Plastics & Rubber World - November/December 2019 - 36

Plastics industry awards 2019

Best technology application of the year

the shape of sustainability

(From left) Rob Harris, senior director at Sino Manufacturing Solutions,
Mark Spence, plant manager (Normanton) at Kongsberg Automotive,
and Shaun Williamson

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hile sustainability is usually linked
to material reuse (or possibly
repurposing), there are other
ways a company can improve its sustainability credentials. One of these is to
reduce energy usage, which is the key
benefit behind the winner of this year's
Best Technology Application of the Year
winner, Kongsberg Automotive.
The worldwide supplier to various carmakers put forward a new cold-forming
method for PTFE tubing. Now known as
UltiCrimp, the process supports manipulation of tubing at a lower temperature
over previous tech. This delivers an overall energy reduction of more than 50%.
"We could see an opportunity within
the market to take share where we previously had none," reported Paul Illingworth, value stream manager for PTFE at
Kongsberg. "Our challenge was to develop a concept that could realise this without infringing on existing patented processes. Overcoming specific challenges
drove us to bring this cold-forming idea
into reality."
Using the cold-forming method, the
company can now produce a hose with
the same or better physical properties,
but without taking it through a secondary
gel state.
Illingworth explained that current
forming processes require taking extruded PTFE hose to a gel temperature

of more than 327°C. The now patented
UltiCrimp process needs the material to
reach just 170°C.
Further to this, gelled hose must be
directed through a quenching tank filled
with chilled water. With the new process,
the water does not have to be as cold, nor
does the hose heat up the water to the
same extent. This helps to achieve additional energy usage reductions.
"The manufacturing footprint for this
process is reduced due to us not requiring high-temperature gel ovens, nor the
low temperature quench baths," said Illingworth.
He continued by saying that the process was "developed with Kongsberg's industrial customers in mind", with a focus
on the pharmaceutical, food and chemical
industries. There are, though, opportunities in the automotive sector, where the
application can gain additional benefits
from the company's UltiCrimp process.
Now that the trophy is safely ensconced at the Kongsberg Automotive facility in Normanton, the company is planning to market the new process using the
win to highlight the technology.
"We feel that with our UltiCrimp hose
range being the only product in our industry to be an award-winning process it
will aid us in our budgeted growth plans
through 2020 and beyond," added Illingworth.

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Plastics & Rubber World - November/December 2019

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