10 years, 10 trends in plastics machinery
The past 10 years have been an interesting time to be a plastics processor.
Manufacturing technology is advancing faster than at any time in history and while plastics processors are not always on the cutting edge, they are adapting many of the new techniques.
Processors are not immune to world economic events, such as the great supply chain failure that started in 2020, spiraling inflation and a labor shortage. They have also been battered by a growing anti-plastics movement.
Not all trends have been bad. The move to hybrid and all-electric machinery, which started in Europe, has given processors better-quality presses and extruders and blow molders at good prices. Advances in automation and artificial intelligence make coping with labor shortages a little easier.
There is also a case to be made that the movement among European and Asian machinery manufacturers to increase production or assembly in North America means faster delivery and lower shipping costs on new equipment.
To mark the 10th anniversary of Plastics Machinery & Manufacturing, we selected 10 trends and events that have impacted the industry during that time. You could argue that others — such as the COVID-19 pandemic, optical sorting in recycling operations, concerns over microplastics in the environment or cybersecurity — have been equally important.
If there are issues or developments you think we should cover moving forward, let us know at [email protected].
But we hope you enjoy our list. The stories will be displayed below as they are published.
About the Author
Bruce Geiselman
Senior Staff Reporter Bruce Geiselman covers extrusion, blow molding, additive manufacturing, automation and end markets including automotive and packaging. He also writes features, including In Other Words and Problem Solved, for Plastics Machinery & Manufacturing, Plastics Recycling and The Journal of Blow Molding. He has extensive experience in daily and magazine journalism.
Karen Hanna
Senior Staff Reporter
Senior Staff Reporter Karen Hanna covers injection molding, molds and tooling, processors, workforce and other topics, and writes features including In Other Words and Problem Solved for Plastics Machinery & Manufacturing, Plastics Recycling and The Journal of Blow Molding. She has more than 15 years of experience in daily and magazine journalism.
Ron Shinn
Editor
Editor Ron Shinn is a co-founder of Plastics Machinery & Manufacturing and has been covering the plastics industry for more than 35 years. He leads the editorial team, directs coverage and sets the editorial calendar. He also writes features, including the Talking Points column and On the Factory Floor, and covers recycling and sustainability for PMM and Plastics Recycling.