Inside Rubber - 2021 Issue 1

S T R AT E G I E S F O R F U T U R E S U C C E S S

2021 Issue 1

Autonomous Robots Increase Plant Safety f Eliminating Sources of Waste f Online Training Closes Skills Gap f Cautious Optimism for Processors in 2021

The Official Publication of the Association of Rubber Products Manufacturers

“This savings program is an absolute no brainer.

You can’t do better on your own. ARPM has over $10 million in leverage to demand the best prices for our members!”

Troy Nix, Executive Director

Sign onto your Grainger account today to see your savings.

Impact the bottom line today by shopping eligible categories, including:

Call the ARPM office at 317.863.4072 to learn more about Grainger discounts available to ARPM members.

• • • • •

Motors Safety (people) Electrical Safety footwear Power transmission

• • • • •

Power tools Machining Safety (facility) Hand tools Material handling

• Abrasives • Lubrication • Welding

Members also receive a discount off all other Grainger catalog and online products, as well as FREE shipping (restrictions apply).

CONTENTS 2021 ISSUE 1

FEATURES

6 Outlook

Automation Increases Safety on the Plant Floor

10 Review

EHS Summit Offers Virtual Value

12 Strategies

Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) Testing for Tire Tread Performance Predictors

6

18 Safety

Eliminating Sources of Organizational Waste at PolyFlex

24 Benchmarking

Rubber Processors Cautiously Optimistic Moving into 2021

26 Talent

Closing the Gap Between Workers’ Skills and Employers’ Needs with Online Training

30 View From 30

Cultivating a Safety Mindset at Zochem

32 Management

Five Manufacturing Trends to Watch in 2021

26

30

Departments 4 From the President 16 Member News 23 Industry 29 Technical Standards Update 34 Calendar 34 Ad Index

Cover photo courtesy of Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR) www.arpminc.com 3

FROM THE PRESIDENT

H

Steve Nieto Tahoma Rubber and Plastics

appy New Year! I think we were all ready to put 2020 behind us.

Just when we thought we had seen it all, everything changed – from how we lead our lives, how we interact and how we operate our businesses to how and where we can travel, how our economy works and even what the government has authority to control.

We all had to adjust to our new world, but we survived and evolved!

In 2021, we still will be facing ongoing challenges and, I am sure, even more surprises. But hopefully the vaccines are being distributed and the COVID-19 challenges will begin to diminish. We still face a rapidly changing political climate here and abroad, social unrest and much economic uncertainty. Government stimulus packages have been necessary for many industries.

The rubber industry has shown how essential it is to the economy and how resilient it can be. Many of us face difficulties finding staffing at the levels we need in our business and with the needed skill sets. Government incentives for the unemployed made hiring even more challenging. There is lots of talk about establishing a significantly higher minimum wage. We have all found ways to protect our workforce to prevent or reduce the spread of the pandemic. New PPE is standard wear in our plants and offices.

7321 Shadeland Station Way, Suite 285 Indianapolis, IN 46256

“

ALL THESE CHANGES MAKE TRADE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE Along with the new challenges will come new opportunities for our industry. There are needs for new products to serve the changing needs to protect people. The drive for more sustainability will affect how we make products, what raw materials we need to use and what new products are needed.

Staying in close contact with customers to meet their needs and find new opportunities is different because of limitations on face-to-face visits. Using Zoom, Teams or other remote video conferencing tools is a new skill set for most of us.

Working remotely looks like it will be here to stay for many vocations.

All these changes make trade organizations like ARPM even more valuable to all of us. They help us keep in touch when it is difficult to meet in person or attend tradeshows. We’re gaining new members, which will make the group even more valuable. The ARPM staff is working hard to make the adjustment to our new reality. Your active participation and suggestions will benefit the industry as a whole.

On to our next challenges and a new adventure for 2021. We must continue to adapt. u

Managing Editor: Dianna Brodine Art Director: Becky Arensdorf Published by:

Phone: 317.863.4072 | Fax: 317.913.2445 info@arpminc.org | www.arpminc.com © Copyright 2021 ARPM Officers and Board of Directors President Steve Nieto, Tahoma Rubber and Plastics Past President Dave Jentzsch, Blair Rubber Treasurer Marel Riley-Ryman, Southern Michigan Rubber Secretary Joe Keglewitsch, Ice Miller LLP

4 Inside Rubber // 2021 Issue 1

”

ARPM EVEN MORE VALUABLE...

