PETpla.net Insider 06 / 2018

50 TRADE SHOW REVIEW PET planet Insider Vol. 19 No. 06/18 www.petpla.net Improved HDPE for caps and closures At Chinaplas, the Korean chemicals group LG Chem presented its HDPE range for closure solutions for the PET bottle sector. LG’s propri- etary Metallocene catalyst technology allows the design of a unique material architecture at a molecular level of the HDPE, making it possible to tailor physical, mechanical and processing properties of products. The advantages of this catalyst include low content of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which can affect the beverages’ taste as well as the processing performance: As the fluidity of the grades is enhanced, the injection moulding temperature could be reduced by around 5~20°C. This results not only in energy cost savings but also in a reduced cycle time of 10% and a better output regarding problems like burn marks or flow marks. Compared to conventional catalysts, Metal- locene is also claimed to provide better environmental stress cracking resistance (ESCR) when converted into closures. Where conventional HDPE pellets lose ESCR properties when moulded, the Metallocene-based HDPE is said to keep its already higher ESCR level. LG Chem markets the bottle cap HDPE under the names SM 800 for still mineral water, SM 250 for juice, CSDs and carbonated water, and SM100 for CSD with high level of CO 2 . Caps manufactured with LG Chem’s HDPE have a shiny and premium appearance, says the company. www.lgchem.com Flip-top closures Z-moulds from Austria presented its know-how in high cavity injection moulds, especially for closure production systems. With the patented Z-slides technology Z-moulds claims to offer better output per capita compared to common injection and compression moulds. This technology ensures the efficient production of lightweight closures with fast cycle times. The company also offers a patented Z-cube technol- ogy for multi-component (plastic parts with varying materi- als or colours) injection moulds. The Z-cube moulds offer easy accessibility for maintenance and a better flexibility for machine use than other known technologies for multi- component closures, says the company. On top of that, the company also featured a tool: together with its partner Krauss Maffei, the closure specialist pre- sented a 6-cavity HDPE flip-top. “One-piece sport closures are next to lightweight closures a trend in China”, said VP Sales & Marketing Michael Fink. The 28mm PCO 1881 flip- top was produced on Krauss Maffei’s all-electric PX with a cycle time of 9.0s. www.z-moulds.com motan-colortronic gmbh - [email protected] www.motan-colortronic.com ETA plus® considerably reduces energy consumption and protects materials. Drying has never been this efficient: ETA plus ® LUXOR A