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< PreviousSET POINT In a related story, ETSC is repeating its call for an EU road collision investigation authority to conduct forensic analysis of crashes involving automated vehicles on EU roads. The call follows the announcement on Dec. 9 by Mercedes-Benz of the German launch of “Drive Pilot,” a system that allows for hands- off automated driving in traffic at speeds up to 60 kph (about 37 mph) in heavy traffic or congested sections of German motorways. This is the first approval of a Level 3 automated driving system for use in Europe. The demand for automotive radar will have a big impact on auto OEMs and Tier 1 and 2 suppliers when it comes to plastics. As the cover story in this month’s issue describes, Ford Motor Co., working with Tier 1 supplier ABC Technologies of Toronto, developed the first blow molded rear bumper with integral park-aid sensors. The bumper debuted on the 2021 Ford Bronco SUV. The ADAS-compliant bumper incorporates four snap-fit sensors that aid drivers in safely backing up or parking their vehicles. And while the use of park-aid sensors on rear bumpers could be the start of a trend in the auto industry, the potential for automotive radars whose designs are enhanced by plastics materials and fabrication techniques will accelerate in cars, vans and small trucks as semi- and fully autonomous vehicles become commercial in the next 20 years. Many industry experts have said that plastics bring advantages to automotive electronics in general, and by extension to radar design and installation. These include low weight, design flexibility, modularity and miniaturization, rapid system upgrades and the plastics industry’s considerable experience with consumer electronics. The plastics industry is also in the middle of a major shift in the makeup and expertise of automakers. Whereas auto OEMs have traditionally been top-down experts in vehicle design and development, a new wave of automakers is increasingly made up of software developers that use vehicles as hardware for their electronics and see extensive use of plastics as key to improving the range and performance of these platforms. Examples include Tesla, Waymo, Apple, Amazon, Argo AI, Nuro and Cruise, as well as legacy automakers that are investing in or developing electric and autonomous vehicles. The market stakes are high. One consultant, Allied Market Research, predicts that the global market for self-driving cars—autonomy levels 2 and 3 on a scale of 5—will go from $54 billion in 2019 to around $556 billion in 2026, an almost 40 percent CAGR. Level 2 autonomy is defined as partial automation and includes ADAS. Level 3 is conditional automation, which means a vehicle can perform most driving tasks but still requires human oversight. Level 5 is full automation with zero human intervention. The IDTechEx report notes that “the emergence of higher levels of autonomous vehicles” will drive the installation of multiple radars on each platform. According to the report, Level 3 vehicles are already on the roads of Japan and are anticipated to enter the European market in 2022. “Level 3 vehicles and beyond are expected to have at least five radars per vehicle,” the report’s author writes. “Each of these radars will … need to have higher performance than ever before.” The report states that radar sensors have improved significantly in the past decade, especially in imaging performance, and “radar is becoming a key enabling sensor for high levels of autonomy.” Startup companies are in the market and “promis[ing] radars with resolution that can compete with lidar (laser-based light detection and ranging), all while maintaining long ranges and incredible robustness to adverse weather, poor lighting and interference.” Autonomous vehicles and the incredibly sophisticated electronics they will rely on for safety and performance offer major opportunities to resin suppliers, processors and Tier 1 and 2 vendors that can work well with such technology. The IDTechEx report breaks down sensor developments, provides regional forecasts for the U.S., China, Europe and the world, and covers regulatory changes that will affect autonomous vehicles, among other topics. For more information see (www.IDTechEx.com/ Mobility) Cruise self-driving system uses five Velodyne lidar sensors on the roof of a car to achieve full autonomy. Advances in imaging make automotive radar more competitive with laser-based lidar. Courtesy of Dllu Auto Radar, p. 6 EQUITECH SETS DISTRIBUTION DEAL IN EUROPE