Husky strengthens its commitment to protecting the return on its customers’ investment

Husky Injection Molding Systems, a leading technology provider to the plastics processing community, has strengthened its commitment to protecting the return on its customers’ investments. Elevating its existing service contract offering, the company is now including its Advantage+Elite^TM proactive, predictive, transparent monitoring solution as a standard feature on all PET and Closure systems.

“The premise of Advantage+Elite^TM was founded on our commitment to our customers. It combines the industry’s best processing analytics and service expertise to provide unrivalled assurance while delivering unmatched certainty, support and return on our customers’ investments,” said Robert Domodossola, Husky’s President of Rigid Packaging. “With the inclusion of Advantage+Elite^TM as a standard feature on all PET and Closure systems we are going one step further to ensure we are maintaining our commitment, from part concept through to production.”

Introduced in early 2020, Advantage+Elite^TM monitors systems within customers’ production facilities in real-time, while proactively engaging to ensure and maintain the lowest total cost to produce. Using remotely connected technology and proprietary dashboards within a closed-loop reporting platform, Husky continuously monitors and analyzes a set of leading system variables to anticipate, recognize and rectify potential issues before they impact productivity or part quality. In addition, this functionality reduces the variability risk associated with running higher levels of post-consumer-resin (PCR), accelerating the shift to manufacture more circular, sustainable packaging with increased percentages of recycled material.

To date, Advantage+Elite^TM has been extremely well received and supports Husky customers internationally. To ensure each system receives consistently high levels of support, Husky has built the industry’s most extensive global service network designed to be locally deployed in customers’ local languages. To reinforce this capability, Husky has opened a number of Advantage+Elite^TM monitoring centers around the world. The most recent being the grand opening of its Luxembourg monitoring center in September 2021 operating out of its European headquarters. In total, Husky has established a total of six monitoring centers, including those running out of its headquarter facilities in Canada and China, as well as active centers operating in Mexico, Brazil and Japan.

https://www.husky.co/

Opting exclusively for recyclable plant pots

Recyclable plant pots from the Circular360 category Pöppelmann TEKU® help companies in the horticultural industry to make a commitment to increasing sustainability. This was enough to convince TM Zierpflanzen GmbH from Mühlhausen, whose conversion to recycled plant pots has reaped double the benefits: the new pots enable the plant passport to be attached while also promoting resource conservation thanks to their recyclability.

Recyclable plant pots as a new benchmark

A wide range of resource-saving products by Pöppelmann TEKU® helps companies in the horticultural industry to set a more sustainable example. The TEKU® products, which are organised into different categories of reusability and recyclability, provide transparent information about the origin of the material used and the recyclability of the products. As part of the company-wide PÖPPELMANN blue® initiative, which combines all activities pursued by the Pöppelmann Group in support of a closed material loop, TEKU® also developed the resource-saving round pots in the Circular360 category. Besides the addition of colourants and additives, the items are made from 100% PCR plastic – in other words, post-consumer recycled material originating from domestic recycling bins, recycling garbage bags or other household recycling collections. Once they are no longer needed, the items are 100% recyclable – and thus close the material loop. The recyclable plant pots are now also available in a range of trendy colours.

TM Zierpflanzen GmbH opts exclusively for recyclable plant pots

The Pöppelmann TEKU® concept has already gained the seal of approval from numerous customers. Among them is TM Zierpflanzen GmbH in Mühlhausen. The company produces some two million plants every year, all of which are sold regionally. “The issue of sustainability is becoming increasingly important in our industry. The decision to go for the pots in the Circular360 category was a quick and easy step in this direction,” states Mike Fischer, production manager at TM Zierpflanzen. The company planned to label its products with the European plant passport, which was to be printed directly onto the pots. This meant it was no longer possible to use the same black plant pots as before, and TM Zierpflanzen set about finding an alternative. At the International Plant Fair (IPM) in Essen, the company came across Pöppelmann TEKU® – and opted for the recyclable round pots from the Circular360 category. In spring 2020, the company completed its full conversion to the resource-saving alternative – a resounding success, as Mike Fischer explains. “Demand for recycled materials is constantly increasing among our customers. We use our 100% conversion to the recycled Circular360 plant pots in our advertising and have received extremely positive feedback.” The encouragement received by TM Zierpflanzen certainly serves to motivate – Baumschulen Oberdorla, which, like the decorative plant specialist, is part of the TUPAG Group, has also embarked on the sustainable route and now uses Circular360 plant containers for its products, too.

https://www.poeppelmann.com/

Sidel Super Combi Compact water complete line enhances both performance and sustainability for Zulal Water Factory, in Sharjah, UAE

Thanks to enhanced performance, Sidel’s Super Combi Compact complete water line opened the door for more business opportunities for Zulal Water Factory, in Sharjah, UAE (Zulal). Running at up to 45,000 bottles per hour (bph), the line not only delivers increased productivity by 280%, but also helps the company save 56% on energy costs, when compared with their existing PET line. In addition, with the new, lighter PET bottle and optimisation of utilities, there has been a considerable reduction in the overall carbon footprint.

