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OCTOBER 2022 SOLAR ARRAYS TAKE TO WATER TECHNIQUE SOLVENT BONDS POLYCARBONATE LUERS TO PVC Approach could enhance joining technologies for medical devices PLUSINSIDE PLASTICS ENGINEERING VOLUME 78 NUMBER 9 OCTOBER 2022 12 ATTA BUOY! Italian moldmaker develops innovative rotating buoys powered by flowing water that remove garbage and oil from waterways and oceans. 18 GET YOUR OWN! Plastics Engineering keeps plastics industry professionals informed of the latest news and in-depth reporting on state-of-the-art and emerging technologies that impact the R&D and processing of plastics products. This is the magazine every plastics industry professional NEEDS to read. 4spe.org/Subscribe 4 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR FLOATING SOLAR FARM COVER STORY 2022 Folio Eddie Award Winner for Single Article in the Non-profit Professional Membership Association category. Honorable Mention in the same category for Range of Work by a Single Author. 2022 TRENDY Award for Most Improved Magazine. www.plasticsengineering.org | OCTOBER 2022 | PLASTICS ENGINEERING | 146 | New Product News 5 | Reader Feedback Bonnie J. Bachman served as SPE’s first female president. 34 | Tech Paper NEW TECHNIQUE FOR SOLVENT BONDING PVC TO PC LUERS SHOWS PROMISE 47 | Calendar 48 | Ad/Editorial Index INSIDE PLASTICS ENGINEERING VOLUME 78 NUMBER 9 OCTOBER 2022 42 | Mutual Interests Collaboration among suppliers is key to achieving a circular economy. 28 7 | Set Point Coperion buys Herbold Meckesheim; Recycled Plastic Exchange goes online. INNOVATORS TARGET THIN- FILM WASTE XPrize and YPO seek sponsors for ambitious Circular Food Packaging challenge. 26 WELCOME BACK: PLASTICS IS READY FOR GIGANTIC K The triennial event will mark its 70- year history by addressing present- day sustainability concerns. THE RIGHT STUFF Manufacturers tap range of materials and processes to surge metal replacement in automotive and aerospace. 22 MAINTAINING MATERIAL QUALITY Magnetic separators and metal detectors enhance purity in plastics processing. 38 11 | The Legal Angle FDA rethinks food-contact rules. 2 | PLASTICS ENGINEERING | OCTOBER 2022 | www.plasticsengineering.orgPatrick Toensmeier Editor-in-Chief (203) 777-1474 ptoensmeier@4spe.org Michael Greskiewicz Director, Sales & Advertising (203) 740-5411 mgreskiewicz@4spe.org Ryan Foster Art Director (203) 740-5410 rfoster@4spe.org Sue Wojnicki Director of Communications (203) 740-5420 swojnicki@4spe.org Editorial & Publishing Staff President Jason Lyons CEO Patrick Farrey President-Elect Bruce Mulholland Vice President – Chapters & Secretary ScottEastman Vice President – Business & Finance / Treasurer James Waddell Vice President – Professional Development Pavan Valavala Vice President – Sustainability Conor Carlin Vice President – Member Engagement Lynzie Nebel Vice President – Publications Raymond Pearson Vice President at Large Paul Martin Past President Jaime Gómez SPE 2021-2022 Executive Board Contributing Editors NANCY D. LAMONTAGNE ndlamontagne@gmail.com Nancy D. Lamontagne reports on science, technology and engineering. Topics she covers for Plastics Engineering include thermoforming, blow molding, medical plastics, packaging, and education and career development. ROBERT GRACE bob@rcgrace.com Robert Grace has been in B2B journalism since 1980. He covers design and business for Plastics Engineering and is editor of SPE’s Journal of Blow Molding. Professional memberships include the Industrial Designers Society of America. JENNIFER MARKARIAN technicalwritingsolutions@comcast.net Jennifer Markarian has been reporting on the plastics industry for more than 20 years, covering a range of technology topics. She is also the newsletter editor for SPE’s Palisades-MidAtlantic Chapter. CATHY NESTRICK Cathy Nestrick is the former vice president and general counsel of Berry Global Group Inc., a Fortune 500 manufacturer and marketer of plastics packaging and engineered materials. She is the founder and co-host of Parity Podcast, which focuses on accelerating gender equality. ERIC F. GREENBERG Eric Greenberg focuses on food and drug law, packaging law and commercial litigation. Work includes regulatory counseling, label and claims review, product development, GRAS, food contact materials evaluations and clearances, and related areas. www.plasticsengineering.org | OCTOBER 2022 | PLASTICS ENGINEERING | 3 PEGGY MALNATI peggy@malnatiandassociates.com Peggy Malnati has over 30 years’ experience covering plastics, composites and automotive. She has organized technical conferences for SPE and served as board member and communications chair for SPE’s Automotive Division. GEOFF GIORDANO geoffgio@verizon.net Geoff Giordano has been a contributor to Plastics Engineering since 2009, covering a range of topics, including additives, infrastructure, flexible electronics, design software, 3D printing and nanotechnology. FROM THE T he table of contents in this issue includes an announcement that Plastics Engineering won a 2022 Eddie Award from Folio magazine and received an Honorable Mention in the annual event last month. This brings to six the awards that PE has won this year in two