Your Business In Brief - February 2008

WEB EXCLUSIVE - Conair and Husky Jointly Offer PET Systems

The Conair Group, Inc., Cranberry Township, Pa., and Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd., Bolton, Ont., have agreed to jointly supply complete PET preform manufacturing systems worldwide. Husky builds injection presses, hot-runner systems, and molds. Conair supplies a wide range of auxiliary equipment, most particularly its new EnergySmart PET drying technology. For More Information Visit Conair Group, Inc's PT Online Showroom .

 

WEB EXCLUSIVE - Lubrizol Adds TPU Capacity

Estane Engineered Polymers – (Div of Lubrizol). (formerly Noveon), Cleveland, has completed a 30% capacity expansion for Estane TPUs. A new production line was installed at Avon Lake, Ohio. For More Information Visit Estane Engineered Polymers – (Div of Lubrizol) PT Online Showroom .

 

WEB EXCLUSIVE - Rapid Acquires Moditec’s Screenless Granulators

Rapid Granulator AB of Sweden (U.S. office in Rockford, Ill.) has acquired Moditec of France, which specialized in low-speed, screenless granulators designed with staggered rows of multiple “chipper” teeth on the rotor. The two companies had previously cooperated in low-speed granulator technologies. The acquisition expands Rapid’s low-speed granulator offerings and brings in Moditec’s Integrated Metal Detection technology, which Rapid plans to apply to its entire low-speed range soon. For More Information Visit Rapid Granulator AB's PT Online Showroom .

 

WEB EXCLUSIVE - Bayer Acquires TPU Slush Molding Powders

Bayer MaterialScience, Pittsburgh, has bought intellectual property related to TPU slush molding from the former Collins & Aikman Corp. Designed for instrument-panel skins and other interior trim, C&A’s TPU technology included size reduction to produce the “slush” rotomolding powders and formulations for light-stable aliphatic TPUs that don’t need paint. Bayer plans to offer the powders in custom colors. For More Information Visit Bayer MaterialScience's PT Online Showroom.

 

Formable Luminescent Films Can Be Backmolded

Polycarbonate electroluminescent films can provide light in homes, cars, cellphones, and even inside ladies’ handbags. While it has been possible to make flat light-emitting films, they now can be formed into 3D shapes with tight radii, thanks to technology developed by Lyttron Technology GmbH, a new start-up subsidiary of Bayer MaterialScience AG in Cologne, Germany. Lyttron uses screen printing to deposit the electroluminescent structure—essentially a parallel-plate capacitor comprising up to 20 layers—on Bayer’s Makrolon PC film. Lyttron uses back-side printing to protect the special layers from damage. When connected to a source of electric power—mere millivolts—the structure emits light without heat. The entire surface of the film emits light uniformly. No diffuser sheet is needed. The coatings can emit light in blue, green, orange, or white, and can be printed on matte or glossy surfaces.

Lyttron developed a high-pressure forming method for 3D lighting shapes. The formed film can be used as an in-mold decorating insert and backmolded by injection molding. Lyttron’s first application was a strip for illuminating the inside of women’s handbags. Also commercial is a self-lighted car license plate. For More Information Visit Lyttron Technology GmbH's PT Online Showroom .

 

SIG Sells Stretch-Blow Machinery Unit

Germany’s SIG Beverages, which includes SIG Corpoplast, a leading stretch-blow molding machine maker, and SIG Plasmax, a supplier of plasma barrier coatings, has been sold to Salzgitter AG, a leading German steel maker. The acquisition strengthens Salzgitter’s position as a single-source provider to the plastic bottle market, according to the company. The SIG businesses will be run under Salzgitter’s KMS AG subsidiary, which supplies filling and packaging systems. For More Information Visit SIG Corpoplast's PT Online Showroom.

 

Sumitomo Confirms Talks On Acquiring Demag

Last month, Japanese plastics machinery supplier Sumitomo Heavy Industries Ltd. confirmed that it was in talks regarding the acquisition of Demag Plastics Group, Schwaig, Germany, although no decisions had been made. DPG is owned by Madison Capital Partners, a Chicago-based private equity company that purchased the Mannesmann Plastics Machinery (MPM) group in July 2006. DPG’s U.S. headquarters are at the former Van Dorn offices in Strongsville, Ohio. Sumitomo Plastics-Machinery in Norcross, Ga., builds machines here, which DPG no longer does. For More Information Visit Sumitomo Heavy Industries Ltd.'s PT Online Showroom.

 

GLS Is Now Part Of PolyOne

PolyOne Corp., Cleveland, completed its purchase of TPE supplier GLS Corp., McHenry, Ill. GLS will remain a separate operation and will integrate PolyOne’s own TPE product lines. For More Information Visit PolyOne Corp's PT Online Showroom.

 

New Home for Welex

Last month, extrusion equipment supplier Welex Inc. moved from its home of 40 years to a location virtually next door, at 1600 Union Meeting Rd., Blue Bell, PA 19422- 1966. Phone number remains the same. For More Information Visit Welex Inc.'s PT Online Showroom.

 

Cereplast Plans Major Bioplastics Expansion

Cereplast Inc., Hawthorne, Calif., announced plans to ramp up its starch-based resins production by 500 million lb by spring of 2010. The company expects to start up two lines totaling 100 million lb by this summer at a new facility in Seymour, Ind. Plans also call for an additional 50 million lb by Jan. 2009, another 250 million lb by Sept. 2009, and 100 million lb more by spring 2010. The company currently operates a 50-million-lb facility in Hawthorne.

