Tariff reactions, proper purging and new equipment from K: Top Stories
Here’s a look back at some of the top stories from our website in February, both reader favorites and editors’ picks. Did you miss any?
Injection molding, birds and rock ‘n’ roll
Most of our “In Other Words” Q&As with industry figures are conducted by phone or video call, but senior reporter Karen Hanna had the opportunity to observe and photograph Absolute Haitian co-owner Glenn Frohring in his natural habitat.
It was appropriate considering Frohring’s birdwatching hobby, which is reflected in some of the artwork on display in his offices.
He also has an old Newbury injection molding machine in the lobby, made by the company his father owned.
Learn more about his career, what he sees ahead and which rock god once tossed him a harmonica.
What’s next after tariff ruling?
The Supreme Court struck down the Trump administration’s IEEPA tariffs on Feb. 20, and the impact on the plastics industry is still being assessed.
It’s been a tough year overall for manufacturers, and some sources expressed hope that the decision would bring more stability to the market.
But the Section 232 tariffs on items such as steel and aluminum remain in place, other duties are being considered, and reshoring, while it may benefit U.S. companies in the long run, is not an overnight solution.
Only 7 percent of processors who responded to Plastics Machinery & Manufacturing’s survey in October said U.S. trade policy had a positive effect on business in 2025, while 44 percent said it had a negative effect. Twenty-two percent said they would likely spend less on equipment this year because of U.S. trade policy.
Read more industry reactions and predictions.
Proper purging cuts resin waste
A “kind of psychedelic” hunk of plastic at Tech-Way Industries is mostly blue, but it might as well be green — it represents a lot of money wasted.
The company works with expensive high-heat resins that they can’t afford to waste on cleaning out a machine.
They’ve found a solution in Dyna-Purge's E4 purging compound, specifically formulated for high-temperature materials.
“I have always used purging compound, because I’ve seen people try to do it with one material and then the next material,” Tech-Way president Ken Parker told us. “You always get some sort of incompatibility, particularly if you’re switching resin types.”
Find out how Tech-Way is saving time and resin.
A break in the sustainability chain
Recycling facilities are going out of business due to lack of government support and few economic incentives. But they are crucial if the plastics industry wants to survive, Editor Ron Shinn argues in his monthly column and on our podcast.
Reports from the K show
Our coverage of new introductions from the world’s biggest plastics show continued, with extrusion innovations from Milacron, Collin and Reifenhäuser, thermoformers from WM Thermoforming and Gabler, and KraussMaffei’s new technology for dosing glass fibers directly into an injection molding machine.
We also rounded up all our reporting on new extruders in a podcast episode.
In the news
- February saw changes in the executive ranks of Bekum, KraussMaffei, Carbon and Husky.
- Absolute Haitian and iD Additives named new sales personnel.
- Wilmington Machinery is planning a site expansion.
- In robot sales, plastics and rubber lags behind other manufacturing sectors as it works through its COVID-fueled buying spree.
About the Author
Lynne Sherwin
Managing Editor
Managing editor Lynne Sherwin handles day-to-day operations and coordinates production of Plastics Machinery & Manufacturing’s print magazine, website and social media presence, as well as Plastics Recycling and The Journal of Blow Molding. She also writes features, including the annual machinery buying survey. She has more than 30 years of experience in daily and magazine journalism.