Previous CEO Michael Santa and Canadian regional manager Bruno Lamot have left the company. Ron Ricapito, most recently CFO, is the new CEO for Battenfeld of America. The injection molding machinery division of SMS Plastics Technology is reducing staff at its Battenfeld of America (South Elgin, IL) service/support site by about 15%, leaving 20-some employees there. Injection molding machine manufacturers continue to lower head counts. ![]() Reorganizations at molding machine manufacturers The company recently was named a preferred injection molder by medical device group BioCom. HK Plastics (Oceanside, CA) is moving to a new custom-designed molding facility, not far from its present facility, which doubles the company''s manufacturing space to 55,000 ft2. works with Hennecke to provide tailor-made PU processing plants for the Asian market. (Singapore) joint venture with the opening of a service center in Shanghai. Polyurethane processing machinery manufacturer Hennecke GmbH will expand its MEG-Maruka Kakouki Co. Chemtura kept its Adiprene and Vibrathane urethanes business and its North American-based Fomrez polyester polyol business. Witcothane''s polyurethanes typically see application in the footwear industry. Specialty chemicals giant Chemtura (Middlebury, CT) has sold its Witcothane urethanes business to Elastogran (Lemförde, Germany). Soliant LLC''s thermoplastic paint-film technology, which has 40 million parts on the road in Toyota, Honda, and GM vehicles among others, was given the Emerging Technologies award, and AMUT North America received the Enabling Technologies award for its patented process to convert post-consumer PET bottles into PET flakes, which uses less water and chemicals than alternative processes.Ĭolor compounder Putsch (Nuremberg, Germany) signed an exclusive supply agreement for pigmented ABS for injection molded vehicle compartments with the Volkswagen Group (Wolfsburg, Germany). The company uses these microorganisms in a fermentation process to create large quantities of PHA, feeding them glucose to spur the process. Using "microbial biofactories," Metabolix metabolically engineers microorganisms that in nature create PHA and store it as an energy source. In February, Metabolix announced production plans with partner Archer Daniels Midland for a 50,000 tons/yr plant to make polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) polymers. Ciba Specialty Chemical''s Envirocare additives for use in LLDPE biodegradable mulch films won the New Technologies in Materials prize, while Metabolix was honored for New Technologies in Renewable Materials and Processes. ![]() ![]() Featured in the Volkswagen Passat, Spartech invested $15 million in two European production lines for Low E Poly extrusion. Thermoforming roll-stock supplier Spartech won the New Technologies in Processes award for its Low E Poly multilayer barrier sheet, which meets the zero-evaporative emissions standards for applications like fuel tanks. Wal-Mart, which has transferred four produce lines to containers made from NatureWorks corn-derived PLA resin, was given the Environmental Stewardship award. The conference also honored companies for advances in materials, conservation and processing technologies. OEM interest in green solutions for both products and packaging was evident with representation from Ford, General Motors, Kraft, Hewlett-Packard, Nokia, and others. 28-March 2) in Atlanta attracted 275 attendees, a more than 70% increase in just two years. ![]() One obvious outcome of high prices for petroleum-based thermoplastics is the rapidly increasing interest, and growing demand, for plastics based on renewable resource materials.įor instance, the Society of Plastics Engineers annual Global Plastics Environmental Conference (Feb.
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