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News
Compact Mould buys Abramo assets, completes tech centre
Compact Mould Ltd. (Brampton, Ont.) has purchased all the assets of Abramo Compact Injection Blow Molds Inc. The joint-venture, launched 10 years ago, was previously 42 per cent owned by Compact.
“The other owners of Abramo Associates are retiring, “ says Miguel Petrucci, Compact's president, “and Ralph Abramo passed away recently, so it was a good time for them to sell.”
The move comes as Compact Mould completes its technical centre, by installing the fourth piece of equipment in the testing and proving facility. It now has a new HPCM PCM 2000S extrusion blow machine; a used Nissei ASB 50 and a new SIDE TMS 1002E for injection stretch blow moulds; and a Jomar 85 for injection blow moulds. SIDE is a company based in Barcelona, Spain, that is newly represented in eastern Canada by HPCM. Customers will be also to test moulds on these, as well as prove new technical concepts.
Compact Mould's primary focus has always been extrusion blow moulds, while the Abramo co-venture gave it a broad window into the injection stretch-blow market.
“We used to be extrusion blow mouldmakers,” Petrucci says. “But now, if it's bottles, we are in that business. We aren't concerned about the process being used.”
Mouldmaking has been in a slump recently, and several high-profile mouldmaking shops have closed. Compact itself had to lay off some employees at one point last year.
“We are going through some rough times, but I think our business is going to bounce back,” Petrucci adds. “And when a possibility like buying all of Abramo comes up, you go for it. You don't buy when you want to, you buy when there is an opportunity.
“We offer R&D, samples, a choice of processes. As a company, we are strong - if we can't make it, I don't know who could.”
www.compactmould.com
New SIDE TMS 1002E injection stretch blow machine in
Compact Mould's tech centre.
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Earth-friendly packaging
What is the truth about environmental sustainability in packaging? As Canada's political agenda focuses more on the environment, the issue has come to the fore again.
A new, independent life cycle study, commissioned by the Athena Institute (Merrickville, Ont.) and reviewed by The ULS Report (a name derived from Use Less Stuff), says many of the sustainability claims to which the public is exposed are not supported by facts.
The study examined the energy used, waste created, and greenhouse gas emissions generated by a number of common plastic packages, including drink cups, water bottles, and meat trays. Packages made from PET, PP and PS were compared to the same packages made from polylactic acid (PLA), a material produced from corn. The study covered all steps from production of raw materials (growing corn for PLA or extracting crude oil and natural gas as feedstocks) and continued through all processing, transportation, and fabrication steps to the finished package.
While the public assumes packages made from PLA are more environmentally sustainable, the research did not support this. The data showed that packages that weigh less often use less energy and produce less waste, regardless of whether they are made from petroleum or corn-based plastic.
According to Bob Lilienfeld, editor of The ULS Report, “This study illustrates that one of the keys to increased sustainability revolves around minimising packaging weight and not worrying about whether the plastic involved is made from renewable or non-renewable resources.
“It's like the old paper vs. plastic debate. In the end, the package that weighs less is usually the best choice for the wallet and the environment.”
www.use-less-stuff.com
www.athenasmi.ca
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Pre-Christmas rush sees Canadian firms bought and sold
Some major corporations went on a pre-Christmas buying spree in December, and some established Canadian names were among the purchases.
GSW Building Products Inc. (Barrie Ont.) was bought by Euramax International Inc. from Milwaukee-based A.O. Smith Corp. in an $13-million transaction. The deal closed on December 19.
GSW focuses on extruded vinyl rainwater components such as gutters and downspouts, and employs about 100. A.O. Smith bought GSW's parent company last April, but the GSW product line was not core for the buyer, which began looking to offload it. Euramax president David J. Smith says his company has worked in related product areas for a long time.
“This wasn't something unfamiliar to us,” Smith said. “It was a natural fit for us and adds to the mix of other rain-carrying product to fully complement our line.” Euramax is owned by Goldman Sachs Capital Partners Inc. (New York, NY).
And on the blow moulding side, Cousins-Currie Ltd. (Woodbridge, Ont.) was bought by U.S. giant Silgan Holdings Inc. (Stamford, Conn.) for just under $50-million, as part of Silgan's plant to expand into larger containers.
