POLYMER INNOVATION NETWORK

The DTI through its Technology Programme has provided funding for the Polymer Innovation Network to facilitate knowledge transfer between the UK Plastics and Rubber Industry and its research and technology base.

The purpose of the Polymer Innovation Network is to put companies or individuals with ideas, into contact with research providers (universities,colleges and institutes), to direct them to sources of information and to providers of research grants.

The Polymer Innovation Network has a team of regional Technology Translators who can help you get started on these collaborations. They have collective expertise in plastics, rubbers, processing and applications as well as extensive knowledge of how to put collaborative projects together.

For further information about events and how to get involved in this ongoing project please see:

www.polymerinnovate.com

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ENER-Plas – From Design to manufacturing: Instruments for Reducing the energy consumption and carbon emissions of the polymer industry and its supply chain.

The overall objective of ENER-Plas is to provide the European polymer and its supply chain industries with the information, resources and tools needed to reduce their carbon footprint and environmental impact. ENER-Plas will present a systematic approach to energy management and climate change and cuts through the many complexities to help companies understand and manage their energy consumption.

ENER-Plas tools will lead a company through designing a product to material selection and purchasing equipment to manufacturing, whilst addressing the energy efficiency at each stage when developing new, or redesigning existing products or component parts. It will also look at new technologies, equipment and products that will reduce energy consumption across the whole process: from design to production. The project will demonstrate the carbon footprint of a business as well as how to make cost savings which will be of benefit to the profitability of the organisation, but at the same time reducing their environmental impact.

ENER-Plas will go beyond energy management, enabling organisations to consider both their operations and revenue in the context of climate change. The results will be cost savings, clarity of responses to existing and pending legislation, operational improvements, corporate reputation and brand enhancement.

ENER-Plas is an EC funded project led by RAPRA, with a strong European consortium including the BPF.

For more about this project please email: klongworth@bpf.co.uk

The Website for ENER-Plus is under construction and is due mid 2008.

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BE AWARE - Built Environment Action on Waste Awareness and Resource Efficiency

This DTI-funded project aims to help construction product manufacturers to make more efficient use of materials and processes by investigating their products' design, manufacture, installation, use and eventual disposal.   The 30-month project will be launched in January 2006 and undertaken by an industry consortium including the BPF. 

More about BE AWARE on the BRE website - click here

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FLOWFREE

An EC funded project led by RAPRA, with a 14-strong European consortium including the BPF, this aims to improve the industrial plastics extrusion process by the use of supercritical CO2.

Click here for more info  about Flowfree project.

To Download a technical flyer click here

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MICRO-MELT

"The Development Of Advanced Retro-Fit Processing Technologies For Rotational Moulding To Reduce Product Cost and Processing Time and Increase Surface Quality"

Led by Pera and co-ordinated by BPF, this project aims to reduce the processing cycle time, with its associated energy costs and improve part quality of rotationally moulded items through the  development of retrofitable Microwave tool heating and internal mould cooling systems.

More about PERA - click here

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PEPT-FLOW

"Creating: Innovative Polymer Flow Visualisation for Optimised Machine Design, Improved Mixing and Material Properties, Process Efficiency and Energy
Led and co-ordinated by RAPRA

The PEPT-FLOW project will investigate the application of positron emission particle tracking (PEPT) as an innovative polymer flow visualisation technique for twin screw extrusion. The data obtained will be used to develop and validate accurate flow simulation software for twin-screw extrusion. This will then be used to define knowledge-based machine design criteria and guidelines and to optimise processing parameters to achieve target mixing / material properties. To demonstrate the new design criteria, the simulation software and processing know-how will be tested on 5 commercial twin-screw processes.

Find out more on the PEPT FLOW website

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POLYCOND

"Creating a competitive edge for the European POLYmer processing industry by driving new added-value products with CONDucting polymers."  This RAPRA-led project involving the BPF aims to develop conductive plastic composites that are eco-friendly, cost effective and of high added value.

POLYCOND website - click here

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REHEAT

The BPF is a key partner in this DTI funded project to develop a low cost heat recovery, storage and local reuse system which will benefit the plastics industry. The concept centres around the development of a heat storage system based on absorption materials capable of taking heat energy from waste heat sources and giving that energy back at a temperature of 60°C when required. This project is part of a long-term Government initiative to help reduce CO2 emissions by 60% by 2050.

The project is being led by PERA and involves technology provided by strategic partners Brownell Limited, Applied Energy Products, CRS Engineering, Northlogic Limited and The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers. The project duration is two years.

This project is aimed at the 27000 European processors and the 200 000 new homes which are built in the UK each year. It is also hoped that the system will be of benefit to the growing sustainable energy market, where it will allow for solar energy to be stored and utilised at a later stage.

For more about this project please email: klongworth@bpf.co.uk

RECIPE - Reduced Energy Consumption in Plastics Engineering

Following an initiative established by the Faraday Plastics Partnership and led by Rapra, this project is part of the European Commission's "Intelligent Energy" programme, and aims to establish and promote best practice for energy saving in plastics processing across Europe.  An energy-manager's "toolkit" is being developed. 

RECIPE website - click here

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RECCOMP

Led by the University of Exeter, this DTI-funded project is investigating best practices for recycling of composite materials from the transport industry.

VINYLSUM

VinylSUM is a new research initiative led by IPTME at Loughborough (a member of the BPF Business Support Network) and involves the BPF.   Funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) under the ‘Sustainable Use of Materials’ initiative, this was set up in April 2004 to help address some of the long term sustainability challenges facing PVC.

More about VINYLSUM on the BPF website - click here

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PROVE - Plastics Reprocessing Validation Exercise
This DTI-funded project, led by the BPF's Automotive Recycling Task Force and in collaboration with the Consortium for Automotive Recycling (CARE) is now complete.  It developed industry-wide standards, dispelling myths about quality, volume and cost.  Details and reports are available from the

PROVE website - click here

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RECCOMP (Recycling Process for the Recovery of Plastic Composite Materials)

Led by PERA, a member of the BPF Business Support Network, this DTI-funded project uses pyrolysis to return composites to their constituent materials of fibres and oil, and then look at possible end markets for the resultant materials. 

More about the RECCOMP project here

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