Rotational Molding

At the midway point in the three-year project's life, the company leading the research says good strides are being made in advancing rotational molding. Processors interested in the Rotoflex project can also track it online.

LyondellBasell (Rotterdam, Netherlands) has launched two new pre-colored rotational molding resins that provide good cold-temperature impact performance and environmental stress-cracking resistance. The Lupolen 3621 M RM Black and Lupolen 4021 K RM Black high-density polyethylene (HDPE) compounds are suited for industrial fuel tanks, technical parts, and underground waste and sewage systems. The company noted that next to natural, black is the most commonly used color in rotomolding applications.

One of the largest rotational molders in the U.S., Rotonics (Commerce City, CO), early this week announced the sale of its tank processing division to even-larger Norwesco Inc. (St. Bonifacius, MN) and Snyder Industries Inc. (Lincoln, NE). Norwesco and Snyder Industries are rotomolders; both are owned by private-equity company Olympus Partners.

New from masterbatch and compound supplier Chroma Corp. (McHenry, IL) is Glow Putty, a material which enables rotational molders to apply glow-in-the-dark features to specific areas of the mold, giving parts a molded-in 29-hour glow.

Demand for watercraft manufacturer NuCanoe’s new canoes outpaced supply, causing some dealers to wait weeks for orders to be filled. Rotomolder MOD offered the requisite paddle, and with its help, NuCanoe cut lead times by 93%.

The delivery holdups caused NuCanoe’s director of business development, Blake Young, to search for a new contract manufacturer to handle processing and logistics, and his search took him to Meese Orbitron Dunne Co. (MOD; Ashtabula, OH). MOD operates 23 rotomolding machines at four plants in the U.S.
 

Custom rotational molder Centro Inc. (North Liberty, IA) has added two of its peers to the small group of processors as yet licensed to use Centro's RotoLoPerm multilayer fuel tank processing technology, which was developed in 2004. Both the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) credit this technology with passing their low-evaporative-emissions regulations. In March 2009 Centro received its Certificate of Conformity from EPA for RotoLoPerm; it's had CARB certification since late 2006.

As an increasingly rare breed operating a full-fledged processing operation in Singapore, Peter’s Polyethylene prioritizes material and product originality to differentiate itself from larger competitors.

Processors using rotational molding equipment have a good chance next month to hone their craft, as the Rotational Molding Div. (RMD) of SPE (Society of Plastics Engineers) has opened registration for its 2010 TopCon meeting. The title of this year's TopCon is "Cost Effective Technology for Today."

Bulk plastic container manufacturer Macro Plastics (Fairfield, CA) has purchased a 162,000-ft² facility in Shelbyville, KY to expand its manufacturing capabilities. The facility will supply the agricultural, food, retail, and industrial markets in the central and East Coast regions of the U.S. Macro received cooperation from the county, its industrial development foundation, city officials, and the state of Kentucky. It plans to retain some of the workforce from the previous facility owners.

Lack of maintenance on processing equipment can cost a company a lot in energy, 
processing inefficiencies, and downtime. The flip side, proactive maintenance, is almost 
purely positive and can pay big dividends in the long run.