A large white "XXL format" central console demonstrator was the subject of several presentations and was also included among samples displayed at European Plastics News' Decorative Automotive Plastics conference in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, from 30 November to 1 December 2011.
The demonstrator was shown earlier at K2010 and was developed by polycarbonate film supplier Bayer MaterialScience, ink supplier Prll, high-pressure forming machinery producer Niebling and the US company Artificial Muscle (with its Vivitouch tactile response technology). Prll's IMD development manager Hans-Peter Erfurt described the Vivitouch solution as "developed for the gaming industry, but not yet ready for automotive". However, the technology will receive a feasibility study in the "R&D pipeline for automotive applications", Erfurt added.
In his presentation on Prll's Dual-Cure lacquers, Erfurt pointed out that "secret-until-lit" features are more difficult in white, as a black colour behind a white top surface comes through as grey and becomes less sharp through diffusion, as the white is not very opaque.
A 100mm x 500mm Makrofol LM292 film applied to the centre stack requires high positioning accuracy. Printed hidden symbols not only become illuminated by means of integrated capacitive switches. Part of the stack is decorated with a Makrofol HF278 G4 475m film with a Prll Norilux DC-3 formable dual-cure UV-curing lacquer hardcoat, providing high gloss white backlighting as well as a partially coated matt finish.
In a presentation by Dirk Pophusen, functional films development manager at Bayer MS, he referred to another large central console or centre stack, a "black-panel" technology unit, shown by Preh with a glass based demonstrator at IAA 2011 in Frankfurt in September. Here too there is a similar plastic potential as with the white demonstrator, as German automotive supplier Preh already uses 3D film insert moulding (FIM) as one of the various IMD and IML processes.
Preh is, for example, involved with Bosch, B-LA Siebdruck- und Kunststofftechnik and Albea Kunststofftechnik in production of the BMW 7 Series black panel instrument cluster with secret-until-lit features. Bayer MS supplies a Marnot XL GU130 hardcoated matt surfaced film for the FIM parts moulded by Albea.
In a presentation entitled "Beyond piano black", Tim Wright, R&D director at formable hardcoated film producer MacDermid Autotype, said that although black remains a popular colour, his company is working on "making black even blacker", with "some products already in the marketplace".
He said hard coating originally arose as a solution not only to improve scratch resistance, but also to overcome polycarbonate developing a blue tinge over time due to crystallisation. With regard to current concerns about recycling, Wright pointed out that the hardcoat is not thermoplastic, so it can be filtered out from the PC remelt.
A breakthrough came in 2005, when Autoflex XF (Xtraform) film with high formability and fairly high chemical and abrasion resistance was first used on the Mercedes S Class. The part involved 44 different components and was the first major automotive piano black application.
Wright said: "It was a leap of faith by Daimler, but they recognised the potential compared with paint spray and etching."
Piano black decoration has since reached Audi, Ford, Fiat, VW, and GM/Opel models.
However, Wright continued: "Designers grow tired of the same discussion [of piano black]. They are thinking 5-10 years ahead, as I do. I am not clever enough to think of everything, but I want to hear about what is required and make it happen - with passion and energy."
For example: new textured hardcoats used for the Autoflex S film, with low haze through use of micro-replication technology; or overcoming PC film limits such as its needing a post-cure hardcoat to meet automotive standards, and its short life in switch applications. Here, Wright sees potential for HiForm PE in an oriented PET (OPET) film, as it "has good flex life (ten times that of PC), is surprisingly formable as a pre-cured hard material, and is already used in membrane switches".
HiForm PE has been formed to 7mm depth and can handle sharp corner radii. But as it is limited in thermal soaking performance, MacDermid Autotype has a 2012 R&D programme "to make it work in auto interiors", Wright says. One area for OPET in future could be soft touch surfaces, where other soft touch solutions have inadequate chemical resistance.
Although MacDermid Autotype has been coating PMMA for 10 years, Wright said it is very soft at 100°C and has too low birefringence for displays. But he sees potential for Toray Picasus non-metallic lustre film for badges and chrome replacement. Picasus is a multilayer film with layers of different refractive index, so it looks like sputtered or aluminised film. It is also compatible with hard coats such as Xtraform and is formable.
