A 360-degree look at resin conveying systems: types, operation, economics, design, installation, components and controls.
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Everything you need to know about plastics compounding technology—from feeding solutions to application profiles and expert advice.
Combat the skilled labor shortage using this comprehensive resource to train your own plastics processing experts.
Deep dive into the basics of blending versus dosing, controls, maintenance, process integration and more.
This Knowledge Center provides an overview of the considerations needed to understand the purchase, operation, and maintenance of a process cooling system.
Learn about sustainable scrap reprocessing—this resource offers a deep dive into everything from granulator types and options, to service tips, videos and technical articles.
Flat-to-downward trajectory for at least this month.
A mixed bag, though prices likely to be down if not flat for all this month.
Trajectory is generally flat-to-down for all commodity resins.
Flat-to-down trajectory underway for fourth quarter for commodity resins.
Generally, a bottoming-out appears to be the projected pricing trajectory.
PS prices to see significant drop, with some potential for a modest downward path for others.
Resin drying is a crucial, but often-misunderstood area. This collection includes details on why and what you need to dry, how to specify a dryer, and best practices.
Take a deep dive into all of the various aspects of part quoting to ensure you’ve got all the bases—as in costs—covered before preparing your customer’s quote for services.
In this collection of articles, two of the industry’s foremost authorities on screw design — Jim Frankand and Mark Spalding — offer their sage advice on screw design...what works, what doesn’t, and what to look for when things start going wrong.
In this collection, which is part one of a series representing some of John’s finest work, we present you with five articles that we think you will refer to time and again as you look to solve problems, cut cycle times and improve the quality of the parts you mold.
Gifted with extraordinary technical know how and an authoritative yet plain English writing style, in this collection of articles Fattori offers his insights on a variety of molding-related topics that are bound to make your days on the production floor go a little bit better.
In this three-part collection, veteran molder and moldmaker Jim Fattori brings to bear his 40+ years of on-the-job experience and provides molders his “from the trenches” perspective on on the why, where and how of venting injection molds. Take the trial-and-error out of the molding venting process.
Mike Sepe has authored more than 25 ANTEC papers and more than 250 articles illustrating the importance of this interdisciplanary approach. In this collection, we present some of his best work during the years he has been contributing for Plastics Technology Magazine.
In this collection of content, we provide expert advice on welding from some of the leading authorities in the field, with tips on such matters as controls, as well as insights on how to solve common problems in welding.
Mold maintenance is critical, and with this collection of content we’ve bundled some of the very best advice we’ve published on repairing, maintaining, evaluating and even hanging molds on injection molding machines.
Thousands of people visit our Supplier Guide every day to source equipment and materials. Get in front of them with a free company profile.
Medical-component specialist LightningCath has carved a niche meeting the needs of small to medium-sized entrepreneurs with complex catheter designs … quickly.
Plastics Technology is closing in on its 70th anniversary. Here are some of Editorial Director Jim Callari’s observations to commemorate the occasion.
As with everything else, there are pros and cons, but more of the former. They provide processors higher rates while decreasing the temperature of the extrudate while enabling downgauging.
The drop in plastics activity appears to be driven by a return to accelerated contraction for three closely connected components — new orders, production and backlog.
Beginning the first of this year, 12 states are following EPA bans on potentially damaging cooling fluids. Chiller suppliers have adjusted equipment designs to accommodate the new regulations. Here’s what all this means to processors.
Pairing external big picture training with internal job-specific instruction can help your process technicians meet quality expectations as well as production targets.
In less than a decade in injection molding, US Merchants has acquired hundreds of machines spread across facilities in California, Texas, Virginia and Arizona, with even more growth coming.
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There are many things to consider, and paying attention to the details can help avoid machine downtime and higher maintenance costs — and keep the customer happy.
Flat-to-downward trajectory for at least this month.
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Shibaura discusses the upcoming Plastics Technology Expo (PTXPO) March 28-30
Sign up to attend North America’s leading trade show for plastics.
Ahead of the first NPE since 2018, PLASTICS announced that its triennial show will stay in Orlando and early May for ’27, ’30 and ’33.
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August 29-30 in Minneapolis all things injection molding and moldmaking will be happening at the Hyatt Regency — check out who’s speaking on what topics today.
Get your clicking finger in shape and sign up for all that we have in store for you in 2023.
Molding 2023 to take place Aug. 29-30 in Minnesota; Extrusion 2023 slated for Oct. 10-12 in Indiana.
In today's manufacturing environment, robust processes that meet strict industry and regulatory standards are essential. With the advent of servo-driven ultrasonic welding technology, enhancing product quality and maintaining consistency has become remarkably effortless. Discover the fundamentals of ultrasonic welding, delve into vital components within these systems, explore how servo-driven ultrasonic welding enhances weld quality via advanced control features and gain insights into optimizing your assemblies for welding in these high-performing machines. Join Dukane to unlock the potential of ultrasonic welding in modern manufacturing for plastic devices and components. Agenda: Fundamentals of ultrasonic welding Key components in an ultrasonic welding system Using servo-driven ultrasonic systems to control your welding process Designing your parts and components for servo-controlled ultrasonic welding
This webinar will help you make informed decisions to confirm the equipment access stairs in your facility are OSHA compliant and meet the highest standards of safety and ergonomics. Agenda: Identifying opportunities to increase safety in the work place Utilizing space saving stairways Ensuring code compliance for equipment access
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Every three years, leaders from almost every major industry gather at NPE to advance their businesses through innovations in plastics. The largest plastics trade show in the Americas, NPE offers six technology zones, keynote speakers, workshops and opportunities to build partnerships.
