EPPM 23.2

JUN/JUL/AUG 2021 | VOLUME 23/ISSUE 2

COLLABORATION INNOVATION

MEUSBURGER PARTNERSHIPS BRING OUT THE BEST IN BOTH A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

SUSTAINABILITY LEAD AT HEXPOL TPE KIRSTY WOOD ON CIRCULAR MATERIALS.

BACK FOR GOOD

RASHEED MBAYED GETS EXCITED ABOUT THE RETURN OF ARABPLAST.

IN GOOD FORM

TEQ’S ANNE-SOPHIE BELAMINE HIGHLIGHTS THE COMPANY’S ROLE IN THE THERMOFORMING MARKET.

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EDITORIAL

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PRODUCTION

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IN THIS ISSUE JUN/JUL/AUG 2021

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FOREWORD

Plastics Recyclers Europe President Ton Emans is looking forward to a safe return of the plastics event season.

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Rob Coker introduces the second edition of 2021 – and hopefully the last during lockdown.

COLLABORATION INNOVATION

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Meusburger partnerships bring out the best in both

TPES

A recipe for success Kirsty Wood, Development Technologist and Sustainability Lead at Hexpol TPE, shares how TPE materials fit into a circular economy.

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Thermo-dynamic Michael Bodmann, General Manager – Europe, for United Soft Plastics, discusses how the use of TPE has particularly benefitted the healthcare industry.

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THERMOFORMING

In good form European Sales Director at TEQ Anne-Sophie Belamine highlights the company’s central role as the global market for thermoformed plastics increases.

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Trans-Atlantic tooling VEM President Marc Weinmann discusses the reasons for bringing his company’s toolmaking expertise to the European market

Rise of the robots Sepro Robotique CSO Xavier Lucas discusses the new and improved Success Range.

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MOULD AND TOOL MAKING

Portuguese expertise SteelPLUS CEO Luis Lima speaks to Rob Coker about the mould and toolmaking expertise that Portugal is well-known for.

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EXTRUSION

Productivity, flexibility, sustainability Taras Konowal, Director of Sales and Marketing – North America for Muller Technology, on how automation technology delivers results for plastics packaging manufacturers

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CLASSIFIEDS

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ARABPLAST 2021 PREVIEW

ArabPlast Exhibition Manager Rasheed Mbayed on the return of the Middle East’s most prominent plastics and petrochemicals trade fair.

AUTOMATION AND ROBOTICS

EUREKA

The taming of the screw Clemente Bausano, Vice President, Bausano & Figli S.p.A, discusses the impact of Industry 4.0 to extrusion manufacturing.

ISSN No - 2052-4811

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COLUMN

FOREWORD T

he COVID-19 pandemic brought a massive amount of uncertainty to our lives. Starting with constant worry about the health and safety of our relatives, friends or colleagues, to everyday life insecurities in terms of work or taking care of our children or daily chores.

This situation has severely impacted us in almost every sphere. It has impacted the way we work, disrupted production – even putting it completely on hold for several months.

Your resilience helped us make the voice of plastics recycling heard, even in the face of turbulent times networking in a traditional way. Social distancing took away the ‘human’ aspect of our job. But there is hope.

Hope for coming back to a ‘new normal’ and the possibility to meet face to face.

For plastics recyclers, the consequences of lockdowns resulted in disruptions in waste availability, the availability of workers, lowered demand and, most importantly, the record-low price for virgin polymers driving recyclates’ margins to the minimum.

That is why I would like to give my recognition to companies who, despite the unprecedented circumstances, continued to run their facilities and did everything possible to ensure the safety of their employees. Your resilience helped us make the voice of plastics recycling heard, even in the face of turbulent times. I thank you for that.

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES STILL HIGH ON THE AGENDA Despite this difficult period, one thing remains clear – the EU continues to work towards its environmental ambitions, and has further reinforced its

Plastics Recyclers Europe President Ton Emans is looking forward to a safe return of the plastics event season, and a bright future for the industry. stance with the Green Deal objectives, which are still top of the agenda.

The European Commission, with its post-pandemic green recovery plan, has reinsured our industry by securing the financial aid for the sector. This is great news

for the ongoing and planned investments that will give a further boost for innovation and additional capacities that are necessary to reach the recycling targets.

WORLD ONLINE The pandemic also prevented us from meeting and

Now with the vaccination being rolled out all over Europe, our continent prepares for a slow restart. The numerous industry events are re-scheduled at the different locations with the strictest hygiene and social distancing regime and often balancing the new hybrid online/ physical approach. These developments, I am hopeful, will allow us to meet face to face at the industry events planned for this autumn.

One of the focal events of our industry, the Plastics Recycling Show Europe, is planned for 4-5 November in Amsterdam.

We are looking forward to seeing you in person at this and many other events, where we can debate and share the latest market information and technological developments of the plastic recycling industry.

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

All killer, no filler Dear readers,

I will continue to take the publication in this direction, so feel free to connect with me with your ideas for unique, exclusive, and exciting content

This edition represents somewhat of a change of direction for EPPM Magazine. It may not have escaped your attention that we have launched a new website, Interplas Insights, upon which this title has joined its sister titles British Plastics and Rubber, and Women in Plastics. In order to live up to the name of the new website, I have made every effort to include unique content only within this edition – that is, insights straight from the minds of international plastics industry professionals rather than recycling press releases in the hope of occupying pages. In short, it’s all killer, no filler.

Even the regular Eureka! feature was created following my discussion with Mold S.r.l CEO Vanni Covolo after I was curious about his River Cleaning concept that utilises plastics manufacturing expertise to clean up Italy’s picturesque rivers.

children over the past few months.

But come on, and be honest, you found it quite funny really.

I will continue to take the publication in this direction, so feel free to connect with me with your ideas for unique, exclusive, and exciting content that helps to show Europe’s dedication to environmental and industrial progress for the wonder that it is, and to help put an end to the ongoing ‘plastics bashing’. As for this edition, I hope you enjoy what I have collated as we feature expertise in TPE from the materials sector, extrusion and thermoforming from the machinery sector, complex moulding abilities, and much from the world of robotics and automation, as well an exclusive interview with ArabPlast Exhibition Manager Rasheed Mbayed.

Rob Coker, Editor

Needless to say, this change of direction has been as challenging as it has been rewarding. There is so much more to learn about plastics manufacturing by interacting directly with its players, but doing this requires much more time – which I have ever-decreasing amounts of as we all continue to simultaneously deal with toddlers at home. I would hereby like to extend my apologies to all the plastics industry professionals, from all over the world, who have had to endure various noises and distractions from my

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COVER STORY MEUSBURGER PARTNERSHIPS BRING OUT THE BEST IN BOTH.

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hen it comes to fulfilling customer needs, Kunststoffwerk Buchs (KWB) and hot runner expert Meusburger are on the same page. As a professional for Swiss quality measuring tools, KWB relies on highquality raw materials and many years of experience in manufacturing its products – the same values that are also at the forefront at Meusburger’s operations.

Meusburger always provides support and the right solution for the Swiss company’s daily challenges.

KWB has been established for more than 50 years. The independently operating corporation owned by Wiha Werkzeuge GmbH is based in Buchs, St. Gallen, Switzerland. As a specialist for measuring equipment made of plastic, the company’s product applications are broadly diversified. The end products are used worldwide in various areas – from advertising material distributors to construction workers – even as far as professional surfing. It is important to find the right product for each customer, which is why many customised parts are also produced. For some time now, KWB has also been focusing increasingly on composite technology and lightweight construction in the thermoplastic sector.

The Swiss company is known for its high product quality and has been successful for decades.

JOINT CHALLENGES Challenges in injection moulding are also not uncommon at Kunststoffwerk Buchs. One such challenge is the injection moulding of a jointed hose system used to conduct air, water, coolants, gases and much more. This plastic jointed hose system features flexible use and can be produced in various colours, sizes and materials. The main area of application is in the field of cooling for metal cutting machining, but the plastic part is also used in the medical sector. The Maxiflex system is used during operations in a pump to supply organs with nutrient fluid. Therefore, the demand on product

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quality is high and the Swiss measuring equipment manufacturer relies on the products of the hot runner specialist Meusburger for production. In this specific application, the challenge was to maintain the existing cavities and spacing due to the complex contours. That is why the specification with the 26mm hole pattern had to be met.

