Canadian Plastics September 2013

CanadianPlasticswww.canplastics.com

SEPTEMBER 2013

K 2013 PREVIEWSee it here first

TOY STORYMega Brands

is back on top

PACKAGING REPORT

Alpha Poly Packaging’s

forward motionWe celebrate

with a special

plastics industry

roundtable

70th ANNIVERSARY

ISSUE

RED HOT!But will Canadian parts suppliers

GET BURNED?

The auto industry is

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mailto:[email protected]

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contents

www.canplastics.com September 2013 Canadian Plastics 3

Visit us at www.canplastics.com

cover story14 AUTOMOTIVE UPDATE: Hot times? The global light vehicle market is roaring back,

bringing work for Canada's automotive suppliers for years to come, right? Not so fast. They just might be in for the race of their lives.

features20 PACKAGING REPORT: Alpha Poly Packaging’s capital ideas After 23-plus years of constant reinvention and reinvestment,

is this Ontario-based flexible packaging supplier finally ready to relax? Given that the family-run firm just spent $3.5 million to expand and buy new capital equipment, we're guessing not. PLUS: A new report forecasts industry growth.

26 K2013 PREVIEW: What’s new, now New processing machines and other technologies were

on early display at a three-day K Show preview event in Düsseldorf in June. You weren't there; we were. Here's some of what we saw.

32 DOING IT BETTER: Mega Brands lays building blocks for growth With sales soaring, the once-troubled Montreal toy

manufacturer is investing, expanding, and reshoring from China.

CanadianPlasticsSEPTEMBER 2013

VOLUME 71 NUMBER 4

2721

in every issue

4 Editor’s View: Are you ready for the auto recovery?

5 Ideas & Innovations: Trawling for a packaging industry first

6 News:• Custom molder Niigon

Technologies closes amid Schad, Husky legal wrangle

• Too many Canadian firms aren’t innovative, and it’s hurting: surveys

• Supplier News & People

10 Executive’s Corner: Our special 70th anniversary roundtable discussion

38 Technology Showcase

46 Plastics Data File

46 Advertising Index

46 Classified Ads

50 Technical Tips: Determining maximum mold cycle counts

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editor’s viewCanadian Plastics magazine reports on and interprets develop

ments in plastics markets and technologies worldwide for plastics processors, moldmakers and endusers based in Canada.

www.canplastics.comEDITOR

Mark Stephen 416-510-5110 Fax: 416-510-5134 E-mail: [email protected]

ART DIRECTOR Andrea M. Smith

PRODUCTION MANAGER Steve Hofmann 416-510-6757

E-mail: [email protected]

PRINT PRODUCTION MANAGER Phyllis Wright

SENIOR PUBLISHER Judith Nancekivell

416-510-5116 Fax: 416-510-5134 E-mail: [email protected]

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Greg Paliouras

416-510-5124 Fax: 416-510-5134 E-mail: [email protected]

CIRCULATION MANAGER Anita Madden

416-442-5600, ext. 3596 Fax: 416-510-6875 E-mail: [email protected]

EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER Tim Dimopoulos

VICE PRESIDENT, CANADIAN PUBLISHING Alex Papanou

PRESIDENT, BUSINESS INFORMATION GROUP Bruce Creighton

HEAD OFFICE: 80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto ON, M3B 2S9. 416-442-5600, Fax: 416-510-5134

CANADIAN PLASTICS is published 7 times a year by BIG Magazines LP, a div. of Glacier BIG Holdings Company Ltd., a leading Canadian information company with interests in daily and community newspapers and businesstobusiness information services.

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The contents of this magazine are protected by copyright and may be used only for your personal non-commercial purposes. All other rights are reserved and commercial use is prohibited. To make use of any of this material you must first obtain the permis-sion of the owner of the copyright. For further information please contact Judith Nancekivell, 416-510-5116.

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MEMBER: Canadian Business Press, Canadian Plastics Industry Association.

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund

of the Department of Canadian Heritage.

4 Canadian Plastics September 2013 www.canplastics.com

Who would have thought, just a few short years ago, that 2013 would be a good time to be an

automotive supplier?Cast your mind back to the dark

days of February 2009, if you dare: North American vehicle sales had

fallen to the lowest level in 28 years, with every major automaker reporting sig-nificant declines despite discounting their vehicles by an average of $2,900. Cut to today. Market ana-lyst IHS Automotive proj-ects that automakers will build 16.1 million cars and trucks in North America

this year — up four per cent from 2012, and a ten-year high.

For Canada’s automotive sector, it’s good news, to say the least; maybe even better than the recent birth of George Alexander Louis Windsor to a Royal watcher. And it will likely get better still. At a Canadian Association of Mold Makers (CAMM) dinner meet-ing in Toronto in May, auto analyst Dennis DesRosiers forecast an “his-toric” wealth of new work that will be up for bids to North American auto parts molders and moldmakers. In service of post-recession pent-up con-sumer demand, DesRosiers said, auto-makers will launch approximately 70 new vehicle models each year for the next five years, compared with about 40 all-new vehicle models launched each year before the auto slowdown and recession. While we can argue about what constitutes “new” — is it a completely new vehicle launch or just a facelift on an existing model? — it’s hard to deny that the market just got a lot healthier. (How healthy? We discuss this in our Automotive Update feature that begins on pg. 14.) And it’s more than just unit growth; the auto indus-try is poised to pick up business from OEMs looking to cut vehicle weight to satisfy upcoming CAFE regulations.

That’s not to say, of course, that unit growth won’t be good in and of

itself. “Each one of those new models will need new molds for new exteri-ors and interiors, including new body moldings, new fascia, new lighting, new electronics, and new under-the-hood parts,” DesRosiers said.

In the final analysis, almost all auto parts factories are currently running “hot” — two of the Big Three auto-makers are operating at more than 100 per cent capacity and the third is close to capacity.

But before you start pricing your new beachside vacation villa on Maui, there’s a problem ahead — and stop me if you’ve heard this one before. According to DesRosiers and others, the manufacturing sector — and the mold, tool, and die industry in particu-lar — is nowhere near the employment level it should be to take advantage of the automotive growth. In 2006, for example, there were 27,626 workers in the tool, die, and machining field, according to Statistics Canada, a num-ber that plummeted to 18,597 in 2010. “By 2012, the employment base had grown to about 19,800 workers, which was still far short of where the industry had been,” DesRosiers told the CAMM meeting. “Employee numbers are gut-ted, and as a result Canada’s tooling industry may not reap the full benefits of the anticipated demand.”

Don’t ask me where you’re going to find extra workers if you need them...but you’re going to have to find them from somewhere, if you want to get the most out of this recovery. Maybe it’s just a simple question of old fash-ioned human capital investment. As DesRosiers put it, “Now is the time to take risks, to hire those young work-ers who are going to need three to five years to develop their skills.”

So, is the Canadian automotive sector ready for the resurgence? We’d better be, because — bet on it — competitors in weaker global markets are going to be swarming in like the proverbial f lies at a barbecue.

Mark Stephen, [email protected]

Are you ready for the auto recovery?

CPLSept13 p04 Edit Masth.indd 4 13-08-21 9:46 AM










ideas & innovations

Trawling for a packaging industry first ment will be able to collect between two and eight tonnes of waste per trawl for cleaning and recycling, while other fishermen will collect plastic debris mixed with by-catch and deposit it at special collection points. The sorted waste will then be sent to Closed Loop’s recycling plant in Dagenham, east London, where it will

be processed and turned into the plastic for the new bottles.

The project certainly doesn’t lack for material floating around. Accord-

ing to the Marine Conservation Soci-ety, plastic debris accounts for almost 60 per cent of all litter found on U.K. beaches, while much of it ends up in the sea. The scale of the problem was

highlighted in a recent study by scientists who found a sperm whale that died off the coast of Spain last year had a stomach full of

flowerpots, hose pipe, and nearly 30 square metres of plastic greenhouse covers.

At present, Ecover is unable to give details of how much plastic would be retrieved or what percentage of “sea plastic” would be used in the packaging. “We don’t have a definitive figure on the amount we will retrieve — we’re just hoping to get as much as is possible and give fishermen an incentive to join the initiative and help clean the seas,” said Ecover chief executive, Philip Malmberg. “We want to get the sea waste in as much of our packaging as possible — it will always depend on the amount and quality of the plastic they have man-aged to fish.”

Trials have already begun on the exact mix of the three plastics that will allow the brand to deliver what it claims will be the first ever fully sustainable and recyclable plas-tic. Products made from the packaging are scheduled to go on sale next year. CPL

I t sounds like a joke, but it isn’t. What do you get when combine a Belgian cleaning product maker, a Spanish plastic packager, and scores of British

fishermen? Answer: quite possibly an entirely new type of sustainable and recyclable plastic bottle.

In what’s being called a world-first for packaging, Bel-gium’s Ecover cleaning product supplier is collaborating with Spain-based rigid plastic container maker Logo-plaste to combine plastic retrieved from British shores and waters off the North Sea with a plastic made from sugarcane — called “’Plant-astic” — and recycled plastic. The Plant-astic material comes from sugarcane harvested to produce sugar, and then fermented and distilled to produce ethanol. The ethanol is then dehydrated to create ethylene, which is polymerized into Plant-astic.

Ecover is also working with the industry-led Waste Free Oceans initiative and the U.K. recycling plant Closed Loop to recruit British fishing communities on the North Sea to collect plastic. Boats outfitted with special equip-

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news

Niigon Technologies Ltd., a custom molding venture on the Moose Deer Point First Nation reserve near

Georgian Bay, Ont., closed in mid-August, caught in the crossfire of a legal battle between plastics pioneer Robert Schad and his former company Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd.

MacTier, Ont.-based Niigon had been in business since 2001, molding a variety of parts for customers in Canada and the U.S. The 22 worker-strong company was one of the few manufacturing plants owned by aborigi-nals in Canada.

Schad was instrumental in Niigon’s creation. At its found-ing, and under Schad’s direction as Husky`s controlling share-holder, the company was stocked with loaned, leased, or purchased Husky machinery.

Schad sold Husky in 2007, and returned to the industry a few years ago as the founder of Vaughan, Ont.-based injection molding machinery supplier Athena Automation Ltd.

Schad is charging that Husky told managers at Niigon that it was pulling out its injection molding machines as the result of Schad’s Athena Automation venture and its December 2012 partnership with Italian blow molding supplier SIPA SpA to make a system for molding and blowing PET performs. “My reaction is that Husky is getting back at me,” he said.

Husky filed a lawsuit in May against Schad, SIPA SpA, and other associates, seeking more than $100 million in dam-ages for allegedly violating confidentiality agreements with the launch of their new venture. The claim alleges that Schad

“improperly” used his position on Niigon’s Board of Directors to obtain confidential information about new Husky machine prototypes shared with the First Nation’s plant. Schad and his partners have filed a counterclaim denying the allegations.

According to Schad, his Schad Foundation charitable enterprise — which has longstanding ties to the Moose Deer Point reserve — is funding a large portion of the approxi-mately $4 million in costs associated with the Niigon shut-down, including severance payments for the workers.

For its part, Husky was quick to deny the charge of score-settling, saying that the company is committed to protecting its inventions and knowledge, and that its litiga-tion against Schad involves Niigon. “Husky has provided significant financial and technical support to Niigon over many years and regrets that its relationship with Niigon has ended in these circumstances,” Husky vice president and general counsel Michael McKendry wrote in an email published in the Globe and Mail. CPL

Custom molder Niigon Technologies closes amid Schad, Husky legal wrangle

PLASTICS PIONEERS HONOR THEIR OWN

On June 5, the Canadian Plastics Pioneers organization turned out in force in Mississauga, Ont. to shine the spotlight on some long-serving

industry members. Glenn Billinger, Martin Hofton, Dennis Merlin, Gavin Watt, Bill Wheeler, Stan Walsh, Joe Whiteley, and Nelson Wright were presented with “Half Century” citations to signal 50 years of involvement each; and Marion Axmith, Gord Burgess, and Rod Nonato were given “Quarter Century” citations, signifying 25 years of involvement each.

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Canadian Plastics Pioneers president Douglas Winter and Marion Axmith.Photo Credit: George Rundans

CPLSept13 p06-9 News.indd 6 13-08-21 9:52 AM


news

Only about one-sixth of Canadian firms adopt an innova-tion strategy that focuses on competing in international

markets, according to a survey conducted by the Confer-ence Board of Canada’s Centre for Business Innovation. But it definitely pays to do so: those firms that do expand into competitive global markets outside of North America earn between 10 to 30 per cent more net income than similar firms that use other approaches.

According to the accompanying report, only 14 per cent of Canadian firms surveyed make territorial expansion the focus of their innovation strategies, while more than half pursue a user needs-driven innovation strategy, and approximately one-third adopt a technology-driven inno-vation strategy.

