Working closely with luxury yacht shipbuilder Van der Valk Shipyard, Refitech designed and supplied a series of detachable carbon fibre poles to support the sun awnings of the yard’s latest model, the BeachClub 660 Flybridge. This not only adds ease of handling and aesthetics of the carbon look, but has the additional benefit of corrosion resistance, an important quality in the salty environment of a seagoing luxury yacht.

‘Our BeachClub 660 Flybridge features numerous deck sockets that are integrated in different areas of the yacht,’ explains Valentijn Roos, Project Engineer at Van der Valk Shipyard. ‘The sockets are positioned in such a way that both the front deck and the cockpit deck of the yacht can be protected from direct sunlight. They allow for the poles of the sun awning to be set up quickly and easily when the yacht is moored or anchored. And of course they can be easily disconnected and stored, when the yacht is underway. Further, as we want to maximise the living area on our yachts, room for storage is limited. Therefore the two taller awning poles were produced in a 2-piece version, enabling them to be stored in a compacter space’.

‘In close collaboration with Van der Valk’s engineering department, we produced a combination of three client-specific inserts that fit into carbon tubes,’ adds Bas Nijpels, Sales Engineer at Refitech. ‘The inserts are CNC-milled out of stainless steel and POM (Polyoxymethylene), a high performance thermoplastic that is ideal for precision parts requiring high stiffness, low friction, and dimensional stability, as well as corrosion resistance. Two male inserts mount the poles into the deck sockets, while the combination of male and female inserts give the client the option to unscrew the 2 meter lang front poles into two 1 meter sections in order to be easily stored.’

‘We came across Refitech a few years ago when we needed a carbon plate for one of our yacht designs and found those on Carbonwebshop.com, Refitech’s web shop for standard carbon components,’ continues Valentijn Roos. ‘In December 2021 we contacted them again to help us build an awning for the sundeck of our latest yacht, the BeachClub 660 Flybridge. We already had some experience with carbon components and wanted to use it for this project because of its strength and low weight. However, we were under a lot of time pressure, as the yacht was to be showcased at the 2022 Dubai Boat Show that took place in March. Luckily Refitech lived up to our expectations in every aspect. Communication was quick and easy, as we are based on the same industrial estate. And they came up with a design that fits perfectly into the luxurious design of this beautiful yacht, and in time for the boat to be shown at the Dubai show. We’ll definitely will work with them again in the future.’

The BeachClub series was launched by Van der Valk Shipyard in early 2019 and won them the prestigious World Yachts Trophies award Cannes Yachting Festival in September of that year for ‘Most Innovative Yacht’ in the 45ft to 64ft category.

There is a lack of higher quality recyclates, more consistent input streams and standards

Prof. Endres, the plastics industry is often the subject of criticism. What is needed for people to appreciate the material?
We must show that our daily lives are inconceivable without plastics and make it clear that plastics make a key contribution to a sustainable economy. Plastics are indispensable for achieving our climate targets and significantly reducing our carbon footprint. One way to achieve this goal is to use resources such as energy with increasing efficiency, and another is to establish a circular economy. Moreover, improved recycling technology represents a crucial tool towards achieving these goals. This task is huge and extremely multi-faceted, but it can be handled.

Which areas show the greatest challenges at present?
It’s a triad: we don’t have enough higher-quality recyclates yet, nor enough input streams, and there are still not enough standards in this field. All of these challenges are closely related; starting with the market: there is currently already a high demand for high-quality recyclates, but it cannot be met. Let’s take a look at the automotive industry as an example and assume that in the future there is a quota of 25 percent recyclate per vehicle. Today, the share of plastics per vehicle is around 300 kilograms. This means that 75 kilograms of recycled material would have to be used in the future. Last year, about 2.6 million vehicles were built in Germany; it was a very bad year because of the Covid pandemic. So already for this number, almost 200,000 tons of high-quality recyclate with constant colour quality and delivery guarantee would be needed for instance just to be able to meet the quotas in this one industry sector. Another example is the bottleneck of white or transparent recyclates.

How do you obtain the input streams required to generate sufficient quantities of consistent recyclate quality?
This is a huge task. These input flows are still a strongly limiting factor, especially in the post-consumer sector. This is because today’s users cannot yet rely on receiving sorted material in sufficient quantities with a longer-term delivery guarantee. Of course, a better sorting of plastic waste is necessary to obtain single-variety material. But it is also a matter of improving the various recycling processes. Their degrees of maturity are currently still very different.

