Dr Nick Henwood has joined 493K’s new global consultancy service for the plastics industryas an associate technical advisor.

Announcing the partnership, Dr Gareth McDowell, 493K’s Managing Director said: “Nick brings nearly 20 years experience in rotomoulding to the 493K consultancy team. He is recognised as a worldwide authority on the rotomoulding process and we intend to use his specialist expertise to help roto-moulders tackle many of their current challenges.”

He added: “Record high gas prices are hurting rotomoulding margins, and improved production efficiency is absolutely crucial to securing manufacturing profitability, Nick’s input will further  enhance 493K’s roto efficiency process.”

Nick Henwood’s involvement in rotomoulding began in the mid-1980’s, working for the Dow Chemical Company in Europe. His initial sales role developed into the marketing / technical area. He became the prime mover in building a technically and commercially competitive grade slate for Dow.

From Dow Europe he moved to their UK and Ireland rotomoulding distributor, Rotec Chemicals, this time taking the role of Commercial Director. In 1992, he founded his own company, Matrix Polymers, with the vision of building a materials supplier that would set a new standard for the European rotomoulding market in the fields of customer service, technical support and innovation. Over the next fourteen years Matrix became one of the leading suppliers of materials and services to rotomoulding across the whole European market. Following the incorporation of the succession countries (former Eastern Bloc) into the European Community, Matrix was the first supplier to build a rotomoulding materials plant in Poland.

In parallel with the commercial development of the company, Dr Henwood spearheaded an aggressive and highly focused R&D programme, which resulted in the development of a number of innovative products and process modifications for the benefit of roto-moulders. Today, Matrix is still seen as a leading rotomoulding supplier..
In mid-2006, Dr Henwood sold his shareholding in Matrix and resigned as its Managing Director and Technical Director. He now operates independently as a researcher, consultant and an educator, through his new company, Rotomotive Limited.

A commitment to education and training for roto-moulders has been a major theme in Dr Henwood’s career and he has been the presenter and trainer at many in-house and industry events. Most notably, he now runs an extremely popular “Materials Masterclass” seminar on behalf of the Association of Rotational Molders (ARM) International (the rotomoulding industry’s global trade body).  An additional seminar programme, “Process & Quality Control” will be showcased at the forthcoming meeting of ARM’s South Asia Region Division’s conference in Goa, India.  This new seminar is a joint presentation with Dr Gareth McDowell of 493K.

Dr Henwood is a member of the Society of Plastic Engineers, Rotational Moulding Division. He has served on the Board of Directors of ARM International, is Vice-Chairman of that organisation's Polyolefins Committee and is an active member of their International Development Committee.

Dr Gareth McDowell commented: “Until now, 493K was best known for its industry-leading temperature measurement systems. Our site visits, throughout the world, convinced us that roto-moulders are facing a unique set of production efficiency issues. 493K’s consultancy service is focused on these issues, and is specifically designed to optimise cycle times and reduce costly wastage.”

Contact - Dr Gareth McDowell

Call +44 (0)28 9335 9922
Email: gareth.mcdowell@493k.com
Website: www.493k.com

 

Formosa Ethylene Plant Shut By Leakage

Formosa Petrochemical Corp., Taiwan's second-biggest fuel supplier, shut the island's largest ethylene plant on the 10th January because of a pipe leakage, reported Bloomberg News.

The closure, expected to last one week, will affect the No. 3 plant, in Mailiao on Taiwan's west coast. It has capacity to make 1.2 million metric tons of ethylene a year from naphtha. Formosa Petrochemical will draw on stockpiled ethylene, the base material for plastic drink bottles and grocery bags, to meet delivery commitments during the shutdown. ``Supplies won't be a problem, as we will use inventories for now,'' Lin said. The refiner may reduce purchases of naphtha, made from crude oil, because of the closure, he said. The company meanwhile cancelled a plan to import 150,000 tons of naphtha for delivery between Feb. 21 and March 31, said two traders of the oil-based raw material.

Source: Bloomberg

 

French Industrial Output Fell, Reflected In Plastics

According to Bloomberg News, Industrial production in France fell more than economists expected in November, led by declines in auto manufacturing and food output.

Production at factories, utilities and mines, which accounts for 15 percent of the economy, dropped 1.5 percent from the previous month, when it surged 2.1 percent, the national statistics bureau, Insee, said in Paris.

Industrial output rose 2.5 percent from a year earlier. Consumer goods production fell 0.3 percent, intermediate goods fell 1.6 percent, led by a drop in plastic-based products. Car-industry output slumped 5.3 percent, reversing October's 7.5 percent rally. Food output dropped 2 percent.

Manufacturing output, which excludes energy, fell 1.3 percent from the previous month. From a year earlier, it rose 2.3 percent.Declining competitiveness in Europe's third-largest economy is set to help drag French economic growth behind the euro region for a third year in 2008, according to European Commission forecasts. The government reported the trade deficit climbed to a record as exports fell. ``The drop is surprising, after October's jump, but it's symptomatic of French industrial production, which is very volatile,'' Jean-Christophe Caffet, an economist at Natixis in Paris, said in an interview with Bloomberg television. ``We are sceptical'' about 2008, he said.

