Innovations Give to Rotational Molding

www.canplastics.com

SEPTEMBER 2018

Innovations give NEW SPINS to rotational molding

Ontario rotomolder TECHSTAR Making PLASTICS ROBOTS & turns AUTOMATION safer than ever

REVITAL POLYMERS wants to recycle your black plastic

Cutting-edge AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS

CPL_Sept2018issue_AMS.indd 1 2018-08-27 8:56 AM The POWER of Performance

NWB-DC+ Portable Dryer Sold & Serviced in Canada by NOVATEC continues to lead the charge in reliable Maguire Products Canada, Inc. drying technology and industry-first innovations. 905-879-1100 TOTA [email protected] • Most sold T L C ES O S W T www.maguirecanada.com • Easiest-to-use smart controls O L

• Web-enabled access –5–

YEAR warranty O F I P O H NOVATEC products are made in the USA. Supported worldwide. W N E R S www.novatec.com

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SEPTEMBER 2018 VOLUME 77 • NUMBER 4 The POWER of Performance FROM THE ARCHIVES The April 1994 issue of Canadian Plastics broke the news about a cutting-edge processing technology that combined paint- ing of plastic parts with injection molding. Launched at the NPE1994 trade show, the injected paint technology, or IPT, was developed by the EPIC Group, which was made up of 25 companies in six major research areas related to engineering polymers, including H.B. Fuller Evode, Battenfeld GmbH, DSM, Caradon Rolinx, and toolbuilders Clearplas and Mouldflow. The IPT process involved parts being in- 10 jection molded and painted in the same Cover Photo Getty Images mold, and parts ranging from two to 12 mm wall thicknesses had been produced at the show. “Battenfeld cites auto trim, fascia, bumpers, and body panels as likely applications, as well as stereo and TV housings, outdoor furniture, and fixtures,” our report said. Number of the month: 22 26 9* * The number of founders of rotational cover stories: rotational molding molder Techstar Plastics in 1978. (See pg. 13) 10 New technologies add new spins Rotomolding is a small industry, which means development can be limited and progress slow. And it also means that innovations can get overlooked because no one’s paying attention. So in case you missed in every issue them, here are some new offerings in machines, software, and materials. 4 Editor’s View: The straws that break our 13 Techstar Plastics is prospering in Port Perry industry’s back? As they hit a milestone, the owners of this well-known Ontario rotomolder look back on four decades of stress and success. 5 Ideas & Innovations: Solar-powered rotational molding units step into the light features 16 ROBOTS & AUTOMATION: Guardians of the factory 6 News: Industrial automation is more common, and faster, than ever before, • Hamilton Plastic Systems is reborn in the U.S.A. which means more potential danger than ever before. Keeping in • W. Amsler moves to expanded compliance with new safety standards by using the latest protective facility in Bolton, Ontario measures for the robot cell and the operator can prevent disaster. NWB-DC+ Portable Dryer • Dri-Air Industries founder Charlie Sears passes away 20 AUTOMOTIVE: The acceleration of innovation The automotive industry is one of the world’s fastest-changing sectors, Sold & Serviced in Canada by NOVATEC continues to lead the charge in reliable • Supplier News and People and when it comes to new part applications, it’s all about getting the most Maguire Products Canada, Inc. drying technology and industry-first innovations. 27 Technology Showcase from the latest resins. 905-879-1100 TOTA 29 Classifieds [email protected] • Most sold T L C ES O 22 PACKAGING: Ontario firm pops the lid on a new concept in peelable IMLs S W T www.maguirecanada.com • Easiest-to-use smart controls O 29 Advertising Index KBS Impact can save container weight and costs with its peelable in-mold L

label, which acts as a tamper-evident seal to replace traditional threaded

• Web-enabled access –5–

30 Technical Tips:

flip-top closures and induction heat-sealed liners. YEAR Rotational molding design warranty guidelines (part 1) O RECYCLING: ReVital Polymers wants your black plastic trays and containers F I P 24 O H NOVATEC products are made in the USA. Supported worldwide. W N E R S The City of Toronto says that recycling black plastic isn’t worth the trouble. This Sarnia, Ont.-based recycler begs to differ. www.novatec.com Visit us at www.canplastics.com

CPL_June2018_Novatec.indd 1 2018-05-03 1:24 PM CPL_Sept2018issue_AMS.indd 3 2018-08-27 8:56 AM editor’s view Canadian Plastics magazine reports on and interprets developments in plastics markets and technologies worldwide for plastics processors, moldmakers and end-users based in Canada. www.canplastics.com

The straws that break our EDITOR M ark Stephen 416-510-5110 Fax: 416-442-2230 industry’s back? [email protected] NATIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGER t’s official: The first step toward retailers and municipalities are no Catherine Connolly 289-921-6520 actually criminalizing a big seg- doubt aware of the first point, why are [email protected] ment of our industry was taken in they targeting straws? There’s a sym- I ART DIRECTOR July, when the city of Santa Barbara, bolic aspect, for sure: By banning plas- Andrea M. Smith Calif. passed an ordi- tic straws, we can all feel good about ACCOUNT COORDINATOR nance allowing restau- keeping marine life safe without hav- Tracey Hanson rant employees to be ing to give up anything vital. 416-510-6762 punished with up to six But as other plastics industry mem- [email protected] months of jail time or a bers have already suggested, it’s possi- CIRCULATION MANAGER US$1,000 fine for offer- ble there’s a bigger goal in sight — one Aashish Sharma 416-442-5600 ext. 5206 ing plastic straws to their that involves using the so-called “gate- [email protected] customers. way drug” strategy. For the uninitiated, VP PRODUCTION/GROUP PUBLISHER You’re aware, I’m a gateway drug is a drug such as alco- Diane Kleer sure, that plastic straw bans have been hol or marijuana whose use can lead to [email protected] spreading like wildfires throughout other, more addictive drugs. Same PRESIDENT & CEO North America, the UK, and Europe as thing here. In this analogy, straw bans Mike Fredericks

more and more major retailers and represent the first illicit puffs that the PRINTED IN CANADA municipalities disavow them. The bans “dealers” — environmentalists, image- ISSN 008-4778 (Print) ISSN 1923-3671 (Online) began in earnest in June, when a dis- conscious corporations, and left-lean- Publication Mail Agreement #40065710 turbing eight-minute video of a research ing politicians — exploit to push us all team removing a plastic straw stuck in a into the equivalent of the final stage of 2018 SUBSCRIPTION RATES 6 issues Canadian Plastics, plus Dec. 2019 Buyers’ Guide: sea turtle’s nose went viral; the video raging opioid abuse: the comprehen- CANADA: 1 Year $75.50 plus applicable taxes; has 40 million views on YouTube and sive global ban of all single-use plastic 2 Years $121.00+ taxes USA: US$132.50/year counting. products. FOREIGN: US$151.00/year Two points, I think, are worth mak- Sounds farfetched? I hope it is, but ing. First, if the goal of banning plastic umpteen municipal plastic bag bans CIRCULATION [email protected] straws is to reduce the pollution that have been enacted worldwide since Tel: 426-442-5600 ext. 3539 can harm marine life, then the wrong the sea turtle video went viral, and in Fax: 416-510-6875 or 416-442-2191 Mail: 111 Gordon Baker Road, Suite 400, end-product is being targeted. Weigh- mid-August both Chile and New Zea- Toronto, ON M2H 3R1 ing in at just one sixty-seventh of an land announced national bans on plas- Occasionally, Canadian Plastics will mail information on ounce, plastic straws account for 0.15 tic bags. behalf of industry related groups whose products and ser- per cent of the average North Ameri- Total bans such as these are the real vices we believe June be of interest to you. If you prefer not to receive this information, please contact our circulation can’s annual use of plastic, almost threat to our industry. In North Amer- department in any of the four ways listed above. none of which winds up in the oceans ica and Europe, at least, virtually every Annex Privacy Officer [email protected] because our laws generally prohibit it. molecule of a single-use plastic prod- • Tel: 800-668-2374

And of all the plastic that does wind uct can be recycled; with regard to No part of the editorial content of this publication June up in the ocean worldwide — over- plastic in the oceans, meanwhile, by all be reprinted without the publisher’s written permission ©2018 Annex Business Media. All rights reserved. Opin- whelmingly from China, Indonesia, means let’s insist in trade talks that ions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those Thailand, the Philippines, and Viet- those five countries listed above stop of the editor or the publisher. No liability is assumed for nam — only about 0.02 per cent is their dumping. Which makes plastic errors or omissions. plastic straws. Which means that even bans unnecessary other than as virtue- All advertising is subject to the publisher’s approval. Such approval does not imply any endorsement of the products if all the billions of plastic straws man- signalling. The time to reverse this or services advertised. Publisher reserves the right to ufactured annually ended up in the wave of meaningless feel-goodery, by refuse advertising that does not meet the standards of the publication. ocean — which they won’t — they emphasizing the effectiveness of plas- MEMBER: Magazines Canada, Canadian Plastics Industry would still add up to only about 2,000 tic recycling, is now. Before making Association. tons of the nearly 9,000,000 tons of single-use plastic products — and not plastic waste entering the waters each just offering someone a straw — year. In short, plastic straws are a min- becomes the crime. iscule part of plastics pollution. Mark Stephen, editor The second point is, since major [email protected]

4 Canadian Plastics September 2018 www.canplastics.com

CPL_Sept2018issue_AMS.indd 4 2018-08-27 8:56 AM ideas & innovations

Solar-powered rotational molding units step into the light Photo Credits: LightManufacturing LLC Credits: LightManufacturing Photo A LightManufacturing solar rotomolding machine. Heliostats power the machine.