ARPM Board of Directors Kirk Bowman, The Timken Group Charlie Braun, Custom Rubber Corporation Chris Buhlmann, Gates Corporation Russ Burgert, MAPLAN USA Joe Colletti, MarshBellofram Randy Dobbs, Sperry & Rice LLC Doug Gilg, Continental ContiTech Donovan Lonsway, BRP Mike Recchio, Zeon Chemicals L.P. Mike Smith, Basic Rubber and Plastics John Stourac, Zochem Travis Turek, Bruckman Rubber Corporation Joe Walker, Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies James Wideman, MBL (USA) Corporation

2150 SW Westport Dr., Suite 101 Topeka, KS 66614 Phone: 785.271.5801 ARPM Team

Executive Director Troy Nix – tnix@arpminc.org Managing Director Letha Keslar – lkeslar@arpminc.org Marketing Director Marcella Kates – mkates@arpminc.org Analytics Tony Robinson – trobinson@arpminc.org Director of Publications Susan Denzio – sdenzio@arpminc.org Project Manager Kaitlyn Kroll – kkroll@arpminc.org

OUTLOOK

Automation Increases Safety on the Plant Floor

By Dianna Brodine, managing editor, Inside Rubber

A

utomation is hailed as the answer for those looking to add operational efficiencies to their manufacturing floor, but adding robots has implications for safety, too. While line-side robotics have received significant attention for the ability to automate repetitive tasks in production, safety benefits in the warehouse and material handling areas are garnering additional interest.

Common tasks for autonomous robots

Mobile robots move among equipment and employees on a plant floor without direct oversight, using sensors to avoid obstacles. “Autonomous mobile robots make processes and workflows more efficient and productive,” optimization consultant Ed Romaine wrote recently. “This is typically achieved by performing non-value-added tasks – such as transporting, picking up and dropping off product – in order to free up laborers to perform other tasks that add value to the product/operation – like picking, checking or packing an order.” 1 “Most of it revolves around all sorts of material transportation,” explained Matt Charles, sales director for the Midwest US and Canada regions for Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR). “There are really good applications in that space, such as at the end of a line where full pallets are coming off a conveyor. The pallets need to get from the end 6 Inside Rubber // 2021 Issue 1

of the line to a stretch wrapper or to shipping and receiving.

Robots are an intelligent way to do that.”

Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) connect the manufacturing space to shipping and receiving or warehouse spaces without the need for fork trucks. “It allows the fork trucks to do their jobs behind the scenes, away from people on the plant floor,” said Charles.

Mobile robots also can be utilized in the quality system, transporting goods to the inspection equipment for those involved in quality checks. And, these robots aren’t only for end-of-line; they also can be used in feeding the lines, such as in cart transport with resins or by bringing empty pallets to employees at their stations.

“The implementation of mobile robots can keep employees at their stations, eliminating movement,” said Charles.

“People are good at making decisions, and our robots are allowing them to continue doing that while automating the mundane tasks.”

Adding automation to increase worker safety

Eric Truebenbach, director of corporate development at Teradyne, was quoted in a recent article in which

he discussed the safety advantages of mobile robot implementation: “Warehouse environments, for example, require significant amounts of heavy lifting, over-reaching and repetitive motion – work for which the human body and mind are not designed. Ergonomic injuries, accidents and quality lapses caused by that conflict are well documented.

For example, in 2018, the National Safety Council reported that forklifts were involved in nearly 8,000 nonfatal workplace injuries and 85 work-related deaths.” 2 Charles agreed. “Fork trucks, by nature, increase the possibility of accidents in a production space,” he said. “By adding mobile robots, we can isolate the manufacturing space where there are many employees, keeping the fork trucks to the warehousing areas. Eliminating that safety risk is a big part of what people are starting to apply robotics to.”

