Plastics News march 2012

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Volume No. 52 MH/MR/N/200/MBI/12- 14 Issue No. 3 March 2012 Rs. 75.00

SAY YES TO PLASTICS

P L A S T I C S N E W S M A R C H 2 0 1 25

MH/MR/N/200/MBI/12- 14 March 2012Volume 52 No. 3

Hon. Editor Mr. Raju Desai

Associate Editor Mr. Hiten Bheda

Chairman - Editorial Board Mr. Jayesh Rambhia

Members Dr. T. Biswas Mr. A. E. Ladhaboy

Editorial Co-ordination: Padmesh Prabhune, Dhruv Communications,

Mumbai, Tel No: 00-22-2868 5198 / 5049 • Fax No : 00-22-28685495 email: [email protected]

Published by Ms. Uma Gupta on behalf of the owners,

The All India Plastics Manufacturers’ Association

Plot No. A-52, Road No. 1, M.I.D.C., Andheri (E),

Mumbai-400 093. Tel: 67778899 • Fax : 00-22-2821 6390

E-mail : [email protected]

Website : http://www.aipma.net

and printed by her at Dhote Offset Technokrafts Pvt. Ltd.,

Jogeshwari (E), Mumbai-400 060.

Annual Subscription Rs. 750/-

Single issue Rs. 75/-

Views/Reports/Extracts etc. published in Plastics News are those of the

authors and not necessarily of the Editor. Furthermore except for copies of

formal AIPMA communications no other matter in this journal should be

interpreted as views of The All India Plastics Mfgrs. Association.

Mr. Ashok AgarwalVice President

(East Zone)

Mr. Manish DedhiaHon. Secretary

Dr. Asutosh GorJt. Hon. Secretary

Mr. Mukesh ShahHon. Treasurer

OFFICE BEARERS

The Offi cial Organ of The All India Plastics Manufacturers Association Estd. 1945

Mr. Jayesh RambhiaPresident

Mr. Anand OzaVice President (West Zone)

Mr. R. K. AggarwalVice President (North Zone)

Mr. Anil BansalVice President (South Zone)

IN THIS ISSUE...29...... AIPMA At Work35...... Company News39...... Environment41...... Features...Product Pricing (Part – 1)

...Packaging fi rms look to solve green challenges

...Technological advances to be the focus at Total Packaging

...Gaurav Engineering further develops its Recycling Plant

...Global active, smart and intelligent packaging for food and beverages: trends and forecasts to 2015

...Bright future for nanotechnology in food & beverage packaging

...Developments in Plastics Colorants

...Indian plastics fi rms see growing opportunity in Africa

...Packaging and Environmental Impact

68...... International News72...... Business News75...... Product News78...... Technology82...... In the News

CONTENT


Key is, being prepared for speed. Doing things simultaneously, wherever possible.

Step 3 :

Video recording change over time & let the whole team see it & comment on how this can be faster, will show you more opportunities for improvement.

Step 4 :

Before machine stops : new mould is cleaned , quick coupling for water put on mould, it is kept fully ready in position to be loaded onto machine, with all tools needed kept handy & one extra helper provided to operator with second set of tools.

You will see your change over time reducing hugely.

From last shot of old mould to fi rst OK shot of new mould, target is 9 minutes 59 seconds.

STEP 5 :

To reduce color changing time on machine , try wetting the granules with castor oil as purging compound, it has reduced color changing time to half.

When mould changing is happening , color change can happen simultaneously by taking back the barrel & purging.

Plan color change from light to dark & reverse with closer colors following each other.

Try it & let us know results. Your feedback is important to us.

Having achieved it once is not enough. You got to monitor & see that old habits do not drown new learnings.

You can use similar technic to reduce your customer response time or delivery time.

Like our cricketers we all want more money, fame, recognition etc.

Are we willing change our competence, to deserve a better future ?

As you go through magazine & website, you will come across several AIPMA initiatives which would help you.

AIPMA means business.

You are welcome to be part of change.

Jayesh [email protected]

Improve Your Game


THE PRESIDENT SAYS

India is on roller coaster ride.

From world champions our cricketers have lost it all.

We can see how a better prepared side can take on world champs.

We need to prepare ourselves fast, to face competition.

Through various Free Trade Agreements, import duty on most products will become nearly zero in next 3 years.

Our competitors are preparing to enter the Indian market.

They have advantage of cheaper finance, land, government support.

We do have advantage of being in domestic market for so many years.

But we got to be Prepared and loose our flab (ineffi ciencies) before the gates open.

AIPMA has taken initiatives to make Indian plastic industry more competitive to meet challenge.

We conducted “Single Minute Exchange of Die” (SMED) seminar.

Toyota has developed SMED system where mould can be changed in less than 9 minutes 59 seconds. This was developed nearly 40 years ago. It’s time we catch up.

For participants mould change time has reduced in all units.

In our own factory we could reduce mould change time from 90 minutes to 12 minutes and expect to touch 9:59 minutes in about a week, without any major capital investment.

After being in industry for 25 years, its surprising , that we still have to learn a lot.

You can do it too.

Step 1 :

Calculate savings if you can implement SMED in your company.

Number of mould change in a year X time saved X hourly rate of machine.

It will have impact on your profi ts. When you see benefi t , you will be motivated to change.

Step 2 :

Search for “Pit Stops in Formula 1 Feature” on ‘you tube' & see video.

In 3 seconds fl at, 4 wheels of formula car are changed & car leaves the pit.


The budget for the year was formally announced by our Finance Minister Mr. Pranab Mukherjee on the 16th of

March and a lot has been said about it. Many of our industry experts have agreed to the fact that though this is not a populist one, but perhaps this is what our minister could do at best, given the economic conditions prevailing.

The increase in the Excise duty, Service tax will by default add on to the burden of the layman. Moreover the increased Cess on Crude oil is going to hit hard. Though while interacting with Industry professionals at the post-budget 'All Industry meeting' on Sunday at Vigyan Bhavan, Delhi, the minister categorically said that all the industries concerns over so called Tax Reforms and other issues especially GAAR would be addressed as well. However all said and done one wonders how will the minister generate money as he has claimed in this budget.?

The NPE is all set to kick start in April. It would be four days exhibition to be held during April 2- 5 at Florida, USA and NPE2012’s sponsor, the Society of the Plastics Industry Inc., believes that this year NPE comes with some actual, upbeat morale, thanks to the rebounding US economy (though partially)!!

In a recently fl oated Press Release Gene Sanders, SPI’s senior vice president of trade shows and conferences said, “The improved economies and logistics of the new venue have encouraged many NPE2012 exhibitors to purchase more exhibit space and bring more machinery to the show, much of it to be operated on-site.” According to Washington-based SPI, U.S. injection press shipments totaled about 2,400 units in 2011, about 15 percent more than 2,111 in 2010.

That’s miles above the anemic level of 1,285 presses shipped in 2009. According to Sanders, based on booth sales thus far, total net exhibit space at NPE2012 will exceed 93,000 sqm and about 2,000 companies will exhibit.

At least 50,000 plastics professionals from more than 100 countries are expected to attend. Called “Breaking the Mold,” the campaign includes a graphic design with a fresh, colorful look inspired by the NPE2012 venue in sunny Florida—a dramatic change after more than 40 years of holding NPE in Chicago. “Breaking the Mold” spotlights opportunities available for NPE2012 exhibitors and visitors as a result of the move to Orlando, including substantial cost savings, travel advantages, more exhibits of working machinery, and a more “user-friendly” experience.

A key part of the campaign message is “Reshape the Future of Plastics,” highlighting the role of NPE2012 as a showcase for technological innovation and a catalyst for industry transformation. SPI has added a dimension to this message by choosing NPE2012 as the focal event for celebrating its 75th anniversary.

Also Chinaplas, the International Exhibition on Plastics and Rubber Industries is to be held during 18-21 April, 2012 at Shanghai New International Expo Centre. In the coming 26th International Exhibition on Plastics and Rubber Industries Chinaplas'12 is expected to reach a new height, occupying an exhibition area of over 200,000sqm and gathering over 2,600 international exhibitors from 35 countries and regions.

The organizer further estimates the show will attract more than 100 groups of buyer delegations and 100,000+ trade visitors in which 20% of them come from overseas. Also following the outstanding and impressive results gained from the Bioplastics & Degradable Plastics Zone and Rubber Machinery & Equipment Zone in Chinaplas 2011, the show organizer will continue to cradle these two zones this year as well.

The newly-named Bioplastics Zone will be the second year established in Chinaplas 2012, expecting more than 40% increase in the area. With the growing global concern on green manufacturing, bioplastics is inevitably the focus in the plastics industry, with enormous potential in the market. As the international platform for advanced technology in the plastics and rubber industries, Chinaplas 2012 will introduce the world’s leading bioplastics suppliers and their products like PLA, PHA, PBS, PPC, PCL, PVA, TPS, PA and PTT.

NPE and Chinaplas are the largest plastics and rubber trade fair and are also widely recognized by the industry as the most infl uential in the world.

Many of our industry members and friends would be participating in to these exhibitions and looking forward to some better exposure.

I hope, both NPE and Chinaplas would bring some satisfaction and huge learning to all of us.

Hon. EditorRaju Desai

[email protected]


FROM THE EDITOR

From the Editor’s Pen….


AIPMA AT WORK

Dear Team,

There are over 750 organized retailers in India. 500 have 10 shops or more.

Market share of organized retail is growing fast.

Plastic housewares, toys, stationary sold in these shops have very high percentage of imports.

Our SME manufacturer fi nds it diffi cult to register for 500 shopping chains as all have different vendor registration forms. Some forms run into 40 pages documents.

AIPMA has initiated a process so SME manufacturer need to fi ll just 1 form online & his info will reach all 750 chain shops. This is mammoth job & will take time.

In mean time we are also preparing a database of manufacturers who will benefi t from this effort.

If you have a product to sell to organized retail in India, please send your contact details, product category and name of few chain shops you are already selling to. This will improve your chance to attract more customers.

Send these details to AIPMA without fail in next 10 days.

This effort will help retailers fi nd more Indian manufacturers, AIPMA members will get more market and Indian economy will benefi t. More important, respond to secure better future.

Have a nice day.

Mr. Jayesh Rambhia. President - AIPMA

Your Business Gateway To African MarketDear Members,

To overcome the competition, one has to tap newer & newer growing market to expand the sales. It is well known that African market is growing at much faster rates. East African countries comprising of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda are now part of the East African Union and are members of WTO and are liberalized economies. To tap the growing East African union markets, AIPMA has organized Plastics exhibition “KENYAPLAST” from 17th to 19th September 2012 at Nairobi, to showcase Indian Market Industry, jointly with KMG Business Technology. Kenyaplast is the destination to showcase your products and services to prospective global customers.

The show would offer: Great networking opportunity with stalwarts of industry, Enhance brand awareness, Penetration into unexplored African Market, Locate partners for joint ventures and tie-ups These apart Kenya with abundant natural beauty is the apt location for the most sought after show Kenyaplast.

Needless to say competent organizers AIPMA & KMG shake hands, this will be memorable event to the Indian Plastics Industry. We are holding road shows in all the nearby countries to ensure footfall of quality business visitors... Govt. of Kenya has extended its support to the event through Ministry of trade and various trade Association from various parts of the World has extended their support to KENYAPLAST.

Booking is progressing in full swing and very limited stalls are available. We appeal to all members of the Plastics industry to be part of this mega event and make your presence felt in global market.

Harish Dharamsi, Chairman,

Kenya Plast


Bayers TDI plant in Germany receives approval

Bayer Material Science has been given the permit to build

a world-scale 300-kilotonnes-per-year toluene diisocyanate (TDI) plant. According to the release the Cologne, Germany, regional administration has authorized its $198 mill ion project, and construction work can begin immediately. The new plant will use an innovative gas-phase phosgenation process which Bayer claims is “particularly efficient and

climate-friendly. Compared with a conventional plant of the same size, the new facility will cut energy use by up to 60 percent while requiring as much as 80 percent less solvent.“We are pleased that the construction for this important project can now begin and be completed within the next two years as planned,” said Joachim Wolff, head of the polyurethanes business. “The future world-scale plant is the final building block of a long-term

COMPANY NEWS

investment strategy in Dormagen in addition to being a key element for optimizing our isocyanate production in Europe,” Wolff added. Bayer MaterialScience expects demand for this precursor for fl exible polyurethane foams to continue to grow.

According to BMS, the process “satisfi es the most stringent of safety requirements.” Safety measures include a continuously monitored, earthquake and stormproof housing

Asia Packaging to diversify Asia Packaging Group Inc.

plans to expand its fi lm printing capacity by acquiring another Chinese company in the month of March this year.Asia Packaging, which has an offi ce in Vancouver, British Columbia, and which trades on the TSX Venture exchange in Toronto, has agreed to pay RMB 50 million (US$7.93 million) for certain assets of JinJiang City Anhai Hongrizhong Plastic Color Printing Co. Ltd. of JinJiang City.The deal includes the JinJiang plant and equipment, which Asia Packaging will continue to run but will eventually move next to its current fi lm plant in Yichun City, Jiangxi province, according to Robert Wilson, vice president and director of Asia Packaging.

Asia Packaging signed the purchase agreement with Anhai Hongrizhong and Chinese businessman Jinyang Yang.

Asia Packaging’s main business originally was cast polypropylene fi lm

but it has been diversifying into CPP metalizing and printing and metalized PET fi lm.

“The acquisition fi ts that strategy,” Wilson said . Asia Packaging has been striving to boost its sales of higher value products and to that end its sales for its third quarter ended Dec. 31 at C$11 million (US$10.9 million) were 8.7 percent greater than a year earlier.

Asia Packaging took a big step in diversification last autumn when it installed two metalized PET film lines in Yichun City, each with 5.3 million pounds per year of production capacity. Besides PP and PET fi lms, the company makes labels and rigid PP packaging such as cups and is developing biodegradable packaging.

Its subsidiary Qingfeng (Jiangxi) Packaging Mater ia ls Co. Ltd. , established in 2004 in Yichun City has 365,000 square feet of space.

Lanxess makes $10 million investment in BioAmber Lanxess AG has made a

$10 million investment in bioplasticizer maker BioAmber Inc. According to release, the investment gives Leverkusen, Germany-based Lanxess a minority stake in BioAmber, which is based in Minneapolis.

L a n x e s s F u n c t i o n a l Chemicals business head Jorge Nogueira will serve on BioAmber’s board of directors. BioAmber already had planned to build a bioplasticizer plant adjacent to a Lanxess facility in Sarnia, Ontario, with an opening set for 2013.


COMPANY NEWS

Indian PVC f i lm p roducer Canadian Speciality Vinyls is

adding a second plant in Kashipur, in the state of Uttarakhand, to meet what it said is rapidly growing domestic demand in India. The new facility, with a production capacity of 1,000 metric tons a month, is expected to start operating in the middle of the year, to complement its existing 2,500 metric tons per month plant in

Canadian Speciality Vinyls adding plant in Uttarakhanda separate location in Kashipur, said CSV executive Shikhar Mahajan, “Demand is really surging and the mother plant is running to the full capacity,” said Mahajan. “India’s production capacity is too small compared to surging demand. If we compare it with China, the production capacity is not even one-f i f th. Therefore the scope is huge in years to come.”The family-owned company,

In jec t i on mo lde r Caro l i na Precision Plastics LLC is in

preliminary planning stages for a facility in Mocksville.Carolina Precision President and CEO Brian Tauber said local government offi cials have committed $250,000 in a grant from the One North Carolina Fund to help get the project started. However, Tauber said his fi rm hasn’t closed on the deal to buy an existing building and has not yet given the project a green light.“The government committed fi rst before we could move on the project,” Tauber said.Carolina Precision already runs two molding plants in North Carolina, in Greensboro and Asheboro, which together employ about 280.“We need to decide whether we can use the extra capacity,” Tauber said in a Feb. 23 telephone interview. If the fi rm decides to move forward, he expects to close on the property by mid-to-late March. The company could provide more details at that time.North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue said in a Feb. 22 news release that Carolina Precision is planning a $5.3 million investment

Carolina Precision plans for a facility in Mocksvilleover three years that will create 140 jobs. Tauber said those details and the announcement are premature.

Carol ina Precision inject ion and blow molds mostly consumer packaging for cosmetic and health-care markets. Its other end markets include offi ce supplies, automotive, food and beverage and industrial.

