INJECTION MOULDING NEWS

Japanese firm Suzuki Motor has developed a patent-pending PP resin said to be able to lightweight vehicles by 10% than the current PP with better colouring. Called the Suzuki Super Polypropylene (SSPP), the material is used to make the front bumper of the Escudo that was launched in Japan this July.

SSPP is said to satisfy both rigidity and impact resistance requirements by adding only styrene thermoplastic elastomers to the high rigidity base PP resin without adding talc.

In order to satisfy both rigidity and impact resistance, the mainstream of the current resin adds rubber and inorganic filler material such as talc to its base PP resin. The talc was the main factor of increasing weight and colour-dulling due to degradation of transparency.

Compared to other PP, flexural rigidity of the SSPP is the same while lessening weight due to talc-free base PP resin. When compared with parts of the same size, parts using SSPP are 10% lighter. In the future, Suzuki plans to use more SSPP to the interior and exterior parts of bumpers.

The front bumper of the Escudo has a brigher silver metallic colour without painting due to the high colourability of SSPP, says Suzuki. Because it has no paint layer, in case of scratches such as stone chips, it is difficult to distinguish a scratch. It can also reduce environmental load because it does not emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Suzuki says it will expand the usage of SSPP to the interior parts in the future.

US firm Huntsman Corp. has acquired the remaining stake of Huntsman NMG, its Russian PU joint venture with NMG, the manufacturer of PU in Russia and other areas of the former Soviet Union.

Shanghai Sinopec Mitsui Elastomers, a 50:50 joint-venture between Chinese firm Sinopec and Japan-based Mitsui Chemicals, will build an ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer (EPT) production plant in Shanghai Chemical Industry Park

Swiss speciality chemicals group Clariant is acquiring the remaining 40% share of a joint venture between Alvigo and Chemie.

Belgian firm Solvay has started up its EUR21 million speciality polymers compounding plant at Changshu, targeting the electronics, automotive, consumer and industrial applications markets.

German automotive Tier 1 supplier Faurecia has opened a major R&D centre in Pune, India. Employing 800 automotive engineers, the facility will serve interior systems, automotive seating and automotive exteriors.

US international aerospace and industrial manufacturing and service provider Barnes Group will acquire privately held hot runner maker Synventive Molding Solutions for US$335 million.

US firms Bermis has tied up with Norwegian Thin Film Electronics to develop the Bemis Intelligent Packaging Platform for the commercial development of functional sensor labels manufactured from new and emerging printed electronic technology made from Thin Film’s propriety read/writable printed memory and programme logic

Not only did German robot maker Krauss-Maffei Automation celebrate its 30th anniversary since its foundation, it also marked it with its 1,000th robot delivery from the “robot wharf” of its branch in Schwerin.