The global magazine for injection moulders, mould makers and product designers. Published monthly, it covers developments in: injection moulding machines; ancillaries; tooling; software; polymers; additives; and key end-use markets.

1. September 2010
Zooming in on micro-moulding
K 2010 exhibition preview
in-mould labelling in action
german marKetS analySed

2. Netstal at the K 2010
Netstal 20I0
One
step
ahead
Bring on the future.
Injection moulding solutions from Netstal.
Now is the time: at the K, the world’s biggest plastics trade fair in Düsseldorf,
Germany, Netstal will showcase innovations that leave previous industrial solutions
10
far behind. Why not drop in and take progress home with you? the K 20
Netstal at nd D24
Sta
Hall 15 /
Netstal-Maschinen AG | www.netstal.com

3. contents
04 Industry news
A round-up of the latest injection moulding related news from around the world.
pAge 4
06 Deutschland delivers
As the world’s plastics industry gets ready to converge on düsseldorf, AMi’s carole
Kluth examines market trends in the German plastics industry.
12 Great achievements in small packages
Peter Manser reviews the latest micro moulding machinery developments that are
pAge 6
allowing the production of ultra small, high specification parts.
19 In-mould labelling: From milk to moulding
in-mould labelling offers a wide range of benefits and is not as hard to do as you may
think, as one Scottish dairy farm recently discovered.
pAge 19
23 Automation drives IML growth
As demand for in-mould labelling grows around the world, automation systems are
becoming more sophisticated. we look at new developments from wittmann.
27 What’s new in labelling and decoration
the latest applications of durable in-mould decoration from ornamin; and Arburg and
Swiss robotics demonstrate iMl capabilities.
pAge 2
28 Optimising the operation of non-return valves
in the latest article in his process optimisation series, john Goff focuses on how to
obtain the best performance from the non-return valve assembly.
33 K 2010 preview: This way for innovation...
pAge
with the countdown to K well underway, we report on a selection of innovative
machinery and materials developments to look out for in düsseldorf.
48 Dates for your diary
coming next issue
❙ K 2010 exhibition show issue ❙ Quick mould changes ❙ Automotive applications
➤ Click here to make sure you get your copy
contact us
Applied Market Information Ltd Head of business publishing: Andy Beevers e-mail: abe@amiplastics.com
AMi House, 45-47 Stokes croft, Editor: Annie ellerton e-mail: annie@injectionworld.com
Bristol, BS1 3QP, United Kingdom Contributing editors: lou reade e-mail: editorial@injectionworld.com
tel:+44 (0)117 924 9442 nadya Anscombe e-mail: editorial@injectionworld.com
Fax:+44 (0)117 989 2128 Advertisement manager: claire Bishop e-mail: claire@amimagazines.com
www.amiplastics.com direct tel: +44 (0)20 8686 8139
© Copyright Applied Market Information. No part may be reproduced without the prior written permission of the publisher.
www.injectionworld.com September 2010 | injection world

4. news
cinpres acquires Melea
gas-assist patents
cinpres Gas injection’s agree- based Gain technologies. For financial and legal claims.” Front fenders made from
ment to buy gas-assisted nearly two decades there has “the positive thing is that Sabic’s resin achieve a 50%
moulding patents from the been an international legal there can now be no further weight reduction
liquidator of Melea means that dispute between the companies confusion – cinpres will be the
moulders can now confidently after Gain technologies undisputed owner of all the Sabic helps
automakers
benifit from the technology, launched patent lawsuits appropriate gas-assisted
free from fear of potential against cinpres. Melea was technologies. customers can
legal issues.
cinpres’ managing director
wound up last year after it lost a
defining case in the english
now buy our technologies
without fear of contested
lose weight
jon Butler confirmed that he is patent courts. cinpres will claims and counter-claims Mitsubishi Motors’ new rVr
acquiring all the remaining acquire the Melea trading name. between cinpres and Melea – has front fenders made from
Melea patents, which are part the patent dispute has held or any other party,” he said. Sabic innovative Plastics’
of a complex web of intellec- back the adoption of gas- in gas-assisted moulding, noryl GtX resin. By replacing
tual property divided between assisted moulding over the gas, usually nitrogen gets steel with this high-perform-
the two companies. “we’ve years. Butler continued, “we pumped inside the mould, ance resin, Mitsubishi has
agreed a price and payment didn’t seek the original dispute producing hollow parts as it reduced their weight by
terms and we’ve made the first and felt that we had little pushes the melted plastic out almost 50 percent.
of the payments,” said Butler. choice but to defend our against the mould. Gas-assist in developing its newest
Melea, which is based in intellectual property – not the can reduce resin costs, improve compact crossover rVr,
Gibraltar, is in liquidation. it least, to protect those of our surface finish and reduce Mitsubishi engineers made
owned the gas-assist patents customers, who were using our moulded-in stresses in parts. every effort to reduce part
that were marketed by US- technologies, from unjustified ❙ www.cinpres.com weight to achieve best-in-
class fuel efficiency. the
resin has contributed to this
Asahi Kasei PP compound by reducing vehicle body
weight by 3 kg.
can compete with lFts
the material also provides
greater design freedom than
metal, says Sabic. By
Asahi Kasei Plastics north economic benefits of short- creep resistance at elevated injection moulding noryl GtX
America has developed a new glass-filled PP. thermylene P8 materials. resin, Mitsubishi designers
PP compound that its says can is claimed to give superior the compound has been were able to create a
compete with long-glass-fibre- creep resistance at room selected by Faurecia interior complex fender geometry
filled PP, while offering the temperature and comparable Systems for the inner door that featured a sharp front
module on the jeep liberty edge and a side slot for an
SUV. one of the reasons for indicator lamp. this design
specifying thermylene P8 for would have been difficult to
this part, which would typically fabricate in steel because it
be moulded using long-fibre- would require multiple steps,
filled PP, was the compound’s tools and operations. the
screw/torque retention. resin also has greater
❙ www.asahikaseiplastics.com flexibility than steel, which
helps provide better impact
This inner door module for absorption in pedestrian
the Jeep Liberty is being incidents, as well as recovery
moulded using Asahi Kasei’s after minor collisions.
PP compound ❙ www.sabic-ip.com
injection world | September 2010 www.injectionworld.com