Tauber said he could not speculate on what production would be done in a new North Carolina plant or whether it would replace existing capacity. The fi rm also runs molding plants in Stratford, Conn. — acquired in 2009 as part of ATP Plastics Inc.’s health and cosmetics division — and in China.

“Our history of investing in education and workforce training have helped create a business climate that enables companies like Carolina Precision Plastics to expand and thrive,” Perdue said in the news release issued by the governor’s offi ce.

The governor’s offi ce estimated the annual wage of the new jobs will be

which is headquartered in New Delhi, produces calendared rigid PVC fi lm for pharmaceutical and thermoforming industries. It also makes calendared fi lms used in various industrial and commercial applications including banners, billboards, pneumatic toys, fl oor coverings, raincoats, plastic bags and other items.

$39,183 plus benefi ts, compared with the average annual wage of $28,808 for Davie County, where Mocksville is located.

Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited (BCPL)

seems set to implement the Gas Cracker project at Lepetkata in Assam on schedule by July 2013, according to Secretary, Ministry of Chemical and Fertiliser K Jose Cyriac, as per Economic Times. “The progress of the project has improved and is now proceeding as scheduled with mechanical completion likely by July 2013 and commissioning six months later", as per Secretary, Ministry of Chemical and Fertiliser.

BCPL to implement Lepetkata project


PU equipment firm expands to larger facility Polyurethane Process

I n d u s t r i e s L L C i s moving to larger quarters to “accommodate the needs of its growing customer base,” for the second time in four years, According to the release. The new facility in Greensburg will house a demonstration area for OMS’s low- and high-pressure PU metering equipment, in addition to more office space and a larger parts warehouse and repair shop.PPI will be fully operational in the new facility from Feb. 27. Clark noted that he did not anticipate any disruption in service during the move.

Filtrona buys Securit World forsix million pounds sterlingSpecialty plastics manufacturer

Filtrona plc has bought ID security system outfi t Securit World Ltd. for 6 million pounds sterling ($9 .4 m i l l i on ) . London-based Securit distributes desktop personal identifi cation card systems, providing printers, software and associated accessories across a wide range of growing end-markets, including trade distribution, education, government,

health and other industrial areas.

Milton Keynes-based Filtrona said the acquisition of Securit – on a debt-free basis – added to the existing capabilities of its Payne Security personal ID products business “and provided new opportunities in adjacent growth sectors, such as access control and membership.” The deal was funded from Filtrona’s own facilities, the group said.

In order to increases awareness for necessary global regulatory

affairs compliance Clariant organized seminar -with-Indian-supply-partners. A two day seminar, hosted by Clariant, was attended by around 90 partners and potential suppliers to increase the awareness of their responsibilities. “The key focus was

Clariant organizes seminar for awareness on global regulatory affairs compliance

on compliance with the principles of responsible care, sustainability and global chemical regulatory initiatives. REACH, the European chemical legislation requirement, currently attracts most attention, but other regions have also been busy establishing or strengthening their own programs for the regulation of

Baerlocher sets up unit in Turkey Ba e r l o c h e r G m b H h a s

established Baerlocher Kimya in Istanbul to provide further local support for the growing PVC market in Turkey. According to the release the new company would focus its attentions on the PVC window profi le and pipe markets in the region. The new plant will use an innovative gas-phase phosgenation process which

Bayer claims is “particularly effi cient and climate-friendly. Compared with a conventional plant of the same size, the new facility will cut energy use by up to 60 percent while requiring as much as 80 percent less solvent. The Istanbul company would be led by managing director Mustafa Ataman and technical director Bekir Ergün.

chemicals,” explained Mr. Ekrem Baka, Head – Procurement Services India, Clariant Chemicals (India) Limited. The seminar highlighted regulatory affairs aspects in procurement, emphasising the necessity for global compliance and, specifi cally, the implications and benefi ts it will bring to both suppliers and customers.

COMPANY NEWS


COMPANY NEWS

Rapra and Smithers Rapra end service deal Rapra L td . , the p las t i cs

and rubber membership organization, has announced that it has ended its services provider agreement with Smithers Rapra, the U.S.-owned testing and consultancy group.

A fi ve-year service agreement was signed by the companies in 2007, a year after Smithers Group acquired Rapra’s Telford-based technical services division out of administration and re-named it Smithers Rapra.

In a statement Rapra, a not-for-profi t organization, said that having listened to its members it felt unable to agree terms with Smithers Rapra “which we felt would be acceptable...and would continue to sustain RAPRA Ltd. as a viable independent membership organisation going forward”.

Steve Shaw, Rapra’s operations director, said while the two could not agree on a contract going forward the termination had been amicable.

“We had established a template for new service providers which Smithers Rapra chose not to sign up to.

“We will still refer people to them but we plan to expand our network of service provider organisations, particularly in mainland Europe, North America and the Far East,” he added.

Dave Schwarz, vice president marketing and strategic planning at the Smithers Group, said: “We had a service agreement for a number of years where Rapra members would come to us to receive a discount on services we provided. We mutually agreed not to take that contract forward.”

DSM moves global Head Quarters to Singapore In a strategic move to anticipate

customer needs quicker around the globe, DSM Engineering Plastics has shifted global headquarters to Singapore. The Company, which has development, sales and manufacturing facilities located in The Netherlands, USA, Japan, China, Taiwan, India, Belgium and Russia has moved a number of its key functions to Asia in order to underline its commitment to the Asian market which is expected

to represent the major share of the company’s growth in the coming years. According to release the move - which was pre-announced in 2010 – is making good progress and will be completed in 2012. It will help DSM Engineering Plastics to quicker anticipate the needs of our customers, both regionally and globally. In addition, it underlines the high importance that DSM puts on high growth economies as one of the key growth drivers.

Röchling expands American operations

Röchling Engineering Plastics is expanding

operations with a $4 million investment in i ts Gastonia Technology Park facility.The American subsidiary of Germany-based Röchling Group will be adding a new MegaSheet press with the ability to produce a thermoplastic piece measuring eight by 20 feet. The press will improve efficiency and create new opportunities in the North American market. Röchling produces ultra high molecular weight HDPE, polypropylene, ny l on and ace ta l . O the r materials include transformer components, threaded rods and nuts, conveyor components, water treatment parts and power transmission parts. Röchling Engineering Plastics is a branch of the German multinational corporation Röchling Group.


ENVIRONMENT

Innovation in Recycling Technology

Plastics arouse passions. The technos say plast ics are

omnipotent; that man's future will be fully served by its miracles. The greens say, plastics have no merits whatsoever and must be un-invented. Amidst slogans of "ban plastics" and "use plastics with care", the debate rages. The plastic hazard caused due to non judicial usage of plastic polybags and their subsequent disposal into water bodies, land and burning results in the gradual loss of the existing ecological balance and causes related health hazards . Plastic recycling is an alternative method to prevent plastic from entering our environment and thus reducing the menace.

Centre for Environment Education (CEE) had received awards for its innovation of a ‘Polyloom' . The polyloom is a plastic weaving handloom that helps reuse and recycling of discarded plastic bags (polybags).

The concept of ‘polyloom' has been popularized by CEE's Waste Management Initiative as part of its mandate to address the reuse and recycling of dry waste from domestic garbage. Under this initiative, CEE has established an ‘Ecofriendly Reuse and Recycling Unit' (CEE-ERU) especially for recycling of paper scraps and plastic carry bags. In this unit, paper scrap is recycled by the hand-made paper making method while polybags are reused through the polybags weaving method.

The plastic weaving concept is based on the fact that plastic bags which are thin and fl imsy (be it 20µ

or less) have an average life time of 2 to 3 hours after which they are discarded. They end up in gutters, dumpsites or on mountain sides and even in the stomachs of animals; they are responsible for clogging, choking, fl ooding, asphyxiation, landslides, death and destruction. Instead, if they are collected, even from roads, they can be washed, cleaned, dried, cut into strips and woven into the basic plastic textile fabric, which can then be stitched into various products like mats, folders, hand bags and purses. In this manner, both the plastic and paper waste becomes more manageable and less destructive.

The first CEE-ERU was first established in Coorg, Karnataka and subsequently, through various CEE offi ces, it has also been established in Ahmedabad, Coimbatore, Delhi , Goa , Patna and Tirupathi. Today, the concept has been taken up by many women's self-help groups who gather raw material either by door to door collection or by buying it from rag pickers. This provides them livelihood while taking the plastic carry bags away from the environment.

To address the dry recyclables wastes i.e paper and polybags, which are a major problem in Coorg, Centre for Environment Education (CEE) setup a hand made paper making unit and a plastic weaving loom. This unit together was called CEE's Ecological Reuse and Recycling Unit (CEE-ERU). This unit has been functioning for over fi ve years and has been providing employment for the rural women in Coorg.

As an alternative mode to mere

disposal for used polybags generated in this district, a novel sustainable method helps in reusing discarded polybags in the form of woven products, which are more durable, and eco friendly. This prevents the poly bags from polluting our environment. A concept popularized by CEE through its networks of offices & various training programmes, the Waste polybags are now regularly collected from schools through the ecoclubs, houses, through waste retrievers and SHGs. These polybags are washed, dried, cut into strips and woven in handlooms to make attractive bags, mats, folders, pencil cases, wall charts, curtains for windows and doors etc.

BENEFITS TO ENVIRONMENT• These woven products can be used

for longer period and are durable.

• This novel method of polybag weaving prevents environmental pollution.

• While collecting used carry bags and sel l ing these products, messages are given to avoid the environmental hazards of disposing these in our environment

The products are sold through various exhibitions and melas, CEE offi ces and its marketing outlet at the Coorg & Ahmedabad Units.

COMPONENTS OF PLASTIC WEAVING UNIT• Green loom (Multi Activity Loom)


ENVIRONMENT

comprising a set of 48” width looms + warping (spooling) machine + 2 Charkas, bobbin stand, heeled stand, khargosh and wooden plank.

• Shed of 100 sq ft covered

• Raw material– cotton thread, liner cloth and plastic carry bags collected from our environment.

• Human power to do the weaving

• Cleaning and drying of waste carry bags (Vats, Tanks, tubs, pipes)

• Sewing Machine and accessories.

RECYCLING OF PLASTIC CARRY BAGS WITH POLY LOOMS

The Process

Collections of discarded “plastic carry bags/poly bags” from houses, roadsides, schools, colleges, hostels etc

�Washing with soap water and

drying

� Plastic Polybags cut into strips

�Thread taken from Charka

�Reel to be Arranged in Bobbin stand

�Thread rolled to Warping Machine

from Bobbin stand

�Thread set to loom from warping

Machine

�Weaving to produce plastic woven

fabric with different designs

�Tailoring and fi nishing to make

different products of different types of Mats, Awnings, Bags, Files, Pencil

Case, etc

�Marketing the products and Training

and creating more employment opportunities

DETAILS OF THE PRODUCT

• The product is designed keeping in view with the present trend of the market. Although made out of recycled plastic, the hygiene aspect along with aesthetic and utility aspects is always taken into consideration while preparing the fi nal product for marketing. (Aesthetic Value)

• Gandhiji's Charkha, a user and environment friendly technology is continuing to provide employment opportunit ies to less fortunate. Electricity is not required for setting up the loom, which helps it to be integrated with other electricity dependent activities to fully utilize the services of the workers during power shutdowns and periods of no electricity in the rural areas. (Energy Conservation)

• Creat ion of new business opportunities with minimal investments and space requirement. Machinery is easily transportable and easy to assemble. Addressing the growing urban menace it has led to merging of rural technology and to curb the ever-increasing problem of plastics being unthinking dumped in our environment (Business Opportunity)

• The new technology has led to increase job opportunities among

women due to its easy & user friendly process. (Functional Opportunity )

• This process, which helps in diverting the plastics away from the landfi ll, prevents environmental degradation and leads to employment opportunities. The product is also environmentally safe and can be used for over five years. It can be used regularly in any location and helps in removing lakhs of such unwanted plastic carry bags from our environment. This leads to cleaner & greener environment. (Cost Benefi ts)

LIST OF PLASTIC RECYCLED PRODUCTS• Seminar kit bags and folders • Double Cot Mat • Single Cot Mat • Dining Mat • Small/Yoga mat • Box Type Market Bag • Fancy Market Bag • Shoulder Bag • Fancy Jhola Bag (Big/Small) • Tiffi n Carrier Bag • Puja Bag with stick handle • Hand Purse • Dining Set • Mobile Case • CD Case • Pencil Case • Travelers Bag • Cloth Market Bag • Traveler's kit bag • Jhola Bag (Big/Medium) • Fancy long Handle Bag • Puja bag with rope handle • Fancy small shopper


FEATURES

Product Pricing ( Part – 1 )Madhav Karbelkar

Importance of Pricing –

Routinely we deal with market – as a buyer. We make

purchases of many items- Consumer products, Durable products as the need arises . If the price is not right, we may just buy some other product. As a buyer we have a plenty of choice today.

But for any Business (Manufacturer), Pricing of the Product is a sensitive issue. Every businessman is aware of it, but when it comes to actually deciding to Price his Product, most of the MSME sector companies do it in a very casual manner! Primarily it is because of the fear of “losing" business to competitors! The fear is that if the Price is kept “High" or increased, they will simply loose Customers and Business ! It is not fully misplaced – it can happen that way – but not necessarily always !

Price is a necessary, but not suffi cient condition, for a successful selling.

Who decides the Price of the Product ? –

An answer to this question, is likely to be – Customers ( Market ) decides Product’s Price! This is not the wrong answer, but not fully right either. Just think over it.

Who works out the Pricing? Who issues price list ? Who tries to sticks to it? The answers to these questions is – A seller issues Price list and is trying to stick to it to the extent possible .

No customer will tell the seller – to market his Product ,at a particular price! Customers will only react to the Price decided by the seller – by either deciding to buy or not to buy. Customers will express their desire clearly by their decisions !

Does that mean that a seller has a complete freedom to decide the Price? The answer is simple – No ! The seller has to take into account Market realities to fi x the price of his Product . In today’s competitive world, seller just cannot take complete liberty to fi x the Price of the product,! Customers are more informed, than the sellers - about the prevailing prices in the Market.The “Communication revolution" has changed the equation for ever in favor of Customers !

Thus it is clear that, although, the Seller actually decides the Price, the “Range of Pricing" is generally dictated by the Market, which include Customers, Competitors and others.

In reality, Pricing is the result of interplay of the interest of, primarily, two entities - viz.- a seller and Customer as a buyer.

The question then arises – How a customer decides to buy or not to buy a particular Product ? Is it based only on Price? Any other factors are also considered ?

If we study or understand the buying process of a customer, then it will help us to take informed decision on Pricing.

The “ Value “ conceptWe are familiar with the word

– “Value" in different contexts. Net Present Value (NPV), Valuation of Assets, Book Value etc are routinely heard or used. But we should realize that “Value" is an important concept connected with “Marketing" as well.If we understand it properly, our Pricing decisions would become more informed.!

It is a recent concept that help us to understand the buying behaviors or decisions of Customers .

As per this concept, whenever we decide to buy any product – we try to “value" it in terms of Rupees. And we really may or may not be aware of the “Valuation" taking place in our mind. It’s a complex, highly subjective process and depends upon Product, market conditions, urgency of our need, Branding etc.

When “our Valued Price" arrived in our mind, is Lower than the Price offered to us, we feel the product is priced higher. We then try to negotiate and reduce the price. On the contrary, if our Valued price is higher than the price offered, we immediately buy the product. We feel it is a “good Buy".

Through various studies, it is observed that in the "Valuation" taking place in our mind, three factors are generally considered viz. Economic benefi ts, Psychological benefi ts and Functional benefi ts .


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Fig 1 indicates the “ Value “ concept better.

Figure 1

Value & Price of a ProductIn fact Value & Price are the two

sides of the same “Offering coin” , which just can’t be separated. One depends on the other. The most important and relevant point to note is “Value" is decide by the buyer or Customer. Secondly, it is always considered relative to the “Price" of the product offered, while making a buying decision. Price is rarely considered in isolation. It is always compared with respect to a perceived “Value" offered by the product.

Not only this , the offered product’s “Price – Value" is also compared with

competing product’s “Price - Value" equations. This complicates the matter further.

When the customer buys the Product she pays the “Price" and in return gets the product value in exchange.