The majority of survey respondents said that innova-tion funding presents a challenge. Cash from within an operation or from the corporate headquarters is the most frequent source, followed by government funding. In addi-tion, firms that look to expand their markets/territory make more use of internal financing and less use of government funding or private equity than do firms with user- or tech-nology-driven innovation strategies.

“It’s not clear if use of internal cash is by choice or by constraint,” said Michael Bloom, who leads the Centre for Business Innovation. “In any case, it’s interesting that neither private equity nor government financing is more readily available for territorial expansion, given the fact that the companies with such innovation strategies achieve higher average financial performance than other firms do.”

The survey also found that the most prevalent chal-lenges for innovation include lack of funding, organiza-

tional culture, poor innovation training, fear of risk, lack of executive focus, and lack of innovation measurement; and that there’s a strong correlation between the intensity of innovation efforts and company performance, but only if innovation activities are well managed.

And there’s independent evidence suggesting that lack of innovation is hurting Canada’s image as a place to do busi-ness: a lack of innovation, coupled with too much red tape, continues to be a barrier for doing business in Canada, another new Canadian survey has found.

According to the 2013 Executive Opinion Survey con-ducted by independent think-tank World Economic Forum (WEF), those Canadian business leaders who responded see the usual suspects — inefficient government bureau-cracy, and a lack of innovation — as the main obstacles to doing business in Canada.

According to WEF, Canadian business leaders indi-cated that the five most problematic factors for doing business were inefficient government bureaucracy, insuf-ficient capacity to innovate, limited access to financing, an inadequately educated workforce, and tax rates and tax regulations.

Overall, 16 per cent of Canadian business leaders identi-fied inefficient government bureaucracy as a problem — the only country that ranked this factor as frequently as in Canada was Italy, according to the survey results.

An insufficient capacity to innovate was identified as a problem by 15 per cent of Canadian business leaders. Two items, “inefficient government bureaucracy” and “access to financing,” have been ranked by Canadian business leaders as top problematic factors for the past five Execu-tive Opinion Surveys. CPL

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Too many Canadian firms aren’t innovative, and it’s hurting: surveys






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DIVISION INJECTION

SUPPLIER NEWS— Unionville, Ont.-based machin-

ery sales firm Dier Interna-tional Plastics Inc. has been appointed as the exclusive agent for KraussMaffei injection mold-ing machines and automation in Ontario.

— Exeter, Ont.-based downstream extrusion equipment maker Ade-scor Inc. has been purchased by Unicor GmbH, a German manufacturer of pipe corrugat-ing equipment. The terms of the deal have not been disclosed. Unicor’s Tony Kime will run the Adescor business as president; Adescor’s previous president, Bill Kime, has retired but will be available as a consultant for the company.

— Mississauga, Ont.-based hot runner temperature control sys-tems maker AceTronic Indus-trial Controls Inc. is the new Canadian distributor for mold component supplier Progressive Components, which is headquar-tered in Wauconda, Ill.

— Shanty Bay, Ont.-based resin supplier Simcoe Plastics Ltd. is the new Ontario sales agent for SPB Bio Materials’ “Ekstend” line of bio-mass filled plastic compounds. SPB Bio Materials is located in Peterborough, Ont.

— Advanced Blending Solutions LLC, of Menominee, Mich., has been appointed as the exclu-sive Canadian distributor for Italy-based auxiliary process-ing equipment manufacturer Moretto SPA.

Progressive Components

president Glenn Starkey and AceTronic

president Kim Thiara.



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news


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— Testing instrument maker Mocon Inc., headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., has named Rich Barrett as North American sales manager for its Mocon and Dansensor-branded lines of testing solutions.

— Pawtucket, R.I.-based material supplier Teknor Apex Company has named Christopher Cooper as market manager of its thermoplastic elastomer division.

— Germany-based extrusion equipment maker Reifenhäuser Group has named Steve DeSpain as president of its U.S. division, Reifenhäuser Inc. Also, Frank Ohidy has been named service manager, responsible for leading the North American team of service technicians; and James Snell has joined the com-pany as project manager for North America. Reifenhäuser Inc. is located in Danvers, Mass.

— Mississauga, Ont.-based coordinate measuring machine maker Mitutoyo Canada Inc. has named John Dewar as its new sales manager.

— Germany-based blown film equipment maker Kuhne Group has named Adolfo Edgar as vice president, blown film systems. Edgar is based in Missis-sauga, Ont.

— Madison Heights, Mich.-based mold technology supplier DME has named Stephane Huot as its new field sales representative for Quebec.

— Burlington, Ont.-based Stanmech Technologies Inc. — the master distribu-tor for Leister Process Technologies in Canada — has named Jamie Martin as technical sales representative in the Prairies and Western Canada. Martin is located in Calgary, Alta.

— Newtown, Conn.-based trade association the Society of Plastics Engineers Inc. has named Jon Ratzlaff as its new president for the traditional one-year term, and Vijay B. Boolani as its new president-elect to replace Ratzlaff next year.

— Injection molding machine and automation maker Engel North America has added Jay Sachania to the automation group division at its York, Pa. headquarters.

— Germany-based extrusion and downstream equipment manufacturer bat-tenfeld-cincinnati has named Kurt Waldhauer to the new position of group vice president, global accounts.

Rich Barrett Jon Ratzlaff

John Dewar Jay Sachania

Christopher Cooper Vijay B. Boolani

Adolfo Edgar Kurt Waldhauer

PEOPLE






executive’s corner

product. You have to bring new products, new con-cepts, and new processes to the market. It’s even more of an issue because, as Amir said, our mar-ketplace is becoming bigger because of the North Americanization process currently underway. Cus-tomers are becoming larger because our economy is being pushed by the Americans, and as they do that they’re often more allied with their American suppliers than the Canadian suppliers. To compete, you have to bring something new and innovative to the marketplace, no matter what segment you’re in. Those companies that are doing so are doing reasonably well.

CH: When we ask our member companies what CPIA can do to help them grow, they tell us that they need help getting access to skilled labor, which isn’t just a plastics industry challenge. Many also say we need a better image of plastics, period. We’re working to repair that.

Q Which sectors do you think show particular potential for growth in the years to come?

A AK: The auto industry is making a strong comeback, especially in Ontario; the suppliers are enjoying good growth. The construction industry is also healthy. It’s a diverse group of industries that are enjoying growth again.

PC: And also the resin producers. There’s a sea change going on in North America as relates to the supply of raw materials, in which North America is going to come very close to matching the low-cost capabilities of the Middle East in supplying some key resins. Some of that will take place in Canada — in Alberta, obviously, but also in the Sarnia, Ont. area. Given how often resin pricing comes up as the most important and biggest expense that processors have, I’m curious to see how the Canadian resin industry will grow over the next five years.

AK: The competitive edge that Canada is going to develop in raw materials production might well result in a significant boom in exports, because we’ll have the cost competitiveness from a raw materials

A&Q

Q How would you assess the current state of Canada’s plastics industry, and are you comfortable with the recovery so far?

A AK: From talking to people in the business, my sense is that conditions aren’t overwhelming great, but they’re not overwhelmingly bad, either. Some com-panies are doing well, some not, but overall there’s movement upwards. For the most part, I think it’s more positive than negative. In my own business sector, there are challenges. Parts of our business are doing well, parts aren’t, which is the way it’s always been. There are opportunities we can see, and we’re trying to capitalize on them. That’s a function of dealing with materials, on innovating on products. There’s equipment that we have to buy to become more efficient and streamline our operations. We’re trending approximately on track with last year.

PC: Our industry represents $20 billion in sales, and 80,000 jobs around the country. It’s a massive contributor to the economy. Companies that have invested in training and modernization seem to be growing again, and I think that’s the recipe for suc-cess for the industry going forward.

Q What steps do you think are necessary for recovery in some of the weaker sectors?

A AK: The businesses that are struggling tend to be the commodity businesses. They’re having a tougher time not necessarily because of Asian imports, commod-ity price fluctuations, or labor issues, but because of scale: the North Americanization of the economy and manufacturing base. As Canadian companies, we’re competing against companies in the U.S. that are 10 times our size: they have buying power and distribution networks that are overwhelming com-pared to ours. The challenge for companies that are on the commodity side is to try to build scale, to compete against these larger companies, many of which will be coming to Canada to compete head-to-head. And that means investing in new equipment, in training, and in running a lean operation.

PC: The idea of innovation is critical, in packag-ing and other sectors, in order to differentiate your

Canadian Plastics magazine and the Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CPIA) both turned 70 years young this year. To celebrate, we gathered

three of the CPIA’s heaviest hitters together for a no-holds-barred discussion of our industry’s present and possible future.

AMIR KARIMVice president, business develop-ment with Polykar Industries Inc., chair of the CPIA Board of Directors.

CAROL HOCHU CPIA president and CEO.

PAUL COHEN President of W. Ralston (Canada) Inc., past chair of the CPIA Board of Directors, 2012 CPIA Leader of the Year.PA

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CPLSept13 p10-11 Exec Corner.indd 10 13-08-21 10:02 AM


executive’s corner

who also have the skills to deal with a high level of automation. Perhaps the problem is that if you’re technically savvy, you don’t think about working in a manufacturing plant. If there’s a silver lining in this situation, it’s that, in many shops, labor is diminish-ing as a percentage of the manufacturing cost, and this can make them more competitive.

Q How real is the hype surrounding reshoring?

A AK: From what I hear anecdotally, it’s definitely happening, and on a permanent basis. Personally, I think offshoring was driven by a huge differential in the cost of raw materials. That gap has narrowed dramatically, and when you combine the logistical cost of bringing product back here with the growth of automation in North America and the subse-quent drop in labor costs, we’re back to a more or less even playing field. Add to that the ability to be closer to your customer and supplier, shorter lead times, and quicker turnaround of cash flow, are the result is this repatriation of production. I think it shows that some of the market anomalies and dis-ruptions of the past few years are dissipating.

PC: I’ve had conversations with customers who are interested in my supplying them with products they were previously getting from Asia, but it isn’t exactly a wave yet. The point is, the supply side of the market is leveling off. From what I’ve seen, part quality in Asia has gotten better, but Asian manufacturers are also interested in supplying their own markets. A lot of these companies don’t care as much about North America as they did 20 years ago because they have their own growing middle class to service.

Q What do you consider to be the industry’s biggest strengths going forward?

A CH: Without doubt, our ability to innovate in prod-ucts and processes.

AK: I’d say it’s our access to new markets. The fact that Canada might be set to become a major exporter of plastic goods is a real opportunity. I also think there is opportunity as we try to build scale in some more commodity-type businesses — there is opportunity for consolidation, and that will be reflected in a very different looking landscape in the near future.

PC: I’d agree on the consolidation point. There are also many, many good people in Canada making plastics products, and we shouldn’t shortchange that. I think that if the legislative landscape opens up and allows the competitive, entrepreneurial spirit that’s always been a part of this sector to flourish, there’s no telling where we could go.

CH: Right. There’s a long tradition of Canadians excelling in the plastics sector, and with the land-scape opened up to let us do what we have to do, I’m confident we can flourish. CPL

A&Q point of view. It’s not unreasonable to believe our industry will become a large plastic goods exporter within the next decade or so.

Q What do you see as greatest threats Canada’s plastics industry faces going forward?

A AK: At the end of the day, how we deal with end-of-life plastics will be a huge factor in determining the growth of our industry. If you look at countries around the world, it’s very hard to recycle more than 20 to 30 per cent of all plastics that are thrown away. I believe the ultimate solution to end-of-life plastics is energy recovery.

PC: I differ slightly, in that I’d suggest that energy recovery is part of the ultimate package of solutions. You can only get energy recovery if you’re doing a good job on mechanical recovery.

AK: Yes, there’s a mechanical recovery component, but I think the balance involves advocating for energy recovery. CPIA participates in a number of forums to advocate for energy recovery; it’s a major focus of the organization. Canada currently trails Europe in this area, but I think we’re ahead of the U.S.

CH: The North American Plastics Alliance — called NAPA for short — has been in place for two years. It’s a formal alliance between CPIA, the Society of the Plastics Industry, and the plastics division of the American Chemistry Council. We collaborate in five or six key arenas, and recycling is one of the biggest.

PC: NAPA is a good example of how the industry can pull together and do more with less. Five years ago it wasn’t on anybody’s radar, but various people realized that we have to do a better job of talk-ing amongst ourselves. We used the words “North Americanization” earlier; here’s the North Ameri-canization of a PR campaign to deal with global forces. It allows CPIA members to become more indirectly involved in the global market.

Q Are you particularly worried about a skilled worker shortage in the future?