Equitech International Corp. of Mullica Hill, N.J., a manufacturer of in-line measurement UV-Vis spectrophotometers, signed an agreement with industrial representatives Aguilar & Pineda of Spain to distribute Equitech products in Europe and has set up European headquarters in Barcelona. “Equitech terminated a 10-year-old licensing agreement with ColVisTec AG, a German company, on Sept. 1, 2021, allowing the company to immediately establish worldwide operations,” says Jaime Gómez, Equitech president and CEO. Gómez was also president of SPE from 2020 to 2021. "We are delighted to become part of the Equitech family. Aguilar & Pineda brings years of experience in the markets that Equitech is pursuing. Our company is one of the most important industrial machinery representation companies in Spain,” says Eduardo de Pineda, general manager. Equitech recently acquired an 81 percent stake in CompSOL USA, a fast-growing, U.S.- based engineering development company that specializes in the manufacturing of opto- electronic-mechanical devices for consumer and industrial applications. DOVER, RAVAGO INK DISTRIBUTION DEAL Ravago Chemicals North America (RCNA) and Dover Chemical Corp., a manufacturer of chemical additives for plastics, coatings and other markets, have signed a new national distribution agreement. Ravago will become the national distributor of Dover Chemical products on Feb. 2. This is an expansion of a long-standing relationship between the two companies that began in 2003. “By aligning with Ravago, we will improve service and supply to our customers as well as grow our business in strategic areas,” says Bill Logan, vice president of commercial sales and marketing for Dover Chemical. 8 | PLASTICS ENGINEERING | JANUARY 2022 | www.plasticsengineering.orgDATA POINTS The U.S. has ample access to affordable food. Much of this is due to plastics packaging, which has made more foods available, long-lasting, economical and safe. Americans, however, discard millions of tons of good food every year. Discarded food ends up as municipal solid waste (MSW), the largest component of landfills. While regulators debate the merits of some plastics packaging, a better approach might be to reduce food waste, which affects hot-button issues like greenhouse gas emissions (GGE). The Commission for Environmental Cooperation, for example, says 85 percent of GGE associated with landfilled food waste is from pre-disposal activities: production, transport, processing and distribution. Some states and cities want to reduce—even eliminate—food from MSW; and the EPA seeks to cut food waste per person in half by 2030. Here’s a look at the stats. (All numbers are annual and, unless otherwise noted, for U.S.) FOOD 1UN Food & Agricultural Organization 2U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 3U.S. Dept. of Agriculture 4 Feeding America Figures collected by rts, a waste disposal company. 1.4 BILLION Amount of global food waste, in tons1 22% Amount of food in U.S. municipal landfills2 219 Amount of food waste per person in U.S., in pounds2 50 MILLION Global population with food insecurity in 20214 35 MILLION Global population with food insecurity pre-pandemic4 43% Surge in food insecurity, pre-pandemic to 2021 80% Americans who discard good food due to expiry labels4 $218 MILLION Value of food discarded by Americans 4 30-40% Amount of U.S. food supply that’s discarded3 40 MILLION Amount of U.S. food waste, in tons2 www.plasticsengineering.org | JANUARY 2022 | PLASTICS ENGINEERING | 9Companies develop first blow molded SUV bumper with park-assist sensors GUARD BY PEGGY MALNATI A utomakers comparing bumper technologies for light trucks (pickups and sport utility vehicles) have several choices. The benchmark is steel, which is well understood and broadly used. However, it’s also heavy, corrosion-prone and easily damaged even at low- speed impacts. Additionally, steel’s high mass makes bumpers too heavy for individual line workers to lift unassisted, necessitating use of lift-aids, adding cost and complexity to vehicle assembly. Injection molded bumpers eliminate corrosion, have higher damage tolerance and improved energy management during low-speed impacts, but tooling is complex and costly. Also, the width and height of truck/SUV bumpers—on which occupants frequently kneel or stand to access items in the rear of the vehicle—necessitate complex metal bracketry to provide sufficient stiffness, adding mass, cost and assembly complexity. Blow molding is another option. Its hollow beam provides higher design