Inside Rubber - 2020 Issue 1

S T R AT E G I E S F O R F U T U R E S U C C E S S

2020 Issue 1

Bando USA Responds to Changing Customer Expectations  Sales Strategies  Energy Management  Workplace Violence

The Official Publication of the Association of Rubber Products Manufacturers

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CONTENTS 2020 ISSUE 1

FEATURES 6

Profile

Bando USA: Doing Business Courtesy of Its Customers

12

Strategies

18

Safety

22

Management

26

Solutions

31

Inspection

32

Markets

Sales Strategies: How Manufacturing Balances Customer Satisfaction and the Bottom Line

6

Workplace Violence: Prepare to Respond Understand the Impact of Your Profit Per Sale Simple Changes in Energy Management Can Have a Big Impact Evaluating Part Appearance The Future of Driving Creates Demand for Thermoplastic Elastomers

12

26

Departments 4 10 24 29 34 34

From the President Member News Technical Standards Update Industry Calendar Ad Index

www.InsideRubber.com

www.arpminc.com 3

FROM THE PRESIDENT

W Dave Jentzsch Blair Rubber

ith 2019 behind us, and as ARPM evolves into 2020, we remain committed to our mission of promoting the interaction between rubber manufacturers and suppliers to improve best practices across common business interests.

To this end, the board and committees have set strategic goals to bring even more value to members based on what we have been hearing from you.

In 2020, we will offer more core rubber manufacturing courses in conjunction with 180 Skills. We are reviewing material mixing and compression/transfer molding online courses and hope to launch those in 2020. The support from our member companies and the work being performed behind the scenes are great examples of dedication and teamwork in the industry. We take member feedback seriously. Thank you for filling out surveys: Information is critical, and we need your opinions.

Please welcome new members to the ARPM board of directors.

These additions include:  Travis Turek, Bruckman Rubber Corporation  Doug Gilg, Continental ContiTech  Chris Buhlman, Gates Corporation  Matt Lockhard, HBD Industries  James Wideman, MBL (USA) Corporation  Donovan Lonsway, BRP  Russ Burgert, MAPLAN

7321 Shadeland Station Way, Suite 285 Indianapolis, IN 46256

I encourage each of you to renew your membership early and invite colleagues to join you in utilizing the benefits of association membership. Get your team leaders involved in the webinars, plant tours, EHS Summit, young leaders group and other upcoming events.

Remember also to encourage your skilled people to join committees within ARPM. Our expertise in making our industry attractive to the best talent around lies in the challenges and accomplishments that go beyond the day-to-day whirlwind of our jobs. We can and are making a difference in the rubber industry.

2020 is going to be a great year. Join me in in looking forward to a year of new goals, possibilities and adventures.

“

GET YOUR TEAM LEADERS INVOLVED IN THE WEBINARS, PLANT TOURS, EHS SUMMIT, YOUNG LEADERS GROUP AND OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS.

”

Managing Editor: Dianna Brodine Art Director: Becky Arensdorf Published by:

Phone: 317.863.4072 | Fax: 317.913.2445 info@arpminc.org | www.arpminc.com © Copyright 2020 ARPM Officers and Board of Directors President Dave Jentzsch, Blair Rubber Past President Tim Jarvis, Continental ContiTech Vice President Steve Nieto, Tahoma Rubber and Plastics Treasurer Marel Riley-Ryman, Southern Michigan Rubber Secretary Joe Keglewitsch, Ice Miller LLP

4 Inside Rubber // 2020 Issue 1

ARPM Board of Directors

Kirk Bowman, The Timken Group Charlie Braun, Custom Rubber Corporation Chris Buhlmann, Gates Corporation Russ Burgert, MAPLAN USA Joe Colletti, MarshBellofram Randy Dobbs, Sperry & Rice LLC Doug Gilg, Continental ContiTech Lisa Huntsman, Lauren Manufacturing Matt Lockard, HBD Industries Donovan Lonsway, BRP Mike Recchio, Zeon Chemicals L.P. Mike Smith, Basic Rubber and Plastics John Stourac, Zochem Travis Turek, Bruckman Rubber Corporation Joe Walker, Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies James Wideman, MBL (USA) Corporation

2150 SW Westport Dr., Suite 101 Topeka, KS 66614 Phone: 785.271.5801 ARPM Team Executive Director Troy Nix – tnix@arpminc.org Managing Director Letha Keslar – lkeslar@arpminc.org Project Manager Beth Jeffries – bjeffries@arpminc.org Marketing Director Marcella Kates – mkates@arpminc.org

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PROFILE

Bando USA: Doing Business Courtesy of Its Customers

By Dianna Brodine, managing editor, Inside Rubber

T

oday’s customers – retail or commercial – expect instant responsiveness and immediate availability of product.

The so-called “Amazon effect” has created a conundrum for manufacturing businesses. Companies that once supplied only just-in-time production to reduce the costs associated with carrying excess inventory now must consider increasing warehouse stock levels in anticipation of consumer demand.

The internet giant’s influence doesn’t stop there. Consumers have grown used to an overload of information availability on the internet, expecting to find extensive product information and Frequently Asked Questions online. Once a product has been ordered, customers want continual updates as their package is prepared and moves along shipping routes.

For many traditional manufacturing firms, these demands are nearly impossible to meet. For Bando USA, these challenges are another way to differentiate itself and support the changes in customer expectations.

6 Inside Rubber // 2020 Issue 1

Building a workhorse Bando USA is the North, Central and South American sales, marketing and manufacturing subsidiary of Bando Chemical Industries, headquartered in Kobe, Japan. Founded in 1906, Bando Chemical Industries has 18 manufacturing plants in 17 countries.

Bando USA has a manufacturing facility in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and seven distribution locations in North America supply automotive and industrial power transmission belts to OEMs. The manufacturing facility also supplies a global network of aftermarket distributors.

According to the company’s website, “At Bando USA, we believe that any product, even the ‘workhorse’ V-belt, can be built a better way, utilizing the industry’s most advanced, efficient equipment and processes.” That claim certainly is supported by a conversation with Joe Laudadio, executive director of Bando USA, who emphasized a focus on quality and a commitment to technology. At the same time, the company has

recognized a change in the needs of its customer base and has moved full speed ahead to meet and exceed those needs.

Once quality and value are understood, a new set of expectations come into play – and the Amazon effect creeps in.

“The expectations for suppliers have changed,” explained Laudadio. “To meet our goals for 2020 and beyond, we have to identify what the customer expects now vs. what they expected in the past.”

From just-in-time to parts on hand

“All of us getting next-day delivery from our personal Amazon purchases are expecting the same type of service from businessto-business suppliers,” said Laudadio. “For our customers, quick delivery and order fill are very important as a part of overall value. As a result, for our company, this is just as important as quality.”

For those manufacturing products in the US, it’s becoming more difficult to differentiate with simply a quality product – instead, it’s expected … demanded by a customer base that knows it has options. “Top quality remains our standard,” said Laudadio.

“With the potential of buyers’ ability to find suitable quality globally, it’s critical to be a cut above in order to stay competitive with our products.”

To meet the fast turnaround between order receipt and shipping, manufacturers are pushed to retain inventory. “To be competitive in our industry today, especially in the aftermarket, we’re expected to carry inventory,” said Laudadio. “Our challenge is to recognize how to better manage our inventory given more of this responsibility is placed on the manufacturers.”

To meet that expectation, Bando manufacturing facilities are ISO-9001, TS16949 and ISO-14001 certified. The certifications support the company’s self-inspection system, which requires each technician to take personal responsibility for zero-defect quality.

The Bando USA Kentucky manufacturing facility supplies the company’s distribution outlets throughout the US, as well as its OEM customers. “Balancing capacity within the plant can be challenging,” he explained. “OEMs provide forecasts, of course, so it’s easier to gauge demand for that market.”

Globally competitive pricing also is a standard expectation.

“Customers expect manufacturers like us to help them remain competitive in the marketplace,” Laudadio said. “They need their suppliers to understand the challenges they’re faced with, and offering overall value becomes a big part of this.”

The product that is sold into the spare parts replacement market is more difficult to foresee. “We’re talking about thousands of part numbers, Laudadio said. “Our product team does its best to estimate part popularity, but our success in that market relies page 8 

www.arpminc.com 7

PROFILE  page 7

on investment in systems technology and market intelligence to assist in leveling production and hitting order fill targets.”

