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NPE 2018) NPE2018 Announces Expert Super Sessions On Industry 4.0 And Other Trending Topics

Plastics Industry Experts Present their Thought Leadership at NPE2018: The Plastics Show The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) today announced Expert Super Sessions, a new educational component of NPE2018:The Plastics Show which will provide a forum for plastics industry experts to give an insider’s look into the latest technical insights and innovations driving next-generation trends and solutions in plastics manufacturing. Topics will include hot-button industry issues and emerging trends such as Industry 4.0, innovative approaches to sustainability and the implications of automation and the internet of things on plastics companies. “We are giving NPE2018 attendees expanded and improved opportunities to learn from peers and thought leaders, maximizing their experience in Orlando. Expert Super Sessions were re-named for the NPE2018 show to reflect their true purpose – to give plastics experts a forum to present their industry-changing ideas and insights,” said Susan Krys, vice president of tradeshows and marketing at PLASTICS. “The sessions give attendees the unique opportunity to hear straight from the sources that are shaping the industry.” Expert Super Sessions at NPE2018 include:How Intelligent Robotic Automation Can Improve Your Bottom Line: Presented by FANUC America Corporation, this session explores how intelligent robotic automation will help manufacturers achieve higher productivity.Trends and Material Solutions for the Building & Construction Market: Presented by A. Schulman, Inc., this session explores the latest trends and technologies addressing critical issues in building and construction.Gaining the Competitive Advantage with Industrial IoT: Presented by Oden Technologies, uncover how Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) enables manufacturers to improve quality, eliminate waste and gain a competitive edge during this session.Industry 4.0: Implementing a Smart(er) Factory: Presented by TSM Control Systems US, Inc., hear from TSM and Now Insight about their journey toward smarter factories using IoT technologies.Trends and Material Solutions for the Packaging Market: Presented by A. Schulman, Inc., learn more about packaging trends from optimizing barrier properties for shelf life extension to reducing food waste through smart packaging during this session.Innovative Approaches to Sustainability – A look at hydraulic fluids: Presented by ExxonMobil Chemical Company, this session features speakers from Exxon Mobil and discusses how EVCO Plastics was able to reduce energy consumption on one of its injection molding machines by 3.19 percent. For a full list of Expert Super Sessions available at NPE2018 click here. To register for NPE2018: The Plastics Show, scheduled for May 7-11, 2018 in Orlando FL, visit NPE.org/attend. Follow PLASTICS on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn for the latest #NPE2018 news and insights.

Aeyoung Park 2018-05-04

NPE 2018) Chinese toolmakers make trip to NPE under tariff clouds

Chinese toolmakers make trip to NPE under tariff clouds The city of Huangyan, in Jiangsu Province, China, would be unknown to many in the plastics industry for sure but it’s well represented at NPE, with at least six toolmakers making the trip half-way round the world to Orlando. Like many industrial cities in Eastern China, it specializes in a particular commodity—at one point in the 2000s, the self-described China Mold City reportedly fabricated as many as 70% of the injection molds made in China.▲ The city of Huangyan is mold-making central in China. (Photo: Pan Shibo)The six Huangyan toolmakers at NPE: Taizhou Shinywell Mould & Plast Tech Co., Ltd. (S17140), Taizhou Huangyan Jinnuo Mould (S36194); Taizhou Bona Mould (S31075); Taizhou Huangyan Yongmao Mould (S32072); Taizhou Huangyan Yuantu Mould & Plastic (S10151); and Aojie Mould (S17141); may be having second thoughts re their attendance given some time later this year, their molds may be subjected to 25% tariffs. Having said that, their pricing will probably remain competitive given the nonexistence of viable low-cost alternatives with sufficient manufacturing capacity to serve the US market.According to a Chinese supplier of high-end stack molds that will also have a presence at NPE, any tariffs could deter potential US buyers of its molds, but the overall feeling is that “It will not stop those US customers who must have certain molds, especially if there are not many options to source in the US.” The supplier adds: “High end molds like we make traditionally come from Europe or Canada, so our price, even with extra tariffs, is still going to be more than competitive.”The US imported $451,867,108-worth of injection molding tools in 2017 from China. Total imports were valued at close to $2 billion, of which around $950 million-worth was imported from Canada, which is home to the likes of Husky (W1303) and Milacron group company Mold-Masters (W2703). Then follows Japan with $130 million of exported to the US in 2017, and Germany with $108 million. South Korea rounded out the top five with $103 million of exports to the US.Based on average values, it would appear that China and South Korea compete in similar market segments, whereas the other main mold supplying nations participate in the high end of the market.Source: Plastics Today