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Equipment suppliers’ latest innovations exemplify this trend driven by factors such as labor shortages, higher-speed thermoformers and tighter quality control.
Based on a modular system, the Kiefel Speed Automation (KSA) system is matched to the Speeformer KMD series and can be integrated into existing and new machines. (Photo: Kiefel, div. of Bruekner Group)
Automation is an increasingly central trend in thermoforming equipment, owing to such factors as labor availability, higher-speed thermoformers that are restricted by the ability to handle parts at high speed, and demands for more stringent quality control. That’s the consensus among major suppliers of thermoforming equipment, all of which have emphasized automation in their recent equipment innovations and are at work to develop more.
Weighing in on this trend are Kurt Huelsman, president of BMG’s Nalle Automation Systems (NAS); Andreas Staudinger, Kiefel’s global director of polymer packaging; Gregory Romanski, WM Thermoforming Machines’ sales area manager for the U.S. and South America; Andy Fitzsimmons, SencorpWhite’s executive account manager; and, Conor Carlin, Illig North America’s managing director.
Regarding the need to address low availability of labor and increasing speed of thermoforming equipment, SencorpWhite’s Fitzsimmons puts it this way: “These two forces combined have created significant demand for automated parts-handling solutions for our equipment. In fact, top speeds of thermoformers at this time are actually being restricted by the ability to handle parts at those speeds. This has added a sense of urgency to the already significant demand for higher outputs.”
Huelsman from BMG’s NAS says the lack of unskilled labor is impacting the ability to meet production output and deliver customer orders. He also noted the ROI for automation is now more attractive and that companies are exploring what they can automate on the back end of the machine. He adds, “Companies are looking for a competitive edge, and automation is one way to help do that. The market is looking for faster production rates with higher capacities, and automation can help support that with its ability to run with minimal downtime.”
Noting that many companies in both Europe and the U.S., lack the personnel to operate their machines, Keifel’s Staudinger says, “Our automation solutions enable maximum machine running times while reducing manpower requirements to a minimum.”
WM’s Lidpacker is a very compact solution with better handling and stability of lightweight products like lids. (Photo: WM Thermoforming)
WM Thermoforming Machines’ Romanski notes that since the pandemic, there is an even higher global demand for automation but the trend also depends on a country’s specific needs. “Worldwide, the U.S. market is currently leading the demand in automation, while in Europe, Italy has the lead as the Italian government already implemented their Industry 4.0 program, which includes fiscal incentives since 2017, increasing the need for improved machine efficiency and boosting integrated automation solutions. Overall most of our customers are considering major investments to automate their thermoforming processes to guarantee higher available machine ouput and efficiency.”
Both Romanski and Staudinger cite increased hygiene requirements. Says Staudinger, “Driven by the pandemic in recent years automation has become even more popular, as hygiene requirements for the production process have continued to increase. Contamination that could potentially be caused by manual grinding is eliminated.”
Part removal and handling appears to be the key focus areas for thermoforming automation today. Huelsman says automating part handling at the trim press and end-of-line wrapping, case packing and palletizing had been challenging due in part to the wide range of products, limiting “universal” automation designs.
The Mantis from BMG’s NAS robotically removes product from the trim press and then transfers it directly to the wrapper/bagger. (Photo: BMG)
Noting that part removal (stacking and packing) of formed and trimmed products is of the highest priority, Huelsman points out that automation can free people from such repetitive manual tasks, which can be unsafe if not done properly.
Fitzsimmons notes that while the current focus is on part removal, as these solutions become more effective, downstream automation (stacking, bagging, boxing, etc) have become the next most requested add-on. “Note also that this automation also has a quality component that is being considered, as the speed of production is outpacing the ability to check quality at levels that are acceptable. Automation going forward will also have a quality system embedded in order to be effective,” he says.
Huelsman agrees: “Automating part handling creates a gap in the inspection process traditionally done by operators. This can be augmented by emerging vision inspection technology.” And Romanski adds, “We also see that part inspection technology is gaining major importance for our customers.”
All suppliers have enhanced automation in equipment offerings launched within the last couple of years. Most recently, BMG’s NAS launched the Mantis Robotic Trim Press Handling system, which replaces manual labor by robotically removing product from the trim press and then transferring it directly to the wrapper/bagger or the next phase of the system in place. Explains Heulsman, “New technologies such as Mantis use product-matching tooling to control and pull product through the handling process into packaging more effectively.”
