Supporting the Plastics Industry

Dave Raine, October 2023

As I sit and write this months article, I am suddenly aware that this will be the first one of my second year as Chairman of the PMMDA – the last twelve months have flown by, and I have to say what a year its been.

Since late 2022, we’ve seen the election of our first non-male committee member in the PMMDA, our first female speaker at the annual SPRA dinner, a complete re-vamp of the PMMDA website, and our first post-Covid Interplas. Whilst none of these in isolation should be seen as either ground breaking, or even unusual in current times, I for one am very proud to have been a small part of these, and believe these are the little changes and continuous improvements we can make to build upon and keep the change momentum up.

Reflecting on Interplas 2023...

Dave Raine, October 2023

As I sit and write this months article, I am suddenly aware that this will be the first one of my second year as Chairman of the PMMDA – the last twelve months have flown by, and I have to say what a year its been.

Since late 2022, we’ve seen the election of our first non-male committee member in the PMMDA, our first female speaker at the annual SPRA dinner, a complete re-vamp of the PMMDA website, and our first post-Covid Interplas. Whilst none of these in isolation should be seen as either ground breaking, or even unusual in current times, I for one am very proud to have been a small part of these, and believe these are the little changes and continuous improvements we can make to build upon and keep the change momentum up.

Reflecting on Interplas 2023...

COMPETITION TIME

Win an IntElect Model and ‘Sleigh’ Productivity in 2024

The North Pole Workshop might well be the most industrious on the planet right now. But the Make More For Less productivity whitepaper from Sumitomo (SHI) Demag UK & Ireland is giving jolly St. Nick a good run for his money.

More than just a seasonal stocking filler, this document is the ultimate manufacturing gift that keeps on giving. Download a copy today for your chance to win your very own Sumitomo (SHI) Demag IntElect 220-700 injection moulding machine LEGO® set. Designed by MAGICBRICKS creator Sascha Rücker, one lucky winner can spend the holiday season the envy of all their engineering colleagues.

Like the competition brick-kit, processors can build up their productivity in stages.  Even marginal gains can unlock  accumulative enhancements to boost profit margins. For example, beneath the hood of a full-sized IntElect are a number of velocity and injection power features that, when used correctly and repeatably by moulding operatives, result in faster cycle times and more stable start-ups.

Reducing a 10 second dry cycle time by just 0.55 seconds, for instance, can equate to an additional 504 cycles daily (2,520 a week). Multiplied, this productivity improvement alone can add up to 14.3 extra production days annually. Some of this can be learned by attending a short course at the company’s Daventry ‘elf academy’.

Add in workforce engagement, and productivity soars once again. The whitepaper illustrates how one customer was able to get an astonishing extra 168 days of production out of one IntElect machine by optimising the machine set up. Another 5% could be gained using automation and digital tools.

With the Group gearing up to announce a European productivity roadshow in 2024, including stopovers in North and Southern Ireland, Scotland, Manchester and the Midlands, Managing Director Dave Raine comments: “Productivity is the real gamechanger now for processors. Even in the most profitable organisations, there’s great potential for improving efficiency and workforce competence. The key is to start with the basics; correct operation and setup times; review manual and automated routines; optimise machine cycle times, etc.”

For your chance to win the 912-piece IntElect MAGICBRICKS set for Christmas, download the whitepaper here https://sumitomo-shi-demag.co.uk/make-more-for-less by 15^th December. The competition will close at 5pm GMT. The prize winner will be announced on LinkedIn.

FANUC joins industry calls for UK manufacturing strategy

FANUC UK Managing Director, Tom Bouchier, has this morning (Tues 14 Nov) called on the government and political leaders to develop a cross-party strategy to secure the future of UK manufacturing. Speaking live at the FANUC Open House event in Coventry, he stated: “Make UK’s recent report has identified that 99% of manufacturers want an industrial strategy, and 87% believe it would give their business a long-term vision. What we need now is a coherent, joined up strategy for manufacturing, with cross-party consensus, to give businesses the certainty they so badly need. As the only developing country without an industrial strategy, we’re in danger of being left behind if we can’t deliver this soon.”

Increasing productivity

Taking place 14-16 November at FANUC’s UK headquarters in Ansty Park, Coventry, the Open House event is showcasing the latest innovations in automation and robotics to help manufacturers improve the efficiency and productivity of their factories, as well as alleviate labour shortages.

In attendance this morning was Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, who encouraged businesses to embrace automation: “Manufacturing is a worldwide, competitive race and in order for UK firms to be competitive, they need to increase their productivity. Automation solutions such as those on display at the FANUC Open House can help UK companies to remain competitive in the long term. What’s happening here is really important for the future of our economy.”

Overcoming barriers to automation

Encompassing panel debates, case studies, 35 exhibitors, live robot demonstrations and the finals of the WorldSkills UK Industrial Robotics competition, the FANUC Open House brings together leading figures from the world of robotics, automation, manufacturing and academia to showcase the latest cutting-edge innovations that are changing the face of UK factories.

The morning’s first panel debate, focusing on overcoming barriers to automation, featured insights from industry leader Stuart Whitehead of the Jefferson Group, who stated: “Many UK firms are still addicted to cheap manual labour, focusing on short-term costs rather than long-term gains.”

The panel agreed that highlighting the longer-term paybacks of automation – including increased efficiency and sustainability gains, as well as compensating for worker shortages – is key to encouraging greater uptake of robotics in the UK.

