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Packaging giant Berry Global Group Inc. has added to its portfolio F&S Tool, a specialized provider of high-output, high-efficiency hot-runner injection and high-volume compression molding applications. F&S Tool operates a 90,000-square-foot facility in Erie, PA, with 11 issued or pending patents. Just over 100 employees serve a broad spectrum of plastics manufacturers. Founded in 1983, F&S Tool cites packaging, medical, and closures as core applications. Targets high-end growth markets Berry…

Plastics injection molder Atalys LLC announced yesterday that it has acquired Schnipke Engraving Co. LLC. Both companies provide injection molding and related services to medical device OEMs. Atalys, based in Rochester, NY, said the acquisition will enhance its manufacturing capabilities, technology, and geographical footprint. Tight-tolerance molding a specialty Founded in 1967, Schnipke has established a reputation for building tools in-house and designing and engineering molds that meet the medical device…

Borealis and Akva group have reported a breakthrough in sustainable aquaculture — a workboat hull constructed from renewable plastic. Borealis is one of the world’s leading providers of advanced and sustainable polyolefin solutions. Akva group is the world’s foremost technology provider to the aquaculture industry. Iconic boat design The iconic Polarcirkel vessels are known for their practical design, reliability, and safety. Used in a range of industries, including fish farming, oil…

Something is just beginning to happen. It’s momentous, but like a lot of big things, it won’t appear significant right away, unless you know what to look for. I remember March 17, 2022, very well. I came home and said to my spouse, “It’s started.” That was the day the federal reserve raised the federal funds rate by 0.25%, up to 0.5%. Not a big deal it seemed at the…

A three-material molding system from Plasdan will demonstrate the production of complex assemblies with two add-on injection units and in-mold robotics at NPE2024. Plasdan’s equipment will be integrated with a Nissei NEX360V-100LE all-electric molding machine to function in a single cycle — without the need for multiple machines or manual assembly. The setup reduces machine time, labor and energy requirements, and uses less floor space. “Efficiency gains and productivity improvements” “This…

A combination of a rotary table injection molding machine and automated parts handling will be operating at the Arburg stand at Chinaplas. The turnkey system will be molding complex fluid distributors for an automotive application made from 35% glass-fiber-reinforced polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), each containing three different metal inserts. The production cell is based on the 200-tonne Allrounder 1600 T with an integrated upstream stamping unit and conveyor system. Parts handling…

I guess you could call it a gimmick, but Brandon Birchmeier is sticking with his beloved whiteboard. The 20-year veteran of the injection molding industry, and now head of a consultancy serving plastics processors, started a YouTube channel a few months ago. In the Injection Molding — The Whiteboard Sessions videos, Birchmeier addresses the latest technologies and trends from a processor’s perspective, illustrating his concepts on a whiteboard, of course.…

Sustainable practices slowly but surely are coming to the medical space. A proof-of-concept pilot project in the dialysis department at a major hospital in Belgium reportedly has shown that non-contaminated medical plastic waste can be converted to pyrolysis oil in an advanced recycling process to produce circular feedstock. In turn, the feedstock can be used to produce plastics that achieve the same levels of performance, purity, and physiological safety as…

Bpacks, a start-up operating in Europe and the United Kingdom, has developed a compostable bark-based material that integrates seamlessly with plastic-package manufacturing lines. The company’s technology enables production of bark-based pellets and sheets for use as a substitute for plastic. Bpacks can produce the bark-based material as well as finished rigid packaging at its 300-m2/3,230-sq-ft R&D center in Belgrade, Serbia. The production process for the material closely resembles that of…