With the ability to handle heavy loads, autonomous robots can move materials and inventory efficiently – without running into equipment or employees. The Truebenbach article explained, “…Artificial intelligence-driven navigation systems enable AMRs to determine optimal delivery paths in real-time, making it possible for these machines to respond instantly to changes or obstacles in the environment.” 2 The autonomous robots are programmed to follow a path, a simple task that essentially creates a map that determines the most efficient route for the task the robot needs to accomplish.

“For instance, our robots broadcast their own WiFi network, so you can use a phone or tablet to connect,” said Charles.

“It’s a web-based interface, and a virtual joystick comes up to help users teach the robot to remember certain areas.”

One safety benefit that may not have been a consideration prior to March 2020 is the ability of mobile robotics to

aid in social distancing. “Reducing direct human contact through social distancing measures has become extremely important since the COVID-19 crisis, and manufacturers are trying to adapt to the guidelines that are deemed mandatory in order to keep their operations running. Typically, manual material movement jobs like humans pushing products to the next station, building and inspecting parts and forklifts picking up and dropping off goods all require close contact of workers. However, Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) eliminate unnecessary contact in and between work cells and therefore, can reduce the risk of shut down due to COVID-19 by keeping workers safe.” 3

What are the “Danger Zones” when working with autonomous robots?

“Studies indicate that many robot accidents occur during non-routine operating conditions, such as programming, maintenance, testing, set-up or adjustment. During many of these operations the worker may temporarily be within the robot’s working envelope where unintended operations could result in injuries.” 4 At this time, there are no OSHA standards for the robotics industry. However, said Charles, that will change as robots become increasingly integrated in manufacturing environments. “There are current guidelines out there for autonomous guided vehicles that are following strips on the ground,” he explained, “and new standards will be coming out in the next few months regarding mobile robotics.”

That doesn’t mean, however, that safety awareness isn’t important. “Anytime you’re integrating a collaborative robot, you want to do a risk assessment first,” Charles said.

“We provide some guidelines to help people see potential page 9 u

www.arpminc.com 7

THE INDUSTRY NEEDS YOU

JOIN THE NETWORK TODAY!

ASSOCIATION FOR RUBBER PRODUCTS MANUFACTURERS Networking | Training | Benchmarking | Industry Standards | Resources and more What members have to say: "The most important benefit I've found from our ARPM membership is the knowledge of the industry. I have been able to learn from the best practices activities as well as stay up-to-date on technical information."

VIsit arpminc.com for more.

OUTLOOK t page 7

risk factors, such as pinch points. This allows safety signage to be placed near the points that have been identified.

Robots also have the ability to make noise to provide audio warnings, but there are some operation areas that will need initial precaution from employees – whether docking to a conveyor, a station or a cart.”

There also are applications that aren’t ideal for robots. For mobile robotics specifically, there are inherent challenges in tight spaces. “Our robots like to have six- to eight-foot aisles to allow them to navigate efficiently,” said Charles. “The safety scanners have a bubble around them to keep the robots from running into anything, so it’s not ideal if the aisles are too narrow.”

2.

Autonomous Mobile Robots and Cobots Improve Worker Safety and Retention, Machine Design, https://www. machinedesign.com/markets/robotics/article/21139687/ autonomous-mobile-robots-and-cobots-improve-workersafety-and-retention 3. 3 Ways Autonomous Mobile Robots Can Improve Your Safety Culture, Otto Motors, https://ottomotors.com/blog/3ways-mobile-robotics-improve-safety-culture 4. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, https://www. osha.gov/robotics

Fluoroelastomer Specialists...

Moving forward with mobile robotics

For those considering implementation of mobile robot automation, Charles said the best way to move forward is to dive in. “It’s fairly simple to do a proof of concept to see how it works in a facility,” he said. “There are a whole lot of potential ‘gotchas’ with aisle width, floor space and the grade of the flooring, so demo robots allow us to educate people and give them an initial comfort level. We can set it up in a matter of minutes and tell quickly if it’s a good project or one that isn’t ideal.”

Charles explained that set-up can take only 30 minutes for what he termed basic missions. “When you start adding more robots and need to consider charging times or connecting the robot system to other systems (such as machines with the ability to communicate with the robots, signaling when it’s time for material pickup), that’s where the complexity comes in.”