Wright said MacDermid Autotype had offered textured black film 10 years ago, but it was "not really taken up". Now the time is right, Wright says, for areas of text or ones with, for example, bird and leaf designs.
"Texture is the 'new black', for example economic combination of texture with gloss, lenses with textured bezel, textured feature lines or even mirror effects. But industry has not been brave enough yet to take the offer," he said.
In addition, MacDermid Autotype is working to reduce costs on nano replication moth-eye surface film, for interior surfaces, as fingerprints are reflected. It is also working with moulder Schuster on capacitive switches. Antenna integration with FIM "has already been implemented," Wright said, "but there has been no adoption yet, as far as we know, for inductive charging, even though it is used in the domestic environment, such as for electric toothbrushes".
Among many ideas at MacDermid Autotype, there is also one project that has started that is aimed at development of decorated door spar trim with a stroking action to open windows. Door strips with backlighting are also being developed. Looking at these ideas, Wright says: "15 years ago the FIM light bulb turned on for me. Let's make the same thing happen for designers."
Pieter van der Ster is business development manager for Europe and Asia at AkzoNobel Specialty Plastics and he mentioned in his presentation that a soft-feel rose petal tactile effect on laptops is a project close to market introduction. He also showed use of Reflex technology to orientate magnetisable additives in liquid paint coating. More recently, Reflex has been applied with Keballoy magnetic compound from
Barlog Plastics, enabling post-moulding magnetising of the part, followed by coating with liquid paint containing magnetisable particles. Either way, the result is an image formed by the particle orientation being "frozen" into the liquid paint.
He also highlighted a chrome bright film that is transparent to light for backlighting and brushed chrome. In connection with this, Van der Ster stressed: "Our systems are cost down, if there are higher costs, you can forget about it."
Rhl Puromer managing director Ingo Kleba said his company's PuroClear polyurethane withstands car washing better than paint. He went on to describe the crystal clear PuroClear S material that has self-healing properties, saying that people do not mind a scratch "as long as it disappears again after a certain time".
Kleba said there has to be "change management in the way of thinking. Making surfaces harder and harder is out, since any carbon-based material has a limited hardness. Making the surface self-healing is the silver bullet while maintaining all other surface properties".
The PuroClear S principle is based upon elastic behaviour of the molecular network with its combined structure of irreversible chemical bonds and reversible physical hydrogen bonds, so that the latter recover after damage. Kleba said PuroClear S has been proven in KraussMaffei's ColorForm and Engel's Clearmelt systems. The UV-stable coating is already used for real wood veneer coating and provides a 3D effect, along with covering sink marks.
A 2.5mm thick PC/ABS armrest demonstrator has been moulded with a PuroClear S skin with 1.9s moulding cycle time, followed by 40s curing time, giving overall production time of below 60s for the decorated part. PuroClear S can be demoulded up to 1,500 times without using an additional external mould release, Kleba said.
Looking ahead over the next 5-10 years, Kleba said PuroClear S also has potential to be used as a nanoskin in order to provide a durable anti-reflection solution. Work on this project has already started with the Fraunhofer IWM mechanics of materials institute in Freiburg.
But in the nearer term, Rhl Polymer, working with Abatek, has developed a Polyform 3D technology based on PuroClear and Abatek's Polyform keypad technology. The technology is aimed at centre stacks, with gloss and matt surfaces, back-panel lighting, tactile areas, a capacitive joy-stick and an integrated screen window with capacitive or resistive touch action.
2012年1月16日星期一
2012年1月8日星期日
Hurricane Harold had sports mojo
WHEN Harold Haslam died, Newcastle lost one of its true characters and sporting icons.
Harold, or ‘‘Doc’’, as he was fondly known, was an outstanding cricketer and a top-flight baseballer, and is one of a handful of people who can say they graced the rugby league field with the great Clive Churchill.
His sporting achievements aside, Harold was a friend to many and was always up to telling a good story or joke.
Harold, from Charlestown, died in a retirement home in Waratah aged 89 on October 26.
Good friend Judy Maynard said Harold died peacefully in his sleep of natural causes.
The Haslam family came from a strong working class background which helped mould them as local sporting high achievers.
