Linx to Showcase Innovation at Total Processing & Packaging

Linx will be sponsoring the Manufacturing Forum, where senior managers from across the industry have been invited to share their views on best practice and innovation.On Wednesday 5 June from 12:00 to 12:45, Charles Randon, Senior Product Manager from Linx, will cover ‘Coding systems for lean production: waste reduction, increasing flexibility and productivity.’

These benefits are already experienced by the users of Linx machines, which code and mark millions of items every day ranging from bottles, food packaging and cans to pharmaceutical products and cabling.

The Linx range is characterised by reliability, robustness, low cost of ownership and ease of use. Global customer research is taken into account during the design process, with innovation at the centre. To further reinforce this belief, Linx will also be sponsoring a category at the PPMA Awards, which take place during the show.

And visitors to The Manufacturing Forum will be able to view demonstrations of the Linx CJ400 CIJ printer, which won the award for Most Innovative Processing/Packaging Machine at last year’s PPMA Awards. The Linx CJ400 promises unique portability, fastest set-up and the most simple to use printer. A key innovation is the Easi-Change® Service Module, which can be changed in minutes using on-screen prompts. This means that scheduled maintenance is easily completed without the need for a trained technician or service calls, significantly reducing line downtime.

Also on show will be the market leading Linx 7900 continuous ink jet printer, which offers remote control via web browser or smartphone, and a model from the Linx range of laser coders.

Paul Doody, Marketing Director from Linx, says: “The latest thinking is at the heart of everything we do at Linx, and we are excited to be able to support this programme at Total Processing & Packaging, where some of the industry’s leading figures will share their expertise and experience, as well as continuing our support of the PPMA Awards.”

For more information:www.linxglobal.com

Purac will supply high performance lactides into Asian biopolymer market

Purac, a subsidiary of CSM, has signed a long term supply contract for the delivery of up to 10,000 tons annually of PURALACT® lactides to a customer in Asia. PURALACT® lactides will be polymerized into high heat polylactic acid (PLA), a bioplastic made from annually renewable resources.

Commercial production of the partner’s production facility is expected to start in the second half of 2014, but material for sampling and testing will be available shortly. The supply agreement for high optical purity lactides will enable Purac’s partner to produce a range of high performance PLA homopolymers.

The target market for the partner’s PLA is Asia, with a focus on high heat PLA for durable and demanding applications, such as automotive and electronics parts.

Further to the supply agreement, Purac and its partner have signed a joint development agreement where Purac’s know-how in the area of high performance PLA will be combined with the partner’s market access and application knowledge to further accelerate the commercialization of PLA compounds for injection molding and extrusion purposes.

More information : www.csmglobal.com

WACKER Develops Modular System for Pourable Silicone Rubbers

ELASTOSIL® VARIO falls into the category of addition-curing RTV-2 silicone rubber compounds. These consist of two components that enter into an addition reaction with each other at room temperature in the presence of a platinum catalyst. The ELASTOSIL® VARIO system consists of four modules: two different base components and two different catalyst components. The two base components can be blended together in any ratio, and so can the two catalysts.

From these modules, the processor mixes the two components of the RTV-2 silicone rubber compound in the quantities needed for curing. The mixing ratios for the base components and for the catalysts can be varied to match the silicone rubber system to the intended application. Accordingly, processors can produce tailored RTV-2 silicone compounds just the way they need them. Such flexibility from only four system modules is unparalleled.

The mixing ratio for the two catalysts determines how reactive the system is and how fast the rubber cures. For instance, the pot life can be set to any value ranging from a few minutes to far in excess of two hours. Curing times range from 15 minutes to 7 hours. The hardness of the cured rubber is determined by the ratio in which the two base components are mixed, with attainable durometer hardness values spanning 15 to 40 Shore A. Irrespective of the mixing ratio for the base components, the tensile and tear strengths of the cured rubber remain consistently high.