Customer communication is critical Information availability is the key to customer communication, and technology is the preferred delivery method. “We have to communicate Bando USA has a manufacturing facility in Kentucky and seven distribution centers with the customers through across the US. technology,” said Laudadio, “so we’re striving to enhance the ease of doing business electronically. Our customers expect to be able to easily have to be able to personally communicate when the customer review orders, check delivery status and more. In order to stay wants to personally communicate,” he explained. ahead of the curve, we need to make this information available at their fingertips and provide this information consistently and The company works to tie marketing and manufacturing into a accurately. We are constantly checking ourselves on how to “trio” with customer service. “It’s leadership’s responsibility to improve this process for our customers.” have a customer service team that is knowledgeable in all areas of the order cycle and of the product,” Laudadio explained.

As a result, Bando USA is continually enhancing the information Several months before a new product release, customer service that it can provide without human intervention. “At the same is included – along with engineering and technical sales staff time, even though there’s this technology pillar to manage, we members – for training on product features, benefits and differentiators.

“We want to be sure our customer service team is confident in their knowledge of the product from the start,” he continued.

“When a customer calls, it’s because they haven’t been able to get their question answered online. The phone is a lifeline, and we want someone on the other end who is excited and able to help. We want our customers to feel as if we’ve been waiting all day for their call.”

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Laudadio is clear that Bando USA’s continued existence as an organization depends on the company’s ability to help its customers. “We’re here to be problem solvers,” he said. “Our paychecks come courtesy of our customers, and we all need to be reminded of this from time to time.”

A focus on environmental awareness Another customer imperative is an emphasis on sustainable business practices and environmental awareness. At Bando USA, this commitment begins with ISO 14001 certification.

“As a company, we feel the importance of leaving a minimal footprint on environmental change,” Laudadio said. “While we work to maintain this spirit, we also feel we need processes in place to continually manage the requirements. Being certified pushes us to come up with goals and objectives every year that lay out how we’re going to improve – from minimal waste to reduction of natural resource usage in our plants.”

“

WE HAVE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE CUSTOMERS THROUGH TECHNOLOGY, SO WE’RE STRIVING TO ENHANCE THE EASE OF DOING BUSINESS ELECTRONICALLY. OUR CUSTOMERS EXPECT TO BE ABLE TO EASILY REVIEW ORDERS, CHECK DELIVERY STATUS AND MORE.

”

The “spirit” of environmental awareness at Bando USA is, in part, driven by a respect for the ideals that are important to the company’s employees. “What better way than for our team members to make an impact on environmental protection than to do it while at work,” he continued. “Being able to engage directly in company environmental objectives and goals is something we promote continuously.”

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As a product manufacturer, the belts made by Bando USA also have an environmental impact, and the company takes that seriously. “We’re looking to develop safe products that contribute to energy conservation and reduce environmental load,” said Laudadio. “And, we work together with our customers to support their environmental initiatives as well.”

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This results in discussions between Bando USA and its customers in which considerable thought is given to potential changes in raw materials or changes in product design and capabilities that can reduce energy consumption. ‘We are certainly not experts,” said Laudadio, “but we’re open to new ideas, and we feel strongly about reducing the environmental impact of our company and our products.”

Credit

As its parent company in Japan has been in business for more than a century, the expectations of customers – both in the North American market and globally – may have changed, but Bando USA’s commitment to meeting the needs of those customers has not. Rather than struggling against the “Amazon mindset” of today, Bando has embraced the challenge by adding technology to increase response time and accuracy, while also empowering its employees through training and an attitude of service. The new decade dawns bright for Bando USA – and for its customers. 

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MEMBER NEWS

EHS Speaker Call Out The Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Summit is designed to share the best leadership and safety practices with industry professionals hoping to achieve world-class safety within their companies. This one-of-a-kind learning and networking conference will focus on uniting manufacturing executives from across the US. Attendees will focus on best practices in environment, health and safety, along with ideas about becoming a better leader. The EHS Summit will be held May 20 to 21 in Cleveland, Ohio.

The most important element of this safety leadership conference is the educational component contributed by industry experts.

If you are an EHS professional and would like to share your professional experiences and program successes with our audience, we encourage you to respond to our Call for Presenters.

The deadline for applications for speakers is March 1, 2020.

All presentations must be nonproprietary and cannot mention specific goods or services. If you have questions or require further assistance, contact Letha Keslar at 317.863.4072 or lkeslar@arpminc.org.

ARPM Welcomes Three New Members The following companies have joined ARPM. The association welcomes these new members.  Chem-Trend LP – Howell, Michigan  Goettfert – Rock Hill, South Carolina  Wacker Chemical Corporation – North Canton, Ohio

ARPM Releases Updated IP-2 Hose Handbook The Association for Rubber Products Manufacturers (ARPM) has released its newly revised and updated IP-2 Hose Handbook.

This publication was reviewed, updated and approved by the member representatives of ARPM’s Hose Technical Committee (HTC). ARPM would like to acknowledge the following member companies for their contributions: Eaton, Gates, Jason Industrial, Parker Hannifin Corporation and Continental ContiTech.

10 Inside Rubber // 2020 Issue 1

“As fluid handling continues to evolve with new technologies, materials, fluids and a focus on safety, the ARPM HTC and its member organizations have jointly updated this industry reference standard for use by manufacturers, assemblers and users,” said Jeff Epperson, ARPM HTC chair and technology manager chief engineer, Continental ContiTech North America Textile Hose. “This effort strengthens the industry as a whole, individual member organizations and those that use our products.”

Keeping with ISO standards, all ARPM HTC documents and technical standards are reviewed every five years to establish if a revision is required to keep it current and relevant for the marketplace. The IP-2 Hose Handbook and more than 100 other technical standards are free for ARPM members or available for purchase for nonmembers on the ARPM website at arpminc.com.

Two New Benchmarking Reports Now Available from ARPM ARPM has released two new benchmarking reports for the rubber industry.

2020 State of the Rubber Industry Good business leaders always stay in tune with the state of their industry. By understanding current conditions, executives can make better tactical decisions and validate the status of their own operations.

ARPM’s State of the Industry survey was created by industry business leaders who understand the importance of staying up to date on the changing conditions of the marketplace and is the only survey of its kind in the United States rubber industry.

Compiled data and final results will be shared via email with those who participated. (Note: All individual inputs were withheld.) ARPM Benchmarking reports are available for purchase on the ARPM website at arpminc.com.

Wage and Salary Report ARPM recently released its Wage and Salary Report. ARPM conducted this keystone study that analyzes information on more than 60 job titles specific to the rubber industry, as well as additional operational benchmarks. The 2019 report covers job titles in multiple areas of a rubber business including, but not limited to, administration, technical, operations and management.

Participants in this survey included more than 250 US polymer

manufacturing companies that reported wage and salary information on employees in current job positions.

ARPM’s Wage and Salary Report has evolved each year to encompass new job titles, as well as important industry and business trends within the rubber industry.

This report remains one of the very few compensation reports dedicated exclusively to the rubber manufacturing industry.

“Especially at this time of year, companies need accurate and comprehensive data to ensure they make informed and datadriven decisions in regard to compensation packages and payroll budgeting,” said Ashley Turrell, ARPM’s membership and analytics director. “This report allows companies of all sizes across the United States to benchmark positions and determine competitive market salaries to attract and retain talent.” For more information or to purchase this report, visit www.arpminc.com.

ARPM Unveils New Training Module for Job Setup and Production Flow ARPM has added newly designed content for rubber manufacturing training. This curriculum, designed to train the rubber processor, is the first of its kind in the rubber industry.

Users now can take a training course related to Job Set-up and Production Flow. The job set-up process involves installing the mold into a press and other tasks to prepare a press for molding a specific part. The job set-up process is closely related to the production process, during which parts are made.

ARPM Seeks Subject Matter Experts for Training Callout/New Modules The ARPM Training Committee has completed the new Job Setup and Production Flow training course and is currently working on the development of the next training courses. These training topics include the following:  Material Mixing  Compression/Transfer Molding  Extrusion  Injection Molding Are you an expert on these topics? ARPM is looking for subject matter experts. Email Beth Jeffries at bjeffries@arpminc.org if you are willing to assist with this topic or if you would like to sign up for Rubber Processor training through ARPM.

Join the ARPM Young Professionals Network ARPM’s Young Professionals Network is dedicated to bringing together the innovative, creative and dedicated young professionals from across all ARPM member companies. The Young Professionals Network is composed of up-and-coming leaders from all over the country and in all areas of business.

The YP Network hosts events year-round that are exclusively for these young professionals in the rubber industry. Events focus on networking, leadership skills, benchmarking and creating important, lasting connections in the ARPM association.

Coming up July 22 through 24, the YP Network will host its second annual Leadership Experience in Cleveland, Ohio.

Interested in signing up or learning more? Email Beth Jeffries at bjeffries@arpminc.org or attend an upcoming event. 

