PETpla.net Insider 11 / 2019

8 NEWS PET planet Insider Vol. 20 No. 11/19 www.petpla.net Sabic opens new caps & closures Technology and Innovation Center in the Netherlands Sabic, a global leader in the chemicals indus- try, announced the opening of its new Technology and Innovation Center dedicated to the caps and closures segment in Geleen, the Netherlands. Located in Sabic’s Global Technology Center for Europe on the Chemelot Campus, this investment is stated to be proof of Sabic’s commitment to the industry to develop new materials and technolo- gies focused on caps and closures. The opening ceremony of the new facility was led by Sergi Monros, Sabic Vice President of Performance Polymers & Industry Solutions, Petrochemicals. The facility opening comes just a year after Sabic established its Caps & Closures industry segment organisation. Monros pointed to the growing need for creative solutions that are sustainable, cost-efficient and compliant. These solutions are coupled with the increased number of regulations governing product safety and con- sumer well-being. Sabic is pursuing cutting-edge technologies related to both new material development and to application testing. Polymers developed specifi- cally for applications in this sector help enable, for example, lighter caps, and pumps and dispens- ing systems that are more efficient and easier to manufacture, all the while supporting customer efforts to improve overall sustainability. The center includes facilities that allow to simulate the real-life performance of finished products. The dedicated research laboratory has equipment for testing mate- rial characteristics such as mechanical properties, dimensional stability and environmental stress cracking resistance (ESCR). Cap specimens can be produced in-house for performance testing for potential applications and for the development of improved products. There will also be capability for developing and testing new product designs. www.sabic.com Space requests for NPE2021 outpacing previous edition The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) officially kicked off the march to ‘NPE2021: The Plastics Show’ at K2019. Scheduled for May 17-21, 2021 at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) in Orlando, Fla., NPE2021 is expected to draw more than 55,000 attend- ees from more than 20,000 companies representing more than $ 100 billion in purchasing power. The trade show also features a brand new look, a new logo, a redesigned website, and a fitting tagline: Transform Tomorrow. In addition to the hundreds of machines operating at full capacity on the show floor, NPE2021 will also feature new educational oppor- tunities and new Technology Zones to make it easier for attendees to conveniently find exactly what they’re looking for. “Every attendee can now customise their visit to make the most of their time at NPE. Plus, the zones allow exhibitors to aim to locate their booth in an area where the people in the aisles are interested in exactly what they’re selling,” said PLASTICS Vice President of Trade Shows and Marketing Susan Krys. The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) announced that company requests for exhibit space at NPE2021 are already outpac- ing the demand for space ahead of the 2018 edition - a year in which the show sold out at its official Space Draw event for the first time in the show’s more than 80-year history. “More companies are requesting exhibit space and the amount of space being requested is more than was requested for 2018,” said Susan Krys. www.npe.org Alphamac & Side S.A. have reached a commercial agreement As of 1 October 2019, Alphamac & Side S.A. have reached a commercial agreement to combine efforts to market their systems for manufacturing PET and HDPE plastic containers.This agreement allows both companies to offer their international customers a wide range of systems and services, combining technology, knowledge and experi- ence. This partnership will cover most of the demands in the liquid packaging market, offering complete solutions for PET and HDPE con- tainers, providing turnkey services and products that meet customer requirements. Ms Judit Birosta (Managing Director of Side) and Mr Moreno Minguetti (Managing Director of Alphamac) have highlighted the synergy between the two companies, which has allowed them to achieve a worldwide presence for their products in a short time, having already been operating for many years as Side, and more recently as Alphamac in Russia and Italy. www.sidemachines.com