K2019 Preview: K stands for rubber

Rubber and elastomer technologies will feature strongly across the halls at the world’s largest polymer expo.

Billed as the ‘world’s No. 1 trade fair for plastics and rubber,” K2019 will take place 16-23 Oct in Düsseldorf, Germany, with over 3000 registered exhibitors and over 200,000 visitors expected to attend.

Over the eight days, participants from across the global plastics and rubber industries will meet here to show and learn about new materials and manufacturing technologies – and discuss current issues around sustainability and other challenges facing the polymer sector.

While K stands for Kunststoffe, the German word for ‘plastics’, our quick stroll through the exhibition halls reveals a strong showing of rubber and elastomer technologies at the Dusseldorf expo:

Hall 6/A75 - Covestro

The company will showcase 3D-printed orthopedic insoles for shoes, efficiently produced using “an automated and completely digitalised process that generates almost no waste,” Covestro said in a statement.

Traditionally, orthopedic insoles are often produced by hand through a time-consuming machining process.

Hall 12/A05 - Delia SRL

The new work cells, which can be combined with anthropomorphic and Cartesian robots can perform multiple extraction of rubber mouldings with metal or plastics inserts as well as de-burring on-board machine.

Hall 5 / D17 –  Nordmann

“Together we develop efficient and tailor-made solutions that our customers can use immediately,” said Jost Laumeyer, global sales director plastics Germany at Nordmann, Rassmann GmbH.

A particular focus for Nordmann will be on raw materials that meet the market demands for sustainability and on making its technical and commercial expertise internationally visible.

This will include highlighting recent deals with Chinese partner Hangzhou JLS Flame Retardants Chemical for the distribution of its products in the US and a sales partnership with Kolon Plastics for thermoplastic copolyester elastomers in most of Europe.

Hall 6 / A10 – Wacker

Wacker’s Nexipal silicone laminate (pictured) comprises several ultrathin precision silicone films coated with electrically conductive material prior to lamination. The actuator creates movement, as soon as electrical voltage is applied. The laminates can also be used as a sensor to measure mechanical deformation electrically. Tablets equipped with Nexipal create vibrations and haptics simulating the shape of keys on touch control panels, for example, in automotive applications.

Another focus will also be on liquid silicone rubber grades that, due to greatly reduced volatiles content, do not necessarily require post-curing and a silicone-based additive that allows compounders of thermoplastic elastomers to produce softer and more dirt-repellent plastics.

Hall 6 / B11 – DSM

The market for flat-free tires is being driven by the need to integrate higher levels of sustainability, durability, efficiency and reduced costs, said a DSM release.

According to the company, Arnitel is increasingly being used as “a lighter, smarter, greener alternative” to conventional rubbers, reducing environmental impact and system costs.

The E-TPEE is also used in mid-soles of athletic footwear to deliver a high rebound rate of 75-80%, compared to 65-70% offered by other materials such as E-TPU at same densities. It is also said to offer “consistent performance” across diverse climates; ranging from -25°C to +50°C.

Hall 6 / B15 – Momentive

On display will be the Silopren LSR portfolio, including a new self-bonding range which offers primer-less adhesion to PC, PBT and copolyester substrates in hard-soft combinations.

The company will also demo a two-component moulding cell to manufacture an innovative ‘butterfly’ smartphone-holder prototype. This cell will over-mould a polycarbonate frame directly in a second shot with a new Silopren grade to produce an in-car smartphone-holder with “excellent” primer-less adhesion between the PC and silicone rubber.

The demo design, set up and implementation will be provided by Elmet, which also built the two-shot mould, automation and LSR dosing system TOP 5000 P.

Setup will be implemented on a two-component injection moulding ‘SmartPower 120’ machine and robot from Wittmann-Battenfeld.

Hall 6 /B28 – Evonik additive for rubber recycling

Every year, a waste volume of some 19.3 million tonnes of scrap tires is generated worldwide, only about half of which being reprocessed into granulate and the rest mainly being burned for energy-recovery.

With its Vestenamer polyoctenamer, Evonik aims to significantly increase reprocessing levels and thereby close the sustainable materials cycle for rubber.

In the recycling of waste rubber, the additive has already proven its worth in the production from useful waste of rubber articles such as floor coverings, mats, and stand systems for signposting of road works and barriers, said Evonik.

As a process additive Vestenamer improves the flowability of the rubber compound, according to Peter Hannen, market development manager for the product.

“The reactivity and polymer structure of Vestenamer are also important here,” he explains. “Both lead to a good network density between the rubber particles [and] positively impacts the mechanical properties.”

Hall 6 / C52 – Arlanxeo

According to the Saudi Aramco-owned company, the improved compounds can help extend the driving range and decrease energy-consumption of electric vehicles.