As a result, before the sale, buyer has money and seller has product. Once sales transaction is completed, it gets reversed. The seller has money and the buyer “the Product".

Figure 2

Implications of Value concept

The following factors make "Value" a difficult concept to understand objectively.

1 ) It is subjective and decided by the

buyer, and not just seller.

2) It has a psychological dimension.( F o r i n d u s t r i a l p r o d u c t – psychological factor plays less important role, where as in consumer products it plays a very important role.)

3) Communication plays a very important role, as Value needs to be communicated effectively to the buyer.

4) Customer’s perception plays an important role in his/her buying process.(Based on perception, the Customer interprets the Value communicated to her.)

Thus while deciding the price of a product, apart from Competitors, Customers “Value" perception about the product has to be considered. In short , “What the Customers want ?. What benefi ts is He/She likely to draw out of the Product ? “What and How to communicate to Customers effectively ? etc" will have to be considered .

Thus pricing of a product cannot be decided in isolation.

Packaging firms look to solve green challengesBy M J Deschamps

As global demand for rigid plastic packaging is rising,

environmental awareness is increasing. In response, many manufacturers and retailers are moving towards greater sustainability, targeting both effectiveness and environmentalism with their rigid plastic packaging.

Pi ra In ternat ional L td . , the

Leatherhead-based consultants and researchers, says packaging production for food and drink in Europe is expected to achieve above average growth in volume terms between 2010 and 2015. Forecast compound annual growth of 3.7 percent for plastic bottles, trays, pots and tubs is almost double the 1.9 percent predicted for European food and drink packaging overall.

Shatterproof and lighter in weight as they are, rigid plastics are increasingly replacing traditional packaging such as glass, metal and paperboard cartons, Pira notes. Manufacturers are also leaning towards recyclability, as PET has overtaken polyethylene as the leading polymer for rigid packaging and now accounts for a third of world rigid plastic packaging consumption.


Pira reports that suppliers across all packaging sectors are looking to add value through innovation by integrating lightweighting, recycling, biodegradability and sustainability.

UK based RPC Group currently has many rigid plastic packaging i n n o v a t i o n s f o c u s e d a r o u n d lightweighting, post-consumer recycled material, and glass replacement. Its Jugit system, a milk bag refill in a reusable container, uses 75 percent less packaging than a traditional plastic milk bottle. Another container - the 300ml PET bottle for Marks & Spencer’s Essential Extracts personal care range - incorporates 30 percent recycled content.

U.S.-based Ecologic Brands has created the eco.bottle, offering a quite different alternative to plastic bottles. This is a hybrid fi ber-plastic product that is made using up to 70 percent less plastic than a traditional plastic bottle as it has a recyclable plastic inner pouch inside a molded fi ber shell. The shell is 100 percent recyclable and compostable.

Bryan Glasper, RPC’s sustainability manager, says customer demand for eco-friendly packaging has been increasing, leading to the use of recycled polymers for lightweighting packs for both food and non-food products. “This has extended to consideration of glass and metal replacement,” Glasper says, adding that RPC is also exploring the use of plant-based polymers in rigid plastic packaging.

“Bio-degradation is sometimes of dubious effi ciency, [and] compostability is also questionable,” he said. “[But]

in any case, recycling is considered better environmentally as long as otherwise ‘long’ carbon is converted into ‘short’ carbon, thus adding to the environmental burden.”

A key part of the challenge for producers has been to develop greener packaging that is as good as that made entirely with traditional plastics.

UK-based Petainer recent ly developed a PET refillable bottle, manufactured using more than 25 percent recycled PET. The company c i t es t he same pe r fo rmance characteristics as for a refi llable bottle made entirely from virgin material.

German packaging manufacturer Krones has managed to maintain performance in sustainable rigid plastic packaging. It claims to have reduced the PET bottle weight of supermarket chain Lidl’s own-brand drinks Freeway and Saskia by almost 30 percent over the last few years, while retaining or improving their functionality and handling qualities. Krones also says its NitroHotfi ll 15.5 (a 15.5g bottle for 500 ml) is the world’s lightest hotfi ll container.

Australia-based Amcor’s strategic focus is largely on lightweighting its rigid plastic containers. In its last fi scal year, its lighter weight PET containers reduced resin consumption by 10 million pounds.

Innovative product design has seen Amcor produce several sustainable alternatives. Big Mouth, a PET jar for hot filled foods, is 86 percent lighter than glass and 34 percent lighter than traditional heat-set PET. Amcor’s new Active Hinge technology reduces container weight as much as

20 percent in 8, 10, 12 and 16-ounce bottles.

The company is also making signifi cant strides into using recycled material in rigid packaging. It consumes between 30 million and 40 million pounds of food-grade post-consumer material annually, and plans to double that soon.

Amcor is also focused on making the entire production process more sustainable. Its rigid plastic business aims to reduce facility greenhouse gas emissions by 60 percent by 2030, and site-specifi c water management plans have been implemented to ensure responsible and effi cient use of resources.

Nestlé Waters is progressively reducing the weight of its rigid plastic bottles. It cut plastic use by 24 percent per liter of fi nished product between 2004 and 2009. Eco-Shape - its lightest, 0.5 liter bottle - weighed 9.2g when it was launched in the US in late 2009, 25 percent lighter than it had been in 2007.

Philippe Roulet, Nestlé’s head of global packaging materials and training, says the company is constantly looking into new bio-based materials to identify potential applications within its product portfolio.

“Source optimization - weight saving - is a continuous day-to-day approach that [Nestlé] started many years ago. For example, between 1991 and the end of 2011, we achieved savings of 557 million kg of packaging materials.”

Klöckner Pentaplast, the German manufacturer of rigid, plastic packaging films, has seen steady growth in

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the number of customers asking for innovative options to meet retailer demand for rigid packaging that is recyclable and/or renewable.

One of its newest developments is TerraPET, a rigid fi lm with 30 percent renewable polymer content.

“It’s a great option for customers seeking the performance qualities of traditional APET materials with a film made partially from renewable materials,” says spokesman Thomas Hünseler.

Conventional polymers made with plant-based content are the new trend in packaging because they offer all the benefi ts of conventional petroleum-based polymers with the added ones of renewable content and compatibility with existing recycling infrastructure, he says.

Cost is an issue but not for all customers, says Hünseler: “For many,

the higher cost makes the shift to a new material a non-starter, particularly in a sluggish economy. [But] we are seeing a growing number of progressive companies willing to forge ahead to make progress on their sustainability commitments.”

Some routes to sustainability are actually more cost-effective, according to Joanna Stephenson, VP of marketing and innovation at UK plastic packaging company Linpac.

“The reality of recession has meant that lightweighting to minimize material usage is clearly a front runner in the sustainability argument benefi ting the entire supply chain...this has been a key focus for Linpac Packaging,” she says.

Linpac recently launched an addition to its range of sustainable trays for meat and fi sh products in the form of RfreshMB. These are

PET trays which contain up to 95 percent food grade post-consumer recyclate but do not compromise on tray performance. They offer excellent barrier performance and rigidity, and provide “the same high quality performance our customers see with trays made from virgin material”, Stephenson said.

Many new market entrants such as plant-based polymer solutions will remain expensive and scarce due to capacity constraints, high overheads and the small niche market positions they often have, she suggested.

“ [ B u t ] i n v e s t m e n t i n n e w technologies, such as biopolymer assets, will nonetheless continue to grow for companies seeking something different and looking for ways to mitigate the volatility of oil based materials. It’s just a matter of time and volume market adoption.”

Technological advances to be the focus at Total Packaging

Total Packaging one of the leading manufacturers of

plastic tubing and bags is expecting to cross the Rs 160 crores turnover this year. Speaking to the Plastic News team, Mr Haresh Gudhka, Managing Partner & CEO, Total Packaging services said, “Yes last year we had touched the Rs 140 crores turnover and this year we are working to cross turnover of Rs. 160 cores. Adds Mr Hitesh Gudhka, Managing Partner, “We are planning to expand our business, with new latest technology machineries, new products and give a new birth to plastic world.”

W h i l e M r H a r e s h G u d h k a , a f i rst generat ion entrepreneur had a humble beginning in the year 1985 with Total Packaging Mr Hitesh Gudhka, had been equally involved in making the same and it has come a long way to make its mark.

Recalls Mr Hitesh G u d h k a , “ F r o m ch i l dhood , I had a vision to be an

Mr Haresh Gudhka, Managing Partner & CEO, Total Packaging services

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entrepreneur and perhaps I think I had good leadership quality, to lead my group towards progress. Also, I had keen interest in machineries. In fact these interests took me all the way to shop fl oor and now I spend most of my time in shop fl oor activities.

The manufacturing activities of the company are carried out in their 90000 sq. ft. area with two buildings located at Daman. The Factory is well equipped with modern imported machineries from Taiwan and has proven track record for handling bulk order. Mr Hitesh Gudka as he likes to put it, “keep a Keen eye on Quality and monitor overall Factory Administration.”

With a working capacity of 2000 ton productions in PP, LD, HM, with fl exiprinting, Total Packaging is serving its customers across the country and exports as well. The Brand name includes Chirag / Silver Garment Bags, Laxmi Clear bags, Total Pick up bags,

City Clean and Am Gold /PM Gold/ Euro

The Customer Service Package includes manufacturing of PP, HM, LD, HM Pick-up bags, Grocery Bags, BOPP Bags, Printed Shopping Bags, Laminated printed Pouches, Gusseted, Zipper & Standby Pouches and also lay fl at tubing.

Needless to say, with packaging necessary for all kinds of trade industries, the company caters to

the wide range of industries like, Packaging Industries, Super Market, Cash & Carry, Shopping Malls, Retail Showroom, Hotel & Motels, Medical Stores, Chemical Industries, Textile Industries, Pharmaceutical Industries, Food Processing Industries & Garment Industries.

One good reason Mr Haresh Gudhka gives about his achievement is for his teams support apart from the hard work. He says , “Our strong manpower with systematized work and best quality products lead us to a high level of customer satisfaction. And this has only helped us. We also work on adding complementary products to our portfolio having huge potential for growth.”

Total Packaging aims at being the leader in the polybag industries and the ISO 9001:2008 certifi cation adds to their pride for offering best quality product.

Mr Hitesh Gudhka, Managing Partner, Total Packaging

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Gaurav Engineering further develops its Recycling PlantGaurav Engineering, one of

the leading manufacturers of plastic extrusion machinery that had launched its new energy saving Recycling plant at the recently held Plastindia 2012, has developed it further offering a vented exturder .

As we know the recycling plant machine has two version model GE –RE 90 and model GE –RE 120. The model GE –RE 90 has the production capacity up to 110 kg / hr while the model GE –RE 120 has the production capacity up to 200 kg / hr.

Says Mr Nitin Patel Managing Partner for Gaurav Engineering, “With latest development of our recycling plant we are now offering vented extruder for recycling of highly printed material and mixture of polymer with engineering plastic like Nylon. We are in to capital goods manufacturing and supplying for last 20 years. We are happy to launch

our recycling plant as not only they are compact, but also energy saving and are available along with forced feeder and Die face cutter. We call them space saving and energy saving.”

With its Sturdy and compact design, the machine occupies comparatively lesser space and can be placed or installed even in a small factory or a workshop. The machine is suitable for light, semi dense, dense and agglomerated form. The machine has specially designed water ring type die face Cutter and a specially designed water separator as well.

Moreover with the operational load of 36 KW there is minimum Power consumption compared to production. According to Mr Arpit Patel,Technical Director, Gaurav Engineering, “the power consumption of our recycling plant is 25% - 30% less as compared other recycling plant available in the

market today. Thus not only does it saves energy but is highly effi cient as well.Both the models of GE –RE 90 and model GE –RE 12 are suitable for all types of thermoplastic such as LDPE,LLDPE,HDPE,HM HDPE and PP.”

Gaurav Engineering based at Vapi ,Gujarat, specialize in manufacturing Re-processing plant, Blown fi lm plants, Mono-filament and flat yarn plant, Sutali (raping thread) Plant, Box-strapping, Mono layer film plant, Agglomerator, Pelletizer, Ball Pen/Refill, Acrylic/Poly carbonate pipe plant, PVC/HDPE/Nylon pipe plant, Solid Rod Extruder and Heavy Sheet Cast Plant, Cable Coating plant. Talking about the success of the utility value of the plant Mr Nitin Patel said, “It is one of the best product available today in the market and we have already sold 5 machines."

SPECIFICATION : Model : GE - RE 90/120 (1) Extruder (2) Screen

Changer(3) Forced

Ferder(4) Die face

cutterSize :

L:D Ratio :

Drive :

Speed :

90mm

19:1

20 HP

AC Variable

Size :

Drive:

Type:

150 mm

3 HP Ae

Hydraulic

Drive:

Speed:

1.5 HP

Ac variable

Type:

Drive:

Speed:

Water ring

1HP

Ac Variable

(5) Water separator

Drive:

Speed:

(6) Temp. controller

(7) Connected Load

35 kw (8) Working Load

26 kw

2 HP Ac

Fixed

Nos: 6 nos

(9) Production 100 Kgs/hr (10) Maxi Amp at full production

56 amps (11) Dimension L x W x h

= 5mtrs x 1.2 mtrs x 2 mtrs

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Global active, smart and intelligent packaging for food and beverages: trends and forecasts to 2015

Active, controlled and intelligent packaging for food and

beverages help protect brands (anti-theft, tamper evidence and product authenticity mechanisms), help track and trace products through the supply chain, maintain and improve product quality, enhance the look, taste, fl avour and aroma of products, improve product safety, actively prevent spoilage and extend shelf life.

This includes Moisture absorbers/adsorbents, including desiccants, Carbon d iox ide and e thy lene scavengers/emitters, flavour/odour absorbers & flavour-releasing film, temperature control packaging, including self-heating/cooling cans, modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP), intelligent packaging, freshness indicators, tamper evidence features, RFIDs, intelligent fi lms, etc.

The application market for advanced packaging technology includes food, beverage, pharma, beauty, and others segments.

Food and beverage are the two largest segments contributing to the packaging technologies mentioned above. From the consumption side, these two segments form the largest market share and are prone to microbial attack, easily change their physical and chemical texture when exposed to oxygen, and stringent food safety regulations. Out of the total market for the global advanced packaging, the contribution of food sector is 51%, while that of beverage is 19%.

The increasing demand for fresh and quality packaged food, consumer convenience and manufacturers concern for longer shelf life of the food products is driving the market for global advanced packaging technology for food and beverage market. The global market for advanced packaging technology in food and beverages is expected to grow to US$23.474 mln in 2015, at an estimated CAGR of 8.2% from 2010 to 2015, as per MarketsandMarkets.

Amongst all market segments, modified atmosphere packaging commands the largest share in terms of value, while intelligent packaging leads in terms of growth. Modified atmosphere technology accounted for largest share (approximately 54%) of the total market in advanced packaging technology. Active and smart packaging technology offers tremendous potential to fulfill the growing demand of food safety in various applications which include dairy products, meat and poultry, ready to eat meal segment. In active packaging, oxygen scavengers and moisture absorbers form the two largest product segments. Both are estimated to grow at a CAGR of 8 and 11.9% respectively. Freshness indicators and time temperature indicators are the major product segment in intelligent packaging, which is commanding the largest share due to increased application in packaged food, ready-to-eat meals and frozen food category. In terms of value, the active packaging

technology contributes approximately 35% of the global advanced packaging technology.

Freshness indicators and time temperature indicators are the major product segment in smart and intelligent packaging, which is commanding the largest share due to increased application in packaged food, ready-to-eat meal and frozen food category. Owing to increasing urban lifestyle and global population trends, the demand for packaged, frozen, and ready-to-eat food has witnessed a signifi cant surge in demand in recent times. With supply of exotic fruits and vegetables, meat products and frozen foods transcending geographical boundaries, the packaging industry has been focusing on development of solutions that provide maximum food security while maintaining nutritional value at competitive prices.

The food and beverage packaging has dramat ica l ly sh i f ted f rom traditional to advanced packaging. Traditional packaging only addresses issues related to protection from external factors. However, advanced packaging interacts internally (active packaging) and externally (intelligent packaging) with the environment and enhances the visual appeal of the products. Therefore, manufacturers of food and beverages and packaging manufacturers are looking into the way the physical, chemical and microbial textures change inside the packaged food.