or Beatles fans in the rotational Both models in the SRM series said, and the company has patents molding sector, “Here Comes the come with step-motor control, von pending in dozens of other countries. F Sun” has just taken on a whole new Kries added, which give users more So to modify another Beatles clas- meaning now that rotomolding machine control over the position of molds sic, all you need is light. CPL maker LightManufacturing LLC has within their machines than standard launched its Solar Rotational Molding motors, so heat can be focused in par- (SRM) series of solar powered units. ticular areas for discrete amounts of CLICK ON... Available in two models — the one- time. chamber SRM1, which costs about The larger SRM2 comes complete US$50,000; and the two-chamber with 20 heliostats and can make prod- SRM2, which costs about US$100,000 ucts as big as a 650-gallon water tank. — the proprietary technology is The machines can use any rotomold- designed to allow low-cost manufac- ing resin, including PE, PP and nylon, turing of large rotomolded products and manufacture the same sort of for interviews with industry such as water tanks and boats without products as traditionally powered ver- experts, coverage of the use of fossil fuels. sions, including toys, road barriers, plastics industry events, The Pismo Beach, Calif.-based com- and kayaks. and more! pany’s SRM systems can be placed on “Customers can make useful parts any piece of unimproved land; no build- entirely off-grid, and do it at much New episode ing, concrete pad, or grid energy con- lower cost than with a traditional grid- nection is required. Heat for melting the tied facility,” von Kries said. “The every month. plastic comes from an array of the com- entire manufacturing complex — These 5-minute information packed pany’s “H1” heliostats — which are including heliostat setup, raw material videos are produced by the editors mirrors that track the sun and reflect and part storage, and rotomolding of Canadian Plastics. the sunlight onto a central receiving machine — takes up about 1,000 To view them, go to our web site, point — and a photovoltaic array on the square feet; 12 systems can squeeze www.canplastics.com roof of the shipping container provides onto an acre of bare ground.” and scroll down to canplasticsTV energy to rotate the molds and operate The company claims its SRM units other equipment. “This ease of installa- can operate anywhere with good avail- SPONSORED BY: tion means customers can put inexpen- able sunlight, with over 49 per cent of sive production capacity in new mar- the Earth’s land suitable for year-round kets, or put manufacturing close to molding and an even larger area suit- customers to reduce transport costs,” able for seasonal molding. said Karl von Kries, LightManufactur- Several SRM machines are already ing’s founder and CEO. being operated in the U.S., von Kries

September 2018 Canadian Plastics 5

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Hamilton Plastic Systems is reborn in the U.S.A. Hamilton retired and Steve and his North America, the company is also nephew Douglas took charge. Shortly the North American representative for after, Steve and Douglas also began a Movacolor gravimetric and volumet- slow recalibration of the company. ric dosing systems and — most “Hamilton Avtec’s focus was purely recently — for Plastic Systems SpA, on auxiliary equipment: material which is also headquartered in Italy. handling equipment, including pellet “Plastic Systems makes a complete and powder loaders; vacuum and line of conveying equipment, and we pressure pumps; station controls; signed a contract to carry their entire additive feeders; and railcar unload- product line during NPE2018 in May,” ing and custom scale systems,” Steve Steve Hamilton said. “They’re proba- Steve Hamilton (left) and Douglas Hamil- Hamilton said. “Its major market was bly best known for their drying sys- ton on the shop floor. Canada — which accounted for three tems, especially for their relationship quarters of total sales — and its main supplying Husky with PET dryers.” aking it big in America has sector was automotive.” Between Hamilton Plastic Sys- Malways been a benchmark for tems’ affiliations, distribution lines, skilled and ambitious Canadians — GENERATION GAP and its own representatives, the even Gretzky had to move to Los But this latest generation of the Ham- 15-employee-strong company now Angeles to become a legitimate inter- ilton family had good reasons to want distributes to almost 80 per cent of national superstar. to do things a bit differently. “When the U.S., Steve Hamilton said “We’re Likewise, Canadian companies Douglas and I took over, our biggest now taken more seriously in Amer- are naturally drawn to the U.S. when concern was where we were going to ica,” he said. “We’re much better they decide it’s time to grow, since the focus,” Steve Hamilton said. “The known than we used to be, and are American market offers such attrac- automotive market was unreliable, brought to the table on more projects. tions as geographic proximity, a fluctuating between highs and lows, It definitely represents our biggest familiar language and culture, and a and the recession had changed a lot of sales spike.” business-friendly environment. the rules about equipment supply and Which doesn’t mean the company Control and Management of your production All of which is why one of the demand.” has forgotten its roots, however — the most familiar surnames in Canadian The goal, he continued, was to firm’s latest development is 100 per plastics has set its sights south of the find a stable business base. There are cent made-in-Canada. “We have a border. two primary ways to do that — either new proprietary Meridian 5 wireless New Mississauga, Ont.-based Hamilton by expanding or limiting your prod- control system for all of our equip- Plastic Systems Ltd., owned and oper- uct offering. “We chose to expand,” ment that we believe is going to revo- ated by Steve Hamilton and Douglas Steve Hamilton said. Drawing on lutionize how loading systems are put Hamilton, actually began to plan its Steve Hamilton’s own background in together,” Steve Hamilton said. With Plant wide Supervisory Systems expansion into the U.S. several years the blow molding sector, the company a system configuration of up to 96 ago — which is also when the com- became the North American repre- stations, 32 vacuum pumps, and 32 Management of storage, conveying, pany began to reinvent itself. Founded sentative for Italian extrusion blow purge valves, and a long list of stan- drying, blending and cooling systems in 1965 as A.C. Hamilton and Co. molding machinery maker Plastiblow dard features — including “first-in/ Ltd. by industry pioneer Arthur Ham- Srl. “Representing Plastiblow means first-out” technology and station pri- Raw material traceability ilton, the firm made its mark by that we’re now selling both process- oritization to ensure that receivers Predictive and scheduled designing, developing, and manufac- ing and auxiliary machinery, which is keep up with higher demand machines mantenance operations turing material handling, blending, a big step forward,” he said. “We now without sacrificing system perfor- Plantwide connectivity and integration drying, and product conveying sys- have direct contact with processors, mance — the new controller works on with Piovan Winfactory 4.0 tems for plastics processing; and also and we can pursue material handling all Hamilton Plastic Systems brand as a sales distributor for other plastics opportunities with them.” auxiliary and material handling Easy to use, windows based program industry equipment and machinery An even bigger move was the deci- equipment, and is designed to meet Immediate notiﬁcation of suppliers. A.C. Hamilton was sion to focus on the U.S. “We pushed the most demanding applications. exceptions to process parameters renamed Hamilton Avtec in 1992 our resources into the American mar- “Once a customer buys the controller, when the second generation, brothers ket, and it took a few years to make that’s it — they never have to upgrade Steve and Richard Hamilton, took that breakthrough,” Steve Hamilton it,” Steve Hamilton said. “If they need over; and renamed again as Hamilton said. But the work is paying off. In to add another station, they buy Plastic Systems in 2011 when Richard addition to handling Plastiblow in another loader, add it on, and con-

6 Canadian Plastics September 2018 www.canplastics.com

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tinue forward. The controller automatically recognizes the new station and adds it on as Dri-Air Industries founder the next one in line. It’s a configurable and Charlie Sears passes away continually expandable plug-and-go system, harles Sears, the president of dryer manufac- and it also eliminates the cost of wiring, which C turer Dri-Air Industries Inc., passed away on is a major cost to installing new equipment.” August 5 at age 78. An improvement on Hamilton’s Meridian 1 An engineer with a BSME degree from North- controller, the Meridian 5 took five years to eastern University in Boston and an MME degree develop, Steve Hamilton said. “We put a lot of from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Sears — research and effort into this, with most of the widely known as Charlie — entered the plastics work being done in-house,” he said. “The con- industry in 1970, and rose to hold senior positions troller was thoroughly beta tested and then with such plastics industry companies as Polymer Machinery, rolled out at the end of August.” Automated Assemblies, and Nelmor (AEC). Designed and developed in the Great White Sears started East Windsor, Conn.-based Dri-Air in 1985 and it North, the Meridian 5 will become a hot item quickly became a leading supplier of drying systems for the plas- south of the border, Steve Hamilton hopes. tics industry. Sears had over 40 years of experience in the design “The new controller is part of our reinvention, and manufacturing of drying systems, and held several patents. and goes hand-in-hand with our push into the Dri-Air is a family-owned and operated business; Sears’ wife American market,” he said. “We’re adding one Esther manages the accounting and son Jason, who has been with to two new workers every year, and it’s largely the company for 27 years, is the operations manager. The firm has because of the U.S. We’re still growing in 27 employees. Canada, but our growth in America has been Dri-Air is distributed in Canada by Maguire Products tremendous.” CPL Canada Inc. CPL

Control and Management of your production New

Plant wide Supervisory Systems

Management of storage, conveying, drying, blending and cooling systems Raw material traceability Predictive and scheduled mantenance operations Plantwide connectivity and integration with Piovan Winfactory 4.0 Easy to use, windows based program Immediate notiﬁcation of exceptions to process parameters

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W. Amsler Equipment moves to expanded facility in Bolton, Ontario . Amsler Equipment Inc., development, pilot production, Wa Canadian supplier of and classroom-style training. all-electric, linear PET stretch And easier access to air and rail blow molding machines, relo- transportation will make it more cated its headquarters and convenient for supply partners, manufacturing operations customers and vendors, Heidi from Richmond Hill, Ont. to Amsler said. Bolton, Ont. earlier this sum- In addition to PET stretch mer. The new location, blow molding machines, Amsler designed to meet expanding supplies equipment for complete demands for the company’s blow molding plants and filling growing PET blow molding lines. These products include machine business, is in the The exterior of Amsler’s new headquarters in Bolton. bottle inspection units, blow- heart of the “Plastics Corri- dome spin-off trimmers, air dor,” so called because the area is ect management activities, said Heidi compressors, vacuum conveyors, home to such major machinery sup- Amsler, the firm’s marketing man- molds, Gaylord dumpers, mold tem- pliers as Husky Injection Molding ager. “We’ve experienced rapid perature control units, and process Systems Ltd., Athena Automation growth over the last five years and chillers. Ltd., as well as numerous blow we’ve outgrown our current space,” All equipment, production assets molders. she said. and employees were transferred from Amsler has signed a lease agree- The expanded facility — which the company’s previous facility in ment for 34,000 square feet of space, was renovated before the company Richmond Hill to Bolton. which will more than double the com- moved in in August — will house Amsler was founded in Concord, pany’s current capacity. In addition to sales, engineering, manufacturing, Ont. in 1994 by Werner Amsler; the corporate offices, the new HQ will and service personnel. It will also company moved to Richmond Hill in

house business development and proj- accommodate more room for machine 1999. CPL Photo Credit: Amsler W. Equipment Inc.