Other topics included in the ARPM training library are Orientation to Rubber Manufacturing, Introduction to Nonmolding Operations, Quality, Pyrometers and more.

ARPM Members who sign up for ARPM training through 180 Skills also will gain access to the 180 Skills’ library of more than 700 online, competency-based courses.

This library covers everything from baseline to advanced manufacturing content, all in a very engaging format promoting mastery in each skill set.

The new training program is open to all ARPM members at a significant discount. For more information on the program, visit https://arpminc.com/resources/training or email info@arpminc.org.

For more information on upcoming events, member news, publications and more, visit www.arpminc.com. www.arpminc.com 11

STRATEGIES

Sales Strategies: How Manufacturing Balances Customer Satisfaction and the Bottom Line

By Dianna Brodine, managing editor, Inside Rubber

“The competitor to be feared is one who never bothers about you at all, but goes on making his own business better all the time.” – Henry Ford

A

Google search for “sales” turns up a lot of inspirational messages about serving the customer, but not much about making sure the customer serves your business. Yet, not every customer is the right customer. Sales staff are tasked with filling the sales funnel to ensure consistent revenue, but it’s also important to evaluate how the customer benefits the business after the initial order.

From asking for an increased business load to implementing price increases and … when necessary … exiting a customer, rubber and plastics manufacturing sales professionals share their strategies for ensuring customer relationships benefit both sides of the sales contract.

12 Inside Rubber // 2020 Issue 1

Thank you to Pete Walmsley, product manager of power transmission products for Jason Industrial-Megadyne; George McMurdy and John Rachow, vice president of sales and regional sales manager (respectively) of The Rubber Group; and Tom Wood, vice president of sales, E-S Plastic Products LLC.

Filling the sales funnel Before you can begin evaluating existing customer accounts to assess their place in your organization, it’s important to make sure a steady stream of new customers is walking in the door (or that you’re walking into theirs).

Walmsley: At Jason Industrial-Megadyne, we have a multitude of sales and marketing activities and functions that assist our distribution network in filling the sales pipeline. We have 16 direct field sales professionals who cover the US distribution network. These are seasoned professionals with a long history of being in the industrial belt business. They are highly motivated

“

...WE PERFORM REGULAR BUSINESS REVIEWS WITH OUR EXISTING CUSTOMERS TO REINFORCE EXISTING AND NEW CAPABILITIES...

”

and trained individuals who know their customer base – in most cases – down to the end-user level. This brings high value to our distributors as we are familiar with and have identified “key” end-user market segments and opportunities, which help build the sales leads into the pipeline. Jason adds value via joint sales calls with our distributor partners, which makes finding new customers a team effort. Furthermore, as sales leads are generated via our website, we deliver these leads to our distribution network.

Marketing works hand-in-hand with our field sales team and distribution network in developing target literature and material for the end-user markets.

McMurdy/Rachow: We work to understand our customer demographics and then target those sales prospects who fit the demographics with email, blog posts and direct contact. In addition, The Rubber Group exhibits at tradeshows and then actively follows up with leads via email, phone calls and inperson visits. Our company also offers referral incentives for existing customers and suppliers who recommend The Rubber Group to others who need our services.

Asking customers for an increased business load

with high-quality products that are backed by first-class service.

We assist in developing the value proposition, which assists in decreasing the business load our partners face.

McMurdy/Rachow: It starts with maintaining the highest possible performance levels. Then, we perform regular business reviews with our existing customers to reinforce existing and new capabilities. Our customers aren’t in our facility every day, so it’s up to us to make sure they know what value we can bring to their organizations. During the business review process, we listen to our customers, find out where we have opportunities and create improvements activities.

Wood: With existing customers, I want to have a candid discussion about where our relationship stands and where it’s going. Are we in a position of strength, or do we have vulnerabilities? It begins with asking what they spend in plastics.

What percentage of that business is with my company? Where are we in their supply base? We want to grow in the percentage of their business that we produce, so we have to find out where we fit in terms of the volume we’re producing for every customer.

Other questions might include:  Can we participate in a vendor program?  What’s keeping you up at night right now? page 14  CREATING TOMORROW’S SOLUTIONS

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The hardest customer to get is a new customer, and the easiest customer to get is one you already have. Rather than expending resources into a long sales cycle that may or may not end with awarded work, why not ask existing customers to move a larger portion of their business into your care and keeping?

Walmsley: We understand that our distribution partners are tasked with many more SKUs than we are as manufacturers.

In addition, this means they have to select the top-tier product categories and focus their time where they can make the most revenue. We ask for their input on target business and then ask how we can support their model. Every distributor has different customers, and those customers have various needs: no two customers are alike. So, we rely on the input from our distribution partners, and we support as needed. As business professionals, just like our distribution network, we are all tasked with growth to our shareholders. Jason demonstrates a partnership with our distribution partners by assisting them in winning new business

Like you, we care about people. Together, we can create solutions that provide energy efficiency, improve safety and enhance climate and environmental protection for our children and ourselves.

SILICONE – MIXED INTELLIGENTLY FOR CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TEL: +1 833 474 5649, www.silmix.com, silmix@wacker.com

www.arpminc.com 13

STRATEGIES  page 13



What works with your existing suppliers – even those not doing what we do?

The answers to these questions help E-S Plastics to develop a plan that includes a sales target and a strategy to reach that target.

I want to know how much potential is available for me to chase.

Implementing price increases Every customer wants a lower price, and every one of your competitors wants to offer it. However, there comes a time when the price quoted for production no longer provides a profit.

Walmsley: Yes – right! Everyone’s favorite discussion! At Jason, we implement price increases based on our cost of doing business, just like every business. There are cost increases for healthcare, transportation/freight, insurance, pay increases and a whole host of other normal business expenses: Every company contends with the same issues. At Jason, we implement the price increase, for the most part, across industry segments, i.e. belts, hose, etc. We communicate our increases via a letter, online and in conjunction with our inside and outside sales functions, as well as on our business-to-business site.

McMurdy/Rachow: Of course, we want to avoid increases whenever possible by improving our productivity. However, that’s not always possible, so we perform regular margin reviews and notify customers as required. Smaller accounts will receive an across-the-board increase, but key customers are reviewed part by part.

Wood: There are three ways to communicate a price increase: make a phone call, send out a price increase letter or do it in person. But, if you do it over the phone or in writing, it becomes adversarial. Instead, I like to have a face-to-face meeting. I’m passionate about making business make sense, so I use data to tell the story about the need. Has part volume decreased significantly? Have materials costs increased? Has pricing stayed consistent for a significant amount of time while all other associated costs have gone up? Since I’m using data to justify the increase, we look at each product individually: Don’t hit the easy button! An across-the-board increase may not be needed. Once I’m meeting with my customer, I show them the impact of the old price vs. the new price, and then I set an implementation date. In general, customers prefer not to move tools. If you can justify the changes you’re making for the good of your own business – and you have the relationship with the customer that you should have – you have more leverage than you think.

Exiting a customer There comes a time when a customer is no longer the right fit for your business. This situation brings a host of emotions for both sides of the sales relationship, but a calm and professional exit strategy can ease the situation for all involved.

“

IF YOU CAN JUSTIFY THE CHANGES YOU’RE MAKING FOR THE GOOD OF YOUR OWN BUSINESS – AND YOU HAVE THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CUSTOMER THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE – YOU HAVE MORE LEVERAGE THAN YOU THINK.

”

Walmsley: This is something that all companies are faced with at some point as the cost of doing business varies across all sizes of the distribution network. At Jason, we are an open marketer, so we do not limit the amount of distribution in a certain radius.

Why? Because customers – end users – have suppliers that they prefer. However, there is a point where a distributor can become unprofitable due to the pricing, the amount of face-time needed, freight costs and a host of other reasons. When business becomes unprofitable and no longer fits our strategic direction, we evaluate pricing with the customer and give them a choice to continue with our products. It is their choice. If they chose to exit, we shake hands and go about our daily business. Most companies understand the cost in doing business, and this conversation is not as difficult as it may seem.

McMurdy/Rachow: Typically, we do not have this issue. A price increase could prompt the customer to test the market, so we avoid it if possible. However, there are times when we are not able to get the desired margin. We have made an effort to increase margins and minimums on the bottom 80% of our customer base.

