CHINAPLAS 2017: Sustainability and digitalization as innovation drivers

CHINAPLAS has achieved a new record when the 2017 edition held in Guangzhou, China posted 155,258 visitors during the show’s four days. Of the total, 40,048 or about 25.8% came from foreign countries. The attendance this year is 4.5% higher than the previous edition held in Shanghai, China.

But what makes CHINAPLAS 2017 exceed its goals is the interesting array of exhibits by 3,400 exhibitors from China and the rest of the world. Of the total exhibitors, around 40% came from outside China while about 15% participated for the first time. There were 13 international pavilions, with Iran Pavilion making its debut. This edition had 16 theme zones and these zones offered highly specialized products and solutions to meet today’s production trends.     

The theme "Greenovation for a Smart Future" was well described in the range of exhibits that strongly focused on smart manufacturing, the use of high-tech materials and application of “green solutions” in plastics and rubber manufacturing.

Intelligent manufacturing or smart manufacturing was the main goal of many exhibitors and their products and services aimed to go forward with digitalization via advanced and integrated processing systems. The Smart Manufacturing Technology Zone met its purpose with visitors learning more about intelligent manufacturing and how this could enhance their business operations.

A variety of high-performance materials were introduced to the Asian market via this exhibition and these included bioplastics, composites and other engineering plastics with such properties as high strength, flexibility, heat resistance, food contact safety, flame retardance, lightweight and many others. The medical polymer section brought an array of materials with anti-bacterial properties and unique design advantages.  

This year, the Design Forum, which was made part of the "Design x Innovation" event, introduced significant design techniques utilizing new materials and processing. With focus on smarter living, the prototypes developed under the TRIO co-creation project brought out the creative spirit of top designers and brand owners, facilitated by BASF and using its advanced materials. The three-day Design Forum showed visitors  the complex process of design, from inspiration to discovery and product development. 

Exhibitors’ Feedback

Specialized gearboxes geared for the Asian market

The Zambello Group’s presence at CHINAPLAS 2017 reflected the Group’s continued confidence in the Asian region as a leading market for its products. “In this exhibition, we brought our different types of gearboxes for the plastics industry since we look at CHINAPLAS as a leading platform to highlight our gearboxes which have been well-accepted in the Asia Pacific region,” according to Mr. Kevin Lin, GM for Zambello Asian Marketing office. 

For instance, the Conical Counter Rotating Twin Screw Gearbox series with screw diameter 53mm ~ 95mm was on exhibit. “The model has been in the market for over five years and has seen some modifications. It is used mainly in PVC profile applications and the gearbox has been known for its “reliability and longer lifetime,” explained Ms. Cathy Chen, V.G.M. for Zambello Asian Marketing office. Another product, the Co-rotating Twin Screw Gearbox - Super High Torque series with Center dis. 21.5mm ~ 120mm has been in the market for over 13 years but when the model was first produced, the China market could not use it because the industry was not ready yet. “Zambello has always anticipated future demand for our products. That is the reason why, sometimes, we create products ahead of market requirement, then we also modify and upgrade models to meet current market demand. We always prepare for the market,” Mr. Lin emphasized. 

Ms. Chen also added that one model, the Conical Counter Rotating Twin Screw Gearbox series with Screw diameter 53mm ~ 95mm was launched five years ago but compared to other models in the local market, this one guarantees precise grinding and better calculation. The Zambello Group celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. 

Ms. Cathy Chen and Mr. Kevin Lin

Meeting demand for quality engineering plastics

Polyplastics engineering plastics for demanding applications were promoted at the recently concluded CHINAPLAS 2017. The company manufactures engineering plastics and is well-known for such brands as DURACON® /TEPCON® PBT, DURANEX® PBT, DURAFIDE® PPS, LAPEROS® LCP, FR-PET® GF-PET and TOPAS® COC.

“Our products are targeted at various applications - such as automotive parts, mechanical components, sanitary equipment & parts, electrical and electronic products, and many others. For each type of requirement, we have a product that can meet customers’ specifications,” according to Mr. Cliff Chan, Senior Corporate Communication Manager for Greater China & ASEAN region. Mr. Chan went on to say that Polyplastics has production facilities in Japan, China, Taiwan and Malaysia and these plants are able to supply the demand for high quality engineering plastics for various industries.

As an exhibitor, Polyplastics has been a regular CHINAPLAS exhibitor. “We have been exhibiting here for over 20 years since Polyplastics entered the China market in 1995. He also explained that China is Polyplastics’ biggest Asian market but the Southeast Asian market is also a fast-growing one.

