icoolthailand

ice chest cooler

2013-01-17T14:39:00.000+09:00

Description for ice Chest Cooler : Click !!

Description

Capacity : 40 lit. Code : icool 40
Dimension :
dim. (ext.) : 41 x 53 x 44 cm.
dim. (int.) : 32 x 40 x 52.5 cm.

Igloo 40 Quart Maxcold Extended Performance Wheeled Cooler

Description

Capacity : 100 lit. Code : icool 100
Dimension :
dim.(ext.) : 45.5 x 69.5 x 59 cm.
dim.(int.) : 37 x 57 x 45 cm.

Coleman 100-Quart Xtreme Wheeled Cooler (Blue)

Description

Capacity : 130 lit. Code : icool 130
Dimension :
dim.(ext.) : 52.5 x 80.5 x 62.5 cm.
dim.(int.) : 42.5 x 65.5 x 46.5 cm.

Description

Capacity : 160 lit. Code : icool 160
Dimension :
dim.(ext.) : 52.5 x 84 x 68 cm.
dim.(int.) : 43.5 x 70 x 51.5 cm.

Igloo Quick and Cool Cooler (150-Quart, White)

Description

Capacity : 200 lit. Code : icool 200
Dimension :
dim.(ext.) : 57 x 92 x 69 cm.
dim.(int.) : 47 x 77.5 x 52.5 cm.

Moeller Ice-Station Zero Marine Ice Chest (94-Quart, 34.75" x 18.63" x 17.75")

Big ice chest cooler

2013-01-16T15:23:00.000+09:00

Description for Big ice Chest Cooler : Click !!

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Description : 1000 lit.

Igloo Glide PRO Cooler (110-Quart, White)

Description

Capacity : 300 lit. Code : icool 300
Dimension :
dim. (ext.) : 56 x 89 x 61 cm.
dim. (int.) : 68 x 107 x 81 cm.

Igloo 120 Quart Maxcold Extended Performance Cooler

Description

Capacity : 450 lit. Code : icool 450
Dimension :
dim. (ext.) : 81 x 114 x 91 cm.

Igloo 70 Quart Maxcold Extended Performance Cooler

Use it for

2013-01-15T12:55:00.000+09:00

Description : Click !!

ice chest coolers of icoolthailand are designed and manufactured to withstand and operate in Thailand. The most advanced materials and the latest manufacturing techiques have been used to bring to you the best moulded polyethylene ice chest cooler in its class available on the market.

USE IT FOR
* Keeping ice for long periods
* In your car for picnics
* Fishing trips
* Boating
* Camping
* Caravaning
* Parties / Catering
* 4WD expeditions

IN FACT anywhere where you require food, or any other items, to be kept cold for the longest period of time.

Axios readies bio-based pallets for market

2012-09-20T09:33:00.001+09:00

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VAUGHN, ONTARIO (Sept. 13, 2:05 p.m. ET) -- Axios Mobile Assets Corp. is bringing its lightweight, bio-based shipping pallets to market.

The startup, based in Vaughn, Ontario, recently entered into a five-year, $300 million purchase agreement with pallet management company Ongweoweh Corp. Axios will ship its first batch of pallets -- 20 percent of the first-year requirements for the blanket order -- in October.

To meet demand, Axios recently acquired a controlling interest in a Guelph, Ontario-based thermoset molder.

Axios, a publicly traded company, said it could not disclose the name of the molder or discuss terms of the deal.

The facility, which employs about 12 workers, will provide Axios with molding and automated assembly capabilities and will serve as the company’s research and development center.

The facility will begin operations in October and has an annual capacity of about 200,000 pallets, enough to cover the first year of orders, said Rich MacDonald, president and CEO of Axios, by phone.

The facility is Axios’ first manufacturing site and has room for expansion, MacDonald said, adding that the company has a backlog of orders stretching over more than the next five years.

The deal with Ongweoweh is Axios’ first big step toward commercialization. The two companies have been running tests and discussing data for about two years, and Ongweoweh sees the Axios’ pallets as a “fantastic alternative to what they’re currently offering their clients,” MacDonald said.

