Inside Rubber - 2019 Issue 2

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

2019 Issue 2

Data-Driven Production at Bruckman Rubber  The Morning Meeting  Marijuana in the Workplace  Partnering with Education

The Official Publication of the Association of Rubber Products Manufacturers

RUBBER INJECTION KNOW-WHY

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CONTENTS 2019 ISSUE 2

FEATURES 6

Profile

Respecting the Legacy, Driving Innovation at Bruckman Rubber

14

Strategies

18

Solutions

24

View From 30 Feet

28

Benchmarking

30

Safety

32

Markets

The Morning Meeting: Setting the Tone

6

Q&A: Printing on Rubber and Silicone Products Productive Partnerships: What Education and Industry Need to Prosper Cost of Benefits Continues to Rise for Manufacturers Workplace Implications for Marijuana Use

18

Need for Better Performing Goods Drives Growth and Improvements in Non-Tire Elastomers

Departments

www.InsideRubber.com

4 11 12 20 33 34

24

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

www.arpminc.org 3

FROM THE PRESIDENT

H Dave Jentzsch Blair Rubber

ello to all of my fellow rubber industry members. Spring is here, and – in addition to enjoying the nicer weather – we are thrilled to build on a lot of positive momentum since the start of the new year. ARPM and the board of directors are staying focused on bringing value to our membership through a variety of in-person events, facility tours and conference calls.

We are excited to start the Young Professionals leadership experience. This group brings together those in the rubber industry under the age of 45 to help them gain leadership skills and networking connections that will make an impact for both the association and the industry.

A new event – the Innovation Symposium – was held in April to help our members address workforce challenges, and in July, the Environmental, Health & Safety Summit will return to Columbus, Ohio, to address issues that all of us worry about in our own facilities.

One of the benefits of ARPM is the great opportunity for networking without leaving our sites. Peer Networking Calls happen on a quarterly basis to let presidents and owners, operations staff and human resources employees talk about common issues with others in the same job.

And, of course, we are continuing to add content and curriculum to our newly designed rubber manufacturing training and professional development initiative through 180 Skills. Our partner organizations are eager to assist us with discounts.

7321 Shadeland Station Way, Suite 285 Indianapolis, IN 46256

Our renewal process for membership has started, so contact the ARPM office with any questions or concerns. We hope our retention rate, as well as the ability to draw new members, stays relatively strong in 2019. Please help by encouraging those rubber companies that are not part of our great organization to join!

Thank you to all for your continued support. I hope that 2019 is off to a wonderful start for you and your company. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me or any of our fantastic board members, and – as always – the ARPM staff also is available.

Dave Jentzsch Blair Rubber/ Hyload

“

ARPM AND THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS ARE STAYING FOCUSED ON BRINGING VALUE TO OUR MEMBERSHIP THROUGH A VARIETY OF INPERSON EVENTS, FACILITY TOURS AND CONFERENCE CALLS.

”

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 2019 ARPM Officers and Board of Directors President Dave Jentzsch, Blair Rubber Past President Tim Jarvis, Continental ContiTech Treasurer Marel Riley-Ryman, Southern Michigan Rubber Secretary Joe Keglewitsch, Ice Miller LLP

4 InsideRubber // 2019 Issue 2

ARPM Board of Directors Kirk Bowman, The Timken Group Charlie Braun, Custom Rubber Corporation Joe Colletti, MarshBellofram Randy Dobbs, Sperry & Rice LLC Lisa Huntsman, Cooper Standard ISG Steve Nieto, Tahoma Rubber and Plastics Tom Pitstick, Gates Corporation Mike Recchio, Zeon Chemicals L.P. Mike Smith, Basic Rubber and Plastics John Stourac, Zochem Joe Walker, Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies

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 Management Coordinator Beth Jeffries – bjeffries@arpminc.org Marketing Director Marcella Kates – mkates@arpminc.org

PROFILE

Respecting the Legacy, Driving Innovation at Bruckman Rubber

By Dianna Brodine, managing editor, InsideRubber

W

hen you walk into the president’s office at Bruckman Rubber – whether you’re a potential customer, a new employee or an editor looking to write a story – a presentation on a large screen will walk you through the company’s history, its capabilities and its strengths. You’ll receive a primer on the safety standards that will be observed anytime you’re on site, and you’ll learn about the company’s core values of honesty and integrity.

President Travis Turek wants there to be no confusion about the small custom rubber compounding and molding business, located in the central Nebraska town of Hastings: Bruckman Rubber is a company that knows its worth. Complexity is its friend – with 302 total A new MonTec advanced moving die rheometer has increased testing and data customers and more than 2,500 assessment capabilities. product types molded annually.

Operational flexibility is the phrase its employees live by, allowing Bruckman Rubber to Driven by data enjoy a 99.6% on-time delivery rate as its employees shift to “We are working to become a more scienceother departments as needed. And, data drives every decision, based business for all aspects of the removing variability from both the rubber molding process and formulations.” the operation of the company.

Founded by Charles Bruckman and in business since 1961, the company has a long history of success in the oil and gas, plumbing, agriculture and aftermarket automotive industries.

Bruckman Rubber also produces more than four million products a year for a major outdoor commercial products retailer, and it recently developed a prototype for an athletic equipment retailer with worldwide name recognition – all accomplished with 70 employees in 60,000 square feet of manufacturing space in a town of 25,000 people whose main claim to fame is as the official birthplace of sugary drink Kool-Aid. 6 InsideRubber // 2019 Issue 2

Turek was hired in 2015 as the general manager and became president in 2017. Although he had no previous experience in the rubber industry, Turek is a man who believes in science, data and structure. He holds three US patents from his time with roofing and decking manufacturer TAMKO Building Products, has a degree in chemistry and is an ASQ Certified Master Black Belt (MBB). One of his first priorities at Bruckman Rubber involved the transformation of the company’s proprietary rubber formulas.

Bruckman mixes custom rubber compounds for each of its customers in one of the four buildings on site and, until recently, many of the formulas for those compounds were found on small notecards.

“In my office, there’s a card filing system with all of the rubber formulas we’ve created, going back to 1961,” Turek explained. “It’s amazing to have that piece of our history, but it wasn’t the most effective way for our compounding department to operate.”

Under Turek’s guidance, the handwritten formulations were entered into a central database, creating one repository of information that ensures every formulator is using the same recipe. “Prior to the database, our formulators would have a piece of paper that was passed around as it was needed. Even with really talented people, that introduces a lot of chances for errors,” he said.

In addition to the consistency benefits, the database also allows comparison that wasn’t possible before.

The company uses the data to run analysis reports on structural characteristics and costing factors, which enables assessment of which formulas are the most expensive or have the most rejects.

“All of this is happening at the beginning of the process, and it’s allowed us to streamline and optimize formulations, both for our benefit and for the customer,” explained Turek. “We’re addressing quality issues before they happen by making sure we understand the chemistry. We are working to become a more sciencebased business for all aspects of the formulations.”

Bruckman mixes all of its own rubber formulations, analyzing As another step in the data assessment process, the lab at structural characteristics to meet each customer’s specifications.

Bruckman Rubber has been updated with a new MonTec advanced moving die rheometer. “By replacing our old oscillating disk rheometer, we can do faster batch releases, which Culture change through cross-training is giving us a significant reduction in scrap because we get more “Employee longevity is great, but who accurate data. And, we can test our raw materials before we begin is going to replace them now that those molding – good material in means good material out. We used to employees are reaching the age where they have a quality inspector reviewing product right before it went to will be leaving the business?” a customer, but that’s way too late! We pulled those guys back and put them at the beginning of the process.”

Turek has dedicated the past year to cross-training. The focus is on a 3x3 matrix, where at least three employees are the experts He continued: “We’re talking about polymer architecture. With on at least three jobs. Categories on the matrix include the data and testing, we can see exactly where the waste is, and we operation of open roller mills, injection presses, shot blasters or can clean up the overengineering that may have happened for belt sanders, among many others. longtime customers who’ve been around 30 to 40 years.

“Variation is the root of all evil,” Turek said. “If we can reduce variation for a customer and give them a consistent part every time, that’s what every customer wants. But, we’re doing it by making data-based decisions rather than going on gut feel.”

“One day, we have a heavy workload in trim, one day we’re heavy in the molding department and one day we need help in compounding,” said Turek. “By developing employees who are cross-functional, we become so much more flexible as a page 8  company.” www.arpminc.org 7

PROFILE  page 7

careers. What legacy do they want to leave? How can they work now to set the company up for success in the future?

“It starts with me,” Turek said.

“I’m working with two to three people to say, ‘If I’m gone, I want you to be able to do these certain things,’ and I meet with them quarterly to go over my expectations. Then, it’s their responsibility to meet with their potential replacements and have the same conversations.”

Google ranks and a new quoting process Bruckman Rubber works with 302 customers and 2,500 product types on an annual “Some people don’t basis, requiring significant storage space for molds. believe in marketing.