Mr. Cliff Chan

Targeting future environmental regulations

Addivant participated at this year’s CHINAPLAS with its wide range of innovative materials developed to exceed the performance requirements of highly demanding applications, while also responding to the call for environmental protection. A strong focus on meeting current and future regulations has driven Addivant to launch new products and these were properly introduced at Asia’s biggest exhibition for the plastics and rubber industry. “At this show, we launched our next generation ultra-low emissive anti-scorch antioxidants for polyurethane (PUR) foams. The NAUGARD® FOAMPLUS LE is a foam grade that is very much ideal for such application as automotive because it is compliant with the most stringent vehicle indoor air quality (VIAQ) standards being implemented globally,” according to Mr. Irfaan Foster, Global Commercial Manager. As Mr. Foster explained, China is currently the world’s biggest automobile market and many innovations are aimed at meeting stricter standards in this market. “With Addivant’s next generation ultra-low emissive anti-scorch antioxidants for polyurethane (PUR) foams. NAUGARD® FOAMPLUS LE solutions, Addivant is able to meet the most stringent vehicle indoor air quality (VIAQ) standards being implemented worldwide,” Mr. Foster stressed. 

Addivant also showcased its breakthrough nonylphenol-free stabilizer WESTON® 705 which complies with the industry standard for polyethylene (PE) food packaging. This stabilizer, according to Mr. Foster, enables PE resin producers to comply with China’s new GB9685-2016 food contact law. WESTON® 705 has already been approved for food contact in China. 

To satisfy robust regional growth and to ensure increased supply security and reliability for local customers, Addivant is specifically investing in Asia-Pacific, where recent and future investments in China and South Korea will more than triple the company’s capabilities. Addivant has also expanded the commercial and technical organization in the region by 25%.

Mr. Irfaan Foster

Expanded portfolio on center stage  

Eastman Chemical Company presented the popular applications of its leading brands at CHINAPLAS 2017 where the company booth highlighted the wide range of sectors where its well-known brands are applied.

A popular offering from Eastman is Tritan™ copolyester, which has been  well-accepted in the market today due to its versatility and value-added properties. Its additional advantages include easier processing, higher temperature resistance, and higher impact resistance. “Tritan has found success in the United States as well as in Asia, as it has been the material of choice for a growing range of products. In the production of small appliances, the brand answers the call for a performance material that provides clarity while being very tough and safe. Tritan is BPA-free and more than that, it is possible to create different designs out of Tritan,” according to Ms. Karen Parsons, Global Marketing Communications Manager at Eastman.

The houseware market, especially in food storage, Tritan has met the criteria of manufacturers who want to produce reusable food storage containers that are clear as glass, yet unbreakable while also being safe. “Tritan is valued for its application in food storage containers where demand for packaging items that don’t retain odor and can be dishwasher durable. It also finds use in the production of the beverage sector where demand for reusable or hydration water bottles and items such as drinking glasses has been on the rise. Tritan has been well accepted in the area of infant care as it is the material of choice for baby bottles, sippy cups and pacifiers, as well as in the medical products market where fluid management or medical device housing is an important area,” Ms. Parsons explained.

CHINAPLAS 2017 marked the first time Eastman launched TRĒVA™, a bioplastic composed of half cellulose, sourced from trees. The high-performing solution provides an excellent balance of properties for a wide variety of applications, enabling manufacturers to shape a better tomorrow in a naturally better way. Sourced from sustainably managed forests, this engineering bioplastic represents the culmination of nearly 100 years of Eastman’s innovation in cellulosics.  

Ms.Karen Parsons

High-tech materials for lifestyle products

Rising demand for high-tech materials used in the production of consumer electronics  and lifestyle products has inspired KRAIBURG TPE to develop a new breed of TPE compounds to match complex requirements. At CHINAPLAS, the company presented its cutting-edge VS/AD/HM series as part of the THERMOLAST® K product line. Also on show were an impressive range of premium TPE compounds and custom-engineered solutions for consumer electronics, automotive and medical applications. According to Mr. Roland Ritter, Director, Asia Pacific, the China market is an important one for the company and the exhibition has been fitting venue to launch new products and meet customers from various parts of the Asian region.

He further explained that at CHINAPLAS, KRAIBURG TPE focused on higher-end lifestyle TPE compound that features anti-skin irritation, excellent abrasion and scratch resistance. The compound has a smooth and silky surface and excellent adhesion performance on technical thermoplastics. Another key advantage is the excellent chemical resistance against sebum and sun screens, among others.