Axios manufactures pallets using a soy oil-based resin. The composite material allows for pallets that meet the same weight requirements as wood but are 30 to 40 percent lighter, MacDonald said.

“The construction isn’t terribly different, but in terms of being best in class, it’s absolutely the lightest in the market for a plastic pallet,” he said.

The 48-by-40-inch pallets weight about 47 pounds and can handle a rackable load of up to 2,800 pounds. To meet the same specifications, a wood pallet would need to weigh about 85 pounds, he said.

Companies that use the pallet have the potential to earn revenue in carbon credits, he said. “It reduces costs of shipping goods from A to B, and that’s obviously a very important feature that no one else has.”

The pallets are designed to cut-down on loss. The metal-free structure and soy-based material has no scrap value, preventing them from being a target for theft.

They also come coupled with proprietary RFID and track-and-trace technology that allows manufactures to follow the pallets every step of the way, MacDonald said.

Axios says its pallets offer several other advantages -- the material is inherently flame-retardant, so the pallets do not need to be treated with controversial retardants like decabromine, and is naturally phytosanitary and has limited liquid absorption. The pallets meet industry standards and FDA requirements for the pharmaceutical and food and beverage industries.

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Plastic glasses for pubs with bad safety record

2012-09-20T09:19:00.006+09:00

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The use of polycarbonate for pub glasses is back on the political agenda after the Labour MP for Wrexham, Ian Lucas, tabled a House of Commons motion that would ensure that bars and clubs with a poor safety record couldn’t serve drinks in glass.

"There are ways of making sure that pubs and clubs with poor record on violent incidents will not be able to use glass," said Lucas, who was inspired to table a motion after hearing the story of a female student who was scared after being hit by a flying bottle on a night out in Wrexham.

The MP tabled the Plastic Glasses and Bottles (Mandatory Use) motion under the 10-minute rule. A date of 26 October has been set for its second reading, however, a shortage of Parliamentary time will almost certainly see the bill fail before it reaches the statue books.

"There are various alternatives to glass available," Lucas explained. "They are much less dangerous. We need to be ensuring that polycarbons are used instead of glass."

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Conti Canada taps new managing director

2012-09-19T09:12:00.003+09:00

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FORT MILL, S.C. (Sept. 10, 2012)—Continental Tire the Americas L.L.C. has appointed Meletis Xigakis managing director of Continental Tire Canada to succeed Oliver Winschiers, who has been named plant operations manager for Continental A.G.'s plant in Camaçari, Brazil.

The moves are efffective Oct. 1.

Xigakis has worked since 2002 in Continental's passenger and light truck tire and OE business units in Hanover, Germany. Most recently, he was responsible for the BMW A.G. and Porsche A.G. global OE accounts as well as the OE passenger and light truck business in South Africa.

Winschiers was managing director of Conti Canada since July 2009. Prior to that he was director of corporate purchasing for Conti's automotive and rubber groups in the Americas. He has been with Continental since 2007 when Conti bought Siemens VDO Automotive.

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Demand of Bio-based Chemicals to Grow Exponentially by 2021, Foresees SBI

2012-09-19T09:05:00.003+09:00

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NEW YORK, USA -- The rising demand for biofuels will spur the market for bio-based Epichlorohydrin (ECH) and biomethanol, the fastest growing segments of the bio-based chemicals industry. According to The World Market for Bio-Based Chemicals, 2nd Edition, a research report from energy publisher SBI, production of bio-based chemicals is shifting away from western nations and towards growing economies. Bio-based chemicals regained ground by 2011, after commodity prices went in flux following the economic crash in 2008, managing a 19.5% compound annual growth rate between 2007-2011. When glycerin prices dropped to historical lows in 2009, producing bio-based ECH and biomethanol for synthetic glycerin became more economical, spurring...

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Steel reinforcements dropped from profiles

2012-09-18T09:50:00.002+09:00

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Two European window makers have developed uPVC window profiles that do not rely on tubular galvanised steel inserts for strength. While steel acts as an effective reinforcement, its heat-conducting properties impede energy efficiency.

Belgium's Deceuninck calls its new window technology Linktrusion and is using the innovation throughout its Zendow#neo window range.