Wood: Once it’s determined that a customer no longer has growth potential, we explain the narrative to the customer – whether they no longer fit our business model, the margins weren’t profitable, etc. – and we try to have another supplier to recommend. We also consider the resources needed for the project – from the tool room to the quality department – so we can find all of the inserts, gauges, etc. We have even provided work instruction orders. We don’t want to burn any bridges, but it’s also important to make the right decisions for our company. Over the last five years, E-S Plastics has simplified our business. We have a healthy, diversified customer base; we transitioned 20 customers out that weren’t fitting our current business model; and we’ve done price increases without losing business we didn’t want to lose, page 16 

14 Inside Rubber // 2020 Issue 1

2020

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STRATEGIES  page 14

Any other critical pieces of sales strategy?

In the end, customer relationships drive every successful sales strategy.

Walmsley: Jason’s sales strategy is built upon a legacy of individuals who know our business on the manufacturing side, the customer side and from the perspective of the markets we serve. Our bottom-line strategy is to “wow” the customer and exceed every expectation. If we do this on a daily and consistent basis, we’re on the right track to success. But, the customer makes the final call on whether or not we have delivered on their key performance indicators (KPIs). Sales growth is important and vital to the success of every company. In the beginning and end, growth comes by exceeding – far beyond – the expectations of our customers – and doing it every time.

McMurdy/Rachow: Our strategy always involves presenting our capabilities and then highlighting our plan to design, develop and manufacture for successful product production. It’s about striving to be an “excellent” supplier in all ways and pleasing our customers. They then will award us with more new business as the need arises.

“

WHEN BUSINESS BECOMES UNPROFITABLE AND NO LONGER FITS OUR STRATEGIC DIRECTION, WE EVALUATE PRICING WITH THE CUSTOMER...

”

Wood: Over the years, as I was trying to grow the business for E-S Plastics, I also was trying to get buy-in from the person I was working with on the other side of the table. Every sales plan is a combined plan – that’s the secret sauce. By engaging the customer, we get them to be “on our team.” Once we have that relationship, the customer is invested in helping us, just as we are invested in helping them. 

Proud Sponsor of ARPM

RUBBER IN MOTION 16 Inside Rubber // 2020 Issue 1

MAY 20-21, 2020 ARPMINC.COM/EHS

SAFETY

Workplace Violence: Prepare to Respond

By Liz Stevens, contributing writer, Inside Rubber Note from the Managing Editor: At the July 2019 Environmental, Health and Safety Summit in Columbus, Ohio, hosted by the Association for Rubber Products Manufacturers (ARPM), retired law enforcement ranking lieutenant Scott Lowry presented “A Safety Professional’s Guide to Prepare for, React to and Address Workplace Violence Events.” Lowry now is a lead trainer for two Department of Homeland Security courses on crisis management for schools and also is the owner of Three60 Response LLC, a company that provides software for creating active threat response plans.

disagreement or an active shooter situation arising from a domestic dispute, workplace violence is far from uncommon.

The 2020 Environmental Health and Safety Summit will be held May 20 and 21 in Cleveland, Ohio. For more information, visit www.arpminc.com.

When law enforcement responds

I

n 2017, according to the National Safety Council, workplace violence assaults resulted in 18,400 injuries and 458 fatalities.

The most common of these incidents fall into four categories: criminal intent, customer/client, worker-on-worker and personal relationship (Source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health). Whether a physical assault following a heated

18 Inside Rubber // 2020 Issue 1

To prepare for the possibility, Scott Lowry, owner of Three60 Response LLC, recommended a combination of planning and training – activities that manufacturers can undertake with help from local law enforcement, state emergency agencies or private entities. Before diving into the creation of a plan, however, Lowry explained that it is necessary to understand how responders operate during an active threat response.

When law enforcement responds to an active threat, they often call on EMS and the fire department to immediately join them.

This collaboration is called the rescue task force concept, and it is relatively new. In the past, police may have responded by first containing the threat and then sweeping the entire premises before signaling the “all clear” for fire or EMS professionals to enter. Lowry explained that with the rescue task force concept, law enforcement scramble to neutralize the active threat while “working in collaboration with fire and EMS, to get people into the building to provide first aid to victims as quickly as possible.”

“

WHILE CREATING AN ACTIVE THREAT PLAN, MANUFACTURERS CAN INVITE LOCAL RESPONDERS FOR A FACILITY VISIT. THIS GIVES POLICE, FIRE AND EMS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT A SITE. When law enforcement arrives at the site, the incident becomes a police function, and law enforcement takes control of “incident command.” Lowry stressed that, in an active threat, the first responders’ priority is narrow. “They are not concerned with the injured,” said Lowry, “They are not concerned about those people huddled in the corner. That’s not the priority, which is to find the threat and neutralize the threat.”

While first responders dive in to assess the situation, and to locate and contain the threat, other police officers set up an incident command post. From this post, they manage all of the responders and incident command players (authorized representatives from the site with information about the building and the people inside).

Police define a perimeter around the facility – an area to be kept clear of relatives, media and traffic while the incident is active. There also will be rally points – places to which people fleeing the building can run for safety and where anyone injured while fleeing will go to be treated by EMS. EMS or fire also will designate casualty collection points near exit doors as the places where first responders will take victims to be triaged and prepared for transportation to a medical facility.

”

Each facility is different. “You have to do a vulnerability assessment of a building,” Lowry said, including a review of obstacles or limitations to workers’ ability to flee, hide or defend themselves. This assessment also may include features of the facility that can be used to advantage against a threat. Lowry pointed out that the large machinery on manufacturing plant floors provides cover to individuals fleeing a building. All of the locations and information identified by responders during visits to the site will become part of the facility’s active threat plan.

The plan also will cover the company’s basic threat response method – such as Run, Hide, Fight. Lowry stated that this portion of the plan – the threat response method – is meant to offer clear, simple guidelines, not step-by-step instructions. Lowry described Run, Hide, Fight as an excellent and well-known program, and page 21 

When law enforcement, fire and EMS arrive on scene to respond to a threat, the more they already know about the location and the areas available for incident command, the better. If they have the facility and the working locations already noted on a map, traffic jams of arriving police, fire and EMS vehicles also can be avoided. Being ready for all of this is where creating a good plan is beneficial.

Making a plan While creating an active threat plan, manufacturers can invite local responders for a facility visit. This gives police, fire and EMS an opportunity to learn about a site. Even though the fire department may have some insight into a facility after having done fire inspections, it is rare that police or EMS have seen the inside of a manufacturing plant.

With an onsite visit, responders can explain their particular response methods, assess the site’s exterior and interior for incident command locales and point out interior features that might be liabilities or assets during an incident.

www.arpminc.com 19

BECOME A MEMBER TODAY!

SAFETY  page 19

very similar to ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) and ALERRT (Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training).

to expect when authorities respond to an incident. As an initial training step, Lowry recommended that all employees watch the Run, Hide, Fight video, which is available on YouTube.

Included in the plan should be a list of the people at the company who know the ins and outs of the facility, and who will be responsible for immediately reporting to the command post to answer questions that responders will have.

Lowry noted that, as with preparing a plan, there are resources available to help with training for Run, Hide, Fight, and for ALICE and ALERRT. He recommended thorough vetting of any paid trainers to make sure they have actual knowledge and experience, as opposed to merely offering a PowerPoint presentation. He also stressed that training must include plenty of Q&A time to address all of the employees’ questions and concerns.

Another key aspect of the plan is personnel accountability.

After an incident, when employees have scattered in multiple directions, there must be a means of accounting for every worker, determining their welfare and notifying any relatives who need to know that a loved one has been sent to the hospital.

Lowry stressed the importance of having a recovery plan as part of the active threat plan. “I’m not talking about business continuity,” said Lowry, “I’m talking about the psychological impact of the event on your people.” Lowry noted that community resources are available for managing the aftermath of an incident, and he emphasized that dealing with the psychological impact of re-entering a facility must be dealt with so that the doors can eventually re-open and business can resume.

Creating a plan helps companies manage the inevitable chaos that accompanies an incident and its aftermath. During planning, it may be initially unclear what needs to be done in first minutes after an incident – a time when crucial action must be taken. “If you don’t know what’s next,” said Lowry, “pull out a pad of paper and just start writing things down.” These action items can be further defined and added to the timeline at a later point.

Lowry also recommended learning from others’ mistakes. “If you are going to create a comprehensive plan,” he said, “read a couple of the after-action reports from shootings across this country.”

Lowry referenced Parkland, Newtown and Columbine. “Those after-action reports articulate the shortcomings of emergency responders,” he said, “And, those are the things that we want to prevent from happening in the future. We learn from our past, we learn from our mistakes.”

For testing the plan, Lowry suggested using tabletop exercises, which are available through local or state emergency management agencies, and through companies such as Lowry’s Three60 Response. In these exercises, a small group of employees responds to questions about the company’s plan, testing that it is complete and realistic. “You should not walk out of the tabletop exercise thinking, ‘We’re rock solid. We’re good,’” said Lowry. “If you do, it wasn’t a good exercise. You should walk out with action items to improve the plan.”

