Novosystems
Liquid dosing system of the Over top-Cubitainer picked-up on a plastic processing machine.
Liquid colours are on the rise. As an alternative to colour masterbatches, the markets in Europe for liquid colours and low-melting microbatches show a positive development. Reason enough for Novosystems to ramp up capacity and to launch the new “Over top” colour extraction system for liquid colours at Fakuma 2015.
The “Over top“ colour extraction system - which makes its world premiere at Fakuma - positions Novosystems as a comprehensive feed, storage and logistics solution. This closes the gap between metal container solutions and classic buckets with a lance feed system. Today plastic manufacturers are looking very closely at changes to improve added value potential. Many customers are asking for a practical solution with a Cubitainer and improved colour feed. “Over top” is an interesting new option both for colour feed but also for storage and logistics. For manufacturers new to liquid colours, “Over top“ is also very practical, according to Rainer Hoop,
Managing Director of Novosystems.
Functional and environment advantages
As the name Cubitainer suggests, it comes in the shape of a cube. The container can quickly and easily be placed on an extruder, a PUR machine or an injection-moulding machine. This means that a classic lance solution with a bucket or metal container is no longer necessary. This is both effective and resource-saving: gravity fed, a Cubitainer with a PE bladder in a cardboard box placed on the machine, can be emptied to 99 per cent. The container, valve cap, PE bladder and cardboard can be disposed of as normal rubbish. From a logistics perspective, the Cubitainer is a convincing alternative to metal containers or buckets: its square shape makes it extremely practical and easily stackable on pallets. This facilitates the handling, storage and transportation of liquid colours.
Positive points also when it comes to finer details
The Cubitainer enables the use of shorter lengths of the expensive special tubing in the total feed system. This long-life special tubing is only needed in the working area of the peristaltic dosing pump. The tubing is connected by means of adapters. Novosystems offers Cubitainers for liquid colour amounts ranging from 5 to 22 kg. A Cubitainer set comprises a cardboard box with a PE bladder, extraction valve, adapter and standard basic tube.
“The Cubitainer is a simple, economical and environment friendly solution for manufacturers who want to take advantage of liquid colours but do not want to make any compromises in handling,“ said Hoop.
Novosystems
Cubitainer: square shape is extremely practical and easily stackable on pallets.
Achieving increases in capacity
The positive market development for microgranulates for thermoplastic applications has resulted in Novosystems increasing manufacturing capacity since autumn 2014. Existing capacity has been increased by 100 per cent. The additional capacity is due to a modernisation of production plant and a new batch production procedure. Whereas in the past, minimum batch order size was 1000 kg per annum, now batches starting at 350 kg per annum can be produced. This makes it much easier for manufacturers to try out microgranulates. Existing masterbatch infrastructure found in most factories can be quickly adapted to the new colouration technology with microgranulates.
The best of both worlds: Novopearls microgranulate
The reason why Novopearls microgranulates for thermoplastic applications, first launched in 2011, have been so successful comes down to their convincing performance in the manufacturing process with opportunities for individual colouration. Novopearls bridge the gap between liquid colours and conventional granulate batch. Novopearls - a solid material
possessing the characteristics of liquid colours, yet enables additional higher dosing rates and offers advantages compared to conventional colour batches in terms of savings. The microgranulate is spherical in shape with an average cross-section of 450µm and comprises a fatty acid composition, which can be excellently homogenised with numerous thermoplastics. The small cross-section of the granulate ensures very accurate dosing characteristics. Novopearls combine the positive characteristics of liquid colours with higher dosing possibilities (liquid colours up to max. approx. three per cent dosing amounts) while at the same time only small amounts of the material are required to be added in the production process. Novopearls are highly pigmented, can be mixed together and have excellent flow characteristics. A special feature is the melting point of the microgranulate at just 85°C. The microgranulate therefore melts faster in the screw chamber than the plastic to be coloured. This allows for rapid and streak-free homogenisation of the colour and the plastic, which until now has only been possible with the deployment of liquid colours. Novopearls are an economic solution for low-cost colouration. Due to the optimally dispersed pigments in the wax-based granulate, only very small quantities in volume terms of 0.1 to 0.9 per cent are needed for colouration. Cost savings compared to conventional colour batches can be as high as 20 to 30 per cent.
Market tendencies in colouration
Hoop predicts further market potential in the future.
"While in the USA liquid colours play a bigger role with a market share of some 40 per cent," he said, "the market share in Europe is still comparably low. What was an exotic solution in Europe some 10 or 15 years ago is met with a lot more interest today, because word has got around that liquid colours or microgranulates offer some clear benefits compared to classic masterbatch solutions.”
The reasons for this significant trend can be seen in a number of aspects. On the one hand, liquid colours or microgranulates make high levels of opacity possible with smaller dosage
amounts than with masterbatch. This also leads to cost savings. Additionally, they make sense from a logistics perspective, since liquid colours and microgranulate can often be deployed for several types of plastics. Other important aspects apart from pricing, economical dosage rates and opacity include a higher degree of flexibility on the production line and the possibility to create one’s own colours. In just a short time, the manufacturer can meet demands for new colours and use the additive colour mixing process from Novosystems to achieve highly accurate RAL or Pantone colour shades.
Novosystems also believes the positive market developments have a competitive advantage: some manufacturers have recognised cost savings but also the potential of being more flexible in manufacturing terms while at the same time enjoying more independence from procuring ready-made compounds. They can now take over colouration themselves for PUR manufacture, extrusion or injection moulding, leading to greater flexibility and enhanced cost structuring.