In its Zendow#neo standard range, Deceuninck has replaced the steel reinforcement with a sandwich of steel-wire reinforced PVC, filled with a PVC foam in both the window frame and sash. In the Zendow#neo premium range, the PVC sandwich is used in the frame but in the sash, where strength is most important, a glass-reinforced PVC is used.

Deceuninck says this reinforcement uses 200,000m of fibreglass strand per metre of window frame.

The glass-reinforced PVC is manufactured using up to 260 reels of glass fibre, each containing 7.5km of rovings, which are each made from up to 1,000 individual glass wires. The rovings are heated, calibrated, heated again and melted together to form a thin glass fibre strip. The melted PVC is pressed into a profile tool together with the glass fibre to produce the finished reinforcement.

Deceuninck claims the windows are "almost as strong" as their steel-reinforced counterparts but up to 30% better insulated. They also provide a 40% saving on materials and weight.

Germany's Gealan has introduced its IKD intensive core insulation technology. This uses a foam core in place of the galvanised steel reinforcement. The structural rigidity is maintained by a special adhesive strip that bonds the glass to the casement rebate. Once again, Gealan emphasises the energy saving benefits of this change, saying it can achieve insulation with a U-factor of 0.78 W/m2K.

The foam is injected into the profile chambers during manufacture. The profiles can be cut, welded and trimmed on existing machinery without the need for modification. Because the foam is kept in place inside the profile through pressure, and not surface bonding, it can be removed easily at end-of-life and recycled separately.

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Exercise suit wins DSM’s sports innovation contest

2012-09-17T09:28:00.002+09:00

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DSM Engineering Plastics (DSMEP) has announced the winner of its second annual competition for sports innovations using Arnitel Eco, a bio-based thermoplastic copolyester (TPC) made partially from rapeseed oil.

The winning design, an exercise suit with multifunctional resistance patches, was submitted by Geoff McCue from the US.

McCue says: "My design was triggered by the variable elasticity of Arnitel Eco, as well as its capability to be shaped into different forms in a range of colours. These attributes make it possible to give each resistance level a different colour." The professional jury commended the suit for being “elegant in its simplicity”.

Jury chairman Francis Aussems, innovation manager at DSMEP, says: "Geoff focused on one of the main properties of Arnitel Eco and then took it one step further. The elasticity of Arnitel fibres was translated into additional training resistance during movement. Another differentiator was that Geoff addressed the use of equipment during training rather than in competition.”

Karen Scholz, DSM’s project manager for open innovation, says: "As a company strongly committed to open innovation, we are always ready to talk to the design community. A competition such as this gives us insights into people's needs and expectations. We are keen to make the dialogue about design and sport an ongoing conversation”.

DSMEP cites Arnitel Eco as “super-flexible” while being very strong and able to withstand all kinds of extreme conditions, including high temperatures and ultraviolet radiation. The material recently won the Frost & Sullivan Green Excellence in Product Innovation Award. The material is Cradle to Cradle certified by the sustainable design firm McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry.

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MicroPower will demonstrate molding of micro filter

2012-09-15T10:14:00.001+09:00

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Twelve MicroPower injection molding machines from Wittmann Battenfeld are now being used for medical applications, showing the increasing importance of micro molding in the medical market.

"Micro parts for the medical industry are medical clips, which are implanted and which are biodegradable, implantable sensor housings and micro bearings," Gabriele Hopf, marketing manager for Wittmann Battenfeld (Kottingbrunn, Austria) told Plastics Today.

At the Compamed in Düsseldorf, Germany (Nov. 14-16), Wittmann Battenfeld will produce a polyacetal filter with an 80µ grid and a part weight of 1.1 mg. The demonstration part could be used in acoustical engineering as well as in micro pumps or inhalators. It will be manufactured on a MicroPower 15/10 that has been specially developed for high-precision injection molding of nano and micro parts. The part will be produced in a two-cavity mold with a three-platen injection system.

The two-step injection unit consists of a screw and a plunger, and has a shot volume ranging from 0.05 to 4 cm³. Its auxiliary equipment being has been adapted to the production of micro parts.