Training and refreshers Once a manufacturer has created an active threat plan, training of employees is necessary so that they understand the company’s overall policy, the guidelines for protecting themselves and what

Once training has been rolled out to the entire facility, Lowry cautioned against becoming complacent. “It’s not a one-and-done type thing,” he said. “This is a skillset that has to be reinforced, so create a policy that gets people’s eyes on that document [the active threat plan] on a regular basis.”

Lowry also suggested using a learning management system to keep the active threat plan at top-of-mind for key players at a facility. With this type of system, a quiz with a handful of questions about the plan is periodically sent to recipients.

Making a plan and doing training cannot prevent workplace violence, but as Scott Lowry so clearly puts it: “At the end of the day, when we talk about planning, we’re not going to prevent chaos. But, we have to have a plan. We have to try and minimize the chaos.”  Resource links Three60 Response Active Threat Response Software can be accessed at www.three60response.com.

The Department of Homeland Security offers a 12-page Emergency Action Plan Guide on Active Shooter Preparedness at https://www.dhs. gov/sites/default/files/publications/active-shooter-emergency-actionplan-112017-508v2.pdf.

The Department also has active shooter preparedness information at https://www.dhs.gov/cisa/active-shooter-preparedness.

For a complete play list of the “Run, Hide, Fight” video in English, with English subtitles, and in Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, French and Portuguese, visit https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUra6uw6CX K9SNLZeddcLIufDY5OfnMpU. Visit https://www.alicetraining.com/ for the ALICE Training Institute.

Visit https://alerrt.org/ for ALERRT, the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training at Texas State University.

For access to Mass Violence Incidence Reviews (after-action reports) for the shootings at Parkland, Columbine, Newtown and other locations, visit https://www.policefoundation.org/critical-incident-review-library/.

www.arpminc.com 21

MANAGEMENT

Understand the Impact of Your Profit Per Sale

By Jill J. Johnson, president, Johnson Consulting Services

F

ew enterprises truly understand the actual profits generated by the individual sales they make. Most metrics for sales effectiveness are monitored by reviewing top-line revenue results. Yet, the most critical determinant of ongoing business viability is understanding what revenue actually drops to the bottom line after all costs have been taken into account.

You must understand what profit is generated by sales to each of your clients. Then consider the benefits and vulnerabilities that the cumulative impact of these sales brings to your business.

Knowing the breakdown of profitability by individual sales to your clients can have a significant impact on the ability to achieve your business goals.

1.

Understand the impact of the profit per sale

There are many expenses that go into determining profitability for a company, and the same is true for determining the profitability of a sale. Each sale has multiple components that impact its final profit level. You should consider the total cost of goods sold, including investments in promotion and delivery expenses.

Factoring in the costs associated with the staff time required to generate a sale is a must, too.

Unfortunately, few companies consider all of these expenses when developing their marketing and sales strategies. Whether 22 Inside Rubber // 2020 Issue 1

you are working to grow your business or you are addressing the issues in a business that is struggling financially, the impact of the true profits generated by each individual sale takes on greater importance.

2.

Know your profit per client

Frankly, not all clients are worth the effort to generate the sale. Sometimes, the growth goals for your business mean you also are growing beyond clients you have historically served.

This transition period is a vulnerable point for any enterprise.

It also is very stressful because there is a chance of making the wrong decision, causing you to lose a client that could have provided greater revenue value if you had not been afraid to maximize your relationship.

Carefully study the costs associated with serving each client – especially if the business has long-term clients with whom you have a personal, friendly relationship. If you have not taken the time to explore the costs of the sale, the client’s value to your business may have changed dramatically over the years.

Before abandoning these clients, try to identify options to trim your expenses without jeopardizing your quality. But, it may be time to move on if they are not generating any real profit to the company.

“

THE KEY TO EFFECTIVE TARGET MARKETING IS TO FOCUS YOUR SALES ACTIVITIES AND EXPENDITURES TOWARD THOSE TYPES OF CUSTOMERS WHO CAN BEST BE SERVED BY YOUR ENTERPRISE, WHO WILL STAY WITH YOU OVER THE LONG-TERM AND WHO WILL GENERATE SOLID PROFITABILITY.

”

3.

your goods or services and how they intertwine in attracting the customers who will buy from you.

Using a target marketing approach to grouping your customers into similar client segments provides a business with a more detailed understanding of what is working and what is not. The key to effective target marketing is to focus your sales activities and expenditures toward those types of customers who can best be served by your enterprise, who will stay with you over the long-term and who will generate solid profitability.

Engaging in discounted pricing strategies often attracts customers who are buying from you based on price, not your value. This can be a slippery slope. You may get clients who keep you busy, but who do not generate the profits you need to build a sustainable enterprise or increase your net worth. It is a delicate balancing act, but one you must realistically consider given your business objectives.

If Client Segment A generates solid profits for you, but all sales efforts are being devoted to Client Segment B – which is barely reaching breakeven – the choice is obvious.

7.

Review your customer segments revenue

4.

Evaluate sales profitability

There are two ways of looking at sales profitability data: One is by the individual clients, and the other is by combining clients using some specific target marketing components.

Grouping clients by similar characteristics – such as industry sector, number of employees, location, etc. – makes it easier to identify trends in the data that you can use to assess the profitability of each of these major segments.

5.

Monitor individual client profitability

A complete review of the mix of your customers and sources of sales will reveal potential vulnerabilities for your company if market conditions change. It is not enough in today’s complex and competitive marketplace to look only at total overall sales.

If one customer generates more than one-third of your sales, you are in an extremely vulnerable position if you lose that client to a merger, change of staff or if it goes out of business.

Controlling and monitoring your client profitability and cost of sales allows you to take corrective action before your business’s survival is at risk. This takes on even greater importance if your company is overly dependent on key clients for your profitability.

6.

Assess the impact of pricing on profitability

A close companion to client profitability is understanding the impact of various pricing strategies on the perceived value of

Consider the impact of strategy on profits

You also must consider the financial consequences of your business direction and your vulnerability to setbacks. This assessment allows you to make better business decisions and to set a more realistic strategic vision for your organization.

“Finding a lane” or picking your niche through target marketing must also incorporate a true understanding of the costs of reaching clients, as well as their ability to add to your bottom line in a meaningful way.

Final thoughts Reviewing the trend information for each of your major client segments is a highly impactful approach to evaluating the effectiveness of your sales and marketing efforts. It removes emotions and relationships with clients to allow you to be more detached in considering their impact on meeting your business objectives. They no longer become just people you like, but a bigger grouping of customer segments that impact your future costs and business growth.

If your business is not attracting these kinds of clients – those who are generating the profitability to move your enterprise forward – it is time to reconsider your sales and marketing efforts.  Jill J. Johnson is the president and founder of Johnson Consulting Services, an accomplished speaker, an awardwinning management consultant and author of the bestselling book Compounding Your Confidence. Johnson helps her clients make critical business decisions and develop market-based strategic plans for turnarounds or growth. For more information, visit www.jcs-usa.com.

www.arpminc.com 23

TECHNICAL STANDARDS UPDATE

ARPM Addresses Mill Safety Standards

I

f you get the chance, go and see rubber compound getting mixed, blended and stripped off at a rubber mixing operation. Fifty-pound bricks of translucent polymer are combined with bags of powder and pellets made from carbon black, sulphur, additives and assorted chemicals that make the rubber resistant to hot, cold, UV light, ozone and Greg Vassmer harsh chemicals, while giving the strength ARPM and elasticity demanded by the application.

Technical If the batch is big enough, the mixing is Coordinator done using an internal mixer – kind of like a giant bread maker – often installed on the second floor of the factory. From the bottom of the mixer, a door then opens and the rubber batch drops onto a mill.

The mill is a separate piece of equipment and, in its simplest form, consists of two large steel rollers positioned a fraction of an inch apart that are counter-rotating such that all material falling on top gets pulled into the nip between the rollers. The rolling action blends and shapes the mixed rubber from a blob into a flat sheet that wraps itself around the mill rollers. The operator cuts and re-inserts the rubber into the nip several times to complete the mixing and, after blending for a certain amount of time, cuts a strip of flat rubber from the mill and feeds it into a take-off system (known as a “batch-off”) that cools and coats the rubber while layering it into a container.

