Sustainability as a driver: Green, greener – Arburg

Lots of companies are talking about it at great length, but Arburg is taking action! When it comes to environmental protection, there is hardly a term more frequently used than “sustainability”. But how is it put into practice? Precisely that question is answered by the new Arburg Sustainability Report, backed up with a plethora of topical facts, figures and data. In an interactive PDF, a wide range of really interesting background information can be accessed online at any time. The 2021 version has been available on the Arburg website since the beginning of March 2022.

In its Sustainability Report, the traditional family company shares with the world its plans and practices for long-term sustainability in all relevant areas. Even the Sustainability Report itself is sustainable: The interactive document with fascinating facts, figures, and data are ready to be browsed on the ARBURG website – the company has taken a conscious decision not to produce a hard printed version.

Showing responsibility with arburgGREENworld

This Sustainability Report is a building block in the “arburgGREENworld” program, with which the company has defined sustainability through resource efficiency and the circular economy as an important goal. All backed by the tradition of conscious awareness of the need for sustainability. Back in 2012, Arburg became one of the very first companies ever to be awarded triple certification for quality, environment, and energy.

Not only that, but for decades the company has viewed the need for environmental protection, conservation of resources, and efficiency as an obligation and as an incentive. This is expressed, for instance, in energy-efficient construction and sustainable manufacturing processes. Other contributing factors include central production at a location with a high proportion of in-house manufacturing and short supply chains, production-efficient machine technology, as well as the digital products and services of the “arburgXworld” program.

Impressive figures

One principle of the “arburgGREENworld” philosophy is that plastics are not rubbish, but recyclables! Giving value to resources, reducing emissions, putting finances to good use for Arburg and its employees, and understanding digitalization as sustainability – are just a few of the central tenets that have been distinguishing the company for years. Tenets that it upholds consistently, as demonstrated clearly in this new 2021 Sustainability Report.

Would you care for another example? In the new assembly hall, with a floor area of 28,500 square metres, constructed to expand the capacities, Arburg is able to use the energy supplied to heat the building – just as it does by the way in the other assembly halls it has constructed over the last few years –, in a virtually cost- and carbon-neutral manner. In addition, the use of photovoltaics and geothermal energy contributes significantly to sustainable energy management.

Further impressive figures demonstrate how Arburg has implemented sustainability across the entire company:

• 90 percent of all waste generated in 2020 was recycled.
• 20 percent of the company’s entire water consumption comes from rainwater collected in a number of cisterns.
• 9 million kWh of solar energy were generated through photovoltaics and used in-house by Arburg in 2020. This corresponds to the energy needs of over 500 four-person households.
• 3 million kWh of wind energy were generated in 2020. This corresponds to the energy needs of over 340 four-person households.
• Over 90 million kilograms of carbon emissions were saved between 2010 and 2020.

Clearly structured

The “WIN-Charta” sustainability management system of the state of Baden-Württemberg is used as a basis when gathering data for the Sustainability Report. This “Charta” consists of twelve statements that address, among other topics, human and labour rights, employee well-being, resources, energy and emissions, product responsibility, and anti-corruption. Another key factor is the added value that a company like Arburg can create for a region.

#sustinability #green #win-charta #aurburg 

Beaulieu Fibres International offering efficiency solutions for the filtration industry at Filtech 2022

Beaulieu Fibres International is heading to Filtech set on fostering collaborative product development to address the industry’s increasing clean air and energy management priorities. The leading European polyolefin and BICO fibre supplier is exhibiting at Europe’s largest filtration event for the first time (Hall 7 Stand R12).

“The market is constantly looking for new solutions that help to improve air quality and increase the quality of food and industrial liquids, in an energy-efficient way. Improving filter efficiency with a low-pressure drop is a key challenge in this constant process of setting new standards, and we are very excited about the capabilities of our polypropylene fibres to bring innovation to this area. It’s a big focus for our R& D teams,” comments Jefrem Jennard, Sales Director Industrial Fibres, Beaulieu Fibres International.