The modular machine system consists of a basic platform that can be extended with a rotary disk, parts removal handling, quality monitoring and a clean-room module, extendable up to a complete production cell.

One of the benefits of the system is a thermally homogeneous melt, improving part repeatability and reducing cycle times. That's particularly important for medical molding given the high costs of plastics used in the market. Bioresorbable resins, for example, costs $1,200 to $3000/lb. Medical-grade PEEK used for implantable applications costs more than $1,000/lb.

Customers for the approximately dozen MicroPower units sold into medical applications could not be disclosed, Hopf said.

The first production model of Wittmann Battenfeld's new-generation MicroPower micromolding system, introduced at K 2010, was installed at the RKT Centre for Polymer, Micro and Nano Technology in Bradford, UK.

At NPE2012 last April, an all-electric MicroPower produced a 28-pin micro connector with a weight of 3 mg from polyacetal with a 2-cavity tool. The parts were removed by a W8VS2 robot and checked by a camera system.

MGP commercializes biodegradable resin

2012-09-14T09:28:00.001+09:00

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ATCHISON, KAN. (Sept. 6, 3 p.m. ET) -- Grain-based products maker MGP Ingredients Inc. has commercialized its first biodegradable resin.

The material -- sold under the Terratek BD trade name -- will be formally introduced at the Sustainable Packaging Forum, scheduled for Sept. 11-13 in Pittsburgh.

Atchison, Kan.-based MGP has made bioplastics since 2006, but its offerings to date were bio-based but not biodegradable, product development and sales manager Mike Parker said in a Sept. 6 phone interview. The firm’s previous product lines were starch composites and wood-plastic composites, also sold under the Terratek name, he said.

Terratek BD now is aimed at a variety of injection-molded industrial and consumer products, such as disposable packaging materials and containers. Products made with Terratek BD will biodegrade within 90 days, Parker said.

MGP makes the material at a plant in Onaga, Kan., from a proprietary blend of wheat-based and corn-based products and other compostable materials. The 71-year-old firm also toll produces a separate line of bioplastics for MCG Biocomposites, a technology firm based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Parker said the two materials do not compete with each other. MCG even does some marketing of MGP’s bioresins for MGP, he added.

MGP’s main product lines are grain-based food ingredients and alcohol products for branded packaged goods. Bioresins are a smaller part of what the company does, but they’ve grown to the point where MGP is producing 1-2 million pounds of them each year.

“Bioplastics started out as an R&D effort for us, but they’ve shown a lot of potential,” Parker said.

Mitsui sets up TPE, polyolefin unit in Shanghai

2012-09-13T09:38:00.002+09:00

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TOKYO (Sept. 7, 12 p.m. ET) -- Mitsui Chemicals Inc. of Tokyo has established a company for functional polymeric materials, Mitsui Chemicals Functional Composites (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., in Shanghai’s Jinshan district.

The company said it will manufacture and distribute Milastomer a thermoplastic olefinic elastomer widely used in glass run channels for automobile windows and in sheathing applications, and Admer, a polyolefin widely used as an adhesive for automobile fuel tanks and food packaging.

In China, demand for Milastomer has grown in line with increased use of cross-linked thermoplastic elastomers in glass run channels of automobiles and demand for more luxurious automobile interior materials, Mitsui said.

Similarly, the market for Admer has grown along with wider applications of resins in automobile fuel tanks and spreading awareness of food safety resulting in the increased use of barrier food packaging materials, the company said. To respond to this growing market demand, Mitsui established a supply base in Shanghai.

Automotive manufacturers are concentrated in eastern China, and the new company is expected to serve as the group’s compound base and future base for automotive polypropylenes in the area, Mitsui said.

NatureWorks Promotes Sustainability with Ingeo™ Eco-Innovation Lounge at Green Sports Summit

2012-09-12T09:19:00.002+09:00

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MINNETONKA, Minnesota -- To support the Green Sports Alliance nonprofit's mission of helping sports teams, venues, and leagues enhance their environmental performance, NatureWorks has created an Ingeo™ Eco-Innovation Lounge for the Alliance's 2nd Annual Summit in Seattle, Sept. 5-7. The lounge will not only feature the latest innovations in low-carbon footprint Ingeo based products, but will also have third-party experts available to discuss the latest strategies and best practices for improving overall sustainability with summit attendees. A special emphasis of the third-party experts will be on strategies for moving toward "zero waste" at sports venues, an issue where these experts can point to a number of current success...