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Global advanced packaging technology market is witnessing a high growth due to the increase in demand for convenience food such as ready-to-cook meal, stricter food safety regulations, and demand for sustainable packaging. Growing health awareness among consumers, food wastage, and manufacturers’ concern for longer shelf life of the food products and supply chain inefficiencies are the other factors fueling the growth of the market. Further, the consumers’ confi dence with regards to packaged food, organized food safety regulations, threat from bioterrorism, and increased applications in ready-to-eat meals and frozen foods have created a huge opportunity for advanced packaging technology market. Active packaging is mainly used for food packaging, which enhances the food quality with fl avor, taste, color. Intelligent packaging is used for both - food and beverage packaging. New technologies such as intelligent packaging, smart packaging, active, and modified atmosphere packaging are replacing traditional methods such as canning. The industry is expected to witness significant growth in the years to come. Similar to the other aspects in the food industry, this market is also highly regulated with strict guidelines for packaging materials, testing, and labeling. Another emerging technology in the market is nanotechnology. Nanomaterials have various applications; both in active and intelligent packaging. In active packaging, the nanostructures that can enhance the vapor permeability of plastics are used. They have various applications such as fruits and vegetables packaging. The nanosensors categorized under

intelligent packaging can help in detecting pathogens, toxins, and chemica ls . Wi th nanosensors incorporated inside the packaging, the consumer can easily know the status of food inside, which means these sensors can inform the consumers about the food’s freshness level and nutrition status.

The major players in advanced packaging technology market are from USA and include Multisorb Technologies, Sealed Air Corporation, Ball Corporation; Sysco Corporation, Paksense Incorporated, Eastman Chemical Company, and M&G USA Corporation, Amcor Limited (Australia), Timestrip PLC (UK). These players have launched new products in active and intelligent packaging technology as a part of their major strategy.

North America is the major market for active and smart packaging technology because of increasing hea l th awareness among the consumers. Therefore, it holds the largest share (35.1%) of the global active and smart packaging market.

Europe forms the second largest

market for active and smart packaging technology due to increased demand for sustainable packaging and stringent regulations. Currently, the market players are focusing on development of new products. Due to this reason, new product development accounted for the highest share of the total competitive developments in the global advanced packaging technology market for food and beverage from June 2008 to September 2010. Maximum developments are seen in oxygen scavenger product segment.

The global market for active, controlled and intelligent packaging for food and beverages will increase from US$15.5 billion in 2005 to US$16.9 billion by the end of 2008, and US$23.6 bln by 2013, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.9%, as per BCC Research. Controlled packaging has the largest share of the market; estimated to comprise 45.4% in 2008, it will decrease slightly to approximately 40.5% in 2013.Active packaging will comprise approximately 27% of the market in 2008 but will decrease slightly to 26.9% by 2013.

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Bright future for nanotechnology in food & beverage packaging

Nanomaterials, due to a very high aspect ratio, have the capability

to change the properties of packaging materials without signifi cant changes in clarity and processing performance. Nanotechnology in packaging offers the possibilities of lightweighting, strength improvement, monolayer structures with multilayer capabilities, improved barrier properties against environmental factors, increased shelf life, encoding or decorating individual surfaces, counterfeit protection, smart substrates that can sense and signal food contamination or spoilage within or outside a package, improved recyclability. The addition of certain nanoparticles in plastic end products provides improvement in flame resistance, mechanical & thermal properties, and also enhances resistance to gas transmission.

According to a study from iRAP, Inc., the total nano-enabled food and beverage packaging market in the year 2008 was US$4.13 bln, which is expected to grow in 2009 to US$4.21 bln and forecasted to grow to US$7.3 bln by 2014, at a CAGR of 11.65%. Active technology represents the largest share of the market, and will continue to do so in 2014, with US$4.35 bln in sales, and the intelligent segment will grow to US$2.47 bln sales. One study suggests that the US nanomaterial market, which totaled only US$125 million in 2000, is expected to reach exceed US$30 bln by 2020. Another market research indicates that packaging with nanotechnology is expected to grow at 11.65% from 2008 until 2013.

With the increasing global customer base, food retailing is transforming. However, with the move toward globalization, food packaging requires longer shelf life, along with monitoring food safety and quality based upon international standards. Thus use of nanotechnology in packaging is expected to grow rapidly in the next few years, though application in food packaging is at the developmental stage. Simple conventional packing is to be replaced with multi-functional intelligent packaging methods to improve the food quality thanks to the application of nanotechnology in this field. New packaging solutions will increasingly focus on food safety by controlling microbial growth, delaying oxidation, improving tamper visibility and convenience.

Nano technology offers three distinct advantages to food packaging:

• Barrier resistance

• Incorporation of active components to provide functional performance

• Sensing of relevant information

Applications in this area already support development of improved taste, color, fl avour, texture and consistency of foodstuffs, increased absorption and bioavailability of nutrients and health supplements, new food packaging materials with improved mechanical, barrier and antimicrobial properties, and nano-sensors for traceability and monitoring the condition of food during transport and storage.

As per innoresearch.net, active technology mainly consisting of oxygen

scavenging, moisture absorption and barrier packaging, has more than 80% share of the market of nanotechnology packaging. Bakery & meat product packaging are the two largest food packaging applications in this sector. Japan is the leader in the market of nanotechnology in packaging with a 45% share of the global market. Polymers with which nanotechnology has been used include PP, TPO, PE, PS and polyamide.

The rapid use of nano-based packaging in a wide range of consumer products has also raised a number of safety, environmental, ethical, policy and regulatory issues. The main concerns stem from the lack of knowledge with regard to the interactions of nano-sized materials at the molecular or physiological levels and their potential effects and impacts on consumer health and the environment. Research and development in the fi eld of active and intelligent packaging materials is very dynamic and develops in step with the search for environmentally friendly packaging solutions. In this context, the design of tailor-made packaging is a real challenge, and it implies the use of reverse engineering approaches based on food requirements and not just on the availability of packaging materials any longer. Nanotechnologies are expected to play a major role, taking into account all additional safety considerations and filling present packaging needs.

According to Helmut Kaiser Consultancy, nanotechnology has been signifi cantly increasing its impact

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on the food and beverage packaging industry. The global sales of the nano-related packaging products have been rising from US$150 mln in 2002 to US$860 mln in 2004 worldwide. Nonetheless, compared with the over US$100 bln food and beverage packaging industry, the growth potential of the nanopackaging is still enormous. It is predicted that nanotechnology will change 25% of the food packaging business in the next decade.The rocketing market growth comes mainly from the rapid multiplication of the applications employing nanotechnology. While there were less than 40 nanopackaging products in the market in 2005, this number has been going beyond 250 in 2008. Present major market trends include enhancing the performance of packaging materials, prolonging shelf life, antimicrobial packaging and interactive packaging. Nanotechnology enables the designers to alter the structure of the packaging materials on the molecular scale, to give the materials

desired properties. With different nanostructure, the plastics can obtain various gas/water vapor permeabilities to fi t the requirements of reserving fruit, vegetable, beverage, wine and other food. By adding nanoparticles, people can also produce bottles and packages with more light- and fi re-resistance, stronger mechanical and thermal performance and less gas absorption. These properties can significantly increase the shelf life, effi ciently preserve fl avour and colour, and facilitate transportation & usage. Further, nanostructured fi lm can effectively prevent the food from the invasion of bacteria and microorganism and ensure the food safety. With embedded nanosensors in the packaging, consumers will be able to “read” the food inside. Sensors can alarm us before the food goes rotten or can inform us the exact nutrition status contained in the contents. In the long run, nanotechnology is going to change the fabrication of the whole packaging industry. Processing the

atoms and molecules will realize zero-emission recycle and save natural resources. Self-assembly will in the end hugely reduce the fabrication costs and infrastructure. More fl exible packaging methods will provide the consumers with fresher and customized products. Nanopackaging has been attracting the attention of industrial leaders, governments and research institutes. Multi-national companies, such as Krafts, Henkel, Bayer, Kodak, Budweiser, Pepsi, to name just a few, all have their R&D projects concerning the application of nanotechnology in the fi eld of food & beverage packaging. NASA, US Department of Defense and leading European institutes show their special interests in the related segments as well. It is worthy of noticing that China and Taiwan have already taken a fi rm foothold in this market and are poised to be challenging competitors in this market.

Developments in Plastics Colorants

Colorants and special effects are the largest group of a broad

range of additives and masterbatches avai lable to al ter appearance, functionality, performance, safety, cost effectiveness, and processing efficiency of resins. There are two basic types of colourants as per S pecialChem . They are:

* Dyes, which are soluble and become a part of the plastics they are mixed with.

* Pigments, which are insoluble

and must be dispersed in the polymer matrix.

This is illustrated by the exhibit given below:.

Color Basics [Source: Shepherd Color Company]

Color Developments for Bioplastics

Additives, including colorants, for bioplastics are being widely investigated. Of particular interest are

colorants that have no adverse effect on health or the environment and do not compromise bioplastics' compliance with compostability standards. In addition to traditional pigments that can be used in biopolymers, bio-derived colorants based on plants and other renewable materials are now available from multiple companies.

Renol-natur color masterbatches from Clariant designed for application in PLA, polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), and starch based biopolymers are


made from 100% sustainable natural sources. These bio-derived colors are very earthy and organic looking. While some boast excellent clarity, light fastness may be still the constraint. Current bio-derived colorants include:

*Orange curcuma (root of turmeric spice plant)

* Yellow urucum (tropical fl ower)

* Green (chlorophyll & other plant sources)

* Carmine red (cochineal insect)

* Blue (under development)

applications where use of a biopolymer base resin such as PLA is desired.

Special Effects in the Consumer Market

Special effects colorants are growing in importance as a marketing tool particularly for consumer products in which colors and color effects are employed to create and express an image or brand. Employment of additives to augment the appearance of plastic products via special effect colorants that create features such as sparkle, luster and color shifting has been found to be an extraordinarily effective way to differentiate products. Market research has determined that products and their packaging utilizing special effect colorants are more likely to catch the attention of the consumer and are perceived to be more striking, more unique, more colorful, and modern than competing products or packaging. Consequently, the technology of producing visual effects in plastics has advanced considerably. Additives suppliers are

continually expanding their palette to introduce pearlescent, thermochromic or metallic shine, sparkle and luster as just some of the many effects increasingly developed by their color designers who follow the newest color trends in the consumer industries.

Enhanced Pearlescence A unique range of Xymara effect

pigments for plastics applications is being developed by Ciba Specialty Chemicals that provide pearlescent and metallic special effects. These pigments make use of transparent mica platelets coated with very thin layers of metal oxides (i.e. TiO2 and/or Fe2O3) to create in plastic the pearlescent luster/color of natural pearls or the glitter of metal. Various effects are produced by altering particle size with small particles providing a soft silky sheen, and larger particles conveying more intense glitter. The metal oxide coating selected and its thickness can generate a wide range of color effects which alone or together with other unique transparent and opaque pigments can form brilliant combinations of transparent colours

and shimmering effects available to the plastics product designer. The combination of transparency, refractive index, and multiple-refraction accounts for the various effects achieved. The most recently introduced range of pearlescent effects pigments, Xymara XPS, has anti-yellowing properties that enhances product appearance and extends its life. Mica-based pearlescent pigments tend to cause yellowing of plastic when exposed to light. Xymara XPS makes use of a surface treatment to stabilize the pearlescent pigments and inhibit this yellowing tendency.

Metal Look-Alikes LiquidMetal Colors, by Ampacet,

a new line of colorant special-effect masterbatches that allows blow molded and extruded PET (polyethylene terephthalate) packaging to have the look of highly refl ective metal provides designers with new options. They also provide improved sustainability and safety in use while lowering cost by eliminating the need, processing steps, and expense incurred by primary metals and environmentally-

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unfriendly chemicals required for metal finishing and decorating. A recent addition, 'Bright Chrome' offers an environmentally friendly, lighter weight, lower cost, chrome alternative providing the power, allure and sheen of chrome without the corrosive chemical baths, multi-stage processing, and the high fabricating cost. The dry colorant masterbatch, which is conveniently added into the resin stream prior to molding, becomes part of the polymer matrix. 'Brushed Brilliance' masterbatch, the latest in this LiquidMetal family of products captures the dimensional texture, visual effects and optical character of aluminum. The trendy, upscale, alternative to brushed aluminum captures nuances of metal at a fraction of the cost. This plastics alternative to aluminum is lighter in weight and overcomes metal-forming design restrictions, reduces costs and greatly simplifi es production.

Pyrisma Interference Pigments for Coating Applications

The innovative Pyrisma products from Merck, a systematic group of pearl effect pigments based on an optimized mica fraction, were developed part icu lar ly for the needs of the coating industry. In high performance plastics coating systems, these pigments deliver excellent appearance. The pigments with their outstanding color saturation and specially developed particle size distribution set a new standard, providing excellent performance and stability against environmental infl uences. The color angles of each

Pyrisma interference pigment were designed with the aid of sophisticated, and highly complex colorimetric calculations according to the 'Merck Color Space Concept' to offer unique hues with high color saturation. The carefully designed Pyrisma surface treatment provides an innovative solution to fulfi ll the complex needs of modern plastic part coating systems and applications, supplying excellent performance and durability under a range of environmental conditions. The pigments fi nd application in many indoor and outdoor plastic coatings applications.

Infrared Reflective Pigments

* Cool Pigments Pigments provide color by absorbing/refl ecting different parts of the sun's wavelength spectrum based on their chemistry with the light refl ected appearing as color to the human eye. Pigments also have infrared (IR) characteristics. While nearly 40% of the sun's energy occurs in the visible range of the light spectrum (400-700 nm), more than 50% is in the non-visible IR region (700-2500nm), the range largely responsible for heat build-up. Though organic pigments can offer very vivid and bright colors they are typically not as lightfast or opaque as the inorganic pigments that are used where color change due to environmental exposure might occur. For the most demanding applications, a special group of inorganic pigments known as Complex Inorganic Color Pigments (CICP) are employed. Certain pigments within this group exhibit high IR-refl ectivity for a given visible color. They have been designed

to refl ect IR light while still absorbing the same amount of visible light. These pigments with low IR absorption are deemed to be cool while conversely pigments with high IR absorption are hot.

New Arctic Black A new black pigment introduced

recently by Shepherd Color Company designed specifi cally for coloring fi bers and fi lms can be used to minimize heat build-up and reduce overall energy costs. This pigment refl ects the IR portion of the sun's light thereby reducing the temperature of products exposed to the sun without sacrifi cing the black color. This can retard degradation while extending product life and cooling interior spaces. The IR refl ective pigment, Black 40P925 is a new color in the 'Precise' product line of extremely durable pigments and is also part of the 'Arctic' range of pigments. 'Precise Arctic' IR refl ective pigments designed to mitigate solar-induced heat build-up fi nd application in outdoor furniture textiles, carpets, awnings, doors, siding, and other outdoor products.

Regulatory Compliant Colorants

Medical/Pharmaceutical Advanced Colorants

* Fashion-Advanced Medical Colors: A new LEDA compounded color technology can help designers break the beige and white barriers imposed on medical applications. The 'Rx Medical' line of LEDA colors and special effects developed by Bayer

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Material Science for use with PC and PC/ABS brings medical industry-compliant color possibilities to this market. The medical industry has been calling for a fresh color look in medical applications, but designers have been constrained by the lack of ISO-compliant colorant options. FDA-modified ISO 10993-1 is the accepted standard for biocompatibility of materials used to produce medical devices. Polycarbonate resins containing the four new Rx Medical LEDA colors (First Aid, Stat, X-Ray, and Electro) are ISO 10993-1 compliant, providing innovative color options for the design of medical devices, such as those used in drug delivery and surgical instrument components. The latest Color Marketing Group palettes indicate that subdued hues will be increasingly dominant in 2009 and beyond.

* First Amber Masterbatches for Prescription Bottles:

Two amber masterbatches for PET used in pharmaceutical prescription bottles have been developed by Ampacet that let molders color PET in their facilities rather than rely on pre-colored resin. While molders have wanted such a color masterbatch for sometime in order to gain greater process flexibility and operating effi ciency in injection blow molding pharmaceutical bottles, the rigorous specifications set for these bottles have been a major obstacle. The new resin masterbatches Ampacet 681725-PT and 681726-PT meet the strict light fastness, UV protection, clarity, color, extractability and other requirements set for pharmaceutical bottles including USP Section 661.

