www.plastribution.co.uk 0845 34 54 560 Issue 01 September 2011 the magazine In this issue Because business is changing 04 A new look for Plastribution 10 Managing the supply chain 14 Our product list 20 Plastics design workshops 32 A successful cover story Our Innovation. Turn to page 22
know-how has been created to deliver information, insights and opinion to our suppliers, customers and the industry as a whole. As well as taking form in the shape of our new magazine, the term know-how will be used to visually identify other pieces of expert information designed to support your needs which will be available to you through many different channels and throughout the year. This includes advice on pricing and purchasing, market intelligence and innovation, and new and exciting general news from the Plastribution staff.
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www.plastribution.co.uk
0845 34 54 560
Issue 01 September 2011
the magazine
In this issue Because business is changing 04 A new look for Plastribution 10 Managing the supply chain 14 Our product list 20 Plastics design workshops 32
A successful cover storyOur Innovation. Turn to page 22
In this issue
Because business is changing 04
Our expertise 06
Our innovation 07
Our process 08
So what next? 09
A new look for plastribution.co.uk 10
Price know-how 11
Plastribution Product Portfolio 12
Your expertise 13
Supply chain know-how 14
You’re hired! 16
On yer bike 18
Product list 20
A successful partnership 22
Cardia demonstrates its global appeal 23
A night at the races 24
A new name for Domo Polypropylene 25
New Enzymoplast™ masterbatch accelerates biodegradation of plastics 26
Realising the Granic® potential 28
Will HDPE be the new PP? 29
Solving the drop-test dilemma 30
That’s cool 31
Plastics Design Workshop 32
Enabling a multitude of benefits for film converters 33
This magazine is printed using vegetable oil based inks on paper that contains fibre from sustainably managed forests. Design: voice www.voicebranddesign.com
Issue 01 – September 2011
3
As you will see in the following
pages, it has been a busy six
months in the world of Plastribution;
we’re confident that your business
will almost certainly benefit from
many of these developments.
This is the first edition of our new magazine ‘know- how’
know-how has been created to
deliver information, insights and
opinion to our suppliers, customers
and the industry as a whole. As
well as taking form in the shape
of our new magazine, the term
know-how will be used to visually
identify other pieces of expert
information designed to support
your needs which will be available
to you through many different
channels throughout the year.
This includes advice on pricing and
purchasing, market intelligence and
innovation, and new and exciting
general news from the Plastribution
staff. In this months know-how
magazine we have placed particular
focus on our evolved brand and
operational changes which you can
read about over the following pages.
On the personnel front, we have
been extremely fortunate to recruit
two apprentices in recent months.
As you will read in this issue, our very
first apprentice, Lucy Hickling, is a
finalist in the apprentice category of
this year’s Plastics Industry Awards,
as well as gaining a place in the
Nation Apprenticeship Finals.
It is fantastic to recruit such able and
enthusiastic young talent that will
help secure the future success of our
business and continue to provide
our customers with great service.
We can also report on progress at a
commercial level: Once again, our
partnership approach towards our
customers has been recognised by
the Plastics Industry Awards, with the
selection of our work for a customer
in Scotland as a finalist project
for this year’s Distributor Award.
In a separate development, we are
also launching a monthly market
report that should provide customers
with useful information about what is
happening in the polymers market
and why. Indeed, the inspiration
for this report was the very positive
feedback received for a recent
pricing article in PRW, to which
Plastribution made a significant
contribution.
Finally we have news of a new
partnership with the Logistics
Department at the University of
Hull which will help to ensure
that our customers’ supply chain
remains as secure as possible.
Turning to technical matters - there
is further good news to report
from this year’s Plastics Industry
Awards. The enclosed feature, on
components for the new Lotus
Evora and the development work
we have done with Perei Group,
clearly demonstrates the high level
of technical expertise we are able to
offer UK plastic processors. This project
has also resulted in our selection as a
finalist for this year’s Distributor Award.
Meanwhile our initiative to develop
a balanced portfolio of materials
with greener credentials continues
to gain momentum. Having a
comprehensive range enables us to
offer excellent advice both to plastic
processors and OEMs, allowing them
to select the most suitable solution.
There is no doubt that the
environment is moving up the
agenda and we want to play an
important part in ensuring a more
sustainable future for us all.
We hope you enjoy this first issue
of know-how and find it useful to
learn more about what we do
here at Plastribution, and how it
could benefit your business.
Regards,
Mike Boswell
Welcome to know-how
Issue 01 – September 2011
4
What we think is happening... This is a new decade, an increasingly digital age, a new economy; global markets are shifting, prices fluctuating more violently. Business is changing and this includes the plastics industry. The environment is of major concern, logistics have evolved, product development is more rapid, producers and customers are interacting in increasingly efficient and yet changing ways, and pricing and technical information needs to be found instantly, allowing people to make deals in real time. Now. Yesterday.
We do not think that we can rely solely on the products we sell.
Businesses need to be switched on
and connected to their partners
constantly. Because of this
we don’t believe that we can rely
solely on the products we sell.
We need to communicate the
additional benefits that help
our business partners overcome
market challenges – be they
product led or price driven.
Plastribution is evolving to work in
these new environments and in doing
so we’re actively challenging the
perceived limited growth potential
here in the UK today from the point of
view of plastics distribution.
We want to evolve the distribution
model (02) to be supportive, sustainable
and secure, using these market
challenges and developments to the
advantage of ourselves, our suppliers
and our customers – and that’s
exactly what we’ve started to do.
We’re embracing these changes,
while at the same time working in
ways to ensure that we continue
to deliver the high levels of service
that both suppliers and customers
are familiar with and deserve.
Because businessis changing
PLASTRIBUTION
SUPPLIER CUSTOMERSUPPLIER CUSTOMERDISTRIBUTOR
01 Traditional distribution model 02 How we see distribution
01 02
Issue 01 – September 2011
5
New Opportunities The market continues to create more opportunity for ‘distributors’ through the reduced service offering, on-going consolidation and geographic relocation of polymer producers. We’re working to capitalise on this for the benefit of both our UK customers and ourselves.
Customers are increasingly telling
us that they believe service is a
valuable part of supply, services such
as: - customer specific inventory,
fixed contract pricing, forward
market information, flexibility to
meet changing demand, technical
support, logistics, training and
a dedicated sales team that is
empowered to deliver results.
They recognise and believe that these
are the services that will allow them to
continue to do business successfully
and are therefore the services we
should be expected to incorporate
into our own business model in order
to continue to give them the support
they expect when they invest in us.
We have evolved our brandBecause business is changing and our
business partners need to see that we
are acting to change with it, we have
evolved our brand to one that clearly
reflects this.
We wanted to represent ‘how we
do business’ and communicate the
benefits this brings to both suppliers
and customers more effectively. We
wanted people to see that we’re
working in the ways that we are
expected to, and our brand was
felt to be one of the most important
vehicles we could use to do this.
We embarked on a journey to find
our true brand proposition. By re-
evaluating the distribution model,
thinking about where we really sit in
context to it and listening to what
our customers and suppliers told us
they cared about, we identified the
things that make us both unique,
special and important as a distributor
in today’s climate. We also identified
ways in which we could improve
further.
This in turn has helped us redefine
what ‘Plastribution’ really means
on a commercial level and we
have consequently been able
to enhance our operational
systems during this process.
Our new look has been designed
to galvanise both our own staff and
our stakeholders, allowing us to
engage with customers, suppliers
and the industry more clearly.
You can see how this looks in
practice on our new website and
every other piece of communication
literature we use – brochures,
product guides and even this
magazine, a more intelligent,
informative and constructive
publication from the team here
at Plastribution – we’ve called it
‘know-how’. We hope you enjoy it.
What we learnt…By going through this process, we
have come to believe that everything
we do well is founded upon three
core values – or pillars of support -
and it is these that define how we
work with our business partners, how
we work with each other and how
we should look and sound. It is also
these that we will look to as we make
decisions about how to build the
business for the future. We believe
that it’s these things that make us
both relevant and successful in our
industry and the things that really
matter to our business partners both
now and in the future. They are
‘Expertise, Innovation and Process’.