Inspiring future talent

In addition to showcasing the latest automation innovations to manufacturers, one of the event’s main aims is to encourage more young people to pursue a career in engineering. While day one centres on the future of manufacturing and day two tackles sustainability, day three will focus solely on education, featuring presentations by current and past apprentices as well as the live final of the WorldSkills UK industrial robotics competition.

Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, said… see more

Sumitomo (SHI) Demag UK receives gold certification badge from Carbon Neutral Britain

 Sumitomo (SHI) Demag UK has earned what’s considered by over 1000 British businesses and FTSE 100 companies to be the emissions-reversal gold-certification badge.

Believed to be the first UK polymer machinery supplier exhibiting at Interplas 2023 to be measured against Carbon Neutral Britain’s credible and globally-validated offsetting standard, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag UK – the  British subsidiary of Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Plastics Machinery GmbH – has offset 153.81 tonnes of CO₂e emissions through the Woodland Fund™ portfolio of certified nature-based carbon reduction projects.

 To achieve this certification, every day-to-day activities, from car journeys, flights, trains, taxi, hotel stays, recycling, waste, building electricity and gas consumption figures were measured and reported. Quantifying these carbon compounds caused by Sumitomo (SHI) Demag UK has provided the subsidiary with a benchmark to support ongoing emission-reduction improvements.

Compared against businesses of a similar size and headcount, 153.81 tonnes of CO₂e falls within the lowest quartile, assures Senior Environmental Consultant at Carbon Neutral Britain, Caspar Eccles-Williams. “It provides a good baseline and is testament to the efforts already taken by the Sumitomo (SHI) Demag UK team to reduce emissions. We liken it to a sprint within a marathon. This 2023 audit has helped to identify hotspots where further incremental improvements can be made,” explains Casper.

The company intentionally selected Carbon Neutral Britain as it follows the ISO 14064 and GHG Emissions Protocol Accounting Standards. “The Woodland Fund™ backs legitimate projects where carbon credits are measured, regulated, verified and audited,” reports operations manager Andy Hannan.  See more

Mountains Waun Fach and Pen y Gadair Fawr in the Black Mountains. Mountains 9 and 10 on the 10nTaff Challenge for Ty Hafan

Bunting Sponsors #BikeBoatBoot Challenge for Tŷ Hafan

Bunting is sponsoring a group of dads and uncles of children supported by the South Wales children’s hospice Tŷ Hafan who are taking on the 2024 #BikeBoatBoot challenge to raise awareness of and funds for the charity.  The group of thirteen men plan to hike, cycle off-road and kayak the length of Wales in four-days.

Bunting is one of the world’s leading magnetics companies, with two manufacturing facilities in the United Kingdom.  Bunting-Redditch focuses on the design and manufacture of separation and detection equipment including magnetic separators, eddy current separators, metal detectors and electrostatic separators.  Bunting-Berkhamsted designs and manufactures magnets, magnet assemblies, and magnetising equipment.

Tŷ Hafan is a leading and much-loved charity that provides life-changing care and support to children with life-shortening conditions and their families who live in Wales.  All the dads and uncles taking part in the challenge are supported by the hospice.  The team is made up from dads who have lost children and those still whose children continue to receive care and support from the wonderful staff at the hospice.

The #BikeBoatBoot challenge is the third in a trilogy of challenges undertaken by the dads and uncles, each sponsored by Bunting.  In 2018, the team completed the #5in55, climbing Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), Cadair Idris, and Pen-y-Fan in 55 hours.  In 2022, the team returned for the #10nTaff, climbing the five highest mountains in North Wales, then the five highest in South Wales, before cycling off-road 53 miles from Brecon to Cardiff.  The #10nTaff was also completed in just over 55 hours.

Read the full story…

Machine supplier Arburg give their feedback on Interplas 2023!

“I would say on our behalf that this show was even better than the show in 2021, which turned out to be a really good one after all the challenges.

We saw even more companies and although the market as we all know is pretty tough at the moment, it was really satisfying to be able to talk about new projects and potential investments with a lot of people. Well done Rapid News for delivering”

Colin Tirel, Managing Director

PlastikCity Unveils New Team Structure at Interplas 2023

Founded by Carl Futcher and Richard Stamps in 2012, online procurement platform PlastikCity has grown year-on-year over its 11-year history. At Interplas 2023, the PlastikCity team is announcing a range of team changes, including new trainees, promotions, and a retirement.

It has been a successful first decade of business for PlastikCity, since the company was founded in 2012. Despite the tragic loss of company director Richard Stamps in 2021, PlastikCity and sister company PlastikMedia have enjoyed over a decade of success, growth and expansion. The company was founded when current Managing Director Carl Futcher, then working together at an injection moulding machinery manufacturer, had a requirement for a procurement and promotional service that did not exist, or so the origin story goes.

Fast forward to 2023, and PlastikCity has celebrated over a decade of continued growth, and has expanded its services to recently cover new and emerging markets, including Additive Manufacturing and FRP (Fibre-Reinforced Polymer) Moulding.

PlastikCity now has over 260 active member companies, representing over 400 categories of goods and services specific to the UK and Irish plastics market, with partner companies enjoying a wide range of direct sales, promotional and marketing services to increase their profile in the sector.

Handing the Reins to the Next Generation

The major upcoming change will be the promotion of Jess Clarke to Managing Director of PlastikCity and PlastikMedia. Jess, previously Marketing Manager, now Communications Director, will assume her new role ahead of the upcoming Interplas exhibition.

Jess is PlastikCity’s longest serving employee, after joining her father’s company in 2013 following read on…