Typical applications of ELASTOSIL® VARIO are encapsulation of electronic devices and circuits and coating of technical textiles and metal or plastic surfaces. The modular system also lends itself to the production of gaskets and of silicone mold parts, such as those used for making prototypes in medical technology. It can also be used to make all kinds of reproductions and molds. ELASTOSIL® VARIO is translucent and can be pigmented in any color. The two self-mixed components can be processed in pressureless casting systems,either by hand or with the aid of two-component mixing and metering lines.

More information: www.wacker.com

Free Webinar Explores Safe Scaling of Pressure Reactions

[Greifensee, Switzerland]—[24th May 2013]—METTLER TOLEDO is pleased to present the next installment in its thought-leading, on-demand webinar series. Entitled “Characterize, Optimize and Scale-up Pressure Reactions – Challenges and Solutions” and presented by METTLER TOLEDO Market Manager Brian Wittkamp, PhD, the free presentation reviewscritical pressure-reaction design parameters.

It also explores enabling technologies such as Fourier Transform Infrared technology (FTIR) that help chemists gain better reaction control and more valuable reaction information for easier, safer and more cost-effective scale-up.

Although the objectives of chemical development have not changed in recent years, Dr. Wittkamp notes that the market has. Chemistsmust bring new products to market faster, necessitating quick identification of workable opportunitiesand even quicker rejection of untenable ones. FTIR instruments (ReactIR) helps deliver a process that is safe, economically viable and robust by providingcritical understanding at small scale where lab resources,includingdevelopment time, can be limited. The data collected then allows these findings to be applied at larger scales.

Using a METTLER TOLEDO EasyMaxsynthesis workstation combined with METTLER TOLEDO ReactIR technology, two pressurized hydrogenation reactions are analyzed. In the first, a one-step hydrogenation of a substitute 2-cyclohexene-1-one, mix rates are shown to influence reaction times. In the second, a complex hydrogenation of substituted hydrobenzene, accumulation of unstable hydroxylamine intermediate is prevented. In each case, in situFTIR data provideshigher-value reaction chemistry information when compared with potentially time-consuming and error-proneoffline sampling techniques.

Precise FTIR monitoring of critical parameters is shown to enhance researchers’ understanding and enable faster, safer optimization. To learn more about the value of FTIR in pressure reactions, view the free webinar today at www.mt.com/ac-pressure-webinar

Spot PE prices turn up in Italy after 15 weeks

Spot PE prices in Italy began to post increases over the past two weeks for the first time since early February, putting an end to an overall decreasing trend that lasted for fifteen weeks as per the pricing service of ChemOrbis. In the midst of retreating costs and poor demand, spot PE prices were on a downward path during February, March, April and the first half of May. However, the shifting sentiment in other global markets as well as emerging supply concerns helped sellers take a firmer stance last week.

Many European producers have been running their plants at reduced rates for some time in an attempt to keep slowing demand balanced with supply. This factor has made itself felt on the market recently as many distributors also refrained from replenishing stocks in the past few months due to previously slow demand and constantly retreating prices.

Most sellers in Italy reported achieving good PE sales in the first half of this month, while several buyers said they received less material than they ordered from their suppliers. Since the previous competitive offers disappeared last week, distributors have started to hold onto their stocks and have been sidelined from the market in anticipation of new increases on the way.

Spot PE prices turn up in Italy after 15 weeks

According to ChemOrbis Price Index, local spot LDPE prices have gained €60/ton while HDPE film and blow moulding shows a total increase of around €40/ton on average for the last two weeks. A distributor said, “We already sold good amounts of PE with €40-50/ton hikes from the beginning of May. Buying interest is especially healthy for HDPE injection. We are mulling over lifting our offers further amidst stronger sentiment.”

Several buyers also reported their previous orders were cancelled. A packaging manufacturer commented, “As our order was cancelled, we had to accept a €20/ton increase for a Central European origin in our LDPE purchase.” He added that their end business has improved a bit recently.

A shopping bag manufacturer also reported paying €70-90/ton increases for West European LDPE from early May. “Our end product demand is not performing so badly, but the general crisis is affecting our sales,” he noted. Some players also opine that this recent rebound in PE prices is only driven by concerns about supply while it lacks support from real demand. “There are many converters trying to pre-buy these days but market fundamentals, indeed, remain weak,” they point out.

