Know-how magazine

www.plastribution.co.uk

0845 34 54 560

Issue 01 September 2011

the magazine

In this issue Because business is changing 04 A new look for Plastribution 10 Managing the supply chain 14 Our product list 20 Plastics design workshops 32

A successful cover storyOur Innovation. Turn to page 22

In this issue

Because business is changing 04

Our expertise 06

Our innovation 07

Our process 08

So what next? 09

A new look for plastribution.co.uk 10

Price know-how 11

Plastribution Product Portfolio 12

Your expertise 13

Supply chain know-how 14

You’re hired! 16

On yer bike 18

Product list 20

A successful partnership 22

Cardia demonstrates its global appeal 23

A night at the races 24

A new name for Domo Polypropylene 25

New Enzymoplast™ masterbatch accelerates biodegradation of plastics 26

Realising the Granic® potential 28

Will HDPE be the new PP? 29

Solving the drop-test dilemma 30

That’s cool 31

Plastics Design Workshop 32

Enabling a multitude of benefits for film converters 33

Training know-how 34

Trend know-how 36

The Plastribution teams 38

Mike BoswellManaging Director

Plastribution Limited

PO Box 7743

5 Ashby Park

CEVA House

Ashby-de-la-Zouch

Leicestershire

LE65 1XY

Tel: +44 (0) 1530 560560

Fax: +44 (0) 1530 560303

Email: [email protected]


This magazine is printed using vegetable oil based inks on paper that contains fibre from sustainably managed forests. Design: voice www.voicebranddesign.com

Issue 01 – September 2011

3

As you will see in the following

pages, it has been a busy six

months in the world of Plastribution;

we’re confident that your business

will almost certainly benefit from

many of these developments.

This is the first edition of our new magazine ‘know- how’

know-how has been created to

deliver information, insights and

opinion to our suppliers, customers

and the industry as a whole. As

well as taking form in the shape

of our new magazine, the term

know-how will be used to visually

identify other pieces of expert

information designed to support

your needs which will be available

to you through many different

channels throughout the year.

This includes advice on pricing and

purchasing, market intelligence and

innovation, and new and exciting

general news from the Plastribution

staff. In this months know-how

magazine we have placed particular

focus on our evolved brand and

operational changes which you can

read about over the following pages.

On the personnel front, we have

been extremely fortunate to recruit

two apprentices in recent months.

As you will read in this issue, our very

first apprentice, Lucy Hickling, is a

finalist in the apprentice category of

this year’s Plastics Industry Awards,

as well as gaining a place in the

Nation Apprenticeship Finals.

It is fantastic to recruit such able and

enthusiastic young talent that will

help secure the future success of our

business and continue to provide

our customers with great service.

We can also report on progress at a

commercial level: Once again, our

partnership approach towards our

customers has been recognised by

the Plastics Industry Awards, with the

selection of our work for a customer

in Scotland as a finalist project

for this year’s Distributor Award.

In a separate development, we are

also launching a monthly market

report that should provide customers

with useful information about what is

happening in the polymers market

and why. Indeed, the inspiration

for this report was the very positive

feedback received for a recent

pricing article in PRW, to which

Plastribution made a significant

contribution.

Finally we have news of a new

partnership with the Logistics

Department at the University of

Hull which will help to ensure

that our customers’ supply chain

remains as secure as possible.

Turning to technical matters - there

is further good news to report

from this year’s Plastics Industry

Awards. The enclosed feature, on

components for the new Lotus

Evora and the development work

we have done with Perei Group,

clearly demonstrates the high level

of technical expertise we are able to

offer UK plastic processors. This project

has also resulted in our selection as a

finalist for this year’s Distributor Award.

Meanwhile our initiative to develop

a balanced portfolio of materials

with greener credentials continues

to gain momentum. Having a

comprehensive range enables us to

offer excellent advice both to plastic

processors and OEMs, allowing them

to select the most suitable solution.

There is no doubt that the

environment is moving up the

agenda and we want to play an

important part in ensuring a more

sustainable future for us all.

We hope you enjoy this first issue

of know-how and find it useful to

learn more about what we do

here at Plastribution, and how it

could benefit your business.

Regards,

Mike Boswell

Welcome to know-how


4

What we think is happening... This is a new decade, an increasingly digital age, a new economy; global markets are shifting, prices fluctuating more violently. Business is changing and this includes the plastics industry. The environment is of major concern, logistics have evolved, product development is more rapid, producers and customers are interacting in increasingly efficient and yet changing ways, and pricing and technical information needs to be found instantly, allowing people to make deals in real time. Now. Yesterday.

We do not think that we can rely solely on the products we sell.

Businesses need to be switched on

and connected to their partners

constantly. Because of this

we don’t believe that we can rely

solely on the products we sell.

We need to communicate the

additional benefits that help

our business partners overcome

market challenges – be they

product led or price driven.

Plastribution is evolving to work in

these new environments and in doing

so we’re actively challenging the

perceived limited growth potential

here in the UK today from the point of

view of plastics distribution.

We want to evolve the distribution

model (02) to be supportive, sustainable

and secure, using these market

challenges and developments to the

advantage of ourselves, our suppliers

and our customers – and that’s

exactly what we’ve started to do.

We’re embracing these changes,

while at the same time working in

ways to ensure that we continue

to deliver the high levels of service

that both suppliers and customers

are familiar with and deserve.

Because businessis changing

PLASTRIBUTION

SUPPLIER CUSTOMERSUPPLIER CUSTOMERDISTRIBUTOR

01 Traditional distribution model 02 How we see distribution

01 02


5

New Opportunities The market continues to create more opportunity for ‘distributors’ through the reduced service offering, on-going consolidation and geographic relocation of polymer producers. We’re working to capitalise on this for the benefit of both our UK customers and ourselves.

Customers are increasingly telling

us that they believe service is a

valuable part of supply, services such

as: - customer specific inventory,

fixed contract pricing, forward

market information, flexibility to

meet changing demand, technical

support, logistics, training and

a dedicated sales team that is

empowered to deliver results.

They recognise and believe that these

are the services that will allow them to

continue to do business successfully

and are therefore the services we

should be expected to incorporate

into our own business model in order

to continue to give them the support

they expect when they invest in us.

We have evolved our brandBecause business is changing and our

business partners need to see that we

are acting to change with it, we have

evolved our brand to one that clearly

reflects this.

We wanted to represent ‘how we

do business’ and communicate the

benefits this brings to both suppliers

and customers more effectively. We

wanted people to see that we’re

working in the ways that we are

expected to, and our brand was

felt to be one of the most important

vehicles we could use to do this.

We embarked on a journey to find

our true brand proposition. By re-

evaluating the distribution model,

thinking about where we really sit in

context to it and listening to what

our customers and suppliers told us

they cared about, we identified the

things that make us both unique,

special and important as a distributor

in today’s climate. We also identified

ways in which we could improve

further.

This in turn has helped us redefine

what ‘Plastribution’ really means

on a commercial level and we

have consequently been able

to enhance our operational

systems during this process.

Our new look has been designed

to galvanise both our own staff and

our stakeholders, allowing us to

engage with customers, suppliers

and the industry more clearly.

You can see how this looks in

practice on our new website and

every other piece of communication

literature we use – brochures,

product guides and even this

magazine, a more intelligent,

informative and constructive

publication from the team here

at Plastribution – we’ve called it

‘know-how’. We hope you enjoy it.

What we learnt…By going through this process, we

have come to believe that everything

we do well is founded upon three

core values – or pillars of support -

and it is these that define how we

work with our business partners, how

we work with each other and how

we should look and sound. It is also

these that we will look to as we make

decisions about how to build the

business for the future. We believe

that it’s these things that make us

both relevant and successful in our

industry and the things that really

matter to our business partners both

now and in the future. They are

‘Expertise, Innovation and Process’.


6

We’re the employer of choice – which means we get to choose the best.

Our expertise is something that all of our suppliers and customers know they can rely on - we’re known in the industry for a recruitment strategy that selects only the best people to work for us. If people leave, they often want to come back again. We’re the employer of choice – which means we get to choose the best.

Having this talent pool available

and in place allows us to promote

accountability and trust through

direct personal responsibility to

every one of our staff. We trust them.

This means our people have the

opportunity to protect and grow the

fortunes and future of our business,

meaning that they genuinely care

about the output, and ensure that

they continue to be the best at what

they do at all times. We can refer to

ourselves as truly consultative business

partners to both our customers and

our suppliers because of this.

Why does this matter? Ultimately this

means we’re the best at sourcing

materials, the best at identifying new

markets and the best at managing

and advising on raw materials and

pricing. Our people are the experts

and this is one of the key things that

makes us work so well together –

internally and externally. We also

know this approach works allowing

Plastribution to become the UK’s

leading distributor.

Our new sales & marketing

communications will often refer to

this expertise –assuring you that you

have the best people working for

you every time you speak to us no

matter what the profile of the project.

To kick this off, every member of

our team now has a ‘snapshot’

CV available online. As well as

providing more information about

the people you’re already working

with you can now find out if there

are other people in our business

that can help you in new areas.

Another area in which we are going

to apply our expertise, in ways that

we hope will help, is in our new

price report ‘price know-how’.

When we listen to our customers,

we learnt that whilst some price

surveys currently exist they are often

difficult to interpret, use foreign

currencies, and often use differing

units of measurement. This was not

helping those who needed easy

to understand, up-to-the minute

information that was user-friendly.