A PC: The skilled labor shortage is no myth — it’s real and it’s happening now. My company has manufacturing facilities in Alberta and we faced it there. In Ontario, the workforce is getting older and, for a variety of reasons, it’s not easy to find people who want to work in a plastics processing operation, even though we pay good money. We have to look at automation as a way of coping with this challenge.

AK: The nature of the labor we require is changing, too. Twenty years ago, plant labor was manual work; today it involves dealing with computers, program-ming recipes. We don’t need physical laborers today, we need people who are technically savvy. The chal-lenge is to find young people who are interested in working in a manufacturing environment, but

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The secret to the success of this family-run business has been an unswerving dedication to customer service. “We have customers that have been with us since our first year in our family’s basement,” says company president Kim Thiara.

Kim’s father Harb Mushiana started AceTRONIC in 1983. He named the company AceTRONIC Industrial Controls. “Ace” for the highest card in the deck (and because it’s the beginning of the alphabet) and “tronic” for electronics.

Harb had immigrated to Canada from England where he worked as an instrument technician with British Airways.

During the recession in the early 1980s he was laid off and experienced great difficulty in finding employment. His wife suggested he try to get jobs on his own repair-ing instruments. He started knocking on doors at plastics processing companies and found lots of work repairing temperature controls.

Harb earned the respect of customers by doing an honest job at a fair price. As time went on, his customers asked him to order parts like relays and switches as well as handle their repairs. Thus began the evolution of AceTronic becoming a distributor as well as a repair shop. After a decade of establishing a reputation, AceTRONIC was able to attract some premium lines, such as RKC Instruments temperature and process controls and Mold Control Sys-tems, Inc. hot runner temperature controls. At this point, the business outgrew his basement and Harb moved the company into an industrial unit in Mississauga.

AceTRONIC started out with MRO items, but manufac-turing hot runner temperature controls took the company in the direction of auxiliary equipment. Explains Kim Thi-ara: “We manufacture our own hot runner controls, rather than having them name-branded. Because our units are not off-the-shelf, we can offer our customers more afford-able customization and shorter lead times.”

Moving into the manufacture of its line of Thermocline water temperature control units was a natural evolution from hot runner controls. AceTRONIC’s temperature con-trol units are simple to use and do not require extensive training for the operator.

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AceTRONIC founder Harb Mushiana in the original business premises in his family’s home.

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About fifteen years ago, AceTRONIC found an unfilled market niche and started manufacturing custom cables used to connect an injection mold to a temperature control system. When a custom injection molder gets a new mold to run, the cable connections on the mold do not always match up with the connections on the temperature control unit. Having AceTRONIC make custom cables enables the molder to run the new mold with their existing control system and is a lot less expensive than buying a new tem-perature control unit.

“Custom cable manufacture is fundamental to my Dad’s way of doing business,” says Kim. “He always thought about ways to help the customer and decrease their cost.”

Kim began working part-time in the business in the early 1980s and joined the company full time in 1990. She and her husband John bought the business in July of 2008. Kim is company president and John is operations manager.

The following year, AceTRONIC moved into a new and larger facility. This gave them more warehouse space and allowed them to keep more stock on hand for quick delivery.

Since Kim took over the helm, there have been some significant additions to AceTronic’s product line. It is now a distributor for Gefran, a leading manufacturer of sensors, components, systems and drives, and for Slide Products, a big name in mold releases, mold cleaners, rust preventa-tives, lubricants and purging compounds.

Early this year, AceTRONIC was appointed exclu-sive Canadian distributor for Progressive Compo-nents, a major manufacturer of mold components for injection molds, blow molds and die casting. The team at Progressive continuously strives to be the

leader in supplying the tooling industry. With a founda-tion in the mold business, they feel a responsibility in providing continued excellence. Progressive is a family business, run by brothers Glenn and Don Starkey. The product line and business values are both a great fit with AceTRONIC.

All of the products and services offered by AceTRONIC are aimed at the same market niche. “We don’t want to be a jack of all trades and master of none. We will never be a catalogue store. We only bring on lines that complement our core skills,” says Kim.

The newest product line will be water manifolds, to be manufactured in North America for AceTRONIC.

There’s also growth in physical space and equipment. The company recently took on an additional 1,800 sq ft unit in their industrial building to use for warehousing. They’ve also installed more machinery to automate the cable assembly process so they can respond quickly to customer requests.

Kim is understandably proud of her company, and grateful for the help they’ve received along the way: Thank you to all our friends in the industry — our loyal customers, partners and business associates — we couldn’t have done it without you.”

Kim Thiara, President and John Thiara, Operations Manager, at AceTRONIC’s booth at this year’s Plast-Ex show.

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H ow good a time is it to be a North American automotive parts

supplier in 2013? Not quite on par with being a water bucket vendor during the Great Fire of London in 1666, maybe, but close. How about being a Canadian auto parts supplier? This is where it gets iffy.

As the world slowly pulls out of the worst recession since the 1930s, global light vehicle assembly is expected to reach 81 million units in 2013, an increase of 2.3 per cent compared to 2012, according to Autofacts, the automotive analyst group of PwC. Autofacts forecasts annual global light vehicle assembly to reach a whopping 101 million by 2017.

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North America and Developing Asia-Pacific markets are driving most of the growth, but dig a little deeper into other data, and talk to other sources, and you’ll uncover a num-ber of mixed signals at more regional levels — Canada, for example. In fact, it’s no great exaggeration to describe the situation, from the Canadian point of view, as shaping up to be one of those epic good news/bad news deals.

ON FIRELet’s start with the good stuff. According to Toronto-based auto analyst Dennis DesRosiers, new vehicle sales in North America should return to previous peak levels by 2016 — possibly even 2015 — and should reach new record high levels the entire second half of the decade. As DesRosiers told a Canadian Association of Mold Makers gathering in May, the industry is currently “on fire”: two of the Big Three automakers are running at more than 100 per cent capacity — meaning they’re using a lot of overtime — and the third is close to capacity. And it’s not all about unit growth; the industry is poised to pick up business from OEMs desperate to cut vehicle weight to improve fuel economy. “Before the auto slowdown in 2009, the North American auto industry launched about 40 all-new vehicle models each year,” DesRosiers said. “This year, it will introduce 74. And for the next five years, auto industry watchers expect about 70 new vehicles each year — and not just refreshed models, but all-new models.”

DesRosiers forecast annual vehicle sales of approxi-mately 19 million in North America by 2015, which is a higher estimate than that of others. “There’s no doubt that capacity is being added in North America, and we believe that the next decade will see a return to 2002-levels of production — very healthy, but not necessarily historic,” said Bill Wardle, global vice president of sales and mar-keting for Magna Exteriors and Interiors. Wardle said that Magna, based on industry sources, expects 2015 light vehicle production volumes of about 16.7 million units in North America and 12.8 million units in Western Europe. The U.S.-based Center for Automotive Research, mean-while, places the annual light vehicle sales rate for 2013 at 15.4 million in the U.S. alone, climbing steadily to 15.9 million in 2016 and 16 million in 2017.

Whatever the precise numbers, no one denies that a big recovery is underway. But how much is due to satisfying the proverbial post-recession pent-up demand? Maybe a lot, some say. “The average age of the fleet has gotten sig-nificantly older over the past few years, there’s greater pressure to replace these vehicles, and we’re returning to an economic situation — low interest rates and significant improvements in fuel economy — in which it’s viable to do so,” said Steve Rodgers, president and CEO of the Automo-tive Parts Manufacturers Association. “And even if a vehi-cle isn’t particularly old, new connected car features, such as parking apps and foot operated tailgates, gives the con-


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sumer the incentive to buy a new model, especially given rising used car prices.”

BIG CHILLSOkay then, what are the downsides? First, there’s always the possibility that the sales projections just won’t hold. In spite of expectations, for example, light vehicle sales actually fell three per cent in Canada in the first two months of 2013 after hitting the second-highest level on record in 2012. Nor is there much impetus for Canadian sales to grow this year and next, according to Toronto Dominion Bank economist Dina Ignjatovic. “Lacklustre employment growth, a softening in the housing market, and high consumer indebtedness is expected to constrain light vehicle demand over the next two years,” she said. More-over, the fall in Canadian sales in February was broad-based: Honda Canada Inc., Kia Canada Inc., and Toyota Canada Inc. all reported double-digit declines, while Gen-eral Motors of Canada Ltd.’s sales fell by a more modest two per cent.

And if the forecasts don’t hold, put at least part of the blame on what some are describing as an exaggeration of pent-up consumer demand. Fact is, while it’s true that consumers — young people in particu-lar — want to buy new cars, they might not be able to afford to in a subpar recovery in which job creation has remained modest at best. Take the so-called miillennials — those born after 1980. According to Anthony Pratt, director of forecasting for Michigan-based automotive research firm R.L. Polk and Company, North American millennials have seen a 44.2 per cent decline in their net worth between 2001 and 2010, with their income plummeting an average of six per cent and student loan balances growing by a whopping 91 per cent. “Many young consumers are discour-aged by the high cost of owning a vehicle, and those under 30 also are getting driver’s licenses at a lower rate,” Pratt said. “For those aged 16 to 19, insurance costs almost $3,000, or 15.5 per cent of this group’s median wage.”

A rise or fall in consumer demand doesn’t just happen, of course. Consumer confidence — and the auto industry along with it — rests in large part on the shoul-

ders of the U.S. economy; and no one knows if the American Atlas will slip, shrug, or sneeze anytime soon. “My big-gest concern going forward is the health of the U.S. economy, which is still the global engine of growth, especially for North America,” said Gord Maidment, director of global marketing for Mississauga, Ont.-based vehicle parts molder Woodbridge Group. “Other factors beyond our control that could have large, negative effects on our industry include natural disasters, like the 2011 Japanese tsunami.”

SOUTHERN DISCOMFORTAnd there’s one last trouble spot on the horizon. However hot the North American auto industry gets in the next decade, not all Canadian auto parts suppliers are going to feel the warmth, as vehicle manufactur-ing continues it steady shift south.

“Despite the strong overall auto recov-ery, the 17 million units we may have in 2015 will be substantially different, from a Canadian perspective, than the 17 million units we had in 2000,” said Steve Rodgers. “In 2000, NAFTA accounted for 30 per cent of global production; by 2016, that will be less than 20 per cent. In 2000, only 25 per cent of vehicles were produced south of the Ohio state border; in 2016, 50 per cent of those vehicles will be produced south of that border.”

Examples aren’t hard to find. General Motors recently announced plans to spend US$350 million to support new vehicle production at its Spring Hill, Tenn. assem-bly plant, an increase of US$167 million more than originally planned. And as of next year, Mercedes will start its popular C-Class sedan production at its plant in Vance, Ala. The C-Class will be the fourth model to roll off the Vance assembly lines, and Mercedes recently announced it would add a fifth, still unnamed model to its Vance production in 2015. “This is a sig-nificant development because, even though production is coming back to North Amer-ica, some small and midsize Canadians parts makers are being shut out of the global platforms,” Rodgers said. “Our share of NAFTA production hit a peak in 2009, because we had a more stable bank-ing system during the recession and better


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THE EUROPEAN UNIONWhile assembly was expected to recover in 2013, industry analyst Autofacts is forecasting a year-over-year drop of four per cent to approximately 15.3 million units in EU assembly. The long awaited rebound is now not expected until early 2014 at the earliest, as Autofacts sees decrease in light vehicle assembly drop (-500k) in the first half of 2013. New vehicle demand fell by 4.7 per cent in June, and 8.1 per cent year-to-date, while the light commercial vehicle sector continues to decline, with registrations down 7.3 per cent in May and 6.2 per cent for the first five months of the year.

NORTH AMERICAWhile the world waits for the recovery of the EU, North American sales and assembly increased through the first half of 2013, contributing 13.4 per cent to global growth. The region is forecasted to contribute approximately 770 thousand units to the global top-line growth in 2013. One regional manufacturing trend sparking interest is the “three-crew” or “3-2-120” shift pattern (in which three crews work two shifts at 10 hours for six days a week) being implemented at select Big Three plants to help meet the excess demand, which allows for increased assembly utilization.

DEVELOPING ASIA-PACIFICLight vehicle sales showed strong growth in 2013 com-pared to 2012, with Developing Asia-Pacific delivering an increase of 2.24 million units. Particularly notable are SUVs and MPVs, up 45.1 per cent and 26.8 per cent, respectively, compared to last year. Although 2013 started off well for vehicle assembly, Autofacts is forecasting a modest 9.7 per cent growth in assembly for the full-year, and jumping to 13.2 per cent in 2014, despite global eco-nomic climate constraints.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT GROWTHR&D continues to grow as the industry approaches a new era of innovation and collaboration. Hybrid, elec-tric, and fuel cell vehicle production accounted for roughly 2.8 per cent of global light vehicle assembly in 2012. This is expected to increase to approximately five per cent by 2017, as industry collaboration drives costs down and performance metrics are simultaneously improved. The development and integration of new tech-nology into vehicles to improve safety, fuel efficiency (to meet CAFE standards), communications, and infotain-ment continues to accelerate.

