PT Blog

While the halls were full at K 2019 on its opening day, the order logs of many of its injection molding machinery suppliers were not. Uncertainties in trade, fueled by the United Kingdom’s prolonged dithering on the question of Brexit, as well as on-again-off-again trade deals with pivotal plastics players Canada, Mexico and China; have been acknowledged by the market players. 

Under the overarching theme of Pushing Boundaries for a Sustainable and Digital World, Covestro’s CEO Markus Steilemann, addressed a sizable media group the day before K 2019’s official start. This was followed by a tour of Covestro’s booth with innovations in automotive; E&E; construction; health and medical; furniture; and sports & leisure.

Challenging parts have long been used as a calling card for injection molders, whether they’re displayed in the company’s lobby or brought to trade shows. A catalog of equipment, list of certifications or pictures of a plant floor don’t really show what a molder is capable of—actual molded parts, however, are those certifications and machinery made real.

Plastics Technology and its annual all-things-injection conference, Molding, are now offering molders a higher profile venue to show off those parts—and their own capabilities—the Hot Shots part competition.

Novolex, a manufacture of diverse packaging and food service products, recently launched several new products that look to reduce waste in the foodservice industry. Cutlerease is a new single-piece cutlery utensil dispensing system. 

Mary Jane McCraven, senior marketing services manager, Waddington North America (a Novolex brand), said that when you serve meals at a fast-casual restaurant, a stadium, or a large cafeteria, you need an efficient way to hygienically provide knives, spoons and forks to customers. In the past, cutlery would be in unsanitary self-service bowls or trays that can spread germs or wrapped in additional packaging, which increased plastic waste. WNA Novolex wanted to eliminate both of these issues.

Just as I’m writing a feature article which examines the trend toward all-PE pouch structures for food and non-food applications, Dow has announced a new optical finishing for PE-based packaging to support brand owners and converters in addressing recyclability targets. The new Opulux HGT Optical Finishes, to be officially unveiled at K 2019, can help replace PE/PET or PE/BOPP laminated packaging structures with an all-PE based concept that offers high thermal and chemical resistance and delivers excellent optics.

Opulux HGT, which is suitable for many packaging formats and most common coating and packaging equipment, has been recognized as a breakthrough technology at this year’s Edison Awards in the bronze category. “We’re constantly looking at ways to rethink the status quo of packaging to advance the circular economy. With Opulux HGT we are able to simplify the packaging structure to help enable recyclability while maintaining the shelf appeal of the final package,” said Izzat Midani, marketing manager EMEA at Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics.