Extrusion International 3-2024

18 Extrusion International 3/2024 INDUSTRY NEWS Process Simulation Enhanced by Realistic Cost Calculation  Until now, simulation results were only measur - able – soon, they are also countable. SIGMAecon en - ables process-dependent cost calculation, thereby providing the opportunity to determine the best com- promise between quality, optimal process, and minimal costs. With the new version SIGMASOFT ® 6.1, SIGMA Engineering releases SIGMAecon among other fea- tures. This tool offers the possibility of cost estimation directly combined with simulation results. Thus, the best compromise between quality, process, and costs can be quickly identified, as quality, productivity, and resources are simultaneously considered. The detailed knowledge of own production processes and their optimization possibilities is crucial in the in- creasingly competitive environment. Often even more important is knowing the real manufacturing costs. For instance, is an (assumed) optimization associated with lower costs due to reduced cycle time? Or do costs in- crease due to higher energy consumption? Securing a contract often depends on offering an ag- gressive selling price. However, turning such a project into a sustainable success requires precise knowledge of one's own costs beforehand. During the inquiry phase, SIGMASOFT ® allows for quick examination and optimi- zation of several important scenarios. Accurate predic- tions regarding time, material or pressure requirements, flow diagrams, etc., can then be provided to the pricing calculation as well-founded references. However, SIGMAecon takes it a step further by allow - ing the user to precisely determine the component costs of the currently simulated process and its optimization variants. Modified thermal concepts are not only con - sidered as additional costs or material savings but also in terms of the energy consumption. SIGMAecon includes predefined templates as well as the ability to define all inputs freely. The results are presented in tables or diagrams but can also be evalu- ated directly from a Design of Experiments (DoE) with SIGMASOFT ® for comparing different scenarios. This enables the optimization of manufacturing costs, which are now known in detail at the earliest possible stage. SIGMA Engineering GmbH sigmasoft.de Market Study: Plastic Pipes  Things are looking up again for manufacturers and distributors of plastic pipes: the current year al- ready promises a recovery. The lat- est edition of Ceresana forecasts an CAGR of 3%. However, the outlook varies greatly from region to re- gion. In Western Europe, demand is not expected to exceed the 2021 level until 2025. The construction industry in China is also finding it difficult to build on previous re - cords. North America, on the other hand, is setting a faster pace. In the USD in particular, the government is currently investing large sums in the infrastructure of the future, for example USD 15 billion in replace- ments for old lead potable water pipes alone. The study in brief: Chapter 1 provides a presentation and analysis of the global market – including forecasts up to 2032: For each region of the world, revenues (in USD & EUR) as well as production and demand (in tonnes) are given. Chapter 2 examines the largest national markets individually: Rev- enues, imports and exports in the 16 most important countries. The production and demand volumes are stated separately for the vari- ous types of plastic: PE, PP, PVC, and Other plastics. In addition, demand and revenue are presented for each country, bro - ken down by application: Sewage, Potable water, Cable protection, Gas supply, Agriculture, Industry, and Other applications. Chapter 3 provides 97 company profiles of the most important pro - ducers. http://ceresana.com