Source: Autofacts

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economic fundamentals. But in every year since 2009, our share in NAFTA production has declined, and we believe this will continue until at least 2020.”

All of which isn’t to paint too bleak a picture; as Rodgers points out, most Canadian automotive suppliers are cur-rently running at flat out production. And for those that don’t have the capability to offer a global platform, estab-lishing a foreign partnership is the quickest way to do so — and it’s not too late. “Mexico is projected to add one

million units of new production capacity by 2018, for exam-ple, and there are partnerships available now because there aren’t enough suppliers in Mexico to meet that demand,” Rodgers said.

So the resurgence will pose challenges for Canadian automotive suppliers, in particular small and midsize mold-ers. Are you ready? You’d better be, because the auto indus-try is hot and competitors in weaker global markets will be moving in to cook up some business. CPL

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T here’s probably never a bad time to expand, but there are certain times when it feels just a little more excit-

ing. Expanding after having survived the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression definitely qualifies — kind of like Muhammad Ali coming back to flat-ten George Foreman after weathering some tough rounds in the famous Rum-ble in the Jungle.

Alpha Poly Packaging Solutions doesn’t box, but the family-run, Bramp-ton, Ont.-based company is as skilled in its field as the former Cassius Clay was in his. A leading Canadian manufacturer of polyethylene bags, Alpha Poly also offers flexographic printing and in-house design capabilities along with converting and laminating, and produces printed roll stock, stock printed bags, resealable zipper bags, boutique bags, food packaging, pouches, and lawn and garden bags. It buys polyethylene, PET, and oriented polypropylene films for

conversion, and processes up to 100,000 pounds of film per week.

It’s a long checklist of activities, to which the company recently added another: a $3.5 million expansion, under-way since March 2013. The investment includes the addition of a 20,000-square-foot warehouse — freeing up more of its 30,000 square feet for manufacturing and office renovation — and a slew of new equipment purchases to support expanding business. The firm ordered a Miraflex AM 8 flexographic press from Lincoln, R.I.-based Windmoeller & Hoelscher Corporation (W&H) — giv-ing it a total of two flexographic printing presses — and is also adding a new lami-nator from Nordmeccanica SpA of Pia-cenza, Italy, and a slitter from Deacro Industries Ltd. of Mississauga, Ont.

It’s all in keeping with the company’s philosophy of reinvesting in itself to ensure state-of-the-art equipment and technology, and improved productivity.

Patrick Kerrigan, Alpha Poly’s general manager, put it in a nutshell: “We always say that if you’re not moving forwards, you’re moving backwards.” It’s an adage voiced by umpteen other manufacturers, for sure. But here’s the thing: Alpha Poly is actually living it.

UP FROM INDUSTRIAL BAGSAlpha Poly was established in 1989 by the Kerrigan family as Alpha Polybag, a polyethylene bag producer for industrial sectors. “In the early days, we were pri-marily making bags for a small cus-tomer base, but we always looked ahead,” Patrick Kerrigan said. “We branched into food service packaging for grocery stores and commoditized packaging for restaurants, and quickly became a leader in pound food portion-ing bags right across Canada.” The acquisition of KCL Promotional Pack-aging from a U.S. firm in 2000 opened yet another door. “Picking up KCL

After 23-plus years of constant reinvention and reinvestment, is this Ontario-based flexible packaging supplier finally ready to relax? Given that the family-run firm just spent

$3.5 million to expand and buy new capital equipment, we’re guessing not.

Operator Steve Bocca is all smiles manning a Uteco press.A Fen-Tech wicketing machine and Fen-Tech side weld machine.

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CPLSept13 p20-25 PackagingV2.indd 20 13-08-22 10:05 AM

allowed us to double our sales over-night, and was also our introduction to the flexo-printing market,” Kerrigan said. “From there, the jump to running complex, high-end process print jobs, offering in-house design capabilities along with converting and laminating was a natural progression.” Natural enough that the company won a silver award in the Flexible Packaging cate-gory in the 2013 PAC Packaging Com-petition for its graphic design, structural design, and printing of Downey Potato Farm bags (see sidebar on pg. 22).

The company’s product range was sufficiently diverse to keep it busy during the global recession and, paradoxically, it didn’t run into trouble until the eco-nomic recovery was well underway. But it was the good kind of trouble. “We maxed out our existing flexographic press, needed a second, and decided to use that as the impetus for a rebranding, renovation, and expansion,” Kerrigan

said. A first step came early this year when the firm changed its name to Alpha Poly Packaging Solutions.

The renovation/expansion was another. “We added 2,500 square feet of new office space, moved our sales and marketing staff into an open-concept workspace, installed new men’s and women’s employee change rooms, and renovated the cafeteria,” Kerrigan said. “We also added warehousing space, and

removed a series of subdividing walls in the manufacturing section to transform it into a single, wide-open area, offering us better manufacturing flexibility and bet-ter process flow from start to finish.” The extra warehousing space comes in par-ticularly handy for this firm. “We stock over 300 products,” said Kerrigan. “This sets us apart, because we can sell cus-

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1. IMAGINE IT. Just over two years ago, Alpha Poly first approached Trevor Downey, vice president of Shelburne, Ont.-based potato grower and vender Downey Potato Farms, wondering if he might consider using their strong, combination matte-glossy finish LDPE plastic bags to help the product better stand out on grocery shelves.

2. DESIGN IT. Downey was interested, but wasn’t sure what photographic image to apply to the bag. And then lightning struck. While dining at Bistro 77 in Alliston, Ont., Downey discovered that the restaurant used his potatoes on their menu. As part of a partnership agreement formed between the two, imagery of Bistro 77’s owner and chef Jason Klausen would be used on the Alpha Poly bags.

Alpha Poly supplied the photographer, who took a day’s worth of photographs of Chef Klausen posing with his potato-based gourmet creations, and three months later the farm was packing potatoes in the LDPE plastic bags complete with the photographic image Downey wanted.

“Trevor provided the direction and vision for the design of the package, and we put it together for him,” Patrick Kerrigan said. “Our impetus was to combine matte and glossy inks for a high-end look to help differentiate Downey bags from the competi-tion by emphasizing the potato, while at the same time maintaining an organic feel.”

3. MANUFACTURE IT. Alpha Poly uses a Uteco Coral press that it recently upgraded with automated computerized viscosity control to optimize print consistency. Working in line with a Volmpack 12000 six-head vertical filler, a Domino A-Series plus inkjet printer adds lot code data to closure tabs prior to placement onto polybags of potatoes. The polybags also contain cutout coupons for — surprise! — Bistro 77.

Along with the six variants in photographic imagery, Alpha Poly produces two different sizes for Downey Potato Farms — a 1.5-mil thick LDPE polybag for five-pound packs, and a 2.25-mil polybag for 15-pound retail options.

4. BASK IN IT. The final step is probably the easiest: collect one silver award in the Flexible Packaging category of the 2013 PAC Packaging Competition.

tom-made product to distributors all across Can-ada and the U.S. It almost doubles as a second company, and many of our customers of stock items will turn to us for laminated custom work.”

And into this revamped space comes the new equipment. Scheduled for installation in late 2013, the new W&H press is 52 inches wide, and equipped with a Turboclean automatic wash-up system, Easy Set HD for automatic impression setting and 3D plate topography, and Easy Reg S for automatic register setting. W&H claims it can run up to 1,300 feet per minute.

“We’re also moving into the multi-layer mar-ket with the new Nordmeccanica SpA laminator, which allows us to do reverse-printed work — laminating materials together for longer shelf life and the glossy, high-end look that all of our flexi-ble packaging customers want,” Kerrigan said. “Until now, we’ve dealt mostly in low-density polyethylene; we’re opening new doors for our-selves with multi-laminates.”

A midsize company with 50 employees, Alpha Poly works with similarly sized Canadian and American clients, pursuing these jobs while oth-ers in the industry focus on larger customers. And as much as the Kerrigan family likes it that way, there are signs that Alpha Poly is poised on the brink of its biggest change yet, as it eyes further expansion into the U.S. market in its constant pursuit of double-digit growth. “This is a pivotal time in the firm’s history,” Kerrigan said. “We want to add value to the products and services we offer to help coordinate our customers’ packaging under one roof.”

Given Alpha Poly’s Ali-like rise through the packaging ranks, we wouldn’t bet against them. CPL

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market demand for plastics packaging in the coming months.”

So far, so good, but because packaging is such a high-volume, low-margin busi-ness, a gentle tailwind isn’t necessarily enough to ensure that plastics processors will be much more profitable. But there are other market forces that may prove to have a greater impact, and one of them is

the cost of resin. For most packaging pro-cessors, the cost of material is by far the largest portion of their overall manufactur-ing expenses. And according to the report, the outlook is mixed. “The price of resin is very near its all-time high, and it’s reason-able to expect that these prices will be pushed higher as market demand improves,” Wood said. There may be relief

in sight, however. “Historically, resin prices have correlated closely with the price of crude oil, which has been the pre-dominant raw material for resin makers,” Wood said. “But with the industry rapidly switching to natural gas feedstocks, the recent burgeoning of the domestic natural gas industry has resulted in a sharply lower price for gas compared to oil. At some point in the not-too-distant future, this will put downward pressure on resin prices.”

Another factor that will increasingly affect resin prices, the report said, is recy-cling. Recycling rates in both Canada and the U.S. are currently lower than in other industrialized countries, but many corpo-rations — both large and small — are engaged in business and marketing cam-paigns aimed at pushing the rate of con-sumer recycling higher. “Many cities and towns across North America are also actively trying to enhance recycling rates through the use of public awareness cam-paigns, taxes, and outright bans on certain packaging products, and it’s possible that the ultimate result will be a significant decline in resin prices,” Wood said.

A third factor that will have a strong impact on the profitability of plastics pro-cessors is the trend in profits for the food and kindred products industries in the U.S. and Canada. “The latest data from the food industry indicates that total profits are run-ning at all-time highs,” Wood said. “This means that food companies have money to spend on new products, and they will likely do so as soon as they are convinced that consumers are willing to spend more money. This bodes well for the plastics packaging sector.”

A final factor has nothing whatever to do with what Canada and the U.S. have, but rather with what certain foreign mar-kets don’t have. “Under-developed econo-mies in Latin America, South America, and parts of Asia that lack the infrastruc-ture to support high volumes of transporta-tion or refrigeration will emerge as large markets for technologically advanced packaging products such as multi-layer films and bottles,” Wood said.

If the forecast holds true, North Ameri-can plastics packagers might find them-selves in that most unusual of situations: happy that nothing much is going to change. CPL

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H ow big an event is the triennial K Trade Fair in Düsseldorf, Germany? The-Beatles-on-the-Ed-Sullivan-show big.

This year’s edition, running from October 16 to 23, 2013, is unlikely to disappoint, as hundreds of equipment and material sup-pliers from around the globe will gather to show off their latest and greatest offerings. But a handful of exhibitors pulled the cur-tains back early at a three-day, invitation-only preview in Düsseldorf in June. Cana-dian Plastics attended so you didn’t have to. Here’s some of what we saw.

INJECTION MOLDINGHigher speeds and more integrated func-tions seem to be the order of the day for many new injection molding develop-ments, and will definitely be major empha-ses of exhibits by Engel Austria. The com-pany’s new e-speed 650 is a 650 tonne hybrid with an electric toggle clamp and screw drive and hydraulic injection, designed for injection speeds to 1,000 mm

per second and less than 2.5 seconds clamp dry cycle, all of which allows for overall cycles of less than four seconds. The sys-tem uses less energy and lower connected loads, generates less waste heat, and reduces power peaks that would result from high clamping forces applied in short cycles, Engel said. Also new from Engel is the e-motion 30 TL all-electric tiebarless press of 30 tonnes. Aimed at optical and electronic parts, it’s designed for maxi-mum precision and energy efficiency, with low machine weight and compact foot-print, plus dry cycles well under one sec-ond. Injection speed is up to 800 mm per second (at 3,200 bar pressure), Engel said. The frame is designed for very high platen parallelism and uniform distribution of clamp force, the compact clamp has a sealed toggle lever, and the servo-electric ejector and mold height adjustment are integrated into the moving platen.

