Plastics Technology

FEB 2018

Plastics Technology - Dedicated to improving Plastics Processing.

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Evonik to Expand PMMA Compounding in U.S. Evonik, Parsippany, N.J., is beginning construction of an additional line for compounding its Acrylite PMMA in Osceola, Ark., with a scheduled startup in the first quarter of 2019. The expan- sion will nearly double the production capacity of its methacrylates business line for specialty molding compounds. According to Jack Chenault, head of the Americas region for the Performance Mate- rials Segment, the expansion is in direct response to increasing demand for Acrylite in the U.S. and growing Mexican and South American markets, especially for construc- tion, lighting, and automotive applications. 973-929-8000 • evonik.com Chinaplas Tries Out New Shanghai Digs in April Chinaplas, which rotates annually between Shanghai and Guangzhou, is moving to the massive new National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) in Hongqiao, Shanghai, this April 24-27, having outgrown its previous location, according to show organizer, Adsale Exhibition Services. The show had been staged at the Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC) in Pudong, some 22 miles due west of the NECC. The new venue, which is the largest single-block building and exhibition complex in the world, will provide 30% more exhibition space than the previous Shanghai site. The NECC, which has 15.8 million ft 2 of constructed space, opened its doors in 2015 and has been in full operation since 2016. It has more than 4.3 million ft 2 of indoor space, including 16 exhibition halls that cover 107,000 to 310,000 ft 2 apiece. In 2016, when Chinaplas was last in Shanghai at the SNIEC, the show had a record 3323 exhibitors covering more than 2.58 million ft 2 of space. Despite increasing the space for Chinaplas 2018 to 3.66 million ft 2 (which would cover 800 basketball courts), space demand has once again outstripped supply, according to Adsale. The NECC is just under one mile from the Hongqiao Transportation Hub, which is connected with Hongqiao Airport and Hongqiao Railway Station via the city's primary east/west subway line, the Metro Line 2. Maag Buys Ettlinger Switzerland-based Maag (U.S. office in Charlotte, N.C.) has purchased Ettlinger Kunststoffmaschinen GmbH of Germany (U.S. office in Tyrone, Ga.). The move expands Maag's position in melt-filtra- tion products, particularly for recycling. The two companies will continue to operate under their existing brand names. Ettlinger produces melt filters for extru- sion and injec- tion machines (pictured). It also builds high- tonnage, large- shot injection machines for pallets, pipe fittings, and manhole covers (see Starting Up, Sept. '16 and Oct. '16). Maag officials believe there is a potential to grow Ettlinger's injection molding machinery business under new ownership. 888-622-4872 • maag.com R&D; Effort to Boost Efficiency in Thermoformed Packaging German firms Kiefel GmbH and Wattron GmbH have joined forces on a long-term R&D; project aimed at increasing quality and efficiency in thermoforming, espe- cially for thin-gauge packaging. Kiefel (U.S. office in Portsmouth, N.H.; kiefel.com) furnishes thermoforming machines for packaging, medical, and other markets. It also owns toolmakers SWA in the Czech Republic, Bosch Sprang in The Nether- lands, and Mold & Matic Solutions in Austria. The key to this R&D; effort is ceramic heating technology developed by Wattron. Called cera2heat, the technology relies on square heating elements smaller than a penny that can be individually controlled and regulated to specific temperatures. This allows targeted, uneven heating of the film, enabling it to be optimally adapted to the desired shape to create more uniform wall thicknesses. This enables the processor to use much thinner films, significantly reducing energy consumption. Wattron (wattron.de) is a new spinoff of the Institute of Natural Materials Technology of the Technical University of Dresden and the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging Dresden. 10 FEBRUARY 2018 Plastics Technology PTonline.com T E C H N O L O G Y A N D I N D U S T R Y N E W S St ar t ing Up

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