Across all process types, sustainability was a big theme at NPE2024. But there was plenty to see in automation and artificial intelligence as well.

A: One of the finest examples is when we collaborated with a leading rice brand to make its packaging structure more sustainable. Their conventional rice packaging comprised of different layers of polymers that delivered the desired performance attributes but with a lower recycling quotient. The rice brand approached us to develop a packaging structure that delivered the same attributes with an enhanced recycling quotient.

Global player in BOPET film has big plans for U.S. market with innovative products developed collaboratively with customers while paying heed to environmental concerns.

Both want plastics out of the natural environment. They agree that human behavior is the problem. One global firm is altering its own behavior to promote four types of recycling.

Cyrolite MD zk6 acrylic polymer is an amorphous, impact-modified thermoplastic injection molding and extrusion compound based on PMMA for the medical device and diagnostics industry. High impact resistance and ductility/toughness make Cyrolite  MD zk6 suited for applications like dialysis cassettes, test packs, filter housings, microfluidics, luers, tube connectors, IV catheter hubs, and Y sites.

A: Sustainability is in the DNA of UFlex — it permeates our products and processes and delivers on our carbon neutrality goals. To enhance our sustainable footprint across our manufacturing facilities, we have made investments in advanced technologies that consume lesser energy per ton to manufacture flexible packaging.

While prices moved up for three of the five commodity resins, there was potential for a flat trajectory for the rest of the third quarter.

Q: Do your sustainability efforts extend to your manufacturing facilities? For example, how you use energy and consumer resources at your plants around the world?

Learn about sustainable scrap reprocessing—this resource offers a deep dive into everything from granulator types and options, to service tips, videos and technical articles.

In addition to these, we have several other examples where we have developed more sustainable packaging structures for customers.

Recently, Plastics Technology discussed UFlex’s holistic approach to sustainability with Jeevaraj Pillai, the company's joint president  of packaging & new product development.

Processors with sustainability goals or mandates have a number of ways to reach their goals. Biopolymers are among them.

Thousands of people visit our Supplier Guide every day to source equipment and materials. Get in front of them with a free company profile.

One of our strategic goals has always been to develop a robust portfolio of innovative and sustainable offerings which can be recycled or finds a second life post-consumption.

Join KraussMaffei for an insightful webinar designed for industry professionals, engineers and anyone interested in the manufacturing processes of PVC pipes. This session will provide a comprehensive understanding of the technology behind the production of high-quality PVC pipes: from raw material preparation to final product testing. Agenda: Introduction to PVC extrusion: overview of the basic principles of PVC pipe extrusion — including the process of melting and shaping PVC resin into pipe forms Equipment and machinery: detailed explanation of the key equipment involved — such as extruders, dies and cooling systems — and their roles in the extrusion process Process parameters: insight into the critical process parameters like temperature, pressure and cooling rates that influence the quality and consistency of the final PVC pipes Energy efficiency: examination of ways to save material and energy use when extruding PVC pipe products

Jeevaraj Pillai: At UFlex, sustainability is a cornerstone of our business strategy. Our definition of sustainability includes adopting sustainable business practices that are feasible, in our long-term goal of creating ‘people,’ ‘planet’ and ‘profit’ plans and promoting a world of coexistence. UFlex has a strong focus on environment-friendly product designs and manufactures innovative and sustainable products and solutions for its customers across global markets. These products and solutions can be easily recycled or upcycled and leave no detrimental impact on the environment.

When, how, what and why to automate — leading robotics suppliers and forward-thinking moldmakers will share their insights on automating manufacturing at collocated event.

Say “manufacturing automation” and thoughts immediately go to the shop floor and specialized production equipment, robotics and material handling systems. But there is another realm of possible automation — the front office.

The aim of this presentation is to guide you through the factors and the numbers that will help you determine if a robot is a smart investment for your application. Agenda:  Why are you considering automation? What problems are you trying to solve? How and why automation can help Crunch the numbers and determine the ROI

Hamilton Plastics taps into its 30-plus years of know-how in high-barrier films by bringing novel, custom-engineered, nine-layer structures resulting from the investment in two new lines.

A: UFlex is present across the complete value chain of flexible packaging. To cater to the growing need for sustainable packaging options for a coffee brand, we developed a unique eco-friendly pack with a standable pack structure that offers good barrier properties. Its one-side valve helps retain the freshness of coffee and prevents it from extraneous factors like moisture and air.

This month’s resin pricing report includes PT’s quarterly check-in on select engineering resins, including nylon 6 and 66.

