To increase plant productivity in blown film extrusion, German company Kreyenborg has equipped Hosokawa Alpine’s plants with its K-SWE continuous screen changers.

The screen changers were provided with a separate control to allow a smooth filter change during operation. The retrofit eliminates production line shutdowns during filter change and improves the filtration result, aiming at an increase in plant availability and productivity.

The K-SWE screen changer is said to be a modern filtration system that enables the exchange of the mesh without interrupting the production. This means the system can continue running while dirty filter elements are replaced or filtration finenesses for different production batches are changed.

The result is an increased production capacity together with an improved filtration performance, which is reflected in the quality of the produced film. The end user is very satisfied with the short payback period of the new screen changer and thinks about more investments in the filtration technique of its blown film lines for 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.