Milling rubber has obvious risks for the operator. The mill is made to pull material into the nip, and it is not picky about the material. Not surprisingly, several safety devices exist to ensure the operator is not one of the things pulled in. Due to the danger, OSHA has established rules for mill stopping distances and safety devices around the mill. Similarly, the nearby batch-off equipment also needs safety guards, lest the operator of these devices gets pulled through the dipping, coating and cutting operations.

Unfortunately, it sometimes happens that operators have accidents. Whatever the cause, the company needs to have a mill safety procedure to respond quickly and effectively. A critically important ARPM standard and related video applies: the ARPM Mill Safety Standard. This standard, first published in 1949, covers the requirements for safety features, methods and safetyrelated performance characteristics of mills. Today’s version is ANSI B28.1-2017.

24 Inside Rubber // 2020 Issue 1

“

ARPM HAS PRODUCED A MILL SAFETY VIDEO, POSTED ONLINE, THAT IS A MUST-SEE FOR ANYONE RUNNING A MILL OPERATION.

”

Along with the written standard, ARPM has produced a Mill Safety Video, posted online, that is a must-see for anyone running a mill operation. The video focuses on the Mill Safety Team each mill operation should have, instructions regarding how to open the rolls of the mill to release a trapped worker and the tools the team must have available. Team members must know their roles and how to coordinate the action when a mill accident happens.

Time is of the essence, and a well-practiced rescue team can make a big difference in the outcome. Several companies use this type of video for training and felt it was important enough to create a company-specific version focusing on the in-house equipment located within their facilities.

Because of its importance, ARPM is asking for input to help modernize the video. We plan to introduce missing topics and account for new technology introduced since the existing version of the video was released. If you have comments, additions or would like to be part of the committee creating the new video, contact Beth Jefferies at ARPM (bjeffries@arpminc.org).

Our plans for the new video will extend the safety discussion to equipment that normally is found near the mill and that can be equally dangerous – such as the batch-off, conveying systems for the rubber and the overhead blend mill found above the main rollers in many operations. We also will expand the discussion to mills of all sizes, from small lab mills to large 100-inch mills.

Surprisingly, small mills can be more accident-prone if they are in out-of-the-way parts of the facility or because operators will be in much closer proximity to the rotating rolls.

The new video is planned for release in April 2020. Now is your opportunity to help create this important training tool. 

.

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SOLUTIONS

Simple Changes in Energy Management Can Have a Big Impact

By Grainger

W

hen you look for ways to enhance your profit margin, energy management is a logical place to begin making changes. Doing an energy audit or switching to energy-efficient lighting, two key steps in an energy management program, can have a significant impact on the bottom line. Yes, as the operator of a large facility or multiple large facilities, you will need to make an investment – perhaps substantial – to get the ball rolling on energy management, but the data compiled by the US Department of Energy’s Energy Star clearly indicates that the savings will be real and that you will begin to realize them in fairly short order. Energy Star notes, for example, that the average commercial building wastes 30% of the energy it consumes1.

Understanding energy management strategies can help your business benefit fiscally, but it has other advantages as well. If you’ve not explored this area before, take time to review key property and behavioral changes that can boost your business’s profits, improve productivity and increase safety.

Switching to LEDs One of the biggest ways to reap savings comes from small sources – your lighting. The newest generation of bulbs – lightemitting diodes or LED lighting – offers more bang for your buck than traditional lighting options, such as standard filament (incandescent), halogen and fluorescent strips. LED bulbs can last 26 Inside Rubber // 2020 Issue 1

far longer than other lighting choices, with a range of 20,000 to 70,000 usage hours, while the average lifespan of incandescent bulbs is a diminutive 1,200 hours. LEDs also outdistance another energy-saving choice, the compact florescent lights (CFLs), by four to five times the lifespan.

Fewer replacements means lower direct and indirect costs, as well as reduced hazard potential. When you switch to LED lighting, you’ll spend less money replacing bulbs, and you also won’t be bogged down with frequent, time-consuming production delays while new bulbs are installed. In many cases, the replacement of ceiling bulbs requires an aerial lift or extension ladder, which can contribute to numerous safety hazards. Limiting the number of times this operation is conducted by installing longer-lasting LED lighting certainly is an indirect but vital benefit to productivity and worker safety. Plus, since LED tube lights do not require a ballast the way fluorescent tube lighting does, maintenance of the fixtures is less costly.

But, the biggest bonus is in the energy reduction. Not only do LEDs last longer, they use just a fraction of the energy (up to 80% less) of conventional lighting and throw off far less heat, which can reduce the need for cooling and air conditioning.

Remember that halogen and incandescent bulbs produce light as a by-product of heat and release up to 90 percent of their energy as heat. LED bulbs, by contrast, provide light as their foremost

“

FEDERAL TAX CREDITS HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE PREVIOUSLY FOR PROPERTY OWNERS MAKING ENERGY-EFFICIENT UPGRADES. LOCAL UTILITY REBATES OR STATE PROGRAM OPTIONS MAY BE IN PLACE. CHECK THE FEDERAL ENERGY INCENTIVE PROGRAM FOR A LIST OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE IN EACH STATE.

”

function and release little heat. Switching to LED lighting means your organization can start seeing an almost immediate return on investment as monthly electric bills plummet.

LED lighting has additional benefits that help it outperform other choices. For property areas that necessitate prompt lighting, LED provides the security of immediate bright lighting, unlike CFLs, which require time to reach full brightness. If full brightness isn’t required, a dimmer switch can be used on LED lighting, which is not an option for some lighting products.

To add to their many cost saving benefits, LEDs are more durable to shock, vibrations and temperature extremes than traditional lighting. The bulbs also do not contain harmful mercury, which means LEDs are environmentally friendly. They spread light uniformly, come in a range of hues (from soft amber to bright white) and can be tailored to the location and user preference.

These factors can increase worker productivity and property security. The low heat emitted by LEDs also makes them a safer option than traditional lighting.

You won’t drop a bundle making the upgrade. If you’ve priced LED lighting in the past, you may be pleasantly surprised to find the price has significantly dropped in recent years. Bulbs that once cost $100 each have dropped to a fraction of that, with most standard LED bulbs in the range of $3 to $8. The lower price point means business owners now can retrofit the entire property with LED at a nominal cost. (The US Department of Energy has a run-down on options, complete with cost comparisons2.)

Changing behaviors To make additional and meaningful cost reductions, look at your workforce. Profit improvements can be made by modifying behavior to be more energy efficient. Although behavioral changes aren’t as easy as replacing light bulbs, new habits can be learned over time, especially when they are embraced as a whole organization.

Among ways to save costs and conserve energy are the following:  Perform routine maintenance on equipment, especially on HVAC systems

   

Install or use fans to assist HVAC systems Reset the thermostat for weekends and after hours Institute practices to keep vents clear and unobstructed Inform employees which equipment can be shut off when not in use  Use laptops, as opposed to energy-hungry desktop computers  Make it a practice to turn lights off when areas are not in use, or install motion detector switches Whenever possible, select energy-efficient windows, appliances and equipment, such as those labeled as Energy Star®-certified.

These products are designated to save significant energy and meet stringent industry requirements. For example, computer monitors that are Energy Star-certified are 25% more energy efficient than standard options. If you have an entire department using outdated monitors and computers that consume large amounts of energy, replacing them with efficient models might be an investment that pays for itself in a relatively short time.

Conduct or commission an energy survey With your managerial and technical leaders, perform a survey of energy usage that considers areas such as industrial processes, refrigeration, HVAC and building controls. You also can commission an in-depth survey by an independent source.

Monitor business energy consumption and try to avoid high usage during peak times, as your cost may be increased during these peak hours. Talk to your local utility companies about peak and off-peak programs and pricing. It may be worthwhile to run some heavy equipment later in the evening, when electrical rates are lower.

Commitment Change starts at the top. Create a written statement of senior management’s commitment to energy conservation and its environmental impacts. Include strategies, such as procurement of equipment and procedures, which outline how energy-saving methods will be applied. page 28 

www.arpminc.com 27

SOLUTIONS  page 27

Using tax credits, rebates Not all improvements need to be out-of-pocket costs, either.

Businesses may find credits, grants or reimbursement options to help fund energy-efficient lighting, equipment or HVAC changes through various programs. Federal tax credits have been available previously for property owners making energy-efficient upgrades.

Local utility rebates or state program options may be in place.

Check the Federal Energy Incentive Program3 for a list of funding opportunities available in each state.

The information contained in this article is intended for general information purposes only and is based on information available as of the initial date of publication. No representation is made that the information or references are complete or remain current. This article is not a substitute for review of current applicable government regulations, industry standards or other standards specific to your business and/or activities and should not be construed as legal advice or opinion. Readers with specific questions should refer to the applicable standards or consult with an attorney.