Sidel Super Combi Compact water complete line enhances both performance and sustainability for Zulal Water Factory, in Sharjah, UAE

Zulal was established by H.H. Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Court Member, and Ruler of Sharjah, which is part of SEWA (Sharjah Electricity and Water and Gas Authority) in the UAE. The company’s vision is to provide clean, pure drinking water for all people in the region. In 1995, Zulal was the first government organisation to address this requirement. It is the only water enterprise that provides 100% pure groundwater directly from the Hamdah wells in Sharjah. The water is certified by international standards and packed according to the highest international standards for packaging drinking water.

The connection between Zulal and Sidel can be dated back to the late 1990s, when Zulal first installed a Sidel blower. In 2019, the company reached out to Sidel again for a new high-speed line to meet market demand. As a complete line solution provider, Sidel consulted the customer on packaging design and line capacity, as well as line design and layout to enhance the overall performance.

Greater productivity opens the door for more business opportunities

After 18 months of discussion, Sidel provided Zulal the Super Combi Compact water line, running at up to 45,000 bph. The layout was a key element of the line design for this project, because the line had to be installed in the existing location. Sidel experts managed to accommodate the configuration of the Super Combi Compact and conveyors, as well as two packers, into that space, thereby achieving approximately a 25% overall space saving due to the redesigned “Accumulation, Combiner and Labeller”.

The new line provided Zulal with greater line efficiency and productivity enabling further business opportunities. “After installing Sidel’s complete water line, we now have the capacity to supply our products to major airlines, hotels, schools and offices. We are really pleased with the enhanced performance,” said Mr. Ali Ahmed Ali Al Kindi, Manager of Zulal Department at SEWA. As Sidel’s motto goes “Performance through understanding”, continuous communication with clear information played a key role in this cooperation to better understand consumer’s needs and achieve goals.

New bottle design and production line aligning with sustainability goals In line with SEWA’s sustainability policy, Zulal wanted to optimise its carbon footprint. By redesigning the PET bottles, and reducing the weight, the new bottle for 330ml and 500ml formats now weigh just 9.75g and 12.5g, which saved up to 0.65gm and 1gm respectively per bottle. It also contributes to reducing Zulal’s carbon footprint with considerable PET savings, namely an estimation of saving 215kg for 330ml and 331kg for 500ml per shift production run. Additionaly, thanks to Sidel’s complete line solution, Zulal pays 56% less for energy, while increasing the productivity by 280% compared to their existing line.

Airnov to exhibit sustainable solutions at upcoming CPhI Worldwide expo in Milan

• Event on November 9-11 offers chance for industry stakeholders to view Airnov’s range of sustainable healthcare packaging solutions.
• Airnov awarded EcoVadis certification after making series of sustainable operational and product improvements.
• Certification underlines Airnov’s commitment to make life better for healthcare patients while minimizing its impact on the environment.

November 02, 2021 – Airnov, a global leader in innovating packaging solutions for the healthcare market, will be showcasing its range of solutions at the CPhI Worldwide expo in Milan.

Held on November 9-11, the event is one of the leading expos bringing together suppliers and buyers across the entire pharma value chain.

Visitors will be able to explore a variety of Airnov products at the event, including DRICARDTM, laser- marked canisters, laser-marked stoppers, light desiccant stoppers, and more, all of which are evidence of the company’s commitment to produce sustainable solutions for the healthcare packaging sector.

Indeed, Airnov will be demonstrating its sustainability credentials at CPhI. For example, the company was recently accredited with EcoVadis certification as it continues to incorporate sustainable innovation into its products and operations.

Airnov France has enrolled onto EcoVadis program, which helps organizations to enhance their sustainable credentials by identifying areas for improvement through a comprehensive ratings process.

This year, Airnov’s French plant has been granted certification for continuous improvement across a range of processes, including waste management, energy consumption and use of raw materials.

“We are pleased to announce our new partnership with EcoVadis in 2021 to evaluate and recognize the engagements and improvements of Airnov France across key areas such as the environment, sustainable procurement, labor and human rights, and ethics,” said Stephane Rault, Global Product Manager.

