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Italian compounder Sirmax has developed a recycled plastic door panel material that can address issues related to the maintenance of mechanical properties, unwanted odors, and the presence of volatile organic compounds on the surface of interior finishes. The company has formulated a polypropylene (PP) compound with 5% talc additive and containing 30% recycled material derived from post-consumer waste (PCR). This PP compound from the Green Isofil family resembles the mechanical…

German medical device manufacturer Gerresheimer is in full expansion mode at its campus near Atlanta. In addition to an expansion that is slated to add 160 jobs by April to the 260 people it already employs in Peachtree City, GA, the company has announced that it will invest $88 million to build a new 160,000-square-foot facility. Scheduled to open in fall 2024, the plant will be dedicated to manufacturing auto-injectors…

Germany’s Sanner Group, a global healthcare packaging manufacturer and medical device contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), today announced the acquisition of Springboard, a design and development firm specialized in medical devices for regulated markets. Sanner said the acquisition is in line with its goal of building a suite of “world-leading services for customers across the drug-delivery, diagnostic, and medtech device sectors.” Springboard’s extensive capabilities will substantially boost Sanner Group’s in-house…

The days when we will be able to sip a “tasty beverage” through a plastic straw seem to be numbered. Iconic brands, cities, and even countries have joined the crusade to “stop sucking.” There has been some pushback on these bans, notably from the disabled community, where straws can be a lifesaver. Critics of the movement to rid single-use plastics from our lives also note that plastic straws, in the…

Electric mobility featured heavily in our recent article outlining automotive and mobility trends to watch in 2024. If we had extended the piece to 10 trends instead of five, some of the following would have made the cut. Where to now, Chinese EV OEMs? The rise of Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) in the global market has been somewhat astounding, particularly their penetration of the European market. In fact, some market watchers see…

The US Department of Defense (DOD) has awarded $3.7 million via the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) program to Qarbon Aerospace to design and manufacture advanced lightweight continuous-fiber thermoplastic composite structures for national defense aviation applications. Ensuring US manufacturing leadership “The establishment of robust and resilient supply chains is a critical element of DOD’s strategic approach to creating a modernized industrial ecosystem,” said Dr. Laura Taylor-Kale, Assistant Secretary of…

Improving the sustainability of flexible packaging films, pouches, and other formats in the packaged food category starts with a first step away from nonrecyclable multilayer barrier films. That improvement often means a switch to a recyclable mono-material film, which Mars China has taken in announcing this month the launch of a dark chocolate cereal Snickers bar. It is claimed to be a significant step towards sustainable packaging using a mono-material polypropylene (PP)…

Idemitsu Advanced Materials has completed construction of a second syndiotactic polystyrene (SPS) production plant in Pasir Gudang, Johor, Malaysia, and launched commercial operations in November 2023. The company is a subsidiary of Japan’s Idemitsu Kosan, which pioneered the development and commercialization of the heat-resistant styrenic engineering plastic in 1997. 9,000 tonnes/year production capacity Production capacity of the new Malaysian plant is 9,000 tonnes per year, and with this second SPS…

The global bio-polyamide (PA) market is poised to witness substantial growth with a projected compound annual growth rate of 14.5% from 2022 to 2032, according to analysis by market research firm Fact.MR.  The automotive industry’s imperative to enhance fuel efficiency and reduce vehicle weight is a key driver of increased adoption of bio-PA. The market is expected to receive a boost from advances in energy conservation and growing demand for eco-friendly…

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