The mould used to manufacture the joint system was initially a cold runner mould and was finally converted to a hot runner mould. After some quality defects and the desire to be able to inject six uniform parts again, KWB decided to try a new supplier. This is how Meusburger came into play and contact was made with the Meusburger headquarters in Wolfurt, Austria. The standard parts manufacturer regularly organises designer meetings, and it was at one such meeting that KWB became aware of Meusburger’s hot runner division based in Germany.

For over 55 years, Meusburger hot runner systems have covered the various requirements of demanding applications in terms of physical properties, materials, functional integration, surface quality and complicated designs. Depending on the customer’s application, Meusburger offers standardised hot runner systems that can be put to use quickly. Included amongst Meusburger’s expertise is the ability to develop customised solutions for more challenging projects.

The product range includes, for example, the PSG smartFILL nozzle series in various designs. In addition to the 4519-S version as a single nozzle, there are also the 4019 and 4519 manifold nozzles.

The 4019 variant is a slide seal nozzle, whereas the 4519 is screwed into the manifold. All nozzles feature advanced heating technology and thus ensure uniform heat distribution despite a slim nozzle body of approx. 17mm. During the discussions between Meusburger and KWB, the idea to install a complete six-cavity hot runner system in the

maintained on the injection moulded joint part, otherwise problems will arise during the assembly of the hose system.

COLLABORATION INNOVATION

Due to the compact design of the nozzle, the required tight nozzle spacing could be achieved without any problems

existing injection mould was developed.

The Switzerland-based manufacturer was closely supported by Jörg Bruder, field engineer for hot runner systems at Meusburger, throughout this process.

GET SMART Due to the co-operation with Meusburger, Kunststoffwerk Buchs was the first company to use the 4519 smartFILL nozzle screw-in type. Due to the compact design of the nozzle, the required tight nozzle spacing could be achieved without any problems. “The possibility of close arrangement and tight spacing is certainly a big advantage with smartFILL nozzles,” said Memo Ljatifi, Head of Engineering/ Mould Making/QM at Kunststoffwerk Buchs. Small tolerances must also be

The mould with the nozzles from the Meusburger range has now been in use since autumn 2019 and Kunststoffwerk Buchs is very pleased with it. The smartFILL nozzle is not only considered reliable, but also easy to maintain and clean. Ljatifi has confirmed this because the moulds at KWB are cleaned after each use: “The partnership between KWB and Meusburger is highly valued,” Ljatifi added. “Co-operation is always courteous, conscientious and transparent.”

The customer’s overall impression of Meusburger is extremely positive, and the Austria-based hot runner specialist is regarded as competent and experienced.

Meusburger’s extensive background knowledge is just one specific advantage.

Ljatifi has been working with Bruder for some time now and can always rely on the hot runner expert.

“Order processing is always simple and fast,” Ljatifi concluded. “Consultation is very good and if difficulties arise you get immediate assistance. All in all, everything runs very smoothly.”

Kunststoffwerk Buchs relies on other products from Meusburger in addition to the 4519 smartFILL nozzle. Besides mould base components, the Swiss measuring tool manufacturer also purchases workshop equipment from the standard parts manufacturer in Wolfurt – in other words, products from the entire Meusburger range.

TPE KIRSTY WOOD, DEVELOPMENT TECHNOLOGIST AND SUSTAINABILITY LEAD AT HEXPOL TPE, SHARES HOW TPE MATERIALS FIT INTO A CIRCULAR ECONOMY.

A recipe for SUCCESS

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ne of the fundamental concepts of how Hexpol TPE developed the Dryflex Green and Circular ranges required much thinking into how materials suppliers can consider sustainability right from the start.

There are thousands of different recipes or formulations for TPEs, and some have unusual properties such as the ability to swell in water or flame-retardancy, as well as TPEs that come from plants in the case of the bio-based materials, and those that contain recycled content. When designing for sustainability, we’re producing a thermoplastic elastomer using a ‘baking a cake’ analogy. The reason for this is that we’re taking ingredients, usually many different ingredients for a compound, weighing them out at different proportions, mixing, and then entering a

using and where does it come from? We also think about things like how the materials will be shipped and how are they being shipped to us?

What kind of waste do we produce within our operations? Where does that go after production? And then, finally, we think about the end of life of a product.

heating process stage, but rather than going into an oven, obviously they go through processing equipment such as a twin-screw extruder. At the end, we get plastic pellets and that’s what we sell on..

CONSIDERATE QUESTIONS Sustainability is changing the way that we work, and how we develop a material is massively affected by it. We’ve always had to consider some aspects such as what does the material do and what kind of properties does it need to have? Does it require special regulatory considerations?

How should it look and feel: the colour, the aesthetics, the haptics? Then we consider the environment that it’s going to be used in, i.e. indoor or outdoor products. Does it need to be able to resist certain types of weather? Furthermore, we always have to consider how it’s processed. But that material will exist in an entire lifecycle, so we also think about things like the energy that we use, how much are we

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We can design something that is easily recyclable by suggesting materials that are compatible with one another so that they can be recycled together. Perhaps the product needs to be repairable or have parts that can be repurposed. The other aspects to this lifecycle include where our raw materials come from. In the case of Dryflex Green, we’re using bio-content and we can look at using recycled content with the intention of reducing reliance on fossil fuels. The final step is validating all of these things. It’s great to have the intentions of reducing the impact of a material and where it comes from, but we need to make sure that that’s actually happening – and that’s done in a number of different ways that need to be considered not only by us but at every step on that supply chain.

ALTERNATIVE ANSWERS Here at Hexpol TPE we like to use what we call the ‘resource saving materials’ because we’re looking at alternative ways of producing TPE without having to rely on virgin fossil fuels. These fall under the Dryflex Green and Dryflex Circular brands. Similar to standard TPEs in terms of hardness and appearance, the Dryflex Green range has up to 90 per cent bio-content from a variety of different feedstocks. ‘Soft plastics from

plants’ really is the best description.

They’re bioplastics – specifically, biobased plastics – which refers to where they come from rather than what happens to them at the end of life as with biodegradable plastics.

In the case of Dryflex Green, we fall firmly into the bio-based camp, although they are not biodegradable so they’re not really for single-use applications and packaging but for long-life products such as automotive applications, building and construction, and household and consumer goods. We don’t want them to be breaking down into biological nutrients, we want them to become technical nutrients in a circular economy.

For the properties and customisation of our materials there are various different things that we can change. We do have what we refer to as a ‘standard Green series of materials’ that are biobased, but we often deviate from that through customisation. They can have up to 90 per cent renewable content and come in a range of hardnesses from 15 to 60 shore A. Moving on to the Circular grades, these are TPEs with recycled content – and we’re obviously very aware that by calling them ‘circular’, we’re making reference to the circular economy. We’re not assuming that everything can be solved through recycling alone, but recycled polymers have a really important role to play. Highvalue materials can become high-value nutrients for another technical cycle, and that’s what we’re aiming to achieve. We’re looking at waste as a resource and trying to keep its value high throughout its multiple potential lifetimes.

MAINTAINING VALUE We’ve split the series into two distinct groups: PCR and PIR. We take recycled

scrap material that has been sorted, washed and granulated by a recycler and then compound it into one of our TPEs, which we can then sell to a converter for automotive, sports and leisure, or household and consumer goods applications. Maintaining that value throughout its lifespan is a huge part of the whole sustainability discussion.

It’s not just about what we’re making in terms of the materials, but about how we run and how we communicate on that. The sustainability discussion should therefore be open and honest and ensure we’re on the same page.

There are many different standards out there. Our customers all have their own requirements, so if a manufacturer has a Dryflex Green material for use in a product that they wish to be certified,

Hexpol TPE would partner with them to make sure that they get all the information on the supply chain. And that goes for recycled content too. We can select a recyclate based on the certifications that it has, meaning that the producer of the final product can then go on to achieve various different certifications for their finished article.

