Plastek UK is a leading manufacturer of custom injection and blow moulded components for the packaging industry. The company offers creative solutions to multinational FMCG businesses in the personal care, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, and household markets. Hannah Barnett spoke to Business Development Managers Daniel Kelk and Steven Rolfe to learn more.
Pl astek has always been innovative, but it is truly making its mark by responding to the twenty-first century requirements of the plastic industry.
“Sustainability is the biggest thing to ever happen to plastics, certainly in my lifetime,” said Daniel Kelk, Business Development Manager. “That’s brought on the implementation of post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials and dealing with changing feedstocks. Another new frontier is tracking our carbon footprint. Plastek UK leads the way in our CDP scoring; we can happily say that we’re either at the level of, or above, our supply chain average.”
Known for supplying bespoke quality components in large volumes, Plastek counts some of the world’s most famous brands among its clients. Based in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, Plastek UK is a division of the USA-based Plastek Group, a renowned world-class manufacturer with extensive operations in North and South America. Plastek also boasts an outstanding range of quality and ISO standards.
A very successful and productive operation, and now in its 25th year of operation, the UK site boasts 48 moulding machines, ranging from 60 to 650 tonnes, where it also offers high speed automation and blow moulding. Globally, the company employs around 2,500 people, with 100 of them based in the UK.
On the cutting edge
Plastek operates a dedicated testing suite for sampling new sustainable materials at its Mansfield facility. Here customers, or potential customers, can run controlled tests on materials to analyse how they perform to sustainable standards.
“It was a machine that we previously used for production,” Mr Kelk explained. “So, we completed a full refurbishment and set it up with a smaller barrel, drying capabilities and enhanced dosing equipment. We have a range of pilot tooling, which gives the ability to see how the material is going to perform before shooting it into a production tool. It means companies that are not currently using PCR can onboard them more easily. We’re very proud of that.
“We’ve run everything from seaweed, eggshells, corn husks and anything else non-plastic that will build our sustainable portfolio and remove or divert materials from landfill. The range is incredible. Some materials have proved unsuitable. Others, we’ve exceeded the realms of which
even the suppliers believed was possible.”
The company is widely known for this flexibility and eagerness to innovate, especially when it comes to alternatives to plastic. “If somebody comes to us with a new or innovative material, we’ve got the capabilities to try it,” explained Mr Rolfe, Business Development Manager. “Some of our competitors don’t want to be involved in things that don’t make money. But we’re keen to pursue new materials and be at the forefront of knowing the capabilities and limitations of said materials.”
In recognition of such innovation, the company was invited by Eunomia and the Alliance to End Plastic Waste to help to design PCR data sheets to be used across Europe. Alongside key suppliers, Plastek was also chosen as Innovate UK grant partners, due to the company’s experience in moulding innovative materials.
To cultivate the potential of the developing industry, Plastek recently ran
a sus tainable Open Day, bringing in industry experts to discuss new materials, alongside customers. “We know processing better than anybody, but there are topics like automation, where we have a wealth of knowledge, but there are those that know even more,”
Mr Kelk said. “Collaborating on any new project is key to making it work. Open Days are a great way to start that process.” Plastek are also opening the doors to current and new customers in the form of on-site training days. These days take procurement, commercial and technical staff through hands-on training covering every aspect of an injection moulding facility. As part of this, attendees will complete a full tool service at Plastek’s on-site toolroom, process a tool from scratch along with Plastek’s process engineers and then validate the components in Plastek’s on-site lab.
Sustainable relationships
Plastek is the biggest privately owned injection moulding company in the world and a family-business ethos runs through everything, including supplier relationships. Last year, one of Plastek’s key resin suppliers sent its technical team to Plastek UK for a week’s intensive training on injection moulding.
“The supplier fully understands the plastic side of things, but the actual processing is quite different,” said Mr Kelk. “And we’ve done the same training with our masterbatch houses and with our customers. It also means that in our business interactions, rather than dealing with a number, everyone is dealing with a person, and we have formed close relationships.”
Another strong indictment of Plastek’s prowess is its very low staff turnover; the company has an average employee tenure of 15 years. This means that Plastek staff are well familiar with projects, even historical ones. “Everyone here is either an engineer or a technical person,” said Mr Kelk. “And we’re passionate about plastics and sustainability, so we love to get our hands on a new concept and be able to run with it and make it work.”
At the coalface
This dedication to a new concept was never truer than in the successful project the company recently ran with Notpla, the pioneering startup known for its seaweed-based carbon coating on fast-food packaging. When Notpla was looking to
develop rigid material, it came to Plastek. This quickly led to an opportunity to work on the development of 100% seaweed and plant-based food packaging for use at Twickenham Stadium.
“The project went from an idea that they didn’t think they could fulfil, to us designing the shape of the fork, then commissioning, building, sampling and qualifying a tool and producing production volumes for Notpla to ship to Twickenham,” explained Mr Kelk. “We did all this in 10 days. As an industry standard, that is just crazy.
“But we are at the coalface of new innovations. Because we are a private business, we get to be flexible and we’re able to push these things through, meaning we can achieve ridiculous targets like that. The whole team here really pulled together. It was an astounding achievement.”
“As an industry standard, it’s not doable , but we made the impossible, possible,” agreed Mr Rolfe. “The expertise here is second to none. I’m one of the newest, but many people have been here since the site opened in 1999. So, we’re surrounded by industry experts meaning whatever we’re presented with, we generally find a solution.”
Plastek is certainly a supportive and meritocratic environment. This is something Mr Kelk well knows from his own experience. “We promote from within, and really push the workforce to better themselves,” he concluded. “I started as an apprentice, and I’ve
cleaned the toilets here, before I worked my way up to Business Development Manager. There are many here who have done similar. It means we all know the facility, the factory and the people inside out. I think that really pays off.” n