They think they can Not every employee is cross-trained at this time. Instead, it’s make good product, and then word of the supervisor’s responsibility to ensure the 3x3 matrix is filled. mouth will be enough. Well, sometimes Openings in other areas are discussed in the morning stretch you need the help to make sure people meeting that happens each day, so employees are aware of understand what you offer.” what’s available.

On top of the flexibility that this affords in the production schedule, the matrix is leading a cultural change. “Because of the education the employees are receiving in other areas of the company, now a molder has an understanding of what a trimmer does and what makes the trimmer’s job more difficult,” said Turek, “There’s a greater understanding of how the components of each job work together, and we’re starting to see an effort to make changes that affect the employees down the line, rather than having that natural focus on what is happening in only one department.”

The next step is to implement cross-functional training with the supervisors, which, as Turek said, is more difficult since the supervisors are working on the process, rather than in it. “But, when we get there, we’re going to be much more flexible,” he continued.

The matrix also builds a bullpen of employees ready to step into new roles as longtime employees approach retirement age.

Bruckman Rubber has a core of employees who have been with the company for 20 to 30 years, and their knowledge is invaluable.

“Employee longevity is great, but who is going to replace them now that those employees are reaching the age where they will be leaving the business? I’m having conversations with longtime employees now, and I’m asking them how they want to end their 8 InsideRubber // 2019 Issue 2

So, how did Bruckman Rubber come to the attention of a bigname athletic equipment company?

Google.

“I asked that very question,” laughed Turek. “We had just redone our website to focus on marketing ourselves in a more accurate and effective way, and the customer had done a web search looking for rubber manufacturers. Google search visibility was a priority for the website refresh, which definitely paid off!”

Working with a local company, Turek focused on emphasizing Bruckman’s core competencies. “I had an outsider’s view of what made us special, which made it easier for me to see the factors that make Bruckman Rubber stand out from the competition. For instance, rubber to metal bonding is something we do really well.

And, we enjoy taking on projects that other molders don’t want to mess with – those small, custom molding opportunities that have the opportunity to lead to something big.”

Once Turek had defined the core competencies and unique characteristics of Bruckman Rubber through the website project, the next step was to employ a marketing firm to make calls to potential customers. For the last six months, an outside firm has been working to call companies within a set of target segments to inquire about upcoming jobs on which Bruckman could quote.

“

WE’RE ADDRESSING QUALITY ISSUES BEFORE THEY HAPPEN BY MAKING SURE WE UNDERSTAND THE CHEMISTRY. WE ARE WORKING TO BECOME A MORE SCIENCE-BASED BUSINESS FOR ALL ASPECTS OF THE FORMULATIONS.

”

“There was a six- to eight-week training process we went through to educate them before they began making calls to our prospects,” said Turek. “We went through presentation after presentation.

Then, they would call me and go through a conversation as if I was the potential customer.”

Once the marketing firm was up to speed and ready to begin making cold calls, Turek turned his attention to the engineers and the quoting process. “We used to send out quotes and wait for feedback,” he said. “Now, we’re selling throughout the quoting process, and that’s a major transformation that has happened in the last two months. Our engineers know our core competencies and our differentiators, and they can walk prospective customers through the quote and point out where Bruckman Rubber brings advantages. Why send an email and hope the prospect understands why we’re better than the competition?”

Bruckman Rubber pursued a federal grant that allows cost sharing for marketing activities, which helps to eliminate a barrier to promotional activities for many manufacturers, but Turek always was a believer in the benefits. “Some people don’t believe in marketing,” he said. “They think they can make good product, and then word of mouth will be enough. Well, sometimes you need the help to make sure people understand what you offer.”

Greater than the bottom line “When we talk about honesty and integrity as our core values, we’re really living those.

The culture we’re trying to drive is special.”

Bruckman Rubber celebrated its 55th year in 2018, and perhaps the inclination for many companies would be to keep doing the same things that led to success over the past five decades. page 10 

PROFILE  page 9

Bruckman, however, isn’t content, and that drive was rewarded when the company was named as one of two 2018 Nebraska Manufacturers of the Year, alongside agricultural giant Case IH. The award, presented by Gov. Pete Ricketts, goes to Nebraska manufacturers that have successfully implemented innovative ways of conducting business through the use of new products, processes, technologies and strategies.

“We have a history that we can point to with a lot of pride,” said Turek, “and the decades of growth have put us in a position that can only be enhanced if we continue to change and innovate. When I came here, I told the employees that I didn’t have a background in rubber, but they could teach me – and then I would figure out ways to make their lives easier. I could streamline processes, reduce defects and bring structure from a leadership aspect. A lot of the things we’ve implemented have been a direct effort by me to live up to that promise.

“We’re leaving a legacy – in our community and through the products we create – and I think that’s something greater than the bottom-line dollar. When we talk about honesty and integrity as our core values, we’re really living those. The culture we’re trying to drive is special.” 

10 InsideRubber // 2019 Issue 2

TECHNICAL STANDARDS UPDATE

2nd Quarter Report: Technical Standards for the Rubber Industry

B

elts. Not the kind that hold up pants, but rather those that transmit power. Think about the automotive fan belt, for example.

A power transmission belt is one of the most basic means to transfer power from a motor to the device needing the power.

The first were developed in China – flat strips of leather mounted to rotating, wheel-like pulleys. Even though prone to slipping and moving, flat belts were the mainstay of mechanical power transmission for the next 2,000 years. Finally, 2,000 years of history were upset with the invention of the endless rubber V-belt, developed by John Gates of the Gates Rubber Company in 1917.

Since 1952, first the RMA and then ARPM, working together with the Mechanical Power Transmission Association, created 15 standards and eight engineering bulletins for V-belt technology in the US. ARPM also acts as the lead organization for ANSI, representing the US with the International Standards Organization (ISO) technical committee. If you use or design V-belts, these are the people to know.

As the primary means for transmitting mechanical power, V-belt technology has developed to fit a large range of applications – most of which are handled in the ARPM standards. Some common types include the following: 



If the application uses low- or fractional-horsepower motors, the choice will typically be a light-duty single V-Belt designated 2L, 3L, 4L or 5L (ARPM standard IP23). Many applications that use a 1 HP (or less) motor use this belt type.

For industrial-sized equipment from one to several hundred HP, “classical” belts – first developed in the 1940s – can be used. These are designated A/AX, B/BX, C/CX or D/DX (ARPM standard IP-20).

In the late 1960s, multiple narrow V-belts were developed to replace classical belts with their superior load-carrying capability.

But, change is slow, so this belt type continues to share the market with classical belts. Look for types 3V/3VX, 5V/5VX and 8V and reference ARPM IP-22.

A natural extension to using narrow V-belts is to use a ribbed belt that looks like several belts joined side-by-side. The high contact area between belt and pulley has the advantage of higher torque at reduced size. Ribbed belts cover a wide power range,

depending on the strength of the fiber used to reinforce them. Find them in appliances, automotive accessories and agricultural equipment. The industry knows them as types H, J, K, L and M and in ARPM, they are known as IP-26.

But, V-belts can creep, and sometimes the application demands that the motor and Greg Vassmer the device be synchronized. One turn of ARPM the motor always should result in a fixed Technical number of turns in the driven device.

Coordinator Synchronous belts, or the more capable curvilinear toothed synchronous belts, are needed. Read about them in ARPM IP-24 and IP-27. Devices such as copiers, sewing machines and production automation equipment all need these timing belts.

These are just a few of the types that are specified in the ARPM standards collection. But, we need to know more than the specification. In a series of technical bulletins, the Power Transmission Belt Committee at ARPM also has collected working knowledge on belt operating characteristics regarding mechanical efficiency, oil and chemical resistance, temperature effects, electrical conductivity and belt storage, among others.

And, like all engineered products, power transmission belts regularly are redesigned as materials and product needs change.

The ARPM belt standards are in a systematic, five-year review cycle, with most standards up for review in 2020. Similarly, the ARPM belt team is part of ISO Technical Committee 41 and participates in the V-belt standards. In 2019, the committee will be reviewing ISO 1813 (an electrical specification for ribbed V-belts), ISO 1081 (nomenclature for terms used in describing belts) and ISO DIS 21342 (a standard for synchronous belt drives in automobiles – aka, timing belts), among others.

So, if you are involved in power transmission belts, it is clear that ARPM is the place to be. The technical knowledge in ARPM’s committees is available to help all members. Power transmission belts are one of several technology hotspots you will find in this column. Next time, we will look at another hotspot: elastomeric seals. Until then, remember that if you design or manufacture a rubber product, ARPM has the knowledge you need. 

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MEMBER NEWS ARPM Announces Expansion of Rubber Processor Training The Association for Rubber Products Manufacturers announced plans to add content to its newly designed rubber manufacturing training in 2019. The creation team is working on modules for quality testing and assembly and automation. The curriculum, designed to train the rubber processor, is the first of its kind in the rubber industry.