Issue 01 – September 2011
6
We’re the employer of choice – which means we get to choose the best.
Our expertise is something that all of our suppliers and customers know they can rely on - we’re known in the industry for a recruitment strategy that selects only the best people to work for us. If people leave, they often want to come back again. We’re the employer of choice – which means we get to choose the best.
Having this talent pool available
and in place allows us to promote
accountability and trust through
direct personal responsibility to
every one of our staff. We trust them.
This means our people have the
opportunity to protect and grow the
fortunes and future of our business,
meaning that they genuinely care
about the output, and ensure that
they continue to be the best at what
they do at all times. We can refer to
ourselves as truly consultative business
partners to both our customers and
our suppliers because of this.
Why does this matter? Ultimately this
means we’re the best at sourcing
materials, the best at identifying new
markets and the best at managing
and advising on raw materials and
pricing. Our people are the experts
and this is one of the key things that
makes us work so well together –
internally and externally. We also
know this approach works allowing
Plastribution to become the UK’s
leading distributor.
Our new sales & marketing
communications will often refer to
this expertise –assuring you that you
have the best people working for
you every time you speak to us no
matter what the profile of the project.
To kick this off, every member of
our team now has a ‘snapshot’
CV available online. As well as
providing more information about
the people you’re already working
with you can now find out if there
are other people in our business
that can help you in new areas.
Another area in which we are going
to apply our expertise, in ways that
we hope will help, is in our new
price report ‘price know-how’.
When we listen to our customers,
we learnt that whilst some price
surveys currently exist they are often
difficult to interpret, use foreign
currencies, and often use differing
units of measurement. This was not
helping those who needed easy
to understand, up-to-the minute
information that was user-friendly.
You can read about this in more
detail on page 11. As well as
being a useful tool we believe it
showcases our commitment to
transparency and efficient sharing
of information – made possible
by our expertise in this area.
Our expertise
Issue 01 – September 2011
7
We’re known in the industry for being able to come up with the ideas that allow things to happen.
We seek to innovate at all times. As a result, people come to us when they need to solve problems, when they need to know how to make something work or how to get something to market - it’s a big part of where our new strap line comes from - ‘lets make it work’. We’re known in the industry for being able to come up with the ideas that allow things to happen.
Because we believe that innovation is
absolutely fundamental to supporting
the changes we’ve talked about we
will continue to apply this approach
to everything you ask us to do in order
to ensure we stay ahead of the curve
in this changing market. Furthermore,
innovation is at the heart of what we
do. We will show evidence of this in
our marketing communications so
that we can show people what the
output of innovation really means.
Innovation is at the heart of what we do.
Case StudiesWe’ve implemented an industry first –
‘Our Innovation, Case Studies’. These
allow anyone who wants to read
about a wide variety of projects that
we’ve been instrumental in getting
to market – by applying innovative
leadership. These case studies, which
can be downloaded from our new
website, explain which producer was
involved, who the customer was,
what the main challenges were and
how we worked together in order to
deliver the end result.
Our innovation case studies give
some great insights into what we can
do to help you as either a suppler or
a customer and how using us as a
‘distributor’ offers far more in terms of
solutions provision than you may have
thought possible.
We hope you have time to look at our
innovation case studies - watch out
for more examples of ‘our innovation’
both online and in future editions
of know-how via our case studies.
We’re particularly excited about
our recent work with Lotus which
you can read more about on page
22 of this magazine – hopefully you
will have seen the awesome car
in question – the Lotus Evora - on
our stand at Interplas 2011.
Our innovation
Issue 01 – September 2011
8
Our process
Robust, intelligent,sustainable and uniqueOur third core value and area of support is evident within our systems of working – we call this ‘our process’. Our processes have been developed carefully and are guarded and nurtured by our specialist teams, using our expertise and innovation in order to suit each different type of customer and supplier. We want to tell everyone we work with about our processes, as we believe they truly set us apart from other distributors.
So, why did we define these processes? Above all, we know that price,
It’s this unique way of working, specially designed to suit everyone who deals with us, that really makes us different.
Delivery
Price
Supply
Sales Teams
Customer ServiceRepresentative
Sales Executives
Sales TeamInternal SalesRepresentative
01 Sales Teams structure
01
Issue 01 – September 2011
9
Because we’re challenging the way people view how things can be done and what this means, we’re ultimately helping suppliers and customers get smarter, better and faster.
Because we’re challenging the way
people view how things can be done
and what this means, we’re ultimately
helping suppliers and customers get
savvier and more efficient.
We believe that taking this attitude
to implementing processes that really
work, always applying expertise and
cultivating a culture of innovation in
the right way, will not only change the
way plastics distribution works here in
the UK but also contribute to securing
it’s future.
We believe these are the reasons why
Plastribution is now the UK’s leading
distributor of plastics raw materials,
delivering reliability, know-how and
true business partnership to the worlds
best polymer suppliers & UK customers.
To Plastribution, acquiring our market
leading position means having a
responsibility, and the opportunity, to
set the standards for our industry, not
just for the benefit of Plastribution, but
for everyone else in the industry too.
We hope you enjoy being a part of
the journey.
Plastribution – Let’s make it work.
So what next?
Issue 01 – September 2011
10
A new look for plastribution.co.uk
In order to improve our service to customers we have completely redesigned our website. We haven’t simply applied the new logo, but comprehensively reviewed the whole structure to ensure a smooth user interface.
A key part of the website is for us
to feature photographs of each
member of our team, so that you
get to know the people that you
are dealing with even better – after
all you are entrusting us with the
responsibility of supplying your raw
materials; a key ingredient for your
business success so we think that
it is only fair for you to see exactly
who you are dealing with!
An important feature is the use of the
IDES database to drive the product
specifications that are available
on the site. This ensures that the
information provided is regularly
reviewed and updates applied in a
timely fashion, ensuring that you are
using the most up-to-date information.
We really hope that you enjoy using
the new site, and look forward
to receiving any suggestions
for further functionality.
Issue 01 – September 2011
11
New polymer price report from PlastributionWhilst a whole raft of data is already
LDPEDemand softened in August largely as a result of the holiday season. The anticipated call for price increases at the beginning of September failed to materialise, due to concerns about the global economic situation. The LDPE market remains structurally tight with global under capacity.
LLDPESupply remains quite tight, creating the impression of strong demand. Special offers are now unheard of and producers are eager to obtain increases.
Middle Eastern material flows are heading in the direction of Asia, so any increase in demand will strengthen the position of the producers here in Europe.
HDPEAvailability has improved over the summer months, but producers are eager to implement price increases in order to restore acceptable margins.
Injection moulding grades remain in very short supply. Price increases are likely.
PPPP is the softest of the key polyolefins which in part is due to the complexity of the grade slate. After a period of selling off excess inventories there is clear evidence that the high volume grades are starting to come into balance and speciality grades are likely to follow.
Other PolyolefinsEVA remains tight on the back of restricted VAM (Vinyl Acetate Monomer) availability and further increases are expected in Q3 when the quarterly monomer contract is settled. Availability has become slightly better as producers were able to rebuild some inventory over the summer months.
mPP and Plastomers follow the ethylene monomer price trend.
Supply Supply Supply Supply
Demand Demand Demand Demand
price1800
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
Mo
nth
No
v–08
Ma
r–09
Jul–
09
No
v–09
Ma
r–10
Jul–
10
No
v–10
Ma
r–11
Jul–
11
GBP
/To
nn
e
Crude Oil Opec–Basket (EUR/t) (EUR/t) GBP/t
Naphtha Spot (EUR/t) GBP/t
Propylene (C3) Spot (EUR/t) GBP/t
Ethylene (C2) Spot (EUR/t) GBP/t
Polyolefin Basket (EUR/t) GBP/t
1800
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
Mo
nth
No
v–08
Ma
r–09
Jul–
09
No
v–09
Ma
r–10
Jul–
10
No
v–10
Ma
r–11
Jul–
11
GBP
/To
nn
e
Crude Oil Opec–Basket (EUR/t) (EUR/t) GBP/t
Naphtha Spot (EUR/t) GBP/t
Propylene (C3) Spot (EUR/t) GBP/t
Ethylene (C2) Spot (EUR/t) GBP/t
Polyolefin Basket (EUR/t) GBP/t
Issue 01 – September 2011
12
The new Plastribution Product Portfolio
In addition to a brand-new,
A5-format hard copy of the
Plastribution Product Portfolio,
which lists materials generically in
alphabetical order and with both
manufacturer and brand name
indexes, the latest version of this
essential guide to the extensive
range of grades available from
Plastribution will also be offered as: -
• aUSBMemoryStick
• adownloadfrom
www.plastribution.co.uk
Both of these electronic versions
will be made based on Adobe PDF
technology with navigation features.