Cousins-Currie had 2006 sales of about $56-million from its two plants. The company makes custom-designed bottles in sizes of two up to 30 litres, for the agricultural, institutional food, lawn and garden, detergent and industrial markets in Canada and the United States, as well as smaller blow-moulded packages.
www.euramax.com
www.silgan.com
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Plastics data released by StatsCan and SPI
Plastics-related sales data for the first nine months of 2006 are now available from Statistics Canada. The dollar values and the percentage change compared to the same period in 2005 are shown in the chart below.
Shipments by the plastic products industry held almost constant in 2006, with a slight decline in exports. Shipments and exports of synthetic resins both grew strongly, while the machinery and mould industries have showed declines.
In the US, manufacturers and importers of primary plastics machinery and equipment shipped US$254-million worth of primary machinery (excluding components and auxiliary equipment) in the third quarter 2006, according to the latest equipment statistics released by the Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. (Washington, DC) This is three per cent higher than the $246-million shipped in the second quarter of 2006.
For the year to date, shipments of primary plastics equipment by US manufacturers and importers have totaled $746-million, a two per cent decrease when compared with the same period in 2005.
Plastic products
Shipments: $15.2-billion (no change)
Exports: $7.1-billion (-1.6%)
Imports: $5.5-billion (+2.6%)
Synthetic resins
Shipments: $9.7-billion (+11.9%)
Exports: $5.5-billion (+9.4%)
Imports: $5.1-billion (+2.3%)
Plastics processing machinery
Shipments: $810-million (-6.3%)
Exports: $753-million (-1.6%)
Imports: $383-million (-5.8%)
Moulds
Shipments: not available
Exports: $823-million (-1.2%)
Imports: $351-million (-1.0%)
www.statcan.ca
www.plasticsindustry.org
Husky aims for leaner look
The past year was a difficult year for injection moulding machine manufacturers. Husky Injection Molding Systems (Bolton, Ont.) had to cope with consolidation in the packaging market as well as troubles in the automotive business, though its PET business held up well.
Speaking at the company's annual general meeting in Toronto in December, Husky president John Galt said the company is looking to expand in India, where it expects to open a manufacturing facility in the next 12 to 24 months, and also Russia, with another site with some manufacturing is planned.
“We go into a market first with tooling,” he said. “That lets us understand our customers' business before we commit to doing more manufacturing.”
Husky now has four sales offices in China as well as hot runner manufacturing, and two sales offices in India. It is doing well in these countries penetrating into technical moulding as well as the burgeoning automotive field.
Company sales in fiscal 2006, which ended in July, were $935.3-million, a nine per cent increase over the previous year. First quarter orders for fiscal 2007 were up five per cent over 2006, at $285-million, a new record.
Where the company does need to improve, Galt said, is in getting leaner.
“We are not a lean organisation, nor are we as responsive as we need to be,” he said. “
We must become leaner, faster and more responsive.
“We should be looking at where the customers are, and drawing the shortest possible line from where we are to where they are.”
www.husky.ca
Husky's John Galt
Dynisco LLC bought by Audax Group
Roper Industries, Inc. (Duluth, Ga.) has acquired Dynisco LLC (Franklin, Mass.) from Audax Group for US $243-million. Dynisco is a supplier of software and test, measurement and control technologies. Among Dynisco brands are Alpha Technologies and Viatran.
Dynisco will become part of Roper's Energy Systems & Controls segment, and will work closely with other segments on sensor technology development and applications.
Larry Klumpp, president of Dynisco, and his management team will continue to lead the business.
Despite the dilution created in December from the required inventory step-up for Dynisco
purchase accounting, Roper expects to report net earnings per share in line with previous
guidance.
www.roperind.com.
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Changes
Prolink Molds Inc. has been founded as a supplier of precision multiple-cavity injection moulds. Company founder Manuel Gomes and his staff plan to work with other mouldmakers in China and Latin America to offer cost-effective moulding solutions. The company's 14,000 sq ft facility is at 2892 Portland Dr., Oakville, Ont., L6H 5W8; 905-829-9979; fax: 905-829-1099; www.prolinkmolds.com.
Terry J. Elliott has been promoted to General Manager of Ampacet Canada Co. In this position, he will be responsible for manufacturing, technical, administrative, sales, marketing and all other Ampacet activities in Canada.