Aeyoung Park 2018-04-12

JEC World 2018 concluded with a record increase in attendance

JEC World 2018 concluded with a record increase in attendanceJEC World 2018 closed its doors on March 8 with a record increase in attendance. The show welcomed more than 1,300 exhibitors from every continent and counted 42,445 professional visits from 115 countries."The ability of JEC Group to gather the whole composites Industry under one roof over 3 days lies in the fact that we always initiate new precursory programs to the service of composites professionals.” says Ms. Frédérique Mutel, JEC Group President & CEO.JEC World initiated some new programs this year, for instance the Composite Challenge allowing 10 PhD students to pitch their thesis in front of the industry. In the same spirit, the event increased in power its Start Up Booster and Innovation Award Programs to accelerate relations between young or innovative companies with investors or established enterprises.Besides, the event launched the new Book on Natural Fibers: Flax and Hemp, which facilitated strong communications on Composites Environmental Input and Recycling.JEC World 2018 was the first event to promote and host the new “French Fab”, a French government initiative to internationally promote the French Industry and Manufacture. The event also welcomed the French Secretary of State to the Minister of Economy and Finance Ms. Delphine Gény-Stephann.Source: China Plastic & Rubber Journal

Aeyoung Park 2018-03-19

Chinaplas 2018) Arburg to focus on Industry 4.0 at Chinaplas

Arburg to focus on Industry 4.0 at Chinaplas▲ Arburg GmbH + Co. KG will show technologies for Industry 4.0 and additive manufacturing at Chinaplas.Arburg GmbH + Co. KG will show technologies for Industry 4.0 and additive manufacturing at Chinaplas, in Stand L61 in Hall 2.Other features include lightweight automotive parts, liquid silicone rubber molding, a medical application and a turnkey system for packaging.All exhibits will be connected by Arburg’s ALS host computer system.A turnkey system will produce folding crates — molding them on a hydraulic Allrounder 920 S press with a clamping force of 500 metric tons, molding all five parts at once in a 22-second cycle. A Multilift V 40 linear robot removes the parts at positions them in an automated assembly station.Arburg will present the ProFoam physical foaming in China for the first time — molding a glass-filled nylon part for an engine compartment.In medical, an Allrounder 370 E Golden Electric press will turn out polycarbonate “Y” connectors for intravenous drip therapy.An Allrounder C Golden Edition will produce flexible LSR cases for the iPhone 8.Arburg, based in Lossburg, Germany, also will show a Freeformer additive manufacturing machine making cable clips.For information, www.arburg.com.Source: Plastics News

Aeyoung Park 2018-02-26

JEC Innovation Awards 2018: 30 finalists exemplify the best of composite innovation worldwide

The JEC Innovation Awards ceremony will take place on March 7, 2018 at JEC World 2018, Paris Nord Villepinte JEC Group, the largest composites organization in the world, presents a new format for its prestigious JEC INNOVATION AWARDS competition, announcing today the 30 finalists divided into 10 categories. A renowned jury of experts will select one winner per category. The 10 winners will be announced in a ceremony at JEC World 2018 on March 7, 2018."Like every year, we received hundreds of applications for the JEC Innovation Awards, this success truly shows that this program is a recognized tool for spotting and promoting innovation in the Composites Industry", says Ms. Frédérique Mutel, JEC Group President and CEO. "I am particularly delighted to introduce another brand new feature to this program: the Public vote. Indeed, our jury will choose the winners according to specific criteria such as involvement of partners in the value chain, technicity or again market application, but the general public will be able to vote for their favorite Innovation, either online or via JEC World Mobile Application! The public vote winner will be announced at the end of JEC World and people will be able to vote before and after the ceremony!" she adds.A jury of experts10 experts from around the world will reward 10 Composites Champions who presented their Innovations in Composite end-user markets . The panel of judges is made up of: • Anurag BANSAL, Manager Global Business development at ACCIONA INFRAESTRURAS (Spain) • Christophe BINETRUY, Professor at ECOLE CENTRALE DE NANTES (France) • Robert BUCHINGER, Chief Technology Officer at DAS ENERGY (Austria) • Grahame BURROW, Global President of MAGNA (USA) • Ali CALISKAN, CEO of KORDSA (Turkey) • Dominique DUBOIS, CEO of CARBOMAN Group (France) • Chantal FUALDES, Airbus Composite Airframe Executive Expert at AIRBUS (France) • Karl-Heinz FULLER, Manager hybrid materials, concepts and AMG at DAIMLER (Germany) • Sung HA, Professor at HANYANG UNIVERSITY (Korea) • Kiyoshi UZAWA, Professor/Director (Ph.D) at INNOVATIVE COMPOSITE CENTER (Japan)A new trophy representing the industryA brand new trophy has been created for the occasion. The new Composites trophy will combine parts from many different composite materials such as glass fiber, carbon fiber and natural fiber, representing the diversity of the industry.