Arburg Inc. will display more than ten exhibits on its stand at K this year, includ-

ing the electric Allrounder 820 A, which will make its world premiere. Both the 4,000 kN toggle-type clamping unit and the size 2100 electric injection unit have been developed for this machine. Arburg said that with these developments, the gap between 3,200 and 5,000 kN in the electric clamping unit range has been closed. The same applies to the hybrid Hi drive range, Arburg said, for which

this new toggle size will also be available in future. Arburg will also be teaming up with fpt Robotik to present long-fibre direct injection molding, in which glass fibres at 50 mm in length can be added directly to the liquid melt, where they are homoge-neously distributed; the fibre length, fibre content, and material combination can all be adjusted. The process will be demon-strated on an energy-optimised hydraulic Allrounder 820 S with servo-hydraulic drive. Through the overmolding of continu-ous-fibre reinforced thermoplastic inserts, high-strength, resilient composite parts are created, Arburg said, which weigh less than 300 grams at a length exceeding 500 mm. The continuous fibres — generally glass, carbon, and aramide in woven and non-woven forms — determine mechanical properties such as strength and rigidity.

China-based injection giant Haitian International will roll out a slew of tech-nology, including the Venus II series, now available in four new clamping forces up to 550 tonnes; and the Jupiter II series of two-platen machines, with the world pre-mier of the 550 tonne size. In all, Haitian will mold parts on four live exhibits. A high-speed version of the Venus II will mold coffee stir sticks on a 24-cavity mold at a cycle time of 2.9 seconds. The Jupiter II will turn out engine covers on a two-cavity mold every 43 seconds. The drive system has a direct connection between the servo motor and the gear pump, Haitian said, to regulate rotational speed and extremely fast response times.

2013Technology Preview:

What’s New, Now

Engel’s e-motion all-electric tiebarless press.Photo Credit: Engel Austria

K 2013 preview


CPLSept13 p26-31 KShow.indd 26 13-08-21 10:32 AM

Haitian plans to introduce other smaller tonnage Jupiters in 2014.

EXTRUSIONThe packaging division of battenfeld-cincinnati showcased its high-speed extruder and new “Multi-Touch” roll stack, which can be delivered either as individual components or combined and integrated in complete extrusion lines. In contrast to conventional three-roll roll stacks, the Multi-Touch roll stack oper-ates with a larger number of roll nips, the company said, thereby achieving reliable cooling of the film on both sides. The new roll stack is equipped with a two-roll roll stack for preliminary calibration and three, five or seven rolls for final calibra-tion. The first rolls come with a larger diameter to minimize deflection; the rolls that follow are smaller to ensure the pro-duction of film with low tension and per-fect flatness. Due to continuous roll con-tact, the company said, the film has hardly any orientation and an extremely even thickness profile. In contrast to standard roll stacks, where film tolerance margins of three per cent are common, Multi-Touch achieves an accuracy of ± one per cent. Film can be produced at high line speeds from a wide variety of material, including PS, PET, PP, or EVA and co-extruded products. For the PET industry, meanwhile, battenfeld-cincinnati unveiled its specialized single-screw extruder with an integrated compounding section for outputs between 500 and 1,000 kg per hour. By dispensing with preliminary material drying, the company said, the system uses up to 16 per cent less energy.

Davis-Standard LLC will showcase its dsX technology at K 2013, including the

unveiling of the dsX s-tretch line for cast film, and a new dsX med-tube medical tubing system. According to Andreas Kandt, managing director of

Europe/Middle East for Davis-Standard, the dsX s-tretch pre-

stretch cast film extrusion line is the first in-line pre-stretch system that enables cus-tomers to run thinner films at higher

speeds, allowing stretch film providers to produce consistent, high-quality pre-stretch film. The two-meter wide line has the advantage of a lower footprint, yet allows for growth, Kandt said. The dsX s-tretch system is also available in six months with both five- and seven-layer options. The compact dsX med-tube medi-cal tubing system, meanwhile, is a varia-tion of the company’s standard medical

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tubing system that offers a smaller foot-print for cleanrooms, language-specific control systems, and faster delivery. “A unique eco-extruder arrangement allows for processing materials ranging from PP to fluorinated ethylene PP by changing feedscrews,” Kandt said. “The line includes a melt pump on each extruder for processing thermoplastic polyurethane, nylons, and other medical grade material.”

While most details are going to remain firmly under wraps until show time, the new Evolution extruder line from Reifen-häuser will feature an Energizer screw that “will avoid useless energy input, reduce energy consumption, and lower melt temperature by as much as 20°C without compromising melt quality or out-put,” said managing director Ulrich Reif-enhäuser. The extruders, which will be available in 30 to 150 mm diameters with 30:1 L/D, require virtually no barrel cool-ing. Reifenhäuser has devised a so-called “smart air-management system” that diverts hot air from the extruder to the

hopper to preheat the material. The extrud-ers will also feature new drive technology meant to allow processors more flexibil-ity to select motor type and motor cool-ing method. Reifenhäuser will also debut the Mirex MT polishing stack technol-ogy. The patent-pending unit allows for automatic, digital nip adjustment, even during production runs, eliminating the need for manual, trial and error nip adjustments that require the line be stopped. With no hydraulics, the Mirex MT is suited for cleanrooms, the company said, and will be available in three designs, depending on application, film thickness, and production capacity.

AUTOMATIONFor French robot maker Sepro Robotique, K 2013 will be all about freedom. “We’re going to show potential customers that no matter what their application, no matter where they are located, no matter what

their operating parameters, Sepro has options that can meet their needs,” said company CEO Jean-Michel Ren-audeau. With a product line that’s

almost entirely new since the K 2010 event, the Sepro booth will feature two six-axis articulating-arm robots operating together with three five-axis Cartesian robots — the five-axis 5X line is based on Sepro three-axis beam robots and a two-axis Stäubli servo wrist; and the 6X Visual line of robots combines a Stäubli six-axis articulating robot with an easy-to-use Sepro Visual 3 controller. Also, a Sepro Multi-Inject 20 robot, shown for the first time at K, will operate on a multi-material, in-mold labeling application with a Sumi-tomo press with 210 tonnes of clamping

Sepro’s five-axis 5X robot.

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K 2013 preview



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force, molding ice scrapers with a soft-touch grip. Finally, an s5-15 axial robot will run insert molding on a 60 tonne Arburg press; the robot, to be set up so the horizontal beam runs parallel to the injec-tion unit, will produce a toy car with wheels and metal axles.

MATERIALSSpecialty chemicals company Lanxess will be showcasing a wide range of inorganic pigments for coloring plastics. The Color-therm iron oxide and chrome oxide pig-ments specifically developed for the plas-tics industry, come in yellow, red, brown, black, and green; numerous shades of the individual colors are available. Applica-tions include packaging materials, tubes and connecting elements, cockpits and syn-thetic leather in the automotive industry, plastics in the electronics and electrical industry, synthetic running surfaces on ath-letic tracks, and WPCs. Depending on the grade, the pigments can be heated to tem-peratures of over 300°C without suffering

adverse effects, Lanxess said. And the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has already given the Colortherm pigments the thumbs-up as a raw material for coloring toys and food packaging.

Huntsman Corporation’s new Altiris infrared reflecting pigment is a titanium dioxide-based pigment that preferentially reflects infrared radiation — heat, to you and me — from the sun. When mixed with colored pigments, Huntsman said, the result is higher solar reflectance in a wide range of colorful polymers, includ-ing dark and vibrant shades. What’s the big deal? “Increasing the solar reflectance of polymers can help open up new mar-kets for polymer products, as they become less prone to warping,” said Sean Reid, the company’s business development manager. “This means polymer products could be used in warmer regions of the world where they would have previously been unsuitable.”

Wacker presented two new vibration-damping silicones, the Elastosil R 752/30

and Elastosil R 752/70 grades, offered to make life a little easier for design engi-neers. The silicones cure to form elasto-mers that are significantly less elastic than standard silicone rubber, Wacker said. As a result, they have a strong damp-ing effect on shocks and undesired vibra-tions. At the same time, they possess all the typical properties of silicones, such as heat resistance, low-temperature flexibil-ity, and aging resistance. All told, the two grades — which cure at Shore A hard-nesses of 30 and 70, respectively — are well-suited for making the vibration dampers that are needed in automotive engineering in particular, the company said, and can be processed by conven-tional compression molding and by injec-tion molding.

All of the machines and other technolo-gies outlined above merely scratch — or maybe don’t scratch, depending on the polymer — the surface. Want to dig deeper? These exhibitors, and hundreds more, will be happy to see you at K. CPL

K 2013 preview



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It’s probably the first lesson in Business 101: You build for your future today, not tomorrow. Witt-mann knows that the power for the future comes from today’s innova-tions. That’s why the company has completely revised and extended its project range over the last few years, offering customers ultra-modern, innovative injection molding machines and auxiliary equipment, together with a wealth of other cutting-edge processes to accomplish your tasks — what-ever they might be.

And how do you build a better future for your company? Start by thinking big. Wittmann did just that — literally — at the Compe-tence Days event held at its manu-facturing facility in Kottingbrun, Austria in April, by unveiling the company’s new assembly hall for

large machines. The high-ceilinged hall is dedicated to the assembly of Wittmann’s MacroPower large machine model — now with 1,600 tons of clamping force — and places a total of 17,220 square feet of additional production space at its customers’ disposal. The new production facilities constitute a substantial commitment to be your partner for injection molding machinery ranging from micro machines right up to the Macro-Power, the large machine model which is manufactured in the hall.

The Competence Days event displayed the full range of Witt-mann’s capabilities, beginning with machines from its PowerSeries. On the MicroPower machines exhib-ited, the production of a micro LSR part for medical technology was demonstrated for the first time.

Is packaging your bag? The exhibits from the innovative Eco-Power series, meanwhile, concen-trated mainly on the packaging sector with IML technology and high-precision injection molding.

The highlight on display from the MacroPower series, which is now complete, was the first large Macro-Power E Hybrid machine, featuring the ultimate in precision and dynamics thanks to its all-electric injection unit, and optimal energy efficiency with its servo-hydraulic MacroPower clamping unit.

The proven hydraulic machines from the HM series, the multi-com-ponent machines, integrated pro-duction cells, high-speed applica-tions, and vertical rotary table machines made their marks, as well. A wide range of processes were presented, starting with IML

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CPLSept13 p26-31 KShow.indd 30 13-08-21 12:53 PM

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Planning for your company’s future?applications and including the AIR-MOULD gas injection process, as well as CELLMOULD structured foam technology, variothermic BFMOLD technology, silicone injection molding, and multi-com-ponent technology.

On the automation front, auto-mation and peripheral appliances were shown both on the injection molding machines and as stand-alone solutions. In addition to the robots integrated in the machines, a W818 servo robot and a W821-UHS robot with a dynamic drive and gripper change system were on display — with the W821-UHS high-speed robot laid out for parts removal at extremely high speeds to enable mold opening times of less than one second.

The peripheral appliances on display included TEMPRO temper-ature controllers, Drymax E and Drymax Aton dryers, FEEDMAX material loaders, granulator mod-

els MAS, Minor, Junior, MC34Pri-mus and ML33, and the blenders GRAVIMAX B14 with a lifting device and B34. Wittmann is a leading manufacturer of auxiliary equipment for plastics processing, offering a complete range of cut-ting-edge, energy-efficient tech-nologies to cover all application areas: drying, conveying, blend-ing, tempering, and recycling. Products include integrated mate-rials handling systems with dryers, blenders, vacuum loading sys-tems, rail car unloaders, silos, cen-tral filters, vacuum receivers, tilt tables, and surge hoppers. Witt-mann also offers beside-the-press and central granulators and water products including flow and mold temperature controllers.

In all, visitors to Competence Days saw 17 injection molding machines turning out everything from a hockey stick made by the AIRMOULD process to a bucket

with handle assembled inside the mold to a credit card of poly-lactic acid produced with IML.

The benefit of all this for you, the Canadian customer, is the abil-ity to take advantage of the full range of Wittmann’s technology, and its worldwide best practices, sourced through a local supplier. Trained staff is located at Witt-mann’s Canadian facility to pro-vide engineering, service and sup-port for all of the company’s global product line. Collectively, the peo-ple at Wittmann Canada, and their exclusive agent in Quebec Anplast, have over 325 years of plastics industry experience.

That’s a lot of plastics process-ing history working to help build a better plastics processing future for your company. Rep agencies come and go; Wittmann is here to stay — just like you. Let’s create your future together.

The MacroPower E Hybrid (left); Hockey sticks made by

AIRMOULD process (this page).


CPLSept13 p26-31 KShow.indd 31 13-08-21 12:54 PM

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The business of making toys isn’t exactly fun and games — more like the latest extreme roller coaster ride, complete with white knuckle loops, plummets, and 180-degree turns. Take Montreal-based toy manufacturer Mega Brands Inc.

