The heart of the innovation is the interaction between the high-tech contributions from the four partner companies. The combination of high-precision dosing (Elmet Smartmix), the all-electric injection-molding machine (Sumitomo IntElect), and the electric valve-gate cold runner (Elmet Smartshot E) enables a new level of accuracy in the reproduction of part weights.

Phil summarised in his own words: “We can’t wait to welcome guests through the door at the Heart of England events centre on 4 September 2024. Although we can’t guarantee the sunshine, I have no doubt that our team can put together a fantastic celebration of UK polymers.”

Phil and the team explored many venue options for FOPI, ultimately leading to what they believe to be something special at the Heart of England Conference Centre.

Taking inspiration from the likes of Glastonbury Festival, FOPI aims to boldly side-step the more conventional style of corporate events in favour of something novel. “It’s amazing to see that industry gatherings have made such a strong resurgence in the post-pandemic years, particularly as I remember murmurings at the time that virtual events and conferences would become the new norm. Happily, I think it’s clear to see we’re all still human and there’s a desire for real-world social interaction!” said Little.

Plastribution took little time in onboarding industry allies, signing up the likes of the Ministry of Justice, Ducor Petrochemicals, Notpla, UBQ, Engel and Summit Systems to their ever-evolving line-up of exciting acts, all of whom will be present as part of a mini-exhibition. Wayne Ball, sales director at ENGEL UK, said: "This event allows us to be involved in something really exciting, the chance to showcase our latest technology to people in a truly different way."

“The venue has plenty of parking and it’s only 10 minutes or so from Birmingham airport, alongside its associated train station and hotels. Accessibility is great too, so we hope to be able to attract a diverse cross-section of the industry.”

In true festival fashion, the centre-piece of FOPI will be the event’s ‘Mainstage’ - a platform for industry influencers from manufacturing and material development to take the spotlight and share their company's latest technologies and innovations.

With help from Sumitomo Demag, Shin-Etsu, and Mettler Toledo, Elmet will debut two innovative production cells to make silicone can covers at K 2022.

The mainstage will feature talks and demonstrations on the latest pioneering solutions in material handling, process cooling, and intelligent machinery systems. A range of Plastribution supply partners will also be on hand to share their latest innovations including edible materials, climate-positive solutions and highly technically demanding compounds for the most extreme of needs. Presenters will be given 20-minute, fully compered slots, allowing for short and punchy solutions-focused presentations with no time for B-sides. In addition, the festival will feature entertainment throughout the day, including bands and musical talent from familiar faces across UK plastics.

Together with three project partners, Austrian company Elmet developed two innovative injection-molding production cell that manufacture four different covers for beverage and food cans, which have been dubbed as Smartcaps.

Lids for food & beverage cans are manufactured by the Elmet injection molding system with an all-electric Smartshot E valve-gate cold-runner system.

Rick Lingle is Senior Technical Editor, Packaging Digest and PlasticsToday. He’s been a packaging media journalist since 1985 specializing in food, beverage and plastic markets. He has a chemistry degree from Clarke College and has worked in food industry R&D for Standard Brands/Nabisco and the R.T. French Co. Reach him at [email protected] or 630-481-1426.

With this in mind, we sat down with Phil Little, Plastribution Group’s newly appointed technical & business development manager, alongside other industry peers to discuss the vision for the Festival of Polymer Innovation (FOPI) - a festival-themed event that will bring people from the plastics sector together like no other.

PlasticsToday learned from Michael Schaffer, Elmet’s business unit manager tooling & turnkey, that the company built a 4-cavity mold specifically for the K Show. It will be used to make Smartcap lids in the Sumitomo booth as a souvenir for visitors, he adds.

“Our ambition with FOPI is to deliver something different that combines educational, networking and social aspects in equal measure. We are hosting an event with a broader appeal to showcase everything exciting that’s going on in polymers, regardless of what sector you operate in or your role.” British festivals have always united people, regardless of generation or background. With FOPI, Plastribution aims to replicate some of that spirit, creating a welcoming atmosphere for people at all levels of business, fostering an environment where all feel inspired to ask questions, learn and share interesting thoughts and ideas.

With Elmet‘s Smartshot E and Smartmix Top 7000 Pro systems, two of the company’s technological flagships are used in the production cell.

The dosing system design was focused on reducing the unit’s footprint to 1,150 mm/55.3 inches by 790 mm/31 inches. This makes the system the smallest liquid-silicone dosing system for 200-Liter container units on the market.

“The space is large, which affords us a lot of freedom to open the event to a large number of guests. With this in mind, we also encourage our show partners that exhibit to use this space creatively,” he added.

Similarly, Ewan Hyde, business development manager at Avalon Plastics, added: "We are really looking forward to seeing something different in the industry. It’s important to us to meet new people and share ideas."

Compared to its predecessor, the Smartmix TOP 5000 P, the Smart TOP 7000 Pro features a completely new pump system, which now only contains approximately one third of the liquid silicone in the system, making it much easier to clean. This is particularly important for use in the medical and pharmaceutical fields where the pump unit is dismantled and cleaned each time the material changes to prevent mixing of different types of liquid silicone.

Plastribution's Festival of Polymer Innovation represents a significant leap forward in industry collaboration and innovation. By creating an environment that is both informative and inclusive, FOPI sets a new standard for how industry advancements are shared and celebrated. Just as ‘Glastonbury’ has become an iconic event in the music world, FOPI aims to become a landmark event in the polymer industry.

The technological high-end counterpart in material provision is the Elmet Smartmix Top 7000 Pro dosing system, which delivers precise and reliable dosing of material to the Elmet injection mold. A Sumitomo linear handling device removes the parts from the mold and transfers them to the weighing cell made by Mettler Toledo where every part is weighed. The result is stored in a database and displayed graphically to demonstrate the process accuracy of the system. After weighing, the silicone parts are marked by laser to ensure highest possible traceability. After lasering, the parts are placed on a conveyor belt.

The new system boasts a material utilization level of up to 99.6%. Drums are changed automatically to increase ease of use and keep the amount of training to a minimum. Use of special seals made of FDA-compliant materials allows the Smartmix Top 7000 Pro to be used for medical applications.

It’s official, festival season is now here and, despite our very British ability to remain chirpy through what felt like the drabbest of winters, it’s difficult to deny that there’s much more positivity in the air with a little sunshine.

The special four-cavity injection mold from Elmet injects four different can lids made of liquid silicone (LSR) from partner company Shin-Etsu. The silicone lids produced serve as coverings for customary beverage cans such as those for soft drinks, energy drinks, and various alcoholic beverages. A separate cavity also produces covers for customary food cans made of sheet steel.