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

2019 Innovation Symposium Addresses Workforce Challenges The inaugural ARPM Innovation Symposium was hosted at Ace Products and Consulting in April. The event was created in response to the 2019 ARPM State of the Rubber Industry report, which found that 98% of rubber companies reported major challenges with workforce development, including finding talent, training their workforce and retaining employees. Manufacturers also have reported that other challenges keeping them up at night included keeping up with technology, continuous improvement efforts and finances. This day-long symposium proved to be an opportunity to discover innovative solutions to some of the industry’s key issues, unite expertise from across the industry and provide paradigm-shifting solutions to advance attendees in their manufacturing excellence journey. The goal for the day was to find innovative answers to issues that are impacting ARPM members. The event’s presentations did just that, with input from industry experts such as Ace Products and Consulting, Sigmasoft, REP, 180 Skills, Endurica L.L.C., University of Akron, MAPLAN and LabsCubed. Stay tuned for more innovative presentations from ARPM throughout the year, and be sure to attend the 2020 Innovation Symposium.

ARPM Attacks Healthcare Insurance Costs Healthcare insurance costs again topped the list of the most pressing issues for rubber products executives in 2019, as documented in ARPM’s State of the Industry Report. “This issue is not going to go away, and it is even a larger part of the issues related to workforce recruitment and retention for our industry,” stated Letha Keslar, managing director for ARPM. “We are using the power of large numbers to not only provide our members with competitive options, but also to bring innovative solutions and a focus on employee engagement to impact the entire system.”

April 9 marked the date of the official roll out, where members of several associations under the umbrella of ARPM’s management company assembled to understand the fundamentals of the First Resource Captive Insurance three-pronged platform. During this six-hour session, member organizations heard about the current state of the health insurance marketplace, how captives fundamentally operate and how the platform incorporates 12 InsideRubber // 2019 Issue 2

funding and financing, innovation and employee engagement to deescalate rising insurance cost trends.

“The Association Health Plan revisions under the Trump administration did nothing to address the issue with crossing state boundaries, which is the one element needed to aggregate our buying power,” stated Executive Director Troy Nix. “The captive solution we have implemented already has more than 12,000 lives enrolled and is continuing to gain momentum. While the entrance price point is competitive, it is important to understand that we are not buying business as all companies are individually underwritten so that risk is not shared. With this said, the captive renewal rates have continually beat the marketplace, which is one of the long-term goals.”

Those interested in learning more about ARPM’s Healthcare Purchasing Coalition should visit www.arpminc.com/resources or email info@arpminc.com.

Industry Safety Award Applications Accepted Through May 17 The Safety Awards Program is a way to recognize safety in the industry by awarding facilities that have achieved a level of safety performance above the industry average. Awards are based on data reported on a company’s annual OSHA 300 Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses.

Companies wishing to be considered should send a completed submission form and copies of the facility’s OSHA 300 and 300A forms.

The form asks companies to provide each facility’s 2018 and 2017 occupational illness and injury data. Submit a separate form for each site to be considered for an award. All data will be handled confidentially. Company names will be disclosed only as Safety Award recipients. For questions, email Letha Keslar at lkeslar@arpminc.org.

The last day for ARPM to accept submissions is May 17, 2019.

Awards will be presented during the 2019 ARPM EHS Summit, to be held July 17 and 18.

2019 ARPM Best Practice Awards to Recognize Safety New this year is the Safety Best Practice Award! This award seeks to celebrate, recognize and share best practices in safety from ARPM members.

Submissions for this year’s Safety Award should generally align with at least one of the following topics: employee safety training, safety committees, safety audits/walk-throughs, emergency training, behavior-based safety, tracking/displaying safety metrics, equipment and mold change safety, safety communication or other innovative facility safety best practices.

Submissions may include: • Photographs • Video • Copies of policies • Outline or checklist of activity • Any other materials needed to outline the best practice Submissions for this award are due no later than Friday, May 17.

For questions regarding this award, email lkeslar@arpminc.org.

Welcome New ARPM Members MPS Manufacturing Co. – New Philadelphia, Ohio RM Biltrite LLC – Sandy Springs, Georgia

Cost-Reduction for ARPM Membership ARPM is proud to partner with best-in-class industry service providers. These partners offer exclusive opportunities for savings or education to ARPM members. 180 Skills and IQMS are two new partners that have added offerings for 2019.

ARPM and 180 Skills have formed an innovative strategic partnership to help ARPM members address their number one problem – workforce development. ARPM and 180 Skills have committed to long-term development of online courses that teach rubber manufacturing skills. ARPM members receive special member pricing for access to the 180 Skills Training System.

Visit www.180skills.com/arpm/ for more information.

IQMS’ manufacturing ERP and MES solution, EnterpriseIQ, offers a comprehensive, extended system for all rubber-specific needs. From the shop floor to accounting, quality, EDI, CRM and more, IQMS offers tools and features that solve manufacturing’s unique challenges, including real-time production monitoring, multilevel BOMs, detailed finite scheduling, multi-tool and family tool functionality, regrind usage and consumption features, plus many more features that make them fit uniquely into rubber manufacturing.

IQMS offers ARPM members two packages: Existing Customer Package • 15% software discount • 10% discount on training programs • Buy 2 get 1 at 50% of for Annual User Conference • Referral Program – $5,000 credit New Customer Package • Discounted Core Package – 15% • Extended payment terms up to six months • Six months of free maintenance

Join the Young Professionals (YP) Network ARPM has developed a space for young professionals (under the age of 45) in the rubber industry to network with like-minded professionals, gain leadership experience, learn from and connect with industry mentors and impact ARPM and the rubber industry.

Interested in participating in ARPM’s YP Network? Email bjeffries@arpminc.org to join or for more information.

ARPM Releases Revised Sealing Publication OS-20 The Association for Rubber Products Manufacturers (ARPM) released its newly revised OS-20 Radial Lip Type Shaft Seals Terminology. The purpose of OS-20 is to present terminology common in the marketplace for radial lip type shaft seals and their application. This document was updated through the collective consensus of the members of the ARPM Dynamic Seal Committee and is intended for reference use only.

This publication was reviewed and approved by the member representatives of the ARPM’s Sealing Products Dynamic Technical Committee. ARPM would like to acknowledge the following member companies for their contributions in the development of this publication: 3M Advanced Materials Division; AGC Chemicals Americas; Amsted Seals and Forming; Consolidated Metco Inc.; Fiat Chrysler; Fluid Sealing Science, LLC; Ford Motor Company; Ford Transmission Driveline Engineering; Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies; Grace Technology and Development; SKF Sealing Solutions; The Chemours Company, LLC; Trelleborg Sealing Solutions Americas; Zeon Chemicals L.P.; and Wacker Chemical.

“This standard is a great educational document that provides users the commonly used terms, descriptions and application jargon used in the elastomeric seal industry. Covering 19 seal type descriptions, seal manufacturing terms, rubber and rubber mixing definitions, as well as typical application defect/attribute terms, this document allows both consumers and suppliers of seal-type products to communicate clearly about the product.

Several new terms have been added and definitions updated to keep pace with advancing technology, making this a must-have document for engineers and purchasing people working with sealing products,” stated ARPM Dynamic Sealing Committee Chair Greg Vassmer.

Keeping with ISO standards, all ARPM technical standards are reviewed every five years to establish whether a revision is required to keep it current and relevant. The revised OS-20 Radial Lip Type Shaft Seals Terminology and more than 100 technical standards are free for ARPM members or available for purchase on the ARPM website at arpminc.com/publications. 

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STRATEGIES

The Morning Meeting: Setting the Tone

By Liz Stevens, contributing writer, Inside Rubber

F

or many people, the day starts off better when there is a goal and a game plan. The same is true for companies.

Practitioners of lean manufacturing often begin the work day with a short, structured meeting First things first: Why do it at all? Proponents point to four major benefits of the morning meeting.

1.

A quick get-together at the start of the workday helps build teams in three ways. The regular gathering brings strangers together and turns them into acquaintances.

When individuals find a common goal, those separate players coalesce into a team. And, when teams talk about yesterday’s performance, today’s objective and the roadblocks in the way, their sense of ownership grows.

2.

3.

A key objective of every morning meeting is to highlight operational problems and rapidly hand them off for resolution. Consistently and rapidly addressing problems allows for a quick return to smooth operations.

Knowledge sharing among a workforce can happen organically when experts have an informal opportunity to share what they know. Sharing can be via offering insight to streamline a process, explaining how a tough job was pulled off or piping up with an answer to a problem posed by a less-experienced team member.

4.

When morning meetings include team members from the entire company, employees can connect the dots between their work and the work of associates in other departments, highlighting the value of each department and its place in the big picture. When team members understand how this thing done here affects that thing over there, the foundation for collaboration takes shape.

