Toyo Ink Group Issues Its First Integrated Report

Toyo Ink SC Holdings Co., Ltd., the Tokyo-based parent company of the specialty chemicals manufacturing conglomerate Toyo Ink Group, has released the “Toyo Ink Group Integrated Report 2021,” the first report of its kind for the company. Up to now, the Group had disclosed its financial information through securities reports, financial statements, fact books and financial results briefings, while issuing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reports for highlighting its environmental and CSR-related initiatives. To help all stakeholders gain a deeper understanding of the Group, the company has now combined details on its management plans and business strategy, CSR and value creation initiatives, and other factors in an integrated report. The CSR Report and Fact Book will continue to be issued, although in a slightly altered format.

This transition reflects Toyo Ink Group’s commitment to promoting corporate reporting that more clearly shows the correlations between the financial and non-financial aspects of the Group’s operations. To help achieve this end, the content of the Report is based on the framework developed by the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC), the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines, and the Guidance for Collaborative Value Creation of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

 Kazuhito Nakano, Managing Director overseeing CSR initiatives of Toyo Ink SC Holdings remarked: “The shift to integrated reporting was a natural step in this, the first year of our new mid-term management plan called the Scientific Innovation Chain II. We hope the Report helps to provide a clearer picture on how the Group’s management strategy and business activities generate social value, while sustainably driving our corporate value. Through the publication of such reports and proactive corporate disclosure, the Toyo Ink Group is committed to improving communication with all our stakeholders.”

For more details: www.schd.toyoinkgroup.com/en/

Teknor Apex Monprene Serves the Pet Toy Market with TPE Series Offering a Broad Range of Performance and Aesthetic Characteristics

Teknor Apex Company, a privately held firm founded in 1924, is one of the world’s leading custom compounders of plastics. Teknor Apex produces flexible and rigid vinyl, thermoplastic elastomers, nylons, color masterbatches, specialty chemicals, and hoses. The company is headquartered in Pawtucket, RI, U.S.A. and operates thirteen manufacturing facilities worldwide in the United States, Belgium, Germany, China, and Singapore.

The latest series is now specifically designed for use in the manufacture of pet products. Monprene CP-16500 series of thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) are durable and sustainable alternatives to thermoset rubber for dog toys, with a broad range of performance and aesthetic characteristics. This series includes clear, translucent and opaque grades with low, medium and high gloss. All grades exhibit excellent colorability and are easily moldable. This extensive portfolio includes specialty grades that offer improved durability with superior resistance to puncture and tear—ideal for the demanding applications of dog chew toys. In order to help compare the durability of different materials, Teknor Apex designed a “bite resistance” laboratory test to simulate the forceful action of a dog biting a toy. Based on the ASTM test method F1306 for flexible films, the Teknor Apex Bite Resistance test measures the puncture resistance or the force required to penetrate an injection molded specimen. A “Puncture Rating” is assigned to each material based on this force, and uses a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 having the greatest resistance.

While the general purpose grades offer an excellent balance of cost and performance, the specialty grades offer superior resistance to puncture, tear, and tear propagation. All materials in this series mold with ease, with excellent flow characteristics. In the case that a pet product manufacturer has unique requirements, Teknor Apex will work with them to customize a Monprene TPE solution.

The Monprene CP-16500 series is formulated with only FDA listed ingredients and is not formulated to contain PVC, BPA, latex, phthalates or metals, nor REACH SVHC or Prop 65 listed substances. These grades are also classified and suitable for use in Children’s Toys per the following regulatory standards: Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), European Product Safety Standard EN 71, and the ASTM International’s Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety (F963).

Monprene is also recyclable, offering a sustainable alternative to thermoset rubber dog toys. Scrap recovered from any step in the manufacturing process can be re-introduced into the process or used in the production of new parts. Additionally, used chew toys can be recovered, shredded, and recycled into new ones.

“The pet industry has been growing for years, especially recently with the rise in pet ownership during the pandemic. As a pet owner, I know what an important part of the family they are. We are excited to be integral parts of creating products that are safe, fulfill the durability promise, and help our partners succeed,” said Hilarie Rubin, Senior Market Manager for Consumer Products. “Made in the USA” Monprene CP-16500 Series are manufactured in several ISO-9001 certified facilities in the USA, but are also manufactured in Singapore and Germany to serve local markets all with strict formulation control and traceability.

For more details: www.teknorapex.com

Songwon announces global price increases for its phosphorous based polymer stabilizers

Songwon Industrial Co., Ltd. today announced global price increases for its phosphorous based polymer stabilizer products to reflect the sudden rise in raw materials costs. The price increases are effective immediately for SONGWON’s phosphites antioxidants: SONGNOX 1680, SONGNOX 6260 and SONGNOX PQ (including subsequent blends) as well as SONGSORB 7120.