“KRAIBURG TPE is continuously expanding its network reach. It is our commitment to be the premium TPE manufacturer and global competence leader. In 2004, we successfully entered the Chinese market through a joint-venture with Milton Holdings. In 2007, we opened our local sales office in India, and we will be celebrating our Indian sales office’s 10th year anniversary this year. We also opened our local sales office in Seoul, South Korea in 2017. Today, our Asia Pacific sales network include sales offices in Malaysia, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Philippines, Japan and Singapore. We look forward to the opening of many other regional sales offices soon,”Mr. Ritter said. 

 Mr. Roland Ritter

Motan-Colortronig: The latest technology in materials handling

As a leading supplier of complex centralized material feed systems, Motan-Colortronic ensures that each system is designed to suit the customer’s needs.

Driven by the rising popularity of bigger machnes, Motan-Colortronic demonstrated its full central conveying system and auxiliary equipment at CHINAPLAS 2017.

Motan-Colortronic Plastics Machinery（Taicang) Co., Ltd was founded in January 2006 and its main products are: storage system, drying system, conveying system, blending system and controller system etc. for various operations, be it injection molding, extrusion, optical disk, tubing, packaging and cable industry. 

As one of the world’s leading suppliers of complex centralized material feed systems, Motan-Colortronic ensures that each system is designed to suit the customer’s requirements by taking into account individual factors such as throughput, materials types, and plant layout. A wide selection of loaders with a variety of conveying options, controls, blowers, and filter techniques allow the creation of the optimum system for the customer’s facility.

According to Mr. Bing Hian Co, North Area Regional Managing Director: “Each CHINAPLAS we show our system and in this edition, we have a full central conveying system which is the latest technology in materials handling. In this system, there are two pumps but depending on the needs of the customers, we can install a maximum of eight pumps whenever there is a need for more power.”

As Mr. Bing explained, the system enables high output and this meets the requirement of big factories in China. “For the last couple of years, we have seen China factories getting bigger and the materials required for transportation is higher in terms of volume. These factories go for equipment that ensures materials have high availability and they don’t want their system to have possible breakdown - the more pumps on standby, the better so if any one fails, it doesn’t matter.” In China, Motan-Colortronic has become more of a solutions provider as it is capable of designing a system according to specifications. “No two factories are the same and so we need to customize.” At present, Motan-Colortonic products are made of components sourced from Germany. However, some materials, like the sheet metals, are made in China to cut down on shipping costs. 

Mr. Bing Hian Co 

Toward Industry 4.0

At CHINAPLAS, Beckhoff held a seminar on Industry 4.0 and how the company’s products and services can help customers achieve the goals of Industry 4.0. The seminar was well-attended and reflected Beckhoff’s importance in the sector where smart manufacturing has become a buzzword, according to Mr. Thomas Kosthorst, Vertical Market Management, Plastics Industry. 

The Beckhoff Cloud Scenarions, according to the presentation, involved Beckhoff’s products and systems solutions. In the Automation Components and Systems offered by the company, automation can be achieved with the integration of its TwinCAT 3, EtherCAT and I/O to the system. The system is ideal for the plastics industry, as well as in the packaging, printing, semiconductor, wind turbines, machine tools and other sectors where highly efficient automation is a requirement to improve efficiency.

According to Mr. Kosthorst, to achieve connectivity and analytics services, Beckhoff can customize the solutions for the customers with its expertise to provide automation infrastructure and platform services.

Mr.Thomas Kosthorst 

Innovation in compounding

STEER’s presence at CHINAPLAS this year aimed to emphasize its products and services for the gorwing China market. “With growing thermoplastic and thermosets demand in automotive component fabrication in China, plastic compounding is expected to gain prominence due to increasing quality and material specification requirements from automotive OEMs. Hence, major compounders are looking for new innovation on how plastic can be compounded to meet the requirement,”according to Mr. S. Prasanna Kumar DGM, Technical Services and Business.

STEER China is focused on serving customer who value performance. At CHINAPLAS, the company promoted its new innovation on twin screw geometry which can overcome current limitation in compounding and also introducing new materials development which can enhance wear life of the screw and barrel. “Our focus has also been on providing technical solution to customer who have processing issues. Many companies in China have recognized us as solution providers and look at us as partners rather than just equipment supplier,” Mr. Kumar elaborated.  

