FLEXIBLE PACKAGING

European market to grow by 2% per year to 2019, led by eastern Europe / PCI Films study

INSULATED PANELS

Growth in cold storage in Asia and Middle East boosts global demand / Output forecast to grow by 4% per year to 2019 / IAL Consultants directory

AUTOMOTIVE SUPPLY

Germany's Federal Cartel Office imposes EUR 75m fine on five acoustic insulation producers for alleged price fixing

3D PRINTING

Spanish technology centre to be beta tester for Ultem resin / Agreement with Stratasys

AFRICA

Processors eye 8% annual growth in African plastics demand to 2018 / South Africa accounts 25% of plastics processing sites / AMI database

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

Strong gains posted in 2014 / Global market worth more than USD 4 bn / Latest “Wohlers Report”

GERMAN PLASTICS PROCESSING

Sales hit new high in 2014 / Record number of employees / Widespread confidence for 2015 / GKV president still sees big challenges in energy policy and lack of trained personnel

US PLASTIC FILM

Demand to reach almost 7m t in 2018 / LLDPE remains largest volume resin / Above average growth expected for PP film / Freedonia study

COMPOSITES RESEARCH

US sets up USD 260m IACMI composites research institute in Tennessee

EXTRUSION TECHNOLOGY CHINA

Sustainability to the fore in machinery advances / Optimisation of screws and barrels / Plasticising alternatives

GERMAN PLASTICS PROCESSING

Weak August dampens Q3 results / Sector nevertheless expected to grow in 2014 / Many businesses still operate at high output rates / Improvement in September

EPS

UK manufacturers adopt “airpop” brand name / Announcement by British Plastic Federation's EPS Group

EPS

German insulation producers suspected of cartel agreement / IVH federation offices searched

RUSSIA

Packaging market worth USD 15 bn / Local plastic packaging plants operate at reduced rates / Food packaging drives demand / Domestic BOPP output to be exported from 2016 onwards / gtai report

GERMAN PLASTICS PROCESSING

Solid growth in H1 2014 / Mild winter shifts construction season / Packaging and consumer goods remain stable / Technical parts producers report good business

THERMOFORMED PRODUCTS

Global market predicted to grow by 4.3% per year to 2019 / Electronic packaging is fastest-growing segment / BCC Research report

BOPA FILMS

Global market growth driven by rising demand for simultaneous stretching technology

FLEXIBLE PACKAGING

European market growth slows to 1.3% in 2013 / Large national differences in value and volume demand / Germany leads the segment / Share of private equity-controlled companies rising / PCI Films report

GLOBAL SLEEVE LABEL MARKET

Consumption to rise by 5.6% annually to 2019 / Heat shrink sleeve label format dominates / Smithers Pira study

PVC PROFILES

Polish, Russian and Ukrainian profiles industry under pressure / Market predicted to decline by 2.7% per year to 2017 / Interconnection report