In keeping with the urban legend, perhaps myth, that now-giant companies like Apple and Microsoft were started in garages, sometimes by college dropouts, the Society of the Plastics Industry Inc. (SPI) has developed, in partnership with new-venture tracking firm Startup.Directory, a program called the NPE Startup Garage, as a way to aid companies in the early stages of product development. With prominently located exhibit stations at NPE, Startup Garage will feature a dozen or so companies, all chosen by SPI.
Most of the companies that applied to be part of the NPE program focused heavily on materials, but none of their developments will come to fruition unless their materials can be processed by some combination of equipment or machinery into applications and useful products.
Plastics Machinery Magazine decided to take a look at some of the Startup Garage participants from that perspective.
Agua Pristina SA (Booth S30198), Costa Rica, is reportedly working with Seattle University's engineering department to develop machinery to efficiently reconfigure plastic bottles into architecturally acceptable, durable, inexpensive roofing tiles. Agua has developed and patented what it describes as a zero-waste beverage container and packaging system.
The company's project, Aqua4Change, is based on a waste-cycle recycling concept in which its recycled-content PET bottle is converted to a roofing tile. The tile also uses, as filler scrap, paper drawn from the waste stream. The bottle's recycled polyester shipping sleeve is also converted, into a shopping tote.
Formlabs Inc. (Booth S37043), Somerville, Mass., designs and manufactures 3-D printing equipment and materials for engineers, designers, and artists. Its flagship product, the Form 1+ 3D printer, uses stereolithography to create high-resolution physical objects from digital designs. With output suitable for final appearance and function prototyping, industrial plastics manufacturers and designers reportedly stand to benefit from low cost and rapidly repeatable function.
In addition to the Form 1+ 3D printer, Formlabs also develops materials and software for 3-D printing. New resins from Formlabs include its Castable and Flexible liquid, photoreactive resins, which allow for the printing of soft, impact-resistant models, as well as investment casting of metal parts.
iQLP (Room W203A), Woburn, Mass., will showcase film and laminate extrusion techniques at the show. The company focuses on developing polymer materials and manufacturing processes. One example is extruding LCP (liquid crystal polymer) films for radio frequency substrate applications. The company has created polymers for automotive metal-replacement applications as well as plastic semiconductor packaging. Polymers for structural applications will also be showcased. iQLP founder Mike Zimmerman will be on hand to address both polymer properties and processing.
Productfast Automation (Room W203A), Ramer, Tenn., has developed a manufacturing monitoring system using wireless audio and visual effects. The software can be adapted to any plastics processing operation. With the use of virtual network computing connections, it can be used from inside or outside of the factory to monitor production, and can be set up to email customized reports.
The system includes a 50-inch monitor, computer, speaker and keypad. When in place, it can monitor production downtime, uptime, not-in-use intervals and preventive maintenance; track known service types; and record times into a database for generating reports. It features a built-in message center.
Smart E2 Solutions (Room W203A), Rumson, N.J., presents synthesis gas, or "syngas" generating technology for converting non-recyclable plastic wastes into fuels for transportation, home heating, and unwashed, unsorted waste plastic.
GRAPHENE CONFRONTS
PROCESSING CHALLENGES
Garmor Inc., Orlando, Fla.; Graphenics, Mobile, Ala.; and Zzyzx Polymers, Allentown, Pa., (all in Room W203A) are developing applications for graphene, which is an electrically conductive carbon material similar to graphite, but characterized by extreme thinness and strength.
Graphenes are also described as two-dimensional (in other words, one atom thick) carbon-atom nanostructures that can be used for formulating plastics composites with dramatically enhanced properties. Potential processing techniques include 3-D printing, extrusion, and injection molding.
Garmor is focused on providing graphene priced for high-volume applications. It also has developed methods for incorporating graphene into plastics and collaborates with processors in this endeavor.
Graphenics supplies engineering services and materials based on a patented process to produce graphene and incorporate it into plastic with minimal disruption of plastics processes and minimal darkening of the composite.
Zzyzx Polymers features a "mechanochemical" process for compatibilizing, encapsulating and fully dispersing materials into plastics for improved properties, with a pilot plant in Pennsylvania. At Startup Garage, Zzyzx is highlighting its graphene conductive PP, high-impact PE and PC-like PP.
INJECTION MOLDABLE MATERIALS
Materials that can be processed by injection molding, and in some cases other processes, are being presented by Biobent Polymers, Columbus, Ohio; cycleWood Solutions Inc., Dallas; and TiFiber Inc., Fayetteville, Ark., (all in Room W2023A).
Biobent's bio-composite polymers have up to 40 percent renewable content from soy or other renewable agricultural products. The development is associated with the laboratories of nonprofit Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus.
CycleWood produces compostable and "sustainable" resins from lignin in tree byproducts generated during papermaking. LDPE-like film grades are 100 percent compostable. Injection molding grades are available in either compostable or sustainable (blended with polyolefins) versions.
TiFiber produces antimicrobial polymers that exhibit broad-spectrum activity against bacterial species, including drug-resistant strains such as MRSA. Among potential applications are medical devices and disposables, synthetic textiles, and consumer goods.
Merle R. Snyder, senior correspondent
Contact:
Biobent Polymers,
cycleWood Solutions Inc.,
Formlabs Inc.,
Garmor Inc.,
Graphenics,
iQLP,
Productfast Automation,
Society of the Plastics Industry Inc.,
Smart E2 Solutions,
TiFiber Inc.,
Zzyzx Polymers,