5. International Trade Fair
news No. 1 for Plastics and
Rubber Worldwide
Iwasaki and Teijin
make plastic LED
breakthrough
Iwasaki Electric and Teijin of says that it cuts energy
Japan have jointly developed consumption by 90%, lasts
the first all-plastic LED lamp roughly seven times longer
for outdoor applications. It is and is brighter.
moulded using a high thermal Teijin is scaling up produc-
conductivity polycar- tion of its Raheama
bonate compound carbon fibre filler
that incorporates that it says can
Teijin’s Raheama conduct heat
conductive carbon better than silver or
additive. Such lamps copper. It is made of
are typically made using 50-200 micron long fibres
aluminium.
Named the LED
cut from cylindrical graphite
with a diameter of about 8 k-online.de
Eyelamp, the new lamp will microns. The material is said
go on sale by the end of this to disperse well in plastics
year and Iwasaki expects initial allowing the production of
annual sales of 30,000 units. It highly efficient moulded heat
Buy your ticket now +++ at an attractive price +++
is designed to replace sinks in a wide range of shapes in the Online Ticket Shop +++ at www.k-online.de/2130
mercury-vapour lamps in for a variety of applications.
outdoor applications such as ❙ www.eye.co.jp
illuminating signs. Iwasaki ❙ www.teijin.co.jp/english
The most important trade fair
t a
Plastivaloire places in the world for you !
its trust in RocTool
“It’s K time” means that about 3,000 exhibitors from
over 50 countries present the latest products and
The Plastivaloire Group has or seal lines, and with short concepts – from standard to high-tech solutions.
signed its fourth licence agree- production times. With its first-class range of exhibits, both in terms of
ment with RocTool for use of 3iTech is a 3D network of quantity and quality, K is the most important business
its technologies in the “super heating cartridges” that and contact platform for the industry worldwide.
manufacture of interior parts are placed differently depend- In 19 halls, everyone is represented, from the market
for the automotive market. ing on the processes required.
leaders to the niche market suppliers who decide the
Under this agreement, By removing the constraint of
future of the industry.
Plastivaloire will utilise inertia effects, RocTool has
Be there when the world-class suppliers of plastics
RocTool’s 3iTech technology, developed heating tools that
which is a method of heating make it possible to dissociate and rubber meet in Düsseldorf !
the mould by electromagnetic the heating of a stationary
induction. portion from a moving portion,
This will allow it to obtain or to heat the tool locally to a
optimum surface quality, that desired temperature. Messe Düsseldorf GmbH
Postfach 10 10 06
is, plastic parts and trim ❙ www.roctool.com 40001 Düsseldorf
without any visible weld lines ❙ www.groupe-plastivaloire.com Germany
Tel. + 49 (0)2 11/45 60-01
Fax + 49 (0)2 11/45 60-6 68
www.injectionworld.com www.messe-duesseldorf.de

6. markets feature | Germany’s plastics industry
As the world’s plastics industry gets ready to
converge on Düsseldorf for next month’s K show,
Carole Kluth takes a close look at trends in
the German thermoplastics market, which
is showing positive signs of recovery
Deutschland delivers
Germany is the powerhouse of the European plastics
industry. It is the largest market both in terms of
production and demand, dominating nearly every sector
of the processing industry and accounting for over 20%
of thermoplastics demand.
The market performed strongly in the period 2005-
2007, driven by the strength of the German economy
and strong demand from Central Europe. However,
the impact of the global recession saw demand
collapse for nearly all polymer materials in Q4
2008 with plastics processing activity remaining
weak throughout most of 2009. According to AMI
data, after reaching a peak in demand in 2007
of 8.6 million tonnes of thermoplastics
processed in Germany, the market dropped
by 6% in 2008 and nearly 8% again in 2009,
which effectively wiped out five years of growth
for the industry.
Production of plastics materials suffered an even
steeper 15% decline in volumes in 2009 according to the
trade association PlasticsEurope Deutschland. Both
domestic and export demand figures were down,
reducing Germany’s traditional trade surplus in polymer
materials. The impact of the global recession has also
been severe for German producers of capital goods,
such as plastics processing machinery, as
companies around the world slashed their
investment spending. Sales of German plastics and
rubber machinery were down 30% in 2009 according to
the industry association VDMA.
The economic downturn has inevitably reduced the
number of plastics processing operations. In its survey
of German injection moulders, AMI found there had
been a net loss of 5% of companies over a three year
InjECTIon worlD | September 2010 www.injectionworld.com

