Plast '09 Show Preview: Milan in the spotlight

Stands will cover an area of more than 58,000m2 and some 900 companies from near 40 countries will have a direct presence at this year's event. This year’s event is also co-located with the Ipack-Ima packaging show and the Converflex printing and converting event.

While the show will draw exhibitors from across the globe, Plast is above all a shop window for Italian technology. Last year, according to plastics and rubber machinery trade association Assocomaplast, Italian plastics and rubber machinery and equipment production was valued at over €4bn, of which €2.6 billion was exported.

Even the most optimistic visitor will not expect to see the signs of light at the end of the tunnel of financial gloom when the doors open to Plast ’09 later this month. But by the time the doors close, attendees are likely to have a better idea of where their business stands and how the latest technologies may be able to help them steer their way through global financial carnage.

For more information about the exhibition, show opening times, or travel to and from the Rho-Fiera showground, go to the Plast ’09 website

Amut Hall 13 Stand B 29

New developments from Amut include a line for direct extrusion of PET sheet without material pre-drying.

The coextrusion line, based around a 70mm co-rotating twin screw extruder with an L/D ratio of 44 and equipped with high vacuum degassing, will process untreated post-consumer bottle scrap into three-layer sheet with outer layers in virgin APET.

Amut also has a new three-station thermoforming machine, the FFG 920-ADV, with an 80 tonne forming and stamping force. The line can run with sheet up to 1,010 mm wide.

Arburg Hall 15 Stand C/D 12/13

The main focus on the Arburg stand will be energy efficiency. There will be two electric Allrounders: an Allrounder 520 A with a clamping force of 150 tonnes demonstrating a packaging application and a 100 tonne Allrounder 470 A demonstrating LSR production.

The new 150 tonne Allrounder 470 C Golden Edition with Multilift V Select robotic system is a complete production unit (including guarding, conveyor and CE certification). It will be shown using gas injection to make two drumsticks, each with a weight of 42g, on a cycle time of 45s.

A micro injection moulding application will also be demonstrated on a 15 tonne Allrounder 170 S featuring a 12mm position-regulated screw. Gear wheels weighing 0.001 g will be produced in a cycle time of 9.5s on an eight cavity mould using a special acetal micro granulate.

BMB Hall 22 Stand A/B 20/21

The latest machines from BMB are said to be as reliable and consistent as ever, but with new energy saving features. The company will show its two ranges of electric machines, the eKW for high speed production of thin-walled packaging up to 450 tonnes and the eMC range up to 200 tonnes for technical parts.

Premiering at the show will be BMB’s large hybrid machines. These use hydraulics for the injection phase only and will provide producers of large thin-walled containers with significant energy savings, the company says.

Cannon Hall 13 Stand C 34

The Cannon Group will be represented by its Cannon Forma Thermoforming Technology division, where the latest developments include a halogen lamp heating system for energy cost reduction and improved productivity.

Other new introductions include adjustable plate systems, which reduce set up time (10 minutes for mould and tool set) and eliminate the need for reduction plates.

Colines Hall 15 Stand A 02

Colines says its Handrollex 1000 extrusion line, for winding of manual and automatic reels directly in line, makes stretch film production easier and more economic.

The line running at the show will be equipped with 120mm and 60mm extruders, giving a production output of 600 kg/h. The automatic die is from Cloeren, the beta thickness gauge from Electronic Systems.

Also on the Colines stand, Welding Machinery's STBAS 160 converts air bubble films, foamed films, blown films and PE film/non-woven laminates. It is equipped as standard with two 1,600mm folding devices, two unwinders for flat film, three longitudinal knives, three types of transversal welding (bottom weld, double weld, side weld) and a stacking conveyor.

Dolci Hall 15 Stand C 06

Dolci Extrusion will exhibit its new 3m five-layer high speed cast film line for stretch film, capable of outputs of up to 2,200 kg/h.

The line is part of the company's "H8 Stratocast" range. These have all rotating parts, from chill roll to winder, built and dynamically balanced for a mechanical speed of 700 m/min. The line also features Dolci's 1500 mm diameter "Jumbo" chill roll and Contrawind 3000 robotic winder, which can perform automatic changeovers at speeds exceeding 700 m/min.

Dolci will also exhibit a five-layer, two-metre stretch cast film line for the production of hand rolls. Designed for outputs of up to 1,350 kg/h, it will be equipped with a new revolver-type winder, the Rotowind 2000. This can run at speeds of up to 650 m/min and splice every 15 seconds.

