Interplas 2002 defies UK economic downturn

Image reference INPR038a There has been considerable upheaval in the UK plastics and rubber industry since Interplas 1999 with a number of leading processing companies moving their production operations to countries with cheaper overheads and many others struggling for survival. A manufacturing recession as bad as any in living memory has been the principal cause for the industry’s difficulties, while the strength of the British currency has prevented export sales from providing any compensation for the downturn in local business.

DOW CORNING INCREASES FLUOROSILICONE CAPACITY TO ENSURE RELIABLE LONG-TERM SUPPLY OF SILASTIC® BRAND FLUOROSILICONE RUBBER

Dow Corning increases Fluorosilicone capacity to ensure relialble long-term supply of Silastic® Brand Fluorosilicone rubber MIDLAND, Mich. (October 8, 2002)—Dow Corning has significantly increased its fluorosilicone capacity with the start up of a new specialty silicone intermediates plant at its manufacturing complex in Midland, Michigan. The $16MM capacity expansion supports increased demand for its Silastic® brand fluorosilicone rubber (FSR), and ensures reliable long-term supply.

Attachmate myEXTRA! Presentation Services Delivers 6530 Emulation for Tandem Host Connectivity

AttachmateOct. 8, 2002 -- Attachmate Corporation, a leader in enterprise presentation and application integration products and services, today announced the availability of 6530 emulation for Tandem® host connectivity. myEXTRA!™ Enterprise, a component of myEXTRA! Presentation Services, provides feature-rich PC-to-host emulation services for delivering enterprise applications from IBM® mainframe, AS/400® and UNIX®/VM™ information systems to Windows® desktops. myEXTRA! Presentation Services 6530 Client Option v7.0 further extends multi-host connectivity to incorporate Tandem system access.

Harvest Polymers Ltd- Rifra Masterbatches SpA
Agent and Distribution Agreement

Rifra laboratory pilot line Harvest Polymers and Rifra Masterbatches SpA have announced an Agreement for the marketing of Rifra’s Masterbatches in the UK and Ireland. The products include Rifrachem additive Masterbatch, Rifratene colour Masterbatch and Rifracomplex a multi blend Masterbatch containing several active components.

HUSKY FORMS NEW “AUTOMATED SYSTEMS” GROUP

Many customers use Husky’s Advanced Manufacturing Center for system testing and debugging. Bolton, Ontario, Canada – Husky Injection Molding Systems has created an Automated Systems Group whose mandate is to specialize on complete system solutions for customers. The new group was formed through a merger of Robotics and Systems Integration. “We have been providing system solutions to our customers for 25 years,” says Bruce Catoen, Vice-President of this new team. “In that time we have developed a reputation as innovators in the injection molding industry.” The continued development of this business is a key initiative for Husky going forward.

Borealis launches two new product ranges based on its unique Borecene technology - Borecene Compact™ and Paintable Borecene PE resins for rotomoulding

Borecene Compact’s enhanced, smoother flow makes it particularly suitable for complex moulds with narrow spaces and threads, such as those for technical applications, automotive parts and tanks.
 The rotational moulding industry is continuously seeking for polyethylene (PE) resins that are easy to handle and that have better flow properties. Borecene Compact™ is an improvement over Borealis’ existing ‘black’ Borecene™ powder and other powders which are ground down from pellets. It uses unique, Borealis patented technology which entirely bypasses the grinding stage. By eliminating this stage, Borecene Compact is dust-free which improves both product quality and the quality of the working environment. And as its name implies, one of Borecene Compact’s attributes is that it takes up less volume which makes it simpler to transport and to store.

Omnexus Leveraged Technology Solution gives plastics and chemical companies their own E-Commerce capabilities

OmnexusATLANTA (October 1, 2002) – Global plastics eMarketplace Omnexus continues its leading role in the industry’s growing trend to move business processes online with a new suite of technology services. Having built a world-class global transaction platform and portal, Omnexus is leveraging this functionality, giving plastics and chemicals companies fast, flexible and affordable access to the very latest in online ordering technology. Under its new alliance with Elemica, the leading global trading network for chemical companies, Omnexus will provide a solution tailored to the specific needs of the chemical industry for eMarketplace technologies.

Attachmate Announces the Release of
NetWizard v5.0

AttachmateAttachmate Corporation, a provider of enterprise information access and management software, today launched NetWizard® v5.0, the latest version of its rapid-deployment, desktop management system. NetWizard offers integrated functionality for desktop software and hardware inventory, software distribution and installation, usage metering, license administration, remote control, and policy management.