]]> http://www.plasticsinfomart.com/spot-pe-prices-turn-up-in-italy-after-15-weeks/feed/ 0 http://www.plasticsinfomart.com/spot-pe-prices-turn-up-in-italy-after-15-weeks/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=spot-pe-prices-turn-up-in-italy-after-15-weeks http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PlasticsNewsPlasticsJobsPlasticsPricesUsedPlasticsMachinesPolymersPlasticsinfomartcom/~3/ETsFqgOm2-g/ http://www.plasticsinfomart.com/greiner-packaging-international-wins-worldstar-packaging-award/#comments Fri, 24 May 2013 10:12:41 +0000 Plastics News Articles http://www.plasticsinfomart.com/?p=15594 The first IML-packaging worldwide for the Nissin Group has now received the most prestigious award from the packaging industry in Sydney.

Greiner Packaging International Wins WorldStar Packaging Award

Greiner Packaging International and Nissin have developed a new, convenient pot for instant noodles to be distributed in the European market. On May 9, 2013, in Sydney, the innovative packaging concept received the WorldStar Packaging Award in the food category. Robert Obermayr, K1/K2 Product Group Director at Greiner Packaging International is pleased to say, “This award is an additional confirmation of our company’s huge innovative force.”

Sydney / Kremsmünster, 24 May 2013 – In the packaging industry, the WorldStar Packaging Award is as coveted as the renowned “Oscar” is in the film industry. This year, 316 packaging concepts from 33 countries were nominated by an international jury. In the end, 159 designs received awards throughout seven categories: electronics; health & beauty; beverages; household; food; medical & pharmaceutical; and an “others” category.

Conveniently packed instant noodles
Among the 42 nominees in the food category was a pot for the packaging of instant noodles that was developed by Greiner Packaging International in close cooperation with Nissin. For the European market in particular, the noodle-based convenience dish, Nissin Soba, is being marketed with an impressive packaging concept that displays a high degree of functionality. The noodles are prepared directly in the pot, simply and easily: just open the pot, take out the sauce, fill the pot with hot water and after three minutes drain the noodle; stir in the sauce – and it`s ready to eat!

Sophisticated design in every detail
The look of this award-winning packaging solution updates the traditional features of the Nissin noodle pot with some modern elements. The new background color is black and conveys strength and durability. At a glance, four unique lid colors communicate the four varieties of flavors. In addition to its new colors, the lid design was completely revamped as well, including its pouring function. For decoration, IML (In-Mold-Labeling) is used – for the first time within the Nissin Group worldwide.

Award from the World Packaging Organisation
In 2012, the Nissin noodle pot received an award, too – the HUNGAROPACK Hungarian Packaging Competition Award 2012. This was the prerequisite for entry in the WorldStar Packaging Award competition, as only winners of previous national competitions were entitled to enter. The organizer of the WorldStar Packaging Awards competition is the World Packaging Organisation founded in 1968, that unites enterprises, associations, organizations and research institutions from more than 50 countries.

Corporate Data
Greiner Packaging International is one of the leading companies in the European packaging industry. In 2012, the company achieved annual sales of EUR 472.9 million (EUR 488 million including joint ventures) – more than one-third of the total Greiner Group sales. Greiner Packaging International has a workforce of 3,236 employees throughout 34 locations.

More Information: www.greiner-gpi.com

Zong Qinghou visits Sacmi. President of Chinese beverage giant seeks out Made in Italy excellence

Born in 1945, Zong Qinghou is, today, the richest man in China and the 23rd richest in the world. Of humble origins, he joined the beverage business in 1987, founding a dairy-cheese firm before going on to deal in soft drinks and other types of beverage.His business acumen soon made him a key player on the domestic market. The founder of Wahaha then went on to seal a series of international joint ventures that gave the company financial and decisional independence, paving the way for it to become the giant it is today. Since 2002 Zong Qinghou has also been a member of the Chinese National People’s Congress.

