Extrusion International 5-2022

68 Extrusion International 5/2022 K 2022 Sustainable and Efficient Drive Concepts for the Plastics Industry B aumüller will show how energy- efficient drive systems record and lower the CO 2 footprint of the end product. Thanks to clever Baumüller software features, machine damage can be avoided and the emissions in- creased. Another trade fair display unit illustrates how the digital twin can be used to design and commission servo-hydraulic drive trains complete- ly virtually. All use cases will be shown live at the exhibits. A patented trade fair highlight is the servo pump direct “Performance Line” attachment, which is practically maintenance-free thanks to its self- lubricating internal gearing. Direct attachment also means that the cou- pling and pump support can be omit- ted. The resulting shorter installation length enables a smaller machine Expanded Product Portfolio and Material Supply Capabilities at K 2022 P olyplastics will highlight its expand - ed product portfolio and mate- rial supply capabilities at the upcoming K 2022 exhibition. The company will discuss the latest developments in its DURACON ® POM, LAPEROS ® LCP, and TOPAS ® COC product lines. With full acquisition by Daicel in 2020, Polyplastics has expanded its options for growth and geographical market coverage. The company has expanded LCP sales to EMEA and the Americas while making timely invest- ments in capacity to better respond to market growth. The company has announced that its Technical Solutions Center in Raunheim officially opened in April. The one-stop shop serves the technical support needs of its growing customer base in Europe. “This investment re - affirms our continued commitment to the engineering plastics market in Europe,” said Yohei Iizuka, managing director of Polyplastics Europe GmbH. “The new technical service operation will support application development work and enable our customers to shape their innovations from concept to commercialization.” At K 2022, Polyplastics will also highlight its expanded global supply capability which includes planned con- struction of a new polyacetal manu- facturing plant in Nantong Economic Development Zone, Jiangsu Province, China. The production capacity is planned to be 150,000 tons in total in two stages. The new capacity will satis- fy growing demand for POM, improve lead times, and reduce transportation costs. The initial start-up of 90,000 tons is expected in November 2024. Polyplastics’s LCP business – buoyed by strong growth in electrical/electron- ics – plans to construct a new polymer- ization plant with production capacity of 5,000 tons/yr at Polyplastics Taiwan Co., Ltd. In recent years, LCP market demand has increased due to grow- ing investments in 5G equipment. It is expected that LCP applications will continue to expand with the full-scale adoption of 5G and millimeter-wave devices. Polyplastics is now offering LAPEROS ® LCP globally. Polyplastics will also highlight the strong growth for COC which will be supported by construction of a new production facility in Leuna, Germany. The new plant, to be operated by lo- cal Polyplastics subsidiary TOPAS Ad- vanced Polymers GmbH, will have a ca- pacity of 20,000 tons per year, adding significant room for growth beyond the current output. The facility will be operational by latter half of 2024. COC has become a crucial compo- nent in many medical devices based on its outstanding purity and glass- like properties. In packaging prod- ucts, TOPAS ® COC has raised the per- formance of commodity polyolefins, enabling the development of sim- pler, better recyclable and sustain- able solutions. Among the latest key material de- velopments are the introduction of PLASTRON ® LFT resin which is made of specially formulated regenerated cellulose fibers. The eco-friendly PLAS - TRON ® LFT provides weight reduction plus mechanical strength, enabling manufacturers to reduce their carbon footprint and meet today’s sustainabil- ity demands. Eco-friendly resins that incorporate natural fibers, starch, wood powder, and other plant-based and natural mineral filling materials are being con - sidered for use in a broader range of applications. Cellulose is a promising material to help reduce CO 2 emissions but its insufficient strength is a limiting factor. Polyplastics has addressed this problem by using regenerated cellu- lose in the development of LFT resins with an excellent balance of physical properties. Polyplastics Co., Ltd. www.polyplastics-global.com/en/ K 2022: Hall 7A, Stand B02