FAA calls for recall of Goodyear aircraft tires

2012-09-11T10:00:00.001+09:00

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WASHINGTON (Sept. 4, 2012)—The Federal Aviation Administration has issued an airworthiness directive on Goodyear aircraft tires manufactured for use on certain airplane models made by the Brazilian firm Bombardier Inc.

Essentially, the action amounts to a recall of the Goodyear tires. The FAA decided to issue the directive after Brazil’s aviation agency found tread separations and tread-area bulges on main landing gear tires caused by low adhesion in the tread shoulder area, the FAA said in its Aug. 29 final rule.

The tires in question are new tires, size H29x9.0-15, used on the Bombardier CRJ-100, CRJ-200 and Challenger 850. Retread tires of this model and size are not included in the airworthiness directive, the FAA said.

The agency estimates that about 3,400 Goodyear tires are covered by the directive. It also estimates that the total cost of correcting the problem will be $7.5 million or $2,255 per tire.

Goodyear told the FAA that some of those costs may be covered on a one-to-one basis under the service bulletin Goodyear issued about the tires in April 2012.

Probably no more than 100 of the tires covered by the directive are still in service, a Goodyear spokesman said.

South Dakota molder forced to move to expand

2012-09-10T10:43:00.002+09:00

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ARLINGTON, S.D. (Aug. 31, 2:25 p.m. ET) -- A rejected rezoning is leading specialty injection molder Global Polymer Industries Inc. to move to a new location.

Global Polymer plans to build a 60,000-square-foot plant in Madison, S.D., about 25 miles south of its current location in Arlington, S.D. The new site will employ 125, with 50 new jobs planned in its first two years of operation. The new plant is expected to open sometime in 2013.

Arlington City Council rejected a rezoning that would have let the business expand there, where it was founded in 1993. Global Polymer is one of the largest employers in Arlington, which has a population of about 900.

Officials could not be reached for comment. In a recent article in the Brookings (S.D.) Register, Global Polymer co-owner Dan Palli said the rezoning of a 1-acre parcel from residential to industrial was rejected after adjacent property owners complained that the 21,000-square-foot expansion would devalue their land and create noise and runoff into the area’s storm-sewer system.

“The board listened to five complainers and turned us down,” Palli said in the article.

Julie Gross, executive director with Madison-based Lake Area Improvement Corp., said in an Aug. 30 phone interview that Global Polymer could break ground for the new plant this fall.

In an Aug. 28 news release from LAIC, Global Polymer co-owner Todd Huntimer said his firm’s business “has been growing very steadily since its foundation.”

LAIC said Global Polymer “will have an enormous economic impact on Madison and the area.”

Global Polymer molds specialty parts made of ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene. Markets served by the firm include industrial, agricultural, recreational, food and drug, marine, transportation and medical.

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Role Compostable Packaging Plays in Food Waste Systems

2012-09-07T09:33:00.001+09:00

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When Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport included a groundbreaking provision in their new concessionaire contract requiring food vendors to use compostable packaging, the catalyst was set in motion for a major shift in foodservice packaging. The ZWA Blog post, Atlanta Airport Makes Bold Statement, gives an overview of the contract provision at the world's largest airport. The foodservice industry is at the cusp of a new era in packaging where compostable and|or recyclable products are the norm.

To ensure integrity within the new packaging era, the BPI Compostible Packaging Certification program and Seattle-based composter Cedar Grove set strict standards to ensure compostable packaging breaks down within the ASTM D6400 Standard in traditional windrow or covered-aerated-static pile systems. Yet many municipalities and companies are exploring other technologies for handling food waste.These systems range from in-vessel composting to on-site digesters to anaerobic digesters. Industry experts are addressing how compostable products work in these food waste systems.

