A product designed to improve cooling efficiency on blown film lines called VarDAR - short for Variable Diameter Dual Directional Flow Air Ring - has been announced as the winner of the Horners Award for Plastics Innovation and Design.
Developed by VarDAR systems, the air ring can be retrofitted or fitted to new lines and improves cooling efficiency on many applications ranging from small tube lines up to large machines with web widths up to three meters. It helps to increase productivity by adding additional cooling above the frost line, improving the speed of production and reducing scrap levels and the ‘blocking’ caused when the inside surfaces stick together.
The winner of the British Plastics Federation Award is Plastribution’s 7 Branches of Sustainability, which aids fact-based material and design choices for plastics processors. With the term ‘sustainability’ meaning different things to different people, this simple system features seven categories intended to clarify the situation.
MacRebur by the Plastic Road Company was highly commended by the judges - a product made from waste plastics that enhances and extends the bitumen binder in asphalt during road construction, with a projected lifespan of 500 years.
The inaugural winner of the David Williams Award, presented to those who make an outstanding contribution to society through plastics, was also agreed by the judges. It went to design undergraduate, Zara King of Teeside University. Zara designed EasyMode, a re-usable bedpan that has a replaceable pulp liner. The bedpan is designed with a wide base to improve ease of use and reduce spillages in healthcare settings.
VarDAR Systems and Zara King will be formally presented with their awards at the upcoming Horners Annual Dinner. The Horners Award for Plastics Innovation and Design is one of the longest running plastics awards in the world. Both awards are jointly run by the British Plastics Federation (BPF) and the Worshipful Company of Horners. The latter is an ancient guild and livery company, that, in 1943 had the vision to adopt horn’s modern equivalent, plastics, at a time when that industry was in its infancy. Today, its charities and awards support activities in education, design, the city and industry.