Remember, embracing energy efficiency in your organization need not be a dramatic or costly investment. Even small steps, such as swapping out light bulbs, will make a difference that you’ll see reflected in your bottom line. And, as energy management practices are incorporated as a company goal with the support of corporate leaders, the benefits will only increase. 

Grainger provides discounts to ARPM members in a variety of categories, including safety, material handling, power tools, motors and more. Visit www.arpminc.org for more information or log into your Grainger account at www.grainger.com.

References 1. https://www.energystar.gov/buildings/facility-owners-andmanagers/existing-buildings/save-energy 2. https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/save-electricity-andfuel/lighting-choices-save-you-money/led-lighting 3. https://www.energy.gov/eere/femp/state-energy-offices-andorganizations

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28 Inside Rubber // 2020 Issue 1

INDUSTRY MPS Manufacturing Develops Fuseall™ Low-Density Silicone Self-Fusing Wrap MPS Manufacturing Co. – a New Philadelphia, Ohio, provider of rubber-molded and silicone rubber-molded products, rubber to plastic or metal assembly, and more – has developed Fuseall, a low-density self-fusing wrap. Fuseall is an elastic, self-fusing sponge material that can be used for industrial, commercial and military applications. It uses a low-density silicone rubber that can be manufactured into different profiles, thicknesses, properties or colors. Properties range from 0.55 to 1.00 g/ cc specific gravity in Shore A range of 15 to 45 durometer, resulting in a 50% reduction in volumetric weight. Fuseall can withstand extreme temperatures (-149°F to + 600°F), pressure, voltage, moisture, corrosion and contaminants. It is superior for applications in which vibration isolating, thermal and electrical insulating, buoyancy and a soft tactile feel are targeted. For more information, visit www.mpsco.com.

Irena Shein Joins Specialty Silicone Products Specialty Silicone Products (SSP), Ballston Spa, New York, a manufacturer of silicone compounds, has announced that Irena Shein has joined the company as a procurement specialist. Shein is responsible for all purchasing activities at SSP, including vendor relationships, vendor set-ups and price negotiations.

Shein will report directly to Paul DiCaprio, SSP’s president. As a procurement specialist for SSP, her efforts support the production of laboratory and industrial products that must meet the highest standards for quality and performance. For more information, visit www.sspinc.com.

Orion Engineered Carbons to Open Technical Service Applications Lab in New Jersey Orion Engineered Carbons S.A., a worldwide supplier of specialty and high-performance carbon black, will open a new technical service applications laboratory in New Jersey. Orion is investing in customer service with this expansion of its global network of laboratories. In addition to serving coatings and ink customers in the Americas, the lab will take on projects with global application and investigate fundamental advancements in carbon black technology. “This laboratory will enable us to fast-track customer support, drive new product introductions and strengthen our specialty carbon black business in the Americas,” said Corning Painter, CEO. “We will be able to formulate and run application testing on solvent- and water-based coatings, as well as printing inks.” For more information, contact Americas@ orioncarbons.com or visit www.orioncarbons.com.

Shin-Etsu Silicones Appoints Progressive New Hires for HTV Group Silicone material supplier Shin-Etsu Silicones of America, Inc., Akron, Ohio, has expanded its sales and technical team. HTV Regional Sales Manager Jim Miller holds a BA in production and operations management from Ball State University and has more than 20 years of experience in technical sales and service

development, most recently at Philpott Rubber & Plastics as technical director and IER Fujikura as project engineer.

Kevin Barbee, LIMS process technician, Miller Barbee gained experience in LIMS molding and processing at Quality Synthetic Rubber and Forest City Technologies, and has more than a decade of experience as a machinist. Associate Chemist Dan Madler holds a BA in chemical engineering and a certificate in polymer engineering specialization from the University of Akron. Madler participated in Madler a co-op program at UTC Aerospace in the Materials Department. For more information, visit www.shinetsusilicones.com.

Rahco Rubber Adds Two Vacuum Presses Rahco Rubber, Inc., a precision rubber components molder and custom materials formulator, has added two new vacuum presses. A family-owned and -operated Des Plaines, Illinois, company, Rahco has reinvested to strengthen its already solid manufacturing operations by adding two Pan Stone 350-ton vacuum presses with advanced technology controls and RT systems to its production floor.

The Pan Stone presses deliver robust performance capabilities, intuitive operating systems and extended durability. Rahco Rubber continues to grow by collaborating with customers, providing the value-added engineering and technical support that ultimately creates a “winwin” outcome, achieving both their performance and economic goals. For more information, visit www.rahco-rubber.com.

Wet-on-Wet Multicolor Printing Possible with Natron SE Series The Natron™ SE series silicone inks from Boston Industrial Solutions, Inc., Woburn, Massachusetts, boast an industryfirst, wet-on-wet decorating capability for multicolor printing.

These competitively priced inks are ideal for pad printing, screen printing and spray decorating on any product made of page 30 

www.arpminc.com 29

INDUSTRY  page 29

silicone. Natron™ SE Series silicone ink line features 30 HD (highdensity), high-opacity standard colors, as well as 14 mixing colors for custom color creation.

The inks offer excellent adhesion; abrasion, heat and chemical resistance; are compliant with both CPSIA and Toy-Safe standards; and are USP MEM Elution Cytotoxicity certified. For more information, visit www.bostonindustrialsolutions.com.

Smithers Invests in Advanced Scientific Equipment, Adds and Promotes Personnel Smithers, Akron, Ohio – a provider of testing, consulting, information and compliance services – has announced two new hires, one promotion and an investment in sophisticated instrumentation.

Smithers has invested in a new triple quadrupole gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) instrument at its analytical services laboratory. GC-MS separates volatile and semi-volatile components in mixtures and generates mass spectral data to aid in characterizing and identifying those components.

The sensitive technique yields useful data for components present at trace levels. GC-MS is a fundamental analytical technique for extractables and leachables studies, as well as for detecting and identifying impurities originating from starting materials, synthetic chemistry reactions, process equipment and more.

Triple quadrupole gas chromatography mass spectrometry is an advanced form of GC-MS.

30 Inside Rubber // 2020 Issue 1

Jim Via, has been hired as a principal scientist at Smithers’ analytical services laboratory. As principal scientist, Via designs and executes extractables and leachables and other studies; interprets results; and assembles reports for clients in the medical device, pharmaceutical and packaging industries.

Via has more than 25 years of experience in industry as an analytical chemist, including positions at Impact Analytical and Ashland, Inc. He earned his doctorate in analytical chemistry from Virginia Polytechnic University and State University in Blacksburg,Virginia.

Jeff Wible has joined Smithers as a test engineer at the rubber physical testing laboratory and also will serve as quality coordinator for the physical properties and product testing labs.

He has more than 20 years of experience working in physical and mechanical testing of materials, components and medical devices. Wible earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Ohio University.

Mike Kelly has been promoted to the rubber physical testing team as a project engineer, specializing in dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) testing and new DMA method development. Kelly joined Smithers in 2015 as a test engineer in the product testing laboratory, where he designed and built test equipment and conducted test programs Kelly for PVT and fatigue testing on automotive hoses and other products. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Akron and is currently studying for his Master’s in mechanical engineering.

For more information, visit www.smithers.com. 

INSPECTION

Evaluating Part Appearance

By Paul Uglum, principal, Uglum Consulting

W

hen it comes to inspecting part appearance, people still are the most capable of detecting anomalies. This article focuses on critical aspects of part inspection, provides additional guidance on setting visual standards for cosmetic issues and discusses available tools to establish these standards.

Establish an inspection program One way to control the quality of the appearance is through visual inspection of the parts. The objective is to prevent quality issues from reaching the customer once production starts. Visual inspection is not the most reliable quality control method; however, people still are more flexible and more capable of seeing the part in its totality in order to observe an unexpected anomaly.

Three parts exist in a robust inspection program: 1) clearly defined standards used by the manufacturer and customer; 2) an understanding of how to define and evaluate part appearance; and 3) a method to evaluate and maintain the visual inspection process.

Setting realistic tolerances requires both knowledge and expertise.

Unfortunately, many prints and specifications are vague or poorly written. It is important when quoting new business to review the documentation and quote exceptions to unachievable requirements.

Care should be taken to avoid immeasurable requirements on prints, such as “no surface defects allowed.” A far better route would be to require no visible surface defects when viewed for a specified time under carefully controlled conditions.

Clearly a part that has an obvious defect is unacceptable both in manufacturing plants and with customers. The standard should be for the defect to only be visible under defined conditions that represent the actual use environment. What constitutes acceptable and unacceptable varies with the type of product.