With strong European success, anaerobic digestion for commercial and residential food waste is gaining momentum in the U.S.The technology has solid U.S. traction at municipal water treatment facilities and on-farm, yet is a frontier for food waste.

Predominately enclosed in a facility, anaerobic digestion systems tend to make the permitting process easier where citizens are concerned about smells generated at traditional composting operations. A challenge is if the state regulations do not contain anaerobic digestion provisions, leaving regulators perplexed as to the permitting process.

In layman's terms, anaerobic digesters decompose organic material in a closed anaerobic (without air) environment where the methane gas produced is captured for energy use. Each system has its own "recipe," including food waste, yard trimmings, FOG (fats, oils & grease from kitchen operations) and other organic material. After the energy is extracted from the organic material, digestate remains as the system by-product. With further "curing" the digestate is often used as a soil amendment.

Traditional windrow composting uses an aerobic (with air) system where the piles are turned, thus not producing methane gas. The energy component inherent within food waste remains within the compost, providing nutrients for the soil's microbial community.

DuPont sells Performance Coatings division

2012-09-06T09:14:00.005+09:00

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Washington-based private equity firm Carlyle Group has announced the $4.9bn (€3.9bn) acquisition of DuPont Performance Coatings. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2013.

DuPont’s Performance Coatings business unit is expected to generate 2012 sales of $4bn (€3.2bn), according to the company.

“The business continues to grow and deliver solid results. After a careful review, however, we have determined that DPC’s full growth potential would be best realised outside DuPont and through the sale to Carlyle,” said DuPont chair and CEO Ellen Kullman, in a statement.

“This transaction is consistent with our vision to be the world’s most dynamic science company and long-term strategy of driving competitive advantages in agriculture and nutrition, advanced materials and biotechnology, which represent high-growth, high-margin opportunities.”

Wilmington-based DuPont will remain in the automotive sector after the sale, with its DuPont Automotive unit, which has its North American automotive business at its application development office in Troy, Michigan. The remaining automotive arm for DuPont generates $3bn (€2.4bn) in sales.

Carlyle will also take over $250m (€199m) of DuPont’s unfunded pension liabilities.

Earlier this week, DuPont said agreed to sell its insecticide business for $125m (€100m) to Switzerland-based Syngenta.

Lightweighting challenge spans multiple materials

2012-09-05T09:33:00.003+09:00

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Glancing at an announcement from a Tier I parts supplier recently regarding a lightweight seating system, I fully expected to see plastics or perhaps composites feature. The seating system after all was up to 5.7 kg lighter than the previous model. We've covered quite a bit of late on this plastics website about the role other materials such as steel are playing in lightweighting and this new seating system too had steel to thank for the weight loss.

The system developed by Johnson Controls for the new Kia cee'd achieved the weight reduction without sacrificing safety by using a lightweight metal structure of high-strength, thin-walled steel for the front and rear seats. Johnson Controls replaced thick-walled seat pipes with wafer-thin metal frames made of high-strength steel. This adds stability to the split rear seat system.

Recent coverage on the PlasticsToday site has also reported success stories of plastic in combination with steel and we've covered our fair share of plastic composite developments contributing to the lightweighting trend as well. Moving forward, I'm sure we'll see a diversity of materials continue to support the weight reduction efforts of automakers.

Global demand for polyurethane to increase 5.8%

2012-09-04T09:52:00.003+09:00

A new report says that worldwide demand for polyurethane will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5.8% to reach 16.9m tons by 2016.

Asia Pacific will dominate the market and will account for 60% of global demand by 2016, compared to 53.5% in 2010.

Over the last decade, polyurethane manufacturing companies have moved into Asia in order to take advantage of lower production costs, and the increase in the number of production facilities in countries such as China is the primary reason for demand growth, says report author GBI Research.

Flexible and rigid polyurethane foams makes up the bulk of the total end-use segment and these materials, which are commonly used in the construction, automotive and transport, furniture and footwear industries, are expected to continue as the leading polyurethane products in the coming years.

Brazilian dental equipment firms turn to Sabic

2012-09-03T09:27:00.002+09:00

At the MD&M Brazil show, Sabic exhibited its healthcare resin portfolio by showing applications from two Brazilian equipment customers, Gnatus and Indusbello.