You can read about this in more

detail on page 11. As well as

being a useful tool we believe it

showcases our commitment to

transparency and efficient sharing

of information – made possible

by our expertise in this area.

Our expertise


7

We’re known in the industry for being able to come up with the ideas that allow things to happen.

We seek to innovate at all times. As a result, people come to us when they need to solve problems, when they need to know how to make something work or how to get something to market - it’s a big part of where our new strap line comes from - ‘lets make it work’. We’re known in the industry for being able to come up with the ideas that allow things to happen.

Because we believe that innovation is

absolutely fundamental to supporting

the changes we’ve talked about we

will continue to apply this approach

to everything you ask us to do in order

to ensure we stay ahead of the curve

in this changing market. Furthermore,

innovation is at the heart of what we

do. We will show evidence of this in

our marketing communications so

that we can show people what the

output of innovation really means.

Innovation is at the heart of what we do.

Case StudiesWe’ve implemented an industry first –

‘Our Innovation, Case Studies’. These

allow anyone who wants to read

about a wide variety of projects that

we’ve been instrumental in getting

to market – by applying innovative

leadership. These case studies, which

can be downloaded from our new

website, explain which producer was

involved, who the customer was,

what the main challenges were and

how we worked together in order to

deliver the end result.

Our innovation case studies give

some great insights into what we can

do to help you as either a suppler or

a customer and how using us as a

‘distributor’ offers far more in terms of

solutions provision than you may have

thought possible.

We hope you have time to look at our

innovation case studies - watch out

for more examples of ‘our innovation’

both online and in future editions

of know-how via our case studies.

We’re particularly excited about

our recent work with Lotus which

you can read more about on page

22 of this magazine – hopefully you

will have seen the awesome car

in question – the Lotus Evora - on

our stand at Interplas 2011.

Our innovation


8

Our process

Robust, intelligent,sustainable and uniqueOur third core value and area of support is evident within our systems of working – we call this ‘our process’. Our processes have been developed carefully and are guarded and nurtured by our specialist teams, using our expertise and innovation in order to suit each different type of customer and supplier. We want to tell everyone we work with about our processes, as we believe they truly set us apart from other distributors.

So, why did we define these processes? Above all, we know that price,

availability and flexibility are of

paramount importance in our

industry. Because we work in different

ways with our partners dependent

on their needs, the ones that know

us regard us as both integral and

indispensible because our processes

ensure that we always manage these

three things perfectly.

These processes are robust, intelligent,

sustainable and unique.

The difference this makes is that

we have a customer promise that

we can back up. As a customer,

regardless of your size, turnover or

polymer need, you have access to a

team of professionals who know and

understand your business – and, make

it their personal responsibility to deliver

continuous know-how and reliability in

an intelligent way.

This not only makes our response and

delivery times the best available,

it also allows us to offer the best

product support and innovation

services – always there, always

available, always listening.

Our promise to suppliers is that,

because we appreciate that you

need to trust us to reach into areas

of the market that you might not be

able to reach yourself, we ensure that

we deliver this through a structure,

local market approach, providing

up-to-the-minute market intelligence

and sales management systems and

capability that enable us to become

a reliable extension of your sales arm,

always delivering your products in

the right ways to existing, new and

expanding product areas.

To support the communication of

how our processes work, we have

simplified the naming of our teams

and defined more clearly the ways in

which they work together. This will not

change things for those who already

work with us – we have always been

doing this, but didn’t promote that

fact as often as we could, until now.

You can read more about our teams

and how they really work in the back

of this magazine on page 38.

You can also contact Mike Boswell,

Managing Director on

[email protected] for

more information.

It’s this unique way of working, specially designed to suit everyone who deals with us, that really makes us different.

Delivery

Price

Supply

Sales Teams

Customer ServiceRepresentative

Sales Executives

Sales TeamInternal SalesRepresentative

01 Sales Teams structure

01


9

Because we’re challenging the way people view how things can be done and what this means, we’re ultimately helping suppliers and customers get smarter, better and faster.

Because we’re challenging the way

people view how things can be done

and what this means, we’re ultimately

helping suppliers and customers get

savvier and more efficient.

We believe that taking this attitude

to implementing processes that really

work, always applying expertise and

cultivating a culture of innovation in

the right way, will not only change the

way plastics distribution works here in

the UK but also contribute to securing

it’s future.

We believe these are the reasons why

Plastribution is now the UK’s leading

distributor of plastics raw materials,

delivering reliability, know-how and

true business partnership to the worlds

best polymer suppliers & UK customers.

To Plastribution, acquiring our market

leading position means having a

responsibility, and the opportunity, to

set the standards for our industry, not

just for the benefit of Plastribution, but

for everyone else in the industry too.

We hope you enjoy being a part of

the journey.

Plastribution – Let’s make it work.

So what next?


10

A new look for plastribution.co.uk

In order to improve our service to customers we have completely redesigned our website. We haven’t simply applied the new logo, but comprehensively reviewed the whole structure to ensure a smooth user interface.

A key part of the website is for us

to feature photographs of each

member of our team, so that you

get to know the people that you

are dealing with even better – after

all you are entrusting us with the

responsibility of supplying your raw

materials; a key ingredient for your

business success so we think that

it is only fair for you to see exactly

who you are dealing with!

An important feature is the use of the

IDES database to drive the product

specifications that are available

on the site. This ensures that the

information provided is regularly

reviewed and updates applied in a

timely fashion, ensuring that you are

using the most up-to-date information.

We really hope that you enjoy using

the new site, and look forward

to receiving any suggestions

for further functionality.


11

New polymer price report from PlastributionWhilst a whole raft of data is already

available, the aim of this service is

to bring together the key factors

that influence polymer prices here in

the UK, and a fundamental part of

the approach is to translate foreign

currency based pricing into £ Sterling

at the prevailing exchange rate.

Important features of the report will include: -

• Marketoverview

• Sectordata(Polyolefins,Styrenics,and Engineering Polymers)

• Supplyanddemandtrendsfor individual polymer groups with relevant commentary

• Oilpricesandanyspecialfactorsaffecting polymer feedstocks

• ExchangerateandkeyUK economic data

The objective of the report is to

create greater understanding of

what is happening in the UK polymer

market, form the basis of discussion

for Plastribution with customers

and suppliers, and also provide

information that our customers

can use in the context of their

own commercial relationships.

The report will be published on

a monthly basis. If you would

like us to directly email a copy

to your inbox then please send

your contact details to: -

[email protected]

or subscribe by visiting


This Autumn will see the launch of a new polymer price report from Plastribution.

price

4www.plastribution.co.uk Tel: +44 (0) 1530 560560 Email: [email protected]

Polyolefins

LDPEDemand softened in August largely as a result of the holiday season. The anticipated call for price increases at the beginning of September failed to materialise, due to concerns about the global economic situation. The LDPE market remains structurally tight with global under capacity.

LLDPESupply remains quite tight, creating the impression of strong demand. Special offers are now unheard of and producers are eager to obtain increases.

Middle Eastern material flows are heading in the direction of Asia, so any increase in demand will strengthen the position of the producers here in Europe.

HDPEAvailability has improved over the summer months, but producers are eager to implement price increases in order to restore acceptable margins.

Injection moulding grades remain in very short supply. Price increases are likely.

PPPP is the softest of the key polyolefins which in part is due to the complexity of the grade slate. After a period of selling off excess inventories there is clear evidence that the high volume grades are starting to come into balance and speciality grades are likely to follow.

Other PolyolefinsEVA remains tight on the back of restricted VAM (Vinyl Acetate Monomer) availability and further increases are expected in Q3 when the quarterly monomer contract is settled. Availability has become slightly better as producers were able to rebuild some inventory over the summer months.

mPP and Plastomers follow the ethylene monomer price trend.

Supply Supply Supply Supply

Demand Demand Demand Demand

price1800

1600

1400

1200

1000

800

600

400

200

0

Mo

nth

No

v–08

Ma

r–09

Jul–

09

No

v–09

Ma

r–10

Jul–

10

No

v–10

Ma

r–11

Jul–

11

GBP

/To

nn

e

Crude Oil Opec–Basket (EUR/t) (EUR/t) GBP/t

Naphtha Spot (EUR/t) GBP/t

Propylene (C3) Spot (EUR/t) GBP/t

Ethylene (C2) Spot (EUR/t) GBP/t

Polyolefin Basket (EUR/t) GBP/t

1800

1600

1400

1200

1000

800

600

400

200

0

Mo

nth

No

v–08

Ma

r–09

Jul–

09

No

v–09

Ma

r–10

Jul–

10

No

v–10

Ma

r–11

Jul–

11

GBP

/To

nn

e

Crude Oil Opec–Basket (EUR/t) (EUR/t) GBP/t

Naphtha Spot (EUR/t) GBP/t

Propylene (C3) Spot (EUR/t) GBP/t

Ethylene (C2) Spot (EUR/t) GBP/t

Polyolefin Basket (EUR/t) GBP/t


12

The new Plastribution Product Portfolio

In addition to a brand-new,

A5-format hard copy of the

Plastribution Product Portfolio,

which lists materials generically in

alphabetical order and with both

manufacturer and brand name

indexes, the latest version of this

essential guide to the extensive

range of grades available from

Plastribution will also be offered as: -

• aUSBMemoryStick

• adownloadfrom


Both of these electronic versions

will be made based on Adobe PDF

technology with navigation features.