Which one is the most matured?
The mechanical processes are already established. For the physical processes, during which the plastic is dissolved out of other substances by means of a specifically effective solvent, the first industrial plants are available. The chemical processes, in which the plastics are depolymerized or broken down even further into hydrocarbons still need to be improved, particularly in terms of energy efficiency and yield. However, they also have some fundamental advantages. The quality of their recyclates is high, achieving colour purity and consistent material performance. Such recyclates also obtain approval much more easily for critical applications, such as the food sector. Simply put, the higher the recyclate quality, the higher the technical effort involved, and therefore the cost.

What is your degree of progress in terms of setting rules and standards within recycling?
Both are enormously important, and at all levels. There are already approaches – still very rudimentary ones however – on how to characterise input flows. These were essentially developed by the dual systems. In addition, we need standards for defining the resulting recyclate qualities. For example, it must be specified which volatile substances may still be present, how this is to be measured exactly, and who is responsible. Currently, the idea is that if there is nothing to worry about in the input stream, there is nothing to worry about in the recyclate. We also need to have standards for colours. Every recyclate needs a trade name to ensure you get the same product the next time you order it. In addition, all recyclates lack information on long-term properties or specific parameters for processing or crash simulations. All this is not very difficult to realise, after all, manufacturers of virgin material are demonstrating that; they supply a great deal of information and specific parameters for each product.

What contribution are individual processes making towards sustainability?
That is not so easy to say. Basically, chemical recycling could generate large quantities of high-quality recyclate. Conversely, mechanical recycling is much more sustainable in most cases, since energy and resource input is significantly lower, and the polymer structures are also preserved. It is also difficult to determine which actors in the recycling value chain are credited with the sustainability benefits achieved in each case, for example the input supplier, the recycler or the user of the recyclate. In chemical recycling, for example, the carbon is recycled but not the actual material. In addition, the user does not get the physically recycled carbon, but receives a mass-balanced certificate which, to top it all off, has to be purchased. If users waive the certificate, they receive the same material, but minus the certificate.

Photopolymer resins allow the printing of extremely delicate high-precision components in industrial grade quality. The C1 system from AM Solution – 3D post processing technology is an excellent post processing tool for the automated removal of support structures. It meets not only the strictest industrial standards but also fulfills all requirements regarding process stability, consistency of the results, efficiency and traceability.

Photopolymer resins permit the high-quality printing of a large variety of precision functional components, design objects with extremely fine structures and the most complex prototypes. In the past the manufacturers had difficulties fulfilling the industrial standards for the post processing of 3D printed components. To date the removal of support structures was a manual operation. This is not only an expensive process that produces inconsistent results, but it also carries the risk of damaging the components.

A way out of this dilemma is the new C1 system from AM Solutions – 3D post processing technology. This division of the Rösler Oberflächentechnik GmbH specializes in offering automated industrial solutions for the post processing and surface finishing of 3D printed components. The compact plug-and-play machine, specially developed for the automated post processing of 3D printed photopolymer components, just needs a 230 V electrical outlet. The machine controls contain various processing programs that allow the support removal from components with different shapes. In addition, the users can tailor their processing programs to their specific needs. The C1 system can handle 3D printed components with sizes of up to 340 x 440 x 170 mm (L x W x H).

A precisely adapted compound ensures perfect post processing results
For the post processing operation the components are placed in a basket that in turn is dipped into an immersion bath filled with compound that is precisely adapted to the printing material. After the respective processing program has been called up, the process starts. This is based on chemical, thermal and mechanical effects. The effective interplay of these three mechanisms ensures that the support structures can be reliably removed without

affecting the dimensional integrity of the components. This is even the case with extremely delicate components with geometrically complex shapes and very thin walls. Compared to other systems available in the market, this process is significantly faster.

For the development of the compounds AM Solutions – 3D post processing technology could take advantage of Rösler’s comprehensive know-how and the company’s chemical lab. With this approach suitable processing compounds could be developed for any photopolymer. Contrary to the extremely volatile and combustible isopropanol, usually used for this purpose, the compounds utilized by AM Solutions are not hazardous and must, therefore, not be classified and labeled as such per EG standard no1272/2008 (CLP).

Monitoring of the process parameters ensures stable and cost-efficient operations The C1 system was equipped with various design features that guarantee process stability and minimize operational costs. This includes a sensor-controlled monitoring of the compound fill level: As soon as the level drops below a preset value, new compound is automatically replenished from a special container in the system. An integrated, removable skimming (overflow) screen allows the discharge of removed, gelatinous support material from the compound. This increases the usable life of the compound significantly. Moreover, an integrated sensor monitoring the degree of contamination signals when a compound exchange is needed. It ensures that such an exchange does not take place too early or too late. This saves costs and guarantees a consistently high processing quality.