Elliott joined Ampacet in 1998. Most recently, he was the company's Director of Sales and Marketing in Canada. Before coming to Ampacet, he was a market specialist in polymer sales and marketing at Nova Chemicals and a market technology representative at Polysar.
www.ampacet.com
Global specialty chemicals manufacturer Sartomer Co. (Exton, Pa.) has named Dr. Luigi Colantuoni president, replacing Nicholas Trainer, who has retired after 37 years with the company. Colantuoni will report to Hugues Woestelandt, chief executive officer of Total Specialty Chemicals Branch, Sartomer's parent company.
www.sartomer.com
John Little has established own company, Ingredient Automation Consulting Ltd., specialising in offering professional advice on ingredient management and automation to the plastics, chemical, food and baking industries. IACL Consulting Services will offer evaluations of existing ingredient management procedures and systems; recommendations for process improvements and optimization; design of new ingredient automation systems; process design validation; and bid evaluation. He can be reached at
905-830-4048; fax: 905-830-1775; jlittle@iacltd.ca.
www.iacltd.ca
Randy Pearson of Xaloy, Inc. is the chairman of the executive board for NPE 2009. Vice-chairman is John Effmann of Entek Manufacturing, Inc. The Executive Board headed by Pearson and Effmann is larger than for past NPEs, with chairpersons for three new subcommittees focused on developing innovative educational programs for NPE 2009, expanding the range of technologies presented at the show, and increasing participation by international exhibitors and visitors.
www.npe.org
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| Randy Pearson |
John Effmann |
Dyneon LLC (Oakdale, Minn.), a 3M company and a fluoropolymer producer, has acquired 3M's Bioanalytical Technologies business, including the Empore Solid Phase Extraction family of products. The Bioanalytical Technologies business and Empore products will be integrated into Dyneon and will augment Dyneon's fluoroplastics, fluoroelastomers and specialty additives lines.
www.dyneon.com.
Deerfield Urethane, a subsidiary of Bayer MaterialScience, has named two new strategic hires for key product development and sales roles. Philip Mason has joined the company as product/process development engineer responsible for optimising core products and processes while working on new, value-added grades of polyurethane and elastomeric film and sheet. Roger Kahler has joined the company as sales and new business development manager, responsible for managing existing Deerfield Urethane business and developing new business opportunities in the eastern US and Canada.
www.deerfieldurethane.com
Auto parts supplier Collins & Aikman Corp. (Southfield, Mich.) is closing five North American injection moulding plants as it prepares to sell off its assets. The firm has been operating under US Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection since May 2005. The closures include two Ontario sites, in Scarborough, Ont., and Gananoque, Ont. The Gananoque plant employs 123 people and will close February 28. Scarborough, with 400 employees, will shut March 28.
www.collinsaikman.com
IPL Inc (St-Damien, Que.), has sold technology and expertise for manufacturing its reusable SmartCrate containers to Reliance Industries Ltd, one of India's largest industrial conglomerates. This agreement also covers the sale of some moulds currently used to manufacture these containers, which are specially designed for the transportation of handling perishable products.
www.ipl-plastics.com
Stephanie Carter has been named industry manager for the North American infrastructure market within Ashland Composite Polymers, a business group of Ashland Performance Materials, a division of Ashland Inc. (Dublin, Ohio). She will manage the pultrusion, cured-in-place pipe and general industrial and infrastructure markets for Ashland's building and construction composite business. Previously she was global market development manager for Ashland Composite Polymers, where she focused on identifying growth opportunities, market support and strategic planning.
www.ashland.com
Stephanie Carter
Amcor PET Packaging adds two new business leaders to its North American management team. William Featherstone joins Amcor's Beverage Division as vice-president, sales, and Kim Houchens is named vice-president, product development for North America.
www.amcor.com
Schmolz & Bickenbach AG plans to acquire the A. Finkl & Sons Group (Chicago). This will give it access to the North American market and, it claims, make it the largest producer of tool steel on the world market. A. Finkl has steelworks and finishing plants (forging plants) in the US and Sorel Forge, Que.
www.schmolz-bickenbach.com
Bernard Mould Ltd. (Oldcastle, Ont.) auctioned its injection mouldmaking equipment on December 12. Corporate Assets Inc. (Toronto) conducted the auction. Bernard Mould, which closed in November, was established in 1969.
www.corpassets.com
Matt Van Dyke, an electrical engineer with extensive experience in developing industrial control systems, has joined Novatec, Inc. (Baltimore, Md.) as a project manager. Before joining Novatec, he spent six years with plastics auxiliary equipment manufacturer Motan Inc. as an electrical engineer and project manager.
www.novatec.com.