“Close collaboration and co-development are so important for quickly and effectively targeting emerging needs. Filtech will provide an excellent platform for kick-starting conversations with visitors and exploring possibilities to benefit a whole host of applications.”

Beaulieu Fibres International offers an extensive range of mono-component and bi-component polypropylene (PP) fibres for air and liquid filtration. The company continues to develop and grow the market for food contact filtration and is committed to extending its fibres’ potential to improve filtration efficiency in air filtration markets.

Its wide variety of fibre diameters, tenacities, textures, bulk, and surface areas, create unique opportunities for manufacturers to further push filtration efficiency without compromising on pressure drop. This results in filter media delivering improved air quality in the case of HVAC systems or automotive cabin air filters and increased particle retention in the food processing industry.

PP is particularly relevant to the heightened focus on clean air, as it is chemically inert, resistant to microbial attack. It does not take on humidity and allows static charging. BFI’s latest Ultrabond fibre, allows the design of fully recyclable single polymer filter media, with improved bonding and stiffness properties.

#efficientsolution #Filtech2022 #industrialfibres 

Perstorp strengthens the portfolio with Isononanoic Acid

Specialty chemicals innovator Perstorp expands its value proposition for its selected segments Engineered Fluids and Resins & Coatings with the addition of Isononanoic Acid to the portfolio.

Isononanoic Acid is a critical carboxylic acid used in polyol ester synthetic lubricants, as a corrosion inhibitor in coolants, and also in alkyd resins and paint driers. With this new launch, Perstorp will provide additional supply, especially for applications where Isononanoic Acid contributes with unique and critical properties. Highlighted benefits are consistently high quality and purity for advanced performance formulation. Its unique branched structure provides both stability and compatibility with today’s and next-generation refrigeration gases.

“The introduction of Isononanoic Acid is a natural step for us to provide a complete portfolio of high-quality building blocks to our engineered fluids as well as resins and coatings customers. During the pre-marketing trials done by customers, the high quality and the minimal alterations to formulations have been confirmed. We are happy to expand our position further to be able to serve a strong demand from the market”, says Patrice Pinsard, Executive Vice President Strategic Markets & Innovation.

Volkan Goren, Vice President of Engineered Fluids explains, “Isononanoic Acid has proven to pave the way for next-generation lubricants compatible with non-ozone depleting and low to no global warming potential refrigerant gases. Together with other essential polyols and carboxylic acids, Perstorp offers a complete portfolio to support the cooling industry continuously moving forward to sustainability.’’

Production will start in March 2022 at the Perstorp site in Stenungsund, Sweden. Isononanoic Acid is available through Perstorpdirect sales globally.

#Isononanic acid #perstorp #highperformanceformulation #minimumalteration 

www.perstorp.com

SERIES 725 CO-EXTRUSION CROSSHEAD FROM GUILL TOOL

Guill Tool introduces Series 725, a co-extrusion crosshead design for tray cable. With all stainless steel construction, Series 725 offers machine builders and end-users many advantages, including the patented Guill Seal Right system of self-aligning tapered deflector and body design.

Series 725 was developed by Guill engineering, in partnership with a customer, to convert a production line from a Tandem line with two heads a distance apart into a co-extrusion line with a single head applying both layers of PVC in a single operation. The efficiency and improved profit potential from such a configuration is substantial, according to Guill sources.

Other end-user benefits of this new co-extrusion crosshead include a considerably shorter changeover time (one head is better than two, in this case), less scrap with a single head setup, improved product quality from the increased adhesion between layers, as melt adheres to melt rather than extrudate, plus the inner layer is not exposed to the environment, allowing contaminates between the layers.

