August 2007 - CTMA: The Canadian Tooling and Machining ...

_____________________________________________________________________________________________
ANTEC 2007
By: Horst Schmidt, CTMA President
ANTEC is the annual technical conference for the Society
of Plastics Engineers. Most of the technologies presented
at ANTEC are two to five years away from
commercialization. The sheer number of new developments
promises great opportunities for the future of tooling. For
the first time ANTEC was held in conjunction with the
Plastics Encounter trade show in Cincinnati Ohio. Despite
this combined attraction the attendance was down
considerably primarily due to current economic conditions.
The conference is truly an international event with over 625
technical papers being presented from virtually every corner
of the globe. The largest and most noted contingent was
from China who presented well over 100 of the technical
papers. Papers presented included:
MATERIALS & MATERIAL DEVELOPMENT (53%):
Composites: focused on fillers, primarily fiber fillers,
including the new nano fibers being developed.
Presentations covered the material properties that can be
achieved with these fillers and how these fillers must be
processed to achieve maximum benefit. The new natural
renewable fibers were also touched on as a new emerging
sector.
Decorating and assembly: presentations covered new
inks and coating materials including UV cure materials.
Methods of overcoming adhesion issues in assembly and
coatings were also presented. Two key objectives of the
new coating and decorating materials are to improve
surface hardness and to produce a metal-like finish on
plastics.
Engineering properties and structures: research
continues to improve low temperature performance; surface
hardness; and resistance to environmental breakdown.
New regulations have increased activities for better barrier
materials for both gasoline and gaseous materials. There
have also been advances in both thermal and electrical
conductivity of plastic. In the area of electrical conductivity
this has been achieved without the use of conductive
additives but by actually having the plastic resin conduct
electricity. By far the most touch upon area in engineered
polymers was that of nano materials, primarily carbon
nanotubes.
Medical plastics: covered new approved materials and
materials in the approval process. Presentations touched
on the effects of E-beam sterilization of various plastic
materials.
New technologies: almost all of the presentations in this
area revolved around various aspects of carbon nanotubes.
Polymer analysis: one of the major focuses this year was
on glass transition in polymers and the effect on materials
in a variety of processes. The other area of interest was
again in nano structures within the polymer matrix.
Thermoplastic elastomers: presented the latest
developments in TPU and TPV materials along with some
new developments in elastic copolymers.
Thermoplastic materials and foams: developments were
focused on polyolefin, polycarbonate, blowing & foaming
agents, and nano additives. Developments in polyolefin
materials were an increase of applications for this low cost
material. Polycarbonate developments were directed at
some of the weathering issues affecting this material and
the potential new market of glass replacement; blowing and
foaming agent developments were in response to new
regulations forcing current agents out of the market; and the
nano-essed being the new frontier for these resins.
Alloys and blends: the first series of presentations
covered material morphology and the resultant effect on
material properties and the alloying process. Then various
alloying and blending experiments were presented where
the objective of the alloy was determined and how close the
resulting alloy came to the prescribed objective.
Vinyl plastics: one of the most widely used polymers saw
a number of developments in improved weathering,
improved mechanical properties, and developments with
nano fillers and additives.
PROCESS AND PROCESS DEVELOPMENTS (29%):
Extrusion: presentations covered both single and multiple
screw extrusion systems and every aspect of the extrusion
parameters. New was the development of in line
compounding in an extruder to final product. Again nano
Continued on page 13
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
12 CTMA VIEW – August 2007