freedom, better damage tolerance, and lower cost and mass without corrosion vs. stamped steel, and structural rigidity, along with lower tooling costs and simpler assembly than injection molding. However, as automakers increasingly incorporate advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) on passenger vehicles to improve occupant safety through enhanced COVER STORY The Bronco SUV features what is said to be industry’s first blow molded rear bumper with park-assist sensors. Here the vehicle is shown in Eruption Green with the Sasquatch trim package. Courtesy of Ford Motor Co. 10 | PLASTICS ENGINEERING | JANUARY 2022 | www.plasticsengineering.orgdriving and parking functions—which detect and alert about potential obstacles and correct for driver errors—more sensors and cameras are being mounted on exterior vehicle components including bumpers. Until recently, no one had successfully incorporated park-aid sensors in rear-mounted blow molded bumpers. That’s changed with the launch of the 2021 Ford Bronco SUV from Ford Motor Co., which sports blow molded bumpers front and rear—the latter with park-assist sensors. Design Opportunity Tier 1 ABC Technologies Inc. of Toronto has decades of experience designing and producing blow molded automotive components and actually produced blow molded bumpers as far back as 2006. “While we had already identified park aids as a desirable feature to implement in bumper systems, we hadn’t developed a proof of concept or physical prototype prior to Ford asking us to work with them on the [Bronco] U725 system,” recalls Cameron Hryciw, ABC project engineer- exteriors. “Once they explained the requirements, we happily worked with their team to develop a suitable implementation that met that vehicle’s needs.” “The Bronco was a good candidate to try blow molded ADAS-compliant rear bumpers,” explains Vince Carnes, Ford application engineering supervisor, body on frame- front and rear fascia systems. “It’s a smaller vehicle produced at more modest volumes than many of our full-size SUVs and pickups, so the potential for cost and weight savings was more impactful here. It’s also sporty and designed for off-road activity, so a plastic bumper offered benefits like damage and corrosion resistance plus a textured surface and MIC (molded-in color) black that hides scratches.” “It only took a few months to develop a feasible design concept where sensors and retaining components were integrated into the math model and fully accounted for in the tool design,” notes Hryciw. “Fortunately, the design concept already existed for the sensor-retaining hardware, although we had to modify it to work for a blow molding setting. The bezels around the sensors are a bit larger than usual. This not only gives the system more rugged and unique styling, but also hides tackoff locations where material pinches off around sensor openings.” Based on ABC’s long experience blow molding automotive components, a polypropylene copolymer from Salflex Polymers Ltd. of North York, Front and rear view of the Ford Bronco rear bumper. ABC Technologies worked 18 months and developed a clever snap-fit mounting system to hold the rear bumper’s four park-aid sensors. However, several design challenges had to be overcome to achieve this solution. Photos are courtesy of ABC Technologies Inc. Each sensor is held in place by a retainer on the B side (shown at left in image immediately above) and a bezel on the A side (at right in same image). All sensors are supplied by Valeo. www.plasticsengineering.org | JANUARY 2022 | PLASTICS ENGINEERING | 11Toward the end of the process, quality inspectors examine the B side of the bumper to ensure there are no imperfections. Since wall thickness at pinchoffs is typically hard to control, and variations in wall thickness can lead to poor part fit, the toolmaker produced a series of differently sized inserts to give ABC better control of local wall thickness where sensors would be installed. The tool to make this part is shown mounted in its press. 