Until now, customers needed to update their simulation software to obtain the latest injection moulding databases from providers, with a significant lag between new material availability and public database updates – sometimes more than a year. They also needed to reach out to multiple contacts on a regular basis to check for the latest resource availability from material providers.

DOMO is changing this paradigm by providing a valuable new service to customers, comprising frequent updates of its injection molding simulation database for Autodesk Moldflow. Comparable injection material cards for other software (Moldex3D, CADmould, etc.) will also be made available upon request or through your sales and technical manager.

“We are at the cutting edge in our approach to provide high quality data for injection moulding and integrative structural – MMI* simulation in the fastest and most direct way to our customers,” says Alexandre Chatelain, Simulation Models Database Manager at DOMO. “

 “This project is part of a broader scope aimed at improving our overall digitalization capability and is an instrumental contribution to our commercial digitalization strategy” Chatelain added.

By enabling customers to always have the latest injection molding simulation data from DOMO Engineered Materials, this will save them time and effort in getting the appropriate data for their projects. These fitted and validated measurements for more precise simulation will enable shorter development time for customers, and faster time to market.

Moreover, these direct updates will include new offerings from DOMO’s development pipeline as well as newly validated data beyond the standard injection moulding process characterization, such as fiber orientation prediction optimization.

“At DOMO, we provide unique data – like fiber orientation model parameters calibration and validation – to optimize polyamide part performance,” adds Chatelain. “We understand that it is a burden for our customers if they have to update their simulation software to obtain the latest injection molding data from providers whenever there is a new release. That’s why we now provide injection moulding database updates independently from software releases to ensure our customers are always up to date.”

https://www.domochemicals.com/

Datacolor, a global leader in color management solutions, announced the release of its annual subscription payment program, now available for its color formulation software products Datacolor Match Textile and Match Pigment, as well as for its color management software Datacolor Tools.

The annual subscription program provides customers in the textile, paint and coatings and plastics industries with a cost-effective alternative to use the same software available as a one-time perpetual license, reducing the initial investment needed. The software offering includes access to the Company’s latest digital color management software as well as software updates and access to Datacolor’s customer support.

“Our annual subscription payment program is one of many Datacolor solutions designed to meet evolving customer needs. By reducing the barriers of accessibility to our core color management software we can help more customers digitize and optimize their color workflow,” said Albert Busch, President and CEO, Datacolor.

Color workers who take advantage of the annual subscription program can expect to benefit from all future software enhancements and receive support for new operating systems.

https://www.datacolor.com/

Tank Holding, North America’s largest rotational molder, has acquired Missouri based blow and injection molder Semco Plastic Company, Inc. effective May 9, 2022. Semco manufactures a variety of high volume custom and proprietary products serving the recreational, commercial, outdoor, engine and other industries. Products such as OEM fuel tanks, portable fuel containers, equipment components, refuse containers, backboards and more are designed, tooled, manufactured, assembled, packaged and shipped utilizing turnkey solutions and services to a diverse customer base with the experience and capability to produce high quality molded products out of a single facility.

“The acquisition of Semco is consistent with our strategy to invest into adjacent plastic processing technologies while continuing to demonstrate our commitment to provide our customers further capabilities. We believe there is tremendous opportunity for us to utilize blow molding to expand our proprietary product offering while also complementing our commitment to custom molding. The addition of blow molding and injection molding capabilities to our vast rotational molding network provides us with the unique position to offer more plastic molding options to our valued customers. Semco, with its successful seventy-five year history and continuous investment in equipment and capability, delivers the competency and scale we desired to enter into these complementary molding technologies,” said Greg Wade, CEO of Tank Holding.

The Semco acquisition provides synergy opportunities with Tank Holding’s core business along with several recent acquisitions, including six last year and Dutchland this year which were focused on custom molding and proprietary products. These market leading brands and multiple molding capabilities provide the industry with the broadest product portfolio and the largest footprint of manufacturing facilities.

