An Engel spokesperson tells PlasticsToday that, among others, “the [rPET] cups can be used for food products such as dairy products, gourmet salads, or sandwich spreads.”

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.

Founded in 1972 and headquartered in Corry, PA, Viking Plastics was acquired by the Hoffmann Family of Companies in August of this year. Viking operates more than 50 injection molding machines and multiple automated assembly cells in Kentucky, Indiana, and Pennsylvania for a global customer base. A specialty is sealing closures for automotive and HVAC applications.

An Engel e-speed 280/50 injection molding machine is the heart of the production cell. Engel specifically developed this hybrid machine with its electrical clamping unit and hydraulic injection unit for the high-performance requirements of thin-wall injection molding.

Engel is presenting a mold at the K show which can process different labels at the same time. This sees the partners respond to the globally different trends in in-mold labeling which are in line with the EPBP and/or Recyclass recommendations in the EU, and with the specifications from the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) for the USA.

Custom injection molder Viking Plastics announced today that current president Shawn Gross will succeed Kelly Goodsel as CEO, effective Nov. 1, 2024, as part of a larger succession strategy. Goodsel will continue in the role of chairman until the end of October and remain involved as a trusted advisor and business ambassador, the company said.

With the use of integrated in-mold labeling (IML), the containers are ready-for-filling as soon as they leave the production cell. The special feature in this application is the material. The thin-walled containers are produced directly from rPET in a single step.

The new model 280 e-speed high-performance injection unit for K 2022 (shown above) achieves injection speeds up 1,400 mm/55 inches per second at a maximum injection pressure of up to 2,600 bar when processing small shot weights with an extreme wall-thickness-to-flow-path ratio.

To date, PET is the only packaging material which can be processed as a recycled material on an industrial scale to create food packaging. This innovation sees partner companies pave the way for removing the need to downcycle packaging products other than bottles, and opens an opportunity for recycling or upcycling. This would substantially extend the range of uses for PET and rPET. In addition to the bottle-to-bottle cycle, this also means that the establishment of bottle-to-cup or even a cup-to-bottle recycling is conceivable.

A different technology is used in Europe: an in-mold label that floats during the recycling process makes it easy to separate the dyes and the label from the PET.

“On behalf of Viking Plastics’ stakeholders — including our customers, employees, shareholders, suppliers, and community members — I want to sincerely thank Kelly for his 24 years of dedicated service, during which he held key roles as President, CEO, Chairman and owner,” said incoming CEO Gross. He praised Goodsel’s two-decade-long leadership, emphasizing his guidance through the 2008-2009 recession, the challenges of COVID, ownership transitions, and domestic and international expansions. “Most notably, he helped implement an exceptional culture rooted in 2-Second Lean, a book written by Paul Akers, transforming the way we operate,” added Gross.

The dyes used on in-mold labels for the American market and its requirements can be washed off as the intent is to recycle the labels and the packaging.

Current president Shawn Gross will succeed Kelly Goodsel as CEO, part of a larger succession strategy for the custom injection molder.

In cooperation with partners Alpla Group, Brink Recycling, IPB Printing, injection molding machine manufacturer Engel is presenting a step forward for the packaging industry at K 2022 by processing recycled material, rPET, at its stand. Featured will be an Engel e-speed injection molding machine with a newly developed and extremely powerful injection unit.

Calling it an honor to lead such an exceptional team at Viking Plastics, Goodsel said he is “confident the company is well-positioned for continued growth and success. Shawn is a well-rounded executive with a proven track record, and I’m certain he, along with the management team, will further strengthen Viking’s position as the partner of choice across all areas of the business."

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The modified rPET being processed at the K show is sourced from PET beverage  bottles recycled in the plants of packaging and recycling specialists ALPLA Group, which is headquartered in Hard, Austria. Other partner companies involved in the show exhibit are Brink (Harskamp, Netherlands) for the mold and IML automation and IPB Printing (Reusel, Netherlands) for the labels.

Engel and partners’ development yields thin-walled food containers made in a single injection-molding step using up to 100% recycled PET.

For the first time, thin-walled containers made of PET, specifically recycled PET (rPET), can be produced in a single injection-molding process step.

Under the European Plastics Pact, the intent is for all plastic packaging to contain 30% recycled material and to be 100% recycling capable by 2025. Typical materials used for packaging foods in thin-walled containers are polyolefins (polyethylene, polypropylene) or polystyrene.

To process rPET, Engel combines the new injection unit with a plasticizing unit from in-house development and production specifically designed for processing recycled material. During plasticizing and injection, the viscosity of the PET is configured for thin-wall injection molding. The new Engel e-speed supports the processing of arbitrary recycled materials up to 100% rPET.

Until now, it has only been possible to process PET in thick-walled parts such as bottle preforms in injection molding. In that standard process, the final packaging format was created in a second step of the process — by blow molding, for example.

Featuring a wall thickness of 0.32mm/0.013 inch, the transparent, round 125-mL containers are representative of a whole category of plastic packaging, especially in the food industry.

Engel will present this technology and other developments at K 2022 in Düsseldorf, Germany, from Oct. 19 to 26, in booth C58 in Hall 15.

Also, recycling schemes for these materials lack the approval of the European food authority, European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). rPET offers a solution for avoiding penalties and special taxes. Although the price for PET is currently high, this concept makes the material a cost-effective alternative. EFSA has approved numerous recycling processes for PET, thus ensuring that rPET is available in Europe.

“I am excited to welcome Shawn as the next CEO of Viking Plastics,” said Geoff Hoffmann, co-CEO of Hoffmann Family of Companies, in a prepared statement. “Shawn’s extensive plastics expertise, intensive focus on quality, and unwavering commitment to driving a culture of continuous improvement will take the company to new heights. Under Kelly’s leadership, Viking Plastics has seen tremendous growth, establishing itself as a leader in the injection molding and assembled products industry with a trusted brand and strong financial foundation. We wish Kelly all the best in this next chapter of his life.”