Wittmann Battenfeld Canada promotes from within to replace retired sales rep Gord Stowar ber of the service team. Allong will be the new technical sales representative covering Eastern Ontario and the Maritimes, and McCormack will be the technical sales representative for Western Ontario and Western Canada. Like many plastics industry sales veterans in Southern Ontario, Stowar got his start with Toronto’s Mould-tek Industries Inc., which was then a leader in the field of bulk handling systems. “I worked for Mould-tek for 10 years, and then left to join Nucon Systems Inc. working for Len Gord Lisa Connor Miller, then stayed when it became Nucon Wittmann in Stowar Allong McCormack 1999, and then worked in technical sales when it became fter 42 years in the industry, well-known Ontario pro- Wittmann Battenfeld Canada,” he said. A cessing machinery and auxiliary equipment salesman For Rob Miller, president of Wittmann Battenfeld Can- Gord Stowar retired from Richmond Hill, Ont.-based ada, Stowar’s retirement was bittersweet. “Gord is a good Wittmann Battenfeld Canada Inc. at the end of June, and friend, and he’s also an outstanding salesman who’s been has been replaced by two young staff members promoted a valuable member of our team and a big contributor to from within. our growth, so on both the personal and professional lev- Lisa Allong has been with the machinery and auxiliary els it’s hard to see him go,” Miller said. “But he believes it equipment supplier since 2015, most recently as the parts/ was the right time for him, and Lisa and Connor are good service coordinator; and Connor McCormack was a mem- fits to take over his sales territory.” CPL

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SUPPLIER NEWS

– Thermoplastic resin and commercial purging com- Halsey Greg Manfred Jerry Dale Sachin Calvin pound (CPC) supplier Cook Jr. DeKunder Gingl Rex Hedberg Sakhalkar Wallace Simcoe Plastics Ltd., of Shanty Bay, Ont., has PEOPLE partnered with DME- – Spartanburg, S.C.-based specialty – Sudbury, Mass.-based machine tooling Milacron to distribute two chemical supplier Milliken & Co. and automation maker Methods Machine new grades of CPCs in has named Halsey Cook Jr. as its Tools Inc. has appointed Jerry Rex as Canada that are made by president and CEO. president and CEO, and Dale Hedberg Fresh Start Polymers of – Calgary-based chemical maker as vice president of operations. Aurora, Ont. Nova Chemicals Corp. has appointed – Material supplier Teknor Apex Co., The CPCs are Fresh Greg DeKunder as vice president headquartered in Pawtucket, R.I., has Start’s MC-2 mechanical of marketing of its PE business unit. appointed Sachin Sakhalkar as vice purge and its GP hybrid president of its global TPE business. mechanical/chemical – Luxembourg-based automotive grade. Developed in interior parts maker International – Global automation supplier Beckhoff Ontario and manufac- Automotive Components Group has Automation has named Calvin Wallace tured in the U.S., both named Manfred Gingl as its new as the new managing director of its Cana- products meet GRAS and CEO. Gingl is the former CEO of dian subsidiary Beckhoff Canada, which FDA 21 CFR standards. Magna International Inc.’s after- is headquartered in Mississauga, Ont. He market division. replaces Joe Ottenhof, who is retiring. Minutes MAtter

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September 2018 Canadian Plastics 9

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CPL_Sept2018issue_AMS.indd 9 2018-08-27 8:56 AM rotational molding

New technologies ADD NEW SPINS Rotomolding is a small industry, which means development can be limited and progress slow. And it also means that innovations can get overlooked because no one’s paying attention. So in case you missed them, here are some of the latest offerings in machines, software, and materials.

By Mark Stephen, editor

ompared to other plastics molding Rotomolding is also heavily depen- tools, and process monitoring, as well processes, waiting for develop- dent on PE — in either powder or as advances in material characteris- C ments in rotational molding can micropellets — and approximately 95 tics. Here are some of the most recent feel a bit like watching glaciers per cent of rotomolded products are developments. advance. But the slow movements of made from this material, but the sec- glaciers have worked miracles, carving tor still accounts for less than two per UNDER PRESSURE out the Great Lakes and Niagara Falls cent of global PE demand. Finally, In late 2017, a new pressure vacuum among other natural wonders. So too while rotomolding can produce a wide feeding capability was added to the with rotational molding, also known as range of products with complex RotoLoad powder dispensing system rotomolding: The changes might come designs and aesthetic finishes, the — originally developed by Wittmann slowly, but they create dramatic and majority of companies rely on simple Battenfeld Canada Inc. — that’s lasting results. products and operator skill for their designed to be safer and more efficient The slow pace of development success. All of which means that, than traditional gravity loading sys- actually isn’t hard to understand. taken as a whole, the industry’s desire tems. Available through Paladin Sales, Globally, rotomolding is a small to invest in new technologies can be RotoLoad is an automatic system that industry, with — according to the lukewarm at best. weighs powdered PE and dispenses it Association of Rotational Molders But machinery, software, and resin directly into the mold of the rotomold- (ARM) — only between 4,000 to and additive suppliers are out there ing machine. “Some plants can’t use 5,000 companies involved in total, pitching anyway, offering new innova- gravity-fed systems because the ceil- most of which are small enterprises. tions in efficiency, communication ings are too low; also, you have to have

10 Canadian Plastics September 2018 www.canplastics.com

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pump that can manage up to six sepa- Easy to use with no mixing required, rate RotoLoad powder dispensing sys- benefits are said to include more con- tems, and which has enough power to sistent foaming with easily reproduc- feed resin powder from as far away as ible results; more uniform wall thick- a silo. The central system also features ness, and a wide range of foam densities a much faster reloading cycle of about and wall thicknesses; a smaller, more 50 lbs per minute, and can be config- uniform cell structure than other roto- ured with various combinations of the molding compounds; and the elimina- three sizes of hoppers. An operator tion of the soft spots sometimes found controls the system with a touchscreen, in large parts. Foamazol 14 is supplied and can enter charge weights either as micropellets with a slight yellow manually or automatically using Pala- colour; decomposition begins at 170°C din’s barcode scanning technology for (338°F), with maximum gas yields at identifying molds automatically. around 180°C (256°F).

SOPHISTICATED SOFTWARE MATERIAL CONSIDERATIONS AND FOAMING AGENTS As mentioned, PE dominates the roto- On the software side, Italy-based molding process, and for good reason: Polivinil Rotomachinery SpA recently the material is versatile, easily ground developed new machine software that into the necessary powder, inexpen- accounts for part weight and helps with sive, has excellent impact strength, and mold positioning. Operators can move is readily available. The development molds using a PC and a mouse, and the of other polymers has been hindered program will show any unbalanced by the fact that rotomolding is a rela- point and propose a repositioning of tively lengthy process, and therefore the weight. The repositioning can be aggressive on polymers; also, many of done without interrupting production. these non-PE materials are difficult to According to Rotomachinery, the grind into the necessary powder — development reduces mechanical indeed, most need to be made into stress and extends component life. powder using cryogenic grinding, Using a PC or mobile device, the oper- which is expensive. So it’s no surprise ator can also check production and that when it comes to introducing new view the same pages as the touch panel grades for rotomolding, material sup- Getty Images Getty that’s on the machine; multiple pliers continue to focus on PE. A. someone go up steps and lift a basket machines can be controlled by one per- Schulman Inc., for example, used to pour in from the top, which can be son. Software features include a net- NPE2018 to expand its PE-based range dangerous,” said Terry Gillian, owner work analyzer for viewing and saving of specialty powders with Icorene of Paladin Sales. “The pressure feed- power, an extractable compact flash 9106. Said to be fully compliant with ing capability eliminates the need for a memory for loading programs, and the the flame retardant standard UL94 worker to climb a ladder to load the capability of remote servicing through V-0, the new product not only helps powder, reducing the potential for a modem. The software can display all mitigate fire danger and reduces speed injuries.” The RotoLoad is available in process parameters, including temper- of flame spread, it also increases safety an Integral System configuration that ature and rotation speeds, and temper- for the molder and the end user by features a standalone, self-contained ature curves for the cooking chamber being halogen-free. The material also hopper, individual vacuum loader, and in automatic/manual cycles; and can offers a wide processing window and filter system. The Gaylord for the pow- also recommended solutions for out- provides the same characteristics, der is positioned within a few feet of of-parameter conditions. properties, and UL94 V-0 FR perfor- the system, which can have hoppers At the NPE2018 trade show in mance as conventional halogenated with capacities of 50, 150, or 300 lbs, Orlando, Fla. in May, a new foaming grades. “The new grade provides mold- and the system can dispense powder at agent was introduced for rotomolders: ers with more options to meet safer and 360 lbs per minute and can reload at Bergen International LLC’s Foamazol more sustainable requirements in a about 15 to 20 lbs per minute. A new 14, an exothermic chemical foaming variety of markets,” said Les Druyf, central system configuration, mean- agent compound designed specifically Schulman’s product line manager, while, uses a floor mounted vacuum for foamed rotomolding applications. powders division. “Icorene 9106 is now

September 2018 Canadian Plastics 11

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rotational molding For Plastics Injection Moulding A Full Range of Robots One Unique Control Photo Credit: Taknor Apex Co. TekTuff colours from Teknor Apex are designed to provide superior impact performance compared to standard dry colours.

available in off-white, and other colours are being evalu- ated for certification.” And speaking of colours, new functionalized dry colours unveiled at NPE2018 by Teknor Apex Co. can enable rotomolders to increase impact strength, design parts with thinner walls, and increase colour levels for brighter or more opaque parts while avoiding the afore- mentioned added cost of a pulverized impact-modified compound. Called TekTuff, these dry colour blends provide impact performance said to be substantially greater than standard dry colours and equivalent to or greater than that of impact-modified compounds, whose manufacture requires the extra steps of extrusion and pulveri- zation. “TekTuff dry colour blends resolve a long-standing dilemma faced by rotomolders,” said John Wood, technical manager for the colour division of Teknor Apex. “While dry color is the most cost-effective way of adding pigments, higher loadings can cause unacceptable impact performance, which is a key metric in the rotomolding industry. Until now, the only alternative has been to use pulverized pre-colored compounds. TekTuff colours offer the benefits of pre-coloured compounds without the substantially higher cost.” When compared with standard dry colours in the ARM cold impact tests, the new TekTuff colours exhibited 40 per cent greater Sepro offers the industry’s widest choice of 3, 5 and impact resistance in red formulations and 33 per cent 6 axis robots for machines from 20 to 5000 tons, greater in black, Wood added. plus advanced connectivity and new control So don’t look now but the glacier just moved again. CPL developments to improve your moulding efficiency. RESOURCE LIST With Sepro, the Future is Open 4.0 A. Schulman Inc. (Fairlawn, Ohio); www.aschulman.com; 330-666-3751 Bergen International LLC (East Rutherford, N.J.); www.bergeninternational.com; 866-554-4951 Paladin Sales (Buckeye, Az.); www.paladin-sales.com; 330-699-0410

www.sepro-group.ca • 514 515-9349 Polivinil Rotomachinery SpA/STP Rotomachinery Inc. [email protected] • @SeproGroup (Sherbrooke, Que.); www.rotomachinery.com; 888-308-4787 Teknor Apex Co. (Pawtucket, R.I.); www.teknorapex.com; 800-556-3864

12 Canadian Plastics September 2018 www.canplastics.com

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CPL_Sept2018issue_AMS.indd 12 2018-08-27 8:56 AM rotational molding TECHSTAR PLASTICS is prospering in PORT PERRY As they hit a milestone, the owners of this well-known Ontario rotomolder look back on four decades of stress and success.

