How to boost your process efficiency with Chem-Trend’s products

A comprehensive overview of the benefits and applications of Chem-Trend’s process aids for thermoplastic processing:

Chem-Trend offers a portfolio of coordinated products under the Lusin® and Ultra Purge™ brands that help thermoplastics processors optimize your moulding operations and reduce costs.

Chem-Trend’s products include release agents, lubricants, mould cleaners, corrosion inhibitors and purging compounds that work with a wide range of materials and machines.

Chem-Trend’s products help you prevent defects, improve surface quality, extend mould life, and facilitate colour changes in thermoplastic processing.

Efficiency in thermoplastic processing

Praha, 13th November 2024 - Process efficiency is a key factor in thermoplastic processing. Manufacturers are under pressure to reduce cycle times to meet the increasing demand while maintaining high quality standards. However, there are numerous factors that can lead to lower productivity when processing resins. Typical defects include surface defects such as scratches, streaks or stress cracks, as well as colour or material contamination. Defective products are sorted out in the process, but ultimately result in lower machine availability, higher overall costs, and more production waste.

Selection and application of process aids for thermoplastics

These problems can be significantly reduced by using suitable process aids. Chem-Trend, a leader in the field of process aids for more than 60 years, offers a portfolio of coordinated aids under the Lusin® brand that contribute to improve thermoplastics processors’ production processes. These include release agents, lubricants, mould cleaners and corrosion inhibitors. Chem-Trend also offers purging compounds under both the Ultra Purge™ and Lusin® brands to increase production efficiency while also decreasing scrap and production waste.

Purging compounds Lusin®

Today, a variety of different thermoplastics are used, each with their specific properties. The development of process aids occurred parallel to the differentiation of the materials to be processed and the chosen process. For an efficient production process, the aids must be chosen specifically depending on the material.

Process aids - an overview

Release agents not only prevent the plastic from sticking to the mould but can also prevent stress cracks and improve surface quality. It is important to have a high and long-lasting release effect as well as a high temperature resistance of the release agent.

To avoid time-consuming re-lubrication of the injection moulding tool, a suitable lubricant must be used that reliably lubricates and smoothes the ejector pins for a long time. The grease must not crust and form hard residues. In addition, the evaporation of the base oil must be as low as possible, as an insufficient lubricating film could lead to the blocking of the moving parts. Furthermore, deposits of the lubricant on the plastic parts are problematic, as they can lead to the rejection of the workpieces. Here too, it is important that the products are applicable in a high temperature range.

Colour changes are a fundamental problem in thermoplastic processing, as the screw in the plasticising unit of the injection moulding machine must be cleaned without residue. Otherwise, streaks can form during production due to foreign colour input. These “ghost colours” can also occur hours after regular production. Since this then happens unplanned, often long machine downtimes occur. Specially developed purging compounds ensure the efficient cleaning of machine parts and thus reduce scrap rates and downtime.

Mould cleaners are needed in thermoplastic processing to remove residues and decomposition products from the mould. By using cleaners specifically to remove polymer residues, the mould is put into a very clean condition, which increases the surface quality of the finished parts. Solvent-free mould cleaners have the advantage that they can be sprayed directly into the hot mould, which reduces downtime.

A corrosion inhibitor with a long-lasting protective effect completes the care of the machine components and keeps the mould in good condition when it is not in use.

Chem-Trend awarded EcoVadis Gold

Chem-Trend’s products are designed to help the thermoplastics industry achieve precision, efficiency, and consistency in various processes, such as injection molding, extrusion, and rotational molding. With the prestigious EcoVadis Gold standing, which places Chem-Trend in the top 5% of all rated companies, the company demonstrates its unwavering commitment to sustainability and corporate responsibility. This recognition not only highlights Chem-Trend’s dedication to environmental stewardship but also assures thermoplastic processors of enhanced quality and productivity while minimizing adverse environmental impacts. Chem-Trend works hand-in-hand with the industry and its customers to generate solutions that overcome their production challenges and increase their quality and productivity.

The Chem-Trend Lusin® and Ultra Purge™ range of products is available in the Czech and Slovak market by our partner Biesterfeld Silcom at Prague. If you want to learn more about Chem-Trend and its products, visit our website at cz.chemtrend.com or contact Biesterfeld Silcom at petr.suchy@bisi.cz.