Both comply with this diffi cult volatiles extraction standard in which a solvent extracts volatiles at 49° C for 10 days. Furthermore prescription bottle light transmission in cannot be greater than 10% between 290 and 450 nm. The transmission of 681725-PT is 3.6% and that of 681726-PT is 0.7%. Moreover 681726-PT contains a UV additive making it extremely resistant to light-induced degradation by UV radiation.

RoHS Compliant Pigments* RoHS Compliant Colorants for

Wire/Cable Applications :

A new series of colorants for engineering-grade copolyester TPEs (thermoplastic elastomers) fully compliant with the RoHS Directive has been introduced by Teknor Color Company for use with high-performance TPEs. The twelve colors in the new colorant series are black, blue, light blue, brown, gray, green, orange, purple, red, rose, white, and yellow. Potential applications include wire/cable insulation/jackets, plus fi ber and optic buffers. “The new colorants contain no heavy-metal pigments yet provide the same intensity and coloring

efficiency as conventional colors for engineering-grade TPEs. The colorants were specifi cally formulated to concentrates tailored for use with copolyester TPEs in response to this material's growing use as a buffer in optical fi ber cables.

RoHS Compliant Pigments for Fibers and Films

Two new colors in the PRECISE product line of extremely durable pigments designed for coloring fi bers and films are Green 40P601, CI pigment Green 26, a sea foam green color and Blue 40P585, CI pigment Blue 28, a cobalt blue color. Both these new pigments developed by Shepherd Color Co. meet RoHS 2000/95/EC, WEEE 2000/96/EC, Council of Europe AP(89)1, and Australian Standard AS 2070. Additionally the Blue 40P585 also meets FDA 21 CFR 178.3297, CONEG, Toy Safety EN71.3, and the French Positive List. These PRECISE high performance inorganic pigments have extreme durability, outstanding high temperature stability, and are chemically inert as well as light and weather fast.

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Indian plastics firms see growing opportunity in Africa

As Africa’s plastics industry grows, Indian companies

say they are picking up substantial business there, with exports rising for machinery fi rms, and India’s resin and processing companies making investments.

The India factory of U.S. machinery fi rm Milacron LLC, for example, said it sends more than 200 injection presses a year to Africa, its largest export market and more than 20 percent of its total production.

On the resin side, PET maker Dhunseri Petrochem & Tea Ltd. in Kolkata is building what it says will be Africa’s fi rst PET polymer plant, to make bottle and food grade material in Egypt. The 420,000 metric ton facility is scheduled to open next year.

Boosting African business was a common theme in comments of Indian companies at the recent Plastindia trade show. For example, one of the country’s largest fi lm extruders, Cosmo Films Ltd., said it was looking for an African location for a biaxially-oriented polypropylene fi lm factory.

“African countries are really growing, particularly in West Africa and East Africa,” said Shirish Divgi, chief operating offi cer for Ferromatik Milacron India Pvt. Ltd. in Ahmedabad. “Primarily the plastic industry [in Africa] is oriented toward the household and furniture industries, but recently we have seen many upgraded activities in other sectors, like writing instruments and construction molding like fi ttings.”

Even if on a global scale African

markets are small, Indian machinery executives say they are seeing more factory building.

Over the last fi ve years, Africa has in some years been the company’s largest export market, he said in a Jan. 30 interview at the Society of Asian Rotomolders conference in New Delhi.

M. Plast signed a technology transfer and marketing pact there with Italian mold maker Roto Moulds srl. One goal is to make better molds to meet demand in Africa and the Middle East, the partners said.

Some of India’s largest equipment fi rms also say they see opportunities.

E q u i p m e n t m a k e r K a b r a Extrusiontechnik Ltd. said Africa accounts for more than 25 percent of its exports “and growing,” although executives said the political changes sweeping North Africa have slowed business.And injection press maker L&T Plastics Processing Machinery said it has identifi ed Africa as a key growth market: “I see a lot of potential,” said CEO P. Kailas, in an interview at Plastindia, which was held Feb. 1-6 in New Delhi.

Expanding African consumer markets

One of the broad drivers of growth is an expanding African middle class with more purchasing power, said Chandu Shah, chairman of rotational molder Kentainers Inc., based in Nairobi, Kenya.

Kentainers was established in

1990 and now has six rotomolding factories with 400 employees in six African countries, making water tanks, sanitation products and material handling goods.

The local rotomolding market is growing 20 percent a year from its small base, he said, although the world economic situation has taken a toll more broadly: “The foreign direct investment has dried up. The inbound remittance of the Kenyans living abroad has gone down signifi cantly.”

Still, he said new local competitors have entered the rotomolding market in recent years, and plastics-related trade with India has grown, Shah said.

“India has become a source of a lot of machines and materials, and a source of hiring expatriates,” he said.

The substant ia l numbers of expatriate Indians who live in Africa and run businesses there give Indian fi rms an advantage, with many Indian executives saying their Africa trade is largely within that group.

Another factor pushing growth are “mega-projects” like mining which bring in foreign direct investment and have helped offset the world economic slowdown, said Gerry Marketos, CEO of rotomolder Plastex Dura Mais-Custa Menos in Maputo, Mozambique. Countries without substantial FDI are suffering, however, he said.

Plastex, which was established in 1996, has 200 employees and more than 15 rotomolding machines.

Part of what binds the markets

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is that India and Africa have similar economic and social needs, and that makes both Indian plastic products and machinery well-suited to Africa, Marketos said.

“I will give you an example. All of us know there is a serious problem in the sanitation sector in both countries,” he said. “There are a couple of plastics products manufactured [in India] to cater to the sanitation need, that could also be applied in Africa. The customer base is pretty similar.”

Marketos said he regularly comes to Indian events to look for new product ideas and machinery that he can easily apply, and fi nds India’s base of small and medium-sized companies very entrepreneurial.

He said there are many challenges operating a plastics processing bus iness in A f r i ca , i nc lud ing infrastructure, logistics, and high rates of absenteeism and deaths of employees from malaria and HIV.

Still, even with the challenges,

Indian companies are entrenched. Problems are serious, but Africa experts note the growth of a middle class and economic possibilities after years of reforms. The Economist magazine in December termed it the “hopeful continent,” with a “real chance to follow in the footsteps of Asia.”

“We are going there regularly, we are talking to the people and we are in touch with the processors there,” said Ferromatik Milacron’s Divgi. “We want to grow with Africa.”

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The init iative “Save Food” est imates that per year

approximately 50 % of the produced food for human consumption goes bad before it reaches the consumer. This intolerable situation can easily be improved by using proper packaging. Especially in third world nations the food protection against contamination could be drastically improved by using basic packaging made from glass, paper, aluminium or plastic.

In highly developed countries but also in emerging markets the requirements are different. Due to the demographic changes and the increasing living standards, packaging must implement more functions than just protecting the goods. The packaging materials have to meetvarious other demands, e.g. for marketing (packaging design as a tool for differentiation)or convenience (easy to open, re-closable, microwavable). Tofulfi l thischallenging requirements,

fl exible plastics packaging is one of the preferred materials.

It is characterised by excellent mechanical properties, impermeability to moisture and gas, high resistance to oils, fats and solvents as well as to heat and cold, dimensional stability, scratch resistance, attractive glossy appearance, high transparency and excellent convertibility and printability.But there is one more thing. Over the last five years, the sensitive topic“Sustainable Use of Resources” has become more and more important all over the world.

Compared to other packaging materials, plastic films can also score in this fi eld. Much attention has been given to a study from “ d e n k s t a t t ” ( o n e o f t h e

largest consulting fi rms in the fi eld of sustainable development in Middle and Eastern Europe), fi nding out that if plastic packaging would be substituted by other materials, the respective packaging mass would on average increase by a factor 3.6. Life-cycle energy demand would increase by a factor 2.2 or by 1,240 million GJ per year, which is equivalent 27 Mt of crude oil in106 VLCC tankers or comparable to 20 million heated homes.

GHG emissions would increase by a factor 2.7 or by 61 million tonnes of CO2-equivalents per year, comparable

Packaging and Environmental ImpactChristian Aigner, Marketing Manager Brückner Maschinenbau, Germany


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to 21 million cars on the road or equivalent to the CO2-emissions of Denmark (Source: denkstatt, 2011).

The above fig. shows effects of substitution of selected plastic packaging on masses, energy demand and GHG emmissions.Source: denkstatt, Product Sustainability, The impact of plastic packaging on life cycle energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in Europe, 07/2011

Today, packaging applications often consist of more than one layer. Additional material and energy are needed to create such a flexible packaging compound. Reducing the complexity of these packaging applications is one of the major targets for fi lm producers, converters and brand owners. In this context “functional fi lm” is one of the key terms.

Example of a fl exible packaging structure

Functional FilmsAt the technology center of

Brückner Maschinenbau, the German world market leader for fi lm stretching technology, raw material suppliers, fi lm manufacturers and renowned institutes and universities are developing such functional fi lms. One example for these R&D efforts is the UHB film (ultra highbarrier).

The target for the development of this metalized BOPP film was the substitution of aluminium foil in

packaging applications with special barrier demand.

The main reason to replace thin aluminium foil with metalized BOPP ultra high barrier fi lms: Thin foils have a thickness of 7 µm, whereas the aluminium coatings on BOPP fi lms are in a thickness range of 40-60 nm. Considering the production process of aluminium foil a reduction of the carbon footprint by almost 75 % can be achieved.

M a i n c h a r a --cteristics of this UHB-fi lm: A very thin 0.5-0.8 µm surface layer of a so called “high surface energy polymer“ results in a very strong bonding of the evaporated aluminium to this fi lm surface, among others due to a very high surface energy in the range 52-56 dyn.

No surface treatment by e.g. corona or fl ame is necessary to reach these surface energy values. By using

standard optical densities of about 2.3 exceptional OTR values down to 0.15 cm3/ m2 d bar have been obtained, the typical WVTR value is 0.2 g/ m2 d. As the high surface energy polymer layer can be applied in thicknesses clearly below 1 µm a cost-effi cient production is possible.

Such developments will meet the challenging demands of the packaging industry and the consumers regarding environment protection and

sustainability. Ever since the beginning in1960, Brückner’s strategy has been to operate their own technology center for process and technological developments – more and more focussing on effective solutions for an environmentally friendly production of plastics packag ing .Bes ides f i lm developments Brückner has been optimising the potential

for energy saving and – compared with 1990 – has achieved a 30 % reduction

in energy consumption required for the production of oriented fi lm. And this also means a reduction of CO2 emissions.

Example: Ultra-High Barrier Metalized BOPP UHB Film

Example: Ultra-High Barrier Metalized BOPP UHB Film


Ball GuidanceBOLEXP Ball Guidance

BOLEXP Ball Guidance is a high-precision rolling system with very reduced travel resistance. It is advisable for rectilinear guides where wide travels, tiny friction, high-precision guidance and positioning, together with reduced wear and long durability are required.

Ball Guidance

Materials: Special steel bush. Bronze cage with high resistance to wear.

High-precision balls. Hardness60-62 HRc.

Ball Guide Bush

BOLEXP Ball Guidance Bushes are made up of an outer casing of steel for rolling, hardened and ground, which holds fi xed inside a high-resistance bronze cage for guiding the balls running along the cage. The translation system consists of several rows of precision balls circulating endlessly.

The great novelty of BOLEXP ball guidance bushes is that balls do not run aligned, with the translation motion, but at a slight angle, thus enlarging

the contact area with the shaft and enabling greater load capacity. This patent system represents an utter innovation in the linear guidance market. An all-metal structure makes bushes extremely resistant to high temperatures. BOLEXP bushes are supplied in a variety of three outer forms, all of them equipped with the same inside structure.

• Bush with an outer cylindrical body and fl ange at the end for fi xing it.

• Bush with two outer cylindrical bodies and a center fl ange for fi xing it between two plates.

• Bush with an all-cylindrical outer body and two ferrules at the ends for fixing it with security spring rings.

Materials: Special steel bush. Bronze cage with high resistance to wear.

High-precision balls. Hardness 60-62 HRc.

Guide Column

BOLEXP guide column is made of steel 1.5732 with surface hardening, obtaining a hardness of 62-64 RHc, and a depth from 1.00 to 1.20 mm, leaving the shaft core soft so that it can absorb the bending it might be required to. In guide manufacturing, some features are considered to be essential, including the quality of steel, surface hardness and precision and quality of the fi nish.

Travel Accuracy

Travel accuracy with a guidance system using shafts with BOLEXP ball linear rolling depends on several factors, such as the positioning precision of bushes or shafts, quality of shafts, free length between shaft supports and length of the bush in relation to the area to be slid. These infl uences depend basically on the type of application and the load to be supported.

BOLEXP – GUIDANCE SYSTEMINNOVATIVE PRODUCTS FROM BOLEXP NORMALIZADOS, S.L , SPAIN

This group of products offers useful solutions in terms of designing and manufacturing of Injection Molds, Dies & Machine Tools, which ultimately result in their operational effi ciency.

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On the whole, the required travel accuracy is ensured by the features and design of the assembly, as well as by the precise manufacture of adjacent pieces.

Fixing the shaft at its two ends is recommended, particularly in the case of high loads, whenever the project allows it.

Lubrication

In order to ensure long durability for BOLEXP ball bushes, proper lubrication and maintenance are a must. The channels that the balls run along must be free from any interfering particles. Moreover, it is recommended to use oil lubrication so as to ensure proper lubrication for the whole rolling items and, if necessary, to remove all impurities.

BOLEXP suggests the use of CLP oils according to DIN51524, within the range of viscosity from ISO VG 64 to 100. Although grease can also be used for lubrication, this is not highly recommended as it fi xes dirt particles much more easily.

BOLEXP ball bushes are supplied oiled for its conservation and must be lubricated when necessary. The conservancy fl uid is compatible and can be mixed with mineral-based lubricants, making it unnecessary to wash bushes before assembling them.

Shaft Execution

Shafts for BOLEXP ball bushes are hardened and ground. The ends require a tapering so that rolling cannot be damaged during the assembling. In order to fully benefi t from high travel accuracy and load capacity of BOLEXP ball bushes, the shafts around which bushes slid must exhibit the best quality and properly hard layer.

Assembling And Fixing

BOLEXP ball bushes can be mounted either in hole with tolerance H7 or in such a way that they can be manually slid into their cartridge. Never hit them with hammers or any other impacting tool. Otherwise, the bush structure could be damaged.

It is recommended to mount at least two units in parallel disposal so as to avoid possible rotation motions in the traveling of items. Bush length is also suggested to be at least twice its diameter in order to minimize the rotation motion of balls, whenever this is possible.

Rotation motions are not advised in this type of bushes, whose function is that of translation.

Self Lubricated Guidance

Self Lubricated Guidance

BOLEXP self-lubricated guidance is a travel system which adds-in solid lubricant for its operating, needing little maintenance and exhibiting high resistance in elevated-temperature operating conditions and drastic seizing reduction.

The development of self-lubricated guidance systems arises from the need to solve the existing problems involved in lubrication. These are due either to the diffi culty of access or to be convenience of continuous and permanent lubrication, which oils fail to ensure.

Implementing these systems results in a significant reduction in seizing problems and maintenance cots, as well as in gas emission caused by oil heating. This permits to operate at high temperatures that in some cases it reaches 400o C.

The presence of aluminum in bronze reduces the attack of atmospheric agents and warm gases, whilst exhibiting great stability against distilled water, saline water, seawater or acid well water. Bleaches, except for ammonia, are harmless to it. Moreover, a protection layer produced by the material itself acts very favorably against the corrosive effect of sulphur and oxidizing gases.

Graphite insertions, acting as a solid lubricant, allows keeping an excellent level of lubrication for plates or bushes through all their lifetime, ready for use at any time. Through use, the bronze structure wear causes graphite insertions wear. The graphite dust resulting from this slight wear will be the responsible for lubricating the whole of the contact area.

The graphite used is a material with an extremely low chemical-inertia level, not interacting with most elements in nature under normal conditions. This ensures regular behavior through the piece lifetime without unexpected contingency.

BOLEXP item construction exhibits a graphite distribution over the guide surface of about 25-35% of the total, thus guaranteeing proper lubrication of the tool to construct. In addition, the graphite insertions used are relatively small, in comparison with other manufacturers, in order to minimize the impact on bronze bush consistency and maximize the dispersal of solid lubricant.