By Mark Stephen, editor rotomolding products like bins on wheels that we felt were not being looked after properly. We also looked at products made of wood or steel and asked ourselves if we could make them better through rotomolding,” Barnes said. “We did a lot of cold calling back All’s well with Dave Taylor (left) and Bill Barnes. then, which was long before the Inter- net. We found ways to get in the front n old, widely used expression says the unnamed company. “Together, door and asked customers what we that revenge is a dish best served we’d grown the annual sales from could make for them; and also used A cold. But for the founders of Port $300,000 to more than $2 million in direct mail of our product brochures to Perry, Ont.-based Techstar Plastics four years, which is when management send to potential customers.” Inc., revenge turned out to be better ordered us all to sign non-compete After a year and a half, the sweat served between the traditional rota- agreements — which we all resented equity was over: The firm was success- tional molding temperature processing because we had never even considered ful enough for Barnes and the others to ranges of 460° and 600°F. setting up a competing shop,” said Bill finally start taking salaries. And in Techstar was founded 40 years ago Barnes, Techstar’s president and one of 1980, the company the nine men had when nine men in their twenties and the nine founders. “When we were been fired from went bankrupt. “We thirties were fired from their jobs fol- fired, we all lost secure jobs and good bought part of what was left of it,” lowing a major disagreement with the salaries. We’d been selling plastic con- Barnes said. owners of a rotomolding company in tainers and had learned a lot about Toronto where they all worked. On what customers want and how to design OUTGROWING TORONTO April 14, 1978, they opened the com- them, but there was still a big risk By 1988, Techstar operated five mold- peting rotomolding firm of Techstar in involved in starting a new company, ing machines, had gross sales of about an industrial strip mall in Scarborough, and we all felt the stress. We worked $3 million annually, and was growing Ont. — and four decades later, two of six days a week in the early days — by 25 per cent each year, but the firm the original nine are still at the helm of and those who were able to afford it was occupying two locations at the what has grown to become one of the worked without being paid, me industrial mall in Scarborough, which province’s biggest rotomolding outfits. included — and we all took our turns was cumbersome and inefficient, and on the shop floor making plastic boxes management believed the time was RISKY BUSINESS and bins for various industries.” right to relocate into a single facility. The nine men had held executive, engi- The business plan was straightfor- “We chose a 22,000-square-foot plant neering, and senior sales positions at ward. “From day one, our focus was on in Port Perry that had previously been a

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A Techstar Plastics product gallery: From left: A salt or sand storage bin, a laundry truck, an industrial step stand, a roll pallet, and a utility cart.

commercial bakery, so it was structur- accounts — we’ve had recycling prod- the same, and the cycle times remain ally well-suited for manufacturing,” ucts of ours copied and made by non- the same.” Barnes said. “We’ve expanded it twice rotomolders, for example.” Which can be a mixed blessing. over the past 30 years, and now have “The cycle times in rotomolding are 62,000 square feet.” SLOW AND STEADY slow and the volumes are low — proj- At present, the company also has A saving grace is that there are benefits ects of between 50 to 30,000 parts are four single-station clamshell type roto- to the rotomolding process that other ideal,” Taylor said. “For anything molding machines and one three-arm plastic manufacturing methods can’t beyond that, another molding process turret machine producing a wide range match, said Dave Taylor, Techstar’s becomes preferable. The upside is, this of proprietary products, including vice president, manufacturing, and a tends to keep the high-volume proces- material handling products such as salt co-founder along with Barnes. “The sors from becoming too interested.” storage bins and bulk laundry trucks; process fits any size from the tiniest But it also means that when Techstar commercial recycling containers; and part to massive septic tanks, which goes head-to-head with competing products for the marine industry such means there’s room for flexibility as rotomolding shops, it has to win on as dock floats, five-step dock stairs, compared to other systems,” Taylor something other than faster part pro- and four-step dock ladders. “We have a said. “Rotomolding can also provide a duction. “We all have the same chance good mix of seasonal and non-seasonal lot of variety in the manufacturing to run at optimal cycle times, so the products, and it keeps us operating 24 phase: it can make complex designs difference comes down to how you run hours a day, five days a week,” Barnes and shapes, especially moving sections. your equipment and how you maintain said. Ontario is the company’s major It also offers consistent wall thickness, it,” Taylor said. “Mold changes can take market — representing about 75 per and the molds also tend to cost less than a long time in rotomolding, so you have cent of sales — with the remainder of in other molding methods.” to perform them better than the compe- products being shipped to customers in Another way in which rotomolding tition. You also have to be smart in the rest of Canada and North America. occupies its own separate place in the scheduling preventative maintenance And business is booming. “Our plastics processing universe is that so that you don’t sacrifice time there, sales grew by 15 per cent last year and development can be limited and prog- either. These are the areas where one will increase by another 15 per cent this ress slow — which, paradoxically, ben- rotomolding shop can beat another, and year,” Barnes said. Which might seem efits not only Techstar but every other this is where we’ve really streamlined strange, because the rotomolding indus- rotomolder. “There hasn’t been a fun- our operations.” try in Canada — a small sector to begin damental change in rotomolding in And since there’s a heavy depen- with — seems to be getting smaller, for decades, which means we don’t have dence on manual labour and operator a number of reasons. “In the first place, the constant pressure to invest in new skill in rotomolding, the quality of a the manufacturing base in Ontario is in machinery that injection molding and company’s workforce definitely mat- trouble, period, due to rising industrial extrusion shops do,” Barnes said. ters. “We invited all of our employees energy costs,” Barnes said. “Second, “There is machinery that has come out to move with us to Port Perry in 1988, there have been a lot of company take- recently with better control and moni- and most of them did,” Barnes said. overs and consolidations by bigger toring capabilities, and new resins and “Some of these original workers are rotomolding corporations. And third, additives are available that offer better still with us today, and many others injection molders and blow molders are UV protection — and we invest in have been with us for 20 years or always trying to pick off rotomolding these — but the actual process remains more. We currently have 40 employ-

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And you can add a healthy dose of resilience to the mix. “Our product offerings have evolved as the times have changed,” Taylor said. “When there was a larger manufacturing base in Ontario we had certain product lines, such as tote boxes. Now we tend to focus on end-use products.” Last but definitely not least, Barnes and Taylor — the last men standing from the original nine axed workers — still enjoy what they do. “Roto- molding is still fun for us,” Taylor said. “We don’t make disposable single-use All product photos courtesy of Techstar Plastics Inc. items, so we don’t have the same prob- ees, and their hard work and expertise ment point of view, the key to our lems with product bans as the straw are big parts of our success.” success has been to give people jobs and bag manufacturers do, which is to do and then leave them alone to do part of what keeps it pleasant. It’s been MANAGING IT them,” Barnes said. “I don’t tell Dave a great ride and we’re still excited to be As they look back on four decades of how to run the plant or how to solve doing this.” stress and then success, Barnes and problems on the shop floor, and he So forget about serving it cold or Taylor are confident they know what doesn’t second-guess the business hot — the best revenge, as another say- they’ve done right. “From a manage- decisions I make.” ing goes, might just be living well. CPL

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September 2018 Canadian Plastics 15 CPL_Sept_Lorenz.indd 1 2018-08-13 3:50 PM

CPL_Sept2018issue_AMS.indd 15 2018-08-27 8:56 AM robots & automation By Mark Stephen, editor

Rite-Hite’s new Defender automated barrier door features a resilient curtain material that resists a wider array of application- driven hazards than competing devices.

Z434 provides a clearly defined set of rules to follow for industrial robot manufacture, remanufacture, and rebuild; robot system integration and/or installation; and safeguarding methods to protect workers. Some of the biggest changes in the 2013 iteration of Z434 had to do with safety-rated motion and allowing for advanced programmable Photo Credit: Rite-Hite Photo safety devices to be utilized — in a nutshell, software can now take control of the “safety-rated” aspects of a robot’s function, such as limiting the area in GUARDIANS which the robot operates and the speed of robot motion. This is a departure OF from older standards that did not allow programmable safety controls. THE Because every robot system is dif- FACTORY ferent, conducting a risk assessment at This is a golden age for industrial automation: there’s the outset is an important step in pro- more of it than ever before, and the robots are moving tecting employees — indeed, it’s now mandatory in Canada under Z434. The faster than ever before. But it also means more potential risk assessment process involves danger than ever before. Keeping up with new safety reviewing the operation of the equip- standards and incorporating the latest protective measures ment, identifying associated tasks and potential hazards, and using these for the robot cell and the operator can prevent disaster. inputs to complete a risk estimation. ou don’t need to have seen Arnold in the top technology for safety. It also “The assessment should identify any Schwarzenegger running amok in means keeping up with any changes to task that will be performed throughout Y The Terminator to appreciate the industrial safety standards throughout the life cycle of the system — including dangers of an out-of-control robot. Canada and all of North America. installation, day-to-day operation, and And plastics processors in particular maintenance and repair — and take need to be aware of the risks. Robotic GOOD GUIDANCE into account the entire operating envi- automation has been used by the indus- The good news is that, from a standards ronment, including nearby cells and try for decades to load and unload mold- perspective, there’s plenty of guidance traffic in the plant,” said David Mra- ing machines, but the automation of plas- for plant and safety managers. For Cana- vyan, engineering manager with tics production is accelerating: According dian plastics processors with industrial Minatech Inc. “Specific questions also to one recent study, 74 robot units per automation, the Canadian Standards have to be addressed, such as how oper- 1,000 employees is the new average of Association (CSA) Z434 standard that ators will interact with the machine: global robot density in the plastics indus- was adopted in 2013 is the regulatory Will they load or remove parts and try. In a nutshell, robots are now indis- Bible. The Z434 standard references troubleshoot the equipment? Also, how pensable to modern plastics plants. ISO 10218-1 and -2, which address often maintenance will be required, But there’s a downside: The robots, robot systems, and integration. and how malfunctions will be handled. increased use of industrial robots — This Canadian standard was written Finally, the assessment also has to iden- with trends toward faster speeds and alongside the Robotics Industries Asso- tify hazards, since each task can expose bigger payloads — is also increasing ciation (RIA) in the U.S. to be compliant the worker to some kind of hazard.” the chances of unexpected, potentially with international standards already in And the responsibility for the assess- tragic, interactions with human opera- place in Europe, and is also compliant ment is clearly on the facility manag- tors. Which means the onus is on the with the twin American guidelines of ers. “It’s the processor’s job to perform processors investing in the automated ISO 13849-1 and RIA R15.06. a proper risk assessment of their auto- technology for production to also invest When broken down to the basics, mation equipment,” Mravyan said.