Aeyoung Park 2018-02-02

NPE 2018) New Technology Zones at NPE

New Technology Zones at NPE2018The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) announced today that the association’s triennial show NPE2018: The Plastics Show, the industry’s leading international plastics manufacturing exposition and conference, will debut a new Medical Parts Processing Zone among the frequented Technology Zones on the show floor located in the South Building. This new sector-specific zone focuses on plastics materials, processes and technology advances for medical devices and diagnostics in healthcare industries.Propelling the demand for this specialized zone is the forecasted three percent growth in revenue from medical device manufacturing anticipated by 2023. This growth is centered around the emerging trend of using plastics in the medical and healthcare industries to create pioneering medical devices, equipment and treatment items. “Breakthroughs in the use of plastics will drive future medical care efficiencies and bring life-saving advances to hospitals globally,” said Glenn Anderson, NPE2018 Executive Committee Chair. “The Medical Parts Processing Zone will connect new technology providers with equipment manufacturers to source medical innovations and support the business initiatives of vertical market attendees.”Another new Technology Zone at NPE2018 will be the already sold-out Bottle Zone. It will cover more than 65,000 net square feet on the exhibit floor and will provide a comprehensive look at the trends, technical knowledge, innovations and suppliers that serve this booming sector of the plastics industry.▲ The Bottle Zone will show the next generation of bottles and containers from 80+ manufacturers and suppliers (© NPE2018)With plastic bottles and jars representing approximately 75 percent of all plastic containers by weight and expenditures on food-and-beverages increasing 5 % in the first quarter, growth in bottling manufacturing is taking hold in the U.S. and around the globe. Increased consumption makes the Bottle Zone the ideal place for manufacturers to strengthen their position in this uSD 12.6 billion sector of the industry, as reported in the January 2017, IBISWorld Industry Report 32616, "Plastic Bottle Manufacturing in the US."NPE2018 will feature 11 Technology Zones in total to reflect a streamlined attendee experience that will help to guide discussions between the attendee and suppliers on the newest equipment, processes and education opportunities transforming the plastics industry. Some of the highlights include the new Bottle Zone, as well as an expanded Re|focus Zone and 3D/4D Printing Zone, all designed to address the growing market demands, highlight innovations and technologies and provide customized education.Source: https://www.kunststoffe.de/en/news/overview/artikel/new-technology-zones-at-npe2018-4961437.html