Four years ago, the company was close to collapse, struggling under the weight of more than $300 million in debt stemming from its 2005 purchase of the Rose Art group of companies. Then, in 2010, it launched a sweeping five-year recapitaliza-tion plan to rebuild the business, in particular its flagship Mega Bloks construction-toy division. The results so far would’ve made Steve Jobs smile. The company capped a strong year in 2012 with soaring North American sales in the fourth quarter

that contributed to a nearly 20-fold growth in net income; the toy maker earned $4 million for the period ended December 31, up from $234,000 a year earlier. Most recently, Mega Brands reported net earnings of $4 million in second quarter 2013 alone, strong results that bring it closer to achieving its goal of delivering $500 million of annual sales by 2014.

It hasn’t been easy and it hasn’t been done alone, but the turnaround promises to do more than replenish the company coffers; in a reversal of the now-familiar migration route, it’s also taking manufacturing from China and returning it home, in the process creating jobs — and possibly changing lives — in Montreal.

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years later, the company began manufacturing this and other prod-ucts in China through a series of subcontractors. The first name change, from Ritvik Toys to Mega Bloks Inc., came in 2002, when the company became publicly traded; the second, to Mega Brands Inc., came in 2006 following the acquisition of several brand names — Rose Art among them — not associated with construc-tion brick toys. By this point, the familiar shift of manufacturing from the home base to overseas had become almost total. “Rose Art had its own factory in Guangdong province, China, and by 2006 we produced 80 per cent of our globally-distributed goods in China and the rest in Montreal,” said Jean-Francois Albert,

vice president of manufacturing with Mega Brands. “An obvious, and unfortunate, result was the gradual reduction of our staff in Montreal between the early 1990s and 2006.”

Cut to 2010. Mega Brands begins implementing its five-year recapitalization plan, which includes a three-year $35 million expansion, $11 million of which comes from interest-free loans from the Quebec provincial and the federal government. “We wanted to accomplish two things with the $35 million investment:

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TOY STORYFounded in 1967 by Victor and Rita Bertrand as Ritvik Toys, the company spent years simply importing toys from the U.S. and Asia into Montreal. The big change came in 1985, when Victor Bertrand invented the Mega Bloks line of stackable plastic brick toys. Five

Final assembly in Montreal.

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modernize our production facility, and bring manufacturing that was being done in China back to Montreal,” Albert said. “The goals were in fact related — we needed new injection molding and counting equipment to make it cost-effective enough to jus-tify reshoring production.” Over the past two years, Albert said, Mega Brands has bought eight new 300 ton Wittmann Battenfeld all-electric machines and related auxiliary equipment, along with injection systems from Mold-Masters Ltd. “The new machines operate 40 per cent faster than our other injection molding units, use 40 per cent less energy, and offer precision molding that saves $1 million in resin per year,” he said. “We now have approximately 80 molding machines in total, and plan on buy-ing another 30 new units in the near future.”

The new automated counting equipment, meanwhile, was developed by Mega Brands in collaboration with a U.S.-based product filling machinery maker. “We mold an average of seven million parts per day in Montreal, in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and colors, making it potentially difficult to obtain the accurate part counts per product bag that our customers require,” Albert said. “Counting machines typically operate by weighing each part; some of our products are too light for that, however, so we worked with the U.S. company to create machines that use a visual system, and each machine can fill up to 150,000 bags per day without miscounting a single part.” As efficient as the mold-ing machines are, the counting machines were perhaps the single

most important component in the company’s reshoring plan. “We were able to come back to Quebec in large part because today’s automated counting equipment made it possible,” Albert said. “We’re also closer to most of our market here, which saves trans-port costs, and much closer to our design centre in Montreal.” Nor do their customers seem to mind. “All else being equal, big box stores like Wal-Mart prefer to buy products that are made in North America,” he added.

MADE IN MONTREALThe 830,000-square-foot Montreal facility currently employs more

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than 1,200 of Mega Brands global workforce of 1,600; in addition to its Montreal and China loca-tions, the company also runs a manufacturing facility in Tennessee. All of which still isn’t enough; Mega Brands also leases an additional 300,000 square feet of factory space in Montreal, and has approached the Quebec pro-vincial and the federal government for up to $50 million in financial support to build a new production facility in the city.

In addition to housing the vast majority of its staff, the Mon-treal plant also cranks out more than half of the company’s global toy production, at least double what it did just a few short years ago. “We plan to continue bringing even more plastic block pro-duction back to Montreal,” Albert said. “The manufacturing of other kinds of plastic parts, however — such as figurines that have to be hand painted — will remain in China.” The company also plans to hire another 150 workers in Montreal, and — given that it’s currently gobbling up market share like a ravenous Pac-Man — these probably can’t start too soon; in the fourth quarter of

2012, Mega Brands outper-formed larger competitors Mattel and Hasbro for the fifth consecutive quarter, its toy sales grew by 21 per cent, North American sales rose by 22 per cent, and interna-tional sales were up seven per cent. “As our business continues to grow, it’s

important to us that any new hires in our manufacturing facility are local residents,” Albert

said. “It’s not always easy to find qualified local workers, so we often have to invest in their training. But it’s worth the effort, because importing employees from China defeats some of the purpose of reshoring to Montreal. We’re proud to have employees from more than 40 countries working in our Montreal plant.”

In the end, while the financial turnaround is nothing to sneeze at, it might just be the success of the reshoring plan that the Mega Brands management is most proud of. “We’ve demonstrated that it’s possible to bring jobs in the plastics industry back to Canada from China, which is something almost no one thought possible a few years ago,” Albert said.

It’s a toy story we should all get a little excited about. CPL

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INJECTION MOLD, PART & PROCESS DESIGNGetting It Right the First TimeLearn how at this two-day workshop.

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To ensure your molds will perform as they should and produce high quality, repeatable parts, your team needs to understand the mold process from the design stages of the part and mold, through production runs and mold transfers. Designers, mold builders, tooling engineers and advanced processors are perfect candidates for this workshop. It is geared towards OEMs and custom or captive injection molders who deal with problematic part designs and the inherent variability of plastic materials.

Workshop topics incLude:part design evaluation • evaluating your machine’s performance capabilities • Mold design (cavity layout, runner design, gate design) • process development at the mold design stage • A team exercise to work through a sample design process october 23 & 24, 2013humber institute of technology & Advanced Learning203 humber college Blvd. (hwy. 27 and Finch Ave. W.)toronto, M9W 5L7

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INJECTION MOLD, PART & PROCESS DESIGNGetting It Right the First TimeLearn how at this two-day workshop.

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To ensure your molds will perform as they should and produce high quality, repeatable parts, your team needs to understand the mold process from the design stages of the part and mold, through production runs and mold transfers. Designers, mold builders, tooling engineers and advanced processors are perfect candidates for this workshop. It is geared towards OEMs and custom or captive injection molders who deal with problematic part designs and the inherent variability of plastic materials.

Workshop topics incLude:part design evaluation • evaluating your machine’s performance capabilities • Mold design (cavity layout, runner design, gate design) • process development at the mold design stage • A team exercise to work through a sample design process october 23 & 24, 2013humber institute of technology & Advanced Learning203 humber college Blvd. (hwy. 27 and Finch Ave. W.)toronto, M9W 5L7

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technology showcase

AUXILIARY EQUIPMENTRevamped purging recovery systemMaguire Products Inc. has streamlined the operation of its Purging Recovery System (PRS), making it possible to increase throughput by up to 20 per cent while also producing finer and more uniform granulate with less dusting.

The enhancements to the PRS system have also increased the efficiency of granulating polystyrene, flexible vinyl, and other polymers that might otherwise melt or degrade under the shear forces of size reduction, causing backup or clumping that can shut down the system.

The knives in the rotor planer are now 40 per cent smaller, while their number has been increased from eight to 12. As a result, the planer produces smaller chips that are more easily and uniformly size-reduced by the second-stage granulator.

The more efficient cutting also yields less dust.Additionally, the cutting chamber of the second-stage

granulator has been redesigned to increase the flow of air generated by a blower. The material in the granulator is therefore cooled more effectively, preventing melting, and is evacuated from the cutting chamber more rapidly.

These enhancements make possible finer granulate, with minimum hole sizes in the screen of the second-stage granu-lator reduced from 0.375 inches (9.52 mm) to 0.250 inches (6.35 mm). In a further improvement, Maguire has replaced the previous one-piece screen with a three-piece screen that’s easier and less expensive to replace.Maguire Canada/Novatec Inc. (Vaughan, Ont.);www.maguirecanada.com; 866-441-8409 Barway Plastic Equipment Inc. (Vaudreuil-Dorian, Que.);

www.barway.ca; 450-455-1396

Controller for the whole polymer drying processThe new DC-T Touch-View control from The Conair Group is designed to provide an easy-to-use inter-face for monitoring and controlling the entire polymer dry-ing process.

The DC-T Touch-View dryer control has a host of convenient features to help plastics processors get more out of their drying system. An eight-inch-diagonal graphical touchscreen interface shows at a glance everything going on in the drying system, and operators can make adjustments with a touch of their fingertip. It shows current and historical temperature data, and includes precise dew-point control.

The DC-T also provides a gateway for control of multi-hopper central drying cells, like the ResinWorks system, which combines multiple hoppers with integral air mani-folds, ducting, and wiring on a sturdy platform for simplified shipping, installation, and operation. Each hopper can be equipped with a Drying Monitor probe that incorporates RTD sensors spaced along its length. The probe measures the temperature at up to six different points in the bed of plastic material, so that a temperature profile can be created to verify that conditions for proper drying are maintained.

Up to 15 hoppers equipped with Conair temperature controls can be linked to the DC-T for monitoring and duplicate control. All settings can be made, viewed, and adjusted at the dryer. Data from individual Drying Monitor probes, including trending graphs, can also be displayed on either the DC-T monitor or anywhere else, through stan-dard Internet connectivity.

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technology showcase

The Conair Group (Cranberry Township, Pa.); www.conairgroup.com; 724-584-5500 Dier International Plastics (Unionville, Ont.);

www.dierinternational.com; 416-219-0509 Industries Laferriere (Mascouche, Que.);

www.industrieslaferriere.ca; 450-477-8880

Automatic, autonomous material handling system

The revamped MetroLink material selection system from Motan Inc. has its own autonomous control system based on Motan’s well-known MetroNet MK control system, and it can therefore be used independently for remote controlled and automatic material supply.

The unit is designed to offer simultaneous con-

veying of a number of different materi-

als, automatic switching in of the material route,

and secure material change free of material inter-contamination through use of automatic process management.

MetroLink is compatible with all sys-tem conveyor equipment, and can be networked with all other network con-trol systems. The operator now has a full-graphic 5.7-inch color touch-panel in his/her view.

A maximum of 15 processing machines with up to 16 different materi-als can be fed per MetroLink tower, and several towers can be operated together. Motan Inc. (Plainwell, Mich.);www.motan.com; 800-991-9921 D Cube (Montreal); www.dcube.ca;

514-272-0500

Rotary valve design reduces material build-upDesigned specifically for sanitary appli-cations including plastics, the Run-Clean series of rotary airlock valves from ACS Valves offers multiple features

that reduce material build-up inside the valve housing. These features include angled surfaces and rounded

edges inside the housing to eliminate dead zones and ensure optimal material f low; factory-applied internal surface coatings, such as tungsten, to prevent surface wear imper-fections where material can build-up; glandless, sleeve-style shaft seals that prevent contaminant migration into the housing; and stainless steel housings cast in North America to ensure superior strength in the composition and solidifi-

FB Balzanelli is a leader in the manufacture of automatic and semi-automatic coilers for large and small pipe. We also supply fully automated systems to handle the coils obtained.The R&D of our company, oriented towards innovation, consolidated a high level of reliability of our coilers by making their integration with IN LINE pipe extrusion a standard application in order to improve plant efficiency for our customers.

Our customers can fully focus on the manufacture of high quality pipe, since they are assured that our coilers will give them a high quality of packaging for a perfect final product presentation.

Whenever the market requires manufacturing on demand, our coilers can be programmed to pack a certain quantity of pipe, just running pre-set recipes, without the need of the operator. This feature ensures consistency in packing without stopping production and maximizing extrusion line output.

To complete the packaging phase, FB Balzanelli has introduced various coils collection systems. The basic consists of conveyor systems installed behind several production lines and managed by dedicated software. The most advanced is a coils offloading, integrated with coils stacking onto pallets. The latter, which represents the completion of production, is becoming a trend among pipe manufacturers. While traditionally an operator had to take care of the collection of the coils coming from the coiler to be moved toward the storage area, today this operation can be fully automated.

The systems manufactured are customizable and can grow according to customer needs.

A simple pick and place arm for coils can be easy integrated with pallet dispensers, stretch wrap station and rollers conveyors for handling. In this way the efficiency of the end of the line is increased by completing the packaging process of the pipe without the intervention of an operator.