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“They have to understand the codes — is where things get risky. “There tains have become a widely accepted and regulations applicable to their situ- needs to be a clear understanding of the method of machine guarding. The cur- ation and ensure the proposed work cell zones where people may enter; zones tain consists of a set of photoelectric satisfies these.” where arms or hands may enter; and transmitters that project an array of Designing an automated work cell possible interference between the robot synchronized, parallel infrared light that meets today’s tough regulatory and other processing equipment or beams to a matching receiver unit. standards might not be rocket science, moving equipment, including carts and When an opaque object interrupts one but it probably comes close. You don’t forklifts,” David Mravyan said. Which or more beams in the sensing field, the have to do it alone, however: An auto- is why the modern industrial work cell receiver detects the event and the light mation integrator can work with the uses a multilayer approach to safety in curtain sends a stop signal to the processor during the assessment phase this area: designers must combine guarded machine. “Safety light cur- to engineer the system, making sure it’s active measures such as safety mats, tains are ideal for point-of-operation properly guarded with the proper con- light curtains, and lasers with visual protection due to their slim profile that trols in place. and audible warning indicators. The can easily be mounted close to the haz- result is that an operator receives warn- ard and their small resolution between AVOIDING CONTACT ing of a potentially unsafe situation; if beams,” said Aaron Schulke, industrial And while each robotic work cell has he or she then ventures into harm’s way, safety systems manager with Sick AG. its own unique set of challenges, some several independent devices shut down “The resolution can be set small enough general rules apply. The big question in operations before disaster can strike. to detect a hand or even one finger.” any application is whether or not the One way to help keep the worker out Sick’s latest light curtain offering, the system will come into contact with of harm’s way is to streamline the deTec4 Core, has no blind zones, and workers. The answer is, it depends on robotic automation. The compact an increased height of its protective the needs of the application. “About 40 dimensions of Wittmann Battenfeld’s field, Schulke said. “The available proper cent of applications today and in new Primus 10 robot for pick-and-place tective field heights range from 300 to the foreseeable future can be handled applications, for example, equip it for 2,100 mm,” he added. without any direct interaction between operation inside the safety enclosure of When installing safety light cur- operators and robots — the robot oper- an injection molding machine. “This tains, a minimum safe distance that the ates inside a guarded zone, with insert reduces the costs incurred for the safety light curtain can be mounted from the feeding and part removal handled by enclosure, and also ensures compliant point of hazard must be calculated. peripheral equipment,” said Claude operation with safety standards,” the “The distance between the hazard and Bernard, product marketing director, company said. the light curtain must be such that the Sepro Group. “A further 50 per cent of time it takes the operator to reach the applications can be handled with lim- PLAYING IT SAFE hazard is greater than the stopping time ited human/robot interaction, where An industry staple since the 1950s, of the machine,” said John Ritter, prod- the robot operates inside a guarded safety mats are a traditional means of uct manager with Rite-Hite. space with operators having limited preventing operators or wheeled If the processor lacks the appropri- access for feed-in and feed-out through machines from entering the point-of- ate space to mount two perpendicular protected openings.” operation. Typically, a safety mat uses devices, a laser scanner is an alterna- If interaction does have to occur, the an open switch that closes when a speci- tive. Laser scanners can provide 3D area of the machine where work is per- fied minimum weight presses on the protection of an area, and can offer the formed — called the point-of-operation mat; the switch closure then sends a designer increased flexibility to tailor signal to the mat the system response by specifying dif- controller, which ferent warning and safety zones around sends a stop signal the hazard. Sepro demonstrated a laser to the machine. scanner on one of its S5 Pickers during Trim is used the Plast-Ex trade show in Toronto last around the perim- year. “If a person entered the warning eter of the mat to zone, the scanner would alert the Sepro hold it in place, controller, resulting in a reduced speed protect wiring, operation,” Claude Bernard said. “If and provide a the person continued into the danger ramped surface to zone, the robot would stop.” prevent tripping While light curtains or laser scan-

Photo Credit: Sick AG hazards. ners may be the right choice in some Sick AG’s latest light curtain offering, the deTec4 Core, has no blind More recently, applications, shops with severely lim- zones and an increased height of its protective field. safety light cur- ited floor space might not have enough

September 2018 Canadian Plastics 17

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room to satisfy the minimum safety dis- personnel or material to safely Staubli Corp.’s TX2 industrial robot tance from the plane of light to the clos- approach the equipment.” Rite-Hite’s line comes standard with the compa- est hazard or danger point where the new Defender automated barrier door ny’s CS9 control sensors, which imme- operator could reach into the hazard. features a more resilient curtain mate- diately detect anyone approaching the Which is where automated barrier doors rial that resists a wider array of appli- work area and automatically lower the come in. “With barrier doors, the safe- cation-driven hazards than competing robot’s speed in accordance with safety guard can be placed closer to the pro- devices, Ritter said. “It also offers requirements. “The main advantage is cess, which saves space by reducing the optional variable frequency drive to that the robots can continue to operate manufacturing cell’s footprint,” John control curtain speed, and has quick- at a slower rate without triggering the Ritter said. disconnect cables that allow for easier emergency shutdown mechanism, Also, Ritter continued, light cur- installation and integration than com- thereby avoiding a complex restart pro- tains and laser scanners can’t protect parable barrier doors,” he continued. cedure,” the company said. “If a worker against some of the secondary hazards In addition to guarding and safety and machine share the same work- of plastics production, such as smoke, devices, better controls on the robot can space, safety modes like lower speeds deflashing, splash, mist, and flying enable safer operation. “The robot and can be made to activate under pre- debris. “Barrier doors protect people its controls should be designed to make defined conditions.” outside the hazardous area from safe operation very efficient at all times, Since most robot accidents don’t objects flying from the machine,” Rit- so that the operator should never feel the occur under normal operating condi- ter said. “Barrier guards normally are need to override the robot safety fea- tions, a key goal of any work cell is to not used for the entire perimeter tures in order to save time,” Claude Ber- discourage the operator from creating because this would make it difficult to nard said. “This means simple program- an abnormal condition by trying to access the equipment. Typically, ming, easy cycle time optimization, safe override a safety feature to perform a there’s an entry to the cell and a more and quick production changeover, and task. The safest automated work cell has flexible guarding solution will allow smart troubleshooting.” overlapping precautions — laser sen-

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18 Canadian Plastics September 2018 www.canplastics.com CPL_Sept_Struktol.indd 1 2018-08-07 9:57 AM

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sors and light curtains that supplement in robotic technology, older robots not realize productivity and efficiency guarding — but even that’s not always equipped with the latest safety features savings not seen with the older tech- enough to prevent operator interference. can pose a problem. According to RIA nology,” John Ritter said. “It beats “If an operator thinks it’s necessary to guidelines, older technology should be the alternative of having a worker enter the point-of-operation, they’ll in compliance with the standard at the injured and a compliance officer always try to find a way in,” David Mra- time it was new, and remain in compli- banging on your door.” vyan said. “A properly designed work ance until it’s modified in some way or The Terminator is just a movie, after cell will give the operator the tools to do is moved to a new work cell, which all; in a modern industrial work cell in his or her job safely without having to would require a new risk assessment. the real world, robots shouldn’t be go around the guarding.” The owner of an ageing robot some- dangerous. CPL Operator training can play a role times has to decide between decom- here too. “Safety training should be missioning it or investing to have it RESOURCE LIST simple and easy to understand, and brought into compliance. “We’ve been Minatech Inc. (Woodbridge, Ont.); should occur frequently, using con- asked to modify older robotic systems www.minatech.ca; 905-264-0411 crete, everyday examples of safe opera- by several customers,” David Mravyan Rite-Hite/Arbon Equipment Corp. (Brampton, tion,” John Ritter said. “The goal is to said. “The challenge is that, as soon as Ont.); www.ritehite.com; 905-495-1428 make the operators understand the dan- we touch the system, we’re obligated to Sepro Canada (Montreal); gers of interfering with a working cell, bring it up to standard, and this can www.sepro-group.ca; 514-515-9349 which can result in serious injury and open a huge can of worms.” Sick Canada (Richmond Hill, Ont.); www.sick.com; 905-771-1444 even death.” Which is why some customers Staubli Corp. (Duncan, S.C.); prefer to bite the bullet and outfit the www.staubli.com; 864-486-5421 SHOWING THEIR AGE cell with new automation. “Each situ- Wittmann Battenfeld Canada Inc. As industrial safety standards are ation is different, but a newly auto- (Richmond Hill, Ont.); periodically revised to reflect advances mated robot may help the customer to www.wittmann-group.ca; 905-887-5355

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CPL_Sept2018issue_AMS.indd 19 2018-08-27 8:56 AM automotive The acceleration of innovation The automotive industry is one of the world’s fastest- changing sectors, moving at a speed that makes Trump’s Twitter fingers look slow by comparison. And when it comes to new part applications, it’s all about getting the most from the latest resins. Here are just a few examples of what’s possible right now.

By Mark Stephen, editor Getty Images Getty

MAGNA WINS BIG FOR LIGHTWEIGHT Introduced in May, the newly enhanced Apex 1523 com- CLASS-A FENDER pounds, named the Apex 1523-LG series, exhibit gloss levels Canadian automotive parts similar to those of EPDM rubber beltline seals or glass run supplier Magna International channels, enabling manufacturers of PVC-encapsulated win- Inc.’s exteriors division won dows to meet OEM demand for a closer match in the surface the “Materials Innovation” finish of these critical appearance parts. “The lowest gloss award at the latest Society of Plastics Engineers levels of standard PVC compounds for window encapsula- Automotive Composites Conference for its lightweight tion are in the 9 to 12 range as defined by the Plastics Indus- class-A fender, made possible by the new Fibremod try Association gloss finish standards, and they’re achieved Carbon material series from Borealis and Borouge. through etching or sandblasting of the tooling surface,” said Having modified an existing tool capable of produc- Steve McCormack, industry manager of Teknor Apex’s auto- ing a viable thermoplastic alternative to a conventional metal- motive group. “In contrast, Apex 1523-LG series compounds stamped part, Magna Exteriors ultimately selected a Borealis achieve a gloss level in the 3 to 4 range without the need for Fibremod Carbon development grade containing 10 per cent surface treatment of the tooling, which eliminates the costs carbon fibre reinforced engineered PP. This enables the associated with the tooling maintenance and repair required manufacturer to achieve both the exterior part impact perfor- to keep a consistent surface appearance from part to part.” mance required for crash and pedestrian safety, and the high- Apex 1523-LG series compounds have received several quality look of a class-A painted part. But because the part is OEM material approvals, including the GMW-16084 speci- made of reclaimed Fibremod Carbon Fibre, the body panel is fication for quarter windows from General Motors Co. and between 30 to 40 per cent lighter than conventional alumin- the MSDC543 specification for quarter windows and sun- ium panels, and enables zero gap performance with very low roofs from Chrysler. CLTE when compared to other engineering plastics. This makes the exterior application more recyclable, lighter DELIVERING A SOFT-FEEL AND SUPERIOR SCRATCH weight, and therefore more sustainable. PERFORMANCE IN UNPAINTED, LOW-GLOSS AUTO INTERIOR COMPONENTS SCRATCH- AND MAR-RESISTANT PVC Sabic Innovative Plastics recently COMPOUNDS FOR WINDOW ENCAPSULATIONS introduced a new and growing A newly developed series of flexible PVC injec- portfolio of PP compounds tion molding compounds from Teknor Apex designed to deliver a soft-feel Co. are designed to exhibit substantially combined with good scratch per- lower levels of surface gloss, providing a formance in unpainted, low-gloss rubber-like finish that matches that of automotive interior components. adjacent EPDM components while And the industry has already come calling: India’s retaining the cost-performance advan- Tata Motors is the first automaker to use one of the Sabic PP tages of PVC. compounds in an interior application. Tata Motors selected a