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Mould Centrers

Centerer for Mould

The centerer for moulds guarantees the appropriate alignment for the main plates in the mould. The system of fi xing to plate allows to apply machinery to plates in only one operation. It includes graphite components for self-lubricating pieces and a TiN treatment for reducing seizing.

The complete range of BOLEXP centerers include Graphite insertions in order to self lubricate its working in one of the pieces, the other one being coated with a TiN treatment at 2300 Hv for reducing seizing. Slide centerers make it possible to guarantee the appropriate alignment for the main plates in the mould.

The fact of making the allocations in the mould bearer axis allows us to ensure the zero point of the whole structure. The fl at centerer keeps the axis invariable where it is located as well as absorbs the +B27 longitudinal dilatations of that axis.

The system of fixing to plate of our centrers allows to make all the mechanization of plates, figure allocations and centering system in a single operation, which guarantees a greater precision of execution.

MATERIAL: Steel 1.2344 at 54 HRc + graphite and TiN 2300 Hv.

Inclined Assembly

Tilted Assembly

The tilted assembly allows to make the allocations of tilted columns with great agility. Its capability of getting fi xed through the front side of the plate allows for an agile capacity of exchange. Over a period of experience in the injection mold designing and manufacturing the great need has been felt to improve its mechanization. Following from this and

given the complexity of manufacturing the tilted columns in the moulds, BOLEXP has decided to manufacture these tilted / inclined assemblies. 140 models are available in stock, with 7 different degrees and 5 column diameters are available ex-stock at BOLEXP for ready delivery.

The assembly consists of a support in 1.2312 material screwed into the allocation previously made in the mould plate with 2 conical screws fi xing and aligning the position of the tilted column out of the support. Mounting and unmounting operations are made through the front side of the plate, which makes it easy to exchange, when needed. The allocations to make on plates are always straight, so improving its mechanization agility. By using the BOLEXP tilted assembly, the down side of the plate is kept free, through which cooling circuits can be made without interferences.

All the standard products are avaialble ex-stock at bolexp, ex-spain. Products other than standard catalogue dimension can be supplied on request.

For details, contact:Madhu Machines & Systems Pvt Ltd. 'Anurag' 1st Floor, A-4/5, Ganesh Krupa Society, Chikuwadi, Vadodara–390007 Gujarat, INDIATel : +91 265 2321104 / 2353886,Fax. : +91 265 2334278Email : [email protected] /

[email protected] site : www.madhu-group.com

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

EU to review PET anti-dumping duties against several Asian countries

The European Commission plans to review continuation of

anti-dumping duties for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin coming to the European Union from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Thailand, according to the Official Journal of the European Union according to Platts. Anti-dumping measures on PET resin coming from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Taiwan have been in place since November 27, 2000, with an expiry review announced in 2005

and a continuation of the anti-dumping dumping published on Febuary 27, 2007 for a fi ve year period. European buyers of PET resin could possibly benefi t with a wider choice of imports if the anti-dumping duties do expire. The anti-dumping measures currently in force for these were scheduled to expire on Tuesday, February 28, fi ve years after the defi nitive measures came in to force in 2007. On November 25, 2011, the PET committee of Plastics Europe requested an expiry review. "The applicant has provided

evidence that should the measures be allowed to lapse, the current import level of the product under review is likely to increase due to the existence of unused capacity in the countries concerned," the EC wrote. Current anti-dumping rates vary from country to country and are different for specifi c producers. For example, in India, anti-dumping rates to bring PET resin into the European Union are from Eur87.50-200.90/mt, while in Malaysia, the the anti-dumping rates range from Eur36-160.10/mt

Austin, Texas, passes bag ban

Austin has joined the growing number of cities prohibiting

single-use carryout bags. Austin the largest city in Texas has planned to ban plastic bags. Bags are also banned in Brownsville, Fort Stockton and South Padre Island. According to reports Austin City Council voted in the early hours of March 2 to ban single-use plastic and paper carryout bags at business establishments within the city limits. The law will go into effect March 1, 2013. Instead, businesses can sell or provide reusable carryout bags, defi ned as a bag with a handle that is designed to be reused and is constructed of washable, durable fabrics, or heavy recyclable paper or plastic. The ban does have some exceptions. Among other provisions, the ban does not apply to laundry dry

cleaning bags, door-hangar bags, newspaper bags, or bags used for bulk food or other grocery items. Recyclable single-use bags can also be provided for restaurant carry-out items, prescription drugs, and beer, wine and spirits.The city will launch a

public education campaign to inform businesses and residents of the ban.The ban is part of Austin’s goal to achieve zero waste by 2040. The city has been discussing the issue of single-use bags since 2007, according to the ordinance.

Russian company launches production of polymer nano composites

A company Rusnano, backed by, the Russian state-

owned nanotechnology corporation, has launched the production of polymer nanocomposites using nanosilicates for applications including packaging, cable insulation and steel pipeline coating, as per

European Plastics News. The 48 mln euro (US$64.4 mln) project will produce both nanosilicates and polymer nanocomposites. Metaclay of Karachev in Russia’s Bryansk region plans to raise annual plant capacity from 14,860 tons to 50,000 tons by 2014.


INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Vermont may ban recyclables from landfills

Vermont may ban recyclables from landfi l ls. According

to reports the Vermont House of Representatives gave preliminary approval to a bill that would ban certain recyclable materials from landfills. House Bill 485 would ban batteries from landfi lls immediately, recyclable materials including plastic and glass containers, cardboard, paper and other products by July 1, 2015, yard

waste by July 1, 2016, and all organic materials by July 1, 2020.The House unanimously approved the measure on a preliminary basis with a voice vote on March 1. A fi nal vote is expected soon, and then the bill heads to the state Senate, the Burlington Free Press reported.“We’re running out of space to put our waste,” said Rep. Tim Jerman, D-Essex, according to the newspaper. “We’re down to only two operating

landfi lls, in Coventry and Moretown, and Moretown is nearing capacity, possibly in 18 months’ time.”Private haulers would not be allowed to charge extra for handling recycling materials under the bill and anyone putting a garbage can for public use would have to also put out a receptacle for recycled materials, the newspaper reported.

SPI expects big numbers for NPE 2012

The Society of the Plastics Industry Inc. is anticipating a

banner year for NPE2012 based on registration numbers and purchased exhibitor space.In its new Orlando County Convention Center location, 1,830 companies have purchased 903,000 square feet of exhibit space for the triennial exhibition with five weeks remaining until opening day.Visitor registration numbers are ahead of NPE2009 fi gures by 10 percent and NPE2006 fi gures by 8 percent based on the same number of weeks before the event.

P a r t i c i p a n t s c a n c o n t i n u e registering up to the show or onsite. Room reservations have experienced a jump of 56 percent, up from 32,000 total room nights in 2009 to nearly 50,000 room nights thus far. Gene Sanders, SPI’s senior vice president of trade shows and conferences, said these numbers indicate not only more visitors but longer stays, which

is no surprise given the sunny locale. Twenty-six percent of registrations have come from outside the United States, indicating an 18 percent jump of international participants from NPE2009’s showing. Half of the international registrations have come from Latin America.Sanders said the 35 largest exhibitors at NPE2012 average 20 percent more equipment than they displayed in 2009.

“Companies with a need to know about plastics cannot afford to miss the opportunities provided by NPE to discover new technologies and make business connections,” Sanders said. “That’s why we expect the number of unique companies coming to NPE2012 to be comparable to the historic highs for NPE.

Pennsylvania plans US$490000 outlay for improvements

The state of Pennsylvania plans to spend $490,000

for improvements at an industrial park that could be a location for a huge new gas drilling petrochemical refi nery. The Beaver County Times reports that the state will improve two out-of-service rail tracks to

the Aliquippa Industrial Park. Shell Oil Co. has been considering locations in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia for the plant, which is projected to cost several billion dollars to build, generating thousands of construction jobs.


INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Hong Kong rates sustainability of local businessesTwo Hong Kong organizations

have launched a rating system to measure sustainable business practices among local small and medium-sized companies (SMEs), inc lud ing manufac turers . The groups hope the effort will improve companies’ performance in social and environmental areas and ultimately their competitiveness. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the Hong Kong Productivity Council launched the index last month with 40 local companies, and said they plan to update it annually. One of the goals is to demonstrate how implementing such “corporate social responsibility” practices can help companies do better economically in the long-run,

organizers said.

“By practicing corporate social responsibility, SMEs can achieve the most important goal of business sustainability, namely enhanced competitiveness” by using resources more efficiently and having strong relations with stakeholders and investors, said HKPC Executive Director Agnes Mak, in a statement.

While the concept of sustainability has been recognized among Hong Kong fi rms, both industrial and other business sectors are still looking for a model for business sustainability, with the hope that it can help extend the life span of their operations, said Timothy Tong, president of Hong Kong Polytech.

It seems the fi rms still have some work to do, however. The index said that the companies were only at the “initial stages” of business sustainability, with a mean score of 58 out of 100.It said manufacturers had the most advanced CSR practices in general, with a mean rating of 65, compared with a rating of 56 for the service industry, according to the HKPC, which is a quasi-governmental organization that provides research and market development support to Hong Kong companies.While Hong Kong SMEs include thousands of plastic processing companies, organizers said there are no plastics fi rms in the inaugural Hong Kong SME Business Sustainability Index.

SAAC-Persero sign MOU for petrochem-project-in-TubanSaudi Aramco Asia Company

Limited (SAAC), a subsidiary of Saudi Aramco, and PT Pertamina (Persero) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly evaluate the economic feasibility of building an integrated refi ning and petrochemical project in Tuban in East Java, in the Republic of Indonesia. A project team will work on the next phase of the project, which will consist of a joint scoping study that will include market research, confi guration studies and economic analysis. The proposed refi nery and petrochemicals project will be designed to process 300,000 bpd of crude oil, much of which will be supplied by Saudi Aramco following a long-term contract. The project will produce

high-quality refined petroleum and petrochemicals products to meet rising demand in Indonesia and elsewhere in Southeast Asia. The project represents an opportunity for Saudi Aramco to partner with Pertamina, Indonesia’s state oil and gas company, and to capitalize on investment opportunities in Indonesia’s growing downstream industry. Additionally, it extends the close cooperation between Saudi Aramco and Pertamina and increases prospects for industrialization and economic diversifi cation in Indonesia. “This MOU is a signifi cant fi rst step in extending our already strong relationship with Pertamina, and is also part of Saudi Aramco’s strategy to enhance its global downstream

presence,” said Dawood M. Dawood, Saudi Aramco’s VP of Marketing, Supply and Joint Venture Coordination. “Saudi Aramco is committed to making win-win investments with partners for projects that yield mutual benefi ts and contribute to economic growth and development.” “This cooperation in investment with Saudi Aramco is of the highest value for both Pertamina and the Republic of Indonesia to strengthen the fuel and petrochemical supply, to satisfy the huge domestic demand now and for the future,” said M. Afdal Bahaudin, Pertamina’s Director for Investment Planning and Risk Management.


INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Iran in talks with Asian company to develop Bushehr petrochemical plant

According to reports Iran is in talks with an Asian

company to invest €1.9 bln to develop Bushehr petrochemical plant, south of Iran. The plant is expected to produce 2.9 mln tpa of ethylene and methanol, as per an offi cial with the National Petrochemical Company of Iran. Despite rising international pressure, Iran has managed to expand export markets for its petrochemical products.

Pop-up popcorn bag takes flexible packaging's top honors

ConAgra Foods’ Phoenix Packaging division took top

honors in the 2012 Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards Competition for its work redesigning the popcorn bag.The Orville Redenbacher’s Pop Up Bowl is a microwavable package that turns into a stable, wide mouth bowl during popping, and is designed to be portable and easy to share.

The Flexible Packaging Association, who coordinates the competition, described the bowl as “the most complex lamination ever produced for high volume microwave popcorn packages” in a release. The bowl snagged the highest achievement award, as well as gold awards for both Packaging Excellence and Technical Innovation. Of the 86 fl exible packaging entries submitted, 25 packages earned 31 achievement awards in several categories -- Packaging Excellence, Printing Achievement, Technical Innovation, and Environmental and Sustainability Achievement.

The following companies earned gold awards:

Plastic Packaging Technologies earned gold in three categories -- Packaging Excellence, Printing Achievement and Technical Innovation for the Blue Bones small natural dental chew bones fl exible box pouch.

Berry Plast ics Corp. was recognized for Technical Innovation for their Microwaveable “One Size Fits All” Packaging.

A m c o r F l e x i b l e s E u r o p e and Americas earned a Technical

Innovation award for their Interior Tinted/Printed Formpack.

Innovative Packaging Solutions Inc. earned a Technical Innovation award for the Method Laundry and Dish Refi ll Pouch (with spine).

Printpack Inc. earned an award in Printing Achievement for the Ganador QuadSeal Sack (10 kg).

Flex-Pack was recognized in Printing Achievement for the Icelandic Grouper Fillets packaging.

Bemis Co.'s Curwood Inc. unit earned an award in Environmental and Sustainability Achievement for their FreshCase packaging for fresh red meat.

Curwood, in collaboration with Heinz North America, was also recognized in Packaging Excellence for the Heinz Dip n Squeeze ketchup pouch. Several companies also earned silver awards:- Curwood was recognized for three products – Schwan’s Fresch Taste-Seal Packaging for Freshchetta Simply Inspired Pizza, the Swanson Flavor Boost Portion-Control Sachet, and the Heinz Dip n Squeeze.

Printpack earned awards for two products, the Beneful Discovery Pack and Bengay Zero Degrees packaging.

Ampac was also recognized for two products, its Pocket Shots Stand-Up Pouch made with its alcohol compatible laminate and the Tesco Finest Soups retort pouch.

Other silver award winners were: Amcor Flexibles Europe and Americas,

Hilex Poly Co. LLC, Flex America Inc., Nordenia U.S.A., CL&D Graphics Inc., Exopack LLC, American Packaging Corp., Sonoco Flexible Packaging, Peel Plastic Products Ltd., and Sealed Air Corp. and Cryovac Food Packaging.

The Flexible Packaging Association has held the achievement awards for 56 years. Winners were honored at the FPA Annual Meeting on Feb. 22.

Judges for the 2012 awards were Larry Alehman, master faculty at Western Michigan University; Lisa McTigue Pierce, editor of Packaging Digest, and Michael Richmond, co-founder of Packaging & Technology Integrated Solutions.


BUSINESS NEWS

Reliance announces JV with Russian petrochemicals SiburReliance Indus t r i es has

announced a joint venture with Russian petrochemicals giant Sibur for production of butyl rubber in Jamnagar, Gujarat, with a combined investment of US$450 mln (Rs 2,250 crore). RIL will hold 74.9% stake in the JV, while Sibur would own 25.1%. To be named Reliance Sibur Elastomers Pvt Ltd, the JV will produce 1,00,000 tpa of butyl rubber, a synthetic rubber used extensively in auto and other

sectors. The joint venture would invest US$ 450 mln to construct the manufacturing facility in Jamnagar, which is expected to be commissioned by mid-2014. The JV would be the fi rst manufacturer of butyl rubber in India and could become the world's fourth largest supplier. RIL and Sibur have also signed a technology license agreement facilitating use by the JV of Russian company's proprietary butyl rubber production technology at the

SK Group signs petrochem deal with Sinopec, BP

SK Group has signed a deal to be part of a project

to build a major petrochemical complex in China with Sinopec and British Petroleum, with production facilities for butanediol, acetic acid and ammonia in the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing. According to the release the 1.2 trillion-won complex will break ground as early as July/August 2012, and is expected to be complete as early as 2014.

Arrk Corp plans to sell its European plastics subsidiary Japanese owned Arrk Corp. plans

to sell off its central European plastics injection and blow molding subsidiary Arrk Hungary as part of a group restructuring process.Arrk Hungary of Tiszaujvaros, northeast of Budapest, produces a range of technical molded components for the car, electronics, telecoms and chemical industries. It runs 11 injection machines with clamping forces ranging from 80-650 metric tons and 5 blow

molding machines.

The sale of the Hungarian fi rm’s stock is set to net Arrk a profi t of around 235,200 euros towards income for the fourth quarter of the fi scal year to March 2012.