Moreover, the website will also

contain information on availability

- enabling users to determine if

that particular grade is a standard

stock item or a custom order.

It will also be possible for customers to

download and print portfolios that are

either process specific (e.g. injection

moulding grades), application

specific (e.g. medical polymers), or

even market specific (e.g. ‘green

materials’).

Of course the Plastribution team is

always available to provide advice

on all aspects of grade selection

including design, processing

and properties. So please do not

hesitate in contacting us to discuss

your specific requirements.

Please remember that, despite our

best efforts to do so, it is almost

impossible to cover every request

for information on the website

or through the new portfolios,

particularly as new developments

are happening all the time.

If you should be unable to find what

you require, just get in touch on the

phone, email or through the website

and, if your request is truly outside

our remit, we will do our utmost to

point you in the right direction.

It will also be possible for customers to download and print portfolios that are either process specific (e.g. injection moulding grades), application specific (e.g. medical polymers), or even market specific (e.g. ‘green materials’).

Productportfolio

Version 1 – July 2011


13

Career opportunities at Plastribution

Potential roles exist for:-Commercial Executives – Direct Sales

Technical Sales Executives – Distribution Sales

Business Development Executives

Sales Supervisors

Internal Sales Representatives

Customer Service Representatives

Individual job descriptions are

available upon request.

The successful candidates will work as part of a highly motivated team dedicated to servicing the requirements of UK-based plastic processors and an outstanding portfolio of global suppliers. The overriding objective in all of these roles is to win new business in a competitive environment by providing service excellence.

The successful candidates will have

a desire to contribute to a successful

team, whilst a professional approach

is also considered essential.

Attractive remuneration

packages will reflect both the

experience and potential of

the successful candidates.

All applications will be treated

in the strictest of confidence.

No agencies please.

If you are interested, please send

your CV and a letter stating which

role(s) you are interested in to: -

Mike Boswell

Managing Director

Plastribution

CEVA House

5 Ashby Park

Ashby-de-la-Zouch

LE65 1NG

Your expertise

As part of its strategic growth plan, Plastribution expects to recruit commercial staff who will be based at headquarters in Ashby-de-la-Zouch.


14

Managing the supply chain

During 2010, Plastribution entered into a Knowledge Transfer Partnership with Hull University to better understand its logistic and supply chain activities and the value they can create for its customers and suppliers. Know-how spoke to Katherine White, product director at Plastribution, to find out more.

KH: First of all, can you explain what

a Knowledge Transfer Partnership is?

KW: A Knowledge Transfer Partnership

(or KTP) is a partially government-

funded programme that enables

companies to improve their

competitiveness and productivity

by accessing knowledge and skills

within academic institutions. Its

overall aim is to help a company

make a step change in an area

that has been identified as a high

priority. This is achieved by creating

a three-way project between the

company, a graduate (commonly

referred to as the ‘associate’)

and an academic. The project

typically lasts between 1 and 3

years, depending upon the time

required to deliver real outcomes.

KH: What is the focus of

Plastribution’s KTP?

KW: In short, to make sure our

customers’ goods get to them on

time: OTIF is a logistics acronym

for On Time and In Full, and is the

key performance measure for

logistics services. This is a pass/fail

measurement of goods arriving when

required by our customers in the

quantity they have ordered and good

condition. Ensuring a high level of

OTIF is critical to our business success,

and we strive for 100%. A key part of

our efforts to maximise OTIF is in the

area of supply chain management

where we ensure that goods from

around the world, supplied on

variable lead-times can be made

available when our customers

need them.

Katherine WhiteProduct Director

supply chain


15

KH: Why did Plastribution

instigate the project?

KW: In 2009 we started to consider

the effects of the change in

geographical location of polymer

production, which is resulting in

reduced capacities in Western Europe

and new polymerisation plants being

built in the Middle East (close to

petrochemical feedstocks) or in Asia

(close to increasing demand). The

potential impact of these changes

are highly significant here in the UK

where there is a net deficit of polymer

production of almost 2 million tonnes

and once exports are considered

imports exceed 2 million tonnes, and

any change in location of production

will have profound implications on

supply chain length and complexity.

After careful consideration we

viewed that the challenges presented

by these fundamental changes

in the supply chain were in fact

an opportunity for us to build on

our existing expertise in sourcing

polymers from around the world.

An initial approach was made to

the University of Hull Institute of

Logistics which has resulted in a

successful application for a KTP.

KH: Who are the partners in

Plastribution’s project?

KW: Key to a successful KTP is

identifying both the academic and

associate with the right expertise for

your business. For our project we

have chosen to work with Professor

Chee Wong from the Logistics Institute

at Hull University and Lena Fleschhut,

who holds a bachelor’s degree in

Business Administration and a master’s

degree in logistics and supply chain

management. Lena manages the

supply chain project from within

Plastribution for its duration while

Professor Wong regularly contributes

with his own knowledge and

experience as an external resource.

KH: What will be the benefit of the KTP

to its suppliers and customers?

KW: We expect that customers

and suppliers will start to benefit

from our improved supply chain

capabilities through both efficiencies

and an improved service offering.

In particular we hope to be

able to work more closely with

suppliers to provide more accurate

forecasting information which in

turn will mean better consistency

of supply for our customers.

KH: When do you expect

to be able to report on the

outcomes of the KTP project?

KW: The project is still at an

exploration and analysis stage. After

a thorough review of our findings

we will decide on the next steps

with regard to their implementation.

We expect to be able to report

the outcomes in early 2012.

Lena FleschhutSupply Chain Project Manager


16

It has been a particularly successful year for Plastribution’s first apprentice - not only is she a finalist in the Apprentice category of this year’s Plastics Industry Awards, but she has also been hired as a permanent member of staff. On the basis of its very positive experience with Lucy, Plastribution is recruiting a further apprentice to support its ambitious growth plans.

You’re hired!

Lucy Hickling first came to Plastribution

in September 2010 as an 18 year old

as part of an intermediate (Level

2) apprenticeship qualification in

Business and Administration provided

by Loughborough College. In what

was her first full-time role, she joined

the company as a sales co-ordinator

in a team covering the south east

of England. One of the first tasks

assigned to Lucy was a masterbatch

project which involved her

pro-actively seeking new business.

Over the last twelve months Lucy

has picked up several new accounts

that will generate considerable

new revenue for Plastribution and

will consolidate its position as the


17

country’s leading plastics distributor.

On top of the “new business”

project, Lucy also looks after over

70 active accounts. Her

commitment and dedication to

her sales role is appreciated by

colleagues at Plastribution, as

colleague Katy Hawkins, internal

sales representative confirms:

“Lucy has very good communication

skills and has built up an excellent

rapport with all of her customers in a

short space of time. She has made

an impact on our team by achieving

targets that are set for her by winning

new business and adding material

range to existing customers who

hadn’t previously bought this type

of material.”

Not only has Lucy achieved very

high results in her work, but she

has also achieved an impressive 5

distinctions in her college assignments

to date. On top of this Lucy has

undertaken a number of training

and development programs during

her time at Plastribution, including

an induction course, product

training and buyers course.

Mike Boswell, managing director

at Plastribution concludes: “Lucy

has already become an asset to

the business and is a respected

member of our team. She has

quickly learnt about our business

operations and gained a working

knowledge of our products. Most

importantly we have been able to

recruit talent that will support our

growth plans for the business and

Lucy certainly has the capability to

develop a career with Plastribution.”

Lucy’s success as an apprentice has

not only seen her becoming one of

the first females to be shortlisted as

a finalist for this year’s Apprentice

category at the PIA (announcement

of winner to be made after

Know-how has gone to press),

but has led to her appointment

as a permanent member of staff.

Moreover, it has encouraged

Plastribution to take on a

further apprentice at its Ashby

headquarters - Sarah Watson

- of whom the company has

similarly high expectations!

“As each customer has a key sales contact within their allocated team, we’re able to build a rapport with them that makes them feel genuinely valued. This means they have a level of trust in us that they don’t have with other suppliers” – Lucy Hickling


18

On yer bike for a good cause...

Pete Tillin of Plastribution, along

with his two brothers and a good

friend, recently completed a 1,000

kilometre bike ride to raise money

for two charities, Macmillan Cancer

Support and Dorothy House, a local

hospice, that had special significance

to their families. The exact distance,

652 miles or 1049 kilometres, was

longer than planned and had the

equivalent vertical climbing to that

of the summit of Mount Everest. It was

completed by Pete and his team

in a remarkable 39 hours and 35

minutes of riding time at an average

speed of 16.5 miles per hour.

“The inspiration for our ride was the

passing away of both of our parents

after long battles with cancer, and

my brothers and I wanted to do

something to say thank you to the

wonderful people at Dorothy House

for the care they provided to both our

parents and to repay the hard work

being done by Macmillan Cancer

Support not just in the UK, but around

the world,” explains Pete. “The

route we took was from Warminster

(Wiltshire), where our parents lived for

many years, to Carrickfergus (near

Belfast), where our mother was born

and grew up, and back again.” The

first week of July was the timeframe

allocated for the arduous ride. The

brothers were joined by their good

friend, Kelly Davey, whose stepfather

has recently been diagnosed with

a cancer of the plasma cells.