Harold’s grandfather, Thomas Denny, began work with the Newcastle Morning Herald, as it was then known, in the 1880s and established what was to become a long-lasting family tradition with the newspaper.
Harold’s other grandfather, Benjamin Haslam, would eventually go on to become the first rail station master appointed at Glen Innes.
But it wouldn’t be in newspapers or on the rail that Harold Haslam would make his name.
He was a highly regarded plumber working for Middleby Brothers for years and also spent time at the state dockyard.
He was also an excellent cricketer, who played in Newcastle for more than 30 years, beginning as an exciting young wicketkeeper.
Despite his peers regarding him as one of the very best glovemen to play in the Hunter, it was his big hitting which coined his cricketing nickname, ‘‘Hurricane’’.
In 1947 he scored 50 runs in 26 minutes while playing for Hamilton against Stockton. The year before he had reached the milestone in an even quicker time, scoring a half-century in 19 minutes at the crease.
He made his maiden first-grade century against Stockton in 49 minutes, hitting 13 fours and five sixes, with 82 of his 101 coming by way of boundaries.
Harold would often tell people he always considered himself a rugby league player first, but despite his keenness and natural ability he realised he preferred cricket.
Harold, or ‘‘Doc’’, as he was fondly known, was an outstanding cricketer and a top-flight baseballer, and is one of a handful of people who can say they graced the rugby league field with the great Clive Churchill.
His sporting achievements aside, Harold was a friend to many and was always up to telling a good story or joke.
Harold, from Charlestown, died in a retirement home in Waratah aged 89 on October 26.
Good friend Judy Maynard said Harold died peacefully in his sleep of natural causes.
The Haslam family came from a strong working class background which helped mould them as local sporting high achievers.
Harold’s grandfather, Thomas Denny, began work with the Newcastle Morning Herald, as it was then known, in the 1880s and established what was to become a long-lasting family tradition with the newspaper.
Harold’s other grandfather, Benjamin Haslam, would eventually go on to become the first rail station master appointed at Glen Innes.
But it wouldn’t be in newspapers or on the rail that Harold Haslam would make his name.
He was a highly regarded plumber working for Middleby Brothers for years and also spent time at the state dockyard.
He was also an excellent cricketer, who played in Newcastle for more than 30 years, beginning as an exciting young wicketkeeper.
Despite his peers regarding him as one of the very best glovemen to play in the Hunter, it was his big hitting which coined his cricketing nickname, ‘‘Hurricane’’.
In 1947 he scored 50 runs in 26 minutes while playing for Hamilton against Stockton. The year before he had reached the milestone in an even quicker time, scoring a half-century in 19 minutes at the crease.
He made his maiden first-grade century against Stockton in 49 minutes, hitting 13 fours and five sixes, with 82 of his 101 coming by way of boundaries.
Harold would often tell people he always considered himself a rugby league player first, but despite his keenness and natural ability he realised he preferred cricket.
2011年12月13日星期二
Renovating Basement Floors
Tired of looking at that concrete floor or that old flooring in your basement? Want to cover the concrete or replace that old floor?
If you said yes to these questions you should ask yourself some more questions. Does the concrete floor get wet during the year? Is the concrete floor painted? Would you like the floor to be warmer? does anyone in your house have allergies? Do you have children that play in the basement? These questions and other should be asked before choosing a floor.
Many products exist on the maorket that can solve a number of issues that you may have in your basement. If your basement floor gets wet during the year, you may want to think about raising the floor a little and get it off the concrete. Products like Tyroc, Dri-core and Ovrx can do this for you and allow water to pass under the finshed floor. The added bonus of Tyroc and Dri-core are that they allow air and water movement, effectively stopping the growth of mould. Each builds up the floor to keep it away from the cold concrete floor making the finished floor warmer. If you are planning on using one of these products make sure that you will have enough headroom.
Say you are lucky and have had no moisture in your basement, but you want the floor to be warmer. Ovrx would be th solution to this situation, Ovrx is an underlayment system that uses OSB panel on the top like Dri-core, but has closed cell foram insulation on the bottom. The panels are tongue and groove, 2'x2' in size, making for strong, stable and warm subfloor. You can put almost any type of flooring overtop of Tyroc, Dri-core or Ovrx, some types like carpet ory vinyl have to have a wooden underlayment installed over before the flooring.