Tools for establishing standards Resources that help in establishing standards can include industry standards and customer-specific standards. If none exist in a specific industry, look to well-established documents from industries using the same production technologies. The processes used to make the parts often are identical and so are the issues inherent in them. Furthermore, experienced quality and manufacturing engineers are an important resource because of their understanding of customer expectations and the capabilities and limits of the production processes.

Make sure there is a common language. If a defect is given a name, it must be one understood by everyone from the inspector through to the final customer. Incorrectly named defects can lead to confusion. Physical limit samples, showing actual defects, are the best communication tool and can be useful for both training and maintaining a consistent standard of inspection.

Workmanship standards are important tools for documenting the standards, as are Process Failure Mode Effects Analysis (PFMEA) and Quality Plans.

It is useful to look at what other industries are doing. One very useful document from the automotive industry is VDA 16 Quality Management in the Automotive Industry, “Decorative Surfaces of Accessories and Functional Parts in the Exterior and Interior Areas of Automobiles.” It covers evaluation conditions, feature definitions and the approach to defects and acceptance criteria.

Setting the standards for quality Evaluation conditions – including position of the part, lighting, distance from the inspector, length of observation and background – should be controlled. Define evaluation zones based on visibility, with immediately visible having the highest standard and those surfaces with obstructed views (not normally visible) a somewhat lower standard.

Of critical importance are both training of inspectors and inspection process monitoring to make sure that the process remains consistent over time. Training should be frequent and use actual samples with and without defects. Evaluate the inspection performance using attribute agreement analysis, which involves pass/fail decisions. Inspections should be done using the Kappa, a statistic that estimates the level of agreement in data beyond what would be expected by chance. A Kappa agreement of greater than 0.9 is excellent and 0.7 to 0.9 is good. Minitab provides a useful tool in completing this evaluation. Current best practice involves inspectors reviewing test samples every two weeks to measure and maintain their capability.

Finally, track and use the information. If a sudden change in yields based on visual inspection is seen, either an increase or decrease, take action. Review the parts and process the data to determine why. It is typical for inspectors’ standards to drift over time. Collecting data, including the location of defects, also can have the additional benefit of providing a tool for process improvement. If quality is fluctuating, make sure actual parts are used in communicating the issue.

Many tools exist to help establish and maintain a successful visual inspection system. Understanding and using them will lead to improved quality and relationships between manufacturers and customers.  Paul Uglum, owner of Uglum Consulting, LLC, has 43 years’ experience in various aspects of plastic materials, plastic decoration, joining and failure analysis. For more information, email paul.a.uglum@gmail.com. www.arpminc.com 31

MARKETS

The Future of Driving Creates Demand for Thermoplastic Elastomers

By Smithers

T

he changing shape of vehicle production and use in the 2020s will create new demands and market opportunities for thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs), according to recent research from Smithers. The most disruptive trends will come from new opportunities in electric and autonomous vehicles, although conventional models will continue to account for the majority of demand.

There will be more demand in electrical systems; cable jacketing is just one example of major growth. The development of lowsmoke, zero-halogen (LS0H) TPE compounds is well advanced and certainly will play a major role in the growth of e-mobility.

Furthermore, there will be demand for talc-filled olefinic thermoplastic elastomers (TPO) in heater housings and battery holders.

Total demand in the automotive segment in 2019 is expected to total just over two million metric tons, giving it a dominant 43.8% share of the market overall, according to the study The Future of Thermoplastic Elastomers to 2024.

Smithers estimates that, while just over 60,000 tons of TPEs were used in EVs in 2018, this will rise sharply to 454,000 tons by 2023. TPO will be the most widely used, followed by thermoplastic vulcanisate (TPV) and polystyrene-butadienestyrene (SBS) and styrene ethylene butylene styrene (SEBS) based formulations.

The global TPE industry is in a strong position, with demand increasing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.1% in the next five years. This compares favorably with demand for classical elastomers, which will struggle to hold a CAGR of 4% over the next five years.

Growth of TPEs is dependent on future expansion of the automotive industry, matching the latest demands for conventional production models and anticipating future demand for material sets for electric and autonomous vehicles.

The deployment of EVs and their charging infrastructure is not uniform. Certain countries, such as Norway, are actively investing in the technology; but the largest user is â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and will continue to be â&#x20AC;&#x201C; China. It already had 2.3 million batterypowered cars and plug-in hybrids in operation in 2018, 45% of the global total.

Electric vehicles There is a rapid growth in use of electric vehicles (EVs) worldwide. There were more than five billion electric vehicles on the road in 2018, up from just two billion in 2016. The increasing interest in electric vehicles will favor TPEs, as they will require higher amounts of TPEs than internal combustion-engine (ICE)powered equivalents.

Overall, the demands for TPEs will change. There will be a reduced demand for under-the-hood components, though TPEs will continue to be used in other areas of the car, such as brake and hydraulic systems.

32 Inside Rubber // 2020 Issue 1

Vehicle manufacture is the main user of TPEs, making its success critical to future demand and product development of elastomers. Source: Smithers.

Car manufacturing is following this trend. Volkswagen, for example, opened a new plant late last year outside Shanghai in cooperation with state-owned Chinese auto-builder SAIC. The plant will have the capacity to build 300,000 Volkswagen ID model cars per year once full production runs begin in October 2020. Volkswagen is developing another e-vehicle plant with a similar output with FAW in Guangzhou.

Game-changing solutions for rubber molding applications.

Autonomous driving Autonomous vehicles (AVs) present a different challenge in that they will change the way that the passenger interacts with the vehicle. A number of concepts for AV interiors were shown recently at K Show in Germany. With the need to control and monitor the road removed, these will increasingly take the form of entertainment or working spaces for the passenger. The emphasis is on creating comfort and a seamless travel experience, with softer colors and better sound and vibration insulation – similar to a first-class airline cabin – which will benefit use of elastomers.

Outside the cabin, AVs will employ many more electronics than their conventional counterparts. Each system needs software, processors, sensors and mechanical devices to operate. These require insulation and connective cabling, which will boost the demand for elastomers.

Internal combustion engines Even in 2018, EVs still only represented around 2.5% of new sales, so the conventional auto industry will remain the bulk user of elastomers. Furthermore, roughly 50% of electrically driven passenger and lightweight commercial vehicles will continue to use an internal combustion engine as their main power source. This will not change until at least 2025 due to the slow development of batteries that can deliver performance demanded by drivers.

Thus, while autonomous and electric vehicles represent the latest market for elastomer suppliers, there still will be a strong demand for higher heat- and chemical-resistance for ICE-powered vehicles and hybrids. This challenge now is being addressed by a number of leading suppliers that are offering TPV grades with heat resistance similar to the more expensive TPEs, such as TPC. Furthermore, tighter volatile organic compound (VOC) regulations will be a major driving force in TPEs substituting for classical elastomers. The latter will fail these new specifications, and manufacturers already are producing TPEs with lower VOC levels than ever before.  Current and future demand for thermoplastic elastomers – including projections for future use in autonomous and electric vehicles – are analyzed and quantified in detail in the Smithers report. The Future of Thermoplastic Elastomers to 2024 is available for purchase at www.smithers.com.

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AD INDEX

EVENTS CALENDAR FEBRUARY 20 Plant Tour: R.E. Darling Co. Inc., Tucson, AZ

MARCH 5 Peer Networking Webinars: Human Resources, 11 AM EST, Senior Leaders, 1 PM EST

APRIL 16 Peer Networking Webinars: Human Resources, 11 AM EST, Senior Leaders, 1 PM EST

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34 Inside Rubber // 2020 Issue 1

ACE Products & Consulting LLC ........................... 9 www.aceprodcon.com Akron Rubber Development Laboratory, Inc. (ARDL)....................................... 28 www.ardl.com ARPM .................................................................. 20 www.arpminc.com ARPM 180 Skills .................................................. 25 www.180skills.com/arpm Chemspec ............................................................. 5 www.chemspecltd.com ChemTrend.......................................................... 33 www.chemtrend.com EHS Summit ........................................................ 17 www.arpminc.com/ehs Grainger............................................................... 35 www.grainger.com IceMiller ................................................................. 8 www.icemiller.com IQMS ................................................................... 19 www.iqms.com Maplan ................................................................... 2 www.maplan.at Montech Rubber Testing Solutions ..................... 30 www.montechusa.com REP Corp. ........................................................... 16 www.repinjection.com Rubber Division, ACS .......................................... 15 www.rubberiec.org Sigmasoft.............................................. Back Cover www.3dsigma.com Stoner Molding Solutions..................................... 33 www.stonermolding.com/A499rubber Wacker ................................................................ 13 www.silmix.com

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