The price adjustments are aimed at offsetting the higher cost of yellow phosphorous raw materials and their limited availability caused by decree 2021-792 made by provincial authorities of Yunnan, China in September, which restricted the high energy consuming production of yellow phosphorous. Phosphorous trichloride and phosphorus oxychloride (yellow phosphorous derivatives) are key raw materials in SONGWON production and the price for these materials continues to escalate. SONGWON anticipates the global availability of these raw materials to be substantially reduced and is working with high priority to minimize the effects of these exceptional circumstances. It will also be continually monitoring the cost developments and reviewing its prices accordingly.

For more details: www.songwon.com

Lanxess Launches Hollow-Profile Hybrid Technology

• First customer projects at the prototype stage
• Innovative tolerance management for profiles with varying dimensions
• No internal support required for the hollow profiles in the production process
• Manufacturing process and component properties can be simulated precisely

Lanxess is currently in the process of launching its hollow-profile hybrid technology on the market. With this new lightweight design technology, metallic hollow profiles can be functionalized on conventional injection molding machines with plastic compounds. The result is plastic-metal composite components that boast far greater torsional stiffness and strength than could previously be achieved with other technologies for functionalizing hollow profiles. “Hollow-profile hybrid technology has now progressed to such an advanced level that we have embarked on a variety of development projects with customers and have already reached the prototype stage with some of them,” says Dr. Matthias Theunissen, an expert in lightweight design at Lanxess. The potential applications in the automotive industry include cross car beams, coupling rods, stabilizers and seat elements. In addition, the new lightweight technology could be used to produce skiing and hiking poles and components for furniture and the construction industry, for example.

The hollow-profile hybrid technology is a further development of the “traditional” plastic-metal composite technology (hybrid technology) using sheet metal. The general strength of the new technology is that processors can manufacture with short cycle times, as is typical for injection molding in high-volume production. As a result, the manufacturing process is efficient and economical. There is no need for auxiliary units or tooling technology, which keeps investment costs low. The fact that reasonably priced hollow profiles with relatively large dimensional variations can be used helps to make the process cost-effective, too. As Theunissen explains, “With the aid of innovative tolerance management, we can prevent profiles of that type from damaging the mold or stop leaks occurring in the injection molding cavity.” When the thin-walled hollow profiles are overmolded with the molten plastic, high pressures often exceeding 400 to 500 bar occur in the cavity. As a result, there is a high risk of the profiles deforming or collapsing. “We have optimized the process such that the profiles withstand the pressures that occur and do not need to be supported from inside,” says Theunissen.

For the hollow-profile hybrid technology, Lanxess offers highly reinforced polyamide 6 types such as the easy-flowing Durethan BKV60H2.0EF DUS060, which has a short glass fiber content of 60 percent by weight. With their high strength and stiffness, these compounds further enhance the performance of the corresponding components. In a simulation study, Lanxess examined how using the compounds pays off in the design of an automotive cross car beam. “The component can be designed with around 30 percent less weight than an all-steel structure while offering better mechanical performance in some respects,” says Theunissen. Typical load cases and component properties were calculated, such as vibration behavior and the stiffness of the steering wheel in the direction of gravitational forces. “The component also underlines the huge potential of the technology in implementing cost-saving functional integration. For example, connections for the A-pillar as well as mountings for the steering column, dashboard, climate control units and airbags were directly injected.

Lanxess has developed new calculation models for the hollow-profile hybrid technology based on simulation tools that have proven successful for years in conjunction with the “traditional” hybrid technology. These allow precise prediction of the production process and the quality of the connection between the metal and plastic. “With these tools, we can, for example, accurately predict the maximum stresses hollow-profile hybrids will withstand and at what point they will fail. We apply this expertise in working with our customers,” explains Theunissen. A newly developed test specimen was used to validate the simulation. Extensive component testing for static and dynamic load cases underpinning the simulation results was carried out on real components.

For more details: www.lightweight.lanxess.com

Xsys And Nilpeter Collaboration Confirms No Compromise In Print Quality When Using Latest Thermal Plate Technology

Following the completion of a comprehensive new print trial, Xsys has revealed the results of detailed tests comparing flexo printing with thermal plates and those processed with solvents. Working together with press manufacturer Nilpeter, the company set out to find a more sustainable solution that would not compromise print quality.

The sample job was printed, in turn, with the solvent nyloflex  FTS plate and the thermal nyloflex XVH plate from Xsys. The thermal plate was processed with a nyloflex  Xpress Thermal Processor, which offers considerable sustainability benefits compared to standard solvent processing systems in use.

