In this issue

Thermoplastic elastomers are advancing into easy peel applications for packaging and pharmaceutical products. In this issue, a leading TPE supplier shares how the company has embarked on research and development to come up with TPEs that meet the stringent requirements of these two sectors.
Coatings play a vital role in many applications and one is by making wood more durable and better equipped to endure the elements and the demands of daily life. Current trends lean towards water-based coatings as the new standard since they emit low VOCs, are nonhazardous and non-flammable.
Ringier Events held several hybrid technical conferences in select ASEAN countries and the most recent one, the 2023 ASEAN Manufacturing Summit in Indonesia, gathered industry experts and professionals engaged in food processing, packaging and recycling in a twoday highly informative event. This issue carries a postevent report indicating how these dynamic industries are responding well to innovative technologies to enhance operations.

Industry innovations aimed towards a greener future

Sustainability and circular economy, energy saving technologies, high-performance materials with enhanced properties, and cost-efficient production processes are expected to dominate the plastics industry in 2022 and beyond.

10+ mins

Special extrusion lines for bioplastic compounds

The biodegradable and compostable plastics sector is growing steadily, and this is partly due to the fact that several measures have been taken, especially in the EU, to cut down on single-use plastics.

3 mins

Plastics revolutionise medical device production

The coronavirus pandemic has brought into focus the urgent need for medical supplies – which included medical disposables, medical devices, laboratory equipment, and many others.

3 mins

Spinning and recycling go together in a single step

As a medium-sized German machine construction business, BB Engineering has been manufacturing components and systems for synthetic fibre and film production for more than 20 years.

5 mins

Advanced high-performance light stabilisers

A range of high-performance light stabilisers with enhanced properties are now being made available.

5 mins

ArabPlast holds successful edition

The 15th Edition of ArabPlast was held on 15-18November 2021 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, U.A.E. Spanning over 28 years, ArabPlast is an exclusive event for plastics, petrochemicals, packaging and rubber industry, and serves as an attractive platform where global industry players show off their products to the Middle East market.

2 mins

Food-grade plastics recycling facility installed in India

The well-established Indian recycler commissioned a PET bottle-to-bottle and a post-consumer polyolefin recycling line from Starlinger in mid-September.

4 mins

How to bring down downtime in manufacturing

For most of us, the word downtime conjures images of relaxation.

4 mins

Optimistic forecast for blow moulded plastics market

Growing demand from key applications is a key factor in the projected growth of the blow moulding sector.

3 mins

The benefits of dedicated system for mould development

When it comes to useful tools that can enhance teamwork efficiency, we usually think of the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems.

3 mins

Uniting ASEAN's smart logistics and warehouse industry under one roof

The trends in global procurement, sales, and localised production are becoming more and more specialised. The professionalization of the logistics industry is not only the inevitable result of social division of labour, but also an urgent requirement of the market economy. The third party logistics organisation is an ideal choice for enterprises. It can save logistics costs and improve logistics efficiency for enterprises. The logistics industry is a compound or aggregate industry formed by the industrialization of logistics resources. Logistics technology, while getting more advanced due to automation, has impacted how the various companies in this industry operate and offer their services.

4 mins

Environment-friendly medical-grade TPEs

Thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs), also known as thermoplastic rubbers, combine the inherent benefits of plastic and rubbery materials. The application of TPEs in the medical field has further been stressed amidst the current coronavirus pandemic with global market for TPEs, assessed at $18.9 billion in 2020, expected to reach $24.2 billion by 2026, rising at a CAGR of 5.2% from 2020-2026, according to a report by reportlinker. com. In terms of regional market, the United States remains the biggest market at an estimated $5.1 billion in 2021, accounting for 27.09% of the world market for TPEs. China, the world second-largest economy, is forecast to reach an estimated size of $4.9 billion in the year 2026, with a cAGr of 7.9% through the analysis period. Among the other noteworthy geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at 2.8% and 4.7%, respectively, over the analysis period. Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately 3.2% CAGR while rest of European market will reach $5.6 billion by the end 2026, according to the report.

6 mins

Philippines aims for Zero Waste to Nature

Southeast Asian countries are getting serious in implementing proper was management as the urgent call for environmental protection reverberates throughout the region. Government policies and private sector initiatives are being drawn up and implemented to alleviate the plastic waste crisis. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report takes the first comprehensive look at policies on packaging waste and standards in 10 countries in Southeast Asia. With over half of the land-based plastic pollution in our oceans originating from just five countries, four of which are in Southeast Asia, the environmental impact of plastic litter in the Asia-Pacific region alone costs its tourism, fishing, and shipping industries $1.3 billion per year, according to the UNEP report.