What is the undisputed key to successful morning meetings?

Ironclad commitment by leadership.

In addition to kickstarting the workday and other benefits, the morning meeting telegraphs a company’s culture. And, a company’s culture flows from its leadership – ideally, every day.

To make morning meetings work, leaders must be unflagging champions. Leaders who are convinced of the value of morning 14 InsideRubber // 2019 Issue 2

“

TO MAKE MORNING MEETINGS WORK, LEADERS MUST BE UNFLAGGING CHAMPIONS.

”

meetings will roll them out with a clear plan and a firm schedule.

If leadership does not have 100% buy-in with these meetings, it will rapidly become apparent, so maintaining commitment and momentum is paramount.

Who, What, Where, When, Why How should the new meetings be introduced and explained to the team? Simply, clearly and completely. Cover the who, what, where, when and why.

• Who will attend? A leader always will be there, like a sports coach, to help prep the team for the day’s game/ objective. Will all employees (in small companies) attend or representatives of each department (in large companies)?

• What shape will the meetings take? In many cases, a short meeting happens with a team that stands for the duration of the meeting.

• Where will the meetings be held? As a best-case scenario, this happens in an open space of the work area (as opposed to a conference room).

• When will the meetings take place? Many companies do a daily, start-of-shift meeting, but some opt for weekly meetings. Whichever choice, consistency is a given.

• Why hold these meetings? To ensure the whole team is on the same page about the company’s goals. To have a regular huddle to look at past performance and plan for the immediate future. To create a setting for everyone to talk about safety, quality and performance. To gather to point out operational problems, and hand problems off to be resolved after the meeting.

How should meetings be conducted?

Before launching the meetings, set up a whiteboard, permanently, in the meeting area. Get daily/weekly metrics on production and post them on the whiteboard before each meeting starts. Create page 16 

ARPM Members and the Morning Meeting Here’s a snapshot of what ARPM members had to say when asked if their companies hold a morning meeting or start-of-shift meeting.

Yes. Every day. We cover three priorities: safety, quality and production. We review hot jobs and work assignments.

We have 52 weeks of talking topics – and sometimes a video – that cover safety topics, lean projects and other content.

Yes, in customer service and in our molding operations.

Our supervisors meet very informally with the team members at the beginning of every shift.

We do not have daily meetings of this sort. Our manufacturing does a QDIP once a week.

At this time, we do not meet with the department heads at the beginning of each shift. Instead, the shift coordinators meet, and the group leaders from each shift meet.

Yes, we do a morning stretch to review quality, safety and production. This includes every department, even the front office. The meeting lasts 5 to 10 minutes.

Yes. We have held a morning “production” meeting each day for the past 22 years. The meeting includes primary production staff, inside sales reps and lab staff.

No. We do two meetings per week that only include scheduling, office management, the plant foreman and quality control.

Our company uses “handoff” meetings between production shifts at our manufacturing site.

We call it a pulse meeting and keep it to 5 to 10 minutes.

Yes, we do a daily meeting for our shop guys during all shifts, and our office has a weekly meeting.

Yes, our leads meet with their teams each morning to discuss plans, review processes, issues, etc. They call it a tool box meeting.

We do not do morning meetings at any of our buildings.

Instead, we do a meeting every Monday with supervisors to talk about what needs to happen that week.

We sure do – an 8:00 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. morning meeting.

Yes, each of our facilities has a morning “war room” meeting where metrics are reviewed before a Gemba walk in a SQDC (safety/quality/delivery/cost) format. Our Gemba walk covers:

We do not have a meeting attended by all shift personnel.

Instead, we have a structure for information sharing that is a little more distributed:  On first shift, there is a daily meeting attended by the operation manager, the business unit managers and the first shift team leads. The manufacturing engineering supervisor has a standing invitation to this meeting, to keep plugged in.  We have a short overlap between shifts for our operators to hand off pertinent information to their counterparts. This is a general review of how the tool is running and details of any special activity at the individual presses.  There also is a shift change meeting held between the business unit managers and the team leaders who report to them to discuss more detailed information.

This can include quality alerts, schedule adjustments or issues observed during the last 24 hours.

Yes, we do a small meeting at the beginning of each shift.

Safety  OSHA recordable incident rate  OSHA lost time accident rate  Commentary on near misses or investigations underway Quality  Any customer returns or internal quality issues Delivery  Quick review of sales to date and run rate  Any notable past-due items Cost  Previous day productivity and MTD by value stream  Commentary on any special cases

Yes, each area of the plant does this for each shift.

Yes. We have a daily management meeting, and we also have handoff meetings on the production floor.

www.arpminc.org 15

STRATEGIES  page 14

an environment geared for holding the team’s attention. Conduct the meetings out of sight of computer monitors. Make a rule that no phones are allowed. Keep the team on their feet. Hold the meeting away from chairs and tables, reinforcing the brief, “bullet-oriented” flavor.

During the meetings, set an energetic, no-nonsense tone. Be upbeat, and highlight accomplishments, progress and new fixes.

Foster participation. Consider having a timekeeper, a scribe and a presenter, and rotate those roles as the team gets comfortable with the meetings.

To reach the key objectives during each meeting, ask for each person’s recap on these three questions: • What did you accomplish yesterday/last week?

• What will you do today/this week?

• What roadblocks or hurdles are in your way?

Encourage brevity to allow more people and issues to be highlighted. In some companies, team members take turns speaking, in a token ring, with a two-minute time limit. When talk from any one team member goes long, suggest taking it offline for appropriate attention and report the resolution at the next meeting.

16 InsideRubber // 2019 Issue 2

Record only a few key operational items to be fixed within a day or a week. Use color-coded visual aids to note problems (in red), progress or success (in green) on the whiteboard. After the meeting, work on the “fix list” immediately, demonstrating – via action – solid commitment to the meeting plan and respect for the team’s input.

What’s the post-meeting analysis?

Once the meetings have been launched: • Stick to the start time religiously • Do not wait for latecomers to arrive • Keep the meetings short • Do not skip meetings • Be patient but persistent while the team adjusts to the meetings • Keep at it, and keep leading the team With commitment, consistency and an inclusive, participatory approach, the morning meeting can be an integral tool in lean manufacturing. 

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SOLUTIONS

Q&A: Printing on Rubber and Silicone Products

By Ben Adner, owner and CEO, Inkcups

What are the biggest challenges when printing on rubber and silicone products?

Printing on rubber and silicone should be considered separately because they have different requirements.

There is a wide variety of rubber types on the market, and the common saying “not all [rubbers] are created equal” is especially true for this substrate.

The biggest challenge in printing on rubber is the ink formulation. Inks require a hardener additive to successfully adhere to a given product, but the hardener can cause ink to become more brittle.

This often becomes a tradeoff: choosing an ink that allows elasticity for flexible uses or applying highly abrasion-resistant but brittle inks.

Printing on silicone is a different matter. Silicone and ink are like water and oil – inks do not want to adhere to silicone. To overcome this, a limited range of special silicone inks has been developed by a few suppliers. Inkcups’ SI Series 2-component Sample of printing on silicone ink is silicone-based, rather than solvent-based, and can adhere to a wide range of products, such as remote-control buttons, wrist bands and many others. For proper Is pad printing the decorating method adhesion, a post-treatment step is required. After each color is of choice for silicone and rubber applied, the printed product is dried for four to six minutes at 250° F. products? Why?

How should durability issues due to the flexible nature of the products be addressed?

With rubber, durability and flexibility are effectively a tradeoff.

For better adhesion and length of image life, inks require a hardener. By its very nature, the hardening ingredient causes the print to become brittle over time, becoming problematic for flexible rubber products, especially when compared to printing on other materials, such as metal and glass. As mentioned earlier, high-quality, durable printing on silicone can be achieved easily when specially formulated inks are used, as long as proper production processes are followed.

18 InsideRubber // 2019 Issue 2

Pad printing and screen printing (for flat surfaces) are the decorating methods of choice for rubber and silicone products.

Pad printing is especially preferred for non-uniform objects, enabling high-quality prints on multi-dimensional products, such as the silicone pet water bowl (above).

What about digital? Has there been growth in the rubber or silicone industry for digital inkjet printing?

It’s been an ongoing industry challenge for digital inks to be used on silicone products. The solvents and hardeners found in solvent-based inks cannot be used for digital printing. In addition,

the pigment size of silicone ink is too large to go through standard print-heads on digital machines. Digitally printing silicone inks remains an industry-wide challenge.

Are there other ink or equipment challenges that silicone/rubber molded products bring to the decorating table vs. injectionmolded plastic?

What trends have been observed that are related to decorating silicone or rubber molded products?

In general, consumers are becoming more environmentally aware and looking for greener solutions. As a result, we’re seeing an increase in consumer demand for silicone products, including reusable food storage bags and containers (think Ziploc and Tupperware).