To conclude, sustainability (for me, at least) is an irreversible part of our business, as for many others. We’re only going to see growth in this area, as well as increasing interest and pressure from different angles. It’s really exciting to be part of a team looking at these new and emerging materials and technologies, and it’s exciting to think about what is yet to happen. There’s much more that needs to happen in this industry and further afield, and everyone’s got a role in business to think about sustainability. As we often say here, it’s not one person’s responsibility – it’s everybody’s.

It’s really exciting to be part of a team looking at these new and emerging materials and technologies, and it’s exciting to think about what is yet to happen

DESIGN

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TPE MICHAEL BODMANN, GENERAL MANAGER – EUROPE, FOR UNITED SOFT PLASTICS (USP), DISCUSSES HOW THE USE OF TPE HAS PARTICULARLY BENEFITTED THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY.

How has USP reacted to the growing demand for TPE in healthcare applications?

USP developed some individual medical TPE grades on special request of existing customers. In parallel, USP already begun activities in 2020 in increasing its production capacities with a new plant in Houston, Texas.

Has there been a change in attitude towards plastics of this kind from the general public and from environmental NGOs? Unfortunately, not really. Obviously, they do not know or do not want to know the differences within plastics and, especially, they do not want to accept that PET bottles do not have anything in common with high-engineered plastics and their necessity in many technical areas. In this case, I do not want to imagine how equipment in hospitals and intensive care units would look like without plastics in, for example, ventilators.

What reassurance can you give your customers that the materials can be reused and/or recycled after use?

The status quo in recyclability of plastics in general is already very high. This is also valid for all kinds of TPE materials and the TPE products of our customers after use.

Because of this, USP is taking its scrap of production and recycled raw materials as well for new production permanently.

And, on the special request of customers, it is also possible to compound TPE materials out of 100 per cent recycled raw materials. But we have to be honest: the availability of TPE recycled material is still limited because there exist many different and customised grades in the market, from which we do not know the recipes in detail. But these details are very important for implementing a global, structural, and reliable recycling process.

What advantages does TPE have over other materials when used to manufacturer skin-contact PPE? It is not our understanding of business to compare TPE materials against other options directly. At the end of the day customers decide with which material they see the greatest success of their products in the market. But you can be sure that TPE, also for a lot of medical applications, does have some extraordinary benefits for end-users, otherwise the success story of these kinds of materials would not have been so amazing.

How difficult has it proved to get EU/ FDA approval for these materials?

It is not more difficult to get EU/FDA approval for our TPE medical grades in comparison to other products because the requirements, norms and product-testing procedures are defined clearly and either they are fulfilled or not. But we see one particularly positive side effect: the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated time till approval after initiating the EU/FDA process enormously, when local governments declared this type of product as very important.

Which are the most efficient and cost-effective processes for manufacturing with USP TPE? The most established and efficient processing of TPE is twocomponent injection moulding, mainly on PP as hard plastic part due to its great bonding without any additional manufacturing or assembling steps afterwards. Higher cost-effectiveness can still be realised with optimisation of used moulds in terms of using hot runners, the number the cavities and cycle times in general.

How does USP ensure TPE materials can get to its Europe-based markets as swiftly as its US markets?

Logistics for European markets is guaranteed by our Central European Warehouse, located in The Netherlands near the German border. All serial running TPE are available permanently and can be shipped to every customer facility within one week. Also, short-term needed demands or sample material can be delivered from the US directly on very short notice. It is for me sometimes still surprising how fast this can be organised, based on professional and reliable paperwork for customs clearance.

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TPE NEWS VIRTUAL TPE EXPERT TALKS 2021

AVIENT HAS LAUNCHED THREE PROPRIETARY TPE FORMULATIONS THAT CONTAIN ANTIMICROBIAL ADDITIVES TO ITS GLS TPE PORTFOLIO.

KRAIBURG TPE HOSTED ITS SECOND TPE EXPERT TALKS FROM 8-10 JUNE. HAVING RECEIVED POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM LAST YEAR’S EVENT, THE FREE DIGITAL PRESENTATION FOCUSED ON INDUSTRY HIGHLIGHTS AND EXPERTISE.

Avient launches GLS TPEs with antimicrobial technology

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rior to the event, CEO Franz Hinterecker said: “We’ll be able to present our accumulated global expertise for the first time – for three days, almost 24 hours a day, directly from Europe, America and Asia, and always with a local focus.”

The event covered a broad range of topics from light effect TPEs and an FAQ session on TPEs in relation

to the US FDA, to electrically conductive and antistatic TPEs, and innovations in lightweight TPEs. The programme also included sessions covering general topics such as multicomponent injection moulding, with the aim of preparing participants to face challenges in the field of TPEs and get them ready for the coming 12 to14 months in the market environment.

SMITHERS PUBLISHES LATEST TPE EXPERT STUDY EXCLUSIVE NEW DATA FROM SMITHERS SHOWS TPE CONSUMPTION FELL TO A PROJECTED 3.23 MILLION TONNES IN 2020; DOWN FROM 4.71 MILLION TONNES IN 2019.

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s the market enters 2021, it is poised to rebound to 3.84 million tonnes for the year.

Smithers’ latest expert study, The Future of Thermoplastic Elastomers To 2026,

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shows global demand will not return to prepandemic levels before 2024. It forecasts a CAGR of 9.5% for 2020-2026. This is representative both of recovery in core end-

vient’s GLS TPEs with antimicrobial technology inhibit bacterial growth by 99.9 per cent (3-log) or more and resist fungal growth to protect moulded plastic parts.

Tested in accordance with JIS Z2801 and ASTM G21-15 standards, these additives protect moulded plastic parts by inhibiting bacterial growth and resisting fungal and mould growth.

These microorganisms can cause detrimental aesthetic and mechanical property changes to a finished plastic part.

High-touch surfaces and applications are especially vulnerable.

In response, Avient developed GLS TPEs with antimicrobial

additives, available as Versaflex and OnFlex grades. Potential applications include consumer electronics, personal care item grips, and automotive applications such as cup holder mats and HVAC seals.

Matt Mitchell, Director, Global Marketing of Specialty

use industries after a year of unprecedented disruption and the emergence of new opportunities.

Smithers tracks how this will transform the post-COVID market across the leading seven TPE grades, and highlights the market and emergent technologies that will enable suppliers and compounders to exploit new markets.

The automotive industry has been badly

hit by the pandemic, but remains the dominant application, consuming 43.9% of all TPEs in 2020.

The impact of these changes on all leading TPE grades is analysed critically in the Smithers study.

The pre- and post-COVID market for 2016-2026 is quantified in depth in a comprehensive dataset, also segmented by end-use application, geographic region, and major national economies.

Engineered Materials at Avient, said: “Products can now be designed with TPEs that can help extend useful life by inhibiting microbial growth, and these newly formulated materials also deliver the performance synonymous with our GLS brand of TPEs.”

TPE DENNIS SIEPMANN, HEAD OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY AT ACTEGA, DISCUSSES THE TECHNICAL BENEFITS OF TPE IN MEDICAL DEVICES.

TECHNOLOGY, PATIENTS, ENVIRONMENT T PEs have a variety of properties or can be tailored and adapted to the requisite or desired characteristics depending on what end product is ultimately in focus.

For example, TPE compounds for vials.

Vials are sealed with an injection seal or PTFE septum. The seal is least dense in the middle. This point is penetrated by the injection needle to draw in the injection fluid. In accordance with the European Pharmacopoeia and the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP), the requirement profile must account for protection, safety, compatibility and function, and many of the material properties must be tested. Furthermore, test certificates in accordance with USP 381 are required for the injection or pharmaceutical seals used here. Specifically, the USP 381 includes evidence of physical-chemical and functional tests during which possible influential factors, changes and penetrability, fragmentation, and selfsealing are examined.

