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.

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.

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.

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.

Advanced high-performance light stabilisers

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

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.

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.

How to bring down downtime in manufacturing

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Positive outlook amidst challenges

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

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.

Mobile modular extrusion system

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Re-shuffling the cards in the PET market

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

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).