Key points in this episode of the Machinery Minutes podcast:

• Andrew Wheeler, president of Windmoeller & Hoelscher Corp., discusses how packaging markets have changed, the growing use of recycled plastics and whether the W&H Group might start building machines in the U.S.

• Manufacturers will continue to invest in artificial intelligence, but are moving toward generative AI, according to international business consulting firm Deloitte. Find out how generative AI might be used in the plastics industry.

• Engel has redesigned its spherical check valve to make it more precise and reliable.

Key points from this podcast episode:

• Collecting operational data has become easy. Using it effectively is the difficult part. For our recent cover story, three consultants talked about the competitive price processors pay when they don’t effectively use their data. Editor Ron Shinn discusses.
• The IT director at a Pennsylvania thermoformer has seen spectacular on-time-delivery results pulling data from the company’s ERP system and displaying it in real-time for plant-floor operators and decision makers.

Key points in this episode of the Machinery Minutes podcast: 

• Modern processing machinery collects plenty of data, but using it can be problematic. Three experts explain how it can help your molding business and the high cost of ignoring it.

• Bobby May, the IT director at Pennsylvania thermoformer SAY Plastics, has built 120 dashboards that puts the right ERP data in front of decision-makers at the right time. Results have been impressive.

• An Australian manufacturer is bringing plastic noise walls to North America. The wall panels are made from post-consumer resin.

Key points in this episode of the Machinery Minutes podcast:

• Molding bioresins takes patience, skill and determination. Having a good partner helps too, as Refork found in Mold-Masters.

• The 3D printing equipment market is struggling under the weight of high interest rates. But big-name OEMs are still embracing the technology. Are we at a turning point for the 3D printing industry?

• Endeavor Business Media publications continue to follow the frequently changing Trump tariff story, and you can find all their reporting on the PMM homepage. We also have a new poll giving you the chance to tell us how tariffs are impacting your business.

The domestic auto industry is in big trouble, with no sign that things will get better anytime soon. The industry was making progress in transitioning to electric vehicles, but at a critical time when it needs support, it is not getting it.

While domestic EV production is being slowed by tariffs and automakers are trying to figure out how to move forward, other countries are racing ahead. What does it mean for the plastics industry? Editor Ron Shinn has one discouraging outcome in this PMM Insight commentary.

In this episode of Machinery Minutes:

• President Trump’s latest round of tariffs were condemned by industry trade groups, including PLASTICS, VDMA and the Recycled Materials Association.
• Reshoring guru Harry Moser thinks Trump’s tariffs will cause short-term pain but could lead to long-term gain for the economy.
• Dutch machinery maker Stork launches a new line of all-electric injection molding machines.

UBQ Materials has developed a process to turn organic waste into biobased composite materials. Think banana peels, dirty diapers, chicken bones, greasy pizza boxes or even unrecyclable plastic. Now they want to build a U.S. plant.

A new thermoforming technology from Origin Materials can produce PET and recycled PET caps at a speed that’s competitive with other processes.

Talks on a global treaty to end plastic pollution drag on. If there's no meaningful resolution, the plastics industry itself could be the biggest loser.

A new market study says that high interest rates are causing processors to delay buying 3D printing equipment. Some resin makers and equipment manufacturers have exited the business.

But there are big-name OEMs, such as the BMW Group, pushing ahead with groundbreaking new projects. It appears automation may be important to the future of 3D printing, Editor Ron Shinn reports in this PMM Insight commentary.