Plastopedia

Automaker BMW AG placed a major order with KraussMaffei Technologies GmbH nine resin transfer machines, and three MX injection molding machines alongwith 4,000 metric tons of clamping force. Munich-based KraussMaffei announced the sale Nov. 17 but did not give the dollar amount of BMW’s investment.

Materials company Resinas Colores y Compuestos SA de CV recently added a new twin-screw extrusion line and likely to further add another production site by next two years.

Jean-Louis Coiquaud presented the company’s wish list in the world of molds at KTW Group’s 2011 symposium earlier this year, Procter & Gamble Co.’s . A senior purchasing manager for injection molding and direct mold sourcing at P&G, spoke of a “shifting world” Coiquaud, and said there are demands to be met in terms of innovation, sustainability and speed to market.

The European association of plastics and rubber machinery manufacturers, Euromap has endorsed the EU Commission’s objective to cut European energy consumption by 20% by 2020.

Extrusion Dies Extrusion LLC is relocating its flat die remanufacturing operation in Chippewa Falls to a dedicated, larger facility that focuses on die rework, spare parts fabrication and other aftermarket services.

Arrk Europe has invested in a 3, 200 tonne injection moulding machine from Krauss Maffei for its tooling and molding facility in Petersfield, Hampshire. According to the company, the purchase of the KM 3200 – 33000MX is a clear statement of Arrk’s continued growth in the UK and its commitment to providing customers with a range of first class capabilities.

Gammaflux LP will supply its hot runner temperature controllers to injection press manufacturer Milacron LLC under a private-label agreement announced Sept. 29. Effectively immediately, Milacron will distribute the complete line of Gammaflux LEC and TTC hot runner temperature controllers, as auxiliary equipment options on Milacron injection molding machines.

Sales are growing at Milacron LLC, two years after the producer of plastics machinery emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The Cincinnati-based company is profitable, officials said. This year, Milacron leaders are expecting sales to reach around $800 million, an increase of about 30 percent from 2010. That would mark a return to levels the company reached before the recession, officials added. Milacron’s sales increased by a considerable percent between 2009 and 2010.

Global stock markets are getting hammered in 2011 but this is not the case with plastics processing machinery manufacturers in Germany and Italy who continue to earn blue chip results. The trade associations representing those manufacturers in both countries shared their look on the year-to-date results and offered predictions for sales through the end of 2011. If the glass ball is telling the truth, then machine makers have reason to smile.

Plastic pallet processor Cabka has acquired Austrian reusable plastics packaging developer Pack'nlog GmbH. Pack'nlog is a processor of folding plastic crates. Terms of the acquisition were not released.Cabka (Weira, Germany) has pallet processing capacity throughout Europe and also in North America (St. Louis and Toronto).

LG Electronics and KraussMaffei have agreed to work together on technological developments in plastics processing for electronics devices. The deal was signed at a ceremony in Munich where LG also ordered additional injection moulding machines from KraussMaffei’s MX series.

Known for its shuttle machines, Rotoline Industrial Equipment Ltda. has launched its first independent-arm, carousel rotational molding machine.Rotoline introduced its Carrossel series of machines at the Brasilplast the trade show, held in May in São Paulo.

Italian ancillary manufacturer Moretto has launched a range of machinery equipment since exhibiting its wares at the K show in Germany last year, including a compressed air dryer.

Becton, Dickinson and Co. has purchased two El-Exis injection molding machines from Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Plastics Machinery GmbH to expand its production of petri dishes.Becton, Dickinson is switching its production from an eight-plus-eight-cavity stack mold to a 16-plus 16-cavity stack mold.

Green Box srl, the maker of process cooling equipment, has installed a 793-solar-panel roof at its headquarters factory in Piove di Sacco, near Venice.

US-based Lloyd Instruments has launched a new polymer testing instrument - the LS1 high performance single column materials testing machine, which can test materials up to 0.5 tonnes.

Assocomaplast, the association of Italian plastics and rubber machinery producers, has revealed in a statement issued on 10 June that Euromap, the umbrella association to which it and other national associations belong, will submit an energy consumption study to the European Commission in “early summer 2011”.

Italian plastics and rubber machinery makers experienced a 24% increase in exports in the first quarter of 2011, according to figures released by the country’s machinery association Assocomaplast.

APPE, the PET packaging division of La Seda de Barcelona, has invested around £1.5m in a ProShape selective preform tempering module from food packaging and filling system specialist Krones.

The GTMA has appointed Peter Barnes to its board of directors. According to the machinery organisation, he brings a wealth of knowledge, contacts and experience of business operations in the Far East he will add strategic width to the association and its Manufacturing Resource Centre (MRC) initiative.