Arrk Product Development Group, a global rapid product development specialist offering a wide range of prototyping, tooling and molding services, has other molding, tooling

Westlake reports profits up 17% Houston-based Westlake saw

its annual sales total grow 14 percent to more than $3.6 billion. The fi rm also saw profi t jump almost 17 percent to almost $260 million. Westlake’s olefi ns unit – including low density polyethylene and ethylene feedstock – accounted for about 71 percent of the fi rm’s sales in 2011, with the remainder coming from its

vinyls unit, which includes PVC resin and pipe.Olefi ns sales grew almost 14 percent, with Vinyls sales increasing almost 16 percent. Operating income for Olefi ns roughly was fl at at around $460 million, while Vinyls operating income swung to $4 million after posting an operating loss of more than $62 million in 2010.

new plant. Sibur would develop the basic engineering design for the facility and also train the JV staff at its own plant in Russia.

and prototyping plants units in Europe, Asia and North America.

Osaka-based Arrk has other European facilit ies in Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands and a number of plants in Japan. Its restructuring plan is understood to include a gradual disposal of non-core operations cutting the overall number of subsidiaries to less than 40 by March 2014.


BUSINESS NEWS

Gerresheimer buys German medical design firm

German medical injection molder Gerresheimer

AG has bought medical design firm Item GmbH last month. According to the release the deal will bolster Regensburg-based Gerresheimer’s medical plastics division. Münster, Germany-based Item will operate as an independent subsidiary under the name Gerresheimer item GmbH. The unit has a staff of 20 designers and product developers.Andreas Schütte, member of the Gerresheimer board said “We aim to be involved in customer projects right from the init ial product concept onwards.” Andreas Schütte is member of the Gerresheimer board responsible for the Plastic Systems division.

SBI, IOC ask for a place on the board of Haldia petrochemicals Ltd State Bank of India and Indian

Oil Corporation Ltd., has asked for a place on the board of Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd (HPL), seeking a larger say in the project, according to a report in The Telegraph. IOC has around 9.6 per cent stake in HPL, while the SBI is the leader of the lenders’ consortium for a working capital loan

of more than Rs 1,000 crore and was eligible for a board membership when it invested Rs 150 crore equity in HPL in 2004. However, the legal battle between TCG and the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation led to a court decision to freeze any change in the composition of the board denied Indian Oil a berth. In September

Huntsman sales up 21%

Woodlands based Huntsman has reported its overall sales

up 21 % for the year 2011. While polyurethane sales soared 23 percent to more than $4.4 billion. According to the release the unit’s pretax profi t also rocketed almost 50 percent to $476 million. PU ranked as the largest

Taiwan’s CPC Corp. to form an alliance with Japan’s MitsubishiAccording to a report Taiwan’s

CPC Corporation is to form an alliance with Japan’s Mitsubishi in a bid to gain better access to raw materials and technologies. Hwang Dang-hsiang, the head of CPC Corp.'s Petrochemical Business Division, and Tatsuya Kiyoshi, Mitsubishi's senior vice president, signed a letter of intent to form the alliance on behalf of their companies. The alliance will give CPC an overseas research

and development partner for the fi rst time. CPC also hopes to be able to obtain raw materials and patented technologies through Mitsubishi's global trade network to support a plan to tap into the downstream side of the petrochemical business. Also, the two companies intend to step up their exchange of information on market conditions and trends in petrochemical product development.

2011, a Supreme Court judgment removed barriers on the appointment of directors. Since then, SBI and IOC have written to the company demanding board berths- IOC has nominated its director (fi nance) Pravin K. Goyal. State Bank is yet to name its nominee.

of Huntsman’s fi ve operating units in 2011, bringing in almost 40 percent of total sales. Huntsman’s overall sales for 2011 grew 21 percent to more than $11.2 billion, with profi t mushrooming from $32 million in 2010 to $254 million last year.


BUSINESS NEWS

TriMas buys packaging maker Arminak Michigan based Tr iMas

Corporation has recently acquired California based packaging manufacturer Arminak and Associates LLC for $64 million, Arminak makes foamers, pumps, sprayers and other packaging for cosmetics, personal care

and household products. According to the release TriMas purchased 70 percent of Arminak and the agreement gives TriMas the option to purchase the remaining 30 percent, TriMas, has six business segments: packaging, energy, aerospace and defense,

Formosa to invest $1.7 billion to expand its Point Comfort plant Formosa Plastics Corp. USA

is to invest $1.7 billion for its expansion of its plastics and petrochemcials site in Point Comfort, Texas. According to the release the expansion would include a new low density polyethylene plant with annual capacity of about 660 million pounds. The expansion also would include a 1.8 billion-pound capacity olefi ns cracker and a 1.3 billion pound capacity

propane dehydrogenation unit. The new cracker “will take advantage of the increasingly reliable and low-cost domestic natural gas, and supply feedstock both to existing production units and the new LDPE unit,” offi cials said in the release. The project will create 1,800 construction jobs and 225 long-term positions. The new capacity is expected to start up in 2016

Indorama reports profit up 55%

Indorama Ventures Public Co. Ltd. has said that it has

achieved a growth in sales and profi t for the year and was able to sustain high performance in 2011 despite challenges, thanks to the addition of key specialty products to i ts portfol io.IVL reported sales of US$6.1 billion for 2011, approximately double its 2010 consolidated sales of US$3.055 billion. Net profi t rose 55 percent to US$510 million from US$328 million in 2010.After excluding extraordinary items, IVL achieved a net profi t of US$297 million, 38 percent higher than the US$215 million in 2010. IVL achieved annual volume growth despite natural disasters that impacted its manufacturing plants — fl ooding in Thailand and a tornado in Alabama.

La Seda de Barcelona approves capital increase

La Seda de Barcelona has approved a capital increase of

€400m to boost its plastic packaging division (APPE). The company will use the capital to expand into new markets and focus on new materials, such as HDPE. the company also said that it wouldenhance APPE’s presence in the northern and eastern European markets, including in Russia and the Ukraine, by building a new production plant in Poland.

The company said in release that

it is also considering investing in a 400,000 tonne PET plant in Portugal.

In terms of materials, APPE will start using HDPE to access new markets, for example dairy products. New technologies will include Activeseal, Hotfi ll Double Blow, Deep Grip and Heat Set. And in Italy and Spain, APPE will promote Elite, a ‘green’ resin, which contains up to 50% post-consumer recycled PET.

The company this week also presented its fi nal results for the 2011

engineered components, Cequent Asia Pacifi c and Cequent North America. They employ approximately 4,100 at more than 60 facilities in 15 countries. TriMas reported net sales of $1.084 billion in 2011, an increase of 20.1 percent compared to 2010.

fi nancial year. It posted turnover of €1.2bn, a 17.6% increase from 2010.


PRODUCT NEWS

Vandor adds four multi-shot molding machines

Richmond based Vandor Corporations has said that

it is raising its production capability by about 50 percent and adding four custom multi-shot Arburg presses as its Plastics division is likely to take control of its 119,000 square foot facility in Richmond. Rick Brown, marketing manager at Vandor said in a release that as a part of the expansion, the company has added four new

multi-shot molding machines and 30 new multi-shot tools as it prepares for full automotive production by June. Also two of the new presses have 120 tons of clamping force, while the other two are 275 tons.

The units and rotary tables are custom designed and built by Multiject LLC in partnership with the Plasdan Group .The release said the expansion

GM-backed startup reports battery breakthrough

Newark based Envia Systems, a startup backed by General

Motors claims to have developed a breakthrough lithium ion battery which is lighter, more powerful battery cells than cells now used in EVs that could slash the cost of electric vehicles.

The company said in a release that new the technology could reduce the cost of a battery pack in an EV

with a 300-mile electric range by more than half its current cost. Its advanced cathode technology enables its battery to produce 400 watt-hours per kilogram, at an estimated cost of $125 per kilowatt-hour.

According to the release batteries used in EVs today produce 80 to 150 watt-hours per kilogram, at a cost of $250 to $350 per kilowatt hour,

Clariant helps medical firms boost productivityClariant International Ltd At

the Pharmapack trade show in Paris, introduced its range of new products, including the Mevopur range, launched for the fi rst time designed to help manufacturers of medical products improve productivity and lower costs. Mevopur additives are designed to boost effi ciency and therefore reduce cost. Mevopur nucleants help reduce cycle times by up to 12 percent, said

head of medical and pharmaceutical Steve Duckworth.“You can use these nucleants on several materials, including PP,” he added.

It improves crystalinity which imp roves s t i f f ness , enab l i ng manufacturers to reduce wal l thickness.”Duckworth said Clariant has also developed a new range of colors for cyclic olefi ns, which are often

used to replace in glass in medical packaging applications.

“The industry is currently under great pressure as raw material costs are going up all the time, “For example, for manufacturers of white medical bottles, the cost of the titanium oxide, which is needed to make the white color, has gone up 50 percent.”

came about as both divisions needed more space. The Plastics division includes Reel Options, a producer of reels and KD Flanges for wire and cable as well as other industries.

Vandor also has Enviromold plastics, a brand that stresses reprocessed and reground plastics. Besides injection molding, the company also offers thermoforming and extrusion.

Envia could have the technology in commercial production by 2014. The release said that several automakers are evaluating its technology, including “major” players in Japan, Korea and the United States.

The company said that the performance of i ts battery was independently tested by the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Indiana.


PRODUCT NEWS

KHS Corpoplast introduces Blocked blow molding system KHS Corpoplast GmbH recently

introduced its blocked blow molding system-a combination blower, fi ller, and capper unit that can be used in PET applications. The InnoPet Blofi ll blocked system is designed to increase effi ciency and cut costs, said Bjöern von Lengerke, general sales manager for KHS, during a presentation at The Packaging Conference. Speaking at the conference he added that you can blow your own package and you can fi ll it right away in line. By doing so, you can reduce the packaging costs and increase the advantages on the logistics side. The system connects the blower directly to the fi ller and capper unit, cutting out the air conveyer, bottle rinser and other components. Instead, a multi-functional star wheel

conveys the bottles from blower to fi ller by way of a transfer block. The block separates the dry blow molder from the wet fi ller and includes an airlock with constant air fl ow You make sure the wet side, the humid side from the fi lling side isn’t entering the stretch blow molder, because the stretch blow molder doesn’t like that”.

The base system can be used for water or other non-carbonated soft drinks and can make up to 72,000 bottles per hour. With some modifi cation, the system can also be used for carbonated beverage applications and hot fill applications at 185-190° F. A cooling system – a star wheel equipped with a set number of spray nozzles – can cool bottles bases from approximately

167° F to 131° F.The cooling system can be modifi ed based on production needs, is effi cient and has low water consumption, he added.The Blofill blocked system can make several bottle types at maximum speed, giving users a fl exibility that was not available with previous blocked models, von Lengerke said. New heating technology also cuts down on start up time and reduces pre-form losses.

Temperature restrictions can make the system diffi cult for some hot fi ll applications in the US, but with some adjustments can be used for a variety of juices, teas, and other drinks, he said. The machine can handle delicate light-weight pre-forms, even in hot-fi ll applications.


ThermocutterA-Z FORMEN from Germany are offering compact and easy to use hand-held Thermocutter for cutting of rubber,

plastics, fabrics and thermocol materials easily and quickly. Thermocutter designed for easy operation and rapid blade heat up for quick cutting.

A-Z Thermocutter specifi cations are Easy operation by safety push button, Adjustable power regulation, Overheating protection, Switch for long blades, LED function control, Easy changeable blades, Easy and safe handling, Weight about 300 g only, Nominal power 150W, ED duty cycle 50%, 230 V input power supply, Power cord 5 meter in length. Different blade sizes are avilable for different cutting applications and materials.

For more details contact:MULTIFLO INSTRUMENTS PVT. LTD. UNIT 302, SECTOR II, BUILDING 1, MILLENNIUM BUSINESS PARK, MIDC MAHAPE, NAVI MUMBAI - 400710.

TEL: 022-27780880 / 27780881 FAX: O22-27780882

E-mail: sales@multifl oinstruments.com � Web Site: www.multifl oinstruments.com

FORSTHOFF Hot-Air ToolsFORSTHOFF Germany with 30 years of experience in design and

supply of hand-held Hot-Air Tools, Heaters and Automatic Tarpaulin Welding Machines are offering Model Tube Series, a latest generation Hot-Air Tool with a gigantic air output of 400 - 600 litres/minute, the Tube Series is used everywhere where hot air fl ows for heating, moulding, shrinking and activation. The choice of heating power of 1500 W, 3000 W or 3400 W 230 V can be progressively set at a room temperature up to 700 °C. The device has very reliable temperature electronics. Thanks to the strong and durable industrial motor. The air fl ow can be changed by various attachment nozzles so that numerous solutions can be offered with respect to the application.

The device is also service-friendly thanks to the new motor generation with a considerably longer carbon service life of more than 1500 hours. The collector carbons are also equipped with a shutdown device which prevents damages to the motor once the carbon brushes are used up. The collector carbons can be used several times. The simple and sturdy design of the device allows use solely as a hand hot-air tool as well as for installation in various production processes, machines and conveyor belts.

For more details contact:MULTIFLO INSTRUMENTS PVT. LTD. UNIT 302, SECTOR II, BUILDING 1, MILLENNIUM BUSINESS PARK, MIDC MAHAPE, NAVI MUMBAI - 400710.

TEL: 022-27780880 / 27780881 FAX: O22-27780882

E-mail: sales@multifl oinstruments.com � Web Site: www.multifl oinstruments.com

PRODUCT NEWS


TECHNOLOGY

PET recycling technology of the future

The patented VACUREMA® technology from Austria's plant

engineering specialists EREMA, has became a unique process of the world's most successful PET recycling technology within only a short space of time. The patented VACUREMA® process has become established as the global standard in processing not only post-consumer PET bottle fl akes but also in-house PET waste, since it was launched & over 140 systems are now in use worldwide. According to the field of application and the requirements placed on the end product, EREMA offers VACUREMA® technology in three different systems – VACUREMA® Basic, Advanced and Prime.

VACUREMA® - unceasing success and growing market shares in Europe and the USA. There are roughly five million tonnes of PET flakes available for recycling around the

world. Around one million tons of PET flakes are recycled in Europe every year – more than a third with the help of VACUREMA® technology from EREMA. A total of four large-scale VACUREMA® Prime systems were supplied to the USA in the year 2011 alone and are now producing approx. 60,000 tons of melt-fi ltered, IV-enhanced and food-contact approved pellets. EREMA reacts to price fl uctuations in the rPET marketplace. Openness and customer care have been the key to success for many years. And it was with this in mind that EREMA developed a new system concept in close collaboration with customers. The new system concept for VACUREMA® Prime technology is a compact and space-saving all-in-one solution – EREMA's answer to the strongly fl uctuating rPET market. The user can choose between three different operating modes, according to requirements:

Mode 1: production of 100% rPET pellets

Mode 2: production of 100% rPET fl akes

Mode 3: simultaneous production of rPET fl akes + rPET pellets

This enables users to produce the rPET they process in different physical forms in line with current market requirements - and they remain fl exible as a result. Thanks to this new concept, both decontaminated, pre-dried and crystallised rPET fl akes and high-quality, melt-fi ltered rPET pellets can be produced. Both products are suitable for direct food contact and surpass all minimum requirements in terms of purity and quality. EREMA customers benefi t not only from the high quality of the pellets but also from the environmentally friendly ecoSAVE® design of the systems. ecoSAVE® is an overall package of engineering and process Seite.

Velcro technology touted for package sealing

Switzer land based Velcro sealing technology is an

innovative alternative to conventional rail track sealing strips on bags for food packaging.

Amcor Flexibles and Velcro Europe SA have teamed up to promote the Velcro Press-Lok system, combining Amcor’s fi lms expertise with Velcro’s sealing system based on opposing strips of tiny hooks and clasps, the fi rms announced Feb. 29. The partners

claim the new system is simple to open and re-seal, even if the track is contaminated by food which would obstruct rail tracks commonly used to seal food bags.

The fi rms’ aim the new packaging system at cheese, milk powder, fresh-ready meals, bread, fresh fruit and vegetables. An added advantage of the system is the wide brand recognition Velcro has in the market, allowing consumers to readily understand how

the closure system works.

