Extrusion

Only time will tell whether plastics pipes are chosen to replace all of the pipelines in the U.S.'s water and sewage system which need to be modernized and repaired. But as this article  in today's NY Times makes clear, the problem is reaching epic proportions in the country. Justas an example, the nation's capital suffers a water break every day, on average. According to the article, "An E.P.A.

Expanding the scope of recycled materials for the company's environmentally friendly decking and other green building materials, Advanced Environmental Recycling Technologies (A.E.R.T.) opened a new, state-of-the-art polyethylene recycling facility in Watts, OK. The 70,000-ft² facility will allow A.E.R.T. to recover and utilize a wider range of polyethylene materials including plastic film and food packaging and containers.

Corr Plastik Industrial Ltda. has jumped into the top three in the Brazil's PVC pipe processing industry following its recent purchase and installation of five new extrusion lines at a new, 60,0000m² site near Maceió in the northeast of the country.

With sales returning to the levels seen in 2008, the company's best year on record, film and sheet extrusion systems supplier Macro Engineering & Technology Inc. (Mississauga, ON) is planning to expand its production floor space by approximately 40%. The new room will be used mainly for setting up and testing machinery prior to shipment.

In a sign that global investment is picking up in the plastics sector, Taiwanese compounding extruder supplier Sino-Alloy Machinery Inc. (Taoyuan) has scored a number of successes of late in delivery of equipment to Asia, the Americas, and the Middle East.

When a heat exchanger begins to fail or becomes problematic, it may be indicative of various problems ranging from inappropriate mechanical design to unforeseen chemical reactions. But, is it better to replace or to repair a heat exchanger?—By American Power Services (Erlanger, KY)

Swiss extruder manufacturer Maillefer has chosen a new CEO, promoting Peter Roos to the position. His predeccesor, Pentti Hätälä, recently turned 65 but will continue as the chairman of the board of the Maillefer Group. 

Sheet, compounds, and packaging products supplier Spartech Corp. (St. Louis, MO) will open a new technology center in St. Louis, combining its material, product, and packaging development centers into one location. The new center will expand to an 80,000- to 100,000-ft² facility that Spartech plans to have operational by mid-summer 2010.

Some plastics packaging processors' sustainability plans are further along than others. Among the pace setters is Innovia Films, which has earned CarbonNeutral certification for its range of cellulose-based NatureFlex coated biodegradable and compostable packaging films. 

Extrude hydrophilic materials PET and PLA with no need for pre-drying: That's the promise being made by extruder manufacturers PTi and Bandera, which have teamed up to offer dryer-less extrusion lines for processing sheet from these materials.