“These are continuous actions we will push for over the comings years across all of the regions we operate in.”

In France, these actions have included enhancements based on customer feedback to Airnov’s core packaging solutions used in the pharmaceutics, nutraceutics, diagnostic and probiotics markets – many of which will be on display at CPhI Worldwide.

Specifically, plastic weight has been reduced across several product lines, including Airnov’s light desiccant stopper and new DRICARDTM, which has doubled performance with a 50% reduction of raw materials (plastic and ink) used.

The company has also adopted laser marking techniques to reduce the need for labels, inks and adhesives.

Meanwhile, a greater use of secondary bulk packaging (large bags instead of carton) is helping to make the transport of products around the world more environmentally friendly. Airnov is also working to optimize the transportation process through a commitment to fill containers, thereby reducing the amount of wasted container space.

Mélissa Plantier, Product Manager at Airnov, added: “Airnov is concerned about the protection of the environment and strives to minimize its global impact by improving its production and operational processes, as well as product design. “Raw material optimization and reduced energy consumption reduction are just the first of many steps that Airnov has committed to along its path for a more sustainable impact.”

Airnov invites visitors to CPhI Worldwide to visit its booth (2B60C) during CPhI Worldwide, which runs from November 9-11 at Fiera Milano.

For further information on Airnov’s sustainability commitments, visit the Airnov website: www.airnov-healthcare.com/sustainability

Way2K: Industry interviews in the lead-up to the K 2022 fair “Leading fairs are more important than ever”

Interview with Ulrich Reifenhäuser, Chairman of the Exhibitor Advisory Board of the K and Chairman of the Plastics and Rubber Machinery Association within the VDMA.

Mr Reifenhäuser, K 2022 will focus on three mega topics simultaneously: climate protection, digitalisation and the circular economy. How are these topics related, and why are they so important for the plastics industry?

Climate protection is the outright most important main global topic. Circular Economy is an important industry topic and represents a partial solution to the major issue of climate protection. Digitalisation is an attempt at a solution that is necessary both for climate protection measures and for establishing the circular economy. All three topics will be presented in a very multi-faceted way at K. The plastics industry is absolutely crucial to the goal of CO2 reduction, to the reduction of the carbon footprint. Without plastics, careful management of the global climate will not be possible at all. The circular economy, in turn, is vitally important for plastics as a material. And digitalisation has risen to a whole new level. Here’s just one example: plastic waste can be precisely identified through digitalisation, which is extremely important for recycling.

What are the levers that can be applied to slow down climate change?
Climate protection and the associated reduction of CO2 emissions are the most important goals for the plastics industry, and therefore also the most important topic at the K. This involves, for example, measures to reduce the CO2 footprint during production.

But the major topic for action is certainly circular economy. We won’t find any completely new levers to apply – after all, we didn’t just start working on this yesterday. It’s more a matter of improving and refining the processes that have already been introduced. Which products can be eliminated? How can we reduce the number of input materials while maintaining the same functionality? How can those products be recycled for which there has previously been no recycling option? There are new procedures that can enable all of this and are to be presented at the K. And finally, it’s also about conserving even more energy in our industry. These are the real levers we have at our disposal.

Energy efficiency has long been a priority, if only because it reduces costs. Is there still room for manoeuvre?
Yes, there is always room for manoeuvre. The greater the need and the greater the pressure to change something, the more creative engineers become. This is especially true for mechanical engineering.

The plastics industry cannot meet major challenges without politics. What role should it play, ideally?
Politics necessarily sets the rules. Combating climate change and the circular economy are not just national tasks, they are global tasks. Politics must guide sensibly and set a regulatory framework. To do this, stakeholders must delve eeply into the issues to be able to provide sensible guidelines. Banning straws may be effective in the media, but it does nothing to solve the problem. Politicians must think big and set a clear direction, also in the form of legislation. This is necessary if only so that we can pick up speed in achieving our common goals.

What would you like to see from the new federal government in this regard?
When it comes to climate protection, I would like to see a concrete assessment of climate harmfulness. That brings us to the carbon footprint, the CO2 balance of the various products. Looking at food, you can read on the products how many calories they have. Why not do the same with the CO2 footprint? In this way, you could establish objectivity and comparability. In addition, I would like to see clear specifications for the use of recycled materials in products. If high quality recycled material is more expensive than virgin material, it won’t be used. So you need valid pecifications for all materials, ideally by way of quotas. Why shouldn’t 50 percent of a garbage can be made of recyclates? This would give the circular economy a real boost.