The biggest difference between printing on silicone and rubber vs. printing on injection-molded plastics is that silicone and rubber items must be post-treated in a dryer, whereas injectionmolded plastics do not require any post-curing. For this reason, injection-molded plastics can be enhanced with multicolor printing in less time, as opposed to the drying requirements that must be adhered to between individual color applications on silicone and rubber products. Printing multiple colors on silicone and rubber is inherently more time consuming because, due to limitations of the inks used, wet-on-wet printing cannot be done on these substrates.

At the same time, manufacturers are exploring wider uses of reusable silicone-based products across a range of applications.

These include everything from pet products (food/water bowls, grooming brushes) to stemless wine glasses to kitchen utensils and much more. We expect this trend to continue, with a rise in the number of silicone and rubber products and associated need for printing systems that can enhance them with multiple colors, user information and branding elements. ď ľ For more information, visit www.inkcups.com.

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www.arpminc.org 19

INDUSTRY ACS Celebrates 25 Years Equipment, controls and facility solutions provider ACS, headquartered in Middleton, Wisconsin, is celebrating its 25th anniversary. With experience in automotive, aerospace, energy, chemical, laboratories and manufacturing, the company has completed more than $1.2 billion in projects. The company employs nearly 100 people, most of whom are experienced in engineering, construction management or industrial technology.

ACS plans to add additional staff in 2019, with growth and more diversification in the coming years. For more information, visit www.acscm.com.

belts are supplied in traditional, classic and narrow-profile V-belt forms. A premium synchronous belt range also is available. For more information, visit www.bearings.co.za.

Global Recovered Carbon Black Market to Grow at a CAGR of 16% Global market research firm Lucintel has published “Growth Opportunities in the Global Recovered Carbon Black Market 2019-2024: Trends, Forecast and Opportunity Analysis.” The report indicates the future of the market looks promising, with opportunities in transportation, industrial, building and construction, and packaging. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 16% from 2019 to 2024. Major drivers are increasing use of recovered carbon black in the tire industry and growing environmental concern toward low carbon footprints. Lucintel forecasts that tires will remain the largest application over the forecast period. Asia Pacific will remain the largest region by value and volume. For more information, visit www.lucintel.com/ recovered-carbon-black-market.aspx.

Bearings International Set to Add ContiTech Belts Bearings International, distributor of bearings and power transmission products in Southern Africa, is in discussion with ContiTech Power Transmission regarding a local distribution agreement for ContiTech’s belt products for industrial and heavyduty applications. ContiTech Power develops and manufactures drive belts, matched components and complete belt-drive systems for vehicles, machines and systems for both Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and the aftermarket.

Its banded V-belts are suited for vertical drive shafts, clutching drives and V-belt drives. ContiTech also manufactures specialty From left, Brian Tillie, BI chain and belts for constant speed belt transmission drives product delivery and excellent manager; Victor Strobel, BI customer rigidity, while retaining offer marketing manager; and Karl flexibility and strong Weindinger, general manager, sales gripping traction. for Western Europe and Africa.

Power transmission 20 InsideRubber // 2019 Issue 2

Pratley Launches New Gasket Maker and Flange Sealant Pratley, Krugersdorp, South Africa, with companies operating in manufacturing and mining sectors, launched a new flange sealant and gasket maker in the form of a tough and elastic silicone rubber. RTV Silicone Gasket Maker can tolerate temperatures of -50°C to +300°C for short periods and is chemical-resistant to gasoline, diesel, paraffin, water, oil and antifreeze. It has no negative effect on electrical components. It is noncorrosive and ideal for applications in engine sumps, gearboxes, pipe flanges and water pumps.

Pratley continues its research and development drive, which focuses mainly on new product launches. The manufacturer plans a high-tech automation upgrade of its factory, following its recent commissioning of a high-end electrical testing laboratory focusing, in particular, on the IEC 60079 specification for hazardous environments. For more information, visit www.pratley.com.

ASTM International Recovered Carbon Black Committee Approves First Standard The committee on recovered carbon black (D36), formed in 2017 for global developer of voluntary consensus standards ASTM International, West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, has approved D8178, its first standard. D8178 defines important terms in the recovered carbon black (rCB) industry. Recovered carbon black is a relatively new, sustainable raw material product for use in rubber, plastics and pigment applications. rCB products are distinct from “char” products and perform differently in rubber applications, even though both product types are derived from thermal degradation of rubber compounds, typically sourced from tires.

The new standard includes an appendix of ASTM International standards developed by other committees that are currently page 22 

the can’t-miss safety event of the year • Register now at www.arpminc.com/ehs

JULY 17-18, COLUMBUS, OH

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The EHS Summit is pleased to welcome keynote speaker Kina Repp

INDUSTRY  page 20

recognized for use in the rCB industry. This includes the carbon black committee, formed in 1956. For more information, visit www.astm.org.

ACH Appoints New Rep for North America

Smithers Rapra Expands Michigan Testing Lab, Hires North American Sales Manager Smithers Rapra, headquartered in Akron, Ohio, and offering rubber, plastics and composites testing expertise, has added two environmental testing chambers to its laboratory in Lansing, Michigan, expanding both capacity and capabilities for testing automotive components and parts. The new chambers provide more than 40% more internal capacity than the laboratory’s existing chambers, allowing for environmental conditioning and testing of larger components. The chambers have a temperature range from -70°C to 180°C and can be programmed to maintain a static temperature or cycle through multiple extremes, simulating a product’s service environment.

Pressure and vibration testing also can be integrated into the testing protocol.

Steve Broadbent

ACH Solution USA Inc., Sarasota, Florida, a supplier of technology for processing liquid silicone rubber (LSR), solid silicone rubber (HTV) and multicomponent machine tooling (THP and LSR), has been appointed as technical partner and direct representative for ACH Solution GmbH of Austria. Owned

by Christian and Claudia Hefner, and run

by General Manager Steve Broadbent, the company was established to service North America. For more information, visit www.ach-solution.com.

In addition, the company has announced the hiring of Bob Bove as regional sales Bob Bove manager for North America. He will lead the commercial team and work with lab operations managers and subject matter experts to identify growth opportunities. For more information, visit www.smithersrapra.com.

Trelleborg Assumes Ownership of North American Plastic Pipes Joint Venture International provider of engineered polymer solutions Trelleborg, through its Trelleborg Industrial Solutions business area, assumed full ownership of a joint venture with Max Seal. This includes a manufacturing facility in Tijuana, Mexico, producing watertight seals for plastic and double corrugated wall pipe systems for water and wastewater. Since 2014, Trelleborg and Max Seal have been manufacturing polymer-based sealing systems together.

The operation was fully consolidated financially, and now Trelleborg has acquired the remaining 49 percent of shares of Max Seal. Employees become part of the Americas organization of Trelleborg’s seals and profiles operation. Alan Guzowski, managing director of Max Seal, will exit the business, and leadership will be assumed by Smith McKee, managing director of Trelleborg’s seals and profiles operation in the Americas. For more information, visit www.trelleborg.com.

22 InsideRubber // 2019 Issue 2

ACE Products & Consulting Honored Ravenna, Ohio-based ACE Products & Consulting, which offers rubber and silicone testing, research and development, product development and technical services, was named as a 2018 Cleveland Technology Award Honoree by Smart Business Magazine. The award recognizes companies in Northeast Ohio that demonstrate innovative business practices to remain on the cutting edge of technology.

Smart Business also notes that the award honors scrappy startups, established technology firm leaders and implementers of everevolving new technology. “Being recognized by Smart Business’ Cleveland Technology Awards is an honor that validates our pursuit to utilize new technology or existing technologies in new ways that produce better results with quicker turnaround times,” said Erick Sharp, CEO and president, ACE Products & Consulting. For more information, visit www.aceprodcon.com. 

October 8 - 10, 2019 Technical Meeting Topics:

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featuring the Expo, 196th Technical Meeting, Educational Symposium and so much more!

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The International Elastomer Conference is the

Educational Symposium Courses:

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• Essentials of Rubber Technology • Basic Rubber Compounding • Silicone Rubber Chemistry and Technology • Compound Mixing and Consistency • Compounding Fluoroelastomers • Establishing a Rubber Molding Process

manufacturers and suppliers of materials, equipment, tools and services come together.

This event is the one place, one time of year, where you find the best of the best of our industry all under one roof. It provides a forum for the exchange of ideas, observations, regulatory reforms and emerging scientific technologies, as well as learning, networking seeing current customers and developing

This is an ideal conference/expo for companies involved with: Machinery and Equipment, Chemical Suppliers, Rubber Processing, Natural and Synthetic Rubber, Raw Materials Suppliers, Testing and Research, Mold Release Agents, Molding, Extrusion and Parts Production, Custom Services, Compounding and Mixing Services, Manufacturing or Distribution, Recycling, Advanced Materials in Healthcare, TPEs

new ones.

Visitors Include:

Interested in exhibiting or attending?