Wahaha’s CEO was greeted by the Managing Director of Sacmi Beverage, Vezio Bernardi, and his counterpart in Closures & Containers, Giuseppe Lesce. After illustrating the latest products developed for the industry by Sacmi – from the CBF to the IPS and PVS vision systems – they underlined how this visit, an honour in itself, might lay the foundations for further industrial projects of great magnitude together. For his part, CEO Zong Qinghou observed that “We see our partnership with Sacmi as a key factor in the implementation of further development and growth strategies within the beverage sector.”

Indeed, relations between Wahaha and Sacmi are anything but new, as they date back 20 years to Zong Qinghou’s entrepreneurial beginnings. To this day, he still turns to Imola to seek out that special Sacmi brand of technological excellence. For Sacmi, of course, this represents a further opportunity for growth in China, which remains an economy in continuous expansion. The beverage sector alone is worth 2 billion dollars a year. Sacmi’s presence in China dates back many years, both via its affiliates and Sacmi Shanghai, the in-country hub for spare parts and after-sales assistance services.

Zong Qinghou visits Sacmi. President of Chinese beverage giant seeks out Made in Italy excellence

Zong Qinghou visits Sacmi. President of Chinese beverage giant seeks out Made in Italy excellence

DSM signs MoU with ERDA to cover basic research in the field of electrical

Royal DSM, the global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company, has announced that its subsidiary DSM India Pvt. Ltd, in Pune, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ERDA, the Electrical Research & Development Association, covering basic research in the field of electrical applications.

ERDA, a cooperative research institution created by the Indian electrical industry and utilities with support from the governments of India and the state of Gujarat, has its main office in Vadodara. The MoU covers various activities intended to help develop new eco-friendly sustainable engineering plastic solutions for the electrical industry.

DSM has a strong record of development and production of engineering plastics for electrical applications, and is a leading global supplier of high performance polyamides and polyesters for the sector; ERDA has state-of-the-art test facilities dedicated to the electrical industry. Both organisations have a strong commitment to research with highly qualified people, and expect mutually beneficial collaboration across several disciplines.

DSM and ERDA will cooperate in three areas in particular: firstly, they will engage in joint development projects on various topics of mutual interest, focusing on new innovations and studies that can have a positive impact on the environment, performance and affordability; secondly, technology testing programs will be established to prove that materials meet application requirements; and finally, exchange programs will be set up to enhance the capabilities and knowledge of both organisations.

“A technical partnership between DSM, with its specialization in engineering plastic materials, and ERDA, with its competence in application engineering in the electrical engineering domain, forms an ideal launch pad to yield improved products in the market place,” says ERDA Director T.P. Govindan. “It is hoped that the synergy in the partnership will prove beneficial to both partners and society at large. We look forward to making the partnership a defining milestone for both of us.”

Sanjay Jain, Business Director of DSM India’s Engineering Plastics Division, says: “The partnership with ERDA will further explore the use of engineering plastics beyond today’s frontiers in the Indian electrical industry by providing innovative sustainable solutions, further reinforcing the leadership and knowledge base that both parties have in the industry today.”

Source: www.plastemart.com

Chemicals in plastics elevate BP in kids

Once perceived as harmless, phthalates have come under increasing scrutiny. A growing collection of evidence suggests dietary exposure to phthalates (which can leech from packaging and mix with food) may cause significant metabolic and hormonal abnormalities, especially during early development.

Drawing on data from a nationally representative survey of nearly 3,000 children and teens, researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Washington and Penn State University School of Medicine, have documented for the first time a connection between dietary exposure to DEHP (di-2-ethyhexylphthalate), a common class of phthalate widely used in industrial food production, and elevated systolic blood pressure, a measure of pressure in the arteries when the heart contracts.

“Phthalates can inhibit the function of cardiac cells and cause oxidative stress that compromises the health of arteries. But no one has explored the relationship between phthalate exposure and heart health in children” said lead author Leonardo Trasande, MD, MPP, associate professor of pediatrics, environmental medicine and population health at NYU Langone Medical Center.