According to USP Class VI, also for injection and infusion systems, biological testing and biological reactivity tests are required. The biocompatibility of the compounds in accordance with ISO 10993 must be confirmed. Biocompatibility means that the properties of the material

used must be biologically compatible and should not display any undesirable interactions with other materials or living tissue. Apart from the general requirement concerning the use of source materials comprising non-toxic substances, this requirement is subject to additional specification for substances which are carcinogenic, toxic to reproduction, and affecting the endocrinal system. Those manufacturers of medical technology relying on successfully tested, non-cytotoxic thermoplastic elastomer compounds (e.g., PROVAMED) that can make an essential contribution toward successful qualification are significantly facilitated in terms of tasks relating to conformity. The use of TPE materials also helps manufacturers of medical technology to counter the increasing criticism of PVC and plasticisers, as well as improve the safety of patients and specialist personnel, which is also in the spotlight when it comes to medical seals and plugs.

The aim is to prevent leaks in the component – e.g. syringe piston seals and pharmaceutical plugs – and improve tightness. Unlike other materials, TPEs with a low compression set make these medical applications fully tight and

therefore safer for human beings and the environment. The lower the compression set, the safer the application as no media or substances are able to escape in an uncontrolled manner. This safety aspect is also complied with by manufacturers of medical technology, reducing the percentage of PVC in their products by combining components made of PVC with components made of TPE – e.g., injection moulded soft PVC components with extruded TPE tubes.

This involves bonding the TPE to the PVC parts using conventional solvents.

Those who wish to realise the advantages of the combination of two materials in a component in a single work step can avail of the economical two-component injection moulding process, which demands optimised adhesion on the part of the TPE. Because of their tremendous flexibility, their resistance to a wide variety of media and their great range of mechanical properties, TPE compounds allow fine tuning to individual situations, can be used in a very wide range of areas, offer great product and customer benefits, and are also a commercially attractive material solution.

THERMOFORMING EUROPEAN SALES DIRECTOR AT TEQ ANNE-SOPHIE BELAMINE HIGHLIGHTS THE COMPANY’S CENTRAL ROLE AS THE GLOBAL MARKET FOR THERMOFORMED PLASTICS INCREASES.

IN G OD FORM

T

he process of thermoforming consists simply of forming thermoplastic materials into desired shapes using heat. Thermoforming is now widely practised to produce a range of plastic products from battery display packs to large aircraft interior panels. The most common use for thermoforming remains in the packaging sector, but it has also gained a strong foothold in the transport, aerospace, electrical and electronic, medical, consumer goods and appliances, and construction industries.

Thermoforming is considered one of the four major processes available to the plastics industry, alongside extrusion, injection moulding, and blow moulding.

The main advantages of thermoforming over other methods are likely to come down to the high mass production rate and durability of resulting products.

TYPES OF THERMOFORMING During the forming process, there are essentially three methods available: Mechanical forming: the thermoplastic sheet is forced into the mould by direct action using air pressure, often with the use of a core plug to push the sheet into the cavity and forced into the desired shape.

Vacuum forming: the sheet is heated, and then a vacuum pressure system seals the

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edges of the mould into the heated plastic avoiding any leakage.

Pressure forming: additional pressure is applied through a box that encloses the mould to create a pressure-tight thermoforming area.

Other advantages of thermoforming often highlighted are cost-effective tools and moulds, reasonable times for processing from design to prototype, large surfaceto-thickness ratios, the option to process large and multilayer parts, and wideranging machinery.

THERMOFORMING AND THE PHARMA AND MEDICAL SECTORS One company at the forefront of innovation, design and sustainability of plastic packaging is TEQ, a leading manufacturer of thermoformed packaging for some of the world’s biggest companies. The company creates packaging products for a range of different markets, including consumer goods, component handling and healthcare, all developed at its state-ofthe-art production facilities based in the UK at Hucknall. near Nottingham, and Poznan in Poland. Both sites have certified cleanroom facilities used to produce products for the medical sector.

packs - have emerged as key packaging solutions to carry, organise, and ship medical devices and components through specific design specifications.

Due to their light weight and barrier resistance, blister packaging is soaring in popularity as it ensures products are protected from damage and moisture.

Use of less raw material in packaging, cost efficiency, attractive design, and customisation are seen as key features destined to raise interest in the blister thermoforming packaging market.

TEQ’s medical packaging range includes clamshells, dosage cups, trays, tubs, lids and sterile barrier blisters. The company also manufactures custom thermoformed handling trays, including dry powder inhalers, auto-injectors, injection moulded components, pre-filled syringes and pharmaceutical bottles.

The market of thermoformed plastics was estimated at $12.3bn (~€10.1bn) in 2019 and is expected to grow at about 4.9% between 2020 to 2027. Some regions dominate the global market, out of which North America (United States, Canada, and Mexico) holds first place with approximately 54 per cent of the revenue as of 2019. Other regions that play an important role in the global thermoforming market are Asia Pacific (China, Japan, India) and Europe (especially United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Italy).1

Pharmaceutical packaging has applications for diverse purposes including carrying, storing, and shipping of medicines and medical devices, as well as drug dispensing systems. Thermoformed packaging products – such as blister

1 Grand View Research, “Thermoformed Plastics Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Biodegradable Polymers, PE, PVC, PP), By Process, By Application, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2020-2027”

ARABPLAST PREVIEW ARABPLAST EXHIBITION MANAGER RASHEED MBAYED ON THE RETURN OF THE MIDDLE EAST’S MOST PROMINENT PLASTICS AND PETROCHEMICALS TRADE FAIR.

BACK FOR GOOD How does it feel to see the return of ArabPlast?

As the world went through mayhem due to the COVID-19 pandemic, international shows came to a standstill, which was really the only option. The exhibition world has witnessed its worst scenario during this period, and it is a blessing to revive prominent shows – slowly, yet steadily – and for exhibitors and visitors to travel with ease.

We are proud to announce the 15th Edition of ArabPlast during 15-18 November 2021 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The dates have been carefully chosen to ensure that countries have enough time to recoup and be ready.

How can visitors be assured that returning to such events is safe?

We are extremely proud to say that it is safe to visit the UAE. Countries across the world are battling to recover their lost economies, but the UAE has taken the lead in vaccinating over nine million of its residents, and the campaign continues.

The UAE Government, along with the Minsitry of Health, Dubai Health Authority, and

the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, are taking all measures to ensure that visitors do not feel threatened by COVID-19.

These measures are among the hightest standards in the world, and offer the reassurance of being safe.

The UAE has showcased GITEX, Gulfood in Dubai, IDEX in Abu Dhabi and the Sharjah Book Fair already this year, with sizeable national and international participation.

My personal visit to all these shows endorses the fact that the government, in conjuction with the other authorities, has presented itself successfully.

Can you confirm that this year’s ArabPlast will focus as much on circular economy as it will on business?

ArabPlast has concentrated on all the aspects of the industry, which includes sustainability and circular economy, although on a smaller scale in the past. While we do not look past the fact that plastic can be destructive, it is also evident that they cannot be eliminated from

everyday use. Bearing the importance of plastics in mind, ArabPlast will give prominent importance to recycling and circular economy, since investors have channelled their focus in this sector.

Plastics have made tremendous progress in automobiles, aviation and medical equipment since it is significantly lighter than any alternatives, making it easier to transport as well as having a lower carbon footprint. Also, the increased demand in the construction sector will increase the demand for recycling.

In what ways does the Middle East contribute to the world’s plastics industries?

Plastics are the second largest manufacturing sector in the region and annually generate over $108bn (~€90bn) worth of products. The region has developed as a significant producer of plastic materials and has seen the growth of important domestic plastics processing markets.

The Middle East, undoubtedly, is rich in petrochemical resources and raw materials that form the basis of the entire industry. The UAE’s massive drive to build one of the world’s most advanced infrastructures has fuelled demand for plastics products. With an added emphasis on the recycling sector, the MENA market is expected to grow rapidly.

What unique features can visitors expect at ArabPlast that they perhaps cannot at other such leading events?

ArabPlast is the fastest and most cost-effective way to get a footing in the vast MENA region. Visitors look for the right product and technology to give a boost to their business. Being the largest and only successfully established event in the region for petrochemicals, packaging, plastics and rubber, it draws the attention of a worldwide, distinctive audience.

Since it is a biannual event, exhibitors eagerly anticipate launching new products at Arabplast, knowing that the global reach is much more effective.