7. PHOTO: KrAuSS mAffEi
period. Over 60% of these were lost because of seen in most other West European countries where car germany’s
insolvency or because of transferring moulding production was down anything from 20% to 50%. machine
operations to Eastern Europe or China. A number of Government infrastructure investments also helped to makers are
companies ceased to exist because of the retirement of sustain some building product demand. As these reporting a big
owners or because of plant rationalisations or mergers. measures are now ending, there are signs that the increase in
Others chose to withdraw from processing activities underlying strength of German manufacturing and incoming
preferring to sub-contract out their moulding require- engineering is helping to lift the plastics industry out of orders in the
ments or to refocus their activities on tooling, assembly recession quicker than in many other countries and a first half of this
or finishing operations. more optimistic feel is beginning to emerge about the year
future prospects for Germany’s plastics industry. Last
Staying put month it was announced that Germany’s GDP grew by
However, the trend for plastics processors to relocate to an impressive 2.2% in the second quarter, the strongest
Eastern Europe or Asia has generally been less evident three-monthly gain since reunification in 1990. The
in Germany than elsewhere in Western Europe. growth is being driven by rising production levels and
Although German companies have established opera- exports in areas such as machinery, vehicles and
tions in Central Europe, this has not always been at the chemicals. As result, business confidence has reached
s
expense of their home plants. Germany’s proximity to its highest level in three years.
Central Europe also benefited its processors prior to
the downturn. The growth in demand for a wide variety
of products in Central Europe from packaging to end use
technical components could not always be met by markets for
local processors, either because of capacity thermoplastics
constraints or a lack of competency. German in germany 2009
companies were well placed to meet this
shortfall in capacity or technical know-
how and are likely to benefit again, once
economic growth returns to the region.
Various government initiatives during
2009 sought to mitigate the effects of the
recession and they did have some impact
on plastics demand. The car scrappage
scheme helped to sustain demand for new
cars but production still declined by 10%.
source: ami
However, this was considerably less than was
www.injectionworld.com September 2010 | injECTiOn WOrLD

8. markets feature | Germany’s plastics industry
DEMAND FOR
THERMOPLASTICS
IN GERMANY
2001-2009
Source: AMI
the materials that appeared to have been least markets, PVc saw the largest falls in demand last year,
affected by the downturn were Pet and ePS where declining by around 15%. in addition to weak local
there was relatively little loss of volume, although both demand, profile producers also suffered from a collapse
these materials had been experiencing strong growth in export sales to eastern europe and russia, which had
up until the recession hit. the Pet market had been grown significantly in the period to 2007; and PVc cable
driven by the move to Pet bottles for one-way packag- markets had been weak for sometime because of a
ing replacing cans, glass bottles and cartons, led by the combination of substitution by polyolefins and the
discount stores such as Aldi and lidl. ePS demand had growth in imports of cheap finished low-voltage cables
been driven by initiatives to improve the energy from central europe, which is the main market for PVc
efficiency of buildings in line with the eU directive. cable compound. the drop in car production and
For most other polymer materials the story was one electronics manufacturing further affected demand.
of shrinking demand during 2009 with the scale of
decline dependent on the extent to which the market Packaging props up polyolefins
was driven by packaging, building, automotive or the decline in demand for polyolefin materials last year
consumer goods. the downturn in automotive produc- was slightly less severe at around a 6% drop, thanks to
tion, although not as severe in Germany as elsewhere in the higher proportions of the market in packaging
europe, still contributed to weak demand for most markets. weakest performance appears to have been
engineering polymers and PP compounds. reduced for linear and low density grades because of weak
production of consumer electronic and domestic demand for agricultural, building and technical films,
appliances also led to steep falls in the moulding and which are significant markets in Germany. demand for
extrusion of technical components and cable products. protective films were weak because of the downturn in
these markets all saw a contraction in the region of furniture and automotive markets. Agricultural film
10-15% in terms of polymer volumes used last year. demand was affected by the long, cold winter and
with the exception of insulation materials, building stretch film markets were weak because of a decline in
product demand was also weak through the year, demand for transportation packaging. Pipe and cable
despite some investment in infrastructure products. demand was slashed because of the slump in building
the collapse in demand for profiles in eastern europe activity. these were offset by demand being maintained
and russia also badly affected the production of PVc for food packaging and hygiene films.
window profiles. A similar story applied to HdPe resins with demand
Packaging, as is often the case through a recession, for smaller containers and closures holding up, while
was less affected but the market still declined by industrial containers, car fuel tanks and pipe production
between 5 and 7% overall largely due to weak demand have all seen significant drops in demand over the past
for industrial and transit packaging products with two years.
consumer packaging demand holding steady. in PP it is again the consumer packaging markets
with its high reliance on building and wire and cable that have sustained some areas of demand for products
injection world | September 2010 www.injectionworld.com