Additional features of this new crosshead include multi-port spiral flow, easy disassembly, and restart, positive seals for leak elimination, adaptable to all extruder brands, max. thru-core of 1.750” and max. Die ID of 2.000”, the first layer fixed and second adjustable, the patented Guill Feather Touch concentricity adjustment, vacuum port, and the ability to accept two extruders from the same side via the heated manifold assembly. Series 725 is furnished with a tool kit and a detailed operator’s instruction manual.

#series725 #co-extrusion #guilleningeering #extrudate 

www.guill.com

TPEs ENHANCE COMFORT IN OPTICAL APPLICATIONS

In today’s fast-paced, digital world, electronic devices are dominating our work, play, and daily habits as we seek speed, accuracy, and convenience when performing tasks such as online buying, trading, or banking.

 While everything can be done with the tap of a finger, the extra screen time spent on electronic devices can be detrimental to eye health. It is not surprising that because of excessive and sustained use of such devices, ocular disorders are becoming more common, necessitating corrective vision care and the use of optical aids to improve vision.

Meanwhile, innovations in the development and manufacturing of optical devices have resulted in the use of advanced engineering materials such as thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) for their build, enabling market-required features such as lightweight, comfort, and safety.

KRAIBURG TPE, a global thermoplastic elastomer manufacturer with a broad range of products and custom solutions for a range of industries, offers the THERMOLAST K series of TPE compounds for optical equipment applications.

TPEs add clarity to optical devices  

KRAIBURG TPE’s THERMOLAST K FC/AD/PA compounds meet the performance and design standards for optical devices, including grips and handles applications on reading glasses, magnifying glasses, hand-held mirrors, and scanning devices.

The FC/AD/PA series complies with food-contact regulations, including Regulation (EU) No. 10/2011 and US FDA CFR 21, allowing for safety of use.

Furthermore, the compounds have excellent adhesion to nylons such as PA6, PA6.6 (up to 50% glass fiber content), and PA12, providing design flexibility in multi-component injection molding. 

Due to the excellent abrasion resistance feature, which enhances the materials’ durability, the compounds are suitable for use on handles and grips of optical devices such as hand-held mirrors, magnifying glasses, and scanning devices.

Outstanding features of compounds

In the THERMOLAST K series are the VS/AD/HM compounds. With properties such as a velvety surface and wear, scratch and abrasion resistance as well as resistance to chemicals, sebum, and oils, the TPE compounds are ideal for a variety of applications, such as nose pads and temple tips of reading glasses and safety goggles.

Also, the high-quality, custom-engineered TPE compounds adhere well to polar thermoplastics such as PA6, PA12, PC, ABS, PC/ABS, ASA, and SAN, allowing for a multitude of design options. Overall, KRAIBURG TPE’s THERMOLAST K series is a good choice for products that need to have an aesthetic appeal since it can be pre-colored according to customer requests.

#Opticalapplications #thermolast #electronicdevice #manufacturing

Global masterbatch market set to prosper despite the challenges ahead 

The masterbatch market continues to be incredibly dynamic, maintaining growth throughout the pandemic in all major global regions, and outperforming the growth of both GDP and the underlying polymer demand. It is now a market worth more than US$ 30 billion. The sector is expected to go from strength to strength over the next five years, with the average annual growth rate exceeding 5%. Unsurprisingly, the fastest double-digit growth will be present in the developing global regions, whereas more moderate growth rates will be experienced in the well-established markets of Europe, North America, and North-East Asia.

The new report Thermoplastic Masterbatch Global Market 2022, from AMI Consulting provides a comprehensive analysis of the current status and the future prospects of the global masterbatch market. Both production and the demand for different masterbatch types (black, white, colour, and additives) are analyzed in detail for eight global regions, along with the demand from major end-use markets. The competitive landscape is also reviewed, with key players for each product and region identified and their latest activities explored.

In volume terms, the global masterbatch market is fairly evenly split between the four main types of black, white, colour, and additive. In value terms, however, colour masterbatch dominates the market.