The 15th edition will witness the presentation and demonstration of new products, innovations, trends, technologies and product upgrades that will raise the standards of the plastics and petrochemicals industries.

ArabPlast has always encouraged and supported its participants to bring originality and freshness, and has strived to ensure that trade visitors return fulfilled.

MOULD AND TOOL MAKING BASED IN CLOVIS, CALIFORNIA, VEM PRESIDENT MARC WEINMANN DISCUSSES THE REASONS FOR BRINGING HIS COMPANY’S TOOLMAKING EXPERTISE TO THE EUROPEAN MARKET.

Trans-Atlantic tooling What factors led to the decision for a US-based company to open operations in Plovdiv?

We can see that globalisation turns into localisation. Since we have a lot of customers in Europe, we thought that being in the EU with a maximum twoto three-hour plane ride from all the big European factories, would be very helpful. Also, we can see that many US customers do not want to source in Asia anymore, but are very open to Europe. So far, orders in VEM Bulgaria are up more than 80 per cent compared to last year.

Which Europe-based injection moulding machinery manufacturers are involved in the project?

We use Arburg machines also at VEM Mexico and are very satisfied with the quality and service.

And in what ways might they benefit form VEM’s presence in Europe?

Arburg is a world-class manufacturer of injection moulding machines. We will grow with them in Europe,

but we are also working on a very big 2K project with one of the biggest medical device companies in the US, where Arburg supports us technically and where they, if successful, can ship a lot of their machines to California.

Many European countries, including Bulgaria, have a very long and proud tradition in the moulding and tooling industry. How can VEM innovation help enhance this expertise?

First of all, that is a very correct statement that not many industry insiders know. Bulgaria was/is the Toolmaking Capital of the Eastern Block so there is a lot of tradition, but also a skill set available. Most of the local engineers and toolmakers speak excellent English, as well as Russian. VEM is bringing the international exposure to the table, we now have seven nationalities working there in VEM. And with the latest technology (VEM has its first 5-axis CNC machine there), we can help them to improve and get to the next level.

Bulgaria was/is the Toolmaking Capital of the Eastern Block so there is a lot of tradition, but also a skill set available

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We are currently considering having a 3D steel printer there very soon.

And how will US expertise complement the European drive towards sustainability and a circular economy?

To shock you a little bit, the Europeans are already ahead of the Americans.

Germany, for example, can, on a warm, sunny and windy day, already generate 100 per cent of its energy needs from renewable energy. Europe has a clear strategy and action plan for recycling different materials, especially plastics.

The USA (at least the places I have been to in the last 12 months) is way behind and I hope they can learn from the Europeans very soon.

In which markets can we expect to see injection moulded parts made with VEM moulds?

Medical device, automotive and consumer goods. Some of these moulds will end up in the USA as there is very little import duty from the EU to the USA for moulds.

At which trade fairs can potential customers expect to see VEM products and solutions this year?

We will be present at Medical Design & Manufacturing West in Anaheim, California in August, as well as at Fakuma in Friedrichshafen, Germany, in October – aside from the K Show, we know this is the biggest plastics show in Europe.

We also be present at Interplas in Birmingham, UK, in September.

VEM Europe will be exhibiting from Hall 4, Booth C69 at Interplas.

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MOULD AND TOOL PORTUGAL IS WELL-KNOWN IN THE EUROPEAN INDUSTRIAL LANDSCAPE FOR ITS EXPERTISE IN MOULD AND TOOL MAKING FOR NUMEROUS APPLICATIONS AND SECTORS. LOCATED IN THE COUNTRY’S NORTHERN CITY OF VALE DE CAMBRA, STEELPLUS CEO LUIS LIMA SPEAKS TO ROB COKER ABOUT THIS EXPERTISE.

THE MOULD AND TOOL INDUSTRY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR HELPING TO PRODUCE NUMEROUS PLASTIC PARTS AND COMPONENTS THAT PERHAPS GO UNSEEN AND UNAPPRECIATED

BY THE EVERYDAY CONSUMER. WHAT IS THEREFORE UNIQUE ABOUT STEELPLUS’ EXPERTISE THAT MAKES IT THE NAME TO TRUST IN MOULDING AND TOOLING? We operate as more than just a supplier.

We aim to be a trusted partner for our clients.

We are a certified company with a team of highly qualified technicians making sure of that. Every Friday, our project managers send detailed, up-to-date planning and photos of our clients’ moulds to keep them informed and ensure trust and transparency for the duration of the project. We are also able to give technical and virtual support during every try-out.

Because we take our clients’ success as our own, we are 100 per cent dedicated to every single project to ensure they are completely satisfied.

WHICH MANUFACTURING SECTORS CONTINUE TO WORK WITH STEELPLUS IN ORDER TO PRODUCE THEIR PARTS AND COMPONENTS? We currently have clients that started with us 20 years ago and are still with us to this day. In the last few years, we have also had clients from various industries ranging from the medical and health sector, to the automotive, packaging, piping, and electronics industries, among others.

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These clients continue to choose to make their moulds with SteelPLUS because they know they can trust us with their projects. They know we are an excellent European alternative, cost-wise, and always maintaining a high-level of quality.

IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT WITHOUT THE MOULD AND TOOL INDUSTRY, THERE CAN BE NO MANUFACTURING. IN WHAT WAYS DOES STEELPLUS CONTRIBUTE TO THIS STATEMENT, AND WHAT DOES IT BRING TO PORTUGAL’S MANUFACTURING SECTOR SPECIFICALLY? SteelPLUS is inside a Portuguese mould cluster of international reference, making moulds for industries that help make the world a better place. Up until recently, there was no alternative to the moulding industry, and even now it is nearly impossible to avoid it if manufacturing is your goal.

This is a non-evasive industry that is key to the production of tools and necessary goods for the development of society and the ecosystems we live in.

Portugal is a world reference for mould manufacturing since this industry has decades of tradition based on experience and deep knowledge of the subject.

HOW COMPLEX IS MOULDING FOR INTRICATE PARTS SUCH AS MULTIOUTLET VALVES AND PUMPS? Moulding multi-outlet valves and pumps is truly complex and can only be achieved by highly qualified technicians with several years of experience in the industry. Not everyone is going to be able to make such a mould.

We have dozens of moulds made using different technologies and engineering techniques for automatic unthreading in delicate areas such as multi-outlet valves, pumps, and other threaded parts.

This accumulated know-how makes SteelPLUS a distinguished supplier in the area.

WHICH OTHER COMPLEX PARTS AND COMPONENTS CAN STEELPLUS HELP CREATE THROUGH ITS EXPERTISE? We are equally experts in bi-injection, stack moulds, tight tolerance moulds, and other delicate tools. These types of tools are recognised by their particular

technology and processes perfected over the years through our know-how and experience.

WHICH UNIQUE SOLUTIONS DOES STEELPLUS BRING TO THE MARKET THAT HELP MANUFACTURERS INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY? As we said before, our clients’ success is also our success, so our goal is to help them overcome any production problems that may arise.

With this, and to ease our clients’ minds, every mould SteelPLUS makes offers maximum shots guarantees, a minimum injection cycle, and personalised and fast aftersales service. Furthermore, we will have a team of our technicians in our clients’ facilities for mould start-up and, should they need it, our team will be there for mould assistance within 48 hours.

AND HOW DOES STEELPLUS HELP ITS CLIENTS IN TERMS OF SUSTAINABILITY AND CIRCULAR ECONOMY? As a company that produces moulds for the injection of thermoplastics, SteelPLUS’ role in sustainably influencing our customers’ choices begins in the commercial phase in which we propose the use of recyclable materials and of adequate longevity to minimise the costs of the construction and maintenance of a mould during its life.

In the design phase, customers are offered solutions to maximise production and reduce the waste of raw materials by fully reintegrating them into the value chain. In addition, we purchase structural steels with the quotas as close as possible to the final ones to minimise

their processing and, consequently, promote a significant reduction in internal production times, guaranteeing a reduction in resource consumption and sustainable growth of the company.

