Page 57 - Plastics News July 2023

TECHNOLOGY

system could change that. “A solar-driven technology that could man.
“Converting waste into something help to address plastic pollution and “Prior to this system, we didn’t have
useful using solar energy is a major greenhouse gases at the same time anything that could make high-value
goal of our research,” says Reisner. could be a game-changer in the devel- products selectively and efficiently.”
“Plastic pollution is a huge problem opment of a circular economy,” says Bhattacharjee adds that in the future,
worldwide, and often, many of the Subhajit Bhattacharjee, the paper’s the system could become even more
plastics we throw into recycling bins co-author. versatile and make more complex
are incinerated or end up in landfill.” The system works by integrating cata- products, just by changing the cata-
Why is this solar-powered recycling lysts into a light absorber. lyst.
system so groundbreaking? “Generally, CO2 conversion requires The researchers hope that the system
Other similar solar-powered systems a lot of energy, but with our system, could someday be used to develop a
are being developed but, to date, they basically you just shine a light at it, and recycling plant powered entirely by
have not recycled plastic waste and it starts converting harmful products solar energy.
reduced greenhouse gases in a single into something useful and sustain-
process. able,” says co-author Dr Motiar Raha-

A Stroke Of Genius: Hybrid Drive System Combines The Benefits Of Electric
And Hydraulic Technology

that the new hybrid Allrounder 470
H was a suitable replacement for hy-
draulic machines, while 95% consid-
ered it to be a suitable replacement
for electric ones. Gerhard Boehm,
Managing Director Sales and Service

lectric drives are becoming in- bon footprint and an energy require- at Arburg, explains, “The idea behind
Ecreasingly important in injection ment equivalent to that of electric this machine technology was well re-
moulding, particularly with regard to machines. The hybrid-driven injection ceived by visitors, as evidenced by the
energy efficiency. However, hydraulic moulding machines from Arburg’s survey results. Respondents found
drives are not without their advan- Hidrive (H) series combine a precise the concept extremely interesting
tages, providing powerful injection electric closing unit with a dynamic – for both technical injection mould-
capacities and cost efficiency. The hydraulic injection unit. The results of ing and demanding applications, for
ideal solution is to combine both drive a visitor survey conducted at Arburg’s example in the automotive and pack-
systems, as the Allrounders from Ar- Technology Days in March 2023 con- aging industries. Our hybrid anniver-
burg’s new generation of machines firm that the anniversary machine of- sary machine, which comes in three
successfully demonstrate: the All- fers an attractive drive concept. performance variants, shows that we
rounder 470 H anniversary machine Hybrid technology a hit with injection keep our finger firmly on the pulse.
is characterised by low acquisition moulding companies We have hit the nail on the head be-
and operating costs, a reduced car- cause it saves energy, conserves re-
Among those surveyed, 96% thought

PLASTICS NEWS 57
July 2023