Also new is BMG’s C-Rush Die-Cutter Handling system, which automates the process of removing sidewalls from vertical die-cutters and robotically places the sidewalls into work-in-progress containers. It is said to be easy to operate and designed to run 24/7.
A Speedformer KMD unit integrated with a Speedformer Kiefel Speed Automation module, which forms full stacks from partial stacks such as food trays or lids. Photo Credit: Kiefel, division of Bruekner Group
Kiefel’s newest automation solution is the Kiefel Speed Automation (KSA), a modular system that is matched to the Speedformer KMD series and can be integrated into both new and existing systems. It provides intelligent, modular automation solutions suited to the most common applications, which contain fewer product-specific format parts and can still be optimally adapted to customer requirements. According to Staudinger, this allows the production of packaging on various modules to be automated and modernized, offering high product-design flexibility.
One KSA module forms full stacks from partial stacks — e.g., of food trays and lids. Another module takes cartons from a box magazine, erects them, and inserts a protective bag for hygienic packaging if required. The packaging stacks are automatically inserted into these bags. As soon as the carton is full, the bag and carton can be automatically closed and transported onwards as required.
The KSA range also includes an automatic labeling unit. The palletizing unit consists of two stations, making it possible to palletize in one station while the other is being emptied. If the products are not to be packed in cartons, the sleeving module can be used, in which one or more stacks are packed and shrink-wrapped. Some of the automation modules can also be integrated into the Speedoformer KTR series tilt-stacking machines.
Says Staudinger, “Automation plays an essential part throughout the whole process. A highly qualified team implements automation for every production step for packaging, from unrolling and heating the plastic film, to stacking and packing the products, palletizing the finished packaged units, and quality control along the way. Even options for waste disposal or recycling can be adapted: Industrial film waste can be shredded directly for further processing or wound up on a roll. The special feature of all this is that the automation units from Kiefel can not only be smoothly integrated into the company's own steel-rule and tilt-stacking machines. They can also be connected to machines from other manufacturers. Customers do not necessarily have to completely replace their entire systems, but can retrofit them. This is so attractive that around half of Kiefel automation systems are installed on competitor systems.”
From WM Thermoforming Machines, is the recently updated MSv stacker with the integrated Lid Packer—this one developed in concert with Imanpack of Italy to guarantee a stable process from the forming to packaging in only three steps. Romanski notes that it is especially designed for use with the company’s tilting machines, and is especially suitable for small, lightweight products produced on those machines such as lids and DIP cups. (Here is a video of WM Thermoforming automation in action.)
The customer now benefits from a compact solution, better handling and increased product stability during the whole process, according to Romanski.
“Automation plays an essential part throughout the whole process. Therefore, a highly-qualified team implements automation for every production step for packaging.”
According to Fitzsimmons, SencorpWhite has moved from the simple parts- handling systems (“stackers”) to a fully automated solution that stacks, picks and places parts on a conveyor and delivers them quickly and safely to the packer.
In 2019, Illig launched what was billed as one of the most powerful thermoforming systems then available — the fourth-generation RDM 76K automatic roll-fed machine, which features PH 76 handling and downstream automation, including sleeving and case packing. The completely redesigned double-servo drive of the RDM 76K ensures shorter movement times and faster cycle speeds up to 42 cycles/min.
Illig also improved the material-handling system. The electronic parallelism setting of upper and lower table reduces setup times, which adds to higher availability. The integrated tool-block change system reduces tooling times to less than 1 hr. According to Illig’s Carlin, “Even with an extended oven, the total length of the line is shorter than the previous series, due to the integration of the newly designed PH 76 product-handling device, which allows direct interlinkage with different end packaging solutions, such as sleeving and case-packing. The overall movement times of the Illig system are faster than previous generations leading to higher output of a wider range of parts with lower energy consumption.”
WM's MSv stacker with the integrated lid-packing system was developed in concert with Imanpack to guarantee a stable process from forming to packaging in only three steps. (Photo: WM Thermoforming)
Efforts toward further automation are also underway at equipment suppliers. From part handling to case packing to palletizing, increased functionality, smaller footprints, and greater ease of use have driven more robotics into traditional applications, according to Huelsman. His firm is currently building a new robotic palletizer: “This is a collaborative robot with a higher reach (108 in.) and a higher payload (50 lb) than most, if not all, competitors. It has a very small footprint, taking up little space in comparison to traditional palletizers. This product also does not require physical guarding, only sensors.”
WM is currently working on new developments to provide integrated automation systems for their FC models (continuous steel-rule machines). Says Romanski, “At this time, the available automation solutions for this type of machines are still quite limited due to reduced flexibility (product handling as a result of the product geometry), maximizing machine throughput, limited available production space as well as covering specific packing requirements from our customers. These limitations are forcing companies to continue to hire a high number of packers and rely and rely on other semi-automated solutions which result in reduced overall production efficiency.”
Sencorp, according to Fitzsimmons, is working towards higher-speed parts handling as well as downstream automated packing.
Staudinger says Kiefel is striving to make its automation solutions more modular. “This will enable us to offer an even more tailored range for customers for any production volume, particularly for our proven Speedformer KMD systems.”
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