20 Canadian Plastics September 2018 www.canplastics.com

CPL_Sept2018issue_AMS.indd 20 2018-08-27 8:56 AM automotive

Sabic PP compound to mold parts with a soft feel and high- Called Tepex Dynalite, the composite is designed to be end appearance in the steering column cover and speedom- significantly more resistant to impacts and damage than pre- eter cluster top for its 2017 Tiago hatchback. The company vious material solutions, while also offering significant eliminated the need for expensive paint systems, saving weight savings. “The undertray in the Tepex-DLFT compos- about 30 per cent, while achieving the same level of perfor- ite design is manufactured by GSI Deutschland GmbH, mance and aesthetics. based in Germany, and is over 60 per cent lighter than an Possible applications for this material include interior equivalent component made of steel, and up to 20 per cent trims, seat and console side cladding, gloveboxes, door pan- lighter when the new material is substituted for aluminum,” els, and other similar interior components; and the com- said Tepex application developer Harri Dittmar. pounds allow these types of parts to be efficiently manufac- The underbody protection was previously made of a PP- tured using only one high-volume injection molding step, based composite design consisting of a glass mat reinforced Sabic said. thermoplastic system (GMT) and an additional fabric reinforced GMT; before that, sheet steel was used. “The MAKING CAR ENGINE new underbody protection is manufactured in molds UNDERTRAYS EVEN TOUGHER as used, for example, for GMT and its related materi- People who live in areas with bad als,” Dittmar said. “The difference is that a Tepex road surfaces deserve safe driving Dynalite 104-RG601 insert with a wall thickness of experiences too, which is why a one mm is used. This comprises a glass fibre fabric, major German car manufacturer is containing 47 per cent continuous glass fibre rovings equipping the first vehicles of vari- by volume and a PP matrix. It’s heated up while the ous model series that are delivered to required volume of DLFT mass — containing glass fibres countries with poor road infrastructure from five to 50 mm long — is extruded. Both materials are with an engine undertray made of a particularly robust new then shaped in a compression mold, which produces compo- continuous fibre reinforced thermoplastic composite from nents that have a Tepex surface on the engine side, which is Lanxess AG. the side subjected to tensile load.” CPL

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September 2018 Canadian Plastics 21 CPL_June18_Rotogran.indd 1 2018-06-04 2:31 PM

CPL_Sept2018issue_AMS.indd 21 2018-08-27 8:56 AM packaging Ontario firm POPS on a new THE LIDconcept in PEELABLE IMLs Created by Mississauga, Ont.-based packaging design firm KBS Impact Inc., the lids can save container weight and costs by using a peelable in-mold label that acts as a tamper-evident seal.

By Mark Stephen, editor

oday’s cutting-edge plastic bottles and containers have one thing in common with all those European super- T models you see starved to within an inch of their lives: just when you think they can’t possibly shed any more weight, they do. Case in point? A new concept created by Mississauga, Ont.-based packaging design firm KBS Impact Inc. can

save container weight and costs by using a peelable in-mold All photos courtesy of KBS Impact Inc. label (IML) that acts as a tamper-evident seal to replace Above: Stephen Robert (left) and Bill Traynor at work. Top left: traditional threaded flip-top closures and induction heat- Vitamin bottle with reduced neck height with UfLIPseal. Floating: sealed liners. Two closures with peelable IML labels as tamper-evident seals. KBS has actually developed two variations of the technology, one of which is patented and the other of which has sonal care products in squeeze tubes. a patent pending. Both concepts use functional in-mold The patented variant is called U10Seal. “Our design labeling — or FIML. And according to KBS owner/partner involves having a preprinted IML label placed in an injec- Stephen Robert, both also have the potential for use in a wide tion mold and then a ring of plastic being molded against the range of plastic containers, including ketchup, mustard, outer perimeter,” Robert said. “This ring is later ultrasoni- salad dressing, vitamins, drink powders, liquid bath soap, cally welded to a flange on the container body. The value- non-dairy creamers, coffee, over-the-counter drugs, and per- added feature is a plastic spoon that’s molded onto the centre

22 Canadian Plastics September 2018 www.canplastics.com

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of the IML film. When the film is peeled off to open the joined to the container. It’s a big benefit for the consumer.” container, the spoon can be pulled off the film.” Target UfLIPseal also offers a number of manufacturing bene- packaging applications for U10Seal include many single- fits for converters and brand owners, Robert said. “Eliminat- serve consumer products, Robert continued. “Yogurt, pud- ing threads in the overcap removes weight from both the cap ding, dry cereal, dry noodles, or other spoonable foods in and container neck, saving several grams of plastic,” he said. wide-mouth tub-style containers would all be good fits for “It also simplifies injection tooling, reduces the cycle time, this concept,” he said. and opens up new design options since the cap and container neck don’t have to be round.” Additional weight is removed BIG BENEFITS FOR BRAND OWNERS by eliminating the neck overwrap and the induction-sealed The patent-pending variant of this technology is dubbed foil composite. “We can also reduce the overall closure UfLIPseal. “UfLIPseal uses FIML in a way that enables height of the package by eliminating the threads on the bot- the design of consumer-friendly and operationally effi- tle,” Robert said. “And the ultrasonic welding uses only cient caps and closures,” Robert said. “A peelable IML is about 20 per cent as much energy as traditional heat sealing.” placed into the mold cavity; the UfLIPseal lid is molded in Founded in 2009, KBS is led by Robert and partner Bill the open position, and the label adheres to the plastic lid. Traynor, both of whom are 20-year packaging industry vet- The lids are designed with an annular lip to fit on bottles erans who gained in-depth thin-wall packaging experience or containers.” Finally, the cap is closed as part of molding with Toronto-based Polytainers Inc. At present, KBS is look- automation. “This is the form in which the cap is packaged ing for development partners to help commercialize the and shipped to the brand owner,” Robert said. U10Seal and UfLIPseal applications or license the technol- Once the bottle or container has been filled, the entire ogy. “The packaging industry has already incorporated UfLIPseal lid assembly is ultrasonically welded to the prod- many of the simple ways to lightweight plastic bottles,” uct on the filling line in a one-piece, one-step solution. Robert said. “From now on, removing weight will have to “Then the consumer simply peels off the IML film using a involve new approaches to bottling technologies and packag- free-standing tab,” Robert said. “There’s no need to take off ing designs. We believe that brands that utilize our concept the whole cap and replace it since the cap is permanently can really take the lead.” CPL

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September 2018 Canadian Plastics 23 CPL_Sept_Wittmann.indd 1 2018-08-22 5:49 PM

CPL_Sept2018issue_AMS.indd 23 2018-08-27 8:56 AM recycling REVITAL POLYMERS wants your BLACK PLASTIC trays and containers The City of Toronto says that recycling black plastic isn’t worth the trouble. This Sarnia, Ont.-based recycler begs to differ.

By Mark Stephen, editor f you think fake news is confined to in 2017, ReVital is owned and operated of-the-art technology that sorts and coverage of American politics, think by two recycling industry pioneers, converts waste plastics into discrete I again. It seems to be everywhere Emmie Leung, CEO and Tony Mou- resin types, tailored to specific cus- these days, and not even the plastics cachen, president. Leung is the founder tomer end-use applications,” said Keith recycling industry is immune. Case in and CEO of Burlington, Ont.-based Bechard, ReVital’s chief commercial point? Recent media reports published Emterra Group, a national leader in officer. “This customized approach throughout the Greater Toronto Area waste resources management that annu- improves post-consumer packaging (GTA) gave readers the impression that ally processes and markets more than recovery rates through better end-of- black post-consumer plastic can’t be 500,000 tons of recyclables; and Mou- life management, and allows manufac- recycled. There’s a kernel of truth to the cachen is the founder and president of turers and retailers to offer new prod- story in that optical sorting technology Delta, B.C.-based Merlin Plastics Group, ucts and packaging that incorporate at the recycling facilities contracted by a veteran of the North American plastic recycled content in the consumer prod- the City of Toronto can’t recognize packaging recycling and remarketing uct, household goods, and automotive black plastic, and as a result can’t sort it industry. The two formed a partnership sectors. This is important because con- — which is why TO officials are urg- to acquire the assets of a former Sarnia sumers increasingly want products that ing anyone who uses any type of black plastics recycling facility that had gone are both recyclable and include recy- plastic to put it in the trash bin, not the into receivership, which included the cled content.” blue bin. The reports also gave the 180,000-square-foot plant where ReVi- impression that, outside of the GTA, tal is now located. FIGHTING THE FAKE NEWS the market for black plastics is Said to operate the first recycling ReVital has developed what Bechard extremely small, so it’s costly to sort plant in Canada that combines a con- calls an “innovative, proprietary sys- with little or no reward. tainer recovery facility and a plastics tem” to recover black plastics for the But Sarnia, Ont.-based plastics recy- recovery facility under one roof, ReVi- same high-end applications as non- cler ReVital Polymers Inc. isn’t buying it. tal accepts post-consumer plastics black plastics. “This is a real departure What it is buying is black post-consumer gathered from municipal recycling pro- from common practice of downgrading plastic. In fact, black plastic is contribut- grams in Ontario, across Canada, and black plastic containers into lower ing to the company’s business growth. the U.S., and uses a closed-loop process value applications or sending these to recycle materials into raw materials materials to landfills,” he said. POTENT PARTNERSHIP for use in manufacturing again. “Our Which is why, when news stories

Founded in 2016 and officially opened proprietary process incorporates state- began appearing about the unsuitabil- All photos courtesy of ReVital Polymers Inc.