The company is showcasing these products in booth 1389 at MD&M West/Plastec West in Anaheim, CA, from Feb. 7 to 9, 2023.

With sustainability at the core of our organization, we focus on source reduction — manufacturing films made of recycled content such as our green PET film Asclepius; source substitution — exemplified in our range of paper-based packaging tubes Kraftika; multi-layer plastic and PET bottle recycling; and bio-degradable materials that are currently in the trial stage.

Mixed in among thought leaders from leading suppliers to injection molders and mold makers at the 2023 Molding and MoldMaking conferences will be molders and toolmakers themselves.

Join Engel in exploring the future of battery molding technology. Discover advancements in thermoplastic composites for battery housings, innovative automation solutions and the latest in large-tonnage equipment designed for e-mobility — all with a focus on cost-efficient solutions. Agenda: Learn about cutting-edge thermoplastic composites for durable, sustainable and cost-efficient battery housings Explore advanced automation concepts for efficient and scalable production See the latest large-tonnage equipment and technology innovations for e-mobility solutions

Ultradent's entry of its Umbrella cheek retractor took home the awards for Technical Sophistication and Achievement in Economics and Efficiency at PTXPO.

UFlex, a global manufacturer of flexible packaging film with plants all over the world, discusses what ‘sustainability’ means to its operations.

After successfully introducing a combined conference for moldmakers and injection molders in 2022, Plastics Technology and MoldMaking Technology are once again joining forces for a tooling/molding two-for-one.

This Knowledge Center provides an overview of the considerations needed to understand the purchase, operation, and maintenance of a process cooling system.

As drying, blending and conveying technologies grow more sophisticated, they offer processors great opportunities to reduce cost through better energy efficiency, smaller equipment footprints, reduced scrap and quicker changeovers. Increased throughput and better utilization of primary processing equipment and manpower are the results.

Join this webinar to explore the transformative benefits of retrofitting your existing injection molding machines (IMMs). Engel will guide you through upgrading your equipment to enhance monitoring, control and adaptability — all while integrating digital technologies. You'll learn about the latest trends in IMM retrofitting (including Euromap interfaces and plasticizing retrofits) and discover how to future-proof your machines for a competitive edge. With insights from industry experts, it'll walk you through the decision-making process, ensuring you make informed choices that drive your business forward. Agenda: Maximize the value of your current IMMs through strategic retrofitting Learn how to integrate digital technologies to enhance monitoring and control Explore the benefits of Euromap interfaces and plasticizing retrofits Understand how retrofitting can help meet new product demands and improve adaptability Discover how Engel can support your retrofitting needs, from free consultations to execution

Successfully starting or restarting an injection molding machine is less about ticking boxes on a rote checklist and more about individually assessing each processing scenario and its unique variables.

Formnext Chicago is an industrial additive manufacturing expo taking place April 8-10, 2025 at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois. Formnext Chicago is the second in a series of Formnext events in the U.S. being produced by Mesago Messe Frankfurt, AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology, and Gardner Business Media (our publisher).

Another example that comes to mind is when UFlex developed a packaging structure for a leading global food processing company for its brand of instant noodles. The sustainable innovation involved replacing a packaging material with a heterogeneous composition with a PP based Mono-polymer structure to achieve a recyclability quotient of No. 5.

Tobe Packaging’s breakthrough was to create its Ecolefin PE multilayer film that could be applied with a specialized barrier coating.

In this collection of content, we provide expert advice on welding from some of the leading authorities in the field, with tips on such matters as controls, as well as insights on how to solve common problems in welding.

Take a deep dive into all of the various aspects of part quoting to ensure you’ve got all the bases—as in costs—covered before preparing your customer’s quote for services.

In a time where sustainability is no longer just a buzzword, the food and beverage packaging industry is required to be at the forefront of this innovation. By adopting circular packaging processes and solutions, producers can meet regulatory requirements while also satisfying consumer demand and enhancing brand reputation. Join Husky to learn more about the broader implications of the circular economy — as well as how leading brands are leveraging this opportunity to reduce costs, increase design flexibility and boost product differentiation. Agenda: The cost and operational benefits of embracing circularity Key materials in circular packaging — including rPET and emerging bioplastics How to design a circular food and beverage package Strategies for selecting sustainable closures to future-proof packaging solutions Optimization and streamlining of production processes for enhanced efficiency How Husky Technologies can enable your sustainable success

Sustainability is in the DNA of UFlex — it permeates our products and processes and delivers on our carbon neutrality goals.

