The Largest Sorting Plant In Latin America, Supplied By Stadler, Begins Operation In Mexico City

The Azcapotzalco Transfer Station and Sorting Plant, the largest and most modern in Latin America, has opened its doors in Mexico City (CDMX). With this facility, the city government is the first in the country to move towards a correct treatment of urban waste based on a circular economy concept – one of the priority objectives of the current administration.

Stadler supplied the cutting-edge technology to achieve this milestone. Natalya Duarte, Sales Director for Mexico at Stadler, says: “We would like to thank Mexico City for allowing us to give our contribution and take part in the great challenge of reducing waste in Mexico City, one of the most populated megacities in the world, where more than 12,000 tons of waste are generated every day.” The city government thus lays the groundwork for fulfilling its environmental responsibility, recognising the importance of complying with international agreements and the need to apply circular economy principles.

The facility is run by Pro Ambiente, a subsidiary of Cemex, which has more than 25 years of experience in waste management and in operating plants for the selection and recovery of waste-derived fuels. “We are proud to participate in this new project, which is in line with our sustainability and emission reduction objectives. We are prepared to operate this plant under a model that guarantees, first and foremost, the safety of all our employees, operational continuity through maintenance and production programs with international standards, and sorting quality to ensure a greater use of the waste generated in Mexico City,” says José Guillermo Díaz, Cemex’s manager of technology and alternative fuels.

“Stadler’s innovative sorting technology makes sense both in terms of the efficiency achieved in the recovery process and the high degree of purity of the materials obtained. It professionalizes and industrializes this waste management process, providing working conditions for manual sorters that are comparable to those of any first-world plant. It is worth noting that automation does not displace human resources. It is possible to achieve a perfect balance between the two, which is key for the Mexican market. We clearly showed that it is so in this project in Mexico City, where the balance between technology and human resources improves the numbers from a public administration point of view and optimizes the operational cost of this type of recycling plant,” says Natalya Duarte.

Proud to have been selected to participate in this exciting step towards a sustainable future, Natalya Duarte says that this plant is special for several reasons: “The innovative sorting technology allows us to move from a more manual sorting process to an automatic process that ensures higher recovery efficiency and material purity. This results in recyclable materials of higher value. The recycling process is also professionalized and industrialized, striking the right balance between technology and manual quality control. In addition, the plant operates under criteria of efficiency and sustainability that are completely new in this country, and it sees technological innovation as a fundamental tool in the care of the environment.

For more details: www. stadler.de/

Sabic To Showcase At Cmpe 2021 Its Broad And Growing Portfolio Of Specialized Materials For 5g Applications

Sabic, will exhibit at CMPE 2021 in booth #8B61 its extensive portfolio of high-performance materials for 5G applications, including specialized LNP compounds and copolymers, ULTEM and NORYL resins, and oligomers. These advanced technologies can help customers solve 5G infrastructure, e-mobility and device challenges by helping to improve long-term reliability and radio frequency (RF) performance, reduce weight and create innovative new designs. Sabic will also highlight innovative material solutions that improve sustainability through the incorporation of bio-based, and mechanically recycled and chemically upcycled content. In addition, the company will feature the latest generation of its VISUALFX resins for enhancing the aesthetics and sustainability of 5G-enabled devices.

“Global success with 5G depends on meeting consumer demand for next-generation networking, from speed and reliability to sustainability,” said Martin Tam, Director, Fulfillment & Marketing, APAC, Specialties, Sabic. “To meet these expectations, operators and device makers are implementing new technologies and expanding coverage and capacity. Sabic’s world-renowned portfolio of materials enables us to evolve with the industry and collaborate on new applications that can deliver an exceptional experience, whether it involves a mobile phone, an IoT device or ADAS sensors.”

Sabic’s LNP compounds and copolymers can help engineers vastly improve the design and performance of active antenna units (AAUs) and identify potential system cost savings. These materials can deliver excellent weatherability, light weight, very low dielectric constant/dissipation factor (Dk/Df) and moisture absorption, and compatibility with surface mount technology (SMT).

NORYL resins offer significant benefits for 5G components exposed to high frequencies, temperatures and humidity, including GPS antennas, microwave antenna reflectors, cooling fans and mmWave radar covers. These resins, based on polyphenylene ether (PPE), offer a very low specific gravity, non-brominated/non-chlorinated flame retardance, excellent hydrolytic and dimensional stability, and exceptional dielectric performance.