Moreover, the website will also
contain information on availability
- enabling users to determine if
that particular grade is a standard
stock item or a custom order.
It will also be possible for customers to
download and print portfolios that are
either process specific (e.g. injection
moulding grades), application
specific (e.g. medical polymers), or
even market specific (e.g. ‘green
materials’).
Of course the Plastribution team is
always available to provide advice
on all aspects of grade selection
including design, processing
and properties. So please do not
hesitate in contacting us to discuss
your specific requirements.
Please remember that, despite our
best efforts to do so, it is almost
impossible to cover every request
for information on the website
or through the new portfolios,
particularly as new developments
are happening all the time.
If you should be unable to find what
you require, just get in touch on the
phone, email or through the website
and, if your request is truly outside
our remit, we will do our utmost to
point you in the right direction.
It will also be possible for customers to download and print portfolios that are either process specific (e.g. injection moulding grades), application specific (e.g. medical polymers), or even market specific (e.g. ‘green materials’).
Productportfolio
Version 1 – July 2011
Issue 01 – September 2011
13
Career opportunities at Plastribution
Potential roles exist for:-Commercial Executives – Direct Sales
Technical Sales Executives – Distribution Sales
Business Development Executives
Sales Supervisors
Internal Sales Representatives
Customer Service Representatives
Individual job descriptions are
available upon request.
The successful candidates will work as part of a highly motivated team dedicated to servicing the requirements of UK-based plastic processors and an outstanding portfolio of global suppliers. The overriding objective in all of these roles is to win new business in a competitive environment by providing service excellence.
The successful candidates will have
a desire to contribute to a successful
team, whilst a professional approach
is also considered essential.
Attractive remuneration
packages will reflect both the
experience and potential of
the successful candidates.
All applications will be treated
in the strictest of confidence.
No agencies please.
If you are interested, please send
your CV and a letter stating which
role(s) you are interested in to: -
Mike Boswell
Managing Director
Plastribution
CEVA House
5 Ashby Park
Ashby-de-la-Zouch
LE65 1NG
Your expertise
As part of its strategic growth plan, Plastribution expects to recruit commercial staff who will be based at headquarters in Ashby-de-la-Zouch.
Issue 01 – September 2011
14
Managing the supply chain
During 2010, Plastribution entered into a Knowledge Transfer Partnership with Hull University to better understand its logistic and supply chain activities and the value they can create for its customers and suppliers. Know-how spoke to Katherine White, product director at Plastribution, to find out more.
KH: First of all, can you explain what
a Knowledge Transfer Partnership is?
KW: A Knowledge Transfer Partnership
(or KTP) is a partially government-
funded programme that enables
companies to improve their
competitiveness and productivity
by accessing knowledge and skills
within academic institutions. Its
overall aim is to help a company
make a step change in an area
that has been identified as a high
priority. This is achieved by creating
a three-way project between the
company, a graduate (commonly
referred to as the ‘associate’)
and an academic. The project
typically lasts between 1 and 3
years, depending upon the time
required to deliver real outcomes.
KH: What is the focus of
Plastribution’s KTP?
KW: In short, to make sure our
customers’ goods get to them on
time: OTIF is a logistics acronym
for On Time and In Full, and is the
key performance measure for
logistics services. This is a pass/fail
measurement of goods arriving when
required by our customers in the
quantity they have ordered and good
condition. Ensuring a high level of
OTIF is critical to our business success,
and we strive for 100%. A key part of
our efforts to maximise OTIF is in the
area of supply chain management
where we ensure that goods from
around the world, supplied on
variable lead-times can be made
available when our customers
need them.
Katherine WhiteProduct Director
supply chain
Issue 01 – September 2011
15
KH: Why did Plastribution
instigate the project?
KW: In 2009 we started to consider
the effects of the change in
geographical location of polymer
production, which is resulting in
reduced capacities in Western Europe
and new polymerisation plants being
built in the Middle East (close to
petrochemical feedstocks) or in Asia
(close to increasing demand). The
potential impact of these changes
are highly significant here in the UK
where there is a net deficit of polymer
production of almost 2 million tonnes
and once exports are considered
imports exceed 2 million tonnes, and
any change in location of production
will have profound implications on
supply chain length and complexity.
After careful consideration we
viewed that the challenges presented
by these fundamental changes
in the supply chain were in fact
an opportunity for us to build on
our existing expertise in sourcing
polymers from around the world.
An initial approach was made to
the University of Hull Institute of
Logistics which has resulted in a
successful application for a KTP.
KH: Who are the partners in
Plastribution’s project?
KW: Key to a successful KTP is
identifying both the academic and
associate with the right expertise for
your business. For our project we
have chosen to work with Professor
Chee Wong from the Logistics Institute
at Hull University and Lena Fleschhut,
who holds a bachelor’s degree in
Business Administration and a master’s
degree in logistics and supply chain
management. Lena manages the
supply chain project from within
Plastribution for its duration while
Professor Wong regularly contributes
with his own knowledge and
experience as an external resource.
KH: What will be the benefit of the KTP
to its suppliers and customers?
KW: We expect that customers
and suppliers will start to benefit
from our improved supply chain
capabilities through both efficiencies
and an improved service offering.
In particular we hope to be
able to work more closely with
suppliers to provide more accurate
forecasting information which in
turn will mean better consistency
of supply for our customers.
KH: When do you expect
to be able to report on the
outcomes of the KTP project?
KW: The project is still at an
exploration and analysis stage. After
a thorough review of our findings
we will decide on the next steps
with regard to their implementation.
We expect to be able to report
the outcomes in early 2012.
Lena FleschhutSupply Chain Project Manager
Issue 01 – September 2011
16
It has been a particularly successful year for Plastribution’s first apprentice - not only is she a finalist in the Apprentice category of this year’s Plastics Industry Awards, but she has also been hired as a permanent member of staff. On the basis of its very positive experience with Lucy, Plastribution is recruiting a further apprentice to support its ambitious growth plans.
You’re hired!
Lucy Hickling first came to Plastribution
in September 2010 as an 18 year old
as part of an intermediate (Level
2) apprenticeship qualification in
Business and Administration provided
by Loughborough College. In what
was her first full-time role, she joined
the company as a sales co-ordinator
in a team covering the south east
of England. One of the first tasks
assigned to Lucy was a masterbatch
project which involved her
pro-actively seeking new business.
Over the last twelve months Lucy
has picked up several new accounts
that will generate considerable
new revenue for Plastribution and
will consolidate its position as the
Issue 01 – September 2011
17
country’s leading plastics distributor.
On top of the “new business”
project, Lucy also looks after over
70 active accounts. Her
commitment and dedication to
her sales role is appreciated by
colleagues at Plastribution, as
colleague Katy Hawkins, internal
sales representative confirms:
“Lucy has very good communication
skills and has built up an excellent
rapport with all of her customers in a
short space of time. She has made
an impact on our team by achieving
targets that are set for her by winning
new business and adding material
range to existing customers who
hadn’t previously bought this type
of material.”
Not only has Lucy achieved very
high results in her work, but she
has also achieved an impressive 5
distinctions in her college assignments
to date. On top of this Lucy has
undertaken a number of training
and development programs during
her time at Plastribution, including
an induction course, product
training and buyers course.