You would like to install laminate flooring in your basement, but you also have someone with allergies in the house. Delta floor is an underlayment product that looks like foundation membrane; it has cups on the bottom, which elevates it off the floor. The advantage that Delta Floor has in this case is that you can put the laminate underlay and floor ing directly over top, on extra plywood or other subfloor needed. The other advantage that Delta Floor has in this case is that it allows airflow under the finished floor minimizing or eliminating any dampness that may occur.
Before we had these fancy subfloor panels available, people used to lay plastic down on the concrete floor to block moisture, then tapcon screwed down PT 2x4's every 24" on centre. Celfort (rigid foam insulation) in between and then lay down 3/4" thick plywood and screwed to the 2x4's. This method leaves no room for air circulation or possible water movement like their modern counterparts. So which would you rather use?
If you said yes to these questions you should ask yourself some more questions. Does the concrete floor get wet during the year? Is the concrete floor painted? Would you like the floor to be warmer? does anyone in your house have allergies? Do you have children that play in the basement? These questions and other should be asked before choosing a floor.
Many products exist on the maorket that can solve a number of issues that you may have in your basement. If your basement floor gets wet during the year, you may want to think about raising the floor a little and get it off the concrete. Products like Tyroc, Dri-core and Ovrx can do this for you and allow water to pass under the finshed floor. The added bonus of Tyroc and Dri-core are that they allow air and water movement, effectively stopping the growth of mould. Each builds up the floor to keep it away from the cold concrete floor making the finished floor warmer. If you are planning on using one of these products make sure that you will have enough headroom.
Say you are lucky and have had no moisture in your basement, but you want the floor to be warmer. Ovrx would be th solution to this situation, Ovrx is an underlayment system that uses OSB panel on the top like Dri-core, but has closed cell foram insulation on the bottom. The panels are tongue and groove, 2'x2' in size, making for strong, stable and warm subfloor. You can put almost any type of flooring overtop of Tyroc, Dri-core or Ovrx, some types like carpet ory vinyl have to have a wooden underlayment installed over before the flooring.
You would like to install laminate flooring in your basement, but you also have someone with allergies in the house. Delta floor is an underlayment product that looks like foundation membrane; it has cups on the bottom, which elevates it off the floor. The advantage that Delta Floor has in this case is that you can put the laminate underlay and floor ing directly over top, on extra plywood or other subfloor needed. The other advantage that Delta Floor has in this case is that it allows airflow under the finished floor minimizing or eliminating any dampness that may occur.
Before we had these fancy subfloor panels available, people used to lay plastic down on the concrete floor to block moisture, then tapcon screwed down PT 2x4's every 24" on centre. Celfort (rigid foam insulation) in between and then lay down 3/4" thick plywood and screwed to the 2x4's. This method leaves no room for air circulation or possible water movement like their modern counterparts. So which would you rather use?
2011年12月12日星期一
Christmas tree growers push back at allergy claims
Christmas tree growers say a family doctor's claim about Christmas trees triggering allergies is "unfair."
Dr. Peter Lin, who is based in Toronto, says Christmas trees may be partly to blame for winter allergies, asthma and sinus infections.
As soon as a tree is cut down, it's dead and allergy-causing mould sets in, he said.
"You bring it back into your home and now you've got some nice warm temperatures, it starts to dry out and the mould becomes air-borne and then people can have allergies to that."
Studies have shown the normal mould count inside a typical household is about 500 to 700 mould spores per cubic metre of air, said Lin.
But after having a Christmas tree Plastic Mould up for two weeks, the mould count jumps ten fold to about 5,000 spores, he said.
Tree farmers aren't happy about what they see as an attack on the annual tradition.
"Christmas tree growers are like any other farmer - they take as many steps as possible to prevent any moulds, parasites, or contamination," said Shirley Brennan, executive director of the Christmas Tree Farmers of Ontario, which represents 125 growers across the province.
"There is potentially mould anywhere. This is unfair to tree farmers," she said.
The group offers tips on its website about how to best care for Christmas trees to keep them fresh.
Suggestions include storing them outside in a cool, dry place until you're ready to decorate, making a fresh cut across the trunk once it's inside the house, keeping it away from heat sources and using a tree stand that can hold plenty of water. Trees may drink up to four litres of water per day, according to the website.