In many countries, where labour costs further impact on the finished product, it becomes mandatory to integrate systems for handling and stacking of the coils. FB Balzanelli provides its expertise to find the system that best suits your company’s needs.

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18th Annual Canadian Plastics Resin Outlook ConferenceWednesday October 2, 2013Sheraton Toronto Airport Hotel, Toronto, OntarioHear forecasts from experts on supply, demand and pricing for the major commodity and engineering resins: polyethylene, polypropylene, PVC, styrenics, PET, nylon, polycarbonate, plus biopolymers, and recycled resin.

For more information, contact:Judith Nancekivell, Tel: 416-510-5116, Email: [email protected]

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Resin supply, demand and pricing forecasts

ON TARGET!

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BONUS: Conference registrants may attend, at no extra charge, a half-day workshop on the afternoon of October 1st: Is Your Resin Supply Chain Value Focused? Linking resin supply to your company’s business strategy. Presenter: Bruce Petersen, Chief Procurement Officer, Mathelin Bay

A limited number of sponsorships and tabletop displays are still available.

Organized by Canadian Plastics magazine. Endorsed by the Canadian Plastics Industry Association

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technology showcase

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cation of the housing’s metallurgy. Run-Clean valves are available in 304

or 316 stainless steel, in sizes from six inches to 18 inches, with pressure differ-entials up to 20 PSIG, and temperature tolerance up to 750°F. Rotor configu-rations include closed-end, metering, shallow-pocket, Teflon-coated, and adjustable-tip. Adjustable rotor tips are available in stainless steel, hard-ened steel, or bronze. Interior surface coating options include tungsten and hard chrome.

ACS Valves (Caledonia, Ont.); www.acsvalves.com; 800-655-3447

Matched motor/drive combination packageSiemens Industry Inc. is making available combination motor/drive packages, designed to allow an OEM or end-user the option to select the optimum solution for a variety of heavy-duty industrial motion control applications from

a single source, backed by a full three-year warranty.

Choosing from a predeter-mined list of motor/drive combinations, the cus-tomer simply makes the selection best suited to the application. The motor and drive are packaged on a single pallet, shipped and invoiced together.

The motor and drive com-binations are power-matched for 480V high-overload operation through a 20 hp range, with I2T protection from thermal damage provided as a standard in both the motor and the drive components. The Siemens Intelligent Operator Panel (IOP) is included with these packages, allowing easy step-by-step drive start-up.

Application macros are provided in the Sinamics G120C drive for easy installation and wiring; the terminals are pre-assigned at the factory, and the parameters are auto-matically set. The SIMOTICS SD100 motors are rugged cast-iron with inverter duty ratings in a 4:1 speed range for

18th Annual Canadian Plastics Resin Outlook ConferenceWednesday October 2, 2013Sheraton Toronto Airport Hotel, Toronto, OntarioHear forecasts from experts on supply, demand and pricing for the major commodity and engineering resins: polyethylene, polypropylene, PVC, styrenics, PET, nylon, polycarbonate, plus biopolymers, and recycled resin.

For more information, contact:Judith Nancekivell, Tel: 416-510-5116, Email: [email protected]

www.canplastics.com/Conference/

Resin supply, demand and pricing forecasts

ON TARGET!

Since resin accounts for up to two-thirds of your manufacturing cost,

you can’t afford to miss the mark. Get the information you need by attending the

BONUS: Conference registrants may attend, at no extra charge, a half-day workshop on the afternoon of October 1st: Is Your Resin Supply Chain Value Focused? Linking resin supply to your company’s business strategy. Presenter: Bruce Petersen, Chief Procurement Officer, Mathelin Bay

A limited number of sponsorships and tabletop displays are still available.

Organized by Canadian Plastics magazine. Endorsed by the Canadian Plastics Industry Association

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“Earning your trust one stripe at a time.”

Conference Registration Fee: $549 + HST. Second and subsequent attendees from the same company receive a 50% discount.



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technology showcase

constant torque, and 20:1 speed range for variable torque. Simotics SD100 units are severe-duty TEFC motors that meet NEMA Premium efficiency.Siemens Canada Limited, Drive Technologies Div. (Burlington, Ont.);www.siemens.com/eip; 800-879-8079, ext. Marketing Communications

Bulk bag discharging system speeds cleaning, simplifies inspectionNational Bulk Equipment Inc.’s bulk bag unloader systems, designed and built specif-ically for food and pharmaceutical process-

ing and packaging operations, help ensure compliance with domestic and international sanitary standards.

Application-specif ic construc-tion, including 304-2b stainless steel

framework, with continuous weld seams ground to a No. 4 finish, enables CIP sanitizing. Tool-less component disas-sembly speeds cleaning and simplifies inspection. 32 Ra component surface

finishes and food-grade non-metal components provide excellent material release and resistance to corrosive foods, pharmaceuticals, and cleaning chemicals. These NBE sanitary bulk bag unloader systems also support process practice protocols where 3-A Accepted Practices or other cGMPs are necessary.

NBE bulk bag unloader systems leverage integrated auto-mation to optimize uptime availability within food and pharmaceutical processing and packaging operations. NBE system-wide process control, communication, sensing, moni-toring, and reporting are centralized to a single, menu-driven, touchscreen HMI. High-speed Ethernet communica-tions deliver information to UL-listed panels designed and built by NBE. NBE custom panel configurations include UL 508A, Class I and II, Divisions 1 and 2, Groups A – D, F and G, and NEMA 12 enclosures with Type X purge.National Bulk Equipment Inc. (Holland, Mich.);www.nbe-inc.com; 616.399.2220

INJECTION MOLDINGCompact, large-scale machine completes the lineWith the new MacroPower 1500 model from Wittmann Bat-

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Delivering Quality Products for your HVAC Needs

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tenfeld, the company has extended its portfolio of Macro-Power large-scale machines to six sizes, ranging from 400 to 1,600 tons in clamping force, and completed the line as currently planned.

The MacroPower 1500 is especially notable for its space-saving design and the possibility of lateral mold insertion, factors which play a vital part in machinery of this size. The 1,600 mm by 1,250 mm diagonal distance between tiebars offers ample space for mold insertion. Modular mold height dimensions and opening strokes enable optimized configu-ration of the MacroPower machines to suit each application.

The model comes equipped with ServoPower technology, and features maximum energy efficiency and user benefit. The additional savings in cooling water consumption, as well as extremely quiet running of the machine, are further

benefits for the environment and the machine operators.Wittmann Canada (Richmond Hill, Ont.);www.wittmann-canada.com; 866-466-8266

Micro molding machine for mass production New from MHS - Mold Hotrunner Solutions, the M3 is a dedicated micro injection molding machine capable of pro-ducing high-volume, precision runnerless plastic parts in a 32-cavity cycle.

Optimized for clean-room operation, and well-suited for medical devices and components, the M3 operates using four com-pact and cost-effective modular inserts, each containing eight micro cavities, completely doing away with the traditional injection mold structure. It simplifies the mold design and speeds up the


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technology showcase

transition from prototype molding to mass production, since all processing parameters and conditions are identical in both. No additional validation is required.

With a magnetic clamp force of four tons, the tiebar-less M3 can produce 32 plastic parts with shot weights of under 10 milligrams every five seconds, translating into an annual production of over 150 million micro parts in a single machine. Additionally, the machine can inject eight different part designs with each cycle.

The unit comes fully equipped with onboard automa-

tion. Quality control is powered by an integrated vision system that inspects each part and cavity during the take-off cycle. These checks occur simultaneously in less than one second between shots. MHS — Mold Hotrunner Solutions; (Georgetown, Ont.);www.moldhotrunnersolutions.com; 905-873-1954

Next-generation IML pilot cellStackTeck Inc. has introduced the next generation of its in-mold labeling (IML) pilot cell.

As with pre-vious genera-tions of IML pilot cells, the third generation cell began using a u t o m a t i o n equipment from ABB Robotics and CBW Automation. Since the demand for IML pro-totyping has been continuous and growing, StackTeck has purchased the automation as a permanent asset that will maintain the cell availability for customers on an ongoing basis.

The main value of the IML pilot cell is that it mini-mizes the cost of prototyping IML parts. A molder needs only to purchase molding surface components, a mandrel, and a magazine that are needed for a particu-lar part. The rest of the hardware is already in place at StackTeck, including single-cavity mold bases that are suitable for most packaging applications.

The current IML pilot cell is running with a 330T Husky test machine — it’s a flexible set-up, however, that can be moved to other machines when required. The system is equipped to run a single-cavity mold, with automated handling of pre-cut labels, as well as part demolding and stacking automation.

For new product launches, the pilot cell allows for an

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technology showcase

early pre-launch simulation of how the production system will run at a later time. The current IML pilot cell is a ded-icated single-cavity molding system, including automation for label insertion, part removal, and stacking.StackTeck Inc. (Brampton, Ont.); www.stackteck.com; 416-749-1698

EXTRUSIONRedesigned co-extrusion die for greater versatility

Plastic film and sheet extrusion sys-tems supplier Macro Engineering & Technology Inc. has redesigned its CenterPack co-extrusion die for blown film systems to improve pro-cessing versatility and minimize residence time.

The redesign has improved the die’s layer ratio range by more than 25 per cent (from 3:1 to 4:1),

while reducing residence and purg-ing time by between 40 per cent and 50

per cent. With these upgrades, the new CenterPack die is now capable of processing both blown and cast film grade resins without any interlayer clarity issues.

Available to process film structures up to nine layers and in die diameters up to two meters, the newly redesigned CenterPack die provides superior film quality for Nylon 6, EVOH, PP, PETG, plastomers, LLDP for laminating and thermoforming applications. The die is a stackable design using a center-fed system that ensures minimum resi-dence time, fast purging, and delivers flat film with gauge better than ± five per cent (2-sigma).Macro Engineering & Technology Inc. (Mississauga, Ont.);www.macroeng.com; 905-507-9000

Improved extrusion welders Two new extensions of Leister Technolo-gies AG’s WeldPlast line of extrusion welders are available from Stanmech Technologies Inc.

The WeldPlast S4 GEO accepts both

four mm and five mm welding rods, and has a preheating nozzle located to the side of the welding shoe. It was designed specifically for plastic fabrica-tion jobs.

The WeldPlast S4 is compact and ergonomically designed for geo-membrane welding applications. The multi-functional display includes maintenance notifications, time meters, and pre-set temperature/air flow programs for ease of use. The powerful drive system produces an output of up to 3.8 kg per hour, depending on material/conditions.Stanmech Technologies Inc. (Burlington, Ont.); www.stanmech.com; 888-438-6324

New range of extrusion plastometersNew from Zwick/Roell, the Zwick Xflow series of extrusion plastometers are meant to offer raw material producers a suite of reliable tools to certify flow properties for their cus-tomers, and to enhance testing efficiency.


http://www.stackteck.com

http://www.macroeng.com

http://www.stanmech.com

http://www.pcs-company.com



technology showcase

advertising index

Get free information from the companies that interest you most. Contact the company directly using the telephone number,

e-mail address or web site listed above.

plastics data file

Wittmann InnovationsInnovations — Wittmann’s quarterly newsletter — offers plastics proces-sors detailed insight into ways to improve their businesses with news and application stories covering Ro-bots and Automation, IML, Injection Molding Machinery, Material Con-veying, Drying and Blending, Gran-ulation and Temperature Control. It is available in print and on-line.Wittmann Canada Inc.,35 Leek CrescentRichmond Hill, ON L4B 4C2Tel: 1-888-466-8266www.wittmann-canada.com

classified ads

MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT

To place your classified ad here, contact: Greg Paliouras, Associate Publisher at 416-510-5124 or [email protected]

Advertiser Page Website Advertiser Page Website

MATERIALS

The Aflow system (pictured) offers advan-tages in time savings and optimization of lab resources. Push-button cleaning and defined pre-compacting routines free operators to address other tasks, while the sys-tem’s automatic parame-ter control feature selects the test parameters and thereby minimizes mea-surement errors. Time-saving multi-stage tests

AceTRONIC 12-13 www.acetronic.comArburg back cover www.arburg.usAthena Automation Ltd. 27 www.athenaautomation.comAuxiplast Inc. 34 www.auxiplast.comBasics of Injection Molding seminar 25 www.canplastics.comBerg Chilling Systems Inc. 29 www.berg-group.comBohler Uddeholm 16 www.bucanada.caCanadian Plastics CanPlastics TV videos 41 www.canplastics.com

Canadian Plastics Resin Outlook Conference 40 www.canplastics.com/

conferenceChillers Inc. 17 www.chillersinc.comCimatron Group 48 www.cimatron.comCompact Mould 21 www.compactmould.comConair 3,5,7,9 www.conairgroup.comCPA Canada 42 www.channelpa.comDME 19 www.dme.netDieffenbacher 15 www.dieffenbacher.comDynaPurge 44 www.dynapurge.comDynisco 34 www.dynisco.comEngel Canada Inc. 2 www.engelglobal.com/na

FB Balzanelli 39 www.-fb-balzanelli.itFEPAC 47 www.fepac.caGamma Meccanica 44 www.irecyclingsolutions.comGordon R. Williams Corp. 43 www.williamshvac.comHaremar Plastic Manufacturing Ltd. 24 www.haremar.comIMS 36 www.imscompany.comIngenia Polymers Corp. 28 www.ingeniapolymers.comInjection Mold, Part & Process Design seminar 37 www.canplastics.com

JEC Americas 35 www.jeccomposites.comK 2013 Show Travel 49 www.lmtravel.ca/k2013.pdfLeister AG 36 www.leisterusa.comMaruka Toyo 8 www.marukausa.comMetelix 38 www.metelixproducts.comNGR – Next Generation Recycling 23 www.ngr.atNovatec 33 www.novatec.comPCS Company 45 www.pcs-company.comPlastic Process Equipment, Inc. 51 www.ppe.comProcess Heaters Inc. 34 www.processheaters.caUltraPurge 48 www.ultrapurge.comWittmann Canada Inc. 30-31,41 www.wittmann-canada.com





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technology showcase

TAKING OUR ECORESPONSIBILITIES!

