Extrusion Group™, LLC

By Melanie D.G. Kaplan | Feb 23, 2011

By Bill Bregar | PLASTICS NEWS STAFF

SPRINGFIELD, OHIO (Feb. 23, 10:40 a.m. ET)  — Tech II Inc., a packaging company that injection molds food containers, bowls, cups and lids, is poised to make plastics-industry history — in thermoforming — as the first North American processor to do in-mold labeling with thermoforming.

“We’re out there pitching this to every person that’ll listen to us,” said President Dave Shiffer.

According to Shiffer, IML thermoforming will put the family-owned firm in the lead in what could be a fast-growing technology. Tech II is investing nearly $6 million to add equipment and build a 65,000-square-foot warehouse, to free up previous warehouse space to house the thermoforming operation.

He said the time is right to make the investment. (more…)

Puts Big Hopes for New State Strategy

The Russian government has implemented a new national strategy aimed at the development of the domestic nonwovens industry with the hopes of becoming one of the most significant players in the European market by 2020.

Since 1990, the Russian nonwovens industry has been going through difficult times despite the ever growing consumption of nonwovens in Russia, mainly due to the fact that the Russian government has never considered nonwovens production one of the priority areas for its further economic development.

Source: Nonwovens Industry

TJ Beall Company has expanded its UltraClean line of unbleached cotton fibers for nonwovens.

UltraClean-AM is the same groundbreaking greige cotton staple fibers which are now sterilized for use in the hygiene and medical nonwoven markets. This now gives Beall the ability to offer the most sustainable, natural solution for nonwovens in a form that will meet any company’s sterility compliance standards for incoming raw materials. The fiber sterilization process, as with all UltraClean processes, utilizes no water, chemicals, or process heat.

Source : Nonwovens Industry

By Michael Lauzon | PLASTICS NEWS CORRESPONDENT

TORONTO (Feb. 17, 3 p.m. ET) — Canada’s plastics and rubber sector will continue showing suppressed production over the next few years, according to a forecast by the Conference Board of Canada.

“Right now we have a slow recovery,” said Michael Burt, associate director of the think tank’s industrial economic trends program.

Weakness in the U.S. economy plays a role in Canada’s performance, he explained in a telephone interview from the board’s office in Ottawa, Ontario.

“The United States lost more than 8 million jobs in the recession and so far has got back only [1 million to 1.5 million],” Burt estimated. “It will take two to three years before U.S. employment will be back up to pre-recession levels.” (more…)

Zimmer-Austria, in collaboration with UK textile printer Turnbull Prints, has developed a digital production printer for heavy weight furnishing and decorative fabric applications, the first machine aimed specifically at the furnishing fabrics market.

The Colaris-XT digital printer is based on the Colaris high speed inkjet technology first introduced at FESPA in 2010. The printing line has been developed to offer increased ink application on demand, as well as extending the colour fastness of furnishing fabrics by enhancing the penetration of digital inks.

Zimmer says several of the original Colaris machines, equipped with the Seiko Infotech (SII) SPT-508 print head, have been installed in Europe, mainly to print fashion and apparel fabrics, but with some also being used for home furnishings. (more…)

By Becky Paskin, 16-Feb-2011

Cleaning specialist Chicopee has launched a new biodegradable wipe specifically for the environment-conscious food service sector – the J-Cloth 3000.

Similar to the original J-Cloth, the new non-woven wipe is the first compostable and biodegradable product of its kind, and has been approved by the FCC (Food Contact Clearance).

Its texture and design still enables effective cleaning power and makes it easy to rinse, ensuring longer durability.

The J-Cloth 3000’s hygiene-says-HPA” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow”>launch comes just months after a study showed that over half of cleaning cloths in restaurant and take-away kitchens contained “unacceptable” levels of bacteria.

The Health Protection Agency recommended that restaurants use disposable cloths that are changed regularly to maintain high hygiene levels.

Source: Big Hospitality

18 February 2011, Ludwigshafen – BASF is to present new products in the fields of fibre bonding, additives and super absorbents at INDEX 2011, the world’s leading nonwovens exhibition, which is being held from April 12-15 April in Geneva. BASF will be targeting customers from the hygiene and nonwovens industry and all companies that require environmentally friendly binding agents and liquid-absorbing polymers for their products.

Dispersions for fibre bonding

“Binding agents for fibrous materials in the form of dispersions and reactive resins have become part of our daily life,” says BASF. “They hold together a large number of products that simplify our everyday life in many ways. When used in nonwovens, they make roofing membranes tear-proof and ensure that PVC floors keep their shape. Thanks to such dispersions, waterproof cellulose substrates can be turned into highly efficient decorative paper, filters or nonwoven wallpaper. Natural fibres are used to produce light-weight construction material or floor coverings,” the company says. (more…)