PETpla.net Insider 05 / 2014

TRADE SHOW REVIEW 38 PET planet insider Vol. 15 No. 05/14 www.petpla.net Chinaplas 2014: Shanghai show attracts record numbers By the time Chinaplas 2014 closed its doors it had attracted a record number of visitors and delegates and had reinforced its claim to be the largest plastics and rubber fair in Asia. The show’s 28 th edition was held at Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC), PR China, and ran from April 23-26. It attracted 130,370 visitors across the 4-day show, which was more than 14% higher than the previ- ous show in Guangzhou and was the highest number ever. The total of overseas visitors also reached new heights, at 36,841 – nearly 20% more than in 2013 – from 143 coun- tries, including India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Korea, Malay- sia, Thailand and Russia. Domestic visitor numbers were also higher than ever, at 93,529; more than 12% higher than last year. Over 3,000 exhibitors from 39 countries and regions participated. Exhibitors occupied 13 outdoor halls and six exhibition suites, specially set up in SNIEC’s central square, in addition to all 17 exhibition halls. Total exhibition area exceeded 220,000m 2 for this year. The showground accommodated 3,200 sets of machinery including energy saving, high performance and automation, and a diverse range chemicals & raw materials aimed at individual market needs. The exhibits were classified into eleven themed zones, including: Extrusion Machinery, Injection Moulding Machinery, Chemicals & Raw Materials, Auxiliary & Testing Equipment, Die & Mould, Film Technology, Plastic Pack- aging & Blow Moulding Machinery, Rubber Machinery & Equipment, Chinese Export Machinery & Materials, Bio- plastics and Semi-finished Products. There were a number of advanced technologies including 3D rapid prototyping; micro-injection moulding; recycling; and technology for con- tinuous fibre-reinforced composites. “Greenovation - Solution to Sustainability”, which ran concurrently, featured “The City of Tomorrow”, an open, semi-spherical structure portraying a sustainability model encompassing four aspects of manu- facturing cycle: Green & Alternative Raw Materials; Energy- efficient Machinery; Green Solutions for Customers; and Products and Recycling. The 29 th edition of Chinaplas will be held on 20-23 May, 2015 at China Import and Export Fair Complex, Guangzhou, PR China. www.ChinaplasOnline.com Convey, blend and dry American company Conair presented web-enabled con- trols for dryers, blenders and material-handling systems, which can be accessed by a computer or smart phone and Internet connection to monitor conditions and change set- tings. The web-enabled and remotely-accessible equipment on show included a TB250 TrueBlend gravimetric blender with SB-2 control; W1000 Carousel Plus desiccant dryer with DC-T touchscreen dryer control; FLX central vacuum- conveying system; and its DM3-e and TrueFeed gravimetric feeders. Conair Controls with data-gathering capabilities, like the Drying Monitor or SB-2 blender controls, can gener- ate reports that can be immediately exported to reporting software. Also on the stand were MDA Series mould dryers, which deliver a flow of air dried to a -10°C (14°F) dew point. Conair says that the dry air prevents moisture from condens- ing out of warm humid ambient air onto cool mould surfaces. The system is designed for PET preforms and other products that require low-mould temperatures to maintain short cycle times and is claimed to be particularly useful in non-air-con- ditioned plants. China-manufactured Conair equipment on show included a mobile drying/conveying system and a BFSA volumetric feeder with stainless steel material hoppers as standard. www.conairgroup.com Anti-waste inspection systems German company Intravis GmbH, which specialises in vision inspection systems for the plastic packaging industry, believes that the Chinese plastic packaging market is in the process of transformation and that price pressures are leading to the drive to cut wastage of materials and energy. The company has opened a new subsidiary in China – Intravis Co. Ltd. – and has now sold nearly 50 units in the Asian markets. One of the new features demonstrated at Chinaplas was a user interface in Chi- nese. It is available on its preform and closure systems such as PreWatcher III, Sample-PreWatcher and CapWatcher III. www.intravis.de New underwater pelletising system Pump Solutions Group (PSG) launched its Automa- tik Plastics Machinery Sphero S underwater pelletis- ing system at Chinaplas 2014. The company says that Sphero S has been specifically designed to be a cost- effective alternative to larger and more customisable systems. The new machine incorporates a number of new developments and upgrades that are designed to be particularly suitable for compounding, masterbatch and recycling applications with medium throughputs of 0.7-3t. It features new pneumatic diverter valves, which are designed to optimise the flow channel and ease the cleaning of the cutting chamber. Improvements also make it easier to clean and to achieve quick knife changes. Its new frame allows it to be mounted on a single mobile structure, which is claimed to enable perfect alignment and a reduced footprint. The water bypass design has also been tuned for a faster start-up. www.psgdover.com