Aeyoung Park 2017-12-28

Record participation marks start of EMO Hannover 2017

- German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier opens world’s No. 1 metalworking trade fair- German industry displays great optimism- Numerous stimuli for Industry 4.0 expected ▲ Nachwuchsstiftung Maschinenbau GmbH, Hall 24, Stand A01. Photo with: Carl Martin Welcker, Genera l Commissioner of EMO Hannover, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Federal President of the Federal Republic of Germany and Peter Bole, Head of the Mechanical Engineering Foundation German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier officially opened EMO Hannover 2017 this morning, stating that “an open society and prosperous economy rest on a foundation of communication and trust. Trade fairs like EMO embody this in a concrete and tangible way. Fortunately, this tradition continues to flourish, even in an age of digital catalogs, video conferences and just-in-time production.” ▲ Opening Ceremony of EMO Hannover on 18 September 2017, Convention Center, Room 2, Hannover Exhibition Grounds. Phot with: Stephan Weil, Prime Minister of Lower Saxony Stephan Weil, Premier of the German state of Lower Saxony, echoed these sentiments, commenting that “Germany’s and Lower Saxony’s economic dynamism is a direct result of our industrial strength. EMO exhibitors are demonstrating ways not only of maintaining, but also expanding this strength by concentrating on the factors of precision, quality, productivity and above all new solutions dedicated to the issues of connectivity and digitization.” Under the motto of Connecting systems for intelligent production, over 2,200 exhibitors from 44 different nations (compared with 2,131 in 2013) are showcasing their machines, solutions and services for industrial production at the event. “The ‘crème de la crème’ of international production engineering is convening this week at EMO in Hannover,” reported EMO General Commissioner Carl Martin Welcker on opening day of the event. He continued: “We are expecting to host key buyers from major users of machine tools, including customer delegations from more than 20 different nations, numerous representatives from the political and production engineering sphere as well as countless production experts from across the globe.” EMO is going to ignite a spark for production connectivity, while focusing on numerous innovations in the traditional production engineering disciplines. Luigi Galdabini, President of the European Association of the Machine Tool Industries (CECIMO), emphasized the key role played by the machine tool industry: “During its weeklong run, EMO Hannover will function as the world’s biggest factory and thus as a first-class showcase for innovation,” he remarked. Bernd Leukert, executive board member of the Walldorf-based SAP SE, added that the process of digital transformation was impacting not only the production sphere across all sectors, but even revolutionizing society as a whole. Capital goods industry optimistic around the world EMO Hannover 2017 is taking place in a promising economic environment. The mood is good and key economic indicators are pointing upwards,. Meanwhile, the IMF just recently confirmed its growth prognosis of 3.5 percent for global GDP. According to forecasts by British-based Oxford Economics – the forecasting partner of the German Machine Tool Manufacturers’ Association (VDW), which produces EMO – industrial production and investment on the part of the machine tool industry’s main client industries is expected to grow this year by 3.4 to 5.6 percent. The two organizations also expect Asia to take the lead in investment growth at a rate of 6.5 percent, followed by Europe and the Americas. Machine tool consumption is expected to grow at a rate of 3.2 percent. Europe is in first place here, with growth of 4.0 percent. The southern European nations of Italy and Spain, but also France – all three large machine tool markets within Europe – continue to be stable drivers of European growth. Asia is expected to increase its machine tool consumption by 3.5 percent in 2017. On the one hand, China has emerged from its dry spell and is expected to grow at a rate of 3.9 percent. On the other, analysts are expecting the ASEAN markets to bounce back. In the Americas, the machine tool market is expected to stabilize: Following a downturn in 2016, forecasters are expecting 0.5 percent growth there in 2017. “On the whole, the international economy is providing the ideal prerequisites for increased sales, which can be prepared and even concluded at EMO Hannover,” stated Dr. Heinz-Jürgen Prokop, Chairman of VDW. ▲ Opening of the EMO Hannover with the Federal President of the Federal Republic of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Nachwuchsstiftung Maschinenbau GmbH, Hall 24, Stand A01 German machine tools enjoy booming export market In Germany the first half of 2017 yielded positive figures for the machine tool industry. “Our expectations have been fully met,” declared VDW Chairman Prokop. Production was up 3 percent, he said, while employment increased by 2.3 percent for a total of 70,360 employees in absolute terms. Utilization of capacity reached almost 95 percent in July, while order backlogs were running at 7.1 months. During the first half of 2017, German machine tool exports were booming, climbing twice as fast as actual production volumes. The main source of demand came from Asia, where German exporters registered an increase of 16 percent. As the biggest Asian market, China chalked up a strong growth rate of 18 percent, pulling other Asian countries in its wake. A particularly noteworthy statistic consists of the growth in exports to Japan, reaching a level of 60 percent. India and Taiwan are also developing in a highly positive direction. Exports to the Americas are likewise experiencing two-digit growth, at 11 percent. Sales in the United States are up 15 percent, notwithstanding current government policy trends. Export volumes to Mexico stayed strong, in line with brisk order volumes the previous years. The international auto industry had been investing heavily for many years – a boom which is now coming to an end, with orders down sharply. Brazil, on the other hand, has overcome its ordering slump, although departing from a low level. Europe’s order volume was down one percent year on year, while France registered an increase of 21 percent, making it the third largest market after China and the United States. The “problem children” of Russia and Turkey experienced a slight increase in exports, although the current order volume is down significantly. This is equally true for Great Britain, where the “Brexit effect” is making itself felt, here as in other areas. Growth in production confirmed Although order volumes were down a slight 1 percent for the German machine tool industry in the first half of 2017, this meant the industry was essentially able to maintain the high order levels it already had, according to VDW Chairman Prokop. While domestic orders were down 15 percent, foreign orders were up 6 percent. Industry observers are expecting a substantial pickup in business for the second half of 2017, particularly in terms of domestic sales. One reason is that base effects, which had had an impact in the first half of the year, are no longer applicable. A first ray of hope was apparent as early as July, with domestic orders up by 28 percent. And machine and plant manufacturers – the machine tool industry’s main client – are moreover reporting an increase in order volumes. Investment in general is picking up in German industry, as its export business takes a more dynamic turn. Up to now, the German economic cycle had been carried largely by consumption and new construction. “All signals are go,” according to Prokop. “Based on the promising situation, we are expecting a confirmation of our production forecast from the beginning of the year, which predicted a growth rate of 3 percent.” EMO will showcase an array of innovations in all areas of technology and will consequently serve as a strong driver of investment. Trade visitors to Hannover can expect to see numerous high-caliber offerings from international exhibitors in the coming week, along with a rich and varied supporting program covering myriad aspects of production markets, technologies, connectivity and safety. “We look forward to greeting visitors from around the globe,” concluded EMO General Commissioner Welcker.