Mike Boswell, managing director
at Plastribution concludes: “Lucy
has already become an asset to
the business and is a respected
member of our team. She has
quickly learnt about our business
operations and gained a working
knowledge of our products. Most
importantly we have been able to
recruit talent that will support our
growth plans for the business and
Lucy certainly has the capability to
develop a career with Plastribution.”
Lucy’s success as an apprentice has
not only seen her becoming one of
the first females to be shortlisted as
a finalist for this year’s Apprentice
category at the PIA (announcement
of winner to be made after
Know-how has gone to press),
but has led to her appointment
as a permanent member of staff.
Moreover, it has encouraged
Plastribution to take on a
further apprentice at its Ashby
headquarters - Sarah Watson
- of whom the company has
similarly high expectations!
“As each customer has a key sales contact within their allocated team, we’re able to build a rapport with them that makes them feel genuinely valued. This means they have a level of trust in us that they don’t have with other suppliers” – Lucy Hickling
Issue 01 – September 2011
18
On yer bike for a good cause...
Pete Tillin of Plastribution, along
with his two brothers and a good
friend, recently completed a 1,000
kilometre bike ride to raise money
for two charities, Macmillan Cancer
Support and Dorothy House, a local
hospice, that had special significance
to their families. The exact distance,
652 miles or 1049 kilometres, was
longer than planned and had the
equivalent vertical climbing to that
of the summit of Mount Everest. It was
completed by Pete and his team
in a remarkable 39 hours and 35
minutes of riding time at an average
speed of 16.5 miles per hour.
“The inspiration for our ride was the
passing away of both of our parents
after long battles with cancer, and
my brothers and I wanted to do
something to say thank you to the
wonderful people at Dorothy House
for the care they provided to both our
parents and to repay the hard work
being done by Macmillan Cancer
Support not just in the UK, but around
the world,” explains Pete. “The
route we took was from Warminster
(Wiltshire), where our parents lived for
many years, to Carrickfergus (near
Belfast), where our mother was born
and grew up, and back again.” The
first week of July was the timeframe
allocated for the arduous ride. The
brothers were joined by their good
friend, Kelly Davey, whose stepfather
has recently been diagnosed with
a cancer of the plasma cells.
A quick check of the blog for their ride
(http://thetillin1000.blogspot.com/)
reveals that dehydration during the
heat of summer would never be an
issue for these highly-tuned athletes:
“Day 0 (is that even a day) stopped
for a couple of amber beverages
and are now (several hours later and
after watching a very eventful start
to the Tour De France!) finishing off
with a nice bottle of Barolo”. From
then-on the days cycling principally
through Wales were marked by
numerous culinary and drinking
highlights, escapades with sheep,
road signs and mechanical faults on
the trip to Ireland (by day 4), where
the lads fortuitously noticed that they
were also at the source of Guinness
(which they discovered to have
unforeseen revitalising properties).
A day off on day 5 preceded the
ferry to Liverpool on day 6 and the
journey home by the end of day 7.
Following their arrival there was a
quick compilation of statistics for
the week: 1049 kilometres, 10 kg of
sausage, 101 pints of beer , 15 bottles
of wine, 20 hours of sun, 6 hours of
rain, 2 dams, 3 bridges, 4 ferries and
4 very tired cyclists! (some of the
aforementioned statistics may be
more accurate than others?!) More
importantly, at the time of going
to press, they had raised a highly
commendable total of around £8,500
overall with donations still coming
in. “We would really like to thank all
the people that have generously
donated so far and for supporting
us on our ride,” says Pete.
“I wanted to do something to say thank you to the wonderful people at Dorothy House for the care they provided to both our parents” — Pete Tillin
Issue 01 – September 2011
19
Donations can still be made by the readers of know-how by following the links: http://www.justgiving.com/Tillin http://www.justgiving.com/Tillin-Cycle-Macmillan
The Plastribution team is always available to provide advice on all aspects of grade selection including design, processing and properties. So please do not hesitate in contacting us to discuss your specific requirements.
Please remember that, despite our best efforts
to do so, it is almost impossible to cover every
request for information on the website or
through the new portfolios, particularly as new
developments are happening all the time.
If you should be unable to find what you require,
just get in touch on the phone, email or through
the website and, if we really can’t help, we will do.
01 Lotus Evora 02 Engine Cover for the Lotus Evora
02
Issue 01 – September 2011
23
When Perei Group Ltd encountered
quality issues moulding external
trim parts for the Lotus Evora they
turned to Plastribution for technical
material and support that not only
provided them with a high quality
solution, but also placed them
in a prime position to gain new
future business. The success of the
project has also seen its selection
as finalist for Supplier Partnership at
this year’s Plastic Industry Awards.
With over 70 years of experience and
innovation in vehicle lighting, Perei
Group is one of Europe’s leading
companies in automotive lighting. It
is in this role that the company has
worked with Plastribution for the last
three years as a supplier of polymethyl
methacrylate (PMMA) resins for
standard clear lenses for its products.
Yet it was during Perei’s recent
involvement in a new, non-lighting
project for the prestigious Lotus Evora
sports car that the company was
able to draw from Plastribution’s
extensive polymer knowledge and
increasing product portfolio.
Perei had been requested by Lotus
to mould three parts - an engine
cover, A-pillar and washer cover - in
ASA, yet initial pre-production runs
of the parts revealed significant
problems with the material in terms of
its heat, scratch and UV resistance
and surface appearance. As an
alternative, Plastribution was able to
recommend PLEXIGLAS® Hi-Gloss NTA-
1 from Evonik. Besides the established
properties of PLEXIGLAS®, such as
good flow, high mar-resistance,
good weather resistance and good
polishability, PLEXIGLAS® Hi-Gloss
NTA-1 offers the added benefits of
increased impact strength, good
heat deflection temperature under
load and a superior brilliance, high-
gloss (Class A) surface finish.
“We were initially asked by Perei if we
could supply a piano black ASA, but
once we knew the application we
recommended PMMA,” recalls Iain
Richmond, business development
executive at Plastribution. “The
time we had previously invested
familiarising ourselves with the
Evonik product range meant that
we knew that this was the material
of choice for external parts at
numerous OEM and we already
had experience of the material in
new applications for Jaguar.”
Facilitating cooperation between
the development partners at Lotus
and Perei and material specialists
at Evonik, Plastribution arranged
for material samples to be sent
for joint moulding trials which saw
modifications made to the tool
and the optimisation of processing
conditions. All parties are pleased
with the outcome of the change
to PLEXIGLAS® Hi-Gloss NTA-1 and
production is now moving along
smoothly with very low reject rates
(down to around just 3%). Plastribution
is able to hold local stocks of the
material for call-off by Perei.
“Plastribution had the best material
for the job and the know-how
to make it work in this particular
application,” confirms Steve
Bamber, operations manager at
Perei. “Returns from Lotus are almost
unheard of whilst our success in this
project has opened other doors for
us to supply plastic components
beyond lighting for other premier
niche automotive manufacturers.”
Most recently, the success of the
partnership between Plastribution and
Perei Group has been recognised by
its selection as a finalist project in the
Supplier Partnership category of this
year’s Plastic Industry Awards. We will
report on the awards evening - to
be held on 14 October in London -
in the next issue of Know-how and
will let you know if Plastribution was
able to defend its title of Polymer
Distributor of the Year.
New business and a finalist entry for the 2011 Plastic Industry Awards
A successful partnership
Issue 01 – September 2011
24
The global appeal of biohybrid and
compostable resins from Cardia
Bioplastics Limited, exclusively
distributed in the UK by Plastribution,
is reflected by recent business
developments from around the
world. In Europe, the Finnish
packaging films supplier Wipak has
recently introduced its own range
of sustainable food packaging films
using Cardia Biohybrid™ patented
technology. The use of Cardia
Biohybrid™ within the Wipak Group
will enable food and medical
packaging customers to purchase
innovative film products with reduced
dependence on finite oil resources
and lower carbon footprint.
Meanwhile, on the other side
of the world, Melbourne-based
manufacturer Stellar Films has
released a new range of sustainable
films utilising Cardia Biohybrid™
patented technology for the personal
care and medical products industry.
