PMM Insight: A Plastics Machinery & Manufacturing Podcast

What's next for the Global Plastics Treaty, and what if it fails? PMM Insight

The latest round of talks to establish an international treaty on the use and disposal of plastics ended in December with the sides still far apart.
Another session is planned for 2025, but who's the biggest loser if no agreement is reached? The plastics industry, says Editor Ron Shinn in this PMM Insight commentary. 

Expansion at W&H, cybersecurity and PLASTICS' young leaders: Machinery Minutes, Jan. 6, 2025

On today's Machinery Minutes podcast, Senior Reporter Bruce Geiselman briefs you on an expansion at Windmöller & Hölscher's North American headquarters in Rhode Island; advice on ransomware remediation from the CEO of OnSecurity, as hackers ramp up their use of artificial intelligence; and the 10th anniversary of Future Leaders in Plastics (FLiP), a program for young professionals in the Plastics Industry Association.

The many benefits of lean; Flexiv upgrades programming; looking back at 2024: Machinery Minutes, Dec. 30, 2024

In this episode, Senior Reporter Bruce Geiselman looks at the benefits of lean beyond sustainability gains; an upgraded robotic programming system from Flexiv; and some of our most popular features from 2024. 

Embracing lean can have green benefits: PMM Insight

For her latest series on lean manufacturing and how it's practiced in the plastics industry, Senior Reporter Karen Hanna looked at a lesser-known benefit of the philosophy: sustainability improvements. Lean's focus on eliminating waste and boosting efficiency can lead to savings in resin, energy and scrap. 
In this episode of PMM Insight, Karen discusses the series with Editor Ron Shinn.

A visit to Engel; new cobot conference; large-part printer from Formlabs: Machinery Minutes

On this week's episode of the Machinery Minutes podcast, you'll hear about PMM's visit to Engel's North American headquarters and what their leaders have to say about the secrets to the company's success.
You'll also learn about a new large-part printer from Formlabs, and the inaugural Collaborate North America, a trade show and conference centered around cobots.

Lean leads to sustainability; Jim Healy retires; software tracks recycling data: Machinery Minutes, Dec. 16, 2024

In this week's episode of our Machinery Minutes podcast, you'll hear about a molding shop that implemented lean practices and discovered a side benefit: better sustainability.
We also wish Jim Healy of Sepro North America well as he heads into retirement, and tell you about Diversys, which has a software program to keep track of your recycling data so you can meet EPR or company goals.

Diversys helps recyclers keep tabs on EPR and sustainability goals: PMM Insight

Extended Producer Responsibility policies and recycling mandates are taking root in the U.S., putting pressure on plastics recyclers and processors to track and report details of their operations. 
In this PMM Insight interview, senior reporter Bruce Geiselman speaks with Roger Barlow, CEO and co-founder of Diversys, about the company's cloud-based software that optimizes and tracks recycling data to verify compliance with EPR regulations as well as sustainability goals.

Supply chain issues linger; Engel unveils new IMM; Rethink names management team: Machinery Minutes, Dec. 9, 2024

On this week's Machinery Minutes podcast, you'll hear how the supply chain issues of the past several years continue to ripple through the market. It's part of our 10th anniversary series.
Engel has unveiled its energy-saving e-mac 500 injection molding machine, featuring its new High clamping drive.
And cobot pioneer Rethink Robotics has announced a new management team, which among other duties will oversee the relocation of robot production from Europe to the U.S.
Listen here, or subscribe on your favorite podcast platform to get a new episode of Machinery Minutes every Monday.

Entek’s battery separator plant, Rethink's AMR, our 10th anniversary series: Machinery Minutes, Dec. 2, 2024

In this week's episode of the Machinery Minutes podcast, you'll learn about a big financial boost for Entek's new plant for manufacturing battery separator film; a new AMR from automation pioneer Rethink Robotics; and a look at lightweighting, the latest in our series on 10 trends that have shaped the past decade in plastics machinery.

PMM turns 10, and we're looking back and ahead: PMM Insight

Plastics Machinery & Manufacturing has covered dozens of trends, 120 industry figures, and more than 5,000 new and improved products for plastics processing since its launch in November 2014. Join Ron Shinn, PMM's founding editor, as he looks back at our first decade, the changes we've witnessed, and what we see ahead.