Ms. Kang 2017-09-22

EMO 2017) German Machine Tool Manufacturers Tackle Industry 4.0 Together

VDW starts initiative for networked production ▲ the Association’s press conference The VDW (German Machine Tool Builders’ Association) presents the industry initiative of the German machine tool industry for networked production for the first time at the EMO Hannover 2017. “The aim is to develop a standard for linking a huge range of disparate machinery control systems to a shared interface (a connector), and create the requisite software,” says Dr Heinz-Jürgen Prokop, Chairman of the VDW on the occasion of the Association’s press conference. A core team is involved in the first phase of the project with the companies DMG Mori, Emag, Grob, Heller, Liebherr-Verzahntechnik, United Grinding, Trumpf and the VDW. The VDW Executive Board decided on this project in spring of this year, because there has not been a standardised and consistent solution so far. With the planned standard, data is to be read from different machines with different controllers of many generations and transported into infrastructural systems or the cloud in a standardised data format in order to analyse it and use it for optimizing production tasks. “This is the basic requirement for the success of Industry 4.0, especially in medium-sized firms,” states Prokop. For the machinery manufacturers, too, this would be a significant easing of their workload, enabling them to shed tasks that although they urgently need to be completed are nonetheless outside a manufacture’s core remit and entail high costs. The standard being targeted thus frees the individual VDW member from time-consuming work on infrastructural issues. Not least, this creates an open system that offers an urgently needed degree of independence and flexibility. “Unfortunately the most recent developments showcased here at the fair also show that in the case of control systems, particularly, the trend toward proprietary eco-systems is still ongoing,” says Prokop. “We intend to counteract this, and are therefore endeavouring to establish a development partnership with the control system manufacturers in particular, in order to render the VDW’s planned specification usable on the broadest possible scale.” Initial results expected at the beginning of 2018 The following aspects are to be implemented first of all during the course of the project: 1. Joint development of an interface specification 2. Implementation of a so-called connector stack that translates signals from different controller interfaces according to OPC UA (OPC Unified Architecture). 3. Implementation of a gateway that allows a secure connection to different IT systems and clouds on the basis of the OPC UA data structure via standard protocols The VDW had already started developing a so-called companion specification in 2013. It has been published since July of this year by the standardisation organisation OPC Foundation. Therefore, the project team can start with joint expansion of this companion specification immediately after the EMO with shared expansion of this interface specification. Our goal is coherently harmonised networking of the production operation; the vehicle for this purpose is OPC-UA, and the energy that drives us forward is the jointly specified constant component of the data that we have to exchange for this purpose,” emphasises Prokop. Results should be available in the first quarter of 2018. The aim is the presentation of a basic data record that can then be commented on publically in the context of the usual standardisation procedures. The requirements are to be specified, the basic specification programmed and around 30 data records described. When the data is available in a standardised format, the interface to the “rest of the world” still has to be defined. There are already standardised protocols for this, similar to the ones known for the transfer to an Internet browser by means of HTTPS. However, access to this data must be regulated. It requires authentication and access protection. The data must also be pre-compressed and buffered where applicable, because raw data in particular cannot be sent through the network in high resolution and in real time without having an adverse effect on the machine performance. All these functions are taken over by a gateway that will be specified and implemented as a second project phase. The third project phase finally deals with the test of the developed solutions with different VDW members. “Furthermore, we will analyse which providers of infrastructure and cloud services most likely cover the need of smaller and medium-sized machine manufacturers in particular,” says Prokop as he describes the further course of action. If the data interface represents the bottom end of networking, then there must be a technological platform at the top end that is as standardised as possible, for which each machine manufacturer can in turn develop its own smart apps. That would be part of the core business of every provider in the future. “This means the provider could deploy his expertise to optimum effect and differentiate himself from the competition, says Prokop. Sectoral cooperation is the right way forward The machine tool industry and the VDW are breaking new ground with this cooperation. On the one hand, it is obvious, because a lone wolf would quickly reach its limitations. Without a generally valid standard, the solutions of Industry 4.0 will also find it difficult to find market acceptance and thus rapidly increasing dissemination. “It is our conviction that it is good and correct to throw any reservations against cooperation overboard, adopt the principle of sharing knowledge, profit from it and work on a common solution,” summarises Prokop. With the results, even medium-sized firms will be capable of acting very quickly.

Ms. Kang 2017-09-22