The new range of films meets the
highest performance standards and
displays a unique satin feel, as Stellar
Films Managing Director, Stephen
Walters, confirms: “The combination
of performance, environmental
profile and cost effectiveness made
Cardia Biohybrid™ technology the
solution for Stellar Films product
needs. The unique texture of our
Biohybrid™ hygiene and medical films
gives our customers’ products that
plush, satin feel and appearance.”
At the end of last year, Cardia
Bioplastics announced its
collaboration with Nestlé S.A., the
largest Fast Moving Consumer Goods
(FMCG) company in the world, to
reduce the environmental impact
of packaging. The collaboration
is in line with Cardia’s strategy of
working with global brand owners
who are looking for alternatives to
conventional packaging. It is one of
several that Cardia has established
with global brand owners and
packaging companies. It is also an
endorsement of Cardia’s capabilities
in respect of renewable and
sustainable plastics and packaging in
both flexible and rigid applications.
“Cardia is well positioned to benefit
from the trend towards sustainable
packaging,” says Dr Frank Glatz,
managing director at Cardia
Bioplastics. “It gives customers the
choice of using sustainable Cardia
Biohybrid™ technology (less oil, lower
carbon foot print) or Compostable
technology offering (certified
compostability to international
standards) for their packaging
or plastic product solutions. Our
materials are suitable for a broad
range of packaging applications,
including flexible film, injection
moulding, blow moulding, foam,
extrusion and coating applications.”
Further information can be found
at www.cardiabioplastics.com
Cardia demonstrates its global appeal
Issue 01 – September 2011
25
A night at the races“The safest way to double your
money is to fold it over once and
put it in your pocket”..so said an
American comedian from the
early part of the 20th Century.
Ignoring this sound advice, the
Plastribution team set out on a warm
evening in June to Uttoxeter race
course for its annual summer party.
Form had been studied, known
tipsters had been quizzed and
everybody had taken notice of the
Radio 4 “Tip of the Day” - although it is
fair to say not everyone went to these
lengths in choosing their favoured
horse. Others relied on the fool-proof
method of picking the silks that most
appealed, or comparing horses
names to long-lost, distant relatives.
Ultimately it seemed to make little
difference which method was put
into use as the results seemed very
similar - regular and significant
losses. As the evening progressed the
combination of food and alcohol
did not appear to help the situation.
The bets got bolder and methods
of horse (or donkey) selection got
more random. The losses increased!
However, it should be noticed that
not everybody lost out during the
evening. One individual won on a
hugely complicated “accumulator”.
His colleague were in agreement
that he deserved to win, if for no
other reason than he spent the time
to understand how the bet worked!
This individual, who has requested to
remain anonymous, has been with the
company nearly 15 years. Colleagues
had never seen him smile so much
or move so quickly when the Tote
opened for him to claim his prize.
According to unconfirmed reports,
his holiday in the Bahamas went well
and the new Merc drives beautifully!
Those who made the walk back to
the bus remarked that it seemed
twice as long as when they arrived.
Maybe it was the drink, or maybe
it was the lure of an “interesting”
Michael Jackson act complete with
‘Thriller’ zombies. The short journey
home was eventually made and,
despite a light shower of rain, it was
clear that everyone had enjoyed
themselves. In fact, only one group
of people enjoyed themselves
more than the Plastribution team
- and that was the bookies!
“The safest way to double your money is to fold it over once and put it in your pocket” - Kin Hubbard (American Comedian)
Issue 01 – September 2011
26
With effect from 1 July 2011, Domo
Polypropylene B.V. of Rozenburg,
The Netherlands – a joint venture
between Belgium’s Domo Group
and Israel’s Carmel Olefins – has
changed its name to Ducor
Petrochemicals. The brand name
of the company’s polypropylene
grades, distributed exclusively in the
UK by Plastribution, will also change
over the course of the third quarter
of 2011 from Domolen to Ducor.
Beyond the change in company
and brand names, there will be no
change in grade formulations (unless
specifically announced beforehand),
manufacturing process or location.
Accordingly, the Ducor and Domolen
grades will remain identical in terms
of nomenclature as well as their
chemical and physical properties.
“The change in name reflects our
evolution into a stronger partner in
petrochemical products,” comments
Charles Liran, managing director
at Domo Polypropylene B.V. “Our
core business, as a market oriented
producer of polypropylene,
remains unchanged however.
We guarantee our customers a
flexible supply of a wide range of
polypropylene products, which
thanks to our strategic alliance with
Carmel Olefins, will be extended
in the future to create further
development opportunities.”
Ducor Petrochemicals produces a
versatile range of polypropylene
homopolymers, block and random
copolymers, manufactured in various
standardised and customised grades.
Its products are environmentally
friendly, non toxic, recyclable
and used in the production of
packaging, textiles, films, housewares,
automotive, electrical appliances
as well as many other applications.
The Ducor Petrochemicals’
production site is located in
Rozenburg, the Netherlands, and
has an annual output of 180kt
per year of polypropylene using a
Novolen gas phase technology.
Further information on Ducor
Petrochemicals and its Ducor
polypropylene grades can be found
at www.ducorchem.com.
A new name for Domo Polypropylene
www.ducorchem.com
Aiming for excellence
Ducor 1101N
12
1550
3*1,5*
163
15490
0,91
AG
Staple,CF
Ducor NQ10050
8
1500
3,53
163
15490
0,91
Cast film, BOPP film,Thermoformed packaging
TYPICAL PROPERTIES
* Charpy impact ISO 179/1eA(kJ/m²)
MFR 230°C / 2.16 (g/10min)
T-Mod 23°C (Mpa)
IZOD 23°Cnotched (kJ/m²) -30°C
Melting Point DSC (°C)
Vicat Softening T (°C)
Density (g/cm³)
Additivation
Application
Test Method
ISO 1133
ISO 527-2
ISO 180/1A
ISO 3146
ISO 306 VST/A50 (10N)VST/B50 (50N)
ISO 1183
Ducor1100H
2,1
1450
4,51,4
163
15490
0,91
Caps & closures, general IM
Ducor 1184L
5,5
1600
3,51,5
163
15494
0,91
N / AS
Thermoformed packaging
Ducor 1100L
6
1500
3.51,3
163
15490
0,91
IM, Caps & closures
Ducor 1102M
7,5
1500
3,51,6
163
15490
0,91
Sheets,Cast film, Monofilament Strapping
Ducor 1100N
12
1550
31,3
163
15490
0,91
IM
Ducor 1040N
12
2000
2,51,3
165
158102
0,91
N
IM, Caps &closures
N Nucleated C Clarified CR Controlled rheology AS Anti-electrostatic AG Anti gas fading IM Injection moulding CF Continuous filamentBCF Bulk continuous filament NB Specimen not broken P Partially broken
ABBREVIATIONS
HOMOPOLYMERS
Ducor 1040RC
23
2000
2,51,3
165
157100
0,91
N / CR
IM
Ducor 1101S
25
1500
2,5*1,5*
163
15490
0,91
AG
BCF / CFIM
Ducor 1048TC
48
2000
2,51,3
163
15490
0,91
N/CR/AS
IM
Ducor 3048TC
48
1900
2,21,1
163
15598
0,91
C/AS/CR
TWIM with high transparancy
PANTONE 376 ECProcess c59m0y100k0
PANTONE 301 ECProcess c100m54y4k19
Issue 01 – September 2011
27
Plastribution has further strengthened
its green portfolio of sustainable
materials with the addition of a new
and unique bacteria/enzyme-based
biodegradation technology. It is the
result of seven years of extensive
research to develop a bacteria/
enzyme-based additive which
promotes a chemical reaction
within polythene to accelerate
the process of biodegradation.
The Enzymoplast technology has
the ability to utilise polyethylene
as a carbon source for micro-
organisms to enable conversion
of the polyethylene molecule
quickly and safely into carbon
dioxide, biomass and water,”
explains Narinder Bharj, sales and
marketing director at Enzymoplast
Technology Limited. “Microbial
breakdown is initiated where the
carbonyl group is found. These
functional groups are introduced
into polyethylene during the photo
thermal biodegradation process.”