Should Germany have a leading role in this regard?
We cannot call ourselves the European Union and then let each country do everything for itself. But I think it is right for Germany perhaps, in union with two or three other important EU countries, to go ahead with such measures. Then we will get closer to our goal more quickly than seeking agreement with 27 nations right from the start.

The K has not been directly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The last fair took place before the pandemic, and the next one will follow it. Many other trade shows have been cancelled however, which raises the question: Will we still need leading trade fairs in the future?
Trade shows will change. There will be hygiene concepts everywhere in the future. There will be additional digital offerings alongside the face-to-face event. The number of visitors and exhibitors is likely to drop. In future, for example, a customer will come to a trade fair booth. If the conversation includes detailed questions, a colleague from the relevant company may be called in via smartphone. For this reason, digital communication will play an important role. Nevertheless, leading trade fairs are more important than ever, as depth of exchange is only possible face to face. Information is readily exchanged in digital meetings; however, when it comes to building confidence, persuasion and generating emotions, there is no substitute for in-person meetings.

A trade fair also has the major advantage of being a marketplace, enabling multiple substantiated opinions on the spot. The pandemic experience has actually increased the importance of trade fairs in general, but especially that of leading trade fairs.
Video-Statement Ulrich Reifenhäuser: https://vimeo.com/636318091

Teknor Apex Installs New Arvitec Co-extrusion Line in Lab at German Manufacturing Facility Greatly enhances technical capabilities in support of development projects

(Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany, November 2, 2021) – Teknor Apex is announcing the addition of a complete new Arvitec co-extrusion line in their application development laboratory in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, enhancing the capabilities of their European Center of Excellence for plastics research and development. This extrusion line has been completely commissioned and trialed and is ready to support clients’ development projects as well as internal company development projects.

“The state-of-the-art Arvitec extrusion equipment serves as another great addition to our technical capabilities in Europe to support advanced application development projects, quality control and process optimization. We are pleased to offer lab scale testing for co-extruded applications, critical for our clients’ successful product development, allowing them to perfect conditions before a full-scale production roll- out,” said Gert Joly, Director Technology Europe.

“Arvitec machinery is popular amongst our customers within Europe so this allows us to do development and problem solving on the very same equipment they run their product with. Along with running trials and prototypes for customers we can use this line to speed up our own internal material developments,” adds Thomas Aschenbrenner, Application Development Laboratory Manager. “We have partnered with Arvitec for decades and look forward to continuing to work with them to increase our lab capabilities in the future.”

The sophisticated line, custom built for Teknor Apex, includes dual Genesis extruders, a calibration table, haul-off, and a rotary blade providing a clean and burr-free cut. It is flexible for a large variety of applications. It offers the latest in touchscreen controls, with an intuitive, easy to operate design. These advanced controls offer a complete automated performance with control reports and recording of setups for ease of repeatability. Arvitec can also provide remote support with the ability to fully monitor and control the system in real time, with just with an internet connection, from their location in Spain.

Multiple TPE/TPV/PP material combinations were successfully extruded with different profile geometries: two-layer tubes for AdBlue systems or cooling fluids of battery-operated electrical vehicles (BEV), two-component strips consisting of low-friction Sarlink slip-coat materials on top of a soft TPE/TPV for automotive sealing systems, and various other automotive profiles.

Customers looking to meet sustainability goals can trial replacing extruded EPDM (thermoset rubber) profiles with a recyclable alternative like TPV. Along with the ability to be recycled TPVs offer greater design flexibility and lower fabrication costs for hard-to-achieve shapes than EPDM.

“Arvitec has been a very important and supportive partner in our commitment to continued investment in our laboratory. Their experienced design engineers and operators ensured the line startup went completely smoothly,” Mr. Joly added.

About Teknor Apex. Teknor Apex Company, a privately held firm founded in 1924, is one of the world’s leading custom compounders of plastics. Teknor Apex produces flexible and rigid vinyl, thermoplastic elastomers, engineering thermoplastics, color masterbatches, esters, and garden hoses. The company is headquartered in Pawtucket, RI, U.S.A. and operates thirteen manufacturing facilities worldwide in the United States, Belgium, Germany, China, and Singapore. To learn more visit: www.teknorapex.com.

About Arvitec. With more than 25 years’ experience, Arvitec (Barcelona, Spain) develops innovative machinery solutions for co-extrusion for any kind of product with high end die tools that ensures the highest production output and greater precision in finish. Their technical team offers extensive experience in the development, manufacture and adjustment of all types of tools related to thermoplastic extrusion and coextrusion technology.

To learn more, visit: www.arvitec.com