In the milling and erosion operations, SteelPLUS continually invests in the modernisation of technology and machinery, which reflects the constant pursuit of getting things right first time, thereby minimising the waste of raw material as well as the waste generated. This significantly reduces the environmental impact of our activity.

Our Environmental Management team ensures that our employees and suppliers are aware of the conscious and controlled use of materials that generate nonrecoverable waste that will generally go to landfill and cannot be recycled, and for the correct recycling of waste from their activity.

The moulds produced at SteelPLUS are almost entirely recyclable, thus contributing to their reintegration into the production cycle.

Up until recently, there was no alternative to the moulding industry, and even now it is nearly impossible to avoid it if manufacturing is your goal

EXTRUSION CLEMENTE BAUSANO, VICE PRESIDENT, BAUSANO & FIGLI S.P.A, DISCUSSES THE IMPACT OF INDUSTRY 4.0 TO EXTRUSION MANUFACTURING. HOW IS PLASTICS EXTRUSION TECHNOLOGY ADAPTING TO 21ST CENTURY DEMANDS? In recent years it has become an increasingly common need for plastic maufacturers to extrude from nonvirgin plastics obtained, for example, from industrial processing waste. For manufacturers of extrusion technology, this mainly involves adapting the screws, the heart of the machine, whose design must be studied ad hoc according to the specific blend. In addition, the extrusion sector has also embraced the principles of Industry 4.0, with the development of innovative technologies to manage plants remotely, through a centralised control system.

WHAT HAS BAUSANO’S ORQUESTRA TECHNOLOGY BROUGHT TO THE SECTOR REGARDING PRODUCTION AND EASE OF USE? Orquestra makes it easy for end users to collect and analyse raw data, allowing them to optimise the entire extrusion process by calculating performance indices. For some time now, in fact, processing information from the MD Plus 30 and MD Plus 75 machines in our test room has been extremely useful for improving the performance of our extruders and, consequently, the quality of the process.

The taming of the Based on these results, we realised how important it is for customers to be able to monitor all production parameters.

IS THE OPTIMISATION INVOLVED DIRECTED AT PRODUCTIVITY OR PRODUCT QUALITY? Both. On the one hand, being able to count on reliable information, made available in an intuitive way, allows you to maximise the quality of the product. On the other, Bausano’s technical consultancy makes the difference in ensuring high performance in terms of output kg/h, depending on the material to be processed.

Orquestra’s advantage in this sense, is the ability to continuously monitor all parameters in real time to optimise production and consumption.

IN WHAT WAYS HAS THE PAST YEAR BROUGHT ABOUT FURTHER INNOVATIONS IN EXTRUSION TECHNOLOGY AND PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE SOFTWARE? The lockdown was certainly an accelerator of the digitalisation process.

For example, Acty, our specially developed software, combined with 3D glasses, allows Bausano technicians to provide remote assistance and carry out startups even on complex lines, thanks to augmented reality – a service that will continue to be useful post-COVID, especially for maintenance operations that require a visit to the customer’s premises, with a clear saving in terms of time and costs for both parties. Orquestra offers the additional opportunity to make use of the Bausano Team, which, by accessing the machine’s operating indices remotely, can report and prevent any anomalies. Naturally, this can be done only with the customer’s authorisation to transmit data in the cloud.

WHICH INDUSTRY SECTORS WILL ESPECIALLY BENEFIT FROM INTEGRATING THE SOFTWARE? The integration of the latest 4.0 technologies will bring benefits, especially in terms of intelligent diagnosis and predictive maintenance, in various application areas: from the extrusion of pipes, profiles and granules, to the production of products for medical use.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE ABOUT HOW ORQUESTRA HELPS MANUFACTURERS MEET SUSTAINABILITY TARGETS? Orquestra gives manufacturers access to precise data for highly accurate analysis of energy consumption, helping them to implement strategies to reduce the company’s impact on the environment. In addition, predictive maintenance becomes one of the pillars of sustainability for earlier intervention, which can generate a positive impact in terms of reducing the number of spare parts.

The integration of the latest 4.0 technologies will bring benefits, especially in terms of intelligent diagnosis and predictive maintenance 22 WWW.EPPM.COM

ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION SEPRO ROBOTIQUE CSO XAVIER LUCAS DISCUSSES THE NEW AND IMPROVED SUCCESS RANGE.

What modifications have been made to the Success Range and how will they continue to further improve injection moulding manufacturing?

We have made significant changes to the new Success range, these include the option to have a CNC wrist on the Success X robots, returning the robust Sepro guide roller bearings on the traverse axis, making more modular parts common across the range to reduce spare parts needed to be carried by the customers, more modern efficient pneumatics for vacuum and gripping circuits, improved maintenance operations, new control cabinet design, and newer more modern ergonomic covers.

The Success Range was already a best-seller. Was there not an ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ element to the modification process?

The re-design was in no way influenced by this thought, the

idea was to try and improve an already great product, and make the ownership of the new Success robot a better, more efficient experience for the customer, which we think we achieved.

Over the life of the robot the maintenance should be reduced by the changes we have implemented, and the cost of running reduced by changing the pneumatics and drives/motors for more modern and efficient units.

The last Success robot was a best seller for ten or so years, technology moves on in this time, and Sepro moves with the technology to continuously bring the best, most advanced products to the market.

Which technologies are available to work alongside the Success Range in process control and monitoring functions?

Our Visual platform was one of the first to be open to integrate into machine and factory control

systems. The robot control can be viewed through the panel of our OEM partners' machine control, and in the factory, our control can feed information on the customer network to data collection software in real time for an MES (production figures, alarms, etc.), for storing a back-up of programs and parameters, or sharing programs.

At which industry players is Sepro targeting these new products?

The new Success is in our ‘Universal’ robot range, specially designed for simple pick and place and stacking applications, so we target all customers who are looking for a reliable, cost-effective robotic solution.

And what benefits will they see to their manufacturing process in terms of usability, as well as in terms of productivity and efficiency?

The benefits to the user are the ease of use and flexibility of our Visual controller, as well as the reliability, repeatability, speed and best in class technology of the new Success robot. Robots are in use for more than a decade. Consequently, injection moulders need increased mechanical and software modularity to be able to face production changes more easily. This has been an

important component in our product design.

Our controller Visual, offers a very user-friendly experience with smart functions such as program libraries or our Opticycle software, available as an option or upgrade to our Success ranges, robot interruption times in the moulding process are minimised and optimised to give maximum productivity of the machine.

What about the Success Range’s contributions to sustainability targets?

Using the latest technology, pneumatics, drives and motors, the robots are more efficient and help reduce energy consumption. Combining these factors with stabilising the customer’s process and reducing scrap parts from inconsistent cycle times, robotic solutions help in streamlining customers’ processes.

Finally, at which trade fairs can we hope to see the new range in action?

The new models can be viewed at any time in our virtual showroom, but the first confirmed opportunity to see them in the flesh, so to speak, will be at Interplas on 28-30 September this year. We have also planned to exhibit at Fakuma in October.

Sepro will be exhibiting from Hall 4, Booth D20 at Interplas 2021.

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ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION FANUC EUROPE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER ROLF URBAN SPOKE TO EPPM ABOUT THE COMPANY’S LATEST ASSISTED REALITY SOLUTION.

How has FANUC’s Assisted Reality helped change the manufacturing landscape in Europe?

We started to offer the FANUC Assisted Reality (FAR) remote service in autumn 2020. Since then, FANUC Europe has applied this software solution to help a selection of customers in various industries throughout Europe. As FAR is a brand-new software tool, we are still in the process of showing its advantages to customers and encouraging its adoption. However, because FAR helps to accelerate service, FANUC customers who have already taken advantage of this tool are enthusiastic and want to keep using it. Overall, we see a distinct trend towards remote service solutions, with a growing number of providers entering the European market.

Have these innovations come as a direct result of the events of the past year, or have they been in the pipeline for some time?

FANUC Europe first acknowledged the value of remote service solutions a few years ago. Indeed, work began on FAR’s development back in 2017. The reason it took so long was the importance we attached to selecting the optimum software partner. Our ambition was to provide the best functionalities and security for our customers, even in low bandwidth environments. In the final phase of the project, once we had settled

So FAR so good on a software supplier, COVID-19 arrived. This situation indeed played a part in accelerating the rollout of FAR. Many of our customers were keen on receiving remote support during the pandemic, especially in regions with strict travel restrictions.