... Proudly Compounding and Processing Fluoroelastomers Since 1983 Products and Services • Specialists in Fluoroelastomer (FKM, FEPM) and Perfluoroelastomer (FFKM) products • Custom Mixed Compounds – Extruded & Calendered Preforms – Stocked Compounds – Color Compounds • Fully Cured Extruded Products – O-Ring Cord, Profiles & Tubing • Fully Cured Sheet Products – Molded Sheet 36” X 36” – Continuous Sheet Roll • Technical Support • ISO 9001 and AS9100 Quality Management System

With a range of potential tasks, mobile robots often receive consideration based on production efficiencies alone.

However, increased employee safety also should be in the “positive” column when weighing the benefits of production floor automation. n References 1. Types and Applications of Autonomous Mobile Robots, Conveyco, https://www. conveyco.com/types-and-applicationsof-amrs/

P.O. Box 939 • Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44223 Telephone 330-923-7070 • Fax 330-923-4005 www.eagleelastomer.com • eagle1@eagleelastomer.com

Made in the USA...Sold Globally

www.arpminc.com 9

REVIEW

EHS Summit Offers Virtual Value

A

RPM hosted its Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Summit virtually on November 11 and 12. The EHS Summit shares best leadership and safety practices with industry professionals hoping to achieve world-class safety within their companies. The virtual event united manufacturing executives from across the US to provide implementable ideas that can improve operations and safety standards.

ARPM Executive Director Troy Nix kicked off the event with lessons learned from a personal experience. During his opening keynote presentation, Nix shared a story about how one split second impacted not only his teammate, but his own life forever. He emphasized ways in which leaders can work better to ensure that each employee is alert, not taking shortcuts such as ignoring safety procedures and most importantly, not dropping their mental guards.

Eighteen sessions shared safety standards and best practices in areas such as respiratory protection, SDS sheets, critical incident stress management, complying with combustible dust standards and COVID-19 mitigation strategies.

The 2020 EHS Summit recordings are available in the Event Library at www.ehssummit.com.

The 2021 EHS Summit will be held virtually May 26-27. For more information, visit www.arpminc.com/ehs.

Plastic and Rubber Processing and Industrial Stormwater: The Basics of What You Need to Know Seth Jacobson and Kevin Weaver, U.S. Compliance When it comes to EPA’s industrial stormwater requirements, the most common permit is the General Industrial Stormwater Permit. This permit is applicable to 29 industrial and commercial sectors. The EPA’s goal with the permit is to implement sector-specific requirements in order to eliminate non-point sources of pollution. Most states have their own version of this permit, but since they are all based on the EPA’s multi-sector general permit, they contain similar requirements.

Among the permits across the various states, some trends are emerging. The issuing of new permits along with testing requirements and benchmark limits is a trend, and it has become quite challenging for facilities. This requirement was not included in most past permits, and facilities are commonly at a loss as to what to do when the limits are exceeded.

10 Inside Rubber // 2021 Issue 1

Another trend is online applications and reporting. This can streamline the reporting process for facilities and can also benefit the regulators as they determine permit compliance. Late submittals and inaccurate information are tracked more easily when the data is available electronically.

Further, some agencies are requiring that state certifications for exceedance reports need to be completed and submitted.

To obtain the certifications, plant operators must complete online courses and exams along with classes in their state.

Over time and as permits get renewed, we expect to see most of these trends implemented into all state permits.

Recordkeeping – Work Relatedness Lisa Neuberger, Editor – EHS Publishing Team (J.J. Keller & Associates) OSHA establishes rules for recording and reporting occupational injuries and illnesses. Standard 29 CFR 1904, for Recording and Reporting Occupational Injuries and Illness, is the set of rules that apply.

OSHA’s rules and definitions can be counterintuitive, and Lisa Neuberger recommends always researching a question or concern. “Even when you think you know the answer to a specific recordkeeping question,” she said, “look it up. See if there is a FAQ that addresses it; see if there is a Standard Interpretation out there. I can’t tell you the number of times that I have thought, ‘Oh, cut and dried,’ but then I have looked it up in a letter of interpretation and come up with a different answer to a question that OSHA has already addressed.”