“Our main aim with this print trial is to confirm that there is no compromise in print quality when switching from Xsys solvent plates to thermal,” said Friedrich von Rechteren, Global Commercial VP at Xsys. “In fact, what we found is that besides producing excellent print quality and improving flexo’s green credentials, the versatile nyloflex XVH thermal plate – like the solvent nyloflex  FTS – also reduces complexity, inventory and waste to provide a higher Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE).”

The thermal nyloflex XVH Digital plate brings similar benefits to the table as the solvent nyloflex  FTS Digital. Both are inherent flat top dot plates with a smooth surface that has a very fine grain making them able to hold customized surface screening patterns, such as Woodpecker. They also both feature good wettability and anti-ink fill-in (AIF) technology, which keep plates clean for longer print runs to allow increased press uptime.

The thermal nyloflex  XVH, however, offers additional benefits, most notably in sustainability by not requiring solvents for processing and thereby avoiding VOC emissions in the print room and further into the atmosphere. Productivity is also significantly increased as the nyloflex Xpress Thermal Processor delivers print-ready nyloflex thermal plates in less than one hour, which translates to 88% lower energy consumption. It also eliminates the long drying times experienced with solvent systems, which often cause a bottleneck in production and delay press restart when damaged plates have to be replaced. The print trials were conducted at the Nilpeter Technology Center in Denmark, where the sample jobs were produced on a flagship FA-17 Line narrow web flexo press running at 200 m/min. The same design was printed on three different substrates: a 38-micron White BOPP, a self-adhesive white PE and a 45- micron PET shrink material with a solvent nyloflex  FTS 114 Digital plate and a thermal nyloflex  XVH 114 Digital plate, using UV flexo inks from Flint Group Narrow Web. Jesper Jørgensen, Global Sales Manager at Nilpeter, said, “When we compared the results from the two different plates, there was no difference in quality or registration – it was just spot on. With most new jobs, there are always some start-up difficulties getting the plates, the inks and the material to mix and match together, but we found it surprisingly easy. It was a walk in the park.”

Friedrich von Rechteren concluded, “We can now fully recommend the nyloflex  XVH plate as an alternative solution to current market challenges, because it delivers print quality that equals solvent plates, offers reduced Total Cost of Ownership, and is more environmentally friendly.”

For more details: www.xsysglobal.com

Xeikon Expands Its Organization In Greater China

Xeikon has appointed Sean Wu General Manager for Greater China, signalling the company’s increasing presence in the region. In his new role, Wu is tasked with managing the significant growth in interest for Xeikon’s digital solutions in China, particularly from label and packaging printers and converters working with the high demands from brand owners and designers, creating unusual, unique and high-end products to meet ever-evolving consumer demand. Wu will also manage and coordinate Xeikon’s new warehousing facility at its Technical Innovation Center in Shanghai, where the company can now provide same day consumables and parts delivery and technical support.

Wu says: “I am pleased to be a part of Xeikon’s future plans in China. The Xeikon family is a great community of innovation and forward thinking. I have long admired Xeikon’s technology, and with the huge growth we are seeing in the labels and packaging sectors in China, it is exciting for me to present Xeikon’s innovative solutions to these markets. With the new warehousing facility now open in Shanghai, we are able to quickly respond with technical help and 24hr delivery service on parts and consumables. I have been working in the IT sector for almost 30 years – for Hitachi, EMC and IBM. I also worked for many years as General Manager at InfoPrint where I was in charge of selling Continuous Print solutions. My new role is a big opportunity and I now hope to bring my IT and management skills to support Xeikon.”

Xeikon’s Innovation Center in Shanghai is designed to house the latest Xeikon equipment to support the expanding Chinese markets. The hands-on centre of digital printing excellence is welcome places of interaction were visitors and customers can test a variety of applications and options for new revenue streams and business growth. With this new state-of-the-art warehousing facility, Xeikon is now able to deliver a same-day response to its customers across the whole of Greater China.

Xeikon designed its Innovation Center in Shanghai to be a benchmark of excellence. Printing and converting companies are invited to discuss their business strategies and compare results on Xeikon equipment. Wu continues: “We are also able to provide customers with the full suite of Xeikon services, including training and support as well as our online and comprehensive advisory service Transform with its hotline for advice and guidance on digital transformation. With the new warehouse in operation, we can also efficiently handle all our customers’ enquiries with a very fast response and a 24hr delivery”.

Klaus Nielsen, Director & General Manager APAC, concludes: “We are delighted that Sean Wu has joined Xeikon as General Manager for Greater China. He brings a wealth of expertise and proven management skills. The Chinese market continues to expand, and this appointment is the next step in our G2M strategy for this region. In his newly established role, Sean will further develop and strengthen Xeikon business in Greater China.”

For more details: www.xeikon.com