Extrusion International 4-2019

PREVIEW 52 Extrusion International 4/2019 HYTAC ® Syntactic Foam Plug-Assist Materials will be on Display CMT Materials www.cmtmaterials.com K 2019: Hall 3, Booth G83 CMT Materials, the leading provider of plug-assist materials for the ther- moforming industry, will showcase its range of HYTAC® syntactic foams at the upcoming K 2019 exhibition. CMT Materials will highlight the lat- est innovative plug-assist materials – HYTAC C1R and HYTAC XTL – which have recently enjoyed strong market acceptance. “We continue to see strong growth for copolymer and thermoplastic plug materials as the global plastics pack- aging market continues to evolve and grow throughout the world,” said Terry Woldorf, Managing Director for CMT Materials. Data-driven studies on the economic impact of plug material selection show that consistency and repeatabil- ity can be achieved in thermoform- ing, according to CMT. In particular, HYTAC plug assists play a key role by helping processors managewall thick- ness variation, reduce starting gauge, and improve cycle times. Woldorf noted that the increased growth is largely focused in food packaging applications in Europe and Asia, with material shifts away from PS to PP and new, multilayer films. “These more complex polymers re- quire more sophisticated plug assists beyond our traditional customer fa- vorites,” saidWoldorf. “In some cases, there is a requirement for higher fric- tion, in others it’s easier release, and in still others it is for our new thermo- plastic syntactic that offers two times the toughness of B1X and a new cel- lular structure that yields a smoother surface for an unbreakable plug that doesn’t scratch soft plastics.” The main driving trends are grow- ing popularity in ready-to-eat meals, changing consumer habits, and growing disposable income in emerging Asian economies. North HYTAC C1R also provides three to four times the toughness of epoxy- based syntactic foam, superb machin- ability, superior edge definition and detail, low thermal conductivity, and excellent material distribution. HYTAC C1R is recommended for use with APET, CPET, HIPS, PETG, PLA, PP, PVC, and RPET. HYTAC syntactic foam is used by the majority of toolmakers and thermo- forming processors around the world. Thin-gauge thermoformed parts such as drinking cups, coffee capsules, fruit trays, barrier trays, horticultural parts, andmanymore are formedwith plug- assisted pre-stretching. HYTAC plugs are designed with specific material properties to optimize plastic parts and provide low thermal conductiv- ity, low specific heat, and low coef- ficient of thermal expansion (CTE). CMT offers a full range of materials allowing designers and operators to create high-quality plugs for a variety of polymers and their required geom- etries. American processors also show con- tinued growth in sectors such as large bakery items, tamper-evident clamshells, and medical device pack- ages. “The pace of product and pack- age design is speeding up, with cus- tom formers moving from prototype to production sometimes in less than four weeks.” At the K show, the company will fea- ture HYTAC XTL plug assist which was developed to offer an improved surface quality after machining when compared to the company’s HYTAC B1X. It is the industry’s first and only material to combine the machined surface quality of an epoxy syntac- tic with the durability and dust-free machining of thermoplastic syntactic foam. This is particularly important when working with sticky or trans- parent plastics due to the challenge of polishing thermoplastic syntactic materials. A significant side benefit of the formulation is increased tough- ness, allowing for very fine plug de- tails. HYTAC XTL’s excellent surface char- acteristics optimize material distribu- tion with most plastics. The plug as- sist material also offers low thermal conductivity, low coefficient of ther- mal expansion, and is highly effective where edge definition and detail are required. HYTAC XTL is recommend- ed for use with PP, PET, PE, APET, CPET, HIPS, OPS, PETG, PLA, PS, PVC, and RPET. CMT Materials will also feature HY- TAC C1R, a copolymer plug assist for- mulated with a friction enhancer to carry plastic deep into a cavity or spe- cialty detail. C1R is easily machined and polished to a mirror-like finish for scratch-free forming. This new copo- lymer plug assist has been optimized for both the machine shop and the thermoforming process.