The new capacity will include a mix of compostable resins—based on polylactic acid (PLA) or thermoplastic starches mixed with some PLA —and Cereplast’s new non-compostable “hybrid” blends of starch with conventional polymers such as PP. For More Information Visit Cereplast Inc.'s PT Online Showroom.

 

Basell Completes Lyondell Acquisition

The recently completed merger of Basell Polyolefins in The Netherlands and Houston-based Lyondell Chemical Co. has resulted in the formation of LyondellBasell Industries, the world’s third largest independent chemical company. With corporate headquarters in Rotterdam, LyondellBasell is organized into four global business units. North American headquarters for the polymer business—which includes Equistar Chemicals—is at the former Basell offices in Wilmington, Del. LyondellBasell claims to be the world’s largest producer of polypropylene and advanced polyolefins, a leading supplier of polyethylene and catalysts, and the industry leader in licensing polypropylene and polyethylene processes. For More Information Visit Lyondell Chemical Co's PT Online Showroom.

 

Conair Moves

Conair recently moved its headquarters and technical center from Emsworth, Pa., to another Pittsburgh suburb, Cranberry Township. The new tech center will house an expanded drying laboratory to accommodate increasing demand for customer testing, moisture sampling and analysis, and crystallization trials on PET and PLA. Address is 200 West Kensinger Dr., Cranberry Township, PA 16066. New phone number is (724) 584-5500; fax (724) 584-5299. For More Information Visit Conair's PT Online Showroom.

 

Dow Quits Non-Automotive Sales of ABS & SAN

Dow Engineering Plastics, Midland, Mich., halted sales of ABS and SAN in the Americas to non-automotive markets on Feb. 1. All ABS will be made at the Midland mass-process plant. Dow will convert two other ABS plants in Connecticut and Ohio, to polystyrene and move them into the planned PS joint venture with Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. That venture will be called Americas Styrenics and will be based in Houston. It is expected to start up in this quarter. For More Information Visit Dow Engineering Plastics' PT Online Showroom.

 

Bayer Acquires Spray Foam Supplier

Bayer MaterialScience LLC, Pittsburgh, has added to its BaySystems North America LLC subsidiary by purchasing UCSC, Ltd. of Phoenix, Ariz., a supplier of rigid PUR spray foam roofing and wall insulation materials. BaySystems is a network of PUR systems houses. For More Information Visit Bayer MaterialScience LLC's PT Online Showroom.

 

Malvern Instruments Moves And Acquires Viscotek

Malvern Instruments Inc., supplier of Bohlin rheometers and particle-size analyzers, has moved its U.S. headquarters from Southborough, Mass., to Westborough, Mass. The company also recently acquired Viscotek Corp. of Houston, which supplies instruments for gel permeation chromatography (GPC), flow injection polymer analysis (FIPA), and dilute solution viscosity (DSV). For More Information Visit Malvern Instruments Inc.'s PT Online Showroom.

 

Gammaflux Teams Up With Synventive

Gammaflux LP, Sterling, Va., and Synventive Molding Solutions, Peabody, Mass., have reached a private-label manufacturing agreement whereby Synventive will sell Gammaflux LEC and TTC hot-runner temperature-control systems. Gammaflux had a similar arrangement with Husky until Husky bought Moldflow’s Altanium product line last year. For More Information Visit Gammaflux LP's PT Online Showroom.

 

Graco Buys GlasCraft

Cohesant Technologies Inc. will sell its GlasCraft Inc. subsidiary in Indianapolis to Graco Inc., Minneapolis. GlasCraft claims to have developed the first spray-up system for FRP composites nearly 45 years ago and still makes dispensing systems for open- and closed-mold FRP manufacturing, PUR foam, and polyurea coatings. Graco, a specialist in liquid dispensing and spraying, bought Liquid Control and Decker Industries in 2004, two other makers of dispensing and spraying equipment for FRP and PUR, and also acquired Gusmer in 2005, a major PUR machinery supplier.

 

Arburg Opens Midwest Technology Center

The newest Technology Center for Arburg, Inc., Newington, Conn., is located in Elgin, Ill. The 6000-sq-ft facility has room for six injection presses from 14 to 618 tons and is designed for customer training, application support, machine demonstrations, mold trials, and after-sale service. The new center can be reached at (847) 488-1313; fax (847) 488-9011. For More Information Visit Arburg, Inc.'s PT Online Showroom.

 

Cannon & Edge-Sweets Form Joint Distribution

A reciprocal distribution agreement for polyurethane equipment in the U.S. and Canada was recently announced by Cannon USA, Cranberry Township, Pa., and Edge-Sweets Co. (ESCO), Louisville, Ky. Cannon will market and sell ESCO’s low-pressure metering machines for PUR elastomer and filled formulations, as well as dedicated storage plants for PUR chemicals. In turn, ESCO will sell Cannon’s line of high-pressure metering equipment and market Cannon’s specific solutions for automotive, appliance, and insulation markets. For More Information Visit Cannon USA's PT Online Showroom.

 

Intertek Buys PTLI

Intertek Group plc, Houston, an international provider of quality and safety services, has acquired Plastics Technology Laboratories, Inc., (PTLI), Pittsfield, Mass. PTLI adds to Intertek’s U.S. network of polymer testing capabilities in Houston, New Orleans, Grand Rapids, Mich., and other locations. For More Information Visit Intertek Group plc's PT Online Showroom.

 

Ahlstrom Doubling Output Of Glass Reinforcements

Ahlstrom Corp. of Finland (U.S. office in Windsor, Conn.) plans to double its production capacity for specialty reinforcements in the U.S. by the end of 2011. The capacity will be implemented in two phases at Bishopville, S.C., and will involve primarily reinforcements for wind energy markets. For More Information Visit Ahlstrom Corp's PT Online Showroom.