For recordkeeping, identifying work relatedness is very important and OSHA’s definitions must be used to make a determination. “What is really important to know is that OSHA’s definition of work relatedness is not the same as Workers Comp,” said Neuberger. “Many times, they are radically different. You may have a case that does meet Workers Comp’s definition of work relatedness but it doesn’t meet OSHA’s definition. You can have a case that is work related and recordable but not compensable, and

then you can have a case that is compensable for Workers Comp but is not recordable.”

Per OSHA, work relatedness is when events or exposures in the workplace caused or contributed to – that’s a key phrase, contributed to – the injury or illness, or significantly aggravated a pre-existing condition. “Work does not have to be the only cause of that injury or illness,” said Neuberger. “That’s where that ‘contributed to’ comes into it. You could have a pre-existing condition and if it gets worse in the work environment, that is going to be work related even though the employee already had a preexisting condition.”

SDS Review – SDS 101 Denese Deeds and Chandra Gioiello, IHSC, LLC Safety Data Sheets (SDS) contain critical information for safety professionals. If a facility is located in the US and is receiving chemicals from elsewhere in the world, there are a number of things to take into consideration.

First, different countries have different adoptions of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) and operate on different versions of the standards. For instance, the US is on Revision 3 of the standards, so US-based companies work within the framework of that GHS, but some countries align with earlier or later revisions. Sometimes those differences are very small, but some of them are significant – for instance, aerosols also are considered compressed gasses in Revision 3, but in revision 4, that has been reworded.

In addition, some countries have different mandatory classifications. For instance, Europe has mandatory classifications that don’t necessarily apply in the US. As an example, in the US, it is required that all OSHA

carcinogens are classified as carcinogens – but that doesn’t apply in the rest of the world.

So, if a company is bringing a chemical in from overseas, there are a few questions to ask before adopting the supplier’s Safety Data Sheet: • Does the Safety Data Sheet cover the same hazards that need to be covered in the US? • Are the mandatory classifications consistent with US requirements?

• Is it in English?

If the SDS is not compliant, the manufacturer can request a SDS that is compliant with US regulations – or the manufacturer must write a compliant version. The importer is responsible for having a compliant Safety Data Sheet. The manufacturer can contact the supplier and ask for a US-compliant SDS, but if one is not provided, the manufacturer is the responsible party for that chemical and must generate a US-compliant SDS. u www.arpminc.com 11

STRATEGIES

Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) Testing for Tire Tread Performance Predictors

By Bonnie Stuck, President and Senior Technical Advisor, Akron Rubber Development Laboratory, Inc. (ARDL)

T

ires are highly engineered products that require strict performance standards, such as traction (snow, wet, dry), handling and cornering performance, high-speed endurance, long-term endurance and tread life. Performing whole tire testing is quite expensive, requiring many thousands of dollars. This article focuses on tread compound DMA testing. The cost of development can be significantly reduced by testing potential tread compound variations in the laboratory using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA).

Generally, there are two types of DMA testing protocols done for tire performance predictors. The first is a temperature sweep – normally from -20°C to +70°C with 10 Hz frequency, 5% strain. A second DMA temperature sweep might be run from -100°C to +100°C at 10 Hz frequency and very low strain levels (0.1% or less) to determine the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the compound. A DMA strain sweep also is done at 23°C to 30°C at 10 Hz frequency and 5% strain to determine the Payne and Mullins effects. The testing can be done in shear, tension or compression mode.

The test conditions may vary, depending on the manufacturer or the type of tire being developed.

covers the DMA viscoelastic properties that are used to predict tire performance properties.

Temperature sweep

-20°C to +70°C with 10 Hz frequency, 5% strain Snow Traction, Elastic Modulus (G'/E') or Complex Modulus (G*/E*) at -20°C, G*/E* = Square Root of (G"/E"2 + G'/E'2) Softer, less stiff compounds have better snow traction. Tread compounds with a low Tg, low durometer and low E* (G*) complex modulus or E'(G') elastic modulus at -20°C have better snow traction.