Visit rubberiec.org for details.

Chemists, Product Manufacturers, Distributors and Suppliers, Purchasing Professionals, Machinery Manufacturers, Machinery and Testing Equipment Users and Manufacturers, Raw Materials Suppliers, Manufacturers Looking For Component Suppliers and Rubber Products, Quality Assurance Specialists, End Users, Technical Service Representatives, Research and Development Engineers, Product Design Engineers, Sales and Marketing Professionals

Visit rubberiec.org for details.

Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland • Cleveland, OH USA

VIEW FROM 30 FEET

Productive Partnerships: What Education and Industry Need to Prosper

By Dianna Brodine, managing editor, Inside Rubber

T

he skilled labor crisis is the top issue facing manufacturing companies today, and the solution may lie within the school system, where a captive audience of young adults is making decisions about prospective careers. But, how does a manufacturing company penetrate the educational system to create a funnel of future employees? What shift is required at the curriculum level to accommodate preparation for careers in technical fields?

The yardstick that marked college attendance as the only measure of postsecondary success is breaking. States are recognizing the critical need for a pipeline of employees in the trades, and educational metrics are changing to redefine success for students.

College and career readiness in Kansas The Kansas State Department of Education has published its definition of success for students: A successful Kansas high school graduate has the academic preparation, cognitive preparation, technical skills, employability skills and civic engagement to be successful in postsecondary education, in the attainment of an industry-recognized certification or in the workforce, without the need for remediation.

“For a long time, high schools were not preparing kids for success at a postsecondary level,” explained Mike Mathes, former superintendent of the Seaman School District in Topeka, Kansas (total enrollment: 3,867 and one of four school districts in the city of Topeka), and current superintendent of North Lyon County School District (total enrollment: 430 and providing educational services to six rural communities). “Now, we are focused on getting kids prepared to be adults. Kansas is ahead of the curve in understanding that schools need to be helping students with college and career readiness.”

To assist students in achieving those outcomes, a recent statewide initiative is providing incentives for those interested in pursuing Career Technical Education (CTE) while still in high school.

According to the Kansas CTE website:

24 InsideRubber // 2019 Issue 2

For several decades, Career and Technical Education (CTE) has been evolving. No longer offering only traditional vocational education, CTE now offers a diverse range of subjects and career fields, including a number of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects.

In addition, the distinction between CTE and academic programs is slowly disintegrating … CTE plays a powerful role in preventing students from dropping out and provides a variety of opportunities for postsecondary success and employment, including pathways to a bachelor’s degree.

The Kansas CTE program offers 16 pathways, including Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources; Architecture and Construction; Health Sciences; Manufacturing; and Transportation, Distribution and Logistics. State-sponsored funding is available to cover the cost of tuition for high school students enrolled in a Career Technical Education course at a community or technical college. The funding also helps school districts pay for the costs of transporting those students to and from the community or technical college.

“This type of education requires a change in mindset,” said Mathes. “Schools have to change, because right now school districts expect kids to be in attendance. Parents will have to accept that a kid may not be in a school building all day long.

Curriculum also becomes a challenge, because we still are required to teach subjects like English, math and science. It’s not an easy logistical thing to figure out.”

Easing the way is a state department of education that has shifted its metrics and its definition of success. Postsecondary attendance and completion is one of the five outcomes set forth by the state for measuring progress toward achieving its vision for education, and the data include two-year, four-year, graduate, trade and vocational schooling. “To be accredited, we are following kids for two years after graduation, and the schools are scored based on the percentage of our kids who are successful,” Mathes explained. By including trade and vocational schools in its definition of success, the state has paved the way for schools to include that programming within the educational day, although barriers still exist.

Still, Earnhardt puts in a significant amount of personal effort to bring apprentices into his facility. “It starts with the teachers,” he said. “We have them into the facility for a luncheon right after school starts and explain the program. Then, they help us locate the kids within the schools who they think qualify for these programs and who have shown an interest in the trades we’re offering. We want to have a targeted audience, rather than speaking to the entire school.”

To begin their apprenticeships, students work half a day at Superior Tooling and spend half a day in the school building during their senior year. “The schools have been working with us to get the classes in line so the students can accomplish that,” said Earnhardt. Upon graduation from high school, the apprentices work for four days a week and attend an area technical college one day a week, which leads to an associate degree within three years. Earnhardt said the bureaucracy made the scheduling difficult.

A student works to build goal posts for the new ElevaStrum practice football field. Photo courtesy of the Cardinal Manufacturing Facebook page.

Mathes continued, “To succeed in developing curriculum that gets kids ready for college and careers after high school, we have to keep asking ourselves ‘What is school supposed to look like?’

It’s not as easy as it sounds.”

Apprenticeship initiatives in North Carolina In North Carolina, apprenticeships are providing a way for manufacturing firms to reach local high school students. At Superior Tooling, Inc., a Wake Forest, North Carolina, company specializing in plastic injection molds, President Robbie Earnhardt has eight apprentices on staff – an impressive number for a company with a total employee count of 28. “We’ve got a very successful apprenticeship program, and the state is helping us with that by being very proactive on getting into the schools,” said Earnhardt.

North Carolina has several programs aimed at increasing access to technical education. The North Carolina Tuition Assistance Program offers help to active members of the Army and Air National Guard. Apprenticeship 2000 is a four-year technical training program created in 1995 to develop high school juniors and seniors who are interested in fields such as tool and die making, moldmaking and machining. And, in the Greensboro area, the Guilford Apprenticeship Partners (GAP) works to bridge the gap between high school graduates and career opportunities in advanced manufacturing and service fields.

“School has to change,” he explained. “The culture has to change – the culture of our schools and our parents. They have to understand there are other opportunities out there, and that apprenticeships today can be a true educational experience that combines learning a trade and earning a degree. By working with the counselors and teachers, we’re reaching the right student audience. It’s a matter of educating the educators!”

By participating in parent/teacher nights, career fairs and Saturday morning orientations with students and parents, Earnhardt is continually explaining not just the Superior Tooling program, but all the programs that are offered. “It’s a continuous battle to change the culture, because they don’t understand what success the trades can offer,” he said.

Success in Wisconsin at Cardinal Manufacturing One of the most recognizable examples of the success that can follow when industry and education partner is seen in Cardinal Manufacturing, located within Eleva-Strum High School in Strum, Wisconsin. Cardinal Manufacturing is a school-based, student-run manufacturing business. Students in the program work with local businesses and individuals on manufacturing tasks that can range from a simple repair job to welding, woodworking and custom-designed and -machined parts.

The program has garnered so much attention across the United States that the school offers one-day workshops for other education and industry partners that want to replicate its success.

Attendees of these sessions learn how Cardinal Manufacturing got its start, meet the student employees and business partners, and hear from administration about their concerns and day-to-day management issues.

page 26 

www.arpminc.org 25

VIEW FROM 30 FEET  page 25

“Schools from around the country come in to see what we’re doing, spending an entire day here so they can implement it in their own communities,” said Craig Cegielski, instructor for the Cardinal Manufacturing program.

The Cardinal Manufacturing program is an integrated part of the school day. “We have an eight-period day,” Cegielski explained, “and the 7th and 8th period of the day are Cardinal Manufacturing hours. We run the program from the high school shop area.”

Students have to apply for acceptance into the Cardinal Manufacturing program prior to their senior year after taking certain prerequisite classes. By the time they reach their final year of high school, most of their core graduation requirements have been met, which makes it easier to accommodate Cardinal Manufacturing within their schedules.

“By building the program here and integrating it into the school day, we avoid transportation issues, and there are no conflicts with sports after school,” he explained.

Because the program is run from the high school shop, the equipment is utilized to build skills for students as they progress

BECOME A MEMBER TODAY!

from 8th grade through 12th. “That makes our model easy to replicate,” said Cegielski. “Most schools have the space, the teacher and basic equipment, but there isn’t a budget for tooling and materials. This utilizes what schools already have and brings it to another level by bringing in industry partners.”

“You’ve got to make a plan,” he continued. “This isn’t something you start overnight. If schools are running a high-level technical education program and already have a pipeline of classes in place – such as Metalworking 1, 2 and 3 – with a pipeline of students already interested, then it’s easy. You add a class called “StudentRun Business” and start marketing. But, some schools only have an older shop area and one teacher, so you have to figure out where you’re at.”

Cegielski said the first step is to sit down with the key players – the teacher, the principal, the school board – and to reach into the community to find industry partners. Then, create a plan. “That’s what we do with the workshops we hold – we explain what we do and show them the model we have designed to start a student-run business.”

By creating a marketable, sellable product, the program brings in revenue, which is necessary in these times of tightened school funding. “Some schools simply do not have the funding,” he explained. “We have 160 students in the high school, so resources are limited. Cardinal Manufacturing brings in revenue to help us afford tooling, equipment and materials.”