Dr Boy Hall 24 Stand B 05

Latest development on the Boy booth will be the Boy 55 E with servo-motor pump drive.

The drive technology, which Boy presented for the first time last autumn, is claimed to be extremely economical. It results in a 50% energy saving, makes 20% less noise, and yields a 10% reduction in dry cycle time. The machine will be making safety caps for insulin syringes in a 16-cavity mould.

In addition, a Boy 12 A will produce micro gear wheels with a part weight of only 0.001 g in a two-cavity mould with a servo-drive integral picker.

Engel Hall 24 Stand A/B 19/20

Engel says its most important innovation from a machine-technology point of view is the newly developed 500 tonne Duo 500 Pico, the smallest of its twin-platen machines, which will be shown making an automotive component and can dry cycle at just 2.6s.

The entry-level E-Max all-electric machine was first seen at K 2007. A 100 tonne model will be making an electronic component at Plast using a mould by FCI Austria.

One of two high-end E-Motion machines, with a clamp force of 180 tonnes, will demonstrate a high speed thin-wall packaging application, in this case a round cup with in-mould labelling, in a twin cavity mould by Hofstetter.

Gneuss Hall 13 Stand B 28

Latest development from Gneuss is its MRS extruder. This uses a single screw drum with satellite screws to provide a very large and fast changing melt surface that enables optimal devolatilising with a low vacuum around 20-40 mbar.

The MRS is intended for processing undried PET. Gneuss says its rugged design also makes it ideal for processing heavily contaminated materials.

Gneuss has recently begun a cooperation with Sima in Bologna, which integrates the MRS into its PET strapping tape lines for processing 100% PET bottle flakes.

Ghioldi Hall 15 Stand A/B 14/13

Ghioldi will exhibit a three-layer co-extrusion line complete with internal bubble cooling, making film with a net width of 2,000 mm.

The hot zone will be composed of 65mm and 80mm extruders on a single platform, all with screws surfaced with Colmonoy 57 nickel-based alloy and powered by special torque motors that show an average power saving of 25% compared to standard AC motors.

The line will be fitted with automatic gauge control, while the cooling zone will be equipped with an oscillating haul-off unit and Ghioldi's new BGM/2 high speed winder.

Gillard Hall 13 Stand B 12

Gillard will show a new extrusion rotary cutter, the Servo-Torq Euronomic, combining the latest brushless AC servo motor with a fully digital control system to activate the knife blade.

The company claims that the pricing of the machine sets a new industry standard for value-for-money, given the level of cutting performance achieved. The machine can handle flexible and semi-rigid extrusions suitable with outer diameters up to 40mm.

Haitian Hall 24 Stand C/D 31/34

Haitian Europe will illustrate its two-brand strategy with a 150 tonne all-electric Zhafir Venus model and a hydraulic Haitian Mars 320 tonne unit.

The Venus will produce a 54g, 1,000ml PP food container in a cycle time of around 8s, the part being removed with a three-axis robot.

Energy efficiency is the key point of the Mars, which features an innovative servomotor drive that accelerates from 0 to 2,000 rpm in 0.05 seconds, demonstrating a claimed 30% faster reaction time than conventional machines. It is also claimed to require up to 45% less energy than comparable competitors.

The Mars machine will produce a PP suitcase using automation and peripherals supplied by Haitian's partners Star Europe and Piovan.

Icma San Giorgio Hall 13 Stand D 22

Compounding extruder company Icma San Giorgio will present new co-rotating extruders from its HT-Plus and HV series.

The HT-Plus, which represents a new generation of high torque models having a torque density going up to 13.5 J/m3, yields higher output rates than standard high torque models. Key target applications include engineered compounds, masterbatches, polyolefins and demanding recycling processes.

The HV series (HV stands for High Volume) is designed for highly filled materials and natural fibre based compounds.

Also new is a lab system equipped with a 25mm co-rotating extruder and a small calender, for small batch production of sheet and foil.

Italtech Hall 22 Stand A/B 12/09

Newton is the name of a new range of small high precision injection moulding machines with a two-platen clamp system from Italtech.

The company says the machines disprove the theory that two platen clamp systems cannot be applied to small fast-cycling machines. Dry cycle time is less than 2.5s. The system is said to yield high parallelism, maximum mould safety and an unrivalled range of mould heights. The range extends from 250 tonnes to 900 tonnes.

