MATERIALS | SHEET
Right: PTI’s uCams Plus can rotate die halves easily through 180°
used to line the
3.2m-diameter chimney in one piece.
Octal takeover Alpek of Mexico has acquired Octal – an Oman-based manufacturer of PET sheet and raw material – for US$620 million. Octal says that its proprietary
direct-to-sheet (DPET) technology eliminates several energy-intensive steps in converting PET into sheet. It has customers across the Americas, Middle East, and Europe. In Oman, Octal has a 576,000 tonnes/year PET
production plant and a 400,000 tonnes/year PET sheet plant. In addition, it has an 11,000 tonnes/ year PET thermoform packaging plant in Saudi Arabia and a 33,000 PET recycling plant in the USA. Alpek says the takeover strengthens its core business – helping it move directly into PET sheet, using a process that could be expanded across the business. “This transaction is an ideal fit for us,” said José
de Jesús Valdez, CEO of Alpek. “Through a single acquisition, we’re able to access the profitable and growing PET sheet segment and acquire differentiated technology that provides a sustainable competitive advantage.” Alpek estimates growth rates for PET sheet to be 6.4% per year until 2025. It expects the acquisition to boost profitability for the rest of the year – adding around US$120 million in EBITDA “based on better-than-expected polyester market conditions”.
Maintenance upgrade Processing Technologies International (PTI) has upgraded its sheet extrusion maintenance programme for flat-die servicing. Its uCams (Universal Cleaning Assembly and Maintenance System) has now been extended to
include chrome rolls and feed screws – and is now called uCams Plus.
Ongoing advantages include mobility, ease of use by a single operator and safe accessibility. Previous features have evolved – including a hand wheel mechanism for splitting flat dies and trunnion supports coupled
with rollers that permit rotating die halves to be turned easily through 180°. Available in three models, uCams accommodates servicing flat dies in 710-2,500mm widths. The new feature is sold as an add-on to the base system and transforms uCams into a servicing station for chrome rolls and feed screws.
Extrusion die Comelt launched a high-precision and flexible sheet die at K2022. The sheet die – with coat hanger manifold, flex
lip, flex restrictor bar, sliding lower lip, lip heating and adjustable, external deckling – has a sheet production width of 1850mm. “With it, our customers can produce plastic
sheets at a high technical level,” said Johannes Müller, director of sales and technology at Comelt. It meets extreme requirements with regard to surface and appearance, he said – with the sheets being used in automotive interiors, furniture, suitcases and for exhibition booth construction. Comelt offers the entire process – including design (via 3D renderings), simulation and manufacturing. Dies are individually designed according to the customer requirements. The slot dies cover a range of applications and are available from 150mm up to 3,000mm. They are made of standard or stainless steel. The range includes mono, co-ex and multi-manifold slot dies as well as feedblocks, sheet dies and spinnerets.
Left: Comelt has launched
a high-precision, flexible sheet die with a width of 1850mm
18 FILM & SHEET EXTRUSION | November 2022
CLICK ON THE LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION: �
www.simona.de �
www.sabic.com �
www.exolongroup.com �
www.roehm.com �
www.trinseo.com �
www.agru.at �
www.alpek.com �
www.octal.com �
www.ptiextruders.com �
www.comelt.at
www.filmandsheet.com
IMAGE: PTI
IMAGE: COMELT
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