Auxiliaries

India's Deepak Poly Plast and Germany's Pallmann Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG (Zweibrücken, Germany) have announced a cooperative agreement to create PD Polygrinder Pvt. Ltd. The deal involved the Indian maker of plastic and rubber testing equipment with the German size-reduction specialist, with the joint-venture company to focus on the latter.

The U.S. division of automation, auxiliary, and injection molding machine supplier Wittmann Battenfeld (Torrington, CT) has retained Next Step Communications Inc. (West Newbury, MA) to handle its public relations needs. Founded in 1996, Next Step Communications is a full-service advertising agency that specializes in the plastics and packaging industries. Greg Hannoosh, founder and president of Next Step, said his company will initially work to provide PR services for Wittmann Battenfeld in the U.S.

Less energy use, less time, and less trouble are being promised by Italian machinery manufacturer Moretto with its new Flowmax drying system. The automatic modular systems offer up to 10,000-12,000 kg/hr capacity without requiring either compressed air or cooling water. The manufacturer argues that a modular system composed of multiple dryers is the safer bet for an injection molder than a single large dryer which, if it fails, could then put a halt to a processor's entire operation. 

Spiroflow Systems (Monroe, NC) has boosted its bulk materials handling equipment portfolio and sales reach with the acquisition of fellow bulk material handling technology supplier, Dynamet Conveyors (Kalamazoo, MI). Dynamet's powder-handling product slate includes tubular drag-chain conveyors, flexible-screw conveyors, bulk-bag unloaders, manual dump-bag stations, and pneumatic tilt tables for a variety of industries including food, chemical, pharmaceutical, packaging, and plastics.

Say sayonara to the status quo. A new exercise in mind bending is required in the post-recession era.

Although they won't see commercial introduction until this November and are scheduled for their first tradeshow appearance next month, a new range of 6-axis robots already is being hailed by this manufacturer as the fastest and slimmest of their class.

The development of materials and machinery for packaging applications continues at a rapid pace, which is why both IMM and MPW cover them in every issue of the respective magazines. For this special Focus on Packaging issue, we’ve collected some recent innovations from around the world. Hardly a complete list, it offers insight into some of the latest steps being taken by some of the leading suppliers. Time to fill your shopping cart?

Film extrusion

There are three new members of the Plastic Pioneers Association: Glenn Anderson Jr. of Milacron, Al Hodge of R&B Plastics Machinery, and Dennis Richmond of Nypro Inc. The announcement was made by PPA president Vince Witherup.

Anderson is VP/general manager for North America injection molding and global extrusion business at Milacron. Prior to his more than 20 years with that company, he was with Sterling Extruder. He is a member of SPE and SPI, and in the latter is vice chair of the Equipment Council and a member of the NPE 2012 Executive Committee.

In a very brief press release, the Conair Group (Cranberry Twp., PA) announced that Novatec Inc. (Baltimore, MD) has dismissed its lawsuit against Conair. Originally filed in June 2009 in the U.S. District Court for Eastern Pennsylvania, the suit claimed that Conair had infringed Novatec's patented dual-flow drying technology. Both companies, says Conair, have agreed to dismiss any claims against the other related to the patent.

There was a time when the silos typically used at European plastics processing facilities to store pellets and granulate just outside a facility's walls were little different from the silos found on most farms. Those times are long gone, though, and that is made readily apparent in a new development from manufacturer Zeppelin (Friedrichshafen, Germany). Company officials say the development, and the firm's purchase last year of Reimelt Henschel, are giving it a much stronger footprint in the medical molding market.