What does FAR bring in terms of efficiency that perhaps personal visits lacked?

With the help of FAR, we can perform comprehensive remote diagnostics before sending our service technicians to the site. We can also remotely support technicians during the field service, or even provide direct support to help the customer fix an issue. In many cases, this capability has already served to reduce downtime. Due to improved remote diagnostics, the technician did not even have to visit the customer site in some instances. FAR helps to save costs, particularly within the warranty period, as we can often correct simple problems or operating errors remotely. In one notable case, our French subsidiary near Paris used FAR to repair a FANUC robot located in New Caledonia, a remote French-speaking island in the South Pacific. This action saved the technician an overseas trip and the customer was able to continue using the robot in spite of strict COVID-19 travel restrictions.

What can those interested expect regarding security concerns with such technology?

The issue of security played a major role in the selection of our software partner.

As a result, FAR fulfils every security aspect from user ID and password, through SIP-TLS encryption and AES-128 media encryption, to ISO 27001 certification. It’s important that customers feel comfortable using our remote service technology, especially in terms of security.

What can they expect regarding manufacturing output and productivity?

In the event of a machine breakdown, we can use FAR to minimise downtime.

In one case, we were able to support a customer remotely without sending a service engineer, thereby reducing machine downtime to only 20 minutes.

In other instances, downtime was minimised by conducting a remote failure diagnosis before sending a service technician to the site. Even before the introduction of FAR, FANUC always provided unparalleled service quality in Europe. If a FANUC product fails, in Europe it currently takes an average of less than 28 hours from customer call to the resumption of normal machine operations. With FAR, we plan to reduce this time even further, to less than 24 hours.

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ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION TARAS KONOWAL, DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKETING – NORTH AMERICA FOR MULLER TECHNOLOGY, DISCUSSES HOW AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGY DELIVERS RESULTS FOR PLASTICS PACKAGING MANUFACTURERS.

Productivity, flexibility, sustainability

M

anufacturers of automation technology throughout the world are focused on delivering leadingedge solutions that meet the demanding requirements of the plastics packaging market. They face stiff challenges as processors continue to seek greater versatility, flexibility, and productivity amidst a labour shortage, particularly in the US. In their search for translatable solutions, automation suppliers have made major inroads in utilising collaborative robots to fill these gaps while providing major productivity improvements and a highly favourable return on investment (ROI). At the same time, automation companies like Muller Technology are working closely with brand-owners and processors to employ a range of strategies to enhance the sustainability of plastic packaging and meet the challenges posed by plastic material shortages due to disruptive weather events.

COBOTS FILL LABOUR SHORTAGE GAP Collaborative robots for injection moulded packaging are attracting broad interest due to the need for greater efficiency and automation. These systems are being designed in such a way that they complement the production line and provide simplified operation, a smaller footprint, and enhanced efficiencies.

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These systems reduce the handling of the container and lids and provide an excellent ROI. In these tough economic times, the cobot helps processors who struggle filling unskilled labour positions whilst also meeting COVID-19 social distancing requirements. The jobs of packers are highly repetitive and unfulfilling, but highly needed. Collaborative robots enable moulders to re-allocate their workforce to more productive, fulfilling jobs. Industry data show that while baby boomers (aged 55 and older) represent 27 per cent of the US manufacturing workforce, a total of 10,000 boomers are reaching retirement age every day. The problem for plastic manufacturers is that Millennials and Generation Xers are not interested in filling these manufacturing gaps.

The cobot works side-by-side with an employee doing many basic tasks. When an employee comes close to the cobot, it slows down but continues to work. Unlike traditional industrial robots, the cobot system doesn’t require external guarding and all safety features are built in.

Muller has worked extensively to incorporate cobots in the automation system. One of the latest innovations is the industry’s first self-contained collaborative robot case packer for the packing of lid and container packaging.

The new automation product, which incorporates an Omron 6-axis cobot, helps processors bridge a major labour shortage gap in the US plastics processing industry while also delivering greater versatility, flexibility, and productivity.

The cobot case packer incorporates a standard Muller Human Machine Interface (HMI) that eliminates any programming requirements and stores multiple recipes for a wide range of stack

and box sizes. The case packer can be purchased separately or integrated into an automation line such as Muller’s new M-Line system, a new integrated robotic and automation system which delivers significantly greater flexibility and versatility for the production of injection moulded packaging. The cobot case packer offers portability, quick part changeover for different size configurations, and an ROI of less than one year.

MEETING THE PRODUCTIVITY CHALLENGE Another growing trend for processors is the emergence of shorter-term business contracts which can negatively affect overall machine utilisation. As a result, manufacturers have had to adapt to market fluctuations and changing production volumes, thus enabling them to achieve higher machine utilisation. In response, automation experts have taken previous system designs to new levels and made major refinements to expand the window of applications for packaging makers.

For example, Muller’s new M-Line system is a new integrated robotic

and automation system that delivers significantly greater flexibility and versatility. The M-Line accommodates multiple mould types/pitches and multiple cavitation (single to 48-cavity), unlike current automation systems which are restricted to certain moulds and specified cavitation.

The newly designed M-Line provides an unprecedented level of flexibility and versatility that significantly raises machine output and efficiency. The system can facilitate an increase in machine utilisation to near 90 per cent, compared to the current standard of sub80 per cent utilisation rates.

The M-Line boasts a low-cost and highly flexible end-of-arm-tooling (EOAT) which can be changed out quickly. The automation system is built on one frame and designed for a small footprint with no assembly required. Furthermore, the M-Line is motorised and thus dramatically reduces energy and air consumption.

It also provides an extended period of accumulation time on the conveyor (up to one hour), reducing the number of packers needed.

COMMERCIAL SUCCESSES New automation technology has won successful adoption with leading manufacturers such as packaging specialist Huhtamaki, which is clearly focused on greater output and smaller footprint for the production of food and drink packaging. Most recently, the company deployed a new integrated robotic and automation system from Muller for the production of Chinet plates. The newly enhanced system delivers greater production output and speed, flexibility, and cost benefits for manufacture of seven-inch polystyrene plastic dinner plates.

Upon purchasing a bigger mould, Huhtamaki opted for a highly sophisticated automation system which includes Muller’s new servo-driven B2X side-entry robot.

The new system provides a smaller footprint, 50 per cent greater production output, quicker changeovers, and cost savings versus the previous high-speed retrieval system (HSRS). Muller’s new design enables Huhtamaki to maintain the footprint in the production line and gain 50 per cent output without losing efficiencies.

It also provided more flexibility for future changes in the manufacturing line.

A key feature is the availability of a primary and secondary shrink wrap and label applicator system which keeps the line running in case of downtime interruptions. In the past, with just one downstream line, the production line was forced to shut down.

KEEN EYE ON SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING Like the rest of the manufacturing world, the goal of reducing carbon footprint is not lost on suppliers of automation technology. They too are working closely with brand-owners and processors to employ a range of strategies to enhance the sustainability of plastic packaging and meet challenges posed by plastic material shortages.

An increasing number of automation specialists are taking their responsibility as stewards of the environment very seriously by committing to helping customers meet growing demands for sustainable packaging, while also helping navigate the current material shortage

caused by recent extreme weather events.

Muller has worked closely with its customers throughout the design development stage to reduce the amount of plastic in containers by up to 30 per cent through lightweighting, and by up to 80 per cent through substitution with paperboard. The company’s latest automation equipment designs have reduced energy consumption by up to 40 per cent.

One recent application illustrates how plastics use can be optimised in the packaging industry. Muller is working with leading brand-owners to develop polymercoated paperboard solutions that deliver strong barrier properties and a more sustainable and environmentally sound packaging option. Muller worked closely with Swedish packaging manufacturer Arta Plast to develop a renewable paperboard cup called ‘Fiber Cup’. To ensure strong barrier protection and freshness, the paperboard is coated with a thin polypropylene layer on both sides.