While Cardinal Manufacturing teaches employable skills in the manufacturing, machining and welding trades, Cegielski said the benefits reach much further. “In so many classes, we tell kids exactly what to do and what to study in order to get the grade. Here, we give them a task and a timeline. From there, the students have to call, design CAD files, fabricate the product and market it to potential consumers. Throughout this entire process, we model and critique their soft skills – sending professional emails, meeting deadlines, working together with multiple students and problem solving. As a high school teacher, that’s the single largest benefit of this program. We can make a big difference in students’ confidence and communication skills, and that carries with them wherever they find employment after high school.”  More information about the Cardinal Manufacturing model: www.cardinalmanufacturing.org.

The site contains resources, including links to its Facebook page, information about upcoming workshops and the annual open house, and links to YouTube videos that provide an inside look into the program.

This article has been reprinted with permission from Plastics Business, www.plasticsbusinessmag.com.

26 InsideRubber // 2019 Issue 2

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BENCHMARKING

Cost of Benefits Continues to Rise for Manufacturers

By Ashley Turrell, analytics manager, ARPM

O

n average, manufacturers are spending $1 million per year to offer benefits to their employees, according to a recent report by the Association for Rubber Products Manufacturers (ARPM) and the Manufacturers Association for Plastics Processors (MAPP).

The two associations jointly published the 2019 Health and Benefits Report. Data for this report came from a biennial survey of rubber and plastics manufacturers in the United States.

The final report provides manufacturers with detailed information on health insurance plans, including premiums, employee contributions, employee participation and ancillary benefits programs.

2019 Increase by Company Size 120% More than 30%

100%

26% - 30% 80%

21% - 25% 16% - 20%

60%

11% - 15% 40%

6% - 10% 1% - 5%

20%

None 0% $1 - $4.9M

The 2019 survey includes input from 194 rubber and plastics manufacturers located across 33 states. The majority of participants were human resource representatives from mid-sized manufacturing organizations. The data represent more than 38,000 participating employees.

$5M - $14.9M $15M - $49.9M

$50.0M+

costs. The most common ways reported included moving to a high-deductible plan (40%), shifting premiums to employees (37%), implementing an employee wellness plan (35%), offering an HSA (34%) and offering a Section 125 plan (26%). Other cost-controlling tactics include a spousal surcharge, shifting from full-insured to self-insured, a tobacco usage surcharge and joining a manufacturing trust or multiple employer welfare arrangement (MEWA).

Overall, 99% of all surveyed organizations offered health insurance to their employees in 2018, with an average of 70% of employees participating in these plans. On average, participating companies spent $1,000,776 to offer benefits to their employees – or approximately $8,850 per participating employee. The cost In terms of plans offered, PPO was the most common type of offering benefits continues to rise for employers. In 2018, offered in 2018, with PPO plans offered by 74% of participants.

80% of manufacturers reported an increase in their health Average Cost of Offering Benefits insurance costs. While 59% of Per Employee by Company Annual Sales manufacturers indicated their 2018 increase was between 1% $12,000 $10,483 and 10%, 6% of participants $9,296 $10,000 felt increases upwards of 21%. $8,502 $8,130 Additionally, 88% of companies $8,000 either have already received or $6,000 are anticipating increases in 2019.

This year’s survey asked manufacturers to select all the strategies their organizations are implementing in order to control 28 InsideRubber // 2019 Issue 2

$4,000 $2,000 $0 $1 - $4.9M

$5M - $14.9M

$15M - $49.9M

$50.0M+

Strategies to Control Rising Costs Move to high deductible plan

40%

Shift of premiums to employee

37%

Wellness plan implementation

35%

HSA

34%

Section 125 Plan

26%

Other

20%

HRA

11%

Reduction in overall benefits

9%

Use of onsite or local clinics

7%

Defined contribution plan

7%

Dropped dependent coverage

2%

Other common plan types included high deductible (42%) and HMO (24%).

The least common plan types included POS, traditional and consumer directed (CDHP).

In terms of funding type, the majority of organizations still utilized a fully insured health insurance program, with 69% of organizations reporting this plan type. However, the larger the organization, the more likely it is to offer self-insured plans. For instance, only 15% of small manufacturers utilized a self-insured plan, while 64% of large organizations do the same.

advantage

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

Manufacturers continued to offer more than just health insurance – the majority offered ancillary benefits as well. Overall, participating organizations reported offering dental (96%), vision (88%), employee life insurance (95%) and dependent life insurance (60%).

According to this year’s report, 93% of organizations also offered a retirement program to their employees. The most common retirement program offered is a 401(k), which is offered by 87% of manufacturers. The amount matched by organizations to employees’ retirement account ranges from no match to 100% match, but most companies commonly match 3% to 4%.

Participating organizations also were able to report other benefits provided to employees, including gain sharing programs, funeral leave, medical reimbursement, referral bonuses, childcare, company loans, legal insurance and health and fitness coaching.

Manufacturers know that keeping talent includes offering an attractive and competitive health and benefits program.

To learn more about this report and dive deep into the benefits packages offered by manufacturers, visit www.arpminc.com. 

Practical Advice for the Rubber Industry Ice Miller focuses on meeting the needs of our clients quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively. Ice Miller attorneys with rubber industry experience can assist with your greatest legal challenges.

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www.arpminc.org 29

SAFETY

Workplace Implications for Marijuana Use

By Liz Stevens, contributing writer, Inside Rubber

M

arijuana now is legal, in some form, in 33 US states.

Marijuana use still is illegal at the federal level, but attitudes and laws are changing. That’s partly because medical marijuana is being used legally in many states for the treatment of a variety of conditions, with pain topping the list.

And, lawmakers in nearly a dozen states have passed laws that allow for recreational use, too.

American employers must keep pace with these changes by learning how federal laws – such as OSHA standards and the ADA – now may apply to marijuana use in the workplace and by adjusting the policies toward marijuana use at their companies.

Medicinal and recreational use Thirty-three states allow cannabis for medical use. As the groundbreaker, California legalized the medicinal use of marijuana in 1996. The latest states – Utah and Missouri – followed suit in 2018.

Under most of these laws, medical marijuana is available only to individuals who qualify for a patient registry. In most cases, a doctor must certify a patient’s ailment and make a recommendation that medical marijuana is needed for therapeutic purposes. Each of the states in which it now is legal has a list of allowable conditions.

In some states, the lists are restrictive, while in other states they are expansive. According to Leafly.com’s “Qualifying Conditions for a Medical Marijuana Card by State,” Alabama, for example, only allows cannabis or CBD for treating epilepsy. For Michigan, 10 allowable ailments are listed and for Illinois, nearly 40 conditions qualify a patient for medical use.

University of Michigan researcher Kevin Boehnke, PhD, and his colleagues examined how people enrolled in state-approved programs are using medical marijuana. Boehnke and his fellow researchers found that more than 800,000 patients were enrolled in medical marijuana programs in 2017 in 19 states. Their count did not include users in those states that don’t require formal enrollment. Some estimates put the total figure at more than two million medical marijuana patients in the US. Recreational use of marijuana is legal in Alaska, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont and Washington. Additionally, 22 states and the District of Columbia have decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana.

30 InsideRubber // 2019 Issue 2

According to survey results published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, “Approximately 14.6% of US adults [1 in 7] reported using marijuana in the past year [2017].”

On the work front Whether the topic is medical or recreational use, Marijuana Moment’s legislative tracker shows that state and federal lawmakers are considering more than 750 cannabis-related bills for 2019 sessions. The legal tide has turned, and the incoming wave is rearranging the landscape, the rules and the policies for many employers.

ARPM recently broadcast “Workplace Highs and Lows: OSHA, the ADA and Medical Marijuana,” a webinar covering medical marijuana and the workplace. The webinar was presented by two attorneys from Steptoe & Johnson PLLC, a US law firm with core strengths in energy, labor & employment, litigation and transactional law.

Presenter Nelva Smith is a labor and employment attorney and a member of the firm’s Workplace Safety Team. She has presented on several occasions nationally on Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) topics. Co-presenter Vanessa Towarnicky provides guidance to clients with regard to compliance issues arising under state and federal employment laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The hour-long webinar explored OSHA rules in the workplace, the Americans with Disabilities Act and its prohibition of discrimination based on disabilities, and how changes in the legal status of marijuana are impacting these regulations.

Smith and Towarnicky delivered a comprehensive presentation, discussing existing laws, emerging legislation and even recent legal case studies. While the regulatory and legal aspects of the topic are best left to the legal professionals, here are some highlights and suggestions for employers.

OSHA and marijuana OSHA has issued changes in its guidance, as recently as October 2018, of the Recordkeeping standard, which includes its antiretaliation provisions. These changes are more extensive than can be addressed in this overview article.

“

THE LEGAL TIDE HAS TURNED, AND THE INCOMING WAVE IS REARRANGING THE LANDSCAPE, THE RULES AND THE POLICES FOR MANY EMPLOYERS.