One company, Gnatus, chose a Valox polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) resin from Sabic to replace PP in an instrument tray. According to Sabic, the PBT provides outstanding chemical resistance, improved dimensional stability and reduced warpage. Gnatus also used a Sabic material to make a dental lighting reflector, this time a Lexan PC.

Indusbello, on the other hand, chose Sabic’s Ultem resin when designing sterilising trays for dental instruments.

Compared to metal, Ultem resin gave a greater flexibility in design, transparency, superior aesthetics and enhanced productivity through injection moulding, says Sabic.

QUADRANT DELIVERS MEDAL-WORTHY INNOVATIONS

2012-09-01T09:16:00.002+09:00

Quadrant Engineering Plastic Products (EPP) is riding on a wave of medal-worthy achievements, as it celebrates its part in the success of the 2012 Summer Olympics and in the forthcoming 2014 Royal Commonwealth Games in Scotland.

Chosen to design, manufacture and supply the deck pool grating & channel rail system for the three major pools and circular plunge pool at the London 2012 Olympic Park Aquatics Centre, Quadrant has also been awarded the contract for the development and manufacture of the innovative new pool deck grating used at The Royal Commonwealth Pool in Edinburgh. The venue will host the diving events for the Glasgow 2014 Royal Commonwealth Games. The grating provides the cover for the front end of the filtration system and substantially increases the return rate of water in all three major competition swimming pools.
Unlike the new build completed for the 2012 Summer Olympics, the Royal Commonwealth pools have been refurbished, presenting a different set of challenges for the Quadrant UK team to overcome.

The team developed custom multi-flow channel and rail grating designed to maximize the return rate of water for the unique design and construction of each pool. The overall dimension of the grating was slightly smaller than that of the Olympic pools, so the grating format was incorporated to cope with the flow of water back into the filtration system.

Polyethylene (PE) was chosen for the parts because of its strength, good chemical and corrosion resistance, and the fact that it is hygienic and easy to clean. Suitable for creating solid corner and angled sections, Quadrant was able to customize the parts according to the project’s requirements. Ease of installation and removal were also important considerations for the customer.
The grating is visible around all three major competition pools adding appearance as an important design element in addition to strength and durability.

Stefan Willing, Commercial Director Quadrant EPP Europe, comments: “The multi-flow grating is an excellent product. The material has an extremely low moisture absorption rate and as a result will not swell or de-laminate. It is strong and keeps its “new look” for years to come. For both the Aquatics Centre and Royal Commonwealth Pool, the team worked closely with all parties involved to help give the end client a spectacular and impressive venue. We were all excited to see our work in place at the Olympic Park Aquatics Centre and are proud to be involved in the next Commonwealth Games.”

Winning the contract for the Royal Commonwealth pools marks the second prestigious leisure industry-related project for the company and further establishes Quadrant's growing reputation as the authority in solving complex issues relating to the design, development and manufacturing of polymer solutions for various sectors of this industry, in addition to the many demanding markets using Quadrant products.

The £37m refurbishment program included the complete reconstruction of the largest and longest swimming pool in Edinburgh with an eight lane 50 meter pool, 25 meter dive pool & 25 meter training and warm up pool. The pools were used by the British Swimming squad for training in July 2012, ahead of the London Olympics. Originally opened in January 1970 by Princess Anne, the venue has already hosted two Commonwealth Games. It was closed for major refurbishment in June 2009, and officially reopened by former Olympic swimming champion David Wilkie in April 2012.

Luxus drives recycled material into automotive sector

2012-08-31T09:11:00.002+09:00

Louth-based technical plastics recycler Luxus has invested £600,000 in a new laboratory. The facility, which is expected to be finished by December 2012, will create three R&D jobs.

The 750sqm laboratory will equip Luxus with the facilities it needs to accelerate its technical development of high-performance thermoplastic polymers with a high recycled content, primarily for global automotive industry needs. Its automotive customers include Nissan, Ford, Jaguar, BMW and most recently, Renault.

The investment has been made possible thanks to the £6m in lending Luxus received as a regional winner of the HSBC ‘Business Thinking’ award in 2011.