The rubber specialist will also present research on innovative rubber grades for lithium-ion batteries that allow for shorter charging times and offer more power and greater range.

Among other advances, Arlanxeo will showcase new thermal management solutions to secure batteries from overheating.

Focus areas will include heat and flame-resistant cables for charging, lightweight profiles, dampening and anti-vibration systems, brake systems or new performance wiper blades for camera-based autonomous driving.

According to Arlanxeo, the requirements of new mobility can be met most effectively by designing, testing and developing elastomer solutions in collaboration with customers and partners.

“We are working closely with our customers in meeting their needs in electrification and automation,” said Donald Chen, CEO of Arlanxeo.

Hall 6 / C43 – DuPont

DuPont’s spotlight will also be on the use of its materials and technologies in smaller, thinner and lighter industrial and personal devices. These, it noted, require fast, reliable and secure connections, as well as environmental sustainability and design flexibility.

In the healthcare arena, DuPont will highlight applications for silicone and polymer formulations in highly critical, regulated healthcare applications.

Hall 6 / C58-4 & E22 – Kraiburg TPE

Kraiburg TPE will present a range of innovative thermoplastic elastomer products at the Dusseldorf trade fair, including new compounds that pass migration tests even when in contact with foods that contain fat.

There also will be developments in products for emissions and odour relating to interior applications, and in TPE hybrids, Kraiburg TPE said in a statement ahead of the show.

Other highlights will include custom-engineered compounds with “significantly improved” migration control compared to common TPEs. These are designed for closure systems, valves and seals for packaging with direct contact with fat-containing foods.

Kraiburg said it will present TPE compounds with secure, optimised odour and emission behaviour for interior automotive applications. It also will show TPE compounds with enhanced UV resistance and adhesion to plastics for exterior automotive applications.

Another highlight will be new custom-engineered thermoplastic hybrids with chemical and thermal resistance to bridge the gap between classic elastomers and TPEs for use depending on application profile and applications.

Hall 8a / K48 – Dow

Dow will highlight how its next generation Engage polyolefin elastomers are enabling vehicle light-weighting and more efficient manufacturing.

Other features will include Nordel EPDM grades that enable faster processing, Class A surfaces and superior mechanical performance.

Dow will also show fluorosilicone elastomers for turbocharger hoses, offering high temperature resistance and acid resistance.

Hall 8a / 22 – Huntsman Corp.

The urethane-based platform comprises three different material types — resins, powders and filaments — and is "technology agnostic," said Stephane Peysson, global business development manager at Huntsman Polyurethanes.

The products, explained Peysson, can be 3D printed using a variety of additive manufacturing methods including stereolithography, high speed sintering and fused filament fabrication.

The company is initially targeting the global footwear and sports industry, where a trend for 3D printing for both customised and mass manufactured shoes is unfolding.

Hall 9 / A24 – HF Mixing

Automation systems are available for individual areas and machines and separate applications can be selected according to requirements and merged together into a single automation system. Standard interfaces within mixing room automation systems enable easy connection to ERP systems and laboratory equipment.

Meanwhile, HF compounding systems company Farrel Pomini will showcase its interactive processing capabilities for a variety of highly-filled polymers and formulations including biopolymers, flooring, flame retardants, white masterbatch, black masterbatch and calcium carbonate.

Pavilion FG10.1 – ExxonMobil

During a ‘techtalks’ series, the company will discuss the latest advancements within its polymer portfolio, with topics including ‘Shaping the future with Santoprene thermoplastic vulcanizates.

Hall 11 / C68 – Roemheld Rivi

Dies and moulds made from ferromagnetic materials can be clamped and released over their full surface area and high plate stiffness resists bending. The systems work without electrical power and require only a short current pulse lasting a few seconds to activate and deactivate the magnets.

Permanent magnets generate a field that penetrates a few millimetres into the tool and hold even heavy mould halves weighing several tonnes in the correct position, bringing them together with absolute parallelity.

Hall 13 / B31 – Sigma Engineering

A demo will show the virtual and actual production of an LSR potholder made from a Silopren LSR supplied by Momentive Performance Materials.  This will be moulded on a SmartPower machine with Unilog control from Wittmann Battenfeld using an LSR injection moulding tool and cold runner system from EMDE MouldTec.  The system is completed by a dosing system from Nexus Elastomer Systems.

Virtual designs of experiments (DoEs) showed that the honeycomb-structured part placed high requirements on the material and the tool, with a high risk of air entrapment at the weld lines of the comb walls and premature curing during filling.

The DoEs provided the insight needed to build a mould that met these challenges: a venting system was implemented into the tool, premature curing was prevented by material-selection.

The hanger – the part that determined the cycle time – was redesigned, allowing the heating time to be reduced by five seconds.