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10. markets feature | Germany’s plastics industry
Making more machines
Germany’s machinery makers have seen sharp increases
in demand in the first half of the year according to their
industry body, the VdMA Plastics and rubber Machinery
Association. “developments turned out much better than
expected at the beginning of the year,” says thorsten
Kühmann, managing director of the Association. He adds:
“[our] members are also optimistic regarding the outlook
for incoming orders in all customer regions in the second
half of the year”.
Ulrich reifenhauser, the Association’s chairman
added: “no one could have foreseen the 85% jump in
orders recorded by the industry in the first six months of
the year; it is a truly remarkable performance that gives
grounds for optimism”. orders from within Germany were
up by 26%, while demand from abroad grew by 117%.
orders from the euro zone showed an increase of 51%. SupplierS’ ShareS in World exportS
Actual sales for the period january to june 2010 were Source: VdMa/Federal Statistical office
down by 23% compared with the previous year, however
the sharp increase in orders placed during the period is
boosting industry confidence in the run up to K 2010. “in is 31%, according to the VdMA, while in Asia it is just under
light of the marked rise in incoming orders, we expect 24%, placing the country ahead of the previous leader
sales to grow by 11% by the end of the year,” explained japan. Sales across the Atlantic give Germany a market
Kühmann. share of 26% of global deliveries in north America, 18% in
looking at global market shares, Germany maintained central America and 20% in South America. in Africa,
its market leading position last year despite the global Germany has a 15% share, placing it behind china with 22%
economic downturn, accounting for 24% of global and italy with 19%.
deliveries. in europe as a whole, Germany’s market share ❙ www.kug.vdma.org
such as thin wall containers and BoPP films for food tion of Germany’s plastic processing industry, the
packaging. Automotive, electrical and consumer good country is an important market for the use and
sectors have all been weak as have most fibre markets development of engineering resins. Having enjoyed
although the hygiene and medical markets have strong growth in the period to 2007, which saw demand
performed better. reach nearly 1 million tonnes, there has been an
the decline in general-purpose high-impact PS was estimated 150,000 tonne decline in volume across these
also not as severe as might be expected given the weak various materials, which include ABS/SAn, PA, PBt,
fundamentals this market has been experiencing for Pc, PMMA and other high heat thermoplastics.
several years. this has seen the market decline from a However, this is not surprising given their high reliance
peak of 430,000 tonnes of demand in 2002 to around on automotive, electrical and other technical sectors.
380,000 tonnes currently. Volume had already been lost Germany is destined to remain the largest consumer
because of a decline in production of consumer and producer of plastics in europe and its apparent
electronics, the development of flat screen tVs and recovery is good news for the rest of the european
competition from PP and Pet in some thin wall industry because it will help to drive demand through-
applications. the insulation trends that have helped out the continent for some time to come.
maintain the ePS market have helped drive demand for this article is based on aMi’s 2009 european
XPS despite the downturn in the building market. Food plastics industry report and aMi’s guide to the
packaging markets have also maintained their demand thermoplastics compounding industry in europe.
for PS packaging. Further information available from:
As would be expected given the size and sophistica- ❙ www.amiplastics.com
10 injection world | September 2010 www.injectionworld.com

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12. processing feature | Micro moulding
Ultra small, high specification products are being successfully
produced as a result of advances in equipment, processes and
materials. Peter Manser reviews some of the latest moulding
machinery developed for the growing micro moulding sector
Micro moulding:
Great achievements
in small packages
The world of micro moulding is changing fast. Although micro mouldings are intended for high-value usage
the first dedicated micro moulding machines were such as orthopaedic implants and surgical tools, and
brought to market approximately 25 years ago, it is only recent advances in the technique are being used to
in the past two to three years that demand for smaller produce diagnostic and drug delivery devices.
parts at higher specifications has really fuelled the The emphasis, as with all moulding technology, is on
development of technology that can truly keep pace. provability and repeatability. A major investment to date by
Acceleration of demand for micro moulding has the Centre of approximately £5 million in state-of-the-art
come primarily from the global medical product equipment and thirty expert staff illustrates the growth
industry and testament to this is the Research and and prospects for this sector of polymer moulding.
Knowledge Transfer (RKT) Centre for Polymer Micro “For most micro moulding customers a whole
Rondol’s bench and Nano Technology at Bradford University, UK. systems approach is best,” says Whiteside. This can
top Medika 50 “Healthcare is a very large and key driver for many involve proof-of-concept, polymer materials design and
injection micro technologies,” says Ben Whiteside, RKT Centre selection, environmental testing, prototyping, tool
moulding manager, “and polymer micro moulding has a critical design and commissioning including soft tooling, two-
machine part to play in so many areas.” Most healthcare-based part tooling through to full production tooling. Bespoke
handling and inspection solutions also provide meas-
urements with the speed and resolution required for
100% quality assurance within the restrictive cycle
‹
times (typically 5 seconds) of the process.
Injection moulding machinery builders have
taken some time to truly rise to the challenges
and technical needs of the sector. The micro
moulding of polymers of less than 1g in shot
weight presents a completely different demand to
most other areas of mainstream commercial
injection moulding. Such a small quantity of
polymer material is used per unit that the general
commercial cut and thrust of materials savings
and wastage do not come into consideration.
Consequently, high performance thermoplas-
tics such as LCP and PEEK are commonly
employed and commodity polymers such as PE, PP
12 INjECTIoN WoRLd | September 2010 www.injectionworld.com

