Digital transformation; self-leadership; PTi upgrades extruder: Machinery Minutes

Key points from this episode of the Machinery Minutes podcast 

• Digital transformation holds the key to making better decisions about your customers’ needs, machine maintenance, supply chain trends and more.  

• A top leadership consultant discusses how to cope with fear, volatile markets, global instability and waves of tariff announcements and suspensions. 

• PTi has upgraded and rebranded its twin-screw dryerless sheet extruder formerly known as the HVTSE. 

Transcript 

Story Number 1: The uncertain economy, intensifying competition and labor shortages are driving manufacturers to look for strategies to cut costs, increase efficiency and scale effectively. 

Too many mid-market manufacturers — including many plastics processors — are still relying on manual processes to manage their daily operations. A lack of digitization clouds their visibility into customers’ needs, machine maintenance, supply chain trends and more.  

Leaders lack the information they need to make fast and informed decisions about expansion, capacity and how to best allocate resources. 

There is some good news. Digital transformation does not need to take place all at once. Plastics processors and machinery makers can start by choosing cases that have the most impact and build from there. 

The article looks at the three most important cost drivers – labor, machinery and materials – and discusses digitization opportunities in each area. 

This is a very useful article for plastics professionals. Headline is “Meeting modern manufacturing challenges via digital transformation.”  

Number 2: Continuing with the theme of challenges plastics professionals face, two top leadership coaches give us advice on how to cope with fear, volatile markets, global instability and waves of tariff announcements and suspensions. 

This is one of the things consultant Carlos Hoyos told senior staff reporter Karen Hanna: “You should do planning, but you should not be attached to the plan; you should be attached to the end goal. Because when you are in a crisis, crazy things are happening, you are going to have to adjust this every single day. 

“If you are navigating day-to-day crisis and changes, long plans don’t apply. Long-term goals yes; long term plans, forget it.” 

 This story contains good advice for leaders at all levels. Headline is “Volatility underscores need for calm leadership.” 

Number 3: In news about new products, Processing Technologies International, also known as PTi, has upgraded its twin-screw dryerless sheet extruder known as the HVTSE and rebranded it as the Super-G Twin Screw Extruder with Multi-Resin Capabilities. Or SGTSE MultiResn for short. 

The extruder now features newly configured square barrels with higher heater-to-barrel mass density ratios for faster heat-up, a smaller footprint and easier maintenance. 

Headline for the story is “PTi upgrades, rebrands twin screw extruder.”