NEWS
Strong Q2 growth for US machinery sales
North American shipments of plastics machinery grew by 6.0% year on year in Q2 of 2017, according to statistics compiled and reported by the Plastics Industry Association’s Committee on Equipment Statistics (CES). The growth comes after
three consecutive quarterly declines. In value terms, the change represents a rise from $316.6m in Q2 2016 to $335.6m in Q2 2017. According to the CES
data, shipments of twin- screw extruders (including both co-rotating and counter-rotating machines)
were up by 56% while single-screw extruder shipments were down by 16%. Injection moulding machinery shipments were up by 9%; blow moulding machines recorded a modest decline of 2%. The latest quarterly data also showed that the eight-year upward trend in shipments of auxiliary equipment may have levelled off, although the report author say exact comparisons are difficult in this area due to data uncertainty. Analyst Bill Wood of Mountaintop Economics &
Research, who compiled the report on behalf of the Plastics Industry Association, said that the US economy’s ability to sustain this upward trend into the 2H was uncertain.
“I believe a more likely scenario is that the data in 2H will come in flat-to-down,” he said. However, he added that underlying US economic fundamentals “should continue to grind gradually higher, and global demand is also expected to improve moderately this year.” CES also surveys member sentiment. It said 86% of respondents to its Q2 survey expected market conditions to either hold steady or get better during the next year, compared to 91% in Q1. The greatest optimism was for Mexico, followed by the wider North and Latin American markets, with medical and packaging the strongest markets. �
www.plasticsindustry.org
Interseroh improves Procyclen
Cologne, Germany-based Interseroh has developed a new formula for its recycled Procyclen polymer com- pound using Vistamaxx propylene-based additives from ExxonMobil Chemical. It is said to be the first application of Vistamaxx performance polymers in recycling. The company said the
reformulated material, which is made from post-consumer
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plastic waste, has substan- tially increased impact resistance and instills greater resilience, especially at room temperature. It said it makes the compound “particularly suitable for products in the logistics segment, which are subjected to strong, recurring loads”. The first application is in reusable crates and pallets. The new formula was developed at Interseroh’s
COMPOUNDING WORLD | October 2017
competence centre for plastics recycling at Maribor in Slovenia, which the company opened in September last year. The firm recycles plastics
via its proprietary Recycled- Resource technique, which is based on high-efficiency sorting, followed by extrusion, stabilisation and chemical modification with additives. �
www.interseroh.com
NEWS IN BRIEF...
German weighing and conveying specialist Schenck Process has been sold by IK Investment Partners, which has owned it since 2007, to Black- stone. Based in Darmstadt, Schenck has more than 2,300 employees world- wide and operations across Europe, North and South America, China, India and Australia. Blackstone said it saw “considerable opportunity to grow the business both organically and by acquisi- tions”.
www.schenckprocess.com
Addivant’s Weston 705 nonylphenol-free stabiliser has received formal approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for food-contact use in styrene block polymers at up to 2,000 ppm. The company said this opens up a range of new uses for the material.
www.weston705.com
Nagase America has acquired US-based specialty chemicals distributor Fitz Chem, which has sales of over $60 million year mainly in the coatings, adhesives, sealants, and elastomers markets, plus plastics and personal care. Nagase is a major supplier to these markets in its home base in Japan. Fitz Chem is particularly strong in the US Midwest region; Nagase is present in 22 countries, mostly in Asia.
www.nagaseamerica.com
www.compoundingworld.com
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