In terms of visitors’ response, STEER received attention. “The numbers speak. We had around 150 customers visit our stall to discuss with us on specific problems in their compounding line & enquiry for high performance extruders. The innovation on screw geometry and in new materials got the customer attention. The response from our clients is that ‘STEER has unique game changing technology.’, “ Mr. Kumar added. Asia pacific accounts for significant market share in terms of volume in global plastic compounding market. Booming construction and automotive activities in China is contributing substantially in consumption of plastic compounds. As Mr. Kumar put it: “We have been taking steady and right steps year on year to increase the foundation of our company in China. As I said earlier, the demand for new material development has been the focus of major compounders and this trend will increase substantially over the coming years. At STEER, we have a mission to become a world class materials transformation enterprise that is committed to positively impacting human life through research and development of material sciences. We design and develop solutions that provide manufacturers with the ability to process materials of the future, driving better products, greater sustainability and progress. We believe that, together, we can steer a new world and create a better tomorrow.”

Mr. S. Prasanna Kumar

Digitalization and intelligent machines 

At CHINAPLAS 2017, Reifenhäuser GMbH & Co, KG Maschinenfabrik brought its latest package to achieve digitalization. As Mr. Bernd Reifenhäuser, CEO, explained: “Digitalization makes the line easier to operate while also increasing system availability, product quality, output, and efficiency. Many of these solutions can be further developed in cooperation with customers and tailored to their specific requirements and at Reifenhäuser, we have the right solutions that can be tailored according to customer’s needs in order for it to achive digitalization.”

With Reifenhäuser Digital Business Platform, the company enters a new era in which it has set a new standards for smart connectivity and digitalization. In the platform, the Operating system is the interface of ta new age-intuitive and context-sensisitve, which contributes significantly to the reduction in error. The Performance Cockpit enables the customers to maintain complete control of the production line and makes optimization and improvements measurable. With the Diagnotis Center, processes along the line are made transparent, clear and predictable. The Enterprise Integration brings together and harmonizes corporate planning systems and new technologies. Cloud Analytics converts data into utilizable information to enhance line efficiency. “Ïn every aspect of operation, the customer will be able to know their status, predict the effects of parameter changes, communicate with other systems, learn, and solve production tasks independently. The first actual solutions are ready, and we have a huge potential for further innovation,” Mr. Reifenhäuser stressed. 

Mr. Bernd Reifenhäuser 

China sales on the rise

The RadiciGroup focused on engineering plastics for the automotive and electrical/electronics industries at CHINAPLAS 2017. In particular, the RadiciGroup Performance Plastics – the RadiciGroup Business Area specializing in the manufacture of polyamide and polyester engineering plastics and thermoplastic elastomers – joined this edition.  Mr. Edi Degasperi, CEO of Radici Plastics Suzhou Co. Ltd stressed that the company’s products and expertise in high performance materials have made them continuously grow in China where competition is tough. “The contnuous growth in the China market is made possible through our added value services.” Continual growth and shared innovation – the guiding principles of RadiciGroup’s global strategy – are also the pillars upon which the Group’s production unit in China, Radici Plastics Suzhou Co. Ltd, has built its business operations. The Chinese plant employs specialized personnel to ensure that its products achieve the highest levels of quality, performance and innovation.

It was the first time for the RadiciGroup to exhibit at the CHINAPLAS in Guangzhou as usually Radici Plastics Suzhou participates in the CHINAPLAS event held in Shanghai. “We have come to Guangzhou for the first time because in the past two years, we have further strengthened and developed our sales network in southeast China, yielding an increase in the number of customers in the area. This trade fair gives us the chance to meet new customers and acquaint them with our product offering. Also, we want to emphasize our strong commitment to the Chinese market, in part as a response to the extensive growth recorded here in the last few years,” Mr. Degasperi explained.

 Mr. Edi Degasperi 

Masterbatches for extrusion and film applications

YHM Masterbatches Co., Ltd.presented its range of deforming masterbatch and black masterbatch for general extrusion and film applicatins. Defoaming masterbatch, according to Ms. Lucy Zhang, Overseas Sales Manager, is also kown as desiccant masterbatch or suction masterbatch. This type of masterbatch comes in off-white granules. It is a new kind of functional masterbatch that solves the moisture problem. It can absorb the moisture strongly in the plastic, eliminating bubles, crack, speckle and other problems caused by moisture. She added that defoamng masterbatch has no harmful physical and mechanical properties. Another product, the black masterbatch also has the mechanical properties needed to meet the current demand for black color masterbatch.

Established in 2000 in Dongguan, China, YHM Masterbatches covered 12,000 sq.m. It has a total of eight production lines and a monthly capacity of more than 3,000 tons. Its masterbatches are widely used in food packaging products, injection molded products, tubing, sheet production .etc.  It has a strict quality control on materials and production. All the products meet SGS RoHS requirements and some products comply with FDA standard.

YHM offers a various types of masterbatches.