Wittmann Battenfeld has intensified the cooperation between its Sales and Application Engineering departments. To this end, special focal areas of application technology have been defined and appropriate reorganization measures taken. Six fields have been selected to receive special attention over the next two years: medical technology, micro injection molding, packaging technology, elastomer engineering, multi-component injection molding and light-weight design. Wolfgang Roth, Head of Application Engineering will be in charge of directing the product experts jointly with Valentina Faloci, Head of Sales.

Arburg announced that in January 2021 it has entered into a trade partnership with LSVN Co. Ltd. to expand its injection moulding business in Vietnam. Headquartered in Ho Chi Minh City, LSVN has more than 20 years of experience in the field of injection moulding, during which time it has successfully established itself as a distribution partner and service provider for the injection moulding industry.

Covestro has received ISCC Plus mass balance certification for its Antwerp, Belgium, and Krefeld-Uerdingen, Germany, sites. This means the company can now offer its customers large product volumes of polycarbonate made from renewable attributed raw materials in the same good quality as fossil-based polycarbonate. The polyurethane raw material methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) from Krefeld-Uerdingen and its precursor aniline from the Antwerp plant are now also available with ISCC Plus certification.

The use of plastics in railway vehicles has represented the state of the art for a number of years now. In component production for this field, too, 3D printing is becoming increasingly important, with 3D printed plastics being put to use on both the outside and inside of railway vehicles. Apart from its use in new vehicles, additive manufacturing is also displaying its strengths in the production of spare parts. The required components can be produced cost-effectively in small and medium-size quantities and, in some cases, the reacquisition of parts only becomes possible at all through 3D printing.

Repsol and TactoTek have announced that they seek to expand the use of polyolefins in smart surfaces.

Texas-based distributor Nexeo Plastics has hired Joost d’Hooghe as its new vice president of EMEA. D’Hooghe will be responsible for continued development and expansion of the company’s footprint throughout the region across all existing and prospective vertical markets. D’Hooghe fills the role previously held by Paul Tayler, CEO at Nexeo Plastics.

PolymaxTPE announced that the company has developed a new TPE product that is said to outperform commonly used TPUs and compounds such as TPSiV in electronic components. The material is described as being abrasion resistant, odour-free and with excellent chemical adhesion to PC and ABS, as well as blends and alloys of these thermoplastics. The material is well suited in any application where an item is handled frequently in an abusive environment such as protective cases and on wearable technology.

Audia Elastomers announces the launch of its AudiaFlex family of sustainable thermoplastic elastomers. The company said that these products are one of the industry’s first TPE portfolios which meet the sustainability needs of brand owners and consumers. The AudiaFlex family is comprised of customizable grades which are produced from post-consumer, post-industrial, bio-based, and marine-based sources.

Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd. is inviting to Chinaplas 2021, Asia’s No. 1 plastics and rubber trade fair, to be held 13 – 16 April 2021 at the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center in Shenzhen, China. According to the organisers, in today’s unprecedented turbulent times, the global manufacturing industry is undergoing profound and complex changes, facing uncertainties and challenges, while opening up new opportunities under the new normal. Chinaplas 2021, themed “New Era – New Potential – Innovation for Sustainability”, will not only stimulate development in the industries, but also keep the momentum going in the exploration of business opportunities in the new era, said Adsale.

Kuraray’s Elastomers Business Unit will raise the transaction prices of following elastomer products in all regions effective 1 February 2021 or as existing supply agreements allow: All Septon, Hybrar and TU-Polymer: USD 0.22 per kilogram (USD 0.10 per pound).