Pre-K Show Report

ENGEL ENTERS PET/PACKAGING MARKET

Engel is aggressively entering the packaging market with a new line of machines, the company announced at its pre-K press conference held in Perg, Austria. The machines will be featured at the company’s exhibit at the K show later this year.

The company’s new MacPET series of machines are designed for the injection molding of PET preforms. The MacPET line is a new business sector created by Engel after its acquisition of SIG Coroplast’s injection molding machine business. The series is comprised of complete production systems for PET preforms equipped with multi-cavity molds ranging from 24 up to 96 cavities. A 96-cavity machine will be in operation at the K Show.

Engel sold about 100 PET machines as part of the SIG Coroplast line in 2003, and has already sold about 15 MacPET machines this year as part of the launch of the new line, according to Georg Steinbichler, senior vice president, R&D, Engel Austria. Steinbichler projects the company will sell about 25 MacPET machines over the next year.

Engel is also introducing at K its new line of machines for the injection molding of thin-wall packaging containers, the MacPAC system. The MacPAC machines are equipped with five-point toggle clamps and are designed for fast cycling. Steinbichler said the MacPAC series will ultimately comprise machines with clamping forces ranging from 1250 to 3500 kN. A 1,250 kN MacPAC machine will be in operation at the K Show molding a packaging tub from polypropylene in a two-cavity mold.

Dr. Hans Wobbe, managing director, technology, said the new machines flesh out the company’s product line in established markets such as North America and Europe.

“We think packaging manufacturing will remain in higher-cost countries and that there will be a growing need for machines because packaging is a marketing instrument,” said Wobbe.

Engel Canada 519-836-0220

DUPONT REVEALS NEW TECHNOLOGIES, EXPANSION PLANS

DuPont unveiled new resin technology and several major expansion initiatives within its Engineering Polymer business unit at the recent pre-K press conference in Vienna, Austria.

In the most notable business development for the North American market, DuPont said it will be starting up a new 13,700 tonne plant at Richmond, Virginia to produce high temperature Zytel HTN polyamide. The plant, which will more than double the company’s capacity for Zytel HTN, is scheduled to go into production later this year and will feature a first-of-its-kind continuous-flow production method. According to Nandan Rao, global technology director, DuPont, the new process has lower polymer residence time than conventional batch polymerization technology, resulting in a resin with higher purity.

DuPont also announced a new patented Active Membrane technology that allows water vapor to pass through but keeps out liquids. Rao said the technology has many potential applications and is already commercial as a roof liner. As well, the company has developed a new class of engineering thermoplastic vulcanizates with high heat and oil resistance. The materials are targeted at the automotive industry.

DuPont Canada Inc. 800-268-3943