Smart Molding International 1-2023

15 www.smart-molding.com newsfeed A mono-material toothbrush by ZAHORANSKY and Evonik Ever y year, billions of used toothbrushes end up in landfills wo r l dw i de . A mono -ma t e r i a l toothbrush developed by ZAHORANSKY together with Evonik in just five months breaks this cycle. It can be directly reintroduced into the recycling process because instead of using different materials for the handle, headpiece, and bristles, only one is used here. The polyamide 12 (PA 12) material used is based on long-chain polyamides (LCPA), which Evonik markets under the name VESTAMID. PA 12 was easy to process both in the ZAHORANSKY injection mold for handle production and in the tufting machine. As a result, it was possible to meet the tight time window from the initial idea in June to the start of the K trade show in October.Due to the time pressure, the "fair toothbrush" still had to be conventionally tufted using anchor technology, as machines were only available for this type of anchoring. However, the goal is to produce a version without metal anchors. ZAHORANSKY plans to take further development steps in 2023 to produce a purely bio-based toothbrush. After use, this can be recycled as a mono- material toothbrush. Johannes-Florian Krampe, Manager Filaments &NewBusiness Development | High Performance Polymers at Evonik, is pleased with the successful project: "Since this toothbrush is made from a single material, it would be completely recyclable. Because that should be our social goal: Recyclable products from which a circular economy can be built." According to Krampe, the PA 12 material "offers the potential for further products made from biobased materials. In these cases, fossil raw materials no longer necessarily have to be used, which conserves global resources and reduces wastemountains in the future." ZAHORANSKY www.zahoransky.com Optimized hot runner systems for PCR compounds Oerlikon HRSflow has developed special hot runner solutions for PCR compounds. Their application possibilities are demonstrated by two examples realized in practice – a fruit crate and a garbage can for composting organic household waste. With these environmentally friendly projects, which were implemented together with various partners, the company underlines its commitment to the circular economy. For the production of the fruit crates, Mundimold processes an optimized PE compound from APS, Valencia/Spain, which is obtained from the recycling of Tetra Pak® card-board packaging. In the production of this demanding part, which was demonstrated at K 2022 on a servo-hydraulic Haitian Jupiter with two-platen technology and 4,500 kN clamping force, a servo-controlled FLEXflow valve gate hot runner system with four drops contributes to the high repeatability of the process. Optimum gate quality is ensured by the new, patent pending TTC cooling bushing from Oerlikon HRSflow, which prevents needle sticking even with short cycle times. The low energy consumption of the FLEXflow system supports energy-efficient production. Project partners were Haitian, Mundimold, Tetra Pak, APS and Oerlikon HRSflow. Another example is the Bokashi Organko Essential, an airtight sealable bucket for home composting, manufactured by PLASTIKA SKAZA. The 775 g part with 2.5 mm wall thickness is produced of PCR polymers using an Oerlikon HRSflow two-drops hot runner system. It is optimized for frequent color changes and designed so that remaining contaminations in the recyclate do not cause damage, streaks or flow marks that could affect the aesthetic and functional result. Oerlikon HRSflow www.hrsflow.com A mono-material toothbrush by ZAHORANSKY and Evonik (picture source: ZAHORANSKY) Picture source: Oerlikon HRSflow