A quick check of the blog for their ride

(http://thetillin1000.blogspot.com/)

reveals that dehydration during the

heat of summer would never be an

issue for these highly-tuned athletes:

“Day 0 (is that even a day) stopped

for a couple of amber beverages

and are now (several hours later and

after watching a very eventful start

to the Tour De France!) finishing off

with a nice bottle of Barolo”. From

then-on the days cycling principally

through Wales were marked by

numerous culinary and drinking

highlights, escapades with sheep,

road signs and mechanical faults on

the trip to Ireland (by day 4), where

the lads fortuitously noticed that they

were also at the source of Guinness

(which they discovered to have

unforeseen revitalising properties).

A day off on day 5 preceded the

ferry to Liverpool on day 6 and the

journey home by the end of day 7.

Following their arrival there was a

quick compilation of statistics for

the week: 1049 kilometres, 10 kg of

sausage, 101 pints of beer , 15 bottles

of wine, 20 hours of sun, 6 hours of

rain, 2 dams, 3 bridges, 4 ferries and

4 very tired cyclists! (some of the

aforementioned statistics may be

more accurate than others?!) More

importantly, at the time of going

to press, they had raised a highly

commendable total of around £8,500

overall with donations still coming

in. “We would really like to thank all

the people that have generously

donated so far and for supporting

us on our ride,” says Pete.

“I wanted to do something to say thank you to the wonderful people at Dorothy House for the care they provided to both our parents” — Pete Tillin


19

Donations can still be made by the readers of know-how by following the links: http://www.justgiving.com/Tillin http://www.justgiving.com/Tillin-Cycle-Macmillan


20


PO Box 7743, CEVA House, 5 Ashby Park,

Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire LE65 1XY

Tel: +44 (0) 1530 560560

Fax: +44 (0) 1530 560303



Supplier Material Brand Name

Engineering polymersBioplastic Apinat

TPE Megol

TPO Apigo

TPV Tivilon

TPE Raplan

TPU Apilon 52

Polycarbonate Wonderlite

PMMA Plexiglas

Cyro XT Clear Polymer

Cyro Cyrolite

SPS Xarec

Polycarbonate Tarflon

POM (Acetal Copolymer) Iupital

Polycarbonate Iupilon

PBT Ramster

PA6.6 Plustek

PA6 Prime Plustek

PA12 Plustek

TPE – Highly Conductive Preseal TPE

Thermally Conductive Compounds Pretherm

Static Dissipative Compounds Pre-Elec ESD

Conductive Pre-Elec

TPEE/TPE/TPV Heraflex

PETG Raditer E

PBT Raditer

PBT Radiflam B

PA6.6 Prime (Italy) Radilon A

PA6.6 Prime (Germany) Radilon A

PA6.6 Industrial (Italy) Heramid A

PA6.6 FR (Italy) Radiflam A

PA6.6 (Industrial) Germany Heramid I/A

PA6.10 Radilon D

PA6 Prime FR (Italy) Radiflam S

PA6 Prime (Italy) Radilon S

PA6 Prime (Germany) Radilon B

PA6 Industrial (Italy) Heramid S

PA6 Industrial (Germany) Heramid I/B

PA6 Radilon S

PA6 Heramid B

PC/ASA Romiloy

PC/ABS Romiloy

PA/ABS Romiloy

PPS Susteel


PolyolefinsPPRCP Capilene

PPHP Capilene

PPCP Capilene

LDPE Ipethene

PPHP Ducor

PPCP Ducor

PPHP ExxonMobil PP

PPCP ExxonMobil PP

PP Plastomer Vistamaxx

mPE Exceed

mPE Enable

LLDPE ExxonMobil LLD

LLD Plastomer Exact

LDPE ExxonMobil LD

Ionomer Iotek

HDPE ExxonMobil HD

EVA Escorene

EAA Escor

LLDPE Innovex

PP Compounds Thermofil

PPCP Sumitomo

LLDPE Sumitomo

PPRCP Total PP

PPHP Total PP

PPCP Total PP

mPPRCP Lumicene

MDPE Total MD

LLDPE Total LLD

LDPE Total LD

HDPE Total HD

EVA Total EVA


Specialities

PP Recycled Aurapene

Biohybrid Cardia Biohybrid

Biodegradeable

Masterbatch – UV Stabilisers Colourtone Masterbatch

Masterbatch – Universal Colourtone Masterbatch

Masterbatch – PVC Colourtone Masterbatch

Masterbatch – POM Colourtone Masterbatch

Masterbatch – Polycarbonate Colourtone Masterbatch

Masterbatch – PBT Colourtone Masterbatch

Masterbatch – Nylon Colourtone Masterbatch

Masterbatch – Blowing Agents Colourtone Masterbatch

Masterbatch – Anti-static Colourtone Masterbatch

Biodegradeable Enzo

Functional Polymers Exxelor

Calcium Carbonate Compounds Granic

Masterbatch Slip/Anti-block Kafrit/Constab Masterbatch

Masterbatch Colour Universal Kafrit/Constab Masterbatch

Masterbatch Anti-block Kafrit/Constab Masterbatch

Masterbatch – UV Stabilisers Kafrit/Constab Masterbatch

Masterbatch – Slip Agent Kafrit/Constab Masterbatch

Masterbatch – Process Aids Kafrit/Constab Masterbatch

Masterbatch – Flame Retardant Kafrit/Constab Masterbatch

Masterbatch – Blowing Agents Kafrit/Constab Masterbatch

Functional Polymers Modic

Functional Polymers BondyRam

StyrenicsSAN Kibisan

PC/ABS Wonderloy

BDS Kibiton

ASA Kibilac

ABS Polyac

SMMA Styrilic

ASA Rotec

HIPS FR Total HIPS FR

HIPS Alloys Total HIPS Alloys

HIPS Total HIPS

GPPS Total GPPS

DELTECHCORPORATION

A3_Line_List.indd 1 09/09/2011 09:06

Product list

The Plastribution team is always available to provide advice on all aspects of grade selection including design, processing and properties. So please do not hesitate in contacting us to discuss your specific requirements.

Please remember that, despite our best efforts

to do so, it is almost impossible to cover every

request for information on the website or

through the new portfolios, particularly as new

developments are happening all the time.

If you should be unable to find what you require,

just get in touch on the phone, email or through

the website and, if we really can’t help, we will do.

our utmost to point you in the right direction.


PO Box 7743,

CEVA House,

5 Ashby Park,

Ashby-de-la-Zouch,

Leicestershire LE65 1XY

Tel: +44 (0) 1530 560560

Fax: +44 (0) 1530 560303




21




Tel: +44 (0) 1530 560560

Fax: +44 (0) 1530 560303





TPE Megol

TPO Apigo

TPV Tivilon

TPE Raplan

TPU Apilon 52


PMMA Plexiglas


Cyro Cyrolite

SPS Xarec




PBT Ramster

PA6.6 Plustek

PA6 Prime Plustek

PA12 Plustek




Conductive Pre-Elec


PETG Raditer E

PBT Raditer

PBT Radiflam B






PA6.10 Radilon D






PA6 Radilon S

PA6 Heramid B

PC/ASA Romiloy

PC/ABS Romiloy

PA/ABS Romiloy

PPS Susteel



PPHP Capilene

PPCP Capilene

LDPE Ipethene

PPHP Ducor

PPCP Ducor

PPHP ExxonMobil PP

PPCP ExxonMobil PP


mPE Exceed

mPE Enable


LLD Plastomer Exact

LDPE ExxonMobil LD

Ionomer Iotek

HDPE ExxonMobil HD

EVA Escorene

EAA Escor

LLDPE Innovex


PPCP Sumitomo

LLDPE Sumitomo

PPRCP Total PP

PPHP Total PP

PPCP Total PP

mPPRCP Lumicene

MDPE Total MD

LLDPE Total LLD

LDPE Total LD

HDPE Total HD

EVA Total EVA


Specialities



Biodegradeable










Biodegradeable Enzo














PC/ABS Wonderloy

BDS Kibiton

ASA Kibilac

ABS Polyac

SMMA Styrilic

ASA Rotec



HIPS Total HIPS

GPPS Total GPPS

DELTECHCORPORATION

A3_Line_List.indd 1 09/09/2011 09:06




Tel: +44 (0) 1530 560560

Fax: +44 (0) 1530 560303





TPE Megol

TPO Apigo

TPV Tivilon

TPE Raplan

TPU Apilon 52


PMMA Plexiglas


Cyro Cyrolite

SPS Xarec




PBT Ramster

PA6.6 Plustek

PA6 Prime Plustek

PA12 Plustek




Conductive Pre-Elec


PETG Raditer E

PBT Raditer

PBT Radiflam B






PA6.10 Radilon D






PA6 Radilon S

PA6 Heramid B

PC/ASA Romiloy

PC/ABS Romiloy

PA/ABS Romiloy

PPS Susteel



PPHP Capilene

PPCP Capilene

LDPE Ipethene

PPHP Ducor

PPCP Ducor

PPHP ExxonMobil PP

PPCP ExxonMobil PP


mPE Exceed

mPE Enable


LLD Plastomer Exact

LDPE ExxonMobil LD

Ionomer Iotek

HDPE ExxonMobil HD

EVA Escorene

EAA Escor

LLDPE Innovex


PPCP Sumitomo

LLDPE Sumitomo

PPRCP Total PP

PPHP Total PP

PPCP Total PP

mPPRCP Lumicene

MDPE Total MD

LLDPE Total LLD

LDPE Total LD

HDPE Total HD

EVA Total EVA


Specialities



Biodegradeable










Biodegradeable Enzo














PC/ABS Wonderloy

BDS Kibiton

ASA Kibilac

ABS Polyac

SMMA Styrilic

ASA Rotec



HIPS Total HIPS

GPPS Total GPPS

DELTECHCORPORATION

A3_Line_List.indd 1 09/09/2011 09:06


22

Our innovation The cover story

01

01 Lotus Evora 02 Engine Cover for the Lotus Evora

02


23

When Perei Group Ltd encountered

quality issues moulding external

trim parts for the Lotus Evora they

turned to Plastribution for technical

material and support that not only

provided them with a high quality

solution, but also placed them

in a prime position to gain new

future business. The success of the

project has also seen its selection

as finalist for Supplier Partnership at

this year’s Plastic Industry Awards.