Luxus’ managing director, Peter Atterby, said: “Our team will be housed in a new state of the art facility that will enable them to continue to undertake thermoplastic polymer testing, development and analysis research work that provides bespoke solutions for niche market needs.

“For example, we are achieving improvements in compound design through a new European collaboration project that focuses on the technical aspects of recycled polymers in car interiors. It has recently lead to the development of a new lightweight polymer, Hycolene that reduces interior component weight to enable manufacturers meet tough CO2 targets – its route to market will no doubt be speeded up thanks to the lab.

“Our manufacturing processes will also improve as it will no longer be necessary to take out a production machine to run our on-going development work, such as compatibilisation of polymer alloys and the creation of recycled polymers with a high scratch resistance also demanded by auto manufacturers,” he added.

3M promotes PTFE recycling technology

2012-08-30T09:32:00.003+09:00

Polytetrafluoroethylene's (PTFE) ability to withstand extreme temperatures and harsh chemical environments makes it appealing for a number of applications but also makes it difficult to deal with in end-of-life, but not any more, according to 3M.

3M subsidiary Dyneon GmbH is currently constructing a PTFE recycling plant at an integrated production site located in southern Germany, with an annual capacity to recycle 500 metric tons of PTFE waste, converting it back to full-value raw materials.

Used in the chemical, automotive, semiconductor, and aerospace markets in a variety of applications, such as pumps, tapes, and automotive parts, PTFE presents a particular problem with regards to process waste.

An estimated 20,000 tonnes of waste are created annually during the processing of PTFE globally, according to 3M, and this waste material is currently either thermally degraded or land filled in special sites at a cost to the processor.

In 3M's new process, PTFE waste materials will be heated in a reactor, split into their raw gaseous components, cleaned, and fed back into the production of new PTFE. At full capacity, 3M estimates that the process will save 10,000 tonnes of waste hydrochloric-acid, 7500 megawatt hours of energy, and subsequently 7500 tons of carbon dioxide emissions from being released annually into the atmosphere.

Global PTFE demand is forecast to be in excess of 240,000 tons, according to a Companies & Market report. PTFE has a 60% market share of the global fluoropolymer market.

A vintage Fender guitar with a clear advantage

2012-08-29T09:16:00.002+09:00

A one-of-a-kind Fender guitar is up for sale – a prototype from 1972 that’s made from plastic.

Built by Fender luthier Roger Rossmeisl, the guitar features a contoured Perspex body, black anodized hardware and a Starcaster-style neck.

It was used by Carl Wilson when he was recording the Beach Boys’ 1973 album Holland and he retained ownership of the guitar for many years.

This wasn’t the first plastic guitar made by Fender – a clear Stratocaster was produced for publicity purposes in the 1950s.

The guitar is being sold on eBay by the Los Angeles Guitar shop. The ‘buy it now’ prices is $29,999.99.

Rowsell flight takes off into the unknown

2012-08-28T09:20:00.003+09:00

A light aircraft powered by fuel made from waste plastic will attempt to enter the record books later this year.

Pilot Jeremy Rowsell plans to fly from Sydney to London in a single engine plane, a Cessna 182; the first time such a journey has been completed by an aircraft of its type.

He will also be the first pilot to fly an aircraft using a synthetic fuel derived from end-of-life plastic waste bio fuel as a single source of power.

The ‘On Wings of Waste’ project will use fuel produced by Irish company Cynar.

“Flying is critical to the economy, vital for saving lives and is the best way to experience the planet we live on. We can’t stop flying but how can we do that and do it sustainably?” said Rowsell.

“Our world is choking on plastic waste. In the middle of the Pacific Ocean is the great Pacific garbage patch – a mire of plastic waste spanning millions of square kilometres. If it were a country, it would be one of the biggest on the planet,” he added.

“Our objective is to prove that this synthetic fuel made from plastic waste is viable for a number of practical solutions and by doing so replace the need to use fossil fuels from conventional sources.

“What better way to showcase this then via aviation – an industry that is looking to diesel fuel to provide a solution to the problems it faces with current avgas fuels that are costly and environmentally damaging.”