13. or PVC are rarely used for micro moulding. Understand- lower limit to the screw diameter, which has typically Class 7
ing the process technology and the physical behaviour been determined as 14 mm if standard materials are to cleanroom
of polymer melts is a major part of the developing be processed reliably. Even at this diameter, the stroke facility
industry. Micro moulds generally take only a millisec- for extremely small shot weights is too short to installed over
ond to fill a mould and also heat-to-cool within a few monitor and control repeatedly. a Fanuc
tenths of a second. These constraints represent a major In response, Rondol has developed a low cost bench S2000i100A
scientific challenge and new problem-solving methods top machine that uses a single phase 13A supply. It has high speed
and technologies have had to be devised to be able to just two servomotors and utilises the clamping move- moulding
capture data and understand and improve future ment to create injection force by driving the barrel machine at the
processing techniques. Ultrasound is employed for backwards over the screw. With European investment RKT Centre
measurement and to aid processing, and high speed and expertise in materials processing, Rondol has
camera work combined with thermal imaging provide a opened new facilities in the UK to make its latest Medika
unique insight into the process dynamics. 50 machine, which has touch screen control and is clad
Naturally enough perhaps, the suppliers of main- in stainless steel specifically for medical applications.
stream injection moulding equipment are still absorb- Meanwhile Wittmann-Battenfeld in Austria is
ing the lessons needed for micro moulding environ- pressing forward with the redesigned MicroPower
ments. In the late 1980s, injection moulding machine machine. The system has a multi-stage injection unit in
control systems moved to a higher level of sophistica- which a 14 mm screw provides plastification and
tion and this technology was applied to the first micro metering duties following which the measured shot is
moulding machines. Servo electric drives became a transferred to a small diameter (3– 5 mm) plunger unit
viable alternative to hydraulics and offered precise for high speed injection into the mould. Multi-material
control and repeatability, greater energy efficiency, low moulding has also been developed using two Micro-
noise level and suitability for cleanroom environments. systems moulding machines with a transfer robot
passing the preform to a second mould. The new
Machine developments MicroPower will be featured at the K show in Düssel-
Manufacturers who have adopted these high precision dorf, Germany, at the end of October 2010.
systems have taken different approaches to achieve the Arburg has also created a new type of injection unit
control and precision necessary for the production of to meet increasing demand for micro moulding
ultra small, high specification products. When the applications. This is based on a two-stage injection
micro scale is applied to part weights in the range of process using a 15 or 18 mm preplasticising screw
0.1–0.001 g there are practical limitations in the feeding a final 8 mm injection screw to improve material
injection moulding machinery build. First, there is a mixing. One of its main selling points is that it can be
www.injectionworld.com September 2010 | INjECTION WORlD 13

14. processing feature | Micro moulding
thin-walled or micromoulding applications. these
materials must be robust enough to survive the intense
pressures, shear forces and temperature gradients
inherent within the micro moulding process, while still
providing a range of bespoke properties and functionali-
ties for the intended application. control of the materi-
als manufacturing processes is also vital, because a
change in flow or thermal properties of a fraction of a
percent, or ingress of impurities could have a significant
affect on moulding quality.
Profit from links with academia
Because of the specialised nature of these new
materials and products, industry has sought expertise
from academia. Specialist centres have been created
throughout the world where development of materials,
mould manufacture and process optimisation is
undertaken. one example is the rKt centre at the
University of Bradford, which is part of a wider network
of expertise including other technology providers such
as the Manufacturing engineering centre (Mec) at the
University of cardiff, UK. Mec provides ultra fine cavity
geometries using advanced techniques such as laser
The redesigned fitted in place of the original injection unit on many of machining, micro electrodischarge machining, high
multi-staged the company’s existing electric machines. speed milling and focused ion beam (FiB). For example,
MicroPower A two-stage plunger system without a pre-plasticis- FiB techniques can provide nanometre scale precision;
injection ing screw has been developed by desma in Germany. however, removal rates in the region of one month for a
moulding the compact design allows a two material version of the single cubic mm of material ensure that they are only
machine from machine to be contained within the machine envelope. adopted for the most demanding applications.
Wittmann- Preform and overmoulding operate simultaneously with
Battenfeld an indexing transfer plate built into the mould system, Award winning micro insert
which offers low mass rapid rotation and overall cycle one example of a product borne from a fruitful industry
times in the order of 3–4 seconds. and academic partnership is a novel root canal treat-
Given the small mould sizes, low cavitation and ment. this was the result of a successful development
corresponding projected areas for micro moulding programme at the rKt centre with drFP of Sheffield,
products, a clamping force of 5 tonnes was typically UK, which gained the prestigious Plastics industry
assumed to be adequate. However, the development of Award for Best technology Application by producing a
specialised materials that require higher injection dental root canal insert. this has a tip diameter of
pressures coupled with increasing requirements for 200 µm and overall length 43 mm in a highly filled
larger mouldings containing micro features has nano-scale radio opaque polymer composite, which
resulted in second generation machines such as the
wittmann-Battenfeld’s MicroPower with optional
clamping units of up to 15 tonnes.
Material developments
the micro moulding challenge has also been addressed
by materials suppliers. A range of nanoscale filler
materials are now available for compounding with
polymers to provide improvements in performance in
Arburg’s two- areas such as mechanical behaviour, electrical and
stage micro thermal conductivity and flame retardancy. it is also
injection common to find low viscosity grades of many industrial
module polymers that have been created specifically for
14 injection world | September 2010 www.injectionworld.com

