PMM Insight: A Plastics Machinery & Manufacturing Podcast

How to defend your plastics plant from cyberattacks

On this episode of PMM Insight, Editor Ron Shinn and Senior Reporter Karen Hanna discuss cybersecurity: 
Any given company has a 50-50 chance of being hacked, and manufacturing companies are among the most commonly targeted.   
Small companies are as much at risk as bigger companies. 
It is important to always segregate IT systems from operational technology systems. 

LS IMM president retiring; AI for blow molders: Machinery Minutes

These are the stories you will hear on this Machinery Minutes podcast episode: 
Peter Gardner, president of LS Mtron Injection Molding Machine USA, is retiring. During his tenure, the South Korean machinery manufacturer’s share of the North American market has risen from a negligible amount to an estimated 10 percent. 
Artificial intelligence has brought manufacturing to the threshold of another revolution and offers remarkable advantages for blow molding, according to Eric Simmons, chair of the SPE Blow Molding Division. 
U.S. companies have a 50-50 chance of being hacked in the next year and costs of an attack can be enormous. But there are steps to shore up defenses and companies that can help safeguard you. 

Plastics machinery shipments rise in Q2: Machinery Minutes

What you will learn in this episode of the Machinery Minutes podcast: 
North American shipments of injection molding and extrusion equipment in the second quarter of 2025 were up 0.7 percent from both the previous quarter and the same quarter of last year.  
Currier Plastics has always excelled at adapting to changing times. It will be honored with the Recognition of Excellence Award at the Annual Blow Molding Conference Sept. 8-10 in Pittsburgh.   
Netstal has made numerous upgrades to its PET-Line injection molding system for preforms, which is designed for high output and efficiency. 

What does the new tax law mean for plastics processors?

What you'll learn on this PMM Insight podcast episode, a commentary by Editor Ron Shinn:   
The new tax and spending law reinstates 100 percent deduction of the cost of capital equipment purchases in the year the purchase is made and accelerates deductions for manufacturing buildings. 
Research and experimental or development costs can now be deducted in the year the costs were incurred. 
A tax expert said the new law creates compelling economics for domestic facility expansion and modernization. 

Processors have capacity for new business: Machinery Minutes

These are the stories covered in today’s Machinery Minutes podcast: 
Plastics processors say they have plenty of unused capacity immediately available if manufacturing picks up. 
Windmoeller & Hoelscher Corp. has acquired Addex, Inc., a supplier of blown film extrusion equipment.  
Kautex is relaunching its KEB series of extrusion blow molding machines, which debuted in 1968. 

The challenges of mold making in the U.S.: Machinery Minutes

Here are the stories covered in this week’s Machinery Minutes podcast: 
Mold making in the U.S. is an up-and-down business. Mold shops are expanding services, consolidating operations and embracing automation and smart manufacturing. 
Canadian based Nova Chemicals has opened a linear low-density polyethylene mechanical recycling plant in Connersville, Ind. The company hopes to prove the consistency and viability of mechanical film recycling. 
Denso has upgraded its control system so it can operate two, four-axis SCARA robot arms from a single control unit. The company said the unit is well suited for assembly or when robot operations are needed in a cramped space.  

Yaskawa will bring robot manufacturing to U.S.: Machinery Minutes

These are the stories covered in today’s Machinery Minutes podcast: 
Yaskawa America plans to build a state-of-the-art robotic manufacturing facility at its Franklin, Wis., campus. This marks the first time Yaskawa’s high-volume industrial robots will be manufactured on U.S. soil.  
R&B Plastics Machinery specializes in building blow molding machines and extruders that are more customized for the customers’ needs than many bigger machinery makers and willing to tackle. It has proved to be a successful niche for the Saline, Mich., manufacturer. 
Static electricity can be a big problem in some manufacturing operations, so Exair has introduced a hand-held measurement device to pinpoint the highest-voltage areas in a facility. 

Plastics mold and tool makers embrace technology to compete

On this episode of PMM Insight, with Editor Ron Shinn and Senior Reporter Karen Hanna:
Mold makers continue to face tough competition from foreign competitors and are seeing higher costs due to tariffs.  
New technologies such as sophisticated design software, additive manufacturing and robots and other automation help mold makers stay competitive. 
Artificial intelligence is the latest technology mold makers are learning to use. 

Mold makers meet demand for precision: Machinery Minutes

On this episode of Machinery Minutes: 
Mold makers are taking on intricate projects requiring precision that was unattainable just a few years ago, and they are employing a variety of new manufacturing tools to get the job done. 
LS Mtron employed retractable tie bars to help Stanford Manufacturing fit two large presses under a low roof. 
M&J Recycling has added a system to capture and reuse energy during shaft reversals to its P250e pre-shredder. 

Injection molder gives back with STEM camps: Machinery Minutes

On this episode of Machinery Minutes:  
Meet Geoff Foster of injection molding company Core Technology, whose non-profit provides free STEM camps for middle schoolers. 
Additive manufacturing technology maker Stratasys has acquired “a collection of assets” from Nexa3D, which shut down in December.  
Shini USA introduced three new film pelletizers designed for precise cutting and uniform pellet size.