With over 70 years of experience and

innovation in vehicle lighting, Perei

Group is one of Europe’s leading

companies in automotive lighting. It

is in this role that the company has

worked with Plastribution for the last

three years as a supplier of polymethyl

methacrylate (PMMA) resins for

standard clear lenses for its products.

Yet it was during Perei’s recent

involvement in a new, non-lighting

project for the prestigious Lotus Evora

sports car that the company was

able to draw from Plastribution’s

extensive polymer knowledge and

increasing product portfolio.

Perei had been requested by Lotus

to mould three parts - an engine

cover, A-pillar and washer cover - in

ASA, yet initial pre-production runs

of the parts revealed significant

problems with the material in terms of

its heat, scratch and UV resistance

and surface appearance. As an

alternative, Plastribution was able to

recommend PLEXIGLAS® Hi-Gloss NTA-

1 from Evonik. Besides the established

properties of PLEXIGLAS®, such as

good flow, high mar-resistance,

good weather resistance and good

polishability, PLEXIGLAS® Hi-Gloss

NTA-1 offers the added benefits of

increased impact strength, good

heat deflection temperature under

load and a superior brilliance, high-

gloss (Class A) surface finish.

“We were initially asked by Perei if we

could supply a piano black ASA, but

once we knew the application we

recommended PMMA,” recalls Iain

Richmond, business development

executive at Plastribution. “The

time we had previously invested

familiarising ourselves with the

Evonik product range meant that

we knew that this was the material

of choice for external parts at

numerous OEM and we already

had experience of the material in

new applications for Jaguar.”

Facilitating cooperation between

the development partners at Lotus

and Perei and material specialists

at Evonik, Plastribution arranged

for material samples to be sent

for joint moulding trials which saw

modifications made to the tool

and the optimisation of processing

conditions. All parties are pleased

with the outcome of the change

to PLEXIGLAS® Hi-Gloss NTA-1 and

production is now moving along

smoothly with very low reject rates

(down to around just 3%). Plastribution

is able to hold local stocks of the

material for call-off by Perei.

“Plastribution had the best material

for the job and the know-how

to make it work in this particular

application,” confirms Steve

Bamber, operations manager at

Perei. “Returns from Lotus are almost

unheard of whilst our success in this

project has opened other doors for

us to supply plastic components

beyond lighting for other premier

niche automotive manufacturers.”

Most recently, the success of the

partnership between Plastribution and

Perei Group has been recognised by

its selection as a finalist project in the

Supplier Partnership category of this

year’s Plastic Industry Awards. We will

report on the awards evening - to

be held on 14 October in London -

in the next issue of Know-how and

will let you know if Plastribution was

able to defend its title of Polymer

Distributor of the Year.

New business and a finalist entry for the 2011 Plastic Industry Awards

A successful partnership


24

The global appeal of biohybrid and

compostable resins from Cardia

Bioplastics Limited, exclusively

distributed in the UK by Plastribution,

is reflected by recent business

developments from around the

world. In Europe, the Finnish

packaging films supplier Wipak has

recently introduced its own range

of sustainable food packaging films

using Cardia Biohybrid™ patented

technology. The use of Cardia

Biohybrid™ within the Wipak Group

will enable food and medical

packaging customers to purchase

innovative film products with reduced

dependence on finite oil resources

and lower carbon footprint.

Meanwhile, on the other side

of the world, Melbourne-based

manufacturer Stellar Films has

released a new range of sustainable

films utilising Cardia Biohybrid™

patented technology for the personal

care and medical products industry.

The new range of films meets the

highest performance standards and

displays a unique satin feel, as Stellar

Films Managing Director, Stephen

Walters, confirms: “The combination

of performance, environmental

profile and cost effectiveness made

Cardia Biohybrid™ technology the

solution for Stellar Films product

needs. The unique texture of our

Biohybrid™ hygiene and medical films

gives our customers’ products that

plush, satin feel and appearance.”

At the end of last year, Cardia

Bioplastics announced its

collaboration with Nestlé S.A., the

largest Fast Moving Consumer Goods

(FMCG) company in the world, to

reduce the environmental impact

of packaging. The collaboration

is in line with Cardia’s strategy of

working with global brand owners

who are looking for alternatives to

conventional packaging. It is one of

several that Cardia has established

with global brand owners and

packaging companies. It is also an

endorsement of Cardia’s capabilities

in respect of renewable and

sustainable plastics and packaging in

both flexible and rigid applications.

“Cardia is well positioned to benefit

from the trend towards sustainable

packaging,” says Dr Frank Glatz,

managing director at Cardia

Bioplastics. “It gives customers the

choice of using sustainable Cardia

Biohybrid™ technology (less oil, lower

carbon foot print) or Compostable

technology offering (certified

compostability to international

standards) for their packaging

or plastic product solutions. Our

materials are suitable for a broad

range of packaging applications,

including flexible film, injection

moulding, blow moulding, foam,

extrusion and coating applications.”

Further information can be found

at www.cardiabioplastics.com

Cardia demonstrates its global appeal


25

A night at the races“The safest way to double your

money is to fold it over once and

put it in your pocket”..so said an

American comedian from the

early part of the 20th Century.

Ignoring this sound advice, the

Plastribution team set out on a warm

evening in June to Uttoxeter race

course for its annual summer party.

Form had been studied, known

tipsters had been quizzed and

everybody had taken notice of the

Radio 4 “Tip of the Day” - although it is

fair to say not everyone went to these

lengths in choosing their favoured

horse. Others relied on the fool-proof

method of picking the silks that most

appealed, or comparing horses

names to long-lost, distant relatives.

Ultimately it seemed to make little

difference which method was put

into use as the results seemed very

similar - regular and significant

losses. As the evening progressed the

combination of food and alcohol

did not appear to help the situation.

The bets got bolder and methods

of horse (or donkey) selection got

more random. The losses increased!

However, it should be noticed that

not everybody lost out during the

evening. One individual won on a

hugely complicated “accumulator”.

His colleague were in agreement

that he deserved to win, if for no

other reason than he spent the time

to understand how the bet worked!

This individual, who has requested to

remain anonymous, has been with the

company nearly 15 years. Colleagues

had never seen him smile so much

or move so quickly when the Tote

opened for him to claim his prize.

According to unconfirmed reports,

his holiday in the Bahamas went well

and the new Merc drives beautifully!

Those who made the walk back to

the bus remarked that it seemed

twice as long as when they arrived.

Maybe it was the drink, or maybe

it was the lure of an “interesting”

Michael Jackson act complete with

‘Thriller’ zombies. The short journey

home was eventually made and,

despite a light shower of rain, it was

clear that everyone had enjoyed

themselves. In fact, only one group

of people enjoyed themselves

more than the Plastribution team

- and that was the bookies!

“The safest way to double your money is to fold it over once and put it in your pocket” - Kin Hubbard (American Comedian)


26

With effect from 1 July 2011, Domo

Polypropylene B.V. of Rozenburg,

The Netherlands – a joint venture

between Belgium’s Domo Group

and Israel’s Carmel Olefins – has

changed its name to Ducor

Petrochemicals. The brand name

of the company’s polypropylene

grades, distributed exclusively in the

UK by Plastribution, will also change

over the course of the third quarter

of 2011 from Domolen to Ducor.

Beyond the change in company

and brand names, there will be no

change in grade formulations (unless

specifically announced beforehand),

manufacturing process or location.

Accordingly, the Ducor and Domolen

grades will remain identical in terms

of nomenclature as well as their

chemical and physical properties.

“The change in name reflects our

evolution into a stronger partner in

petrochemical products,” comments

Charles Liran, managing director

at Domo Polypropylene B.V. “Our

core business, as a market oriented

producer of polypropylene,

remains unchanged however.

We guarantee our customers a

flexible supply of a wide range of

polypropylene products, which

thanks to our strategic alliance with

Carmel Olefins, will be extended

in the future to create further

development opportunities.”

Ducor Petrochemicals produces a

versatile range of polypropylene

homopolymers, block and random

copolymers, manufactured in various

standardised and customised grades.

Its products are environmentally

friendly, non toxic, recyclable

and used in the production of

packaging, textiles, films, housewares,

automotive, electrical appliances

as well as many other applications.

The Ducor Petrochemicals’

production site is located in

Rozenburg, the Netherlands, and

has an annual output of 180kt

per year of polypropylene using a

Novolen gas phase technology.

Further information on Ducor

Petrochemicals and its Ducor

polypropylene grades can be found

at www.ducorchem.com.