15. Commercialising Nanotubes 2011
8-10 March 2011, Maritim Hotel, Düsseldorf, Germany
We are in the middle of a major expansion in carbon
nanotube production with global capacity more than
quadrupling over a two-year period. As a result, prices are
falling and exciting new markets are opening up.
The first commercial products are already being used in the
automotive, electrical and electronic, sporting goods, mass
transport and marine industries with many more under
development in areas such as the renewable energy,
medical and wire and cable markets.
This conference will examine the latest CNT technologies and
applications, as well as addressing processing issues and
health and safety concerns. The event’s focus will be on
growing volume markets for nanotubes and on adding
value to polymer compounds and composites.
CliCk Here for More inforMation
For details on giving a presentation, attending as a delegate, Organised by Media sponsor
being a sponsor or exhibiting at the event, please contact
Maud Lassarra, Senior Conference Organiser, Applied Market
ml@amiplastics.com +44 117 924 9442 Information Ltd

16. processing feature | Micro moulding
A dental root
canal insert
with an overall
length of 43 mm
and a tip
diameter of
0.2 mm
Scanning requires precise control of polymer storage, preparation include features approaching sub micron or nano-
electron and processing at high injection speed and pressure. scale. this is of particular interest for a wide range of
microscope applications including micro fluidics, biological inter-
image of a Funding opportunities faces, drug delivery, optical applications and anti-
micro pillar industry partnerships with universities can be devel- counterfeiting.
feature oped with a range of different funding routes to provide As the requirements for characteristic length scales
moulded in PC benefits to the technology provider and the recipient. become ever smaller, the challenges for materials
next to a Some examples are given below. understanding, process technology, measurement and
human hair in the UK, the technology Strategy Board is working handling rise exponentially.
with the engineering and Physical Sciences research However, advances are being made regularly to
council to drive development with regional assistance further improve what is achievable and industy is
for a range of innovative collaborative projects between beginning to see the emergence of high value, func-
academia and industry. Grants may also be available tional components at a scale that would have seemed
through Knowledge transfer Partnerships, which like science fiction by both moulders and mould makers
enable staff to gain a recognised qualification whilst operating 25 years ago.
employed by their company but spending time on Peter Manser, FiMMM, is industry Associate at the
company related work at the partner university. research and Knowledge transfer centre for Polymer
From a european perspective, the Seventh Frame- Micro and nano technology University of Bradford, UK,
work Programme allows the building of large consortia, For more information on the work undertaken at the
which usually consist of companies of all sizes and rKt centre, contact the centre director, dr Ben
academic institutions. one example is the converging whiteside, e-mail: b.r.whiteside@bradford.ac.uk
technologies for Micro Systems Manufacturing ❙ www.polymer-mnt.brad.ac.uk
(cotecH) project, which was created in 2008 to
“investigate new approaches of micro manufacturing Click on the links for more information:
based on advanced technology convergence processes ❙ www.rondol.com
and to propose hybrid solutions for high added value ❙ www.wittmann-group.co.uk
cost-effective micro manufacturing emerging applica- ❙ www.arburg.co.uk
tions”. it will run for four years and has 24 academic ❙ www.desma.de
and industrial contributors from Austria, denmark, ❙ www.mec.cf.ac.uk
Finland, France, Germany, italy, the netherlands, Spain ❙ www.plasticsawards.com
and Switzerland, including the Universities of Bradford ❙ www.innovateuk.org
and cardiff, wittmann-Battenfeld, Moldflow (europe) ❙ www.epsrc.ac.uk
and Microsystems (UK). ❙ www.ktponline.org.uk
❙ http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/home_en.html
The future is getting smaller ❙ www.fp7-cotech.eu
So what is next for micro moulding technologies? ❙ www.moldflow.com
dimensions are moving beyond the micro level to ❙ www.microsystems.uk.com
16 injection world | September 2010 www.injectionworld.com

17. BLEND IT See us in Hall 10, Stand E06
COOL IT
CONVEY IT
FEED IT
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18. Thin Wall
Packaging 2010
International conference on market trends and developments in plastic tubs,
cups, bakery trays and ready meal dishes
CLICk hERE tO
dOwnLOAd bROChuRE
Thin Wall
Packaging 2010
International conference on market trends and developments in plastic tubs,
cups, bakery trays and ready meal dishes
7-9 December 2010
Maritim Hotel, Cologne, Germany
Images courtesy of: Superfos Deutschland GmbH, Kiefel AG, Advaltech AWM and Norner. * +19% German VAT
SPECIAL OFFER: Save (100* if you register before 15th October 2010
Organised by: Sponsored by:
Applied Market
Photo courtesy of:
Milad Payami Ltd.
Information - Statoil
7-9 December 2010
Maritim Hotel, Cologne, Germany
Images courtesy of: Superfos Deutschland GmbH, Kiefel AG, Advaltech AWM and Norner. * +19% German VAT
SPECIAL OFFER: Save (100* if you register before 15th October 2010
Organised by: Sponsored by: Media sponsors:
Applied Market
Photo courtesy of:
Milad Payami Ltd.
Information - Statoil

