Sustainability starts very early in the product development process, at the concept stage. This means that industrial designers have an outsize role to play in determining any given product’s carbon footprint, recyclability, reusability, and more. They can help guide brand owners in making optimal material choices, while ensuring a product has aesthetic qualities that encourage a user to keep it longer, rather than use it and pitch it in the…
LVMH Perfumes & Cosmetics announced plans to develop packaging made through Eastman’s molecular recycling technologies. Parfums Christian Dior is the first of LVMH’s major historic Houses to introduce Eastman Cristal Renew copolyester, with 30% certified recycled content, for its Dior Addict Lip Maximizer packaging that hits shelves this summer. Eastman and LVMH will continue to work together on sustainable packaging solutions across LVMH’s family of brands, with additional adoption expected over the next…
Polyurethane foam specialist Future Foam Inc. will spend $3 million to renovate a 341,840-square-foot plant in Garland, Texas, creating 104 full-time jobs. The Council Bluffs, Iowa-based company says it also has plans for further expansion at the site in coming years. Production is expected to start by the end of 2021. The building in Garland is nearly 60 years old and has been empty since 2005. A rail service line…
Teijin Ltd. is investing in diverse areas of technological development as a company that is deeply involved in the automotive industry and committed to supporting the ongoing shift toward autonomous, shared, and electric (CASE) vehicles and mobility as a service (MaaS). In response to market demand for increasingly sustainable, safe, and connected mobility, Teijin is already engaged in numerous initiatives aimed at helping the automotive industry evolve. Beyond Teijin’s extensive expertise…
Molding 2021 (Sept. 21-23; Donald E. Stephens Convention Center; Rosemont, Ill.) is rapidly approaching as the first in-person meeting of injection molding minds since the pandemic began. Each morning of the two-and-a-half day event offers a general session with broad-ranging topics that are pertinent to all injection molders. You can learn about the Green Molding and Digital Manufacturing sessions we have planned from my colleague, Matt Naitove. In the afternoon,…
Injection molders overwhelmingly saw accelerating growth in their medical divisions in 2020. That isn’t expected to be a flash in the pan, as demand for testing products remains high.
If you’re interested in an informative and fast read on the subject of flexible packaging, this is for you — an all-in-one location for a steady stream of curated news and developments in this dynamic market. You’ll find regularly updated news and developments in the ever-widening world of applications for pouches, bags, films, and other types of flexible packaging sourced from supplier breakthroughs, brand launches, and other advances of interest. The content…
Plastics News Senior Reporter Frank Esposito breaks down the price increases for PE and PVC resins again in May amid supply issues and high demand because of construction season; and SI Group is investing $50 million to increase production in response to higher demand for antioxidants.
A recent monthly survey by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) showed that 44% of small businesses have job openings they cannot fill, a record-high number for the third straight month. Why is this? We have a tremendous imbalance right now, with more than 8 million jobs open, while in April employers added just 266,000 new employees. Some people who do this for a living were estimating that three…
Inkbit is a 3D printing company to put on your radar. The company built the first 3D printer driven by vision-based feedback control. In February, the company launched Inkbit Vista, a new additive manufacturing system that features a platform based on scalable inkjet deposition and 3D machine vision. Inkbit Vista features the proprietary vision-controlled Jetting solution and multi-material design software, enabling manufacturers to bridge the gap between prototyping and full-scale production. I recently chatted with Wojciech Matusik, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Inkbit, to…