A new name for Domo Polypropylene

www.ducorchem.com

Aiming for excellence

Ducor 1101N

12

1550

3*1,5*

163

15490

0,91

AG

Staple,CF

Ducor NQ10050

8

1500

3,53

163

15490

0,91

Cast film, BOPP film,Thermoformed packaging

TYPICAL PROPERTIES

* Charpy impact ISO 179/1eA(kJ/m²)

MFR 230°C / 2.16 (g/10min)

T-Mod 23°C (Mpa)

IZOD 23°Cnotched (kJ/m²) -30°C

Melting Point DSC (°C)

Vicat Softening T (°C)

Density (g/cm³)

Additivation

Application

Test Method

ISO 1133

ISO 527-2

ISO 180/1A

ISO 3146

ISO 306 VST/A50 (10N)VST/B50 (50N)

ISO 1183

Ducor1100H

2,1

1450

4,51,4

163

15490

0,91

Caps & closures, general IM

Ducor 1184L

5,5

1600

3,51,5

163

15494

0,91

N / AS

Thermoformed packaging

Ducor 1100L

6

1500

3.51,3

163

15490

0,91

IM, Caps & closures

Ducor 1102M

7,5

1500

3,51,6

163

15490

0,91

Sheets,Cast film, Monofilament Strapping

Ducor 1100N

12

1550

31,3

163

15490

0,91

IM

Ducor 1040N

12

2000

2,51,3

165

158102

0,91

N

IM, Caps &closures

N Nucleated C Clarified CR Controlled rheology AS Anti-electrostatic AG Anti gas fading IM Injection moulding CF Continuous filamentBCF Bulk continuous filament NB Specimen not broken P Partially broken

ABBREVIATIONS

HOMOPOLYMERS

Ducor 1040RC

23

2000

2,51,3

165

157100

0,91

N / CR

IM

Ducor 1101S

25

1500

2,5*1,5*

163

15490

0,91

AG

BCF / CFIM

Ducor 1048TC

48

2000

2,51,3

163

15490

0,91

N/CR/AS

IM

Ducor 3048TC

48

1900

2,21,1

163

15598

0,91

C/AS/CR

TWIM with high transparancy

PANTONE 376 ECProcess c59m0y100k0

PANTONE 301 ECProcess c100m54y4k19


27

Plastribution has further strengthened

its green portfolio of sustainable

materials with the addition of a new

and unique bacteria/enzyme-based

biodegradation technology. It is the

result of seven years of extensive

research to develop a bacteria/

enzyme-based additive which

promotes a chemical reaction

within polythene to accelerate

the process of biodegradation.

The Enzymoplast technology has

the ability to utilise polyethylene

as a carbon source for micro-

organisms to enable conversion

of the polyethylene molecule

quickly and safely into carbon

dioxide, biomass and water,”

explains Narinder Bharj, sales and

marketing director at Enzymoplast

Technology Limited. “Microbial

breakdown is initiated where the

carbonyl group is found. These

functional groups are introduced

into polyethylene during the photo

thermal biodegradation process.”

The formulation of the bacteria

enzyme-based substrate used in the

Enzymoplast™ masterbatch consists

of 13 ingredients narrowed down to

the enzyme, protein and bacteria

compound drawn primarily from

natural resources and medicinal

plants which are sustainably sourced.

This renders both the process

methodology and technology

non-hazardous and non-toxic. It

has been tested and certified as

compliant with the required directive

(94/62/EC).

The final biodegradable product

is 100% biodegradable and

composts leaving no toxic waste.

It also adheres to biodegradability

and compostability standards

EN13432 and ISO14855.

It is available in product form from

Plastribution as the Enzymoplast™

masterbatch that can be easily to

added to PE-based plastic products

including LDPE, LLDPE and HDPE. It

is suitable for applications such as

refuse sacks, carrier bags, film, plastics

bottles and general packaging.

Products containing Enzymoplast™

exhibit the same mechanical

and optical properties as a

product without the additive.

Enzymoplast™ products are many

times less expensive than all other

biodegradable products making

them a commercially viable option

which has so far not been available.

“We are very excited about the ability

to supply Enzymoplast™ masterbatch

into the UK market exclusively through

Plastribution,” concludes Narinder

Bharj. “They will enable producers

and OEMs a cost effective way to

reduce their CO2 emissions and

protect their corporate image and

the environment by using nature

to solve a man-made problem.”

Enzymoplast™ is a trademark

of Enzymoplast Tech Ltd.

For further information please visit:

www.enzymoplast.com

New Enzymoplast™

masterbatch accelerates biodegradation of plastics


28

The Granic® range of additive

materials, which are characterised by

their high calcium-carbonate content,

are already gaining the attention

of UK plastic processors seeking to

achieve greater manufacturing

efficiency. The additive can be

added to almost all types of

polymers, including polyethylene,

polypropylene or polystyrene

derivatives, at dosages of up to 60

percent depending on application.

Benefits of Granic® in moulded

parts include significant efficiencies

in terms of output and energy

costs, in film applications the use of

Granic can lead to improvements

in mechanical performance

and production efficiency.

“One company, a manufacturer of

cling film dispensers made from high

impact polystyrene, is looking to add

up to 15 percent of Granic to the

polymer to help improve the stiffness

and strength of the product, whilst

simultaneously reducing the thickness

of the moulded sections,” reports

Chris Green, business development

manager at Plastribution. “For this

particular customer, the adoption

of Granic® will equate to an

approximate cost-saving of around 8

percent versus the use of unmodified

HIPS and a carbon saving of around

60 tons per annum.” Thanks to

its high natural mineral content,

Granic® is less than 25 percent

dependent on oil for its production

and thus has a significantly lower

carbon footprint than polymers.

Moreover the price of Granic® is

not only significantly lower than

purely fossil-fuel based equivalents

but is considerably more stable.

A second UK company, in this case a

producer of blow-moulded pill bottles,

has also been quick to recognise

the Granic® potential. During trials

conducted by the customer, an

addition rate of Granic® at 20

percent has led to a reduction in

cycle time for each bottle from 10.7 to

9.4 seconds. “The improved thermal

conductivity of Granic® meant that

cycle times could be reduced, as

the moulding cools more quickly,

whilst less heat input is required for

processing in the first place,” explains

Chris Green. “For high volume

products such as pill bottles, benefits

can result in not only a reduced cost

per part due to the use of a lower

cost material, but also significant

efficiencies in terms of output and

energy usage per part.” At the same

time, the reinforcing properties of the

ultrafine calcium carbonate granules

in the polymer matrix has allowed

the processor to down-gauge the

thickness of the bottle neck without

sacrificing stiffness. “The overall

weight saving per bottle is around

11 percent,” declares Green.

A key property of Granic® is its

ability to be loaded at high levels

without any detrimental effect to

the processing method being used.

This is due to Gestoras advanced

mixing technology, allowing them

to produce materials with ultra

low melt flow resin carriers. This,

coupled with their use of ultrafine

treated calcium carbonate,

removes many of the historical

barriers to filler use in polymers.

Plastribution has been the sole

distributor in the United Kingdom of

the Granic® range of highly calcium

carbonate filled polymers, produced

by Gestora Catalana de Residuo of

Spain, since the start of 2011. Further

information on Granic® can be found

at www.granic.es.

Granic®

Our product, your solution.

Realising the Granic® potential


29

Will HDPE be the new PP?

As illustrated by the graph above,

something interesting is happening

to the price of PP (polypropylene)

relative to PE (polyethylene).

Historically, the price development

of both materials has been similar,

leading to a strong preference for

the use of PP because it can be

processed more efficiently (due to

its superior cooling characteristics).

HDPE (high density polyethylene), on

the other hand, would normally only

find favour where the characteristics

of PP do not meet the requirements

of the application (HDPE provides

higher rigidity and better low

temperature impact properties).

So what is happening now to

change the economics of material

selection, and what is the likely future

trend? To explain this we need to

look at some of the fundamental

changes that are taking place in the

petrochemical industry and for us to

understand how the feedstocks for

PE and PP are produced, and why.

In the case of polyethylene, its

feedstock is ethylene, which is

produced ‘on purpose’ by either

cracking ethane or naptha. When

cracking naptha, propylene, the

feedstock for polypropylene and

other polymers, is produced as a

by-product, and the production

ratio of ethylene to other

feedstocks can only be adjusted

in a relatively narrow range.

Ethane is both plentiful and cheap

in the Middle East, whilst the

recent development of ‘fracking’

(a technique developed in the

US to extract shale gas) has also

reduced the cost of ethylene in the

US and, subject to ‘fracking’ being

approved in Europe, potentially here

too. Naptha, on the other hand, is

expensive, meaning that ethylene

and propylene produced by this

method has also become more

costly. So given that you have to

process naptha to get propylene

and the ethylene produced by

this method has to compete with

ethylene derived from ethane, it looks

as if propylene (and other feedstocks)

will effectively have to cross-subsidise

naptha-derived ethylene.

The obvious outcome is that, due

to these fundamental changes,

polypropylene will become

increasingly more expensive when

compared to polyethylene.

Of course this price delta allows

the opportunity to deploy

alternative technologies

to produce propylene and

techniques such as PDH (propane

dehydrogenation), metathesis, and

FCC (fluidized catalyic crackers),

albeit at an additional cost.

So the recent delta between PP

and HDPE looks set to continue

and, for plastic processors at least,

this could lead to a change in

preference to achieve greater cost

efficiency. Whilst the economics are

complex - for instance, depending

upon utilization it may be necessary

to invest in additional capacity -

as a rule of thumb a 20 percent

premium of PP price over HDPE

negates the cycle time penalty

associated with the latter, although

each application will be different.