editorial competitions: the TRENDYs in March and the Eddies in September. I don’t make this point to brag, but to recognize our editorial team that develops outstanding content every issue; our art director, Ryan Foster, who creates eye-catching layouts; and the dedicated SPE staff who support PE in its mission to report and analyze industry developments. The Eddie Award for Single Article in the Association/Non-profit category was for the June 2021 cover story titled “Gender Bias in Design,” written by Bob Grace. Honorable Mention in the same category went to Bob for Range of Work by a Single Author. All these submissions reflected his expertise in design and reporting of how innovations in plastics products can improve the quality of life for users and promote sustainability. It should be noted that Plastics Engineering wasn’t the only industry publication recognized by the Eddies. Plastics Machinery & Manufacturing received an Honorable Mention in the B2B category for an April 11 article this year titled “Hybrid Manufacturing Approach Breaks Down Barriers for Bionic Kids.” Kudos to Editor Ron Shinn and his team. The Eddies' ceremony was Sept. 13, at City Winery in New York, a splendid venue on the Hudson River. As befits a magazine like Folio, the competition attracted heavyweights. Among those up for awards were Adweek, Variety, AARP The Magazine, Consumer Reports, Nat Geo Kids, Food & Wine, Harvard Business Review and Travel + Leisure, as well as regional and other titles. I don’t have the official number of attendees who made the trek to the winery, which is at 11th Avenue and 15th Street, during a heavily trafficked weekday rush hour in lower Manhattan (Folio asked that everyone coming to the event be seated by 6 p.m.). A rough headcount based on tables and occupied seats by one roving reporter—i.e., me—came to around 250, maybe a bit more. Not everyone in attendance won an award, of course, but the turnout and enthusiastic reactions of award winners and their colleagues in the audience demonstrated the passion, commitment and professionalism that drives everyone associated with trade and specialty journalism. We live in what some pundits call “The Great Resignation,” “The Great Attrition,” “The Big Quit,” “The Great Reshuffle” or whatever other handle one puts on the circumstance of roughly 33 million people voluntarily leaving the U.S. workforce since 2022 in the wake of COVID. With few exceptions, publishing is anonymous work, occasionally frustrating and generally hectic. But there is no “Great Resignation” in this business. In the end, the satisfaction of generating a product that is original and informative, and which earns the support and respect of one’s peers, is recognition enough for most people in the business. This issue of Plastics Engineering includes the obituary of Hugh Lenox Karraker, a talented and versatile individual who, though never directly involved in the plastics industry, was almost preordained to make a major contribution to its history (see p. 10). Karraker was the great grandson of Dr. Leo Baekeland, the chemist who invented Bakelite phenol formaldehyde resin in the early twentieth century. Bakelite is notable for being the first commercial plastic made entirely from synthetic materials. Its successful use in a range of diverse products was the boost the industry needed to begin making large-scale investments in synthetic polymers, a development that created a dynamic class of materials, redefined product design and popular culture, and eventually led to a $600 billion business in the U.S. alone. Karraker learned about his great grandfather from his mother, who was Baekeland’s granddaughter. The stories she told her son about Baekeland and the photos and mementos she shared with him planted a seed in Karraker’s mind that later in life led him to film a documentary about his ancestor, the impact of plastics on society and the need to intelligently manage their production, use and reuse. R.I.P. PAT TOENSMEIER Editor-in-Chief ptoensmeier@4spe.org AWARDS AND REMEMBRANCE 4 | PLASTICS ENGINEERING | OCTOBER 2022 | www.plasticsengineering.orgTo the Editor: I wanted to point out an error in the timeline published in the PE July/August 2022 issue. Donna S. Davis, although a woman and an SPE president, was not the first woman president of SPE—I was, from 1994 to 1995. Please print a correction. Best regards, Bonnie J. Bachman, PhD SPE President, 1994 to 1995 University of Wisconsin, Madison, College of Engineering To the Editor: Nice job by the staff on the [July/August] 80th anniversary issue. I particularly enjoyed the articles about Glenn Beall (p. 39) and Sal and Erika Monte (p. 42). Great interview with Glenn. I know him reasonably well; now I know a lot more. It’s great to be in an industry young enough to be able to still visit with many of the people who made it happen. Another very enjoyable aspect of the issue is the SPE Timeline at the bottom of pages 39 to 55. Lots of stuff in there I didn’t know. However, if you’ll allow me, and in the interest of accuracy and relative to things I do personally remember, I’d like to bring up a couple of corrections/additions for the record, particularly