12 | PLASTICS ENGINEERING | JANUARY 2022 | www.plasticsengineering.orgOntario, Canada, was recommended and subjected to Ford’s material testing and approval process. “Achieving the styling we wanted was the most difficult aspect of this program given blow molding’s forming limitations like draft angles, depth of part and the type of grain we could use,” continues Carnes. “While these parts offered good stiffness-to-weight ratios, their hollow centers with unsupported top surfaces made it more difficult to pass our step-loading requirements. We solved this by strategically tacking off the back side of the part to join it to the front to increase stiffness, then adding a tread-pattern texture to hide sinks.” One of blow molding’s benefits is its ability to increase the mechanical performance of localized part sections by creating pinchoffs that tack front and back walls of the hollow structure together. The resulting box section reinforces in much the same way that ribbing does in injection molding without need for additional metallic reinforcements or bracketry. While tackoffs can be visible on the front face of the part, advances in graining and other surface texturing have made great strides in helping hide these features. Pinchoff Thickness Control Another challenge the team faced was achieving a consistent fit for sensor retainers and bezels. “In an ideal world, we could have commonized bezel and retainer hardware for all four sensors, but because we had different surface geometry at each location, that wasn’t possible,” recalls Hryciw. “Fortunately, we could manipulate process parameters to modify wallstock locally at each sensor location.” An interesting aspect of the mold produced for the program is the series of tool inserts used to control material thickness in pinchoff areas where the four sensors would be located. This proved especially helpful during preliminary molding trials as, rather than removing the tool and modifying it, inserts were swapped out at sensor-mounting locations and parts reshot. “While we’ve used differently sized tooling inserts in the past at our plant, this was the first time we’d tried it for a blow molding tool of this size. It proved essential to get the best final assembly,” Hryciw says. “Any customer looking for a blow molded bumper can sleep peacefully knowing that park- aid integration is now a solved problem.” The technology is estimated to have reduced mass 24 percent vs. steel. Operators transfer bumpers between assembly stations at ABC’s production facility. The robot cell and molding press are shown in the background. Material Science in Additive Manufacturing In our exclusive YouTube series, you will learn everything about Di erent Additive Manufacturing technologies Process principles, variations and materials Advantages and industry use cases Watch now! MaterialCharact https://ta-netzsch.com/url/ambasics Contact us for more information or visit www.netzsch-thermal-analysis.com/us/ NETZSCH Instruments North America, LLC 129 Middlesex Turnpike Burlington, MA 01803 USA (+1) 781 272 5353 www.plasticsengineering.org | JANUARY 2022 | PLASTICS ENGINEERING | 13SPE Blow Molding Division conference roars back with a robust slate of presentations and awards BY ROBERT GRACE Holli Alexander of Eastman stressed that smart policies are necessary to drive adoption of advanced recycling. (Top-Left) All event photos courtesy of Johnny Cain Michael Devereux of Wipfli shared tax tips with attendees. (Top-Right) Lee Container president Robert Varnedoe (left) accepts the division’s first Recognition of Excellence award from Gary Carr, vice president of sales at Bekum America. David Schoeneck accepted the Blow Molding Division’s Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of his father, Robert, founder of Schoeneck Containers. 14 | PLASTICS ENGINEERING | JANUARY 2022 | www.plasticsengineering.orgS upply chain woes. Soaring resin prices. Worker shortages. Recycling and sustainability. All the topics that dominate boardrooms and factories across North America and beyond were on the agenda at SPE’s annual blow molding conference, known as ABC 2021. A surprisingly robust crowd of 287 attendees and 54 sponsors and tabletop exhibitors participated at the in-person October event in Atlanta, which for many was the first in-person business conference they attended in the past 18 months or so due to pandemic-related disruptions. The program in Atlanta featured 44 presentations and a number of awards. Speakers such as Holli Alexander of Eastman Chemical Co., Clint Pugh of KW Plastics Recycling, Steve Lyons of SBAcci and Tamsin Ettefagh of PureCycle Technologies were among those addressing the industry’s current recycling and circularity challenges across various resins, from polyethylene terephthalate and high-density polyethylene to polypropylene. Innovative Recycling Tech Alexander, for example, touted how advanced chemical recycling technologies will be needed to augment a serious shortfall in usable resins recycled solely by mechanical means to meet the pledged 