Mold maintenance is critical, and with this collection of content we’ve bundled some of the very best advice we’ve published on repairing, maintaining, evaluating and even hanging molds on injection molding machines.

Second quarter started with price hikes in PE and the four volume engineering resins, but relatively stable pricing was largely expected by the quarter’s end.

Introduced by Zeiger and Spark Industries at the PTXPO, the nozzle is designed for maximum heat transfer and uniformity with a continuous taper for self cleaning.

August 29-30 in Minneapolis all things injection molding and moldmaking will be happening at the Hyatt Regency — check out who’s speaking on what topics today.

Join Wittmann for an engaging webinar on the transformative impact of manufacturing execution systems (MES) in the plastic injection molding industry. Discover how MES enhances production efficiency, quality control and real-time monitoring while also reducing downtime. It will explore the integration of MES with existing systems, emphasizing compliance and traceability for automotive and medical sectors. Learn about the latest advancements in IoT and AI technologies and how they drive innovation and continuous improvement in MES. Agenda: Overview of MES benefits What is MES? Definition, role and brief history Historical perspective and evolution Longevity and analytics Connectivity: importance, standards and integration Advantages of MES: efficiency, real-time data, traceability and cost savings Emerging technologies: IoT and AI in MES

Gifted with extraordinary technical know how and an authoritative yet plain English writing style, in this collection of articles Fattori offers his insights on a variety of molding-related topics that are bound to make your days on the production floor go a little bit better.

Discover how artifical intelligence is revolutionizing plastics processing. Hear from industry experts on the future impact of AI on your operations and envision a fully interconnected plant.

In this collection of articles, two of the industry’s foremost authorities on screw design — Jim Frankand and Mark Spalding — offer their sage advice on screw design...what works, what doesn’t, and what to look for when things start going wrong.

While the melting process does not provide perfect mixing, this study shows that mixing is indeed initiated during melting.

In this three-part collection, veteran molder and moldmaker Jim Fattori brings to bear his 40+ years of on-the-job experience and provides molders his “from the trenches” perspective on on the why, where and how of venting injection molds. Take the trial-and-error out of the molding venting process.

A: At UFlex, our prime focus has always been to achieve operational excellence and growth while upholding our responsibility toward the planet and society. We have always adopted a progressive approach when it comes to innovation and sustainability.

This is just one example of the many where we have developed products with higher recyclability or sustainability quotients without compromising on the barrier properties.

In 1995, at the Davos Recycling Forum, we were recognized as the first company in the world to recycle mixed plastic waste from our recycling facilities in Noida, NCR-India and our efforts have also been acknowledged by the Government of India. Let me talk about two lines in particular:

UFlex’s research teams have come up with a solution of replacing this aluminum foil by altering the remaining films; thereby, making the post-consumer waste 100% recyclable.

UFlex, India’s largest flexible packaging producer will pay people to collect plastics trash for the company’s recycling programs.

While the major correction in PP prices was finally underway, generally stable pricing was anticipated for the other four commodity resins.

Our chemicals business has developed a wide range of green inks and adhesives and our recent innovation FLEXBOND SF WET LM 35 is designed largely for the wet lamination of clear BOPP and PVC films to paper or duplex boards. Applicable with manual or semi-automatic machines, the adhesive is water-based and that makes the product more sustainable. We are migrating more and more from solvent-based to water-based inks.

In this collection, which is part one of a series representing some of John’s finest work, we present you with five articles that we think you will refer to time and again as you look to solve problems, cut cycle times and improve the quality of the parts you mold.

With outstanding processability and unique bonding properties, Cyrolite G-20 CP has five times the impact resistance of unmodified acrylics and high resistance to body fluids and other chemicals, according to Röhm.

Core Technology Molding turned to Mold-Masters E-Multi auxiliary injection unit to help it win a job and dramatically change its process.

technotrans says climate protection, energy efficiency and customization will be key discussion topics at PTXPO as it displays its protemp flow 6 ultrasonic eco and the teco cs 90t 9.1 TCUs.

We invest in extensive research for source substitution of difficult-to-recycle materials such as aluminum foil. Aluminum foil is one of the most important layers within certain flexible multi-layer plastics (MLP) products. It is used to give strength as well as durability to the packaging along with other barrier properties. However, it is a very difficult material to recycle, due to the fact that we first need to separate the aluminum foil from other layers and then process the remaining plastic layers.

Our packaging films vertical has developed the B-TEM BOPP film. It is a high-barrier film that provides an excellent barrier against oxygen. The mono-material film is developed with coating on one side and corona treatment on the other side and stands high on the sustainability quotient due to its easy recyclability.

