Wednesday, 24-Jun-09

Group seeks moratorium on degradable PET containers
SONOMA, CALIFORNIA (June 24, 2009) -- The National Association for PET Container Resources called on brand owners and bottle makers to refrain from using PET containers with degradable additives. “We want the people making claims about bottles with degradable additives to first substantiate and document their claims” that there will be no adverse effect on the recycling stream or the next-life product, said the group’s executive director.

General Motors owes millions to plastics part suppliers
DETROIT, MICHIGAN (June 24, 2009) -- While bond holders and unions are on the hook as General Motors Corp.’s (GM) biggest creditors in bankruptcy, they are not alone. There are also suppliers owed millions of dollars, including major plastics firms. GM’s June 1 filing for Chapter 11 protection with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York lists more than US$170 billion (956.9 billion yuan) in debts.

Nova Chemicals to invest in Mideast polyethylene production

CHICAGO (June 24, 2009) -- Nova Chemicals Corp. plans to invest significantly in Mideast polyethylene production, including a 1.1 billion to 1.2 billion pound-per-year Advanced Sclair PE plant and a 10 percent smaller gas-phase PE plant, according to recently installed Nova CEO Chris Pappas.

Biodegradable PVC product draws interest at NPE

CHICAGO (June 24, 2009) -- An increased focus on sustainability is driving demand for Bioflex, a biodegradable PVC product made by Kenrich Petrochemicals Inc. and marketed by Biotech Products LLC. Bioflex uses Biochem, a nontoxic formula that enables landfill decomposition.

Rapid Granulator buys Shanghai's Avian

CHICAGO (June 24, 2009) -- Swedish-based Rapid Granulator AB has acquired Avian (Shanghai) Machinery Co. Ltd. of Shanghai, China, in a transaction that boosts its presence in recycling equipment and gives them a 540,000-square-foot manufacturing plant and a well-established Chinese distribution network.

Husky reroutes spending into packaging, medical

CHICAGO (June 24, 2009) -- John Galt, top executive at Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd., said a more-focused Husky is well-positioned to withstand a tough market for new-press sales. Husky is demonstrating at NPE2009 high-speed closure molding on a new HyCAP machine and its offerings in hot runners, production monitoring and preventative maintenance.

European source for Zhafir all electric machines nearer
EBERMANNSDORF, GERMANY (June 24, 2009) -- European assembly of the Zhafir Venus Series of all-electric injection moulding machines from China’s giant Haitian International concern has come a stage closer with last week’s topping out ceremony of the E10m site in Germany. The schedule calls for the assembly of the Venus units to start at the end of this year.

Tuesday, 23-Jun-09

U.S. machinery shipments plunged in fourth quarter
WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 23, 2009) -- The U.S. plastics equipment market suffered an across-the-board decline in 2008 that hit all sectors of injection presses, extruders, blow molders, auxiliaries and screws and barrels, according to a year-end report from the Society of the Plastics Industry Inc.

DuPont pushing for global sustainability standards
WILMINGTON, DELAWARE (June 23, 2009) -- DuPont Co. is throwing its weight behind a push to have global sustainability standards. The company revealed its support for the standards as part of its recent 2009 DuPont Packaging Awards event.

China’s TK is ready to take on global medical market

TK Medical's Charlie Yu, left, and Xing Zhou in their Guangzhou office

GUANGZHOU (June 23, 2009) -- Those wondering how long it will take China to make the leap from churning out cheap, low-end goods to higher-tech stuff might want to pay attention to Guangzhou TK Medical Instrument Co. Ltd. The company, with a heavy focus on plastic medical products, wants to become one of China’s first globally recognized medical device makers. Plastics News caught up with Charlie Yu, who became TK’s chief executive officer in September, to talk about how the 5-year-old company hopes to transform itself, and whether China can duplicate in medical devices -- where manufacturing mistakes can hurt or kill people -- what it has done in industries like toys and consumer electronics.

Study notes operating costs for North American plants
PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY (June 23, 2009) -- The average cost of operating a plastics industry manufacturing plant in North America can range from 141.5 million yuan in the western U.S. to 73.2 million yuan a year at a Mexican maquiladora site, according to a new study released by Boyd Co. Inc. The site selection consulting company’s annual study focused on costs at 74 comparative production sites in the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

Metabolix offers new bioplastics to replace PC, ABS

CHICAGO (June 23， 2009) -- Bioplastics maker Metabolix Inc. announced it has launched new materials through development deals with Nypro Inc. and Teknor Color Co. Both deals involve Telles, the joint venture between Cambridge, Mass.-based Metabolix and agricultural giant Archer Daniels Midland Co. of Decatur, Ill.

TSL thermoformer aims for mid-size market

CHICAGO (June 23, 2009) -- Thermoforming Systems LLC is using NPE2009 as a platform to launch a product into the growing mid-sized trim in place machine market. This market segment is dominated by European suppliers and offers great opportunities to sell machines worldwide, said President James Naughton.

Silcotech targets India's domestic market with new JV

CHICAGO (June 23, 2009) -- Canadian liquid silicone molder Silcotech North America Inc. and India’s Bonny Products Pvt. Ltd. have formed a joint venture aimed at tapping India’s domestic market, the latest step in Silcotech’s push into developing economies, following startups in China and Bulgaria.

Sabic IP continues to expand worldwide

CHICAGO (June 23, 2009) -- Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (Sabic) isn’t letting short-term economic woes slow down its global plans. The company has contracted with warehouses in Texas and New Jersey to import commodity resins from its plants in the Middle East. The firm’s Sabic Innovative Plastics unit also by the end of the year will open a new plant making Ultem-brand polyetherimide in Cartagena, Spain, and next month will expand engineering resin compounding capacity by 30 percent in Nansha, China.

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