Industry 4.0 – ready for the digital manufacturing environment
Like all post processing systems from AM Solutions – 3D post processing technology the C1 can be easily integrated into digitized manufacturing networks. Key process parameters such as temperature, processing time and the degree of contamination of the compound are continuously recorded with a data logger and can be stored through an USB interface. Industrial demands regarding quality control, process consistency and traceability can, therefore, be fully met for the post processing of 3D printed components.

www.solutions-for-am.com.

BOREALIS AND RECLAY GROUP FORM NEW JOINT ENTITY, RECELERATE, TO MAKE PLASTIC CIRCULARITY A REALITY

• Formed of the waste management expertise of Reclay and the high quality recycling capabilities of Borealis, Recelerate will grow from existing shared strengths  across European markets
• The new entity will be powered by a smart systems-thinking approach to ensure more post-consumer lightweight packaging (LWP) is sorted and recycled into high quality materials
• Great evidence of EverMinds™ in action, this is plastic circularity, supercharged by building scalable, efficient models that close the loop on plastics

Together, Borealis, one of the world’s leading providers of advanced and circular polyolefin solutions and a European market leader in base chemicals and fertilizers, and the Reclay Group, international experts in environmental and material recovery management, announce the beginning of a new, jointly-founded entity, Recelerate GmbH. The new organisation’s mission is to redesign the critical steps of the plastics sorting and recycling system for LWP to speed up circularity, born from a need to meet the rising market demand for high-quality recyclates for use in high-end plastic applications.

A new positive force, creating a stronger link where it matters most.
Recelerate will play a critical connector role in the plastic value chain, connecting downstream and upstream expertise to rethink how LWP waste is managed, sorted, processed, and recycled. The new entity will be powered by Reclay Group’s strength in the area of extended producer responsibility schemes (EPR) and Borealis’ focus on growth of a more circular plastic model, powered in part by its proprietary recycling technology Borcycle™.

This combination will enable a macro view approach to identify opportunities to add value and invest where it matters, to ensure more and more plastic waste from LWP is able to stay within the value chain.

In the spirit of circularity, Recelerate will bring all round benefits
For Reclay, Recelerate will help grow the reach, scale and impact of EPR; for Borealis, it will open up supply of post-consumer plastic waste to be recycled with its Borcycle recycling technology; for customers and consumers, it means greater access to high quality recycled materials. Recelerate will connect critical partners in the plastic value chain; closing the gap, and accelerating the growth and scaling of circular plastics.

“In line with our integrated approach toward more circular plastics, Recelerate will enable significant progress in waste feedstock optimisation. Together with our partners, we are committed to reinventing the plastics system for more sustainable living,” explains Lucrèce Foufopoulos, Borealis Executive Vice President Polyolefins, Innovation & Technology and Circular Economy Solutions.

“We’re excited to begin Recelerate’s journey to unlock greater plastic circularity through rethinking and reshaping sorting and recycling”, says Raffael A. Fruscio, Owner and Managing Director of the Reclay Group. “This is an important moment to build on existing strengths and get some momentum in creating smart, successful, sustainable models that more and more businesses, regions and communities can benefit from. Together we will ensure that valuable material is kept in the cycle”.

Mondi switches all glassine-based release liners to certified base paper

• Mondi moves to certified base paper for its full portfolio of glassine-based release liners.
• The switch to certified base paper helps ensure that the wood is harvested from responsibly managed forests.
• Mondi collaborates with certification schemes like PEFC to enable traceability and compliance.

12 May 2022 – Mondi, a global leader in sustainable packaging and paper, has switched its entire portfolio of glassine-based release liners to certified base paper. The change is part of Mondi’s ongoing, proactive approach to sustainability, which includes developing solutions that are better for the environment.

Glassine-based release liners are mainly used for labels, tapes, and medical applications. By moving to certified base paper, Mondi is improving traceability, working with partners who manage forests responsibly in line with its commitment to maintain zero deforestation in its forests and supply chain. This latest move to certified glassine-based paper is another step in Mondi’s commitment to responsible sourcing and supply chain transparency.

Mondi’s close collaboration with partners, known as its EcoSolutions approach, means that it will continue to ask the right questions and develop the most sustainable packaging solutions to support customers in achieving their sustainability goals. Mondi already works with a number of certification bodies to help increase the availability of certified wood fibre in its key wood sourcing markets in Europe.

All of Mondi’s pulp and paper mills are PEFC or FSC ™ certified, 100% of its own forests are certified and 76% of externally sourced wood and 100% of sourced pulp is from certified sources.

Stefan Schönberger, Head of Product Sustainability Release Liner, Mondi, says: “As part of our MAP2030 ambitions, we commit to taking action on climate change, and setting an example for others working in international manufacturing, production and logistics to help them make sustainability a key priority. Offering certified base paper is part of this. It is the first step to upgrading our entire release liner portfolio, which will manage our impacts while providing the best possible solutions for the customer and the end consumer.”