Wet Traction, Tan Delta at 0°C, Tan Delta = G"/E" ÷ G'/E' Wet traction/handling is related to how much hysteresis the tread compound generates at high frequencies (≈20,000 Hz).

DMA testing cannot be done at these high frequencies, so it is done at lower temperatures which – according to the timetemperature superposition theory – is equivalent to high frequencies. Higher tan delta values at 0°C predict higher wet traction.

The DMA measures the elastic modulus – G'/E' (storage modulus) – and the viscous modulus – G"/E" (loss modulus) – response of the compound. From these properties, other viscoelastic properties can be calculated. The G letter is used when testing is done in shear mode and E when testing is in tension or compression.

This article is too short to cover all the viscoelastic theories and the calculations, but further information on the subject is available in many papers and training courses, and ARDL has variety of training on viscoelastic properties. This short review only 12 Inside Rubber // 2021 Issue 1

Chart 1. Illustration of the Payne Effect and Mullins Effect

compounds. Below the Tg, the rubber compounds are stiff and glass-like – not a pliable rubber article. Low strain testing is required because of the glass-like nature of the rubber below the Tg. The Tg of the compound is where the tan delta is at its highest point.

Strain sweep

23°C to 30°C at 10 Hz frequency and 5% strain

Chart 2. Tire Performance Predictors Indexed to Carbon Black Ice Traction, Tan Delta at -10°C, Tan Delta = G"/E" ÷ G'/E' Ice traction is different than snow traction. It is similar to wet traction, but at a lower temperature. Higher tan delta values at -10°C predict higher ice traction.

Mullins Effect Two strain sweeps are done, one right after the other. The Mullins effect is the drop in G'/E' elastic (storage) between the first and second strain sweeps. Tire compounds are designed around the modulus of the second strain sweep.

Payne Effect The Payne effect is the drop in G/E' modulus as the dynamic strain is increased (going from left to right on Chart 1). page 15 u

Dry Handling (Cornering), Elastic Modulus (G'/E') or Complex Modulus (G*/E*) at 30°C to 70°C Tread compounds that have higher stiffness can withstand more cornering force. The complex modulus is a good measurement of compound stiffness. In most tread compounds, the elastic modulus is similar to the complex modulus, so it also relates to dry handling (cornering).

Higher E* (G*) complex modulus or E'(G') elastic modulus indicates better dry handling.

Dry Traction, Loss Compliance at 30°C, J"/D" = G'/D2 ÷ G*2/E*2 A softer, more pliable compound conforms to the road surface roughness better and gives a higher contact area and hence higher traction. Higher loss compliance indicates a softer compound and better dry traction.

Rolling Resistance, Tan Delta at 30°C to 70°C, Tan Delta = G"/E" ÷ G'/E' Generally, a tire rolling at 55 mph is equivalent to 10 Hz frequency and a temperature ranging from 30°C to 70°C, depending on the tire type and size. Higher tan delta predicts higher rolling resistance and lower fuel economy.

Temperature sweep

-100°C to +100°C at 10 Hz frequency, low strain (0.1%) Glass Transition (Tg) Tires must operate above the Tg of the different rubber

advantage Practice Advice for the Rubber Industry Ice Miller focuses on meeting the needs of our clients quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively. Ice Miller attorneys with rubber industry experience can assist with your greatest legal challenges. Contact Josef Keglewitsch at 614-462-2279 or josef.keglewitsch@icemiller.com for more information.

300+ lawyers in Columbus and other offices icemiller.com www.arpminc.com 13

Two great events presented by Rubber Division, ACS!

SAVE THE DATE! 199 th Technical Meeting • April 27-29, 2021 Embassy Suites by Hilton, Cleveland Rockside; Independence, OH Featured Topics: • Computational Chemistry

• Modeling & Simulation • Structure and Dynamics of Polymer Nanocomposites and Filled Rubber

• • • •

Failure of Rubber Materials Science of Rubber Additives Advances in Rubber Processing Elastomers as Biomaterials

Visit rubber.org for details and to register.