24 Canadian Plastics September 2018 www.canplastics.com

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Scenes from ReVital Polymers: ity of black post-consumer material the market presence of their three for recycling, Bechard and everyone extended plastics processing and else at ReVital began seeing red. recycling companies — ReVital “No one I know thinks it’s right to along with Merlin Plastics and use a plastic product or package once Emterra — to launch the Circular and then send it to the landfill,” Polymers Group (CPG), said to be Bechard said. “In Ontario alone, about North America’s largest plastics recy- 1,400 tons of black plastics are gener- cling consortium. These companies ated annually. This would fill more currently operate 38 multi-materials Emmie Leung (right), CEO of ReVital than 70 transport trucks parked end- handling and recycling facilities in Polymers, directing plant operations. to-end stretching for over one mile. B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Mani- That’s a significant amount of valu- toba, and Ontario, as well as in the Mixed plastics on their way to a new life. able material, and that’s why we American states of Oregon, Califor- invested in the development of tech- nia, and Michigan. In 2017, CPG col- nology to recover black plastics.” lected and recycled well over 140 Bechard said recent Toronto media million kgs of plastics from residen- reports claiming that black plastic tial curbside recycling systems, bev- trays and containers are unrecyclable erage container deposit-return sys- have caused great confusion for the tems, and the industrial, commercial, public, not just in Ontario but across and institutional sectors across Can- Canada. “The Toronto media reports ada and the U.S. were specific to that community’s “While each of our companies recycling program and their recycling will continue to do business individ- service provider,” he said. “The City ually, we work synergistically to and their service provider’s limita- offer our customers the combined tions are not reflective of the rest of knowledge of 75 years of recycling the recycling industry in Ontario and expertise; in that sense, CPG is a Canada. Information suggesting there consortium company that really is is no market for black post-consumer greater than the sum of its parts,” plastic is fake news.” Bechard said. “As one of the 38 The truth is that municipalities plants in CPG, ReVital has a niche across the province of Ontario — within that group to deliver programs including Ottawa, Kingston, Durham, and services which develop post-con- and Windsor — and beyond have been sumer plastic for end-use market shipping black plastics within their applications. Abroad, our technolo- mixed plastics to ReVital since the gies to collect, sort, and recycle plas- firm first opened, reflecting strong tics could be implemented in devel- ongoing demand for the black mate- oping countries, which might help to rial. “We have a tremendous market dramatically reduce the millions of for this material,” Bechard said. tons of plastics discharged into the “Almost 60 per cent of what we make world’s oceans every year from are black plastic resins. Municipal developing nations.” black plastics become valuable com- Back home in Canada, mean- A compounding line and gantry. modity resins tailored to specific cus- while, ReVital is on track to fulfill its tomer end-use applications.” mission. “Our goal is to make recycled resins a part of every plastics JOINING THE CONSORTIUM processor’s product portfolio,” The misinformation about black plas- Bechard said. “We intend to work tic material aside, everything is going with the industry to help it become according to plan for ReVital, Bechard 100 per cent circular, so that all res- said. “We’ve been in operation for 18 ins taken from a post-consumer months and our processing capacity application are put back into a simi- has exceeded expectations,” he said. lar application.” Emmie Leung and Tony Mou- And there’s nothing fake about that Black plastics ready for market. cachen have also recently combined news. CPL

26 Canadian Plastics September 2018 www.canplastics.com

CPL_Sept2018issue_AMS.indd 26 2018-08-27 8:56 AM technology showcase

duction capacity; this package is well-suited for complex applications, for example involving multi-component and AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT hot runner molds. “4.optimisation” is designed for process optimization to increase part quality and reduce unit costs; Material loaders for medium-sized features include injection when closing the mold, cycle- and large feed volumes overlapping dosing, and extended clamping. “4.production” Wittmann Battenfeld has extended its offers experienced operators greater flexibility and freedom FeedMax line of basic central material in programming functions; in particular, it facilitates work loaders with new models with 15 and 25 with special processes and complex mold technology. litre capacities, making it possible to “4.monitoring” offers detailed process and quality monitor- connect material loaders from this ing and complete documentation; process deviations are series with larger drying hoppers or detected at an early stage. And “4.service” makes it possible gravimetric blender systems with higher to quickly help customers with direct access to the machine material throughputs of between 50 to control and via online support, thereby increasing machine 100 kg per hour. availability; the new Arburg Remote Service ARS is an All parts of the FeedMax range which come into contact integral part of this package. with the material to be processed are made of stainless steel, Arburg Inc. (Newington, Conn.); www.arburg.com; 860-667-6500 and the central part is connected to the pedestal by a clamp- DCube (Montreal); www.dcube.ca; 514-272-0500 ing ring. The flow of granulate into the material loader can be optimized by simply twisting the top part of the appliance. The lids of these new larger models are also very easy to EXTRUSION open, since there are no hoses in the way. Setting the materials handling period with a potentiometer is also very simple. Blender with built-in In combination with a blower station, it’s possible to handle both long and short transport distances. The handling period extrusion control can be adjusted very quickly to changed conditions. The new WXB weigh extrusion Several appliances can be connected with each other blender from Maguire Products and operated jointly via a central operating unit, which Inc. is designed to provide extru- then makes it possible to set up a small central material sion control based on batch preci- handling system. sion and metering accuracy that The status of every FeedMax is easily visible, even can be interfaced with a supervi- from a distance. The bright ambiLED status display sig- sory system that controls the total production line. nals any conditions that can present problems, such as lack The WXB incorporates a gain-in-weight (GIW) weigh of material. bin and a loss-in-weight (LIW) mix chamber in one machine Wittmann Battenfeld Canada Inc. (Richmond Hill, Ont.); with a Maguire 4088 controller. While the GIW function www.wittmann-group.ca; 905-887-5355 precisely weighs batch ingredients as they’re dosed sequen- tially into the weigh bin, the LIW mix chamber makes possible accurate metering of the blend into the processing INJECTION MOLDING machine and facilitates control of extrusion and haul-off in accordance with process variables. Six new assistance packages The 4088 controller is designed for communication with other systems in an Industry 4.0 setting. It enables the WXB support machine operators blender to interface with the Maguire + Syncro brand super- Arburg Inc. has visory system, which provides control of all segments of the introduced its new production line from a single touchscreen HMI control. The 4.set-up system, a Maguire + Syncro control display allows users to easily series of six new visualize single-layer and co-extrusion processes. Modes of digital assistance extrusion control available include lbs or kg per hour, weight packages that per length of extrudate, and product thickness in microns. actively support Initially the WXB blender is available in three models: machine operators in setting up and entering parameters, the WXB 100 for throughputs of 100 to 220 lbs per hour (50 monitoring their processes, and adaptively regulating them. to 100 kg per hour); the WXB 200 for 220 to 440 lbs per “4.set-up” actively supports machine operators in setting hour (100 to 200 kg per hour); and the WXB 400 for 440 to up and entering parameters; this gives them more time for 880 lbs per hour (200 to 400 kg per hour). productive tasks. “4.start-stop” simplifies production start- Maguire Products Canada Inc. (Vaughan, Ont.); up, reduces the number of start-up parts, and increases pro- www.maguirecanada.com; 905-879-1100

September 2018 Canadian Plastics 27

CPL_Sept2018issue_AMS.indd 27 2018-08-27 8:56 AM technology showcase

System for continuous indexing conveyor. Key optional features include colour deviation, batch extruder monitoring counting, and fallen bottle detection. New from Davis- The leak tester’s colour touchscreen operator interface Standard LLC, the features a graphical display of test results, an easy-to-use DS Activ-Check sys- icon-based menu system, recipe storage, password protec- tem for continuous tion, and an automated self-test feature. extruder monitoring, The unit is also equipped with locking castor wheels, available as an dual guide rails, and powder-coated frame. option with the com- The standard conveyor is 6.5 feet long and extended pany’s Integrator, lengths and widths are available; custom solutions can be Epic III, and DS-eVue control systems, enables processors designed to suit specific application and plant layout needs. to take advantage of real-time predictive maintenance by W. Amsler Equipment Inc. (Bolton, Ont.); providing early notifications of potential extruder failures. www.amslerequipment.com; 877-738-2569 Machine operators are alerted to issues before they hap- pen, reducing unplanned downtime while also collecting valuable data. Users receive notifications via e-mail or text, BLOWN FILM and continuous monitoring of production machine status is available on smart devices and remote PCs. Key parameters Bi-axially oriented line for monitored include extruder reducer, lubrication system, motor characteristics, the drive power unit, and barrel heat- bone-in applications ing and cooling. Vibration sensors on the extruder reducer Macro Engineering & Technology provide data regarding the condition of the gears, bearings, Inc. has enhanced its Quadex bi- and lubrication system. axially oriented multiple-bubble The system is easy to operate thanks to overview screens lines for the production of films that provide a quick reference of monitor points and trend with nylon and EVOH, particu- windows, providing a graphic indication of measurements. larly for bone-in-meat high-bar- Users can touch a location to view details; use on-screen rier shrink bags. setup for e-mail or text notifications; and monitor key health The new line is designed to indicator parameters in the drive power unit, providing an offer the latest bi-ax process early indicator of potential power unit issues. technology, computer-based Davis-Standard LLC (Pawcatuck, Conn.); automation, and overall control. www.davis-standard.com; 860-599-1010 Line features include different configurations, includ- Auxiplast Inc. (Ste-Julie, Que.); ing seven, nine, or 11 layers; the ability to run up to three www.auxiplast.com; 866-922-2894 layers of nylon layers, with the main barrier layer being EVOH; film width from 200 to 500 mm; film thickness from 40 to 90 microns; and a production output from 50 to BLOW MOLDING 150 kg per hour. Additionally, the line is equipped with Macro’s newest Leak tester with ehanced Quadex technology to better tailor the film properties. Macro Engineering & Technology Inc. (Mississauga, Ont.); functionality www.macroeng.com; 905-507-9000 A new leak tester with enhanced functionality from W. Amsler Equipment Inc. inspects bottle sizes from 10 ml to 20 litres at a PACKAGING rate up to 18,000 bottles per hour, providing high-speed Faster, safer bag-making machine detection of holes as small as New from Converting Systems Inc., the 1801V vertical head 0.006 inches. servo shuttle style bag machine — the sixth and fastest addi- Available with either one or tion to the company’s two cameras and a lighting sys- bag machine series — tem installed over the top of the features faster line conveyor, the tester can check speeds, enhanced for obstructions in the bottle neck and variations in wall safety features, easier thickness, and operates on either a continuous motion or maintenance, and