“Semco has been in our family for four generations and we have built a great business with great people. We’re proud of our significant investments in the business with modern technology and building expansions to keep up with growth and offer competitive value to our customers. As we reached a family decision to sell the business, we quickly concluded that Tank Holding, with its resources and strategy to invest in molding, was the best partner to purchase the business and continue the growth for our employees and customers,” said Chuck Voelkel, CEO of Semco.

The Semco announcement represents Tank Holding’s 19th acquisition in the past three years and further enhances the company’s penetration into custom molding.

Besides being a world leader in the design and manufacturing of polyethylene tank and container products, Tank Holding also maintains major market positions with many other proprietary products, including intermediate bulk containers, insulated material handling bins, laundry and linen carts, refuse containers, specialty pallets and custom products.

Tank Holding, which includes the brands of Norwesco, Snyder Industries, Bonar Plastics, Bushman, Chem-tainer, Meese, Stratis Pallets, and Dura-Cast, owned by Olympus Partners and the management team, currently operates 42 manufacturing plant locations and employs over 1,7000 people throughout North America, prior to the Semco acquisition.

https://www.tankholding.com/

UBQ Materials, climate tech developer of advanced materials made from unsorted household waste, announced today that it is partnering with Polymertal, which develops cutting-edge metal plating processes for the creation of cost-effective metal-polymer parts. Through this partnership, Polymertal is releasing SPP-50XX, a new sustainable material with metallic properties that contains UBQ™, a substitute for durable plastics converted entirely from unsorted household waste, including all organics. The inclusion of UBQ™ in SPP-50XX’s base substrate enables this material to achieve a lower carbon footprint – as compared to aluminum, a favored lightweight metal, bringing roughly a 50% reduction in CO2e emissions, as verified by World Watchers.

A key challenge for sustainable materials in competing with lightweight metals like aluminum is to achieve the necessary toughness, thermal resistance and electromagnetic shielding, features essential to applications across automotive, industrial and consumer product manufacturing.

Polymertal’s SPP-50XX will comprise 20% UBQ™ and 80% polypropylene. On top of this substrate, a layer of copper and nickel of varying thicknesses will serve as the metal plating. Surfacing a polymer substrate with a lean metal plating allows SPP-50XX to remain lightweight and exhibit key metallic properties, including durability, stiffness, heat resistance and electromagnetic shielding.

“We are proud to launch our sustainable materials series, the S series, including SPP-50XX and its climate-friendly thermoplastic, UBQ™,” said Ran Carmeli, CEO of Polymertal. “Countless applications require materials that are lightweight, withstand high-temperature environments, and are thermally and electrically conductive. SPP-50XX exhibits all these features, and the presence of UBQ™ brings sustainability earlier in the supply chain, making it even easier for manufacturers to reduce the overall carbon footprint of their end products.”

“UBQ™️ can be combined with metals to create carbon-reduced products with important metallic properties for functional applications in tough environments,” said Albert Douer, Chairman and Co-CEO of UBQ Materials. “Through work with Polymertal, our novel material is helping manufacturers create products that are socially, environmentally and economically sustainable.”

https://www.ubqmaterials.com/

Heraeus Holding GmbH, a global Fortune 500 company, announced it has invested substantial equity to take a majority stake in perPETual Technologies, one of the world’s leading PET recycling companies.

To drive global expansion under one brand, Heraeus decided to rename the company “revalyu Resources GmbH” (“revalyu”).

PET, which stands for polyethylene terephthalate, is the most common thermoplastic polymer of the polyester family and is used in textiles, packaging containers for liquids and foods, thermoforming for manufacturing and many other consumer products.

revalyu has developed a breakthrough and environmentally sustainable depolymerization technology to recycle post consumer PET bottles into sustainable esters (monomers), which is the base chemical building block for anything polyester based. revalyu’s Polymer can be used to manufacture high quality sustainable PET products. Today, the company produces filament yarns for the textile industry in its manufacturing facility in Nashik, India. It currently employs around 300 people.

“revalyu is driven by innovation and fits perfectly into our portfolio”, said Jan Rinnert, Chairman of the Board of Managing Directors and CEO of Heraeus Holding GmbH. Rinnert says the global strength of Heraeus will provide the investment, infrastructure and strategic support needed to accelerate revalyu’s growth. “We aim to develop the business into one of the world’s largest and technologically advanced PET recycling companies”, Rinnert added.