19. in-mould labelling | processing feature
in-mould labelling offers a wide range
of benefits and is not as hard to do
as you may think, as one Scottish
dairy farm recently discovered
From milk
to moulding
there is growing interest in-mould labelling (iMl) as the complete injection moulding system offers an Mackie’s, a
one of several strategies companies can employ to exciting opportunity to decrease production costs while family run
increase performance and revenue. the drivers for gaining a better product, says thomas leng, head of dairy business,
adopting iMl are wide and varied. it can improve the business unit packaging at netstal. now operates
quality of a product’s appearance. in addition, it is a Utilising iMl will give a product greater aesthetic its own ice
cost-effective alternative to printing and etiquettes appeal, but redesigning its overall look and geometry cream tub
(self-gluing paper labels), which do not deliver such a will deliver additional advantages. leng explains that production line
sophisticated finish, and the results of in-mould these can include reducing its wall thickness and
labelling are more durable because the process weight, making it tamper evident, and devising a
provides higher scratch resistance. Hygiene is also product that fully exploits the capabilities of the
improved because products leave the machine complete injection moulding process. these are critical factors
without needing to be unpacked for subsequent that will increase productivity and allow processors to
decoration. Furthermore, recyclability can be improved give their customers more added value, he continues.
by the use of a single material.
iMl is best considered at the very outset of a project, IML today
when designing the product and the injection moulding the iMl technique has matured since its introduction
system, advocates the Swiss machine manufacturer approximately 25 years ago. the technology has now
netstal-Maschinen. Upgrading existing equipment can developed to a point where it is a “plug and play”
be an option: a company’s current injection moulding system package.
machine can be included in a new design and parts of the labels, which are held in place by static charge
the mould can be used, but the robot must be upgraded or vacuum, are mostly made from polypropylene, but
or a new robot purchased. However, completely can be made of other polymers; paper labels are also
reassessing the design of the product and optimising increasingly popular. when selecting the right type of
www.injectionworld.com September 2010 | injection world 19

20. processing feature | in-mould labelling
packaging. the company has previously outsourced its
packaging production and had no experience of plastics
processing. Using netstal’s machines, Mackie’s has
been producing all its own ice cream tubs since early
2010.
with a track record in thin-wall packaging and iMl
solutions, netstal worked with the company to devise a
turnkey package. Mackie’s was keen to protect its well-
established brand and increase its value. the require-
ments of the project were that the product design must
l be recognisable as a Mackie’s product, therefore
complementary to its current packaging
l offer considerable product weight savings with
improved product quality
l include a tamper evident security feature.
the injection moulding system with iMl function had
to be ready to go (plug and play) given Mackie’s lack of
injection moulding experience and remote location in
westertown, north of Aberdeen. it was also vital to
This Netstal label for a product, the main issues to consider are deliver efficient system performance together with good
Elion 1200 l producing a quality appearance cycle times, up-times and yields and ease of use. it had
all-electric l barrier properties and whether there is a need to to be financially viable and deliver a suitable payback
machine is improve these period on the initial investment. last but not least, it
used to l recyclability and reducing the environmental impact must have flexibility so that the system is capable of
produce the of the product. producing a redesigned/differently shaped product in
lids at the dairy there are also important printing characteristics to the future, if required.
consider such as the thickness of the label. the thinner netstal’s turnkey package provided machine, mould
it is, the hotter it becomes during the iMl process, and iMl automation equipment and stacker/sleeving
which will change the quality of the print, its colour and equipment. this included an all-electric elion 1200 to
the resolution of images. there are no restrictions on produce the lid and a Synergy machine to produce the
choice of typefaces, colours, graphics and pictures that container. design advice included weight saving and
can be employed. the appearance of the label is better functionality elements to improve product quality and
than can be achieved by pad, offset and other printing cycle time. Guidance on material selection and product
and labelling methods, assures leng. performance criteria looked at the physical properties
the most important advantage of adopting iMl is the of the product such as headspace, stacking characteris-
cost saving that can be made through eliminating post- tics, dimensions and whether sterilisation was required.
mould labelling and printing, including the machines, in terms of the label, the factors considered included
the floor space and the labour these entail. when the the ratio of polymer to paper and the label design
product leaves the machine finished, it can be packed including positioning on the product, and gloss, matt,
directly and put into stock. therefore, there are clear or metallic finishes. Based on these decisions, the
significant personnel savings, taking into account that label manufacturer was selected.
printing or sleeving needs at least one additional person the ordered systems were installed in February 2010
to finish the product’s surface. if full automation is and Mackie’s was fast tracked into the plastics process-
adopted, the iMl part of the packaging process can be ing industry. iMl has been considered to be a high-tech
produced without additional staff. commenting on the and complex process. Here, a family run company with
possible rate of throughput with an automated iMl no manufacturing experience is doing it for itself.
system, typical output is 10-12 shots per minute, says Uptake of iMl is increasing fast. netstal has recently
leng. claimed a “world first” with an iMl system built for
silicone cartridges for the building and construction
How to put IML into operation industry. this system can also be used to produce
the ease of use of today’s injection moulding and iMl tubes, for example, for tablets and toothpaste.
systems allowed Mackie’s of Scotland, a dairy farm and ❙ www.netstal.com
ice cream producer to start manufacturing its own ❙ www.mackies.co.uk
20 injection world | September 2010 www.injectionworld.com