2025 commitments of major consumer products companies. She noted that Eastman, using its technologies such as methanolysis, expects to recycle 250 million pounds of polyester waste by 2025, and twice that amount by 2030. But, she stressed, smart policies need to be enacted to help speed adoption, and infrastructure needs to be expanded via incentives, mandates and investment. Ettefagh, chief sustainability officer and vice president of industry relations for PureCycle, which uses a patented, solvent-based recycling technology to convert waste polypropylene into virgin- like PP resin, outlined some challenges involved with boosting PP recycling significantly. She noted that the original mantra of the “three R’s”—reduce, reuse, recycle—has now helped to lay the foundation of what she says the “10 R’s” should include today: responsible, redesign, recoverable, reduce, remove all unnecessary packaging, reusable, recycle, recycled content, regenerative packaging (circular) and regulation. Tax expert Michael Devereux, whose company Mueller Prost merged with a much bigger accounting and consulting firm, Milwaukee-based Wipfli, this summer, offered attendees an update on fast-changing U.S. tax legislation and how it may impact blow molders and other manufacturers in 2022. This included outlining available tax R&D credits, export incentives and hiring/payroll incentives that firms easily could overlook. Coping With COVID A diverse panel provided insights into how their companies coped The creativity and ingenuity [that emerged from these meetings] were amazing. Expert Insights on Additive Manufacturing Join Dr. Natalie Rudolph and receive premium insights from leading Additive Manufacturing experts about Optimizing processes Importance of understanding material properties Printing with UV-curable and silicone materials Register for our free webinar series! https://ta-netzsch.com/url/amwebinars NETZSCH Instruments North America, LLC 129 Middlesex Turnpike Burlington, MA 01803 USA (+1) 781 272 5353 Contact us for more information or visit www.netzsch-thermal-analysis.com/us/ www.plasticsengineering.org | JANUARY 2022 | PLASTICS ENGINEERING | 15with COVID-19 and aided the fight against the pandemic. ThermoFisher Scientific’s Steve Valentino, C.L. Smith Co.’s David Aquilina, Creative Group of Industries’ Hersh Agarwal and W. Müller USA Inc.’s Jens Schlueter, along with session moderator Lloyd Martin of CKS Packaging, shared lessons they learned during the past 18-plus months. Aquilina, director of operations for Lyons Blow Molding, the manufacturing subsidiary of C.L. Smith, a national packaging products distributor, said his company first had to deal with employees’ “fear factor” associated with a stay-at-home order early in the pandemic, while also struggling to get supplies such as bleach and face masks. Schlueter, president of extrusion-head maker W. Müller USA, similarly said he and his team in Massachusetts had to learn how to calm the troops. “We were in panic mode” initially, he remarked. Now he would approach the situation much more calmly. On the upside, Schlueter added, “Our thinking about working remotely changed” significantly, and his managers learned how to conduct shorter, more effective meetings via an online app. Those companies involved with blow molding products used in the fight against COVID, at the same time had to deal with surging demand. Valentino, principal engineer of new product development at ThermoFisher Scientific, a 90,000-employee maker of medical test equipment, ordered and installed some 50 additional blow molding machines to keep pace with orders. And Martin, senior vice president of manufacturing at Atlanta-based bottle maker CKS, said his firm brought in 22 more machines in just the previous year and a half. Valentino said the need to hold virtual meetings meant he was involved in many more discussions than usual, and that he learned a lot. “The things that changed [regarding employee interaction] will probably stay in place,” he said, with just a few tweaks to make them work more efficiently. “The creativity and ingenuity [that emerged from these meetings] were amazing,” he added. And the Winners Are ... Meanwhile, the division presented awards throughout the conference, including the following: » Lifetime Achievement Award: Robert Schoeneck, retired founder, president and CEO of Wisconsin-based Schoeneck Containers, was the recipient. He developed his own blow molding wheel technology. Under his leadership, the company developed many PVC bottle innovations, from handleware to hot-fill technology. Due to ill health, Robert could not attend the Atlanta meeting, but his son, David, accepted the Flexcraft designed this 160-ounce extrusion PET handled container to replace PVC. All product photos are courtesy of SPE Blow Molding Division Marietta Corp. and Voyant Beauty designed the 12-ounce DoveLoc dispenser for hotels. It has a dual-view strip to monitor content level and an integrated locking strip. FGH Systems and Design in Motion developed Rip Swing, a weighted tennis training device to build forearm strength. 