28 Canadian Plastics September 2018 www.canplastics.com

CPL_Sept2018issue_AMS.indd 28 2018-08-27 8:56 AM technology showcase

HMI touchscreen access for setup, operation, and troubleshooting resources. MATERIALS Developed with the operator and maintenance mechanic in mind, the 1801V incorporates new, single-operator fea- Masterbatches for electronics tures to reduce maintenance time and increase productivity, including tool-free Teflon curtain and platen insert adjust- handling markets ments; pivoting head via hand crank for convenient blade Modern Dispersions Inc. has replacement and service; improved, smoother shuttle tech- introduced two new conductive nology for more consistent film glide; lightweight, short masterbatches targeted for the stroking head allowing for faster cycle times; and part com- electronics handling markets, patibility with some older Converting Systems and competi- including applications such as tors’ machines. large dunnage, totes, and pal- The 1801V HMI touchscreen provides immediate access lets for the automotive and telecommunications industries. to information required for setup, troubleshooting, and Modern Dispersions’ PP-235 conductive PP masterbatch maintenance; as a result of the partnership with Lenze is designed for injection molded PP parts where electrostatic Americas, the new 1801V utilizes Lenze’s p500 controller dissipative (ESD) properties are required. PP-235 is incor- and HMI, as well as their MCS servo motors. The upgraded porated at 50 to 60 per cent loading levels with natural or touchscreen functionality allows easier operation, greater mixed colour PP resins for applications such as tote bins and start-up acceleration, and higher bag length accuracy. Plus, electronics handling and storage parts. all machine functions are controlled through the touch- And the company’s new CF-238 material is a universal screen, eliminating the need for operators to go inside any conductive masterbatch designed for both extrusion and enclosure. injection molding. ESD properties for injection and extru- Additionally, front and rear pull cords and an optional sion can be achieved with a 40 to 50 per cent dosage with a photo eye light curtain are designed to prevent injuries by natural or recycled feedstream. Since it is a universal car- keeping operators safely out of all areas that have moving rier-based masterbatch, CF-238 is compatible with a variety parts. of polymer systems, including olefins, PVC, and PLA. Converting Systems Inc. (Schaumburg, Ill.); Modern Dispersions Inc. (Leominster, Mass.); www.convertingsystems.com; 847-519-0232 www.moderndispersions.com; 978-534-3370

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Advertiser Page Website Advertiser Page Website Auxiplast Inc. 29 www.auxiplast.com Plastic Process Equipment Inc. IBC www.ppe.com CanPlastics TV 5 Rotogran International Inc. 21 www.rotogran.com Chillers, Inc. 19 www.chillersinc.com Sepro Canada 12 www.sepro-group.ca Integrated Packaging Films 29 www.ipfinc.net Shuman Plastics Dyna-Purge 9 www.dynapurge.com Lorenz Conveying Products 15 www.lorenzproducts.com Staubli Corp. 9 www.staubli.com Maguire Products OBC www.maguirecanada.com Struktol Canada Ltd. 18 www.struktol.com Novatec Inc. IFC www.novatec.com Wiema America Inc. 25 www.weimaamerica.com PCS Company 30 www.pcs-company.com Wittmann Canada 23 www.wittmann-group.ca Piovan Canada 7 www.piovan.com

September 2018 Canadian Plastics 29

CPL_Sept2018issue_AMS.indd 29 2018-08-27 8:56 AM technical tips HHOOTT RRUUNNERNNER Rotational molding design TTEMPERAEMPERATTUREURE CCONTRONTROOLSLS guidelines (part 1) FORFOR RUNNERLESSRUNNERLESS MOLDINGMOLDING SYSTEMSSYSTEMS By Greg Stout, Blue-Reed LLC EDGE PLUS TOUCHSCREEN ULTIMATE IN CONTROL Display can be mounted on the cabinet or remotely. otational molding design is a specialized field, with a in high production. Two types of parting lines are predomi- CAPABILITIES unique set of rules and guidelines to ensure that a prod- nantly used in cast molds: tongue and groove, and flat with Single Zone Integrity uct can be successfully rotomolded and achieve all the dowel pin register. Tongue and groove maintains better reg- R Compact Size 72-Zone required specifications. Designing and creating a good part istration over the life of the mold, whereas flat and dowel Mainframe not only takes experience with the rotomolding process, but may require maintenance as the dowels loosen. A rule of Easy to Operate Model EMF-72M also good familiarity with materials and material flow, tool- thumb for dowel spacing on the parting line is every six or Graphical Features ing, and a strong plastics engineering background. seven inches. One of the biggest maintenance problems that Here are some guidelines to help you overcome potential molders experience is part line deterioration and flashing. Mold Diagnostics trouble spots. To reduce this problem, avoid parting lines on sharp corners Advanced Control Algorithms Intuitive LCD touchscreen interface is simple or along knife edges, always add a radius, and avoid vertical to navigate in a large format for easy reading. PARTING LINES parting lines. Multiple-piece molds should be designed When designing your product, keep in mind how the mold whenever possible to use a slide system or a hinge system to will open and close. The simplest, least expensive mold has guide the opening and closing of the molds — this results in MICRO PRECISION SERIES two pieces. If your product will require multiple-piece less damage to the part line. COMPACT Q SIZE MODULES molds, you’re increasing the chance of wear and flashing SMALLER MODULES & due to the operator handling and additional parting lines SHRINKAGE MAINFRAMES REDUCE 12-Zone required. The toy industry has mastered the concept of two- Different resins have different shrinkages, and cast alumi- SPACE REQUIREMENTS Mainframe piece mold/product design, resulting in low-cost tools used num molds also shrink. The molding process can also vary Model QMF-12M Uses 25% less space than G size Shown with modules these shrinkages. Restricted areas will also vary the shrink- and accessories. age to some degree. The type of mold release or permanent Improve Production, Increase Quality Expanded Feature Set coating will have varying shrinkage. If you’re trying to Impact your bottom line with these great NEW products! QTC15 create a round, it’s recommended that you part around the Easy to Operate as low as circumference and not across the round, since the parting Full Communication Capabilities $180.00 line will restrict the material shrinkage and force the part into an oblong. ADVANCED/INTELLIGENT SERIES FLATNESS AND STIFFENING Conformal Cooled Since rotomolded products are hollow, it can be difficult to INDUSTRY STANDARD G SIZE MODULES ProLifterTM Sprue Bushing Eliminate excessive wear with ensure flatness. To counteract any anticipated warpage, you MODULES, Reduce cycle times by up this non-binding, self aligning, can add a crown to the model or reinforcing ribs to the MAINFRAMES & 12-Zone to 30%, optimize cooling easy to install lifter. product. Process control is imperative. Reinforcing or stiff- ACCESSORIES Mainframe and eliminate waste. Model MFP-12M ening ribs must be designed as a hollow element similar to ARE ALL AVAILABLE Shown with modules corrugated sheet. Good proportions for a rib are a height of FROM STOCK and accessories. four times the wall thickness, and a width of at least five times the wall thickness. The greater the height of the rib, the greater the stiffness. Compared to a rounded rib, a rect- BTC15 RMB15 as low as as low as angular rib will provide better stiffening. The side walls of $ 00 $ 00 the ribs should have draft or be tapered to avoid the part 160. 160. Digital Flow Meters Mold EZ Connect Increase accuracy and Decrease your assembly and hanging up on the rib. Kiss-off, or two closely spaced walls FULL 2 YEAR WARRANTY AND FACTORY REPAIR SERVICE FOR ALL PPE HOT RUNNER CONTROLS. efficiency with this intelligent down time with quick, easy mold that mold together, also provides additional strength. The mold cooling system. testing and troubleshooting. kiss-off area should be twice the wall thickness plus 0.030 inches as a starting point, although this can vary. TO ORDER CALL TOLL FREE 800-362-0706 In my next column I’ll tackle some remaining trouble On-Time Delivery & Competitive Pricing CALL 1 NUMBER FOR 3 LOCATIONS. areas. CPL CALL 1 NUMBER FOR 3 LOCATIONS.

® www.pcs-company.com Greg Stout is the president of Blue-Reed LLC, a rotomold- PPLASTICLASTIC PPROCESSROCESS EEQUIPMENT,QUIPMENT, INC.INC. www.ppe.com [email protected] ing design consultancy located in Stow, Ohio. For more PPE 6385 Montessouri Street, Las Vegas, Nevada 89113 PPE 11218 Challenger Avenue, Odessa, Florida 33556 call: (800) 521-0546 information, visit www.plasticproductdesign.com, or call W E S T 702-433-6385 800-258-8877 Fax: 702-433-6388 SOUTH 727-834-8888 800-282-6783 Fax: 727-834-8873 Toll Free: USA, Canada & Mexico 330-322-8707. 8303 CORPORATE PARK DRIVE, MACEDONIA (Cleveland), OHIO 44056, U.S.A. PPE 216-367-7000 Toll Free: 800-321-0562 Fax: 216-367-7022 Order Fax: 800-223-8305 800-362-0706

30 Canadian Plastics September 2018 www.canplastics.com

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CPL_Sept2018issue_AMS.indd 30 2018-08-27 8:56 AM CPL_Apr18_PPEFP.indd 1 2018-04-02 10:39 AM HHOOTT RRUUNNERNNER TTEMPERAEMPERATTUREURE CCONTRONTROOLSLS FORFOR RUNNERLESSRUNNERLESS MOLDINGMOLDING SYSTEMSSYSTEMS EDGE PLUS TOUCHSCREEN ULTIMATE IN CONTROL Display can be mounted on the CAPABILITIES cabinet or remotely. Single Zone Integrity

Compact Size 72-Zone Mainframe Easy to Operate Model EMF-72M Graphical Features Mold Diagnostics

Advanced Control Algorithms Intuitive LCD touchscreen interface is simple to navigate in a large format for easy reading. MICRO PRECISION SERIES COMPACT Q SIZE MODULES SMALLER MODULES & MAINFRAMES REDUCE 12-Zone SPACE REQUIREMENTS Mainframe Model QMF-12M Shown with modules Uses 25% less space than G size and accessories. Expanded Feature Set QTC15 Easy to Operate as low as Full Communication Capabilities $180.00 ADVANCED/INTELLIGENT SERIES INDUSTRY STANDARD G SIZE MODULES MODULES, MAINFRAMES & 12-Zone ACCESSORIES Mainframe Model MFP-12M ARE ALL AVAILABLE Shown with modules FROM STOCK and accessories.

BTC15 RMB15 as low as as low as $160.00 $160.00 FULL 2 YEAR WARRANTY AND FACTORY REPAIR SERVICE FOR ALL PPE HOT RUNNER CONTROLS.

TO ORDER CALL TOLL FREE 800-362-0706 CALL 1 NUMBER FOR 3 LOCATIONS.

® PPLASTICLASTIC PPROCESSROCESS EEQUIPMENT,QUIPMENT, INC.INC. www.ppe.com [email protected] PPE 6385 Montessouri Street, Las Vegas, Nevada 89113 PPE 11218 Challenger Avenue, Odessa, Florida 33556 W E S T 702-433-6385 800-258-8877 Fax: 702-433-6388 SOUTH 727-834-8888 800-282-6783 Fax: 727-834-8873 8303 CORPORATE PARK DRIVE, MACEDONIA (Cleveland), OHIO 44056, U.S.A. Toll Free: USA, Canada & Mexico PPE 216-367-7000 Toll Free: 800-321-0562 Fax: 216-367-7022 Order Fax: 800-223-8305 800-362-0706

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