A publication of the European Plastics Distributors Association
Issue 6 | October 2005 | www.epda.com
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| UPCOMING EVENTS The UK Division meeting will take place in Birmingham, England, UK, at the Hotel du Vin and Bistro 10 November. All UK members are invited to attend. The day’s schedule is as follows:
The hotel is located at: Church Street, Birmingham B3 2NR England. Telephone: 0121 200 0600. Fax: 0121 236 0889. For more information about the hotel, you may visit the hotel’s web site at www.hotelduvin.com/birmingham/birmingham_welcome.asp. After the UK Division meeting, the Board of Directors will also meet at the Hotel du Vin and Bistro 11 November from 09.30 to 20.00, with dinner to follow. They will discuss association issues as well as plan programming for the upcoming EPDA Annual Conference to take place 12 to 15 May 2006 at the Marriott Forest of Arden in The Midlands, England, UK. NEW MEMBERS Please welcome the following companies to EPDA: AGRU Kunstsofftechnik GmbH — Bad Hall, Austria • www.agru.at
• Contact: Mag. Alois Gruber |
| EPDA members are invited to submit news on their company and products for publication in EPDA’s E-Update newsletter. Submissions should be about 100 words and may include photographs. News may be submitted in any language, to be translated by EPDA staff. Please e-mail news (in a Microsoft Word document or as text in an e-mail) to epda@epda.com. Please note that submissions may be edited for length and clarity. PERSPEX DISTRIBUTION LAUNCHES BRAND NEW WEB SITE Perspex Distribution Ltd., the wholly owned subsidiary of Lucite International and the UK’s largest distributor of Perspex® from Lucite® acrylic sheet, have developed a brand new web site – www.perspexdistribution.com. The new web site includes up-to-the-minute information on the full range of Perspex cast and extruded sheet stocked at the three Perspex Distribution sales and service centres around the UK, as well as information on the other plastics products and accessories carried by the company. “The new web site has all the information that a sign maker or fabricator might need to help them make a decision on which of our extensive range of products is exactly right for them,” said Mike Hall, national sales manager at Perspex Distribution. “In addition it also contains full contact details for each of our regional sales and service centres as well as a useful e-mail form so that customers can e-mail their requirements directly to us.” For more information, please visit www.perspexdistribution.com. |
| Articles reporting on plastic
products are prepared from information furnished by GEVACRIL FLUOR-ACRYL® — THE EYE CATCHER FLUOR-ACRYL products are available as tubes, rods, bars and domes. For more information, please visit www.gevacril.com. A NEW GLUELESS PIPE SYSTEM FOR THE WHIRLPOOL AND SPA INDUSTRY Key features of the patented design are the quick installation, no delay from curing time, reduced test period, separation of mechanical strength and hydraulics, as well as the absence of hazardous vapours from bonding cement. The new WhirlTube® co-extrusion tubing has a mirror-smooth inner surface and outperforms conventional spiral reinforced flexpipe. For more information about the WhirlFit program please visit the web site www.ibgfittings.nl. RÖCHLING OFFERS NEW HIGH-PERFORMANCE POLYMER LINING Recent flowability tests using the Jenike Shear Tester according to ASTM D-6128-00 were conducted to verify the unique friction properties of MATROX in comparison to polished stainless steel and UHMW. The MATROX material outperformed the other proposed wall liners in all categories using one of the most cohesive grades of coal under various moisture conditions. For more information, download the Polystone Matrox brochure from www.roechling-plastics.com. PLASTICS PROTECT TREEHOUSE The treehouse is part of an ambitious plan by the duchess of Northumberland to revitalise the gardens at Alnwick Castle, which already feature a magnificent water cascade. There are almost 6,000 square feet of buildings linked by suspended walkways, high in the trees. Visitors can wander through the tree-tops as well as eat in the restaurant, shop or spend time in one of the educational rooms. Such a large timber structure has an obvious fire risk. However, this has been solved by the installation of a fire sprinkler system using CPVC plastic fire sprinkler piping. The system was supplied by International Plastic Systems, who has previously supplied systems that have been successfully installed at many important buildings — including several of great historic value. CPVC plastic pipes are strong, lightweight and very easy to install using a cold solvent welded joint. It proved to be an ideal material for installation in this complex timber construction. The CPVC plastic fire sprinkler system is featured at www.ips-blazemaster.com. For information on visiting Alnwick Garden and its treehouse, go to www.alnwickgarden.com. |
