PMM Insight: A Plastics Machinery & Manufacturing Podcast

Remembering Robert Schad

Robert Schad, founder of Husky and Athena Automation/Niigon, left an indelible mark on the plastics industry and a legacy of philanthropy. He died July 11 at age 95. Editor Ron Shinn looks back on his encounters with Schad over the years, his colorful personality and his drive for perfection. 

Extruder makers implement Industry 4.0

Artificial intelligence, process monitoring and other digital technologies were a major theme at NPE2024. Senior reporter Bruce Geiselman talked with three extruder makers -- Colines, Reifenhäuser and Collin -- to learn about the benefits of their Industry 4.0 technologies.

Sales staff know where economic winds are blowing

If you want to know the state of the plastics machinery business, don't look to pundits or economists; ask a salesperson. Good ones listen closely to their customers and often defy conventional wisdom, says Editor Ron Shinn, and we are wise to listen to what they had to say recently.

Five things to know in July

Editor Ron Shinn rounds up five top stories from Plastics Machinery & Manufacturing, including a look at Industry 4.0 technology in injection molding, comments from OEMs on the state of the economy and their businesses, and equipment debuts from Dri-Air, Conair and Athena.

The promise and perils of AI for plastics processors

Artificial intelligence can be hard to define, but it's coming to plastics processing. Doug Anger, engineering manager for training provider RJG Inc., says processors should look beyond the headlines and buzzwords and start viewing AI as another innovation to add to their toolboxes.
Part quality, efficiency and profit margins can be improved by technologies like predictive maintenance and real-time monitoring, Anger tells Editor Ron Shinn in this episode. 

Injection molding embraces Industry 4.0 at NPE2024

From trimming cycle times to optimizing the use of recycled materials, the ability to collect data and tweak production based on it offers molders many benefits, said representatives of injection molding machine makers — and molders are beginning to embrace Industry 4.0.  
In this episode of PMM Insight, Senior Reporter Karen Hanna shares what she learned on the NPE floor about the state of smarter injection molding.

NPE2024: A view from the show floor

PMM Managing Editor Lynne Sherwin attended NPE2024 as a first-timer. Editor Ron Shinn talks with her about her experiences, what she and other PMM staffers heard from participants, and what it might foretell for plastics machinery makers and processors. 

Industry 5.0 incorporates a human touch: Commentary

When we think of the factory of the future, we often picture a fully automated facility with few workers. But manufacturing gurus are beginning to talk about Industry 5.0, a human-centric, sustainable and resilient approach, in which robots and humans do what they do best in tandem, rather than having machines replace people. PMM Editor Ron Shinn explains why this may be the real future of manufacturing.

What's ahead for the Global Plastics Treaty?

The recently concluded fourth round of UN talks on a global plastics treaty made some progress in narrowing down the issues still facing delegates, according to Stewart Harris, senior director for global plastics policy in the plastics division of the American Chemistry Council. But there is still crucial work to be done before the fifth and final meeting in November.
Hear Stewart's analysis and predictions on what an eventual treaty might mean to the plastics industry, in this conversation with Editor Ron Shinn.

Get smarter, or get left behind

Processors who reject smart manufacturing technologies are putting their future at risk, says industry expert Alaa Elwany of Texas A&M. The government is mulling ways to help manufacturers unlock Industry 4.0 innovations, while surveys indicate growing interest among manufacturers. 
Senior reporter Bruce Geiselman looks at the state of smart manufacturing in the plastics industry in this episode of PMM Insight.
Read more: 
Start small, think big with Industry 4.0
More auxiliary equipment is getting a smart upgrade