Hall 14 / A68 -  LWB Steinl

The horizontal plasticising and injection unit keeps the overall height of the production cell low, which is an operational advantage in halls with low clear height. Due to this concept and the low round-table clamping area of just 1000mm above the floor, the new machine concept offers ergonomic advantages, in particular for injection moulding tasks with a high proportion of manipulation, such as for the addition of rubber profile frames to car glass panes.

The company will also showcase the automation capabilities of a two-machine production cell consisting of a top-closing C-frame-machine and a portal-frame-machine.

Assisted by a six-axis robot, the unit will mould a two-component shaft seal consisting of a polyamide (PA) ring part and a moulded-on EPDM rubber seal – with a PA plasma treatment station between the moulding steps.

Italian company Prodicon International Slr will also feature. Prodicon specialises in the production of batch-off cooling lines and special machinery for the rubber compounding in the tire industry, as well as in the field of technical rubber products.

Hall 14 / B57 – REP International

Two presses of the company’s Performance range G10 Extended will be showcased: the CMX1 160t, which includes REP’s 4.0 process-control system and two clamping forces (160t and 250t).

The V410 Extended 160 extends the clamping forces from 160t to 1,000t and meet the requirements of technically sophisticated processes. It will demo waste-free and flash-less injection moulding and the potential of operating within a 100% automated robotised cell.

REP will also focus on global interconnection in production factories, showcasing how its REP Pack 4.0 allows networking of factory-new machines and machines of previous generations.

REP Pack 4.0  provides: real-time workshop supervision (REP Net 4.0); centralised mould parameters (REP Net 4.0); statistical Process Analysis (REP Net 4.0); remote assistance (REP Viewer 4G); predictive maintenance thanks to the data on the component utilisation rate and the detection of wear and changes to performance (REP Predict); and communication with MES or ERP systems via OPC/UA.

The company is also focused on the increasing demand for EV’s and the use of fuel cells offering zero emissions. A press designed for LSR injection moulding is available at the company’s French head office to run pilot tests dedicated to customer fuel cell projects.

Hall 15 / D41 - UTH GmbH

A focus will be on the cost-effective technologies for fine mesh straining of final rubber and silicone compounds.

According to Uth, its roll-ex extrusion system is a global benchmark for fine mesh straining of rubber compounds: the roll-ex gear pump technology permitting particularly gentle extrusion of rubber and silicone and an easy compound-change.

Precise extrusion is another primary application of roll-ex gear extruders and gear pumps for which high working pressures of up to 800 bar can be applied. UTH’s offerings include systems for the manufacture of rubber-coated wire, yarn or fibre components.

Hall 16 / A43 – Davis Standard

Davis-Standard will showcase its elastomer developments, including equipment for both medical and automotive applications.

These include a silicone technology for producing medical grade silicone tubes, wound drains and catheters as well as capabilities for manufacturing hydraulic and automotive hoses and automotive seals.

Hall 16 / F56 – Desma

Displays will a production cell with data-integration of mixed batches: tracking the mould and cold runner systems via an integrated QR scanner and documenting the entire mixing data by mould history.

Desma will also debut an advanced laser marking technology that enables reliable marking, even of black rubber articles. This enables traceability of articles back to the respective cavity - even years later.

Also on show will be a FlexCell system equipped with: a six-axis robot offering quick mould-alignment; an integrated air cushion system; and a collaborating robot system with 3D scanner protection that avoids the need for mechanical safety guards.

Desma will also showcase new two-circuit servo temperature controls that respond quickly and precisely to achieve a new level of control-quality - and significtly reduce energy- consumption.

Another system with an energy-optimised heating phase offers integrated load management to reduce peak current intake, which largely determines the electricity price.

Desma will also highlight a consulting and simulation programme for determining the optimal machine and tool design at the very early stages of a project. Another offering defines maintenance operations preventively to develop a spare-parts strategy and prevent machine breakdowns.

Hall 16 / D40 – Maplan

These themes will be presented across a range of Maplan products and service offerings, encompassing: horizontal and vertical injection moulding machines; customer care offerings; new machine control unit including live remote monitoring capabilities.

“It is important to inspire the visitors and engage all senses,” said marketing director Martina Kruber in a press release ahead of the Dusseldorf show.

Hall 16 / F40 – Troester

The unit can produce two layers simultaneously, each centred by servo-hydraulic systems that operate independently.  Combined with a Sikora X-ray machine, the system automatically regulates the centricity of the extrudate.

Another offering features a straight extruder head which also centres automatically, said Troester, noting that its customers can now choose between automatically centering straight heads, cross-heads and double cross-heads.

Troester group member X-Compound will also be on the stand to present its kneading technology for uninterrupted production of compounds. The Swiss subsidiary specialises in machinery for processes involving steps such as conveying, melting, dispersing, mixing and degassing.