October 4 -7, 2021 David L. Lawrence Convention Center • Pittsburgh, PA Interested in Exhibiting? Visit rubber.org today!

STRATEGIES t page 13

Better filler dispersion gives lower Payne effect because filler particles are finer and more evenly distributed throughout the polymer with less chance to re-agglomerate. The net result of the higher Payne effect is greater heat buildup in the rubber compound.

Radar graphs of tire performance predictors

DMA tire performance predictors often are indexed to a control compound. Tire performance indices in which lower numbers are better are inversed so that all performance indicators that are larger indicate better performance, as shown in Chart 2.

Final comments

Bonnie Stuck is president and a senior technical advisor at Akron Rubber Development Laboratory, Inc. (ARDL).

She has been at ARDL for almost 12 years and has over 43 years of experience in the rubber/plastic industries.

Her background includes working on tread and other tire compounds at several tire companies, including BFGoodrich and Bridgestone Firestone. She has taught many dynamic viscoelastic training courses throughout her career. ARDL specializes in polymer testing, chemical analysis, engineering and consulting services. The Engineering Center, located in Barberton, Ohio, performs dynamic testing using three DMAs and various MTS test systems. For more information, visit https://www.ardl.com/ardl-technical-training-andwebinars-course-topics.

DMA instruments are useful to evaluate and predict tread compound performance in the laboratory, resulting in shorter and less costly development cycles. Tread compounds for different types of tires may require different testing protocols to predict tire performance. DMA testing also can be used to predict the performance of other elastomeric components of the tire, and it can be useful in non-tire dynamic applications as well. u

RUBBER IN MOTION

www.arpminc.com 15

MEMBER NEWS EHS Speaker Call Out

The Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Summit is designed to share the best leadership and safety practices with industry professionals hoping to achieve world-class safety within their companies. This one-of-a-kind learning and networking conference will focus on uniting manufacturing executives from across the United States. Attendees will focus on best practices in environment, health and safety along with becoming better leaders. The EHS Summit will be held May 26-27 virtually.

The most important element of the Safety Leadership Conference is the educational component contributed by the industry experts. If you are an EHS professional and would like to share your professional experiences and program successes with our audience, we encourage you to respond to our Call for Presenters. The deadline for applications for speakers is March 1, 2021.

All presentations must be nonproprietary and cannot mention specific goods or services. If you have questions or require further assistance, contact Kaitlyn Krol at 317.863.4072 or email kkrol@arpminc.org.

Benchmarking Reports

State of the Rubber Industry Good business leaders always stay in tune with the state of their industry. By understanding current conditions, executives can make better tactical decisions and validate the status of their own operations.

ARPM’s 2021 State of the Rubber Industry survey was created by industry business leaders who understand the importance of staying current on the changing conditions of the marketplace and is the only survey of its kind in the United States rubber industry.

Compiled data and final results will be shared via email with those who participate. (Note: All individual inputs will be withheld.) The report will be available for purchase for nonparticipants on the ARPM website, along with other benchmarking reports, at arpminc.com.

Wage and Salary Report ARPM recently released its Wage and Salary Report. ARPM conducted this keystone study that analyzes information on over 60 job titles specific to the rubber industry, as well as additional operational benchmarks.

The 2020 report covers job titles in multiple areas of a rubber business, including, but not limited to, administration, technical, operations and management. Participants in this survey included over 250 US polymer manufacturing companies that reported wage and salary information on 16 Inside Rubber // 2021 Issue 1

employees in current job positions. ARPM’s Wage and Salary Report has evolved each year to encompass new job titles, as well as important industry and business trends within the rubber industry. This report remains one of the very few compensation reports dedicated exclusively to the rubber manufacturing industry. For more information or to purchase this report, visit arpminc.com.

Training Modules with 180 Skills Get your staff ready for 2021 with 180 Skills training!

ARPM has added newly designed content for rubber manufacturing training. This curriculum, designed to train the rubber processor, is the first of its kind in the rubber industry.

Users now can take a training course related to Job Setup and Production Flow and more. The job set-up process involves installing the mold into a press and other tasks to prepare the press for molding a specific part. The job set-up process is closely related to the production process, during which parts are made. Other topics included in the ARPM training library are Orientation to Rubber Manufacturing, Introduction to Nonmolding Operations, Quality, Pyrometers and more.