The formulation of the bacteria
enzyme-based substrate used in the
Enzymoplast™ masterbatch consists
of 13 ingredients narrowed down to
the enzyme, protein and bacteria
compound drawn primarily from
natural resources and medicinal
plants which are sustainably sourced.
This renders both the process
methodology and technology
non-hazardous and non-toxic. It
has been tested and certified as
compliant with the required directive
(94/62/EC).
The final biodegradable product
is 100% biodegradable and
composts leaving no toxic waste.
It also adheres to biodegradability
and compostability standards
EN13432 and ISO14855.
It is available in product form from
Plastribution as the Enzymoplast™
masterbatch that can be easily to
added to PE-based plastic products
including LDPE, LLDPE and HDPE. It
is suitable for applications such as
refuse sacks, carrier bags, film, plastics
bottles and general packaging.
Products containing Enzymoplast™
exhibit the same mechanical
and optical properties as a
product without the additive.
Enzymoplast™ products are many
times less expensive than all other
biodegradable products making
them a commercially viable option
which has so far not been available.
“We are very excited about the ability
to supply Enzymoplast™ masterbatch
into the UK market exclusively through
Plastribution,” concludes Narinder
Bharj. “They will enable producers
and OEMs a cost effective way to
reduce their CO2 emissions and
protect their corporate image and
the environment by using nature
to solve a man-made problem.”
Enzymoplast™ is a trademark
of Enzymoplast Tech Ltd.
For further information please visit:
www.enzymoplast.com
New Enzymoplast™
masterbatch accelerates biodegradation of plastics
Issue 01 – September 2011
28
The Granic® range of additive
materials, which are characterised by
their high calcium-carbonate content,
are already gaining the attention
of UK plastic processors seeking to
achieve greater manufacturing
efficiency. The additive can be
added to almost all types of
polymers, including polyethylene,
polypropylene or polystyrene
derivatives, at dosages of up to 60
percent depending on application.
Benefits of Granic® in moulded
parts include significant efficiencies
in terms of output and energy
costs, in film applications the use of
Granic can lead to improvements
in mechanical performance
and production efficiency.
“One company, a manufacturer of
cling film dispensers made from high
impact polystyrene, is looking to add
up to 15 percent of Granic to the
polymer to help improve the stiffness
and strength of the product, whilst
simultaneously reducing the thickness
of the moulded sections,” reports
Chris Green, business development
manager at Plastribution. “For this
particular customer, the adoption
of Granic® will equate to an
approximate cost-saving of around 8
percent versus the use of unmodified
HIPS and a carbon saving of around
60 tons per annum.” Thanks to
its high natural mineral content,
Granic® is less than 25 percent
dependent on oil for its production
and thus has a significantly lower
carbon footprint than polymers.
Moreover the price of Granic® is
not only significantly lower than
purely fossil-fuel based equivalents
but is considerably more stable.
A second UK company, in this case a
producer of blow-moulded pill bottles,
has also been quick to recognise
the Granic® potential. During trials
conducted by the customer, an
addition rate of Granic® at 20
percent has led to a reduction in
cycle time for each bottle from 10.7 to
9.4 seconds. “The improved thermal
conductivity of Granic® meant that
cycle times could be reduced, as
the moulding cools more quickly,
whilst less heat input is required for
processing in the first place,” explains
Chris Green. “For high volume
products such as pill bottles, benefits
can result in not only a reduced cost
per part due to the use of a lower
cost material, but also significant
efficiencies in terms of output and
energy usage per part.” At the same
time, the reinforcing properties of the
ultrafine calcium carbonate granules
in the polymer matrix has allowed
the processor to down-gauge the
thickness of the bottle neck without
sacrificing stiffness. “The overall
weight saving per bottle is around
11 percent,” declares Green.
A key property of Granic® is its
ability to be loaded at high levels
without any detrimental effect to
the processing method being used.
This is due to Gestoras advanced
mixing technology, allowing them
to produce materials with ultra
low melt flow resin carriers. This,
coupled with their use of ultrafine
treated calcium carbonate,
removes many of the historical
barriers to filler use in polymers.
Plastribution has been the sole
distributor in the United Kingdom of
the Granic® range of highly calcium
carbonate filled polymers, produced
by Gestora Catalana de Residuo of
Spain, since the start of 2011. Further
information on Granic® can be found
at www.granic.es.
Granic®
Our product, your solution.
Realising the Granic® potential
Issue 01 – September 2011
29
Will HDPE be the new PP?
As illustrated by the graph above,
something interesting is happening
to the price of PP (polypropylene)
relative to PE (polyethylene).
Historically, the price development
of both materials has been similar,
leading to a strong preference for
the use of PP because it can be
processed more efficiently (due to
its superior cooling characteristics).
HDPE (high density polyethylene), on
the other hand, would normally only
find favour where the characteristics
of PP do not meet the requirements
of the application (HDPE provides
higher rigidity and better low
temperature impact properties).
So what is happening now to
change the economics of material
selection, and what is the likely future
trend? To explain this we need to
look at some of the fundamental
changes that are taking place in the
petrochemical industry and for us to
understand how the feedstocks for
PE and PP are produced, and why.
In the case of polyethylene, its
feedstock is ethylene, which is
produced ‘on purpose’ by either
cracking ethane or naptha. When
cracking naptha, propylene, the
feedstock for polypropylene and
other polymers, is produced as a
by-product, and the production
ratio of ethylene to other
feedstocks can only be adjusted
in a relatively narrow range.
Ethane is both plentiful and cheap
in the Middle East, whilst the
recent development of ‘fracking’
(a technique developed in the
US to extract shale gas) has also
reduced the cost of ethylene in the
US and, subject to ‘fracking’ being
approved in Europe, potentially here
too. Naptha, on the other hand, is
expensive, meaning that ethylene
and propylene produced by this
method has also become more
costly. So given that you have to
process naptha to get propylene
and the ethylene produced by
this method has to compete with
ethylene derived from ethane, it looks
as if propylene (and other feedstocks)
will effectively have to cross-subsidise
naptha-derived ethylene.
The obvious outcome is that, due
to these fundamental changes,
polypropylene will become
increasingly more expensive when
compared to polyethylene.
Of course this price delta allows
the opportunity to deploy
alternative technologies
to produce propylene and
techniques such as PDH (propane
dehydrogenation), metathesis, and
FCC (fluidized catalyic crackers),
albeit at an additional cost.
So the recent delta between PP
and HDPE looks set to continue
and, for plastic processors at least,
this could lead to a change in
preference to achieve greater cost
efficiency. Whilst the economics are
complex - for instance, depending
upon utilization it may be necessary
to invest in additional capacity -
as a rule of thumb a 20 percent
premium of PP price over HDPE
negates the cycle time penalty
associated with the latter, although
each application will be different.
Should you require any further
information on either the substitution
of PP in existing applications, or
the adoption of HDPE in new
developments, please do not
hesitate to contact us to discuss
your specific requirements.
Jul -
08
Oc
t -
08
Jan
- 0
9
Ap
r - 0
9
Jul -
09
Oc
t -
09
Jan
- 1
0
Ap
r - 1
0
Jul -
10
Oc
t -
10
Jan
- 1
1
Ap
r - 1
1
1.4
1.3
1.2
1.1
1
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
HDPE Injection moulding grade
PPHP – Injection
PPCP – Injection
Price Index HDPE
Issue 01 – September 2011
30
The “Pack Away Garage” is a multi-
featured children’s toy designed
and developed by one of Europe’s
leading suppliers, Halsall Toys Europe
Ltd. (HTI). The garage is over three
levels, with a helipad, gas station,
car wash, ramps and car lift, as well
as die-cast cars. Molded from an
impact copolymer polypropylene
(ICP), the entire toy, which folds up
into a compact tye-shaped carrying
case, weighs 3kgs and measures
approximately 42cm x 38cm x 19cm.
