion technology.”