The market for additive masterbatches will outpace the growth of other masterbatch products, propelled by the surge in demand for more advanced product formulations to meet the evermore complicated customer requirements that combine pigments with various additives. Much of the product innovation still takes place in the more developed markets, but other regions are quickly catching up, and indeed, the fastest growth for all product types will be present in China and the Indian subcontinent over the forecast period.

 China is the largest supplier of masterbatch in the world, with much of the output consumed by its own vast manufacturing sector. In the Indian sub-continent, the market will grow incredibly strongly, in double digits for many applications, as an increasing number of converters implement more sophisticated manufacturing technologies and use masterbatch as opposed to traditional coloring methods.

Whilst increasingly sophisticated technical performance is a requirement by many converters, there is also ongoing pressure to make the products more environmentally friendly and easier to recycle in response to upcoming legislation and consumer and brand pressure.

As a result, the masterbatch manufacturers have to develop new products and adapt their existing product formulations in a relatively short time scale. Therefore, the research focus of many key players is now on sustainability and how to better implement a sustainable approach to their product formulations.  AMI’s new report on Global Masterbatch markets analyses the impact of this ongoing sustainability drive on the masterbatch industry.

This study provides the reader a detailed view of global masterbatch production and demand and how the sector will shape up in the next five years in different global regions. It discusses the major trends driving the market and trade flows on a global scale to provide companies with detailed information to help them with their key investment and marketing decisions.

Furthermore, industry consolidation at the processor level is also likely to drive a more streamlined structure for the masterbatch industry. All this is having a major impact on the supply and structure of the sector, and how it will develop in the future. The consequences will be real winners and losers among market participants.

The study is relevant to all those seeking to understand the latest developments in the masterbatch industry and is therefore suitable to anyone from resin, pigment, and additive producers through to end users of plastic products, and of course to masterbatch manufacturers themselves. The report delivers a comprehensive assessment of the current industrial situation and forecasts future developments of the sector.

#globalmasterbatch #globalscale #AMIconsultanting #currentsituation

www.ami-international.com

Quick to market with a customized product:  Compalen Slip Strip Compounds for a gentle, comfortable shave

Compalen Slip Strip conditioning compounds are ready-to-process for the manufacturing of the lube strips that enable wet shaving particularly gentle and comfortable. Carrier resins are polystyrene (PS) or thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) for injection molding or extrusion. Individual formulations are developed in close partnership with the customer. GRAFE has all the necessary resources in-house, ranging from its staff’s many years of expertise and a state-of-the-art technology center providing the capability to perform and evaluate all analysis, inspection, and testing.

When it comes to compounding Compalen Slip Strip, GRAFE can draw on its long and wide-ranging experience of thermoplastic additivation in order to combine the base material with freely selectable coloring pigments and functional fillers, which are purely physically incorporated without coupling agents. Customers can choose between proven active

Ingredient formulations and the development of individually tailored compounds. Supplied as free-flowing pellets, all compounds are suitable for direct co-extrusion or 2-component injection molding together with compatible thermoplastics such as PS or ABS that provide mechanical stability.

Due to the high filler contents, a certain proportion of the additive formulation remains on the surface of the resultant lube strips, which means that, on contact with water, these components can dissolve, swell and so show the expected effect. The soaps, fats, and oils present in these components provide a pleasant lubricating effect that protects the skin from irritation. Further conditioning and fragrance components can also be incorporated and combined with the desired on-trend color. The range of potential combinations is virtually unlimited.

As Danny Ludwig, Head of Product Management at GRAFE explains, “Our selection of carrier polymers and processing technologies available for Compalen Slip Strip compounds results in a modular system allowing the design to be optimally adapted to function and, in this specific case, to fitting to the razor head. Our development team can also advise on the selection of additives and reconcile customer wishes with processing realities, so eliminating potential problems at an early stage on the road to serial market application.”

#compalenstripcompound  #vpolystyrene  #grafe #processingtechnology 

www.grafe.com