“We are a pioneer in recycling PET bottles. After several years of hard work by the team and support from our shareholders and customers, we have built the world’s most innovative, technology leading and environmentally sustainable PET recycling plant in the world based in Nashik, India” said Dr. Vivek Tandon, Founder of perPETual Technologies to be renamed revalyu Resources.

“Together with Heraeus we will strongly focus on rapidly expanding our production capacity in India and globally. Our aim is to recycle 100 million bottles a day of used PET Bottles by 2026, which will be a big step toward solving the PET waste problem”, Vikram Nagargoje, Co-founder and COO.

revalyu’s technology offers a cost-effective continuous recycling process, which extracts dirt and impurities more efficiently thereby delivering high purity recycled PET. It also uses 91 percent less energy and 75 percent less water than conventional processes for producing PET polymers. It can be used in all PET production processes.

“revalyu Resources will become the leading global brand for recycling polyester. Our customers do not have to compromise any more between their ambitious sustainability goals and high quality requirements”, Dr. Tandon stated.

https://www.heraeus.com/

ABB Robotics has collaborated with two world-renowned artists, eight year old Indian child prodigy Advait Kolarkar and Dubai-based digital design collective Illusorr, to create the world’s first robot-painted art car. ABB’s award-winning PixelPaint technology has, without human intervention, perfectly recreated Advait’s swirling, monochromatic design as well as Illusorr’s tri-color geometrical patterns.

Equipped with 1,000 nozzles in the printer head, ABB’s IRB 5500 paint robots were able to complete the highly complex artworks in less than 30 minutes. The PixelPaint technology demonstrates unprecedented precision and speed, capturing intricate, elaborate detail that would be impossible to achieve by hand. A film highlighting this world-first achievement can be seen here.

Sami Atiya, President of ABB’s Robotics & Discrete Automation business area, commented: “ABB’s PixelPaint technology is more than an evolution – it is a revolution. It’s a shining example of how robotic automation and our RobotStudio® software can not only pave the way for more sustainable manufacturing but can also perfectly replicate delicate pieces of art that celebrate the originality and beauty of the human spirit. At a time when consumers want more customized products, PixelPaint is a game changer and allows any design to be replicated in a manner that is both sustainable and affordable.”

ABB’s ground-breaking PixelPaint technology reimagines the paint application process and reflects the growing demand for sustainable personalization in the automotive industry, particularly in exterior paint. Multi-colored car painting has traditionally been a laborious and costly process involving multiple stages of masking and unmasking, but ABB’s technology allows for a detailed, colorful, and exact replication of any design.

Carefully controlled, the paint can be quickly applied in a single application. This breakthrough in the automation of the paint process opens the door to specialized and personalized designs to the automotive market.

Influential automotive designer, Ian Callum, responsible for the design of the Aston Martin Vanquish and more recently the ground-breaking Jaguar I-Pace said: “There’s something very special about a car. People get emotionally attached to them and the importance of personalization is becoming stronger and stronger. In fact, I’m working with customers who actually want the whole car designed in a bespoke way. So this paint offering – with all sorts of new levels of individual design for a motor car – is incredible.”

PixelPaint technology also enhances manufacturing sustainability, removing the need for masking materials and extra ventilation, which lowers emissions while saving water and energy. Coordinated by the firm’s RobotStudio software, the paint head tracks very closely to the vehicle body to ensure 100 percent of the paint is applied to the car with no airborne misting. Different paint colors are applied quickly, with the product only running through the paint shop once. For car manufacturers, this can halve the production time and reduce costs by up to 60 percent.

To create the art car, ABB refurbished a Volkswagen SUV that was damaged in the catastrophic floods in Germany in the summer of 2021. Its recycling confirms ABB’s commitment to sustainability wherever possible.

Sami Atiya added: “We are in the midst of a significant decade in the history of the automotive industry and the start of a new era. Automakers need to consider new ways of working towards the transition to electric vehicles. We are working to support the industry in this transition and I’m confident that with flexible automation, sustainable transportation will fast become reality.”

https://new.abb.com/