As with all toys for the mass market,
the garage was required to meet the
standards and safety requirements
of key markets, such as ASTM F963
(United States) and EN71 (European
Union). Under ASTM F963, the folded
case was dropped five times from
six different directions at a height of
just over 90 cm, with the ICP failing
on the surface of the tire case
and in the internal support ribs. It
became clear that the material
lacked the flexibility and strength
to resist the high external impact.
The commercial launch of “Pack
Away Garage” in time for the run up
to Christmas was now in danger.
HTI and the moulder Ever Force
Toys and Electronics (Dongguan)
Limited of Guangdong, China, had
three options: adjust the production
process, which was considered a
priority, improve the ICP and, as
a last resort, modify the moulds.
After numerous adjustments to
the production process proved
unsuccessful, they approached local
polymer distributor, Kin Sang Chemical
Ltd. of Shenzhen, China, and
polymer manufacturer, ExxonMobil
Chemical for an assessment
of the material being used.
They proposed altering the formula
of the impact copolymer by adding
ExxonMobil Chemical’s Vistamaxx
propylene-based elastomer.
Vistamaxx can affect flexibility within
a part, increasing impact strength
down to -20°C while improving
adhesion. In particular, dry blending
10 to 30% Vistamaxx with PP at
the injection moulding machine
provides improved impact strength,
minimizing breakage and eliminating
the need for mould modification
or an increase in part thickness.
Ever Force tested different
concentrations of Vistamaxx
propylene‐based elastomer within the
impact copolymer before settling on
a 15% Vistamaxx loading, with which
it comfortably passed the drop-test.
“Thankfully we didn’t need to modify
the design of the tool as it would
have been very costly, and there
would have been delays of about
four months in commercialising the
toy,” remarks Jonathan Stoneley,
Halsall’s buying controller. “This
innovative solution meant we
did not miss the Christmas sales
period.” Launched in the summer
of 2009, the Pack Away Garage
sold 80,000 units in Europe during
the run up to Christmas that year,
making it Halsall’s third-best seller.
Further information on Vistamaxx™
propylene-based elastomer
can be found at:
www.exxonmobilchemical.com
Solving the drop-test dilemma
Vistamaxx™ propylene-based elastomer helps get unique toys to pass key drop-test and onto store shelves in time for Christmas.
Issue 01 – September 2011
31
That’s cool!
Recycled polystyrene from refrigerators available from Plastribution
A recycled grade of polystyrene (rPS
65W) from Total Petrochemicals is
now available to the UK processing
industry through Plastribution. The
general purpose material, suitable
for both injection moulding and
extrusion, is produced from post-
consumer refrigerator doors and liners.
rPS 65W offers comparable properties
to virgin polystyrene with a melt index
of 6g/10 minutes, a flexural modulus of
1750MPa, an Izod impact strength of 6
kJ/m2 at 23°C and a VICAT softening
temperature of 86°C. The pellet-
shaped material is manufactured to
match a consistent off-white colour
and has a density of approximately
1.05 g/m3. Typical applications for
the recycled grade of polystyrene
include office equipment, household
items and other injection-moulded
items. The material is not suitable for
food contact and toy applications.
For over last 25 years, high impact
polystyrene (HIPS) has been the
material of choice for refrigerator
liners and doors due to its lightweight
insulating and protective properties.
Unfortunately, once the
refrigerator has reached its end-
of-life, the polystyrene becomes
a waste material that companies
must pay to dispose of.
Total has sought to address this
problem by developing the post-
consumer, recycled grade of
polystyrene sourced from refrigerators.
“We believe plastics can be recycled
several times and still provide value as
a source of energy at the end of their
lifecycle. To maximise this potential,
Total is developing new solutions for
recycling plastics, including offering
new grades containing recycled
polymers. We also support the
efforts of professional associations
such as Plastics Europe to improve
the end-of-life management of
plastics,” says a spokesperson
for Total Petrochemicals.
The addition of a recycled grade
of Polystyrene, backed by the
brand of a major petrochemical
producer is another important
addition to Plastribution’s portfolio
of products with green credentials.
‘Through offering a broad range
of materials we aim to provide
processors with the correct solution
to meet the increasing need of
OEMs and retailers to provide
products to meet consumers
increasing expectations for more
environmentally friendly products’.
For more information, please visit
www.totalpetrochemicals.com
Issue 01 – September 2011
32
During pdm11, Plastribution once
more teamed up with injection
moulding technology group Engel
and design company Agentdraw
to provide show visitors with free-
of-charge consultation on plastic
product development. The Plastics
Design Workshops, held at dates
throughout the year, are the
opportunity for product designers
to receive confidential, high-level
advice on material selection,
product design, tooling and
manufacture. The next workshop
is scheduled to be held during
Interplas 2011 (27th-29th September,
www.britishplasticsshow.com).
Reflecting a concept first developed
by the Engel Moulders’ Group, the
goal of the Plastics Design Workshop
is to provide a forum for product
design groups to discuss their plastics
projects and their requirements in
terms of materials and manufacture.
Three strong candidates stood out
from the event held during pdm11,
as Dan Jarvis, product supervisor
at Plastribution, recalls: “The first, a
consultant to the plastics industry
with several projects in the pipeline,
was very interested in our new range
of sustainable materials. Since the
workshop the gentleman in question
has been in touch with our sustainable
products manager and the
communication process is ongoing.”
“The second candidate was
encountering more of a processing
issue – the customer produces
electrical connectors using flame-
retardant nylon but was having
issues with dimensional stability.
Our input was to suggest different
materials, including PBT, and to
look at alternative nylon grades.
Tooling advice was provided
by Agentdraw. Finally, the third
candidate required the involvement
of all three host companies on
material selection, tooling and
machinery for a new product.”
As well as co-hosting the Plastics
Design Workshop event, Plastribution
was once more an exhibitor at pdm11
at its new venue at the ExCeL Centre
in London. The change in location
was certainly not detrimental to visitor
interest in the Plastribution exhibit, as
Dan Jarvis, representing Plastribution
at the show, confirms: “This year’s
show was better than expected
for us. We took over 30 leads at our
stand, all of which we would classify
as strong, and we are now working
on a couple of bits of high volume
business as a direct consequence
of our participation.”
Plastics Design Workshop proves a hit at pdm11
Dan JarvisProduct Supervisor
Issue 01 – September 2011
33
Enable™ metallocene polyethylene
(mPE) from ExxonMobil Chemical
offers an unprecedented
combination of film processing and
HAO performance benefits in a
single, unique resin. Availability
in the UK through Plastribution, it
allows converters to further enhance
their business through more stable
operations, improved film line output,
film down-gauging, and simpler
resin sourcing.
Operational stability Enable mPE has a broad operating
window – on both LLDPE and LDPE
equipment – that can withstand
fluctuations in manufacturing
conditions. The ability of Enable
mPE to extrude at lower melting
temperatures delivers extrusion
energy savings, promotes greater
bubble stability, and leads to stable,
worry-free operations.
Extended output Enable mPE facilitates faster
processing which increases film line
capacity. When replacing LLDPE-rich
blends it’s possible to increase output
by up to 20% with no additional
capital cost, resulting in increased
revenue and the postponement
of future equipment investments.
In some cases, polymer processing
aids can be eliminated, resulting in
additional savings.
Versatility with higher alpha olefin (HAO) performance Enable mPE technology meets the
performance needs of several film
applications. While often surpassing
the mechanical performance
requirements of LLDPE-rich structures,
Enable mPE can significantly improve
the toughness of LDPE-rich structures
making down-gauging by more
than 20 percent a possibility. Enable
mPE can open up potential new
applications on LDPE equipment.
Resin sourcing simplicity Enable mPE is a single, unique resin
designed to replace LLDPE/LDPE
blends - simplifying sourcing and
operations. Lowering inventory costs
by reducing the number of resins that
need to be sourced, it eliminates
blending complexity and costly errors.
While Enable mPE technology is ideal
for film converters with LLDPE and
LDPE mono-layer blown film lines, it
also brings value to multilayer blown
film lines, especially large lay-flat
films requiring high melt strength,
and cast film lines. Its broad range
of benefits makes Enable mPE
suitable for an array of flexible film
applications including collation shrink,
pallet shrink, cast stretch hand wrap,
lamination film, heavy duty bags
and agricultural greenhouse films.
