UK Rotomoulding's Showcase - PRW feature article

6th March 08

The UK’s Rotational Moulding industry is one of the strongest in the EU. With over 70 moulding companies operating in the UK and a further 90 firms providing key services to the sector, ranging from raw materials to design services, it’s not surprising that the sector enjoys an unusually vibrant forum within the British Plastics Federation.

Created in 1978 under the Chairmanship of Earl Duffin of Flextank the Group has shown consistent growth and in large measure can take the credit for raising the profile in the UK of a process once thought of as a ‘Cinderella’ of the plastics industry. Rotational Moulding has certainly come of age. As a sector it employs about 1500 and now serves most markets, principally  storage tanks, automotive, furniture, marine, and sports and leisure equipment.

The BPF Group was born out of a crisis, a machinery safety issue which focussed the industry’s minds on a Code of Practice for the Safeguarding of Rotational Moulding Machines. Published in 1980 this was the first major achievement of the Group. The exchange of experience on which it was necessarily based broke down suspicions between companies and soon members were co-operating on a wider range of issues. Key amongst them was how to secure a wider appreciation of the potential for rotational moulding and push the process into a wider range of applications. In the early days products tended to be low-cost non-technical parts which were too big to be blow moulded. The Michelin man was a classic product of this era as were Intermediate Bulk Containers.

From humble beginnings, the BPF’s Rotational Moulding Group is now led by some of the most innovative and dynamic companies in the industry. Chairman for the last year is Martin Spencer, Managing Director of Rototek internationally famed for sailing dinghies, kayaks, road signs, building products, industrial components and sports equipment.

The Group’s ‘Foreign Minister’ is former Chairman Allan Joyce, Managing Director of Balmoral Tanks. Allan represents the Group at meetings of the Alliance of Rotational Mounding Organisations (ARMO). Again, springing from a company which is a world leader in its field -liquid storage and treatment products- Allan is ideally placed to form a bridge between the different national rotational moulding industries and to encourage co-operation in that key goal of expanding applications and markets.

Anthony Roberts, BPF’s Senior Executive – Public Affairs, manages the Group and forms the link between other group and all the other plastics processing activities in the BPF.

Together the three are key to organising the most ambitious single event for rotational moulding ever to be staged in the UK: the ARMO 2008 International Rotational Moulding Conference. This will be held at Waterfront Hall, Belfast, between 7th – 9th September, 2008 and will establish the BPF Group at the forefront of the world industry. The proximity of the Queen’s facilities will be a great advantage.

Building on the earlier success of ARMO which was founded in 2004 and the growing reputation of the BPF in this field the Rotamoulding Group have taken on the Secretariat of ARMO for 2007-8. The organisation of the biennial international conference is central to this work.

This programme will feature two days of world class industry speakers on Rotational Moulding technology and the global issues affecting the industry. It will take ‘Water’ as its theme and will showcase the contribution the industry makes to Water management and conservation as well as its role in the wider resource management leisure sectors.

The Conference will be preceded technical sessions at Queen’s University on September 5th – 6th and there will also be a tour of UK Rotomoulding factories after the event. Running parallel to the Conference will be a one day exhibition and seminar entitled ‘Shaping up to Rotomoulding’ targeted at Designers, design lecturers and students, and purchasers allowing the industry to engage in dialogue on the inherent design benefits of the process.

The Gala Dinner will be held in St George’s Market a Victorian building and one of Belfast’s oldest attractions. The Dinner there will be an informal market-themed event and will feature traditional Irish fare, music and entertainment.

Martin Spencer echoes the feelings of the whole Group in saying ‘This is a unique opportunity to impress the world with our expertise in rotational moulding in the UK. Everyone should get behind the effort to make this an unforgettable experience where UK companies are held up as models and where we have the chance to learn, network and promote.’

The organisation of International events should not come as a surprise from a Group that has, as one of its cardinal, objectives: ’’To promote the rotational moulding process and its advantages to designers and downstream users’’. Success hasn’t come easily for the group. In an industry of small firms it has been back-breaking work over decades. But now the fruits can now be seen. There are many rotational moulding applications with complex shapes, with contours and undercuts, but products which still benefit from low cost tooling, traditionally the major advantage of rotational moulding.

Surely, there have been major developments in materials and machinery which have assisted this trend but the added value brought by the Group has been essential. Its direct communication with designers has been key. The Group has a strong record of exhibiting at Interplas and PDM, and has held a dedicated Seminar for Designers, at Matrix Polymers. Experts from the Group have demonstrated rotational moulding to designers explaining its ins and outs and made it clear that technical resources exist within the Group to work closely with designers to develop new design concepts and, ultimately, products.

It’s been of great help that the Group has forged a strong technical partnership with Queen’s university, Belfast which has a global reputation in rotational moulding technology.Queens participate in all the Group’s meetings and are also a partner in the PERA-led, EU funded ‘Micromelt’ project alongside Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute. Other European players involved include Balmoral Group, SPI Play Ltd, Tecni-form, Gisip AB, Ernst Reinhardt, Frigel Firenze S.p.A. and Sturdy Products Ltd.

Participation in ‘Micromelt’ is an example of the Group’s commitment to the technological progress underpinning competitiveness. The aim of the project is to develop a retrofitable microwave tool heating and an internal mould cooling system, which will reduce energy costs by 70%, reduce processing cycle times by 50% and improve part quality. With these achievements it should be possible to enlarge the markets available to rotational moulding.

The results of ‘Micromelt’ will be communicated through the British Plastics Federation (BPF), the Association of Rotational Moulding Central Europe (ARM-CE) and the Association of Rotomoulders of Ireland (IRMA).

The Group thinks big and certainly has its work cut out but on past performance it will deliver with flying colours, thanks to its dedicated leadership team.