16 | PLASTICS ENGINEERING | JANUARY 2022 | www.plasticsengineering.orgaward on his behalf. » Recognition of Excellence Award: Lee Container Inc., a three-plant blow molder of HDPE bottles, based in Valdosta, Ga., won the honor. This first-time award from the division recognizes a steady record of growth and innovation by a processor. Lee Container was cofounded in 1989 by the late Don Lee and his son-in-law Robert Varnedoe. Now, with close to 50 machines and annual sales approaching $120 million, Lee Container keeps a low profile but aggressively applies automation and multilayer technology while continuing to invest in growth. Varnedoe and his son, Joel, the company’s vice president of new markets and product development, accepted the award. » Student Design Contest Awards went to three students: Alec Oxbrough, Jared Jacob and Anton Rearick of Penn State Erie’s Behrend College, for their Truck Bed Seat. The concept depicts a pair of foldable, blow molded HDPE seats connected in the middle by a cooler that can be attached to the bed of a truck to add versatility for sporting events, concerts, picnics and other activities. Three more student teams from Penn State Behrend earned honorable mentions. » Scholarship Winners were Justin Salyers, an incoming junior at Shawnee State University, Portsmouth, Ohio, and Trent Longenberger, who will be a senior majoring in plastics and polymer engineering technology at Pennsylvania College of Technology, Williamsport. Salyers, of Wheelersburg, Ohio, was awarded the Willi Müller Scholarship for full-time undergraduates pursuing a degree in the plastics industry, with preference for applicants with experience in extrusion blow molding. Longenberger received the Carrie Fox Solin Memorial Scholarship, for students who will work in the industry in a coop or intern program. He interned last summer at Drug Plastics and Glass Co. of Elysburg, Pa. The Lewis E. Ferguson Parts Competition, recently renamed in honor of its founder, the late Lew Ferguson, is an 8-year-old annual contest designed “to celebrate the latest industry advancements and innovations in blow molding design and applications.” At the conference, entries were divided into Packaging and Industrial categories. Three entries earned kudos: » Flexcraft Co.’s 160-ounce, extrusion- grade PET jug won top honors in Packaging. The New Jersey molder designed the crystal-clear, handled container as a more readily recyclable replacement for PVC jugs. » Marietta Corp. and Voyant Beauty collaborated on the design of the 12-ounce DoveLoc container for personal care products that earned the People’s Choice award in Packaging. The container, blow molded by Altium Packaging, is designed for use by hotels to reduce plastics waste. It has a dual-view strip to show content level and a side-wall feature that locks the container into a dispensing cassette. » FGH Systems, with Design in Motion, developed Rip Swing, which earned first place and People’s Choice honors in the Industrial category. Blow molded by FGH from HDPE, the compact, hollow, weighted device with a handle grip helps tennis players strengthen their swing. The bulbous end can be filled with water, sand, gravel or even cured cement to weigh more than 24 ounces, which players then use to practice their swing. Meanwhile, division leaders revealed that ABC 2022 will take place Sept. 12 to 14 at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel in Philadelphia . Your Excellence in Additive Manufacturing supported by NETZSCH solutions Determining onset of melting and crystallization behavior Estimating warpage and residual stress in printed parts Studying flow properties Investigating the influence of fillers on material properties NETZSCH Instruments North America, LLC 129 Middlesex Turnpike Burlington, MA 01803 USA (+1) 781 272 5353 Contact us for more information or visit www.netzsch-thermal-analysis.com/us/ www.plasticsengineering.org | JANUARY 2022 | PLASTICS ENGINEERING | 17Next >