Koch Hall 22 Stand D12

Koch-Technik is showcasing its Eco control system for its CKT and EKO dry air dryers, together with its newly designed KKT auxiliary dryers.

The Eco energy-saving drying control solution prevents sensitive materials such as PA, PC, LCP or POM in the storage containers from becoming overdry or sustaining thermal damage while making energy savings of up to 40% possible.

The new KKT auxiliary dryers are suitable for drying and conveying where space is at a premium. The design places the drying container behind the dryer to save space, a design decision that also makes filling the drying container more convenient.

Macchi Hall 15 Stand C/D 14/19

Blown film extrusion line specialist Macchi will unveil the latest version of its CoexFlex coextrusion platform concept, intended for applications with thin skin layers, such as stretch hood films and collation shrink applications, as well as flexible packaging lamination films.

The new line is based around a 100mm extruder coupled with two 65mm extruders, all three in Macchi's new gearless version, which enables the screw to be easily removed from the rear. Equipped with the 300mm die that Macchi intends to use at the show, the line can achieve an output rate of over 600 kg/h.

The line will feature the CR Twin, a further development of Macchi's CR Max carbon fibre reinforced composite cooling ring, with a double-ring arrangement. It is said to provide big improvements in output and thickness control.

Meico Hall 22 Stand A/B 22/25

The two companies represented by Meico - WM Wrapping Machinery (Stabio, Switzerland) and ST Soffiaggio Tecnica ( Monza) - will have new thermoforming and blow moulding equipment running.

ST Soffaggio Tecnica's new suction-blow moulding unit belongs to its ASPI series for producing tubing and pipework, principally in the auto sector. The system on show will have a closing force of 10 tonnes, and a one litre accumulator head fed by a 60mm extruder.

WM's FT 700 punch and die thermoforming machine with tilting lower platen will feature an 18-cavity mould for making 500ml APET beakers. The system can accept moulds up to 705mm by 400mm and can form pieces up to 150mm deep.

Moretto Hall 22 Stand A/B 18/17

KruiseKontrol - or KK - from Moretto is claimed to provide a new way of controlling granule transport to the processing machine. Moretto says vacuum transport is affected by bulk density, fragility, powder content, granule shape, filler content and how far the granules have to travel.

KK controls the velocity of the granules, removing the initial and final peaks of the line cleaning phase and increasing the central transport phase. The result is said to be higher throughput along with reduced damage to the granules.

Moretto is also introducing a new version of its Dry Air mini dryer. Equipped with a touch screen, the unit is said to be more intuitive to programme. There will also be a new line of gravimetric dosers, also with touch screens.

Negri Bossi Hall 22 Stand D36

Injection machinery maker Negri Bossi will unveil its new range of hybrid injection machines, the first ground-up hybrid design from the company.

Marketed under the Janus name, the machines combine electric drive for mould clamping and screw rotation and hydraulic drive for the injection phase. This arrangement allows overlapping movements as well as a high degree of configuration flexibility, according to the company, which is part of the Italian Sacmi group.

Janus machines can be supplied with variable delivery pumps for technical moulding applications or an accumulator and servo valve system more suitable for thin wall parts or short cycle times.

The company will show 370 and 900 tonne versions at the show. The company says the complete machine range will extend from 160 to 850 tonnes, with pricing between the company’s hydraulic and fully electric options.

Piovan Hall 24, stand B16

Piovan will emphasise energy efficiency on its stand. A special area will be devoted to the company's chiller division and there will be a display of the latest mould temperature controllers.

Processors will also be able to try out the company's Win Factory software for system management and control.

Romi Italia (Sandretto) Hall 22 Stand C/D 08/ 07

Romi Italia is premiering the all-electric Sandretto EL150, the first machine designed together by Romi in Brazil and the recently acquired Sandretto in Italy.

The machine will be running a medical part, a non-return valve for a dialysis system made in Bayer's Makrolon polycarbonate in a 24-cavity mould.

Torninova Hall 15 Stand C/D 12/13

Bubble wrap machinery specialist Torninova has a new line in its range, the Coex Bubble 10, for production of bubble wrap with up to 10 layers (ABCBA+ABCBA), and able to incorporate a PA6 layer for improved air retention.

Coextruded bubble wrap weighing 35 g/m2 can be compared, in terms of resistance, with a mono-extrusion bubble wrap of 55 g/m2, Torninova says.

For more information about the exhibition, show opening times, or travel to and from the Rho-Fiera showground - or to find out who else will be exhibiting at the fair - go to the Plast ’09 website