ULTEM resins for demanding applications offer a unique combination of high heat resistance, dimension stability, infrared (IR) transparency, stable Dk and low Df over a wide temperature range, and metallization capability. Potentially suitable 5G applications for ULTEM resins include fiber optical connectors and lenses, board-to-board and various RF connectors, and RF filter components. ULTEM resins can help customers achieve long-term product reliability, weight reduction and system cost effectiveness benefits.

NORYL oligomers help formulators achieve high speed, low loss products that enable multi-layer printed circuit board designs with ultra-low insertion loss.

Sabic’s new VISUALFX resins, launched last week, deliver stylish colors and effects that are inherent in the material, avoiding the environmental impact, time and costs of secondary painting. Grouped into six themes, the VISUALFX materials capture the desired look and feel of today’s hottest design trends, from retro to futuristic, and from edgy to gentle. These resins are ideal for differentiating mobile and IoT device housings. To increase sustainability, the collection includes a new polycarbonate (PC)/siloxane copolymer with 80 percent post-consumer recycled (PCR) content. Sabic offers extensive services through the company’s global COLORXPRESS centers, including precision color matching and expert guidance on custom colors.

In addition to the PC/siloxane copolymer with PCR content, Sabic will exhibit other sustainable materials that can contribute to net-zero carbon goals. One notable example is LNP ELCRIN iQ compounded resins, which contain up to 60 percent recycled content (by weight). The supply chain for LNP ELCRIN iQ resins has been audited for responsible sourcing including social, environmental, health and safety requirements.

“Being a leader in the 5G space means keeping pace with the global implementation of this technology – which varies widely across geographies,” said Jenny Wang, Director, Formulation and Application, APAC, Specialties, Sabic. “We strive to anticipate our customers’ needs by matching product development to the latest industry, regulatory and consumer requirements. Sabic understands the implications of megatrends like urbanization and circularity for our customers’ products, and we are rapidly developing targeted materials to address them. Our proactive approach, combined with broad and deep resources, can help the 5G ecosystem meet multiple challenges and achieve its full potential.”

For more details: www.sabic.com

Plastics Machinery Shipments Slowed in the Second Quarter

The Plastics Industry Association (Plastics) announced today shipments of primary plastics machinery (injection molding and extrusion) in North America decreased for the second consecutive quarter according to the statistics compiled and reported by Plastics’ Committee on Equipment Statistics (CES).

The preliminary estimate of shipment value from reporting companies totaled $320.9 million in Second Quarter 2021. It decreased by 4.2% following the 11.1% decrease in First Quarter 2021. Compared to Second Quarter 2020, however, plastics machinery shipments rose by 21.2%. The value of shipments of single-screw extruders increased significantly by 33.1% from the First Quarter 2021, but twin-screw extruders and injection molding shipments fell by 24.9% and 4.9%, respectively. Compared to Second Quarter 2020, shipments of injection molding, single- and twin-screw extruders were 19.5%, 37.8%, and 32.3% higher, respectively.

“While new orders of plastics equipment have been increasing, ongoing supply chain issues–-shortage of parts and components––are causing longer order-to-delivery timelines. This explains the decrease in shipments in the second quarter. For the third consecutive quarter, plastics equipment shipments were higher from a year earlier. This means that the underlying trend in plastics equipment demand remains upward sloping – still in sync with the robust economic recovery,” said Perc Pineda, PhD, Chief Economist of Plastics.

Plastic’s CES also conducts a quarterly survey of plastics machinery suppliers that asks about present market conditions and expectations for the future. In the Second Quarter 2021 survey, 92.7% of respondents expect market conditions to either improve or hold steady in the coming quarter – marginally lower than the 93.5% of respondents who expressed the same view in First Quarter 2021’s survey. As for the next 12 months, 78.7% expect market conditions to be steady-to-better. This is lower than the 93.0% of respondents in the previous quarter’s survey who were expecting growth in the next 12 months.

The volume of merchandise trade is expected to increase this year as global economic conditions improve. The World Trade Organization expects to see an 8.4% increase in global merchandise trade this year.

“Until the supply chain issues are resolved, and production lead times return to normal, expect to see fluctuations in quarterly shipments of plastics machinery. Nevertheless, the outlook for plastics machinery in the second half of the year is positive,” said Pineda.

For more details: www.plasticsindustry.org