on p. 51. The PlastiVan was not started by SPE, it was a project of the National Plastics Center and Museum in Leominster, Mass., under the overall guidance of Valerie Wilcox. When the NPCM went under, SPI took responsibility for the PlastiVan, and SPE ultimately got it from them, not without some wailing and gnashing of teeth. NPCM originally had four vans scattered through the U.S., but most of the business was in the upper Midwest and the East. Eventually, all the vans per se were eliminated, and the program became essentially the type of operation we have now—instructor visits. At that time, the program was headed by Margie Weiner. Margie worked first for NPCM, then SPI, then eventually was an SPE employee, reporting to Gail Bristol, since Gail was the managing director of the SPE Foundation at the time. Point is, it would be nice to say we started it, but we didn’t; we just perfected it to the excellent program it has become. With all due respect to Donna S. Davis—and much respect is proper—the first female president of SPE was Dr. Bonnie J. Bachman, from 1994 to 1995, preceding Donna by nearly 10 years. Bonnie was at the University of Missouri, Rolla, and head of the Economics Department there. (Beginning Oct. 1, she will be at the University of Wisconsin, Madison; see letter above). During her year as president-elect, she completed her doctorate at Rutgers, and I, as the 1993 to 1994 president, had the great pleasure of introducing her for the first time as Dr. Bonnie J. Bachman, at the ANTEC in San Francisco. BTW, it should be noted that the highest-ever membership numbers for SPE (37,000+ worldwide) occurred during 1993 to 1995. I think it’s important to note that the establishment of the SPE Foundation was the product of the work of one woman. It was originally presented as a dream/challenge in a presidential inaugural speech. Gail Bristol, with the help of her boss, Mike Cappelletti, the executive director at the time, single-handedly brought the Foundation into existence. Frankly, there were a number of people who scoffed at the idea in private but supported it in public; she made it happen anyway. It certainly seems to be doing well now. I don’t write this to be hypercritical of a nicely done issue, only to provide information. The historical research was super, especially about the early history of the industry. As old as I am, I find it fun to be reminded of the introductions of a lot of those materials, machinery and processes. Thanks for awakening the little gray cells, it was a fun ride. Best regards, Lance Neward SPE President, 1993 to 1994 FEEDBACK LETTERS, COMMENTS, OPINIONS (PRO AND CON) AND INSIGHTS FROM READERS www.plasticsengineering.org | OCTOBER 2022 | PLASTICS ENGINEERING | 5FEEDBACK To the Editor: Thank you for the special edition of Plastics Engineering celebrating the 80th Anniversary of SPE. There is, however, an important correction that needs to be made to the timeline of the Society’s history that runs through the issue. While Donna S. Davis was a terrific SPE president and continues to contribute to the Society, she was not the first woman elected president of SPE, as stated on page 51 of the issue. That distinction goes to Dr. Bonnie J. Bachman. This era of the Society is familiar to me, as I appointed Bonnie as the first woman member of the Executive Committee when I became president in 1988. She subsequently was elected to Society offices, culminating with her election as president of SPE in 1994, nine years before Donna’s term in 2003. The list of SPE Past Presidents and other Distinguished Members appears on the Distinguished Member page on the Society’s website. Interestingly, the photo on that page shows Bonnie standing beside Donna. Best Regards, Bruce Petersen SPE President, 1988 to 1989 President, Polymer Consulting Services Richfield, Ohio To the Editor: Nice job with the 80th anniversary issue. You and the team did a great job. Please excuse me for making one comment that you need to know. One mistake that I hope doesn’t offend our real first female SPE president, Bonnie J. Bachman, is found on p. 51 in the SPE Timeline next to the photo of Donna S. Davis. Donna is identified as SPE’s first female president when, in fact, Bonnie became president in 1994, almost 10 years before Donna. Dr. Bachman is certainly a notable force who is a remarkable person and a very strong woman. Over the years, she has given dozens of technical presentations in several different division sessions and also provided great leadership during her term as SPE president. Nevertheless, I very much enjoyed this issue even more than the other monthlies, which I still enjoy. Kind regards, Len Czuba SPE President, 2005 to 2006 President, Czuba Enterprises Lombard, Ill. Pat Toensmeier responds: All our correspondents are correct: due to an editing error, Dr. Bonnie J. Bachman’s achievement as SPE’s first woman president was omitted from the Timeline in the July/ August issue of Plastics Engineering. Apologies for that. For the record, following, in order of their service, are the names and term dates of the four women who have served as SPE president. There will doubtless be more in coming years. » Dr. Bonnie J. Bachman, 1994 to 1995 » Donna S. Davis, 2003 to 2004 » Karen L. Winkler, 2004 to 2005 » Dr. Vicki Flaris, 2007 to 2008 For a poignant recollection of how the late Vicki Flaris became friends with Glenn Beall and his wife, Patsy, and eventually SPE president, see the article on p. 39 of the July/August issue. 