Sustainable Plastics - May/June 2022 - 13

newsround
Purpose-designed GT line for thermoforming
S-shaped pipe made from white PP with Armat
12 as the support material
Additive
manufacturing
Shorter build times with
optimised grid structure
Arburg has optimised the software for its
Freeformer machines so that, in the future,
all water-soluble Armat support materials
can be applied in a grid structure that is optimised
for Arburg Plastic Freeforming. This
will shorten build times in the APF process
by up to 55% while also reducing material
consumption. The water-soluble support
material can then be washed out without
manual finishing work.
The faster build speed is possible due to
the optimisation of the Freeformer software:
for all components with geometries requiring
a support structure, the water-soluble
materials Armat 11 and Armat 12 are now
applied to the moving part carrier in such a
way as to create a process-optimised grid
structure. Rather than a compact buildup,
a fill level of only around 20% results in
lightweight structures that can also be
removed more quickly than before
without finishing work in the next
step. In this way, the grid structures
save time when building up the component
and removing the support material and,
hence, save material and costs.
In developing new support materials for
the Freeformer, Arburg collaborates with
universities and established material partners.
The water-soluble support material
Armat 11 is the standard choice for many
materials such as ABS. Armat 12, which
is also water-soluble, is off ered by Arburg
specifically for PP.
Size reduction
Scrap recycling for
thermoforming applications
CMG Granulators has launched a newly
designed granulator series for in-line scrap
recycling, suitable for thermoformed sheet,
skeletal sheet and reject parts grinding.
The new GT series comprises four models,
suitable for small to medium capacities,
to cover applications ranging from 200 to
1,000 kg/h.
The GT series is diff erentiated by the
blade setup design: the rotor blades are positioned
at a high degree of inclination, 50°,
in respect to the bed blade, so as to guarantee
the best cutting precision, the highest
dimensional homogeneity of the regrind,
the lowest sound emissions and absence
of powder. The bolt and dowel assembled
cutting chamber utilises no cast or welded
components; all parts are CNC machined
to obtain a precision of assembly to one
hundredth of a millimetre. Energy-eff icient,
requiring only 20 Wh/kg versus the 40
Wh/kg that a conventional unit consumes
during operation, all the GT models are low
profile and sound enclosed for positioning
directly underneath the finished product
conveyor belt while keeping the production
environment as quiet as possible.
Packaging
Pallets from coconut fibre
Dutch startup CocoPallet has created a
sustainable alternative to one-way export
pallets made from wood. The company
has developed a process to
produce novel disposable
pallets made from
coconut waste based on
proprietary technology
Coconut pallets
from FRIMO. CocoPallets
are made by compressing
the powdered and fibrous
waste from coconut husk
under pressure and heat to form sturdy pallets.
In the process, the coconut fibres are
bonded by means of the naturally occurring
lignin in the coconut material, such that no
additional substances need to be added.
FRIMO has worked with the startup company
for several years. Now, together with
CocoPallet, a special filling and dosing system
and a prototype tool to produce these
innovative stackable pallets have been developed.
In addition, the pallets are recyclable
but also biodegradable. Building on
the success of the pallets, particularly in a
region like Southeast Asia, where wood is
scarce and demand for one-way export pallets
is high, CocoPallet is already planning
to use the process for other applications.
Colgate introduces recyclable
toothpaste tube
Colgate-Palmolive's tube, the first to be
recognized by external recycling authorities
as recyclable, is made from high denDry
Molded Fiber - the future of disposables
Materials
PulPac's Dry Molded Fiber now
water- and oil-resistant
Since HSMG and PulPac announced their
collaboration to develop sustainable chemicals,
barriers and materials for PulPac's Dry
Molded Fiber in 2021, the companies have
successfully developed a barrier solution
that is plant-based, plastic-free, biodegradable
and recyclable. The developed formulation
from HSMG allows the final product
to potentially maintain the biodegradable
properties of cellulose but still provide superior
water, oil and grease resistance. A
thin, stretchable sheet of substrate applied
with HSMG's PROTĒAN solution is layered
onto the fiber mat as the article is formed.
The heat and pressure of the forming process
bonds the HSMG carrier sheet to the
product. The result is a strong, recyclable,
continued on page 14
May/June 2022
13
Colgate's recyclable tube
sity polyethylene (HDPE), the same No. 2
plastic used for milk and detergent bottles.
Recycling the tube alongside plastic bottles
requires no extra steps - no rinsing,
cutting or cleaning before tossing it into
a recycling bin. To help alert shoppers to
put certain Colgate toothpaste tubes into
recycle bins, Colgate created limited edition
" Recycle Me! " tubes. The graphics will
be found on select tubes of Colgate Optic
White Advanced Sparkling White, Colgate
Cavity Protection, Colgate Max Fresh Cool
and Colgate Total Whitening. Colgate will
transition the rest of their toothpaste tubes
into the recyclable tube by 2023.
Sustainable Plastics - May/June 2022

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