Further information on Enable™
metallocene polyethylene
(mPE) can be found at:
www.exxonmobilchemical.com
Enabling a multitude of benefits for film converters
Availability in the UK through Plastribution, it allows converters to further enhance their business through more stable operations, improved film line output, film down-gauging, and simpler resin sourcing.
Issue 01 – September 2011
34
Advancing the knowledge and skills of the injection moulding industry
Beyond the supply of high quality
thermoplastics, the sharing of
its technical knowledge is a
second, fundamental element of
Plastribution’s commitment to service
excellence. This is reflected by the
initiation of two training courses by
Plastribution aimed at advancing the
knowledge and skills of its customers’
process technicians and production
and commercial managers from
the injection moulding industry.
The first, a three-day course entitled
Process Optimisation and delivered
by plastics consultancy and training
provider G&A Moulding Technology
at its state-of-the-art premises in
Peterborough , combines theory with
practice in meeting the needs of
the processor wishing to obtain high
levels of accuracy and productivity
from their production facilities.
More recently, Plastribution has
introduced a second course,
“Injection Moulding for Non-
Technical Staff”, which is held over
two days, also in conjunction with
G&A. “The purpose of this course
is to provide candidates, who
most likely have a commercial or
non-technical background, with a
general understanding of injection
moulding materials, machines and
the processing of the polymers which
will enable them to make educated
decisions when specifying and
procuring materials,” explains Duncan
Scott, sales manager at Plastribution
and presenter at the course.
The perfect blend of theory and practiceThe informative and entertaining
“Being completely new to the plastics industry, the course provided me with the building blocks I required to start to understand the injection moulding process”
Issue 01 – September 2011
35
Duncan ScottDistribution Sales Manager
Issue 01 – September 2011
36
The trend towards customising
materials at the machine is becoming
an increasingly popular approach to
both reducing cost and optimising
both processing and properties.
Over the last three decades, we have
witnessed masterbatch becoming
the predominant method for both
colouring plastics and adding small
concentrations of additives and
processing aids. More recently
processors are looking to blend
additives such as Vistamaxx™
propylene-based elastomers and
Exact™ plastomers, which can
be used to modify the rigidity and
impact performance of polyolefins,
and Granic® compounds with high
concentrations of mineral fillers used
as rigidity modifiers, productivity
enhancers and extenders.
Whilst the advantages of blending
at the machine are clear, the close
control of this process is vital: in the
case of additive and colourant
masterbatches, for instance,
excessive dosing will increase cost,
while in the case of plastomers and
Granic®, incorrect dosing will lead to
the properties of the end product not
meeting the required specification.
In recognition of this trend, Know-how
spoke to Sam Hill, managing director
of Summit Systems, about some of
the practical aspects of blending:
KH: Which technologies are
available to plastic processors seeking
to blend material at the hopper?
SH: Essentially there are four main
options - hand blending, tumble
blending, volumetric blending
and gravimetric blending, each
with their associated advantages
and disadvantages.
KH: And these are?
SH: In the case of hand and tumble
blending, the labour cost and error
rates only make it feasible for very
small production runs. In the case of
volumetric blending we need to look
at what happens in the real work
environment to assess its practical
value: The key to accuracy with
volumetric equipment is frequent
calibration and correction of control
settings. Unfortunately, the time and
attention to detail required to do this
is rarely available to personnel on the
factory floor and as a result processors
often run without the correct settings
risking their product integrity.
When the masterbatch or additive
amount added to the process is
too low, the error is often visible
and a correction to increase is
obviously made. however, when
the material addition is too high,
the problem may not be visible
and adjustments are not made. This
results in high and excessive raw
trend
Blending for success
Sam Hill – Managing Director Summit Systems
Issue 01 – September 2011
37
material costs to our customers. This
excessive material usage is almost
always a minimum of 10 percent
and frequently much more. Indeed,
excess masterbatch usage of
between 20 and 50 percent is not
uncommon, resulting in inconsistent
product quality, function and form.
In contrast a gravimetric blender
solves the problem of incorrect
dosage as it automates the job
of calibration and correction by
checking and adjusting the addition
rate in every cycle. Details of the
potential savings achieved through
the use of gravimetric blending
can be found on our website at:
www.summitsystems.co.uk/media/
documents/blenderbusinesscase.pdf
Furthermore gravimetric blending
facilitates the blending of multiple
materials with different and/
or variable bulk density.
KH: Can you tell us about your
relationship with Plastribution?
SH: Summit Systems have shared
success at the Plastic Industry Awards
and worked together on a number of
projects for Plastribution customers. It
is an important partnership in which
we can provide practical support to
Plastribution customers, ensuring that
their innovative plastic raw material
solutions can be realised within
the production environment.
“It is an important partnership in which we can provide practical support to Plastribution customers, ensuring that innovative plastic raw material solutions can be realised within the production environment”
The relative merits of principal blending methods
Distribution ConsistencyRisk of
SeparationRisk of Error Capital Cost Life-time Cost
Hand Blending Poor Poor High High Low High
Tumble Blending Good Poor High High Low High
Volumetric Blending Good Good Low Low
MediumHigh
Gravimetric Blending Good Good Low Low High Low
Issue 01 – September 2011
38
Earlier in this publication we explained that the journey we took to establish our new brand identity allowed us to also more clearly define how our teams work.
Above all, we know that price,
availability and flexibility are of
paramount importance in our
industry. Because we work in different
ways with our partners dependent
on their needs, the ones that know
us regard us as both integral and
indispensible because or processes
ensure that we always manage
these three things perfectly.
Our teams and processes have
been developed carefully in order
for us to be able to do this so well -
using our expertise and innovation
in order to suit each different
type of customer and supplier.
It’s this unique way of working,
specially designed to suit everyone
who deals with us that really makes us
different. Here is a description of how
our teams work and what
they are called
Direct Sales TeamThis team look after the needs of
larger customers where there is a
strong emphasis on price, availability
and up to date market information.
Normally specific requirements
are discussed and these are then
matched to supply. Often product
is delivered direct from the polymer
producer’s plant or warehouse
directly to the customer. The
Direct Sales team have the skills,
knowledge and market information
to meet the requirements of a
commercially demanding market.
Distribution Sales TeamThis team looks after the needs of
smaller and medium size customers
who are often looking for a just in time
service across a range of polymers.
Normally goods are despatched
from Plastribution’s warehouse to
the customer on a next day service.
Distribution customers typically
require higher levels of technical
service, in terms of materials selection
and processing advice. Extensive
stocks and effective supply chain
management enable this team to
meet with customer demands for a
next day service. Front line technical
support is provided by Technical Sales
Executives with technical expertise
and backed up by the knowledge
of Plastribution and its suppliers.
Product Management TeamsThree teams look after Polyolefins,
Styrenics & Specialities, and
Engineering Polymers. Essentially the
teams manage the supply chain and
handle the commercial negotiations.
This is the vital interface between the
Direct & Distribution sales teams and
our suppliers and there is extensive
need for effective communication
to ensure that price and availability
is optimised. The alignment of teams
to similar products enables the
efficient dissemination of information
and ensures that up to the minute
information is available throughout
the organisation. The close proximity
of the Product Management Teams
to the Direct Sales Team ensures that
the commercial requirements of large
customers are effectively met.
The Plastribution Teams
Issue 01 – September 2011
39
Teach polypropylene cool new tricks.
Vistamaxx™ specialty elastomers let you demand more from existing polypropylene applications – and might even lead you tonew ones. This versatile portfolio of products can improve strength, softness, flexibility and clarity. Because they’re halogen-freeand lighter weight, Vistamaxx specialty elastomer / polypropylene blends may be an effective alternative in PVC applications.
How cool would that be? Fetch more information on gomaxxgo.com.
With Vistamaxx elastomers as a blend partner, polypropylene can perform in a whole new way.
V i s t a m a x x ™ s p e c i a l t y e l a s t o m e r s M a x x i m i z e Pe f o r m a n c e