“We wanted to examine the link between phthalates and childhood blood pressure in particular given the increase in elevated blood pressure in children and the increasing evidence implicating exposure to environmental exposures in early development of disease,” he added.Researchers from NYU School of Medicine, the University of Washington and Penn State University School of Medicine examined six years of data from a nationally representative survey of the U.S. population administered by the National Centers for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Phthalates were measured in urine samples using standard analysis techniques. Controlling for a number of potential confounders, including race, socioeconomic status, body mass index, caloric intake and activity levels, the researchers found that every three-fold increase in the level of breakdown products of DEHP in urine correlated with a roughly one-millimeter mercury increase in a child’s blood pressure.”That increment may seem very modest at an individual level, but on a population level such shifts in blood pressure can increase the number of children with elevated blood pressure substantially,” said Dr. Trasande.”

Our study underscores the need for policy initiatives that limit exposure to disruptive environmental chemicals, in combination with dietary and behavioral interventions geared toward protecting cardiovascular health,” he concluded.

The study was published in the Journal of Pediatrics.

More information :www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Amcor Wins Three DuPont Packaging Innovation Awards

Amcor, the world’s leading packaging solutions company, has been recognised at the prestigious DuPont Packaging Innovation Awards for its leadership in delivering innovation excellence over 25 years, as well as winning Diamond and Silver awards for packaging innovation in this year’s competition.

Winner, Silver Anniversary “Continuing Innovation” Award
Amcor was honoured with an overall DuPont “Continuing Innovation” Award, recognising its continued, company-wide, innovation. Amcor has won 11 DuPont Innovation Awards over the past 25 years, covering a range of innovations that help its customers deliver products to consumers safely and sustainably.

Amcor’s Managing Director and CEO, Mr Ken MacKenzie, said: “We are delighted to be recognised by DuPont for our long-standing commitment to innovation. We continue to work closely with customers and suppliers to deliver innovative and responsible packaging that provides real benefit to end-consumers and the broader community. This award is great recognition of Amcor’s talented co-workers who passionately and relentlessly apply art and science to develop innovative packaging solutions and bring them to commercial reality.”

Shanna Moore, Program Leader, DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation, DuPont Packaging & Industrial Polymers said: “DuPont Continuing Innovation Award winners have shaped our industry in many ways by challenging traditions and responding quickly to consumer needs. Amcor embodies the spirit of continuing innovation having won 11 DuPont Packaging Awards.”

In addition to winning the “Continuing Innovation” Award, Amcor’s business group, Amcor Flexibles was recognised for two additional DuPont Packaging Innovation Awards.

Amcor partners with customer, ColaLife to win premier Diamond and Special 25th Anniversary “Food Security” Award
Amcor Flexibles supported developing a unique, life-saving, anti-diarrhea drug delivery system called AidPod created by its customer, ColaLife. This innovative package delivers life-saving medicine to children in remote villages through Coca-Cola distribution channels. The package holds oral rehydration salts, zinc and soap and acts as a sterile vessel to measure water for correct dosing. It is also designed to sit neatly in between Coca-Cola glass bottles within crates. Amcor Flexibles developed the peelable lidding film that seals the pack. The pack is treated with Amcor P-Plus® technology, which ensures any sudden pressure changes are dissipated to avoid bursting the pack, so it arrives safely.

Amcor Formpack® with Advanced Blister Design wins Silver Award in “Innovation”
Amcor received the Silver Award for Excellence in Innovation for a major advancement in its Formpack® product range, which is used to protect pharmaceutical solids such as tablets, capsules or powders. Amcor Flexibles re-engineered its Advanced Blister Design pack to optimise cavity sizes and remove perforation. This major design advancement has reduced material consumption by more than 30%, improved the moisture protection of the drug by over 40% and increased the number of tablets per pack by 50%.

Amcor Flexibles Europe & Americas Vice President Research & Development, Mr Bob Biasi said: “The new design was driven by advancements in Amcor Flexibles’ proprietary design simulation tool, allowing for the optimum selection and design of blister materials. The simulation software has calculated the removal of the perforations between blisters, leading to a significant reduction of the humidity diffusion into the cavities.

“We are delighted that our new Formpack® with Advanced Blister Design offers improved product safety and protection, while reducing waste and our environmental footprint. What’s more, it influences better health outcomes for patients by providing safer packaging,” Mr Biasi said.

More information :www.amcor.com