PETpla.net Insider 07+08 / 2021

MATERIALS / RECYCLING PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 07+08/21 www.petpla.net 16 Cooperation between two world-leading brands in material development and engineering Optimised colour change for hot runner and injection moulding systems by Kay Barton With its headquarters in Howell, Michigan, USA, Chem-Trend recently announced its cooperation with injection moulding plant manufacturer Husky Injection Molding Systems from Bolton, Canada. Compound manufacturer Chem-Trend cites more efficient and cost- effective procedures for colour changes within production processes in PET processing as the basis for cooperation. In use here is the cleaning granulate Ultra Purge, which Chem- Trend has had in its range since 2016 and forms the basis for cooperation. We spoke to Ms Antje Scholl, responsible Global Business Development Director for Thermoplastics, about the new partnership and technology. Chem-Trend, which was already offering cleaning granulate in the late 1980s, took over the Ultra Purge segment of Italian manufacturer MPI Moulds Plus International in 2016 to further strengthen its own market position. The product line has been and continues to be further devel- oped and should see application in the widest range of materials, processes and technical environ- ments for manufacturing the widest range of products. The granulate is used in fields like packaging and end cap manufacturing, automotive, homewares, electronics and medi- cal plastic products. According to company statements, the customer base is growing continually, although precise figures and customers are not mentioned by name for reasons of company policy. “We produce Ultra Purge in dif- ferent parts of the world to guaran- tee rapid supply chains,” says Antje Scholl, “including in Europe, North and South America and Asia.” With particular regard to classical meth- ods, she explains the specific merits of using the cleaning granulate as follows: “An established method for a colour change, for example on a high cavity mould, is simply the use of more virgin material to switch the colour. This leads naturally not only to longer downtimes, which can sometimes last hours, depending on application and material, but also to all kinds of avoidable material use and product defects. In cooperation with Husky, we are combining our instruc- Ultra Purge compounds Antje Scholl, Global Business Devel- opment Director for Thermoplastics, Chem-Trend