Carlo Gavazzi Canada (Mississauga, Ont.) has named Stephane Allard eastern regional sales manager, responsible for sales throughout Quebec and the Maritimes. He is an electrical engineer and holds 14 years experience in the electrical industry. For the past few years he has been account manager for Carlo Gavazzi, covering western Quebec and the Maritimes.
www.GavazziOnline.com
Stephane Allard
Pierre Fillion has been named CPIA Quebec's executive director, after being the acting director for more than 18 months. In addition, Simon Gosselin has joined CPIA Quebec's team as innovation manager for the Plastics Regional Sectoral Tables. Denise Lacas has become projects manager for the Plastics Regional Sectoral Tables. Her mandate is to coordinate meetings and provide administrative support. She will replace Loussa Joseph Douyon who has taken maternity leave, for a period of 12 months.
www.cpia.ca
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Pierre Fillion |
Denise Lacas |
Simon Gosselin |
Gammaflux L.P. (Sterling, Va.), a supplier of hot runner temperature control systems, has promoted Chris King to the new position of regional manager – North and South America.
www.gammaflux.com
Chris King
Helmut Eckardt of Battenfeld Injection Molding has been inducted into the Hall of Fame at Akron University, for his work as a pioneer of co-injection moulding. The Hall of Fame was founded by Professor James L. White. Since then, the Department of Polymer Engineering of Akron University in the State of Ohio honours one personality from science or industry for extraordinary achievements every year.
www.btg.battenfeld.com
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Coming
Events January 13-15: Arabplast 2007, at Dubai International Exhibition Centre, Dubai, UAE. (Contact: Gabriele Schreiber 49-211-4560-7762, SchreiberG@messe-duesseldorf.de).
January 18: Monthly meeting of the Society of Plastics Engineers, Ontario section, on Pigments and Additives, with Roger Carmany of Clariant (Canada Inc.) At the Delta Toronto Airport West Hotel. (Contact: Ron Fisk, 416-740-5300, ext. 3252 or ron.fisk@univarcanada.com).
January 30: Canadian Plastics Sector Council with Quebec section, Canadian Plastics Industry Association: official launch of CPSC's professional certification program. At the Delta Hotel, Quebec City. (Contact: Marie-France Sosa, 450-641-5926 or marie-france.sosa@acipquebec.ca).
February 20: Regular meeting of the Society of Plastics Engineers, Quebec section, on New Developments in Food Packaging. At the Food Research & Development Centre, St-Hyacinthe, Que. (Contact: Martin Bureau at 450-641-5179 or Martin.Bureau@cnrc-nrc.gc.ca).
March 29-30: Society of Plastics Engineers, Quebec section, Topcon on Injection Moulding: Designing for Processors and Processing for Designers. At the Industrial Materials Institute, Boucherville, Que. (Contact: Martin Bureau at 450-641-5179 or Martin.Bureau@cnrc-nrc.gc.ca).
April 2-4: International Symposium on Polymeric Materials for Regenerative Medicine. At Industrial Materials Institute, Boucherville, Que. (Contact: Martin Bureau at 450-641-5179 or Martin.Bureau@cnrc-nrc.gc.ca)
April 19: Society of Plastics Engineers, Ontario section: Injection Moulding Minitec, at the Delta Toronto Airport West Hotel. (Contact: Pam Robb at 905-671-1511 ext. 206 or probb@brenntag.ca).
May 1-3: Plast-Ex 2007, Canada's triennial plastics trade show. At the International Centre, Toronto. (Contact: Sally Damstra at 905-678-7748 or sdamstra@cpia.ca).
May 7-11: Brasilplast 2007, at Anhembi Park Exhibition Hall, São Paulo, Brazil. (Contact: Alcantara Machada company at 5511-3030-9463 or almax@almax.com.br.)
May 21-24: Chinaplas, at the Guangzhou International Convention and Exhibition Centre, Pazhou, Guangzhou, China. (Contact: Hong Kong 852-2811-8857 or chinaplas@adsale.com.hk).
May 22: CPIA's Canadian Natural Composites Council annual general meeting, at the Hall of Ideas EFG, Madison, Wis., during the 9th International Conference on Wood & Natural Fiber-Plastics Composites (contact: Marilyne Berman, 905-678-7405 Ext. 278, or mberman@cpia.ca)
October 24-31: K 2007, Germany's international plastics super-show, at Duesseldorf Trade Fairgrounds. (Contact: Stefan Egge at 416-598-1524 or messeduesseldorf@germanchamber.ca)
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Coming
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February issue
Developments in hybrid and all-electric moulding machines
Automotive thermoforming
Extrusion report – developments in sheet and profile production
Spotlight on Chillers
Raw materials report
Processor profile
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