High-tech film, energy savings, vision systems: PMM's Top Stories in October
In October, Plastics Machinery & Manufacturing took you from the floor of a high-tech extrusion company, to the roofs of processing plants with solar arrays, to the floor of the Annual Blow Molding conference and more.
Did you miss any of our top stories? Catch up now.
Pushing the boundaries of film
Peak Nano refers to its extrusion technologies as “molecular architecture.” Using mostly standard machinery, it turns out films with sometimes hundreds of incredibly thin layers, making the polymers behave in unusual ways.
The resulting films can bend light despite lying flat, or block UV light from coming through windows, or protect food on the shelf but harmlessly biodegrade when its job is done.
Jason Forgash talks business, family
Bay Plastics Machinery has roots that go back generations in Jason Forgash's family. His father and grandfather developed the pelletizing technology that drives the business, his brothers are VPs, and his son and niece also work for the company.
In this month's "In Other Words" interview, Jason Forgash talks about how the company serves both customers and employees, why he intends to keep it all in the family, and what's coming next, including its newly opened technology center.
A deep dive on energy savings
Our series on powering your plastics plant concluded with two practical features and a column.
If you’re thinking about adding a solar project to your facility, get the ball rolling now, because federal incentives are being phased out. Even if you miss out on those, the rising price of electricity means you could still save a bundle. Find out how.
When processors consider changes on the shop floor to trim energy bills, many look first at inexpensive options like changing lights to LEDs, while others wonder if they need to make a massive investment in replacing their primary processing equipment. Longtime consultant Robin Kent says there’s a middle ground, with savings to be found in proper maintenance, replacing auxiliary equipment and upgrading technology on existing machines. Here are his tips.
In his monthly column, Editor Emeritus Ron Shinn summed up the series by asking the question: If the power grid fails, can your plant keep the lights on?
Visions of the future
Our next in-depth series looks at the evolution of vision systems, which are increasingly using artificial intelligence and other sophisticated technology to improve part quality without the headaches of manual inspection.
We begin by spotlighting offerings by Intravis and Keyence. More to come this month, including a look at an injection molding facility that’s touting its highly autonomous process.
Stan Glover dies at 65
Stanley J. Glover III balanced two careers: as the longtime director of technical sales for Zeiger Industries, and as a leading voice for improving safety in plastics processing machinery.
He served as chairman of the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) Equipment Council and of the U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG) of ISO Technical Committee 270 (ISO/TC 270), which oversees standardization of machines used to prepare and process plastics and rubber.
The Zeiger family supported that work every step of the way, he once told PMM.
He passed away Oct. 2, 2026, of lymphoma. Read a tribute, and our 2020 interview with him.
Insights from PLASTICS
The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) took an in-depth look at the numbers in the second-quarter report from the Committee on Equipment Statistics.
The association also named five Operation Clean Sweep Difference Makers for resin stewardship, and recognized ZealaFoam for its plant-based alternative to conventional EPS.
On site with the SPE Blow Molding Division
PMM’s Bruce Geiselman attended the Annual Blow Molding Conference in Wheeling, Ill., in early October. The conference featured a variety of educational sessions, networking opportunities, exhibits and presentations.
Student designers and scholarship winners had their moment in the spotlight. Exi-Plast and Greif won the Lewis E. Ferguson Blow Molded Parts Competition. Take a look at some snapshots from the floor — who doesn’t love an alphorn?
More coverage to come on PMM’s website and in The Journal of Blow Molding.
In the news in October
Conair announced it is expanding its manufacturing footprint in Franklin, Pa., bringing more component production in-house.
KraussMaffei marked 60 years of business in the U.S. at an event in Florence, Ky.
Engel and Arburg gave economic updates at Fakuma.
The North American plastics and rubber sector showed strong growth in robot orders.
New hires were announced at Tomra Recycling, PCS, Dri-Air and CPM.
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.