6 | PLASTICS ENGINEERING | OCTOBER 2022 | www.plasticsengineering.org MAXIMIZE YOUR LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL! Essentials of Management & Leadership in Plastics is a six-month virtual program starting in October 2022 and running through March 2023. The program is open to early to mid-level career professionals (with varying titles and roles within specific organizations) who are looking to become leaders or strengthen their leadership skills at their companies and in the plastics industry. No other Leadership Certificate program exists that is specifically designed for those in the plastics industry. To apply for Essentials of Management & Leadership in Plastics, go to www.4spe.org/LeadershipEssentials . SET POINT COPERION, HERBOLD MECKESHEIM FORM RECYCLING BUSINESS UNIT Coperion, a manufacturer of compounding and extrusion systems, feeding systems and bulk material handling equipment, has acquired Herbold Meckesheim, a recycling specialist. Meckesheim will be integrated with Coperion’s recycling product lines in the latter’s new Recycling Business Unit (RBU) that provides equipment and technology for plastics recycling. Coperion made the announcement last month at its headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany. The company will combine its global technology and industrial experience with Herbold Meckesheim in the mechanical recycling of plastics and plastics waste. Herbold Meckesheim will continue to operate at its base in Meckesheim, Germany, and retain its name. Both companies will jointly build modular systems and develop plant solutions that address the needs of the circular economy, using a combined sales and service network. The RBU will offer innovative solutions leveraging the complementary technologies of both companies. From mechanical processing to bulk material handling, feeding and extrusion, as well as compounding and pelletizing, the unit will supply technology and equipment for process chains. The RBU will supply recycling plants and systems for PET, polyolefins, film and rigid plastics. From mechanical processing to solvent-based and chemical recycling to solutions for highly automated to modular recycling lines, the ability to supply complete systems will deliver added value to customers. Engineering and servicing of equipment during its operating life will also be available. “Herbold Meckesheim’s solid reputation within the recycling industry is a result of their high- quality machines and solutions, which fit into Coperion’s growth strategy. We’ll have strong production and engineering locations in Europe, Asia and North America,” says Markus Parzer, president of Coperion’s Polymer Division. Werner Herbold (left), CEO of Herbold Meckesheim, joins Markus Parzer, Polymer Division president for Coperion at announcement of the business deal. Courtesy of Coperion TEKNIPLEX REBRAND YIELDS TWO PRODUCT DIVISIONS TekniPlex, a global materials science development company, announced in September a comprehensive rebranding of its product lines that’s intended to streamline corporate identity and further leverage its name recognition. The global effort comes as TekniPlex experiences “unprecedented growth.” With 15 acquisitions in the last five years, the company, based in Wayne, Pa., has doubled in size. This growth culminated in the reorganization of its lines into two primary divisions: TekniPlex Healthcare and TekniPlex Consumer Products. The updated brand structure unites all business units under the Healthcare and Consumer Products divisions. Previous business unit brand names will no longer be used in market-facing environments. The transition to a more uniform market presence will take place over time. The TekniPlex Healthcare Division brands include legacy units Colorite, Natvar, Dunn, JPG, TekniPlex Flexibles, TekniFilms, TekniPlex Europe, TekniPlex Gallazzi, Beyers Plastics, Lameplast and LF of America, which were previously marketed as “medical” or “healthcare packaging.” The Consumer Products Division comprises Dolco, TriSeal, Action Technology, MMC Packaging Equipment, Grupo Phoenix, M-Industries, Geraldiscos, Keyes and Fibro. “By consolidating all brands under the TekniPlex name, we will better service our customers by providing them greater visibility into the breadth of our capabilities and offerings,” says Brenda Chamulak, president and CEO of TekniPlex. “We will also be able to more thoroughly leverage the synergies between our businesses and solidify our position as a materials science solutions partner to many of the world’s largest brands.” TekniPlex employs 7,000 throughout its operations in North and South America, Europe and India. TekniPlex says its product rebranding will provide greater visibility of its capabilities in materials science. Courtesy of TekniPlex www.plasticsengineering.org | OCTOBER 2022 | PLASTICS ENGINEERING | 7Next >