Not surprisingly, this film giant focuses heavily on sustainability. UFlex’s global sustainability initiative Project Plastic Fix, is designed to form solutions that focuses on solutions to keep plastic in the economy and out of the environment.

Multiple speakers at Molding 2023 will address the ways simulation can impact material substitution decisions, process profitability and simplification of mold design.

A: Innovation makes the balancing act possible. We create products and solutions factoring in sustainability in the structure while delivering protection and safety attributes.

Despite price increase nominations going into second quarter, it appeared there was potential for generally flat pricing with the exception of a major downward correction for PP.

While prices moved up for three of the five commodity resins, there was potential for a flat trajectory for the rest of the third quarter.

Q: How do you balance the pursuit of sustainability with a requirement for product protection, especially in the area of food packaging?

Additive technology creates air pockets in film during orientation, cutting down on the amount of resin needed while boosting opacity, mechanical properties and recyclability.

UFlex recycling facilities at Noida, India are recycling and upcycling post-consumer multi-layer mixed plastic waste which are used to manufacture value-added household and industrial plastic products such as stroller bags, irrigation pipes, dustbins, flower pots, buckets, and more.

The compound has three times the impact resistance of other medical-grade acrylics and features high light transmission with little haze, said Röhm.

Our endeavor is to create an ecosystem that inspires brands to commit to developing sustainable products and contributing toward a circular economy.

Plastics Technology’s Tech Days is back! Every Tuesday in October, a series of five online presentations will be given by industry supplier around the following topics:  Injection Molding — New Technologies, Efficiencies Film Extrusion — New Technologies, Efficiencies Upstream/Downstream Operations Injection Molding — Sustainability Extrusion — Compounding Coming out of NPE2024, PT identified a variety of topics, technologies and trends that are driving and shaping the evolution of plastic products manufacturing — from recycling/recyclability and energy optimization to AI-based process control and automation implementation. PT Tech Days is designed to provide a robust, curated, accessible platform through which plastics professionals can explore these trends, have direct access to subject-matter experts and develop strategies for applying solutions in their operations.

Cyrolite G-20 CP is a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)–based copolymer for injection molding and extrusion of UV-light protective medical applications. Cyrolite G-20 CP ensures integrity of photosensitive substances such as oncology drugs, antibiotics, and antifungal agents that require UV-light protection.

Across the show, sustainability ruled in new materials technology, from polyolefins and engineering resins to biobased materials.

Exhibitors and presenters at the plastics show emphasized 3D printing as a complement and aid to more traditional production processes.

Plastics Technology covers technical and business Information for Plastics Processors in Injection Molding, Extrusion, Blow Molding, Plastic Additives, Compounding, Plastic Materials, and Resin Pricing. About Us

UFlex is India’s largest multinational flexible packaging films and makes a wide variety of flexible packaging films at plants around the world, including one in Elizabethtown, Ky. It has a global capacity in excess of 5 million tons/yr.

UFlex has recycled more than half a million tons of multi-layer mixed plastic waste so far and has spent more than $20 million in the last financial year at its Poland and Mexico recycling sites.

Sustainability continues to dominate new additives technology, but upping performance is also evident. Most of the new additives have been targeted to commodity resins and particularly polyolefins.

The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) has released final figures for NPE2024: The Plastics Show (May 6-10; Orlando) that officially make it the largest ever NPE in several key metrics.

A: At present, we are not using any bio-resins. Bio-resins so far have not been found appropriate for the functional requirements of flexible packaging like a barrier, seal, and mechanical properties for flexible packaging applications.

Resin drying is a crucial, but often-misunderstood area. This collection includes details on why and what you need to dry, how to specify a dryer, and best practices.

Mike Sepe has authored more than 25 ANTEC papers and more than 250 articles illustrating the importance of this interdisciplanary approach. In this collection, we present some of his best work during the years he has been contributing for Plastics Technology Magazine.

Our focus on sustainability also reflects in our source reduction approach to running our manufacturing facilities. UFlex’s chemicals business has set up a Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) engineering process at its manufacturing facility that optimizes water usage. With this process, the chemicals manufacturing plant can now save up to 20 kiloliters of water every day. Our chemicals business has been recognized by leading industry forums for its sustainability initiatives in water management. It was also conferred with a leading industry award for effective and innovative implementation of environment and safety processes.

Röhm is launching two new medical products in its Cyrolite portfolio of materials at the co-located Plastec West and Medical Design & Manufacturing (MD&M) West event in Anaheim this week.