Source: Bloomberg

 

Malaysia’s Sanichi Teams Up With Watson Plastics

Sanichi Technology Bhd will team up with Singapore-based Watson Plastics Industries Pte Ltd (WPI) to provide one-stop manufacturing solutions to customers.   In a statement, Sanichi Chairman and Managing Director, Datuk Dr Pang Chow Huat said the alliance would open up new markets for the company by granting access to WPI's existing and future base.

Source: The Star, Malaysia

 

Dubai Aims To Improve Transparency With Plastics Futures

Plastics traders and consumers are hoping the launch of a new plastics futures contract in Dubai will offer a useful hedging tool and greater price transparency, ensuring success where London's LME has so far failed, reports the The Guardian newspaper.

Soaring prices and recent high volatility have prepared the ground well for an exchange-traded pricing mechanism in the Gulf, which has half of the world's petrochemical projects.Large plastics producers who are integrated into the oil and gas industry may be slow to adopt the new contract, but dealers say smaller players, more exposed to volatility, will be keen to use the Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange's (DGCX) contracts."

Integrated plastics producers who don't buy oil from the open market are less concerned about the effect of feedstock prices on their margins, and they think hedging can restrict profits," one industry executive said.

"But those who are not in the active Middle Eastern and Asian regions, and are desperate for margin stability, especially in this extremely volatile market, will want to use the DGCX contracts." Plastics come from oil products naphtha and ethylene but cannot be hedged properly on oil futures exchanges as these markets do not always move in the same way.The bourse hopes to launch four contracts next month in low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, linear low-density polyethylene, and polypropylene. For each grade, there will be three regional contracts: Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

Source: Reuters, The Guardian 

 

Solvay Advanced Polymers Names Corbin As New President & CEO

Solvay Advanced Polymers announced that George Corbin, Vice President of Technology, has been named President & CEO, succeeding Roger Kearns, who will move on to a senior leadership position within the Solvay group. As President and CEO of Solvay Advanced Polymers, Corbin will be responsible for developing, articulating and implementing the strategic growth plan for the company and its more than 1,000 employees and associates worldwide.

The company, which develops, manufactures and markets more plastics with more performance than any other supplier in the world, last year unveiled Spire(TM) ultra polymers, a new suite of ultra-performance plastics occupying the highest tier of performance polymers.

Under Corbin's leadership, Solvay Advanced Polymers will continue its push to create new polymer solutions. "We're very excited to have a talent of George's calibre step in and continue the success Roger and the company have created," explained Vincenzo Morici, General Manager for Solvay's Specialty Polymers Business.

"In George, we have a specialty polymer veteran who has helped shepherd some of the industry's most technically advanced breakthroughs in polymer development, which have in turn, paved the way for opportunities in new and existing markets." Solvay Advanced Polymers produces more plastics with more performance than any other company in the world. This gives design engineers worldwide more ways to solve top design challenges in automotive, medical, electronics, aerospace and other demanding industries. For more information: www.solvayadvancedpolymers.com.

Source: Business Wire 

 

Austria’s Lenzing Acquires Dolan, Fibre Maker

Austria’s Lenzing has acquired Dolan GmbH, a maker of specialty fibres based in Kelheim, Germany. The firm became a full subsidiary of Lenzing Plastics GmbH on Dec. 31, 2007.

Dolan produces a range of applications based on acrylic fibres for outdoor products, in particular high quality textile home architecture (sunshades, small sun sails, cover fabrics for outdoor furniture and tops for convertibles and boats). The company’s fibres are highly photo static and weather-proof, as well as highly resistant to wear and decomposition. Moreover, the company makes fibres for technical applications, such as waste gas filtration systems and reinforcements for friction linings and construction materials under the brand name Dolanit.

"The acquisition of Dolan is the consistent continuation of Lenzing Plastics' dynamic expansion. Dolan perfectly complements the product portfolio of Lenzing Plastics, especially in outdoor products and filtration technology" says Thomas Fahnemann, chairman of Lenzing's management board. He adds, "Within the course of a single year Lenzing Plastics has entered a new industrial dimension by acquisitions and greenfield projects – offering a future-oriented product portfolio in attractive niche markets".

Dolan Gmbh had sales of approximately €25 million in 2007 and employs a staff of about 100. The company had previously been a full subsidiary of fibre producing company Kelheim Fibres GmbH, in which Lenzing holds a 35% share.

Lenzing comments that it plans to increase Dolan’s investment in sales and marketing, as well as in the development of its product portfolio, utilizing the considerable potential for synergy with Lenzing Plastics..
 
Source: Inteletex


Heavy-Duty, Battery Powered, Motorized Cart for Hauling Materials, and Parts

DJ Products of Minneapolis has introduced a heavy-duty, walk behind, motorized material handling cart that hauls equipment, materials, and parts. Called the WagonCaddy, the unit is design for moving heavy materials from one point to another in manufacturing, distribution, hospital, and office environments.

The WagonCaddy can haul loads up to 2500 lb. and has a pushing or pulling capacity of other equipment up to 10,000 lb. The unit has a variable speed twist grips that allows the operator to travel at speeds of 0-3 mph forward or backward. With its heavy duty, 36-volt motor being powered by three 12v batteries, the unit can perform without re-charging for an entire shift.

Options include a rotating electric scissors lift, a larger bed, a push pad and pintle hitch for pushing or pulling other heavy carts or equipment. The WagonCaddy is available in yellow, white, or black and can be customized for almost any application.

For more information: www.cartcaddy.com