Should you require any further

information on either the substitution

of PP in existing applications, or

the adoption of HDPE in new

developments, please do not

hesitate to contact us to discuss

your specific requirements.

Jul -

08

Oc

t -

08

Jan

- 0

9

Ap

r - 0

9

Jul -

09

Oc

t -

09

Jan

- 1

0

Ap

r - 1

0

Jul -

10

Oc

t -

10

Jan

- 1

1

Ap

r - 1

1

1.4

1.3

1.2

1.1

1

0.9

0.8

0.7

0.6

0.5

HDPE Injection moulding grade

PPHP – Injection

PPCP – Injection

Price Index HDPE


30

The “Pack Away Garage” is a multi-

featured children’s toy designed

and developed by one of Europe’s

leading suppliers, Halsall Toys Europe

Ltd. (HTI). The garage is over three

levels, with a helipad, gas station,

car wash, ramps and car lift, as well

as die-cast cars. Molded from an

impact copolymer polypropylene

(ICP), the entire toy, which folds up

into a compact tye-shaped carrying

case, weighs 3kgs and measures

approximately 42cm x 38cm x 19cm.

As with all toys for the mass market,

the garage was required to meet the

standards and safety requirements

of key markets, such as ASTM F963

(United States) and EN71 (European

Union). Under ASTM F963, the folded

case was dropped five times from

six different directions at a height of

just over 90 cm, with the ICP failing

on the surface of the tire case

and in the internal support ribs. It

became clear that the material

lacked the flexibility and strength

to resist the high external impact.

The commercial launch of “Pack

Away Garage” in time for the run up

to Christmas was now in danger.

HTI and the moulder Ever Force

Toys and Electronics (Dongguan)

Limited of Guangdong, China, had

three options: adjust the production

process, which was considered a

priority, improve the ICP and, as

a last resort, modify the moulds.

After numerous adjustments to

the production process proved

unsuccessful, they approached local

polymer distributor, Kin Sang Chemical

Ltd. of Shenzhen, China, and

polymer manufacturer, ExxonMobil

Chemical for an assessment

of the material being used.

They proposed altering the formula

of the impact copolymer by adding

ExxonMobil Chemical’s Vistamaxx

propylene-based elastomer.

Vistamaxx can affect flexibility within

a part, increasing impact strength

down to -20°C while improving

adhesion. In particular, dry blending

10 to 30% Vistamaxx with PP at

the injection moulding machine

provides improved impact strength,

minimizing breakage and eliminating

the need for mould modification

or an increase in part thickness.

Ever Force tested different

concentrations of Vistamaxx

propylene‐based elastomer within the

impact copolymer before settling on

a 15% Vistamaxx loading, with which

it comfortably passed the drop-test.

“Thankfully we didn’t need to modify

the design of the tool as it would

have been very costly, and there

would have been delays of about

four months in commercialising the

toy,” remarks Jonathan Stoneley,

Halsall’s buying controller. “This

innovative solution meant we

did not miss the Christmas sales

period.” Launched in the summer

of 2009, the Pack Away Garage

sold 80,000 units in Europe during

the run up to Christmas that year,

making it Halsall’s third-best seller.

Further information on Vistamaxx™

propylene-based elastomer

can be found at:

www.exxonmobilchemical.com

Solving the drop-test dilemma

Vistamaxx™ propylene-based elastomer helps get unique toys to pass key drop-test and onto store shelves in time for Christmas.


31

That’s cool!

Recycled polystyrene from refrigerators available from Plastribution

A recycled grade of polystyrene (rPS

65W) from Total Petrochemicals is

now available to the UK processing

industry through Plastribution. The

general purpose material, suitable

for both injection moulding and

extrusion, is produced from post-

consumer refrigerator doors and liners.

rPS 65W offers comparable properties

to virgin polystyrene with a melt index

of 6g/10 minutes, a flexural modulus of

1750MPa, an Izod impact strength of 6

kJ/m2 at 23°C and a VICAT softening

temperature of 86°C. The pellet-

shaped material is manufactured to

match a consistent off-white colour

and has a density of approximately

1.05 g/m3. Typical applications for

the recycled grade of polystyrene

include office equipment, household

items and other injection-moulded

items. The material is not suitable for

food contact and toy applications.

For over last 25 years, high impact

polystyrene (HIPS) has been the

material of choice for refrigerator

liners and doors due to its lightweight

insulating and protective properties.

Unfortunately, once the

refrigerator has reached its end-

of-life, the polystyrene becomes

a waste material that companies

must pay to dispose of.

Total has sought to address this

problem by developing the post-

consumer, recycled grade of

polystyrene sourced from refrigerators.

“We believe plastics can be recycled

several times and still provide value as

a source of energy at the end of their

lifecycle. To maximise this potential,

Total is developing new solutions for

recycling plastics, including offering

new grades containing recycled

polymers. We also support the

efforts of professional associations

such as Plastics Europe to improve

the end-of-life management of

plastics,” says a spokesperson

for Total Petrochemicals.

The addition of a recycled grade

of Polystyrene, backed by the

brand of a major petrochemical

producer is another important

addition to Plastribution’s portfolio

of products with green credentials.

‘Through offering a broad range

of materials we aim to provide

processors with the correct solution

to meet the increasing need of

OEMs and retailers to provide

products to meet consumers

increasing expectations for more

environmentally friendly products’.

For more information, please visit

www.totalpetrochemicals.com


32

During pdm11, Plastribution once

more teamed up with injection

moulding technology group Engel

and design company Agentdraw

to provide show visitors with free-

of-charge consultation on plastic

product development. The Plastics

Design Workshops, held at dates

throughout the year, are the

opportunity for product designers

to receive confidential, high-level

advice on material selection,

product design, tooling and

manufacture. The next workshop

is scheduled to be held during

Interplas 2011 (27th-29th September,

www.britishplasticsshow.com).

Reflecting a concept first developed

by the Engel Moulders’ Group, the

goal of the Plastics Design Workshop

is to provide a forum for product

design groups to discuss their plastics

projects and their requirements in

terms of materials and manufacture.

Three strong candidates stood out

from the event held during pdm11,

as Dan Jarvis, product supervisor

at Plastribution, recalls: “The first, a

consultant to the plastics industry

with several projects in the pipeline,

was very interested in our new range

of sustainable materials. Since the

workshop the gentleman in question

has been in touch with our sustainable

products manager and the

communication process is ongoing.”

“The second candidate was

encountering more of a processing

issue – the customer produces

electrical connectors using flame-

retardant nylon but was having

issues with dimensional stability.

Our input was to suggest different

materials, including PBT, and to

look at alternative nylon grades.

Tooling advice was provided

by Agentdraw. Finally, the third

candidate required the involvement

of all three host companies on

material selection, tooling and

machinery for a new product.”

As well as co-hosting the Plastics

Design Workshop event, Plastribution

was once more an exhibitor at pdm11

at its new venue at the ExCeL Centre

in London. The change in location

was certainly not detrimental to visitor

interest in the Plastribution exhibit, as

Dan Jarvis, representing Plastribution

at the show, confirms: “This year’s

show was better than expected

for us. We took over 30 leads at our

stand, all of which we would classify

as strong, and we are now working

on a couple of bits of high volume

business as a direct consequence

of our participation.”

Plastics Design Workshop proves a hit at pdm11

Dan JarvisProduct Supervisor


33

Enable™ metallocene polyethylene

(mPE) from ExxonMobil Chemical

offers an unprecedented

combination of film processing and

HAO performance benefits in a

single, unique resin. Availability

in the UK through Plastribution, it

allows converters to further enhance

their business through more stable

operations, improved film line output,

film down-gauging, and simpler

resin sourcing.

Operational stability Enable mPE has a broad operating

window – on both LLDPE and LDPE

equipment – that can withstand

fluctuations in manufacturing

conditions. The ability of Enable

mPE to extrude at lower melting

temperatures delivers extrusion

energy savings, promotes greater

bubble stability, and leads to stable,

worry-free operations.

Extended output Enable mPE facilitates faster

processing which increases film line

capacity. When replacing LLDPE-rich

blends it’s possible to increase output

by up to 20% with no additional

capital cost, resulting in increased

revenue and the postponement

of future equipment investments.

In some cases, polymer processing

aids can be eliminated, resulting in

additional savings.

Versatility with higher alpha olefin (HAO) performance Enable mPE technology meets the

performance needs of several film

applications. While often surpassing

the mechanical performance

requirements of LLDPE-rich structures,

Enable mPE can significantly improve

the toughness of LDPE-rich structures

making down-gauging by more

than 20 percent a possibility. Enable

mPE can open up potential new

applications on LDPE equipment.

Resin sourcing simplicity Enable mPE is a single, unique resin

designed to replace LLDPE/LDPE

blends - simplifying sourcing and

operations. Lowering inventory costs

by reducing the number of resins that

need to be sourced, it eliminates

blending complexity and costly errors.

While Enable mPE technology is ideal

for film converters with LLDPE and

LDPE mono-layer blown film lines, it

also brings value to multilayer blown

film lines, especially large lay-flat

films requiring high melt strength,

and cast film lines. Its broad range

of benefits makes Enable mPE

suitable for an array of flexible film

applications including collation shrink,

pallet shrink, cast stretch hand wrap,

lamination film, heavy duty bags

and agricultural greenhouse films.