Making a commitment. Acting on it.

Through its new national certification program, FEPAC and the plastics

industry are playing a leading role in SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.

North American manufacturers are reducing their carbon footprint

and improving the global value chain. Under the new sustainable

development framework, ECOLEADERS are enthusiastically

supporting ECOPERFORMANCE, the model for the future…

WE ALL PROFIT FROM ECORESPONSIBILITY! Become an ECOLEADER now, visit www.ecoresponsible.net

according to ASTM D1238, Method D are also possible with a single barrel filling. The Aflow system is well-suited for large volume compounders and raw material processors that must maintain a rapid pace of testing without sacrificing accuracy.

The Mflow system offers flexibility, as it may be fitted with extrudate cutters, a displacement transducer for MVR measurement, and a weight-lifting unit. The Mflow system supports quality control programs for compounders, proces-sors, and smaller volume raw material producers.

Finally, the Cflow system has a compact footprint, and is designed for standard quality control routines. Accuracy in measurement is supported by precise temperature control, and convenience in testing is made possible by the option of a manual of automated extrudate cutter.Zwick/Roell USA (Kennesaw, Ga.); www.zwick.com; 770-420-6555

ROBOTS & AUTOMATIONUpgrade for expanded, faster performance ABB Robotics has increased the top payload of the IRB 1600

— one of the most popular models in the ABB port-folio, used in a variety of appli-cations including machine tending, material han-dling, arc welding and cutting — from eight kg to 10 kg, expanding the performance by allowing the robot to handle larger parts and end-of-arm-tools.

The increased payload is available in both the 1.2 m and 1.45 m reach variants, and will also allow the robot to achieve up to 50 per cent better cycle times than competi-tor robots of the same class.

ABB’s patented, second generation QuickMove motion control technology and low friction spur gears allow the IRB 1600 to speed up and slow down faster than other robots, saving time while moving between tasks and improving cycle time. ABB’s second generation TrueMove technology


http://www.ecoresponsible.net

http://www.zwick.com


technology showcase

assures that the robot will maintain the same path at all speeds, eliminating the corner-cut paths that most robots default to at high speeds.

The upgrade enhances the IRB 1600’s other advantages, such as solid protection for use in harsh environments (IP 67 and Foundry Plus 2), and the ability to be inverted or side-mounted on a shelf, a wall, or other existing structures. The compact 1.2 meter reach variant makes the robot more dex-terous in confined spaces for improved reach and flexibility.

The IRB 1600 is also more energy-efficient, and produces lower noise levels than comparable modelsABB Robotics Canada (Brampton, Ont.); www.abb.ca; 905-460-3000

MOLD COMPONENTSHot runner for optimized flow control

New from Synventive Molding Solutions, the SynFlow two-speed sequential valve gating hot runner technol-ogy is designed to provide molders with optimized plas-tic f low control, and solves common surface defect problems on large parts such as automotive bumpers and instrument panels.

The initial opening speed of the valve pin is reduced to prevent an explosive rush of pressurized plastic. The valve pin then opens for the remainder of its stroke at maximum speed to appropriately fill the part. This two-speed process enables a smoother fill, reducing hesitations and sharp velocity changes, resulting in cleaner parts with superior surface quality and improved process efficiency.

This unique, two-speed technology is said to be an industry first, and can be used to eliminate surface defects on large molded parts, including pressure alteration marks, opposite direct gating marks, sink marks after coating, and reduced adhesion of finishes

WHY USE THIS MUCH OF PURGING COMPOUND...

WHEN YOU CAN USE MUCHLESS WITH ULTRA PURGE?

ULTRA PURGE CUSTOMERS TYPICALLY USE 2-3 TIMES LESS MATERIAL COMPARED TO OTHER PURGING COMPOUNDS

714.708.2663www.ultrapurge.com

REQUEST A FREE SAMPLE


http://www.abb.ca

http://www.ultrapurge.com

http://www.bettermoldmaking.com


technology showcase

Canadian Plastics and Plastiques et moules is once again partnering with FEPAC and Carlson Wagonlit Travel to offer a group package to the K show from October 15 to 22.

WE TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING! 4 STAR+ LODGING in Cologne for 6 nights (Marriott) DIRECT FLIGHTS from Toronto/Montréal on Air Canada 4 DAY PASS TO K + EXHIBITORS’ CATALOGUE Daily BUFFET BREAKFAST – 2 NETWORKING DINNERS 1st CLASS TRAINS for travel between Cologne and Dusseldorf 2 EVENINGS IN DUSSELDORF (including private shuttle service) PROFESSIONAL ON-SITE ASSISTANCE PRIVATE TRANSFERS TO/FROM Frankfurt airport NAME CHANGES permitted up to 48 hours prior to departure Excellent opportunity to COMBINE BUSINESS AND LEISURE

All this for only $3,650.00 (per person, dbl. occ./all taxes incl.)

For details and a registration form, visit www.lmtravel.ca/k2013.pdf

or call toll-free 1-888-378-7208

Be part of THE CANADIAN DELEGATION going to the K 2013 SHOW and SAVE!

LM Travel / CWT is a Quebec permit holder.

Each Synventive SynFlow system includes a hydraulic valve gate hot runner system with 12 mm, 16 mm, or 22 mm diameter nozzles and actuators with position sensors; and the SynFlow flow control package including control valves, sig-nal lines for both valve control and position sensors, control unit for up to eight control zones, and hydraulic valve block.Synventive Molding Solutions Canada Inc. (Toronto);www.synventive.com; 416-428-4693

MATERIALSHigh-purity TPVs for medical apps don’t require dryingTeknor Apex Company has developed two new high-hardness grades in its Medalist MD-200 series of thermoplastic vul-canizate (TPV) elastomers, extending the already broad durometer range of these resilient, high-purity compounds for replacing rubber in medical applications.

Previously ranging in Shore A durometer from an ultra-soft 15 to a semi-hard 80, the Medalist MD-200 Series now includes an 87 Shore A compound, MD-240; and a 43 Shore D grade, MD-245. The 43 Shore D durometer is roughly equivalent to a Shore A hardness of 93.

Among the benefits of the TPV technol-ogy developed by Teknor Apex for the MD-200 series are the elimination of the need for pre-drying, since all grades are non-hyg ro s c op i c , and have a light, natural color that permits efficient use of colorants.

The new compounds can be extruded, injection molded, and blow molded. Suggested applications include peristaltic tubes, collection and drainage tubes, stoppers for vials, caps and plugs, seals and gaskets, device handles, ergonomic soft grips, valves, and diaphragms.

The rubber-like properties of Medalist MD-240 and MD-245 include low long-term compression set, high fatigue resistance, prolonged flex life, stability at high temperatures, abrasion resistance, and long-term sealability.Teknor Apex Company (Pawtucket, R.I.);www.teknorapex.com; 800-556-3864


http://www.lmtravel.ca/k2013.pdf

http://www.synventive.com

http://www.teknorapex.com

technical tips


Determining maximum mold cycle countsBy Steve Johnson, ToolingDocs LLC

During my first production meeting with my current employer, I was told they wanted to establish a preventative maintenance program based on cycle counts for all of their molds. Before I

could comment, though, I was hit with the question, “How many cycles do you think our molds can safely run before we need to clean them?”

Never having seen their molds before, I couldn’t answer, which didn’t exactly thrill them. They were also disappointed at the prospect of leaving the meeting without an immediate sched-uling plan for production that would help their molds run better and eliminate tooling damage issues apparently caused by molds being over-run.

Not wanting disappoint them too much on my first day, I offered up my standard answer for maximum cycle counts: that 250,000 is typically a good starting point for the average injec-tion mold, but that the number can vary greatly — up or down — depending on a variety of production characteristics, and on the mold design itself. I then expanded, telling them that these production characteristics included product type and specifica-tions; resin type, additives, required temperature, corrosiveness, abrasiveness, and flash rate; residue (off-gassing) type, powder, flakes, gummy (tar-like) or oily consistency; vent locations, depth, and finish; vent dump size, location, and configuration (ring, channel, blind pockets, et cetera); static versus dynamic (moving tooling) vents; tooling steel types/hardness; tooling plating type and condition; tooling and running fit tolerances; inaccessible internal bushing and other actuating components; internal condensation level and mold plate steel type; O-rings and other internal water seal leakage history; and specific hot or cold runner issues.

Had I dug deeper still — which I didn’t — I would have added that when determining maximum cycle counts, another critical factor is knowing the product part defect frequencies and positions that can be affected by many of the above criteria — in specific areas. Part defects “localized” by imbalanced fill or steel variations need to be recognized and considered when setting maximum counts. But, generally speaking, anytime you over-run a mold, you increase the risk of molding bad parts, through burns, shorts, weld lines, or dirty and flashed parts. Mold off-gassing, or residue, will end up someplace if it can’t escape through clean vents.

Stopping and pulling molds for scheduled preventative main-tenance is a good practice, period, but it’s not always possible if you want to keep your customers happy and in parts. Obviously, if a mold was pulled for a good cleaning every time its maximum cycle number lit up, those responsible for mold maintenance would be happy campers. With scheduled maintenance, it’s much

easier to more accurately gauge the labor hours required to disas-semble, clean, and return a mold to production, knowing that the tooling hasn’t been worn prematurely with gummed up close fits. A surprise-free mold repair is always a good thing, but it seldom happens in the real world because — as noted above — maxi-mum part production too often rules the day.

Molders are customer-driven, as they need to be, when it comes to running a mold to complete an order. If a few more hours, shifts, days and, in extreme cases, weeks are required to get an order completed, the mold will run or will lock up try-ing. On the other hand, molds that are subjected to many short production runs are also in danger of premature tooling wear if the tool room doesn’t track total mold cycles for a series of short orders; it’s easy, without a tracking system, to damage tooling simply because cycle counts get lost in the day-to-day affairs of pulling and setting lots of molds. And on the other other hand, over-maintaining molds wastes money too, and increases the chances of mold damage during repairs.

What you really need to know to set maximum mold cycles can only be determined through close visual inspection of mold plates and tooling after a production run, and by the ability to accurately answer a few production-related questions that will dictate maintenance requirements. These include the date and time the mold was started, what press did it run in, who started it, what tooling configuration is the mold running, the date and time the mold was stopped, who stopped it and why, how many cycles or hours did the mold run, and what was the condition of the parts in the last shot? It’s also very helpful, when evaluating mold residue and tooling wear levels, to know if the production run was interrupted by stops for changeovers, unscheduled breakdowns, or weekend downtime; if repeated ejector counts were required to release the parts from the mold; if the mold was properly and regularly serviced in the press during the run; if the cycle time and processing parameters were consistent with past runs; and if there were any part defects related to flash in a vented area.

Efficient production of quality parts on time should be the mantra of every molder, but you can’t satisfy it by allowing production requirements to dictate maximum cycle counts in every situation. Adherence to data collection practices and visual inspection of tooling and parts are the only methods that will allow you to balance maximizing tooling life, production capa-bility, and mold reliability. CPL

Steve Johnson is the operations manager for ToolingDocs LLC, part of the PCIC group of companies. He also has his own busi-ness, MoldTrax, in Ashland, Ohio. He can be reached at [email protected], or 419-289-0281.

CPLSept13 p50 TechTips.indd 50 13-08-21 11:02 AM


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CPLSept13 p51 PPE AD.indd 51 13-08-21 11:03 AM

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Canadian Plastics September 2013

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