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German chemicals company Evonik said that it is investing in British company Interface Polymers Ltd. (IPL), which was established in 2016 to commercialize inventions made in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Warwick in Coventry. The amount of the investment was not disclosed. A core interest for Evonik is IPL’s Polarfin additives, which simplify the processing of plastics mixed with polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). The technology allows…

In terms of numbers, Chinaplas never ceases to amaze. Close to 4,000 exhibitors are expected at the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center in Guangdong Province for the first Chinaplas show open to overseas visitors since the pre-COVID days of 2019. Meticulous route planning across the 380,000-square-meter (4.1-million-square-foot) expanse will be the order of the day if show attendees are to have any hope of meeting with even just 2% of the…

Absolute Robot Inc. (ARI) has upgraded its Max series of full-servo top-entry (cartesian) robots with enhanced controls and increased traverse speeds. The improvements will allow the Max series to handle more complex automation tasks and reduce cycle times, said ARI.  The upgrades include “Y-Free” robot takeout functionality and expanded control axes. The Y-Free function reduces the amount of time the robot sits within the mold area by synchronizing its movements…

In its second staging ever, Plastics Technology’s Hot Shots injection molded parts competition was swept by Ultradent. The company’s Umbrella cheek retractor was recognized by voters as the winner of both the Technical Sophistication and Achievement in Molding Economics and Efficiency.  From left to right: Royce Castleberry, injection molding manager; Michael Card, technical engineering manager; and RJay Matkin, director of molding pose with the awards and parts at PTXPO.  Photo Credit: Plastics Technology…

Trelleborg recently announced that its Engineered Coated Fabrics manufacturing facility in Nottingham, England, has received a patent for its Dartex Zoned Coatings. The coatings give the ability to zone support surface covers, allowing the performance of multiple functions through a single cover. Dartex can be applied to any coated fabric option in the healthcare and medical range, for use in mattress covers — top and encasement, moving and handling, positioning…