Especially in times of a pandemic, when you don’t always have another person around to assist you, a mechanical helping hand can be particularly useful. That is why Sintratec 3D operator and scientific draughtsman Tomy designed an extraordinary wearable third hand.

At Gummiwerk Kraiburg, Dr. Frieder Vielsack has taken over as head of the Research and Development department effective September 1, 2021. In his new position, he is responsible for leading the department with a focus on further expanding Gummiwerk Kraiburg's strength in developing customer-specific material solutions and innovative products for new fields of application.

Rubber Division, ACS annually honors outstanding elastomer experts with the prestigious Science & Technology Awards. Among these awards is the Chemistry of Thermoplastic Elastomers Award.

The 27th Fakuma international trade fair for plastics processing celebrated an inspiring restart in Friedrichshafen from 12-16 October 2021. Organiser Schall welcomed in total 1470 exhibitors from 39 countries. (2018: 1933). Overall emphasis was placed on the topics of sustainability, circular economy and recycling. 

Teknor Apex offers the Monprene CP-16500 series, designed specifically for dog chew toys. The grades offer an extensive range of performance and aesthetic characteristics, including enhanced bite and tear resistance, and varying gloss levels and opacity. Formulated only with FDA listed ingredients, these TPEs are manufactured under strict quality standards, said the company. The materials meet relevant requirements of European Directives for Food Contact, EU 1935/2004 and PIM10/2011. They do not contain PVC, BPA, Latex, phthalates, or metals and are manufactured in ISO-9001 certified facilities in the USA, Singapore, and Germany to serve local markets. They are suitable for use in pet and children’s toys per regulatory standards CPSIA, EN 71 and ASTM F963.

Kraiburg TPE is now offering TPE grades particularly suited for applications that benefit from a surface with optimized gliding properties. The focus is on packaging for high-quality cosmetic products but also on direct product additions for consumer products from the electronics or household sectors. The Smooth Touch Thermolast K TPEs meet standard regulations for the food sector.

With three new filaments – Ultrafuse TPU 64D, Ultrafuse TPU 95A and Ultrafuse TPS 90A – Forward AM is launching a portfolio of advanced flexible materials for Additive Manufacturing (AM). These new filaments are said to enable the easy, rapid and cost-efficient production of 3D printed parts via Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF).

Sergej Lazovic has been appointed as Managing Director of Biesterfeld Spezialchemie GmbH alongside Peter Wilkes with effect from 1 October 2021. Together, the two Managing Directors will be responsible for the ongoing strategic development of the Biesterfeld subsidiary's global business.

Evonik announced that it has recently extended its distribution agreement with Brenntag for its Dynasylan product line to 16 countries in Eastern Europe. Effective immediately, Brenntag will additionally distribute the silane products in Poland, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Albania, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

Sigma Engineering GmbH has enhanced its Sigmasoft process simulation software. The new version 5.3.1 contains a new module for simulation of compression molding processes of rubber compounds.