4 mins

New processes overcome injection moulding challenges

The use of recycled plastic materials is growing worldwide as demand from consumers and political pressure to protect the environment mount. Various countries already stipulate the minimum recycled content for certain products. In the Western US, for example, some market applications require 25% recycled content for pails. In addition, many brands do not want the dark coloured recycled core material to be visible at the injection point. As a result, several injection moulding techniques are gaining ground, breaking away from traditional processes, to meet the sustainability goals.

6 mins

Enhancing the performance of nylons

The sustained growth of the global nylon market takes its cue from the automobile industry which dominates the application for nylons. Valued at $29.76 billion in 2020, the global nylon market is expected to witness a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.8% from 2021- 2028, according to a report by Grand View Research. The report further states that the automobile industry is highly concentrated, and even while the product range is high owing to a large number of market participants, around 49% of the market is dominated by top players including GM, Toyota, Ford, and Volkswagen. Nylon is a material of choice in the production of engine components such as bushings, bearing, oil containers, wire harness connectors, fuse boxes, cylinder head covers, crankcases, and timing belts.

6 mins

Power-packed system for precise operation

The global injection moulding market is estimated at US$17.08 billion in 2018 and projected to reach US$19.68 billion by 2023, growing at an average of 2.9% between the period 2018 and 2023, according to Reportsnreports.com. The report further indicates that Asia Pacific injection moulding machine market is expected to witness the highest expansion due to the rapidly growing automotive, packaging, consumer goods, healthcare, and electrical & electronics end-use industries in the region.

5 mins

PET preform system for mid-volume requirements

Husky Injection Molding Systems has launched its new NexPET™ system – a game-changing mid-volume PET preform moulding solution purpose-built to help producers introduce multiple new applications into the market more quickly and cost-effectively than ever before.

1 min

Positive outlook amidst challenges

The global economy was caught unprepared as it battles the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

10+ mins

Technology innovations to support key sectors

Asia Pacific retains its position as the largest market in the global rubber industry due to the rapid expansion of the automobile industry alongside rising demand for rubber in the production of medical supplies, household goods, industrial products, building and construction materials, among others.

5 mins

Mobile modular extrusion system

A unique mobile extrusion plant has enabled the production of large pipes on-site to serve various industries.

4 mins

Market-tailored PET packaging solutions

New agile solutions designed for enhanced performance while meeting the sustainability requirements are bringing flexibility and performance throughout the entire production process.

5 mins

Impact of materials science on EV battery

The market for battery electric vehicles market has grown substantially over the years, with projected annual growth of 16% from 2019 to 2025, according to a report by Global Market Insights.

6 mins

Efficient recycling of polyester

Sustainable handling of natural resources is a global task, something that needs to be addressed now and not just in the future.

4 mins

Cellulose-based compound as alternative

The development of materials that can be viable alternatives to conventional plastics has been an ultimate challenge to the plastics industry as it moves towards a circular economy.

5 mins

Bio-additives for sustainable future

The move of leading brand owners to raise the bio-based plastic content in their products has created an increasing demand for sustainable additives.

5 mins

rPET bottles pour out of recycling plants

Prominent manufacturers in the recycled PET (rPET) market see substantial gains in Asia, with a number of them opening recycling plants in Southeast Asia.

6 mins

The next step in smart home appliances

Whirlpool, a global leader in home appliances with over 100 years of history, held a product launch event on 8 April 2020 in China.

6 mins

US PLASTICS PACT: Igniting change towards a circular economy

The U.S. Plastics Pact, a collaborative solution driven initiative led by The Recycling Partnership and World Wildlife Fund (WWF), was launched as part of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s global Plastics Pact network.

6 mins

Re-shuffling the cards in the PET market

The all-new NETSTAL PET-LINE from KraussMaffei High Performance celebrates its world premiere this year.

5 mins

New milestone in in-mould label solutions

Since Verstraete IML was founded in 1974, it has always been led by Verstraete family members in 2017 the company became part of Multi-Color Corporation (MCC).

3 mins

Read all stories from International Plastics News for Asia

International Plastics News for Asia Magazine Description:

International Plastics News for Asia is published 6x a year in English with highlights in Chinese. The magazine is uniquely positioned to serve the needs of South East Asia's plastics processing industry, including contract molders and manufacturers with in-plant machinery lines. It provides the latest market information, quality technical features, trade show reviews and videos, and people and company profiles written by industry experts and correspondents across the region. Also included are exclusive content and articles from Ringier's family of plastics industry magazines covering Greater China region, the Middle East and other parts of the world, such as Modern Plastics and Polymers in India, Plastics Engineering in the US, Kunststoffe in Germany, Polymer Materials in Russia, Technologia del Plastico in Latin Amercia – which are the leading magazines in their respective markets. The interactive content allows readers to make direct and immediate contact with advertisers/suppliers and featured companies in the editorial by clicking on the web site and email addresses in each issue, access online content in Ringier’s plastics website in English and Chinese (plastics.industrysourcing.com), and avail of video content through iTunes and Google Play.