Artificial trees also problematic
Lin admits even artificial trees can cause allergic reactions.
They might be fine for the first year, but after being stored, they can cause problems.
"The artificial tree, we put in the basement where it's damp, and then guess what, you get mould going on that as well. And, you can also have dust."
For people who can't imagine celebrating Christmas without a Christmas tree, Lin suggests getting a real tree as soon as possible after it's been cut.
"Then want you do is bang it on the ground and that gets rid of all the dead needles and gets rid of the mould that might be growing on them as well."
Transporting trees on the roof of a vehicle can also help blow some of the mould spores off, said Lin.
The tree can also be hosed down, but must be left outside to dry before being moved indoors, he said. Otherwise, it will encourage mould growth.
Once the tree is moved indoors, it shouldn't be kept up for longer than three or four days and the water source should be kept covered because it could also become a breeding ground for mould.
Lin also recommends taking care with ornaments, particularly ones with fabric, which can get dusty and mouldy.
They should be vacuumed and wiped down before being placed on the tree and stored in plastic, he said.
Other holiday favourites that can cause allergic reactions include potpourri and scented candles, said Lin.
Poinsettias can also be a trigger for people who are allergic to latex gloves because they contain a similar chemical, he said. They're fine to have in the house, but should not be touched.
Chimneys should be cleaned and ready for festive fires and people with food allergies, such as peanuts, should be on the lookout any transfer or traces, he said.
Lin also recommends that anyone taking allergy medications that can cause drowsiness to be mindful of the potential risks of mixing them with too much holiday cheer, such as rum and eggnog.
Dr. Peter Lin, who is based in Toronto, says Christmas trees may be partly to blame for winter allergies, asthma and sinus infections.
As soon as a tree is cut down, it's dead and allergy-causing mould sets in, he said.
"You bring it back into your home and now you've got some nice warm temperatures, it starts to dry out and the mould becomes air-borne and then people can have allergies to that."
Studies have shown the normal mould count inside a typical household is about 500 to 700 mould spores per cubic metre of air, said Lin.
But after having a Christmas tree Plastic Mould up for two weeks, the mould count jumps ten fold to about 5,000 spores, he said.
Tree farmers aren't happy about what they see as an attack on the annual tradition.
"Christmas tree growers are like any other farmer - they take as many steps as possible to prevent any moulds, parasites, or contamination," said Shirley Brennan, executive director of the Christmas Tree Farmers of Ontario, which represents 125 growers across the province.
"There is potentially mould anywhere. This is unfair to tree farmers," she said.
The group offers tips on its website about how to best care for Christmas trees to keep them fresh.
Suggestions include storing them outside in a cool, dry place until you're ready to decorate, making a fresh cut across the trunk once it's inside the house, keeping it away from heat sources and using a tree stand that can hold plenty of water. Trees may drink up to four litres of water per day, according to the website.
Artificial trees also problematic
Lin admits even artificial trees can cause allergic reactions.
They might be fine for the first year, but after being stored, they can cause problems.
"The artificial tree, we put in the basement where it's damp, and then guess what, you get mould going on that as well. And, you can also have dust."
For people who can't imagine celebrating Christmas without a Christmas tree, Lin suggests getting a real tree as soon as possible after it's been cut.
"Then want you do is bang it on the ground and that gets rid of all the dead needles and gets rid of the mould that might be growing on them as well."
Transporting trees on the roof of a vehicle can also help blow some of the mould spores off, said Lin.
The tree can also be hosed down, but must be left outside to dry before being moved indoors, he said. Otherwise, it will encourage mould growth.
Once the tree is moved indoors, it shouldn't be kept up for longer than three or four days and the water source should be kept covered because it could also become a breeding ground for mould.
Lin also recommends taking care with ornaments, particularly ones with fabric, which can get dusty and mouldy.
They should be vacuumed and wiped down before being placed on the tree and stored in plastic, he said.
Other holiday favourites that can cause allergic reactions include potpourri and scented candles, said Lin.
Poinsettias can also be a trigger for people who are allergic to latex gloves because they contain a similar chemical, he said. They're fine to have in the house, but should not be touched.