The cup is recyclable and takes a fresh approach to improved sustainability while also optimising the use of plastics materials.

During a two-year developmental process, the intercompany project team refined the injection moulding process and developed a specialised mould and IML technology.

Automation specialists are also working on new advancements in Industry 4.0 platforms. They have made great progress in the digitisation of data from the mould and its direct connection to the automation system. Interconnectivity between these systems is reshaping how packaging products are designed, how automation systems communicate and function, and how moulding plants operate. Conclusively, Big Data will have a major impact on energy savings, tracking, and monitoring throughout the automation system.

Collaborative robots enable moulders to reallocate their workforce to more productive, fulfilling jobs

ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION MARTIN LEEMING, CEO OF LOW-CARBON PACKAGING COMPANY TRAKRAP, LOOKS AT HOW PHARMACEUTICAL MANUFACTURERS COULD BENEFIT FROM THE ADOPTION OF SERVITISATION BUSINESS MODELS TO IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY THROUGH THE GREATER USE OF AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGY.

THE SERVITISATION SITUATION

P

ost-COVID, pharma manufacturers have increased their focus on agile operations and operational efficiency, and are recognising that as margins are squeezed, servitisation offers a way to manage costs and deliver more predictable cash flow.

Servitisation is not a ‘new’ idea, many offices contain photocopiers and printers which are serviced by the provider, but in certain sectors such as pharma and food manufacturing, adoption has been slower.

Servitisation offers a way to unlock new technology and, for today’s pharma manufacturers who want exceptional performance from their plant floor equipment to drive productivity, servitisation models can deliver just that.

Once service levels have been agreed, such as Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), the pharma manufacturer can hold the machinery supplier accountable for delivering it. There are no extra charges for parts, labour or call outs; instead, to protect the manufacturer, there are penalties for non-delivery. The objectives of both manufacturer and equipment supplier are therefore completely aligned.

One of the other key benefits a servitisation business model delivers is that it enables customers to purchase innovative new technology without the need for any capital expenditure, making new innovations – for example, in automation technology – that would otherwise be prohibitively expensive available to many more businesses.

One of the crucial ways servitisation has started to achieve cut-through in the pharmaceutical sector is in packaging. High growth in pharmaceutical e-commerce driven by the coronavirus crisis has driven demand for ‘secondary’ or transport ready packaging. Pharmaceutical packaging is now available as a ‘pay per wrap’ model, allowing manufacturers to acquire innovative, automated packaging machinery without the need for CapEx. Furthermore, this new breed of machinery features the latest digital technology, which means each pack costs less than traditional packaging methods, and features such as digital twin capability enables equipment owner to modify and upgrade regularly to continually drive productivity, reduce ongoing maintenance costs – such as call-out times – and reduce equipment downtime by as much as 70 per cent, without the need for an investment from the manufacturer in ‘upgrades’ or new machinery. Essentially, the pharmaceutical manufacturer reaps all the benefits of consistent, ongoing innovation without having to foot the bill.

Unlike the automotive industry, servitisation or ‘pay for outcomes’ models are still a relatively new development

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This new breed of machinery features the latest digital technology, which means each pack costs less than traditional packaging methods in the pharmaceutical sector. Outdated views around equipment ownership, depreciation and lack of investment have led to the much of the industry being dominated by older, owned machinery, particularly where end of line packaging or secondary is concerned. In addition, traditional accounting methods do not include the huge productivity benefits that are enabled by digitalisation. This is counter intuitive for an industry where demand for many of its products – for example, cold and flu medication – is cyclical and may go up and down depending on the season. Servitisation in packaging allows you to only pay for packaging the products you are going to sell, adapting quickly to fast growing new product ranges and heightened demand.

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iver Cleaning is an environmental project spearheaded

by Italy-based Mold S.r.l CEO Vanni Covolo.

Specialising in injection moulded plastic automotive solutions, Mold S.r.l, which is headquartered in Cassola, Vicenza, utilised its manufacturing expertise to create a unique buoy that is positioned diagonally across a waterway in order to intercept plastic waste and transport it autonomously to a receptacle located on the riverbank.

The river’s current causes the devices to spin so that intercepted debris is passed from one to the next until it reaches the deposit point.

The buoys are connected to a riverbed in such a way that they cause no hindrance to passing vessels. They simply allow a small boat to push the device aside.

Once the vessel has passed, the device returns to its original position. To ensure the navigability of larger vessels, sensors are located upstream that instruct the tethers to retract on either riverbank, creating a gap.

Again, once the vessel has passed, the tether unfurls, and the devices return to their original positions.

Furthermore, the buoys and their tethers have no adverse effects on a riverine ecosystem and have little to no maintenance requirements. They are powered by the natural

30 WWW.EPPM.COM

THE BRAINCHILD OF MOLD S.R.L. CEO VANNI COVOLO, RIVER CLEANING IS A UNIQUE WAY OF USING PLASTIC PARTS TO REMOVE PLASTIC POLLUTION.

with routine maintenance.

River Cleaning is a concrete solution to the problem of plastic pollution, which today is the real war to be fought.”

With a surface area made with injection moulded and recycled polypropylene, and a low-density recyclable foam on the inside, the floating device is a prime of example of using innovative solutions to fight fire with fire – or rather, plastic with plastic.

THE CLEAN, GREEN POLYPROPYLENE MACHINE current and therefore require no energy to function.

“The project has enormous potential,” Covolo said, “and what we have been able to demonstrate so far responds exactly to the urgent needs of our environment.”

These tests were carried out on the Brenta River in Northern Italy, but the project needs industry partners in order to facilitate the worldwide rollout of the technology.

Speaking exclusively to EPPM, Covolo remarked: “My experience in manufacturing for the automotive sector

was fundamental in the River Cleaning project. In terms of design, intended as functionality and not as an aesthetic aspect, the automotive influence led me to design the system as a chain of gears working in unison to transport the waste from one side of the river to the other.

“My final aim was to design a system that could be reproduced in series, with high technical and mechanical characteristics, and that could be installed easily and economically.

I designed the system so that it could overcome the real problems associated

River Cleaning is a concrete solution to the problem of plastic pollution, which today is the real war to be fought

MAIN STAGE PHILIP LAW >> Director - General British Plastics Federation

DR ANNA GERGELY >> Director, EHS Regulatory, Steptop and Johnson LLP

IAN RAY >> SME Plastics, Injection Moulding and Process Jaguar Land Rover

SIBELE CESTARI >> Researcher, Queens University Belfast

SIBELE CESTARI >> Researcher, Queen’s University Belfast

JONATHAN CLAPP >> International Senior Technical Manager, Microban

CAROLINE COCHRANE >> Sustainability Manager, MACE Group

KEIRON SALTER >> Chief Executive Officer, Digital Manufacturing Centre

SIMON CHIDGEY >> Sales and Marketing Director, Consumer Packaging, Berry Global

MIKE WILSON >> Chief Automation Officer, The Manufacturing Technology Centre

RHYS HERBERT >> Senior Economist Lloyds Bank GRACE NOLAN >> (Chairperson) Editorial Content Producer, Women in Plastics STEFANO NESTRI >> Business Development Manager, Syncro Group

JIMMY TAKKI >> CEO, Onbone

SUSTAINABILITY STAGE

MARGARET BATES >> Executive Director, Innovation and Packaging, OPRL

NICK CLIFFE >> Head of Advanced Materials, Innovate UK

NICK BROWN, Sustainable Packaging Director, Coco-Cola Europacific Partners >> DR JOHN WILLIAMS, Chief Technical Officer, Aquapak Polymers >> TERRY COOPER, CEO, Argo Group International >> DAN JARVIS, Technical Manager, Plastribution >> DAVID WILSON, Managing Director, Vanden Recycling >> SIMON JAY, Sales Director, Plasmac >> PAUL MCKINNEY, Senior Manager, The Carbon Trust & Programme Manager, BEIS Industrial Energy Efficiency Accelerator >> TONY ALLEN, Head of Industry and CCUS, Science & Innovation for Climate & Energy, BEIS >> KIRSTY WOOD, Development Technologist and Sustainability Lead, Hexpol TPE

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