| This new section will feature items reprinted from The IAPD Magazine. To see all articles printed in the magazine, go to www.theiapdmagazine.com. SIGN MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES — ARE THEY FOR YOU?By Bruce Haines, CPMR — The Plastics Group, Inc. The slowing economy has a lot of general line plastics distributors looking at new or underserved markets as a way to increase sales and profit dollars. New refers to markets in which the general line plastics distributor has no marketing plan, sales focus or dedicated inventory. Underserved refers to markets where distribution may have some sales, maybe even a marketing plan, but the primary efforts have been focused elsewhere and the plan not fully executed. Thus the question: Sign materials and supplies — are they for you? The sign market is huge, complicated, diverse, and requires inventory and service unlike most industries served by general line distribution. Most sign distributors stock ballast, paper products, electrodes, glass, inks, lamps, paints, solvents, transformers, wood (MDO), metal blanks, plotters, digital media equipment, sign software, and oh, yes, plastics. Most sign distributors not only stock these items, but in many cases, deliver these items twice daily. The names of the sign franchises dictate the service level. FAST SIGNS, SIGNS NOW, etc. The customer base can vary from large electric sign companies that fabricate, thermoform, service and install overhead electric signs to small two person storefronts that provide instant computer generated signs for various needs. Unless you are in the middle of the ocean or even a cornfield, it is almost impossible to look around and not see a sign. Go ahead, look around, how many signs do you see? If you are prepared to satisfy its needs, then the sign market may be for you. There is more to this article. To view it in its entirety, please go to www.theiapdmagazine.com/pdf/magazine-archives/252.pdf. |
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| NEWS from the Industry |
| RHODIA POLYAMIDE ANNOUNCES PRICE INCREASES TO ADDRESS UNPRECEDENTED RISE OF ENERGY COSTS Rhodia Polyamide announced a 6 to 9 percent price increase for its STABAMID® polyamide resins and TECHNYL® Polyamide compounds — effective globally — to face the continuous rise in raw materials and energy and transport costs. This present increase will take effect 1 October 2005. Similar price increases will be announced separately for other Rhodia Polyamide products, including fibres. “Rhodia Polyamide is among the industry’s pioneers who proactively strive to reduce energy consumption while constantly integrating highest industry standards in its approach to sustainable development,” explains Alberto Pedrosa, president of Rhodia Polyamide. This present decision falls in line with the pricing policy led by the group for over a year, across all its activities, in order to compensate for the recurring rise in raw materials and energy and transport costs. For further information, visit Rhodia’s web site at www.rhodia.com. |
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For a list of all events, please visit www.epda.com/industry.cfm THE ART OF PLASTICS DESIGN CROSSLINKING POLYOLEFINS FAKUMA EUROFINISH For more information, visit www.eurofinish.be. MULTILAYER FILMS CONFERENCE The conference will be of interest to all those involved in multilayer film, from material suppliers to equipment manufacturers, processors and end-users. Visit www.rapra.net/conferences/multilayerfilms05/index.asp for more information. EQUIPLAST For more information, visit www.equiplast.com. EUROPLAST 2005 This will be clear in the packaging field, which will feature an expanded array of exhibitors offering film extrusion machinery, high speed injection presses, sheet and web printing presses (gravure or flexo), as well as thermoforming and heat sealing machines, plus machinery and equipment for recycling. For more information, visit www.europlast-paris.com. MUOVI PLASTICS 2005 Detailed information is available at www.lahdenmessut.fi/eng/fairs/upcomingevents/plastics2005.html. INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON PLASTICULTURE
AND EPDA ANNUAL CONFERENCE |
Colour
is an indispensable element of our life to stimulate everyone’s
well-being. The strong impact of fluorescent colours catches the
attention of people at all times. The new FLUOR-ACRYL® catches
the eye in applications, such as signs, P-O-P displays, shop fittings,
design, lighting, furniture, etc. The manifold colour hues give
support to any specific individual creation of lighting effects!
You can give free rein to your creativity while still depending
on the GEVACRIL’s excellent quality in high luminance and
high light diffusion. Colours have the power to change!
IBG’s
WhirlFit® offers 100 percent reliable sealing and eliminates
the need to use solvent cement in junctions between flexible PVC
pipe and rigid PVC fittings. 
Röchling
Engineering Plastics announces the addition of Polystone® MATROX™
to its standard lining materials for bulk material handling. MATROX
is the world’s premier lining product that exhibits an extremely
low surface friction to promote the flow of materials in bins and
hoppers. MATROX meets the industry’s needs for a material
that will outperform stainless steel when handling cohesive bulk
materials, while still providing a very acceptable life due to the
product’s excellent abrasion resistant properties.
Alnwick
Castle is already well known to film fans, after being featured
in the first two Harry Potter movies. The castle is the second largest
inhabited castle in England. It is lived in by the duke and duchess
of Northumberland, having been held in their family since 1309.
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Copyright 2005 |
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