Chimneys should be cleaned and ready for festive fires and people with food allergies, such as peanuts, should be on the lookout any transfer or traces, he said.
Lin also recommends that anyone taking allergy medications that can cause drowsiness to be mindful of the potential risks of mixing them with too much holiday cheer, such as rum and eggnog.
2011年4月21日星期四
DeKalb County Employer Plans Expansion
DeKalb Molded Plastics Co., a manufacturer of molded foam and plastic products, announced today that it will expand its operations here, creating up to 20 new jobs by 2014.
The company, which manufactures structural foam products and provides foam assembly, kitting and decorating services, will invest more than $1.2 million to purchase additional storage space and add a new molding press at its existing Butler operations.
"We appreciate DeKalb Molded Plastics' commitment to invest in the continued competitiveness of the Butler operations as well as new jobs in Indiana and making Indiana the center of its long term growth plans," said Mitch Roob, Secretary of Commerce and chief executive officer of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.
The company, which currently employs more than 70 associates in Butler, plans to begin hiring additional manufacturing and warehouse associates later this year as the new press becomes operational.
"We have proven we can survive during the tough economic times and have readied the company for expansion as recovery occurs. We continue to invest in our people, as well as our equipment and facility. We're excited for that growth here in Butler," said Rick Walters, president of DeKalb Molded Plastics Company. "We appreciate that Indiana values that DeKalb Molded Plastics has been doing business in Indiana for more than 30 years and supported us as we considered our growth opportunities."
Founded in 1979 DeKalb Molded Plastics serves customers in the specialty materials handling, medical enclosure and safety products markets.
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered DeKalb Molded Plastics Co., up to $100,000 in performance-based tax credits and up to $40,000 in training grants based on the company's job creation plans. DeKalb County will consider additional property tax abatement at the request of the DeKalb County Economic Development Partnership.
"The city of Butler is delighted to learn of the new jobs which will be created by DeKalb Molded Plastics. DeKalb Molded Plastics has been faithfully involved in local activities for a number of years. We look forward to their continued involvement in our community and congratulate them on their growth and success," said Butler Mayor Ron Walter.
DeKalb Molded Plastics' announced expansion comes just one month after tire manufacturer, Michelin North America Inc., announced its plans to invest $50 million to expand production capacity at its BFGoodrich Tire manufacturing facility in nearby Woodburn, creating up to 35 new jobs by the end of the year.
The company, which manufactures structural foam products and provides foam assembly, kitting and decorating services, will invest more than $1.2 million to purchase additional storage space and add a new molding press at its existing Butler operations.
"We appreciate DeKalb Molded Plastics' commitment to invest in the continued competitiveness of the Butler operations as well as new jobs in Indiana and making Indiana the center of its long term growth plans," said Mitch Roob, Secretary of Commerce and chief executive officer of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.
The company, which currently employs more than 70 associates in Butler, plans to begin hiring additional manufacturing and warehouse associates later this year as the new press becomes operational.
"We have proven we can survive during the tough economic times and have readied the company for expansion as recovery occurs. We continue to invest in our people, as well as our equipment and facility. We're excited for that growth here in Butler," said Rick Walters, president of DeKalb Molded Plastics Company. "We appreciate that Indiana values that DeKalb Molded Plastics has been doing business in Indiana for more than 30 years and supported us as we considered our growth opportunities."
Founded in 1979 DeKalb Molded Plastics serves customers in the specialty materials handling, medical enclosure and safety products markets.
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered DeKalb Molded Plastics Co., up to $100,000 in performance-based tax credits and up to $40,000 in training grants based on the company's job creation plans. DeKalb County will consider additional property tax abatement at the request of the DeKalb County Economic Development Partnership.
"The city of Butler is delighted to learn of the new jobs which will be created by DeKalb Molded Plastics. DeKalb Molded Plastics has been faithfully involved in local activities for a number of years. We look forward to their continued involvement in our community and congratulate them on their growth and success," said Butler Mayor Ron Walter.
DeKalb Molded Plastics' announced expansion comes just one month after tire manufacturer, Michelin North America Inc., announced its plans to invest $50 million to expand production capacity at its BFGoodrich Tire manufacturing facility in nearby Woodburn, creating up to 35 new jobs by the end of the year.
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