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22. inerals in
Compounding 2010
The international business and technology conference on minerals as additives,
pigments and fillers in polymer compounding
CONTACT:
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Applied Market Information LLC
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Fax: +1 610 478 0900
Email: mk@amiplastics-na.com
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23. in-mould labelling | processing feature
As demand for in-mould labelling grows around the world,
automation systems are becoming more sophisticated. we look at
developments from wittmann that will be on display at the K show
Automation drives iMl growth
the in-mould labelling (iMl) sector has
been a fast moving niche of injection
moulding in recent years, says jerome
empereur, packaging product manager for
the wittmann Group. He notes that “the
most important trend is the growing size
of the market itself. ten years ago we
made mainly large installations for large
mass markets like margarine tubs. during
the past five years, however, we have seen
a large number of niche customers
adopting iMl. this is due in part to
lowered costs for labels, moulding
machines and robots.” As well as food
packaging, process industries such as paint
and cosmetics and applications such as crates and
boxes are obtaining the cost benefits and improved systems. the first production cell will utilise a w827 The Wittmann
aesthetics provided by iMl. Primus robot to make a two-cavity butter tub with a 827 Primus IML
He points out that in decorative and aesthetic terms five-sided label. the company promises a cycle time of robot system
iMl has always delivered superior benefits to any under 3 seconds overall and improvements with the
alternatives. “First, iMl labels are able to have up to system featuring its latest generation r8 control
eight colours with photographic quality. this is really a applied to its side-entry robot.
very difficult process to try and achieve through offset the second K show iMl system, will produce a four-
printing. Second, the general flexibility of the iMl cavity round cup together with a wraparound label. this
approach: [the ability] to use different kinds of label for production cell will be similar to the unit displayed at
product range variants within the same production run the wittmann Battenfeld open House session, held
is very appealing to customers. it is clear that some earlier this year in Kottingbrunn, Austria. the unit will
customers are coming to iMl simply in order to make a comprise w827 Primus horizontal robots in action on a
more attractive product.” Battenfeld tM Xpress 210/1350 injection moulding
Successful adoption of iMl requires systems to be machine. it will have a cycle time of approximately 4
able to provide reduced product cycle and mould open seconds and will incorporate a new vision system for
times and technology advances are achieving this. “not quality control. this will allow 360˚ inspection of the
only must the cycle time figures be right, the quality and part without any physical turning of the item. default
build of the iMl must guarantee the faultless quality of parts will be rejected and good parts will be stacked.
the product,” observes empereur.
Five-sided butterfly label application
IML in action during the open House event, the production cell
the eyes of the plastics industry will be focused on the produced two 750 ml cups, with a weight of 22 grams
K show in düsseldorf, Germany, this autumn where the per cup. each mould cavity has its own alignment to
wittmann Group will be demonstrating two iMl enable it to offer the highest precision and equal wall
www.injectionworld.com September 2010 | injection world 23

24. processing feature | In-mould labelling
thickness even after long station of the carousel. Good parts will be placed with
operation and years in produc- the open side down by a stacking robot in stacks of pre-
tion. In the demonstration, the IML selected height on the outfeed conveyor.
robot placed the five-sided butterfly Wittmann’s IML approach is based on using standard
labels into the moving mould half. elements from its three-axis robot range. The Primus is
After the removal of the two finished designed to be cost-efficient with short lead time, and
parts from the fixed mould half, the the Flex is for applications that need flexibility and the
W827 Primus handed them over to a provision of core and base gated parts on a same robot,
monitoring station in the shape of a carousel. without any disassembling.
The carousel indexed the cups for visual inspec- The company also manufactures mould tools to go
tion by two different camera systems. with the IML systems. “We have already proved the
The container is first inspected by a high-resolution efficiency of this concept with a couple of turnkey
Five-sided camera system connected to the high-end image projects,” says Empereur.
label on 500 g processing In-Sight 5000 system. The vision system
tub in a four- checks for the insertion of the right label and its correct The race to adoption
cavity mould placement. Each container also undergoes a second For many years, Western Europe has been the most
application, inspection by Checker Vision-Sensor, which is an “all- important market for IML. Empereur’s view is that
with robot in-one” image processing sensor with built-in camera, “right now North America is rising up and becoming a
made by lighting, lens, input/output and processor. This sensor very important IML market. Asia and especially
Wittmann checks the use of the correct label on the basis of the Australia and New Zealand are interesting as well. In
bar code, which is integrated in the print. Containers fact, in different ways, IML applications are developing
that are identified as bad parts in the course of the well across all five continents.”
visual inspection will be rejected in the subsequent ❙ www.wittmann-group.com
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25. OpEnIng up
nEw rOuTEs
TO MArkET
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26. browse
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