”

Separate from OSHA laws, the Drug-free Workplace Act, which covers federal contractors, allows for drug testing – and this may extend to subcontractors of federal prime contractors. Department of Transportation regulations, with zero tolerance for the use of illegal drugs, also allow for drug testing.

As it pertains to marijuana and safety in the workplace, employers should be aware of the implications of OSHA’s General Duty Clause. Under the General Duty Clause an employer shall provide a workplace “…free from recognized hazards that are causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm…” Employers should be cautious that OSHA could issue citations under the clause if they do not have a clear policy on marijuana use (medical or recreational) in the workplace, particularly when there are safety-sensitive positions involved.

In light of the General Duty Clause, it is imperative that employers train supervisors to recognize impairment observed on-shift that stems from off-shift use of marijuana and establish a policy for this situation. And, the presenters recommended employers create clear policies and procedures for supervisors to follow if they detect on-the-job use and impairment.

ADA and medical marijuana “A complete mess for courts, employers and attorneys, with diametrically opposing federal vs. state laws.” That’s how the Steptoe & Johnson presenters described the Americans with Disabilities Act in conjunction with state laws that pertain to medical marijuana.

The ADA forbids employers to discriminate based on disability.

With medical marijuana use on the rise for a growing number of conditions, employers must be careful to avoid bias against users.

Some employers that have always had drug-free, zero tolerance policies and are enforcing these policies with regard to medical marijuana use – in aspects of employment including hiring, firing, advancement, compensation, training and more – now are seeing legal claims as a result. Other cases against employers include “failure to accommodate” claims brought by ADA-qualified individuals. Overall, in ADA lawsuits, some courts are beginning to rule in favor of employees.

Understanding the meaning of “qualified individuals,” “reasonable accommodations” and “undue hardship” requires careful consideration and should be done on a case-by-case basis.

It is noteworthy that while people engaged in illegal use of drugs

are excluded from claiming disability, recovering drug addicts are protected by ADA rules.

The ADA does not yet protect the use of medical marijuana at the federal level, but state courts may apply anti-discrimination laws differently where medical use has been legalized. And, it is important to note that the Family and Medical Leave Act could cover leave for conditions that are treated with medical marijuana.

To prepare for ADA and medical marijuana issues, the attorneys suggested that employers do the following:  Check for “qualified employer” status under ADA or state disability laws  Explore state medical marijuana statutes and what they cover  Check for medical marijuana laws at the municipal level  Review and revise workplace policies  Engage in an interactive process to consider reasonable accommodation  If using a testing facility, make sure it meets state requirements  Advise testing facilities of any new workplace policies

The only constant is change At the state level, three new types of marijuana laws are unfolding: decriminalization (entailing no prosecution for certain levels of possession), medical marijuana statutes (with requirements and conditions) and full legalization. Federal laws are in flux too. Attorney General William Barr says that he will not pursue enforcement of prohibitions against marijuana for individuals who are in compliance with state laws. Legislation is advancing in both the US House and Senate. The House bill, Responsibly Addressing the Marijuana Policy Gap Act of 2019, would amend the Controlled Substance Act regarding the status of medical marijuana and would provide for expunging some marijuana offenses from conviction records. The Senate’s bill, the STATES Act, includes similar language.

The Steptoe & Johnson attorneys conclude that, with marijuana becoming an increasingly important issue and the legal atmosphere primed for fast development, employers must really stay on their toes. The full webinar, “Workplace Highs and Lows: OSHA, the ADA and Medical Marijuana,” is available for purchase by ARPM members. For details, email ARPM at info@ arpminc.org. 

www.arpminc.org 31

MARKETS

Need for Better Performing Goods Drives Growth and Improvements in Non-Tire Elastomers

By Smithers Rapra

T

rends in today’s industrial and consumer goods require greater heat resistance, greater chemical resistance and often improved compression set from popular natural and synthetic elastomers.

Most elastomers show room for improvement through chemistry or process technology, which will contribute to greater performance in non-tire applications.

The non-tire elastomer market is considerably smaller than the market for elastomers used in tires, but it is far broader in the number and type of applications. It is characterized by a wide number of elastomers currently in use.

The global market for non-tire elastomers was predicted to be 15.9 million tons by the end of 2018. The Future of Natural & Synthetic Global market for natural and synthetic elastomers for non-tire applications by Rubber for Non-Tire Applications to 2023, a geographical regions, 2023 (%) market report from Smithers Rapra, forecasts a 3.5% annual growth rate to 2023, equating to 18.8 million In North America, CAGRs are 2.1% in 2013-18, 3.2% in 2018tons annual consumption in that year. Non-tire automotive and 23 and 2.6% in 2013-23. Latin America and the rest of the world transportation applications show the largest share, with a market have lower market shares, consumption and growth rates. The of 30.9% in 2018, which will drop slightly to 30.6% in 2023.

NAFTA 2013 market share is 21.5%, dropping to 20.5% in 2018 and ending at 20.2% in 2023. NAFTA 2013 consumption is 2.9 The global market for non-tire elastomers is forecast to grow in million tons, 2018 consumption is 3.3 million tons and 2023 2023 to an estimated 18.8 million tons, with a CAGR of slightly consumption will be 3.8 million tons. The US remains the leader more at 3.5%, according to Smithers data. The CAGR from in the Americas, with over 50% market share in 2017, but the 2013-23 is expected to be 3.3%. These estimates are somewhat region lost significant ground compared with 2016. conservative in nature, given the uncertain future of many of the applications with which elastomers are concerned. Economic Asia-Pacific is the largest market for non-tire elastomers. Its uncertainty in world economies is having a negative effect on the consumption was 7.0 million tons in 2013, growing to 8.4 million market that is likely to continue. tons in 2018 and reaching 10.4 million tons by 2023. The AsiaPacific CAGR 2013-18 is forecast to be 3.7% and, in the period Regional trends 2018-23, will be 4.4%. The CAGR 2013-23 is 4.1% (above In the European region, the overall growth rate during 2016-17 global average). was higher than that of the world average (3.1% versus 2.4%), in contrast to the 2015-16 period (1.5% compared to the world’s Developments with leading elastomers 4.5%). This reflects a slight increase in the health of Europe’s As stated, the main driver for elastomers is the demand economy. for increased performance. Although they still account for 32 InsideRubber // 2019 Issue 2

“

SILICONE AND HIGHPERFORMANCE ELASTOMERS (AEM, ACM) ARE SHOWING THE HIGHEST GROWTH OF ALL THE ELASTOMERS IN NON-TIRE APPLICATIONS. DEMANDS FOR HIGHER HEAT RESISTANCE ARE THE MAIN DRIVERS.

”

considerable market share, natural rubber (NR) and emulsion styrene-butadiene rubber (E-SBR) are unlikely to make improvements in their properties. Nearly all the other elastomers show room for improvement.

In the area of alternative natural rubber, serious efforts by leading companies now are underway with Guayule and Russian dandelion, which are showing great promise. The objective is for Europe and North America to become independent of Asian NR supplies.

Solution SBR (S-SBR) is replacing emulsion SBR (E-SBR) in tires, and it also is slowly replacing NR in some non-tire end uses. Recent increases in S-SBR capacity may narrow the price gap between E-SBR and S-SBR. Also important are styrene block copolymers, which are used in the making of styrene-based thermoplastic elastomers (TPS). Other important applications are polymer modification, bitumen modification, adhesives and sealants, as well as lubricating oil viscosity modifiers.

Ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber (EPDM) is showing excellent growth. Product improvements are appearing regularly, particularly those of molecular weight increases and molecular design. It is the main elastomer used in the production of olefinbased thermoplastic elastomers (TPO) and for thermoplastic vulcanisates (TPV).

Silicone and high-performance elastomers (AEM, ACM) are showing the highest growth of all the elastomers in non-tire applications. Demands for higher heat resistance are the main drivers. Both elastomers show 2013-23 CAGR of above 6%.

The medical and hygiene market continues to serve as a dynamic segment for silicone elastomers.  For more information on Smithers Rapra’s market report, The Future of Natural & Synthetic Rubber for Non-Tire Applications to 2023, visit https://www.smithersrapra.com/market-reports/ rubber-and-elastomer-industry/natural-synthetic-rubber-for-nontire.

EVENTS CALENDAR JUNE 13 Peer Networking Call: Human Resources 13 Peer Networking Call: Sales and Marketing 20 Sales Process Forum 26 Peer Networking Call: Presidents, Owners, CEOs 26 Peer Networking Call: Lean | 55

JULY 17-18 2019 Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) Summit

AUGUST 28 Plant Tour: Southern Michigan Rubber

OCTOBER 2 A Young Professionals Event 2-4 2019 Benchmarking & Best Practices Conference 30 Eagle Elastomer Plant Tour For the most up-to-date information and to register for events,visit www.arpminc.com/ events. www.arpminc.org 33

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