Further information on Enable™

metallocene polyethylene

(mPE) can be found at:

www.exxonmobilchemical.com

Enabling a multitude of benefits for film converters

Availability in the UK through Plastribution, it allows converters to further enhance their business through more stable operations, improved film line output, film down-gauging, and simpler resin sourcing.


34

Advancing the knowledge and skills of the injection moulding industry

Beyond the supply of high quality

thermoplastics, the sharing of

its technical knowledge is a

second, fundamental element of

Plastribution’s commitment to service

excellence. This is reflected by the

initiation of two training courses by

Plastribution aimed at advancing the

knowledge and skills of its customers’

process technicians and production

and commercial managers from

the injection moulding industry.

The first, a three-day course entitled

Process Optimisation and delivered

by plastics consultancy and training

provider G&A Moulding Technology

at its state-of-the-art premises in

Peterborough , combines theory with

practice in meeting the needs of

the processor wishing to obtain high

levels of accuracy and productivity

from their production facilities.

More recently, Plastribution has

introduced a second course,

“Injection Moulding for Non-

Technical Staff”, which is held over

two days, also in conjunction with

G&A. “The purpose of this course

is to provide candidates, who

most likely have a commercial or

non-technical background, with a

general understanding of injection

moulding materials, machines and

the processing of the polymers which

will enable them to make educated

decisions when specifying and

procuring materials,” explains Duncan

Scott, sales manager at Plastribution

and presenter at the course.

The perfect blend of theory and practiceThe informative and entertaining

theoretical sessions, presented by

Plastribution, provide a brief history

of polymers and an introduction to

polymer chemistry. This introduction

leads on to the profiling of polymer

groups – including the commodity

polymers such as polyethylene

and polypropylene, styrenics (ABS

and polystyrene) and engineering

polymers – by their properties and

typical applications. With an eye on

the commercial benefits to be gained

by making an informed choice

during material selection, a practical

exercise illustrates the component

cost savings achievable with a

more technically capable polymer,

despite its relatively higher cost.

In the practical sessions, covered

by G&A, candidates receive an

overview of the injection moulding

process, and some of the equipment

involved, before undertaking a

practical mould setting exercise

themselves. The practical elements

of the course help underline some

of the theoretical, material-based

information gained in the previous

sessions, for example understanding

material data sheets for the correct

setting of barrel temperatures.

The course has been well received

by those attending, who have

considered it a worthwhile and

recommendable event. “Being

completely new to the plastics

industry, the course provided me

with the building blocks I required

to start to understand the injection

moulding process,” commented

financial controller Mark Dolby at

the end of a recent course. “I think

understanding that it’s not always

about choosing the cheapest

materials is one of the key lessons

I took away from the course.”

For more information or to reserve a

place on the next “Injection Moulding

for Non-Technical Staff”, course,

please contact Duncan Scott.

Tel: +44 (0)1530 560560 or

Mob: +44 (0)776 8716227

Email:[email protected]

training

“Being completely new to the plastics industry, the course provided me with the building blocks I required to start to understand the injection moulding process”


35

Duncan ScottDistribution Sales Manager


36

The trend towards customising

materials at the machine is becoming

an increasingly popular approach to

both reducing cost and optimising

both processing and properties.

Over the last three decades, we have

witnessed masterbatch becoming

the predominant method for both

colouring plastics and adding small

concentrations of additives and

processing aids. More recently

processors are looking to blend

additives such as Vistamaxx™

propylene-based elastomers and

Exact™ plastomers, which can

be used to modify the rigidity and

impact performance of polyolefins,

and Granic® compounds with high

concentrations of mineral fillers used

as rigidity modifiers, productivity

enhancers and extenders.

Whilst the advantages of blending

at the machine are clear, the close

control of this process is vital: in the

case of additive and colourant

masterbatches, for instance,

excessive dosing will increase cost,

while in the case of plastomers and

Granic®, incorrect dosing will lead to

the properties of the end product not

meeting the required specification.

In recognition of this trend, Know-how

spoke to Sam Hill, managing director

of Summit Systems, about some of

the practical aspects of blending:

KH: Which technologies are

available to plastic processors seeking

to blend material at the hopper?

SH: Essentially there are four main

options - hand blending, tumble

blending, volumetric blending

and gravimetric blending, each

with their associated advantages

and disadvantages.

KH: And these are?

SH: In the case of hand and tumble

blending, the labour cost and error

rates only make it feasible for very

small production runs. In the case of

volumetric blending we need to look

at what happens in the real work

environment to assess its practical

value: The key to accuracy with

volumetric equipment is frequent

calibration and correction of control

settings. Unfortunately, the time and

attention to detail required to do this

is rarely available to personnel on the

factory floor and as a result processors

often run without the correct settings

risking their product integrity.

When the masterbatch or additive

amount added to the process is

too low, the error is often visible

and a correction to increase is

obviously made. however, when

the material addition is too high,

the problem may not be visible

and adjustments are not made. This

results in high and excessive raw

trend

Blending for success

Sam Hill – Managing Director Summit Systems


37

material costs to our customers. This

excessive material usage is almost

always a minimum of 10 percent

and frequently much more. Indeed,

excess masterbatch usage of

between 20 and 50 percent is not

uncommon, resulting in inconsistent

product quality, function and form.

In contrast a gravimetric blender

solves the problem of incorrect

dosage as it automates the job

of calibration and correction by

checking and adjusting the addition

rate in every cycle. Details of the

potential savings achieved through

the use of gravimetric blending

can be found on our website at:

www.summitsystems.co.uk/media/

documents/blenderbusinesscase.pdf

Furthermore gravimetric blending

facilitates the blending of multiple

materials with different and/

or variable bulk density.

KH: Can you tell us about your

relationship with Plastribution?

SH: Summit Systems have shared

success at the Plastic Industry Awards

and worked together on a number of

projects for Plastribution customers. It

is an important partnership in which

we can provide practical support to

Plastribution customers, ensuring that

their innovative plastic raw material

solutions can be realised within

the production environment.

“It is an important partnership in which we can provide practical support to Plastribution customers, ensuring that innovative plastic raw material solutions can be realised within the production environment”

The relative merits of principal blending methods

Distribution ConsistencyRisk of

SeparationRisk of Error Capital Cost Life-time Cost

Hand Blending Poor Poor High High Low High

Tumble Blending Good Poor High High Low High

Volumetric Blending Good Good Low Low

MediumHigh

Gravimetric Blending Good Good Low Low High Low


38

Earlier in this publication we explained that the journey we took to establish our new brand identity allowed us to also more clearly define how our teams work.

Above all, we know that price,

availability and flexibility are of

paramount importance in our

industry. Because we work in different

ways with our partners dependent

on their needs, the ones that know

us regard us as both integral and

indispensible because or processes

ensure that we always manage

these three things perfectly.

Our teams and processes have

been developed carefully in order

for us to be able to do this so well -

using our expertise and innovation

in order to suit each different

type of customer and supplier.

It’s this unique way of working,

specially designed to suit everyone

who deals with us that really makes us

different. Here is a description of how

our teams work and what

they are called

Direct Sales TeamThis team look after the needs of

larger customers where there is a

strong emphasis on price, availability

and up to date market information.

Normally specific requirements

are discussed and these are then

matched to supply. Often product

is delivered direct from the polymer

producer’s plant or warehouse

directly to the customer. The

Direct Sales team have the skills,

knowledge and market information

to meet the requirements of a

commercially demanding market.

Distribution Sales TeamThis team looks after the needs of

smaller and medium size customers

who are often looking for a just in time

service across a range of polymers.

Normally goods are despatched

from Plastribution’s warehouse to

the customer on a next day service.

Distribution customers typically

require higher levels of technical

service, in terms of materials selection

and processing advice. Extensive

stocks and effective supply chain

management enable this team to

meet with customer demands for a

next day service. Front line technical

support is provided by Technical Sales

Executives with technical expertise

and backed up by the knowledge

of Plastribution and its suppliers.

Product Management TeamsThree teams look after Polyolefins,

Styrenics & Specialities, and

Engineering Polymers. Essentially the

teams manage the supply chain and

handle the commercial negotiations.

This is the vital interface between the

Direct & Distribution sales teams and

our suppliers and there is extensive

need for effective communication

to ensure that price and availability

is optimised. The alignment of teams

to similar products enables the

efficient dissemination of information

and ensures that up to the minute

information is available throughout

the organisation. The close proximity

of the Product Management Teams

to the Direct Sales Team ensures that

the commercial requirements of large

customers are effectively met.

The Plastribution Teams


39

Teach polypropylene cool new tricks.

Vistamaxx™ specialty elastomers let you demand more from existing polypropylene applications – and might even lead you tonew ones. This versatile portfolio of products can improve strength, softness, flexibility and clarity. Because they’re halogen-freeand lighter weight, Vistamaxx specialty elastomer / polypropylene blends may be an effective alternative in PVC applications.

How cool would that be? Fetch more information on gomaxxgo.com.

With Vistamaxx elastomers as a blend partner, polypropylene can perform in a whole new way.

V i s t a m a x x ™ s p e c i a l t y e l a s t o m e r s M a x x i m i z e Pe f o r m a n c e

©2009 Exxon Mobil Corporation. The terms corporation, ExxonMobil, ExxonMobil Chemical, our and its, as used in this advertisement, sometimes refer not only to ExxonMobil Chemical Company,a division of Exxon Mobil Corporation, but collectively to all of the companies affiliated with Exxon Mobil Corporation or to any one or more of them or their employees. Photos used in this ad may be representative of potential product applications only.

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