“Amcor and Velcro Europe are confident that this innovative user-friendly solution brings important new benefi ts to our customers and we look forward in 2012 to delivering sales growth to the fresh and dairy market,” says Philippe Scherrer, marketing director for fresh, dairy and capsules at Amcor Flexibles Europe and Americas based in Zurich, Switzerland


Researchers make plastic from biomass

Chemists at Utrecht University have developed a new type

of catalyst, from which now it is economically possible to produce plastics from biomass.According to a news release from the Utrecht-based school.the products are exactly the same [as petroleum-based ones], only they are made of pruning waste instead. Krijn de Jong,who is a professor of inorganic chemistry and catalysts & the head researcher on the project, said that The invention has already sparked the interest of the chemical industry.

According to the Krijn de Jong “Until recently, there were too many steps involved in the [biomass] process, so the technology was not effi cient or economical enough to be used on a large scale. Industry will be able to utilize this technology to make bioplastics, biopaints and even biopharmaceuticals. The properties of these products are the same, despite the fact that the raw material is biomass instead of petroleum. The bioplastics are totally identical to regular plastics.”

He further added that “In light

o f the imminent o i l shor tage, using sustainable raw materials is an extremely attractive option for industry,” “One major advantage of the method is that the raw materials are sustainable, but do not compete with the food supply, because they consist of wood-like biomass, such as branches, plant stalks and pruning waste.” The petroleum-free products are made using a catalyst consisting of iron nanoparticles measuring 0.00002 millimeters. The technology was developed in cooperation with Dow Benelux and Delft University of Technology.

TECHNOLOGY

3 layer film plant to produce lamination film at higher output with excellent quality levels

Kabra Gloucester demonstrated their fi rst “KAGE” 3 layer fi lm

plant at their factory in Dunetha- Daman, India. “KAGE” is the brand name for fi lm plants manufactured by Kolsite Group utilizing Gloucester Engineering Co. Inc.’s designs and technology. KAGE plants are specifi cally designed to produce Lamination Film at higher output with excellent quality levels that not just meet but exceed the market requirements. These Plants give enhanced operational effi ciency and higher flexibil ity for plastic manufacturers. The 3 Layer 2200 mm fi lm line has applications in the Lamination fi lms for food packaging, but also other applications like Shrink

and Stretch wraps for Bulk packaging, Industrial packaging applications etc. The line's output is upto 600 - 650 kg/hr and it has an installed capacity of 4000 tpa. The machine features contra cool extruders with light groove feed technology, 610 mm self-centering die utilizing encapsulated feedport technology, IBC, Ultracool II dual lip air ring with film thickness control utilizing Kundig capacitance gauge measurement, carbon composite rollers for collapsers, and turret type center winders. Output of 600 kgs/hr on a 40 micron thick lamination fi lm for food packaging applications was demonstrated during the Open House. Mr. Simon Jay, Sales Director, (Europe,

Asia, Middle East) of Gloucester Engineering was on site for both the days of the show. Mr. Jay gave a presentation on the distinguishing features of the KAGE range of Blowin fi lm lines which stand out with respect to its global competitors in similar range of machinery.

In the Indian Plastic industry, Kabra ExtrusionTechnik Ltd is a name to reckon with. Gloucester Engineering has been a global leader in plastics extrusion and converting market. Together, Kabra Gloucester Engineering has created KAGE, a synergy of competit ive edge technology and dedicated service to its customers worldwide


TECHNOLOGY

Technology allows 3-D printing without software

An I n d i a n c o m p u t e r s c i e n t i s t , B a l a j i

Ta m m a b a t t u l a , b a s e d a t Andhra Pradesh-based Remote Sensing Instruments said he has developed a three-dimensional printing technology that prints directly from a photograph, using a camera and printer -- and does not require software.

Speaking about his software Tammabattu la c la ims that anyone can use the system, with no specialist knowledge or software. “It sounds crazy when you think that you can photograph something and duplicate the item you snapped in the picture,” Tammabattula said. “It just goes to show what can be done when you take an existing technology and add a contribution that takes it to the next level.” though this is more of an high end as of now but eventually, Tammabattula plans to bring the technology to the home user. For now, he is developing the system for the Indian government, according to his news release.

Elevance Renewable Sciences and Arkema to develop and produce renewal speciality polymers

Elevance Renewable Sciences Inc. and Arkema have agreed

for a global partnership for development and production of renewable specialty polymers.

Elevance is providing novel, differentiated, functionalized renewable starting materials, including the company's 9-decenoic methyl ester, from its bio refi neries. Arkema has a long and well-established background in the field of bio-based specialty polymers. By coming together with their expertise, both companies will work on the development of a range

of specialty bio-based polymers based on Elevance specialty methyl ester intermediate. Andy Shafer, executive vice president of sales and market development for Elevance said, "Arkema's position as producer of high-performing bio-sourced technical polymers is a natural fi t for our unique specialty chemicals.We are pleased to be partnering with them in this important market for both of us".

Jean-Luc Dubois, Scient i f ic Director, for Arkema added that "Our partnership with Elevance offers Arkema the strategic opportunity to

expand our current feedstocks for biosourced raw materials and to strengthen our leading position on the fast-growing bio-sourced polymer market with increased capacities for our customers globally."

Process improves powder coating of plastic parts

Monrose based InnoVoc Solutions has developed a

powder coating for plastics, composites and other non-conductive substrates.The technology makes non-metallic substrates temporarily conductive by using a surface treatment that emits no volatile organic compounds or other hazardous products, according to the Montrose, Colo., company. InnoVoc claims the process gives a hard fi nish that is typically tougher than conventional liquid paint. It is a low cost process for automated in-line coating and batch-booth quantities. It allows

composite parts to be used next to powder-coated metal components, as in appliance handles and automotive parts.

“Before the development of this technology, powder coating non-metallic surfaces was possible but the processes had manufacturing, cost and environmental limitations that restricted their use,” states Kevin Stay, President and general manager of Gordon Composites Inc., the Montrose-based parent company of InnoVoc.


Mold-Masters to provide Ritemp cooling technologyMo l d - M a s t e r s L t d . h a s

formalized an agreement with Ritemp Technologies Pty. of Australia for exclusive use of Ritemp evaporative cooling technology in hot runner applications.Mold-Masters is a hot runner supplier based in Georgetown, Ontario. The agreement is through Ritemp’s agent for the Americas, YGRENE Technologies Inc.

“Ritemp patented technologies intrigued us because it had the potential to provide faster cycle times, with less

energy, drastically reduced water usage and complete uniform cooling,” said Bruce Catoen, vice president of business and product development at Mold Masters. “Joint developmental efforts over the last year have proven to us that these benefi ts are viable and we now are prepared to offer Ritemp hot runners commercially.”

The Ritemp process extracts heat from the mold by converting it to vapor, which rises to the top of the mold were it gets condensed by simple

Sabic to use Mitsui technology to make MDI, TDISaudi Basic Industries Corp.

has signed a deal with Japan’s Mitsui Chemicals under which Sabic will use Mitsui’s technology to make TDI (toluene diisocyanate) and MDI (methylene diphenyl diisocyanate). Both isocyanates are used to make polyurethanes, TDI largely for flexible foam and MDI for rigid insulation foam. The agreement

TECHNOLOGY

heat exchangers. The technology uses a fraction of the normal water needed and boosts cooling effi ciency, said Ritemp, based in Edwardstown, Austrialia. It reduces cycle times.

At NPE 2012, the Sumitomo (SHI) Demag (Booth 2103) will run a four-cavity StackTeck mold with both a Ritemp hot-half and cold-half, running a spout at 7.2 seconds, a 39 percent improvement over a conventionally cooled mold.

also provides for joint technology development by the companies, a Sabic statement said. Expressing s t rong op t im ism ove r t he agreement, Mohamed Al-Mady, Sabic vice chairman and CEO, said that it would spearhead a strategic collaboration between the two companies to explore future possibilities to collaborate in the polyurethane business.

KHS Corpoplast introduces Blocked blow molding systemKHS Corpoplast GmbH recently

introduced its blocked blow molding system-a combination blower, fi ller, and capper unit that can be used in PET applications. The InnoPet Blofi ll blocked system is designed to increase effi ciency and cut costs.The system connects the blower directly to the fi ller and capper unit, cutting out the air conveyer, bottle rinser and other components. Instead, a multi-functional star wheel conveys the bottles from blower to fi ller by way of a transfer block. The block separates the dry blow molder from the wet filler and includes an airlock with constant air fl ow .The base system can be used for water or other non-carbonated soft drinks and can make up to 72,000 bottles per hour. With some modifi cation, the system can also be used for carbonated beverage applications and hot fi ll applications at 185-190° F. A cooling system – a star wheel equipped with a set number of

spray nozzles – can cool bottles bases from approximately 167° F to 131° F.The cooling system can be modifi ed based on production needs, is effi cient and has low water consumption, he added.The Blofi ll blocked system can make several bottle types at maximum

speed, giving users a fl exibility that was not available with previous blocked models, von Lengerke said. New heating technology also cuts down on start up time and reduces pre-form losses.


IN THE NEWS

USDA warns French BPA ban may harm US food exportsThe proposed French ban on

bisphenol A (BPA) in food packaging would jeopardize exports of food products to France, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.The report says the ban, which is waiting to be examined by the French senate, would affect sales of beverage products such as beer and juice. France is the second largest market for Florida juices, with

sales totaling $21 million, according to USDA. “In addition, any product that contains a plastic packaging or a plastic component maybe affected by this law,” says the report. “Frozen seafood and meat products are most likely using BPA in their packaging, as well as packers for bulk dried fruit and dried legumes.”USDA says U.S. companies that manufacture in France, for example Coca-Cola Co., would

Ministry to present proposal for Cuddalore petrochem hubThe Ministry of Chemicals

and Fertilisers will present a proposal for setting up a Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemicals Investment Region near Cuddalore in two weeks. Mr Jose Cyriac, Secretary, Department of Chemicals and petrochemicals, said that the Cuddalore PCPIR proposal has reached a stage where it could be presented

to the Cabinet for approval. After the Cabinet approves it, Government of India would sanction the project, whereupon various agencies from the central and state governments would swing into action. Spread over a 250 sq. km area around Cuddalore, the project will become a chemical and petrochemical hub. Officials of the Tamil Nadu government had

be forced to change the composition of their packaging at a higher cost. Smaller companies may not have the fi nancial resources to change their packaging, it adds.In 2011, the French Socialist party proposed two bills at the National Assembly, banning the use of BPA in all food containers by Jan. 1, 2014. The bill is due for approval by the end of this month.

previously told Business Line that the project envisaged total infrastructure spending of Rs 16,725 crore. The only operational PCPIR in India is in Gujarat. The Centre has given its sanction to PCPIRs in three other States – Haldia (West Bengal), Paradeep (Orissa) and Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh). Tamil Nadu's proposal is under consideration.

Plastic Coalition files suit against San Francisco bag banThe Save the Plastic Bag

Coalition has filed a lawsuit against the city of San Francisco to invalidate its plastic bag ban. The lawsuit contends that the city passed the ordinance despite its refusal to prepare an Environmental Impact Report, which is required by the California Supreme Court before a ban can be enacted if a city has more residents than the city

of Manhattan Beach.San Francisco has a population of over 805,000, approximately 24 times larger than Manhattan Beach’s population of 33,000.Further, the ordinance bans plastic bags at restaurants, which the coalition’s counsel Stephen Joseph says violates a state statute. He said the California Retail Food Code preempts and prohibits city and county bans of plastic bags at restaurants.

Based on these two causes of action, the coalition seeks to invalidate the bag ban and have it repealed in its entirety.San Francisco was the fi rst city in the country to ban plastic bags at grocery stores and drug stores back in 2007. In February, city offi cials expanded the bag ban to restaurants, gift shops, hardware stores, boutiques and other retailers.


IN THE NEWS

India plans $5 million training center in West BengalThe India Plastics Federation

hopes to build a $5 million training center in the state of West Bengal, inside an industrial park set up for downstream petrochemical industries, including plastics processing said Mr Amar Seth addressing at the IPF function launch at Plastindia. According to Mr. Seth IPF plans to use surplus funds from the Indplas show, to be held Oct. 5-8 in Kolkata, to help fi nance the school, known as the Knowledge Center. It hopes to train up to 300 students each year. In

addition to training, the facility would also offer testing services with the cooperation of India’s Central Institute of Plastics Engineering & Technology. IPF hopes to start construction on the center by May and complete it one year later, It would target the plastics processing industry and offer courses in a variety of areas, including injection molding, extrusion, blow molding and rotational molding, and is designed to provide trained workers to the more than 40 companies setting up in the industrial park, known as Poly Park,

Olympic-sport jerseys to be made from recycled PETMost of the participants will be

sporting uniforms made from recycled PET when they hit the courts during the 2012 London Olympics. Nike recently announced that Team USA’s jersey will be made with 96

percent recycled polyester, according to Nike’s website. The Nike Hyper Elite Basketball uniform is made by using an average of 22 bottles per uniform. The basketball shorts feature 100 percent recycled polyester. Using recycled

ExxonMobil gets record €3.3 mln penalty

ExxonMobil has been fi ned for €3.3 mln from the Scottish

Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) as it did not report approximately 30,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from its Scottish Fife Ethylene Plant, resulting in a fi ne from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). Under the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), companies have to pay a €100 fi ne for each ton of CO2 emissions not reported. As per an Exxon spokesman “mistake was immediately reported when it was spotted and that the company has now fully reviewed and improved its procedures to avoid a repeat of the mistake.”

Assam Gas Cracker Project standstill as one dies in police firing Work came to a total standstill

for some days at the Assam Gas Cracker Project, as one person died in fi ring. On Friday, March 2, a worker died after personnel of the CISF opened fi re to subdue a stone pelting crowd of project labourers, while four others were seriously injured. Assam Gas Cracker Project is an Rs 10,000 crores undertaking of Brahmaputra Cracker & Polymer

Limited (BCPL) at Lepetkata. BCPL is a joint venture of GAIL, ONGC, Oil India Limited, Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) and Assam government. A magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the fi ring incident. A compensation of Rs two lakh would also be paid to the next of kin of the person killed and job provided to one member of the victim's family in the project.

on 60 acres of land Sankrail, near Kolkata in West Bengal’s Howrah District. The park is sponsored by the West Bengal Industrial Development Corp., and is expected to provide direct employment to 2,000 people and indirect employment to another 6,000.

PET produces a jersey with superior performance and reduces energy consumption by an estimated 30% compared to using virgin polyester


R R Plast Extrusions......................................................................................................................................cover

Madhu Machineries .............................................................................................................................inside cover

Anupam Heaters...................................................................................................................................................3

Renaissance .........................................................................................................................................................4

NU - VU CONAIR India. .......................................................................................................................................6

Ferromatik Milacron. .............................................................................................................................................7

Flamingo ...............................................................................................................................................................8

Devanshi Electronics ..........................................................................................................................................10

Madhan Packaging Machineries ........................................................................................................................12

AIPMA Industrial Park............................................................................................................................Book Mark

Kenya Plast ...........................................................................................................................................Book Mark

AIPMA MOU with Sidbi ..........................................................................................................................Book Mark

9th PlastiVision India 2013 ....................................................................................................................Book Mark

AIPMA WFO .........................................................................................................................................Book Mark

PlastiVision Arabia 2012 ........................................................................................................................Book Mark

Jagmohan .............................................................................................................................................Book Mark

Mamata Extriusion System ...................................................................................................................Book Mark

Polymechplast ....................................................................................................................................................19

Merit Polyplast. ...................................................................................................................................................20

Mipalloy. ..............................................................................................................................................................21

Korea Pack 2012. ...............................................................................................................................................22

JOMSONS ..........................................................................................................................................................23

Kabra Extrusion ..................................................................................................................................................24

Gaurav Engineering............................................................................................................................................25

Lanxess. .............................................................................................................................................................26

Total Packaging. .................................................................................................................................................27

Chinaplas 2012...................................................................................................................................................28

Goradia Impex ....................................................................................................................................................38

JKP Masterbatches ............................................................................................................................................57

Multifl ow Instruments ..........................................................................................................................................58

LOHIA Starlinger.................................................................................................................................................59

Reliance Polymers..............................................................................................................................................60

Boolani Engineering ...........................................................................................................................................61

Srilanka Plast......................................................................................................................................................62

Vora Packaging. .................................................................................................................................................63

Manan Enterprise. ..............................................................................................................................................64

TAGMA .......................................................................................................................................Inside back cover

Rajoo Enginners ...................................................................................................................................Back cover


No. MH/MR/N/200/MBI/12- 14RN. 22731/72

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Plastics News march 2012

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Transcript of Plastics News march 2012