ARPM members who sign up for ARPM training through 180 Skills also will gain access to the 180 Skills’ library of over 700 online, competency-based courses. This library covers everything from baseline to advanced manufacturing content, all in a very engaging format promoting mastery in each skill set.

The new training program is open to all ARPM members at a significant discount. For more information on the program, visit https://arpminc.com/resources/training or email info@ arpminc.org.

Welcome New ARPM Staff ARPM would like to welcome Kaitlyn Krol to the ARPM staff. Krol comes to ARPM with experience in the association industry, having worked for the Family Motor Coach Association for a number of years. Krol is a graduate of Xavier University and had interned years ago for ARPM. The staff and board are excited to welcome Krol back to the staff.

legacy of servant leadership, which is just one reason he’s been a valuable member of our board leadership team.”

New Members Join the Association

ARPM welcomes the following new members: HBD Industries, Dublin, Ohio KSPUSA, Golden, Colorado Lake Erie Rubber & Manufacturing, Erie, Pennsylvania Verona Rubber Works, Inc., Blackstone, Illinois

Dave Jentzsch Concludes Term as ARPM Board President Following a distinguished tenure as president of the ARPM Board of Directors, Dave Jentzsch, consultant for Blair Rubber & Hyload, has concluded his term.

“During his tenure, Jentzsch has built a reputation for his focus and unwavering commitment to helping our members succeed,” said Letha Keslar, ARPM managing director. “His leadership has been invaluable in promoting the value of ARPM, and we greatly appreciate his service. We also are inspired by his lifelong

Akron Rubber Development Laboratory, Inc.

“Dave Jentzsch has been instrumental in the growth of ARPM,” Troy Nix, the association’s executive director, said in a statement. “His knowledge, vision and guidance have shaped ARPM’s direction as we strive to provide ARPM members with the strongest return on investment in the marketplace. We are grateful for Dave’s impact on the industry and the association.”

After concluding his term as president, Jentzsch is enjoying serving ARPM in the role of past president. The ARPM Board of Directors’ current slate of officers include President Steve Nieto, Tahoma Rubber; Treasurer Marel Riley-Ryman, Southern Michigan Rubber; and Secretary Joe Keglewitsch, Ice Miller LLP. u

Trusted Testing, Development, Technical Training and Problem Solving

Rubber. Plastic. Latex.

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

Technical Training Courses Reverse Engineering Formula Reconstruction Complete Analysis Polymer ID FT-IR and FT-IR/UTAR TGA and DSC DMA and TMA Extraction Analysis Permeation Testing Compound Development Mixing and Molding Failure Analysis

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

Physical/Mechanical Testing Environmental Testing Accelerated Aging Dynamic Testing Engineering Services Microscopy Shelf Life Prediction Service Life Prediction Pharmaceutical Services PPE Testing Microbiological Services Custom Test Design Consulting

Visit www.ardl.com for our wide range of problem-solving capabilities.

Toll Free (866) 780-ARDL • Worldwide (330) 794-6600 Contact Us Today at answers@ardl.com www.arpminc.com 17

SAFETY

Eliminating Sources of Organizational Waste at PolyFlex

By Liz Stevens, contributing writer, Inside Rubber

D

an Walker is a man on a mission. Walker is vice president of continuous improvement at PolyFlex Products, Inc., a Farmington Hills, Michigan, company that does design, prototyping, tooling of cast and injection molds, and manufacturing of urethane products, thermoformed and injection-molded products. His mission?

To cut as much organizational waste as he can from the operations at his company.

Walker recently shared his insight into organizational waste and its eradication by explaining the three types of operations in any organization, the seven traditional sources of organizational waste – and three new ones stemming from his doctoral research – and described his approach to identifying operational waste, as well as steps for eliminating it.

Is it value-added or not?

From Walker’s perspective, business operations exist to transform information and/or raw materials into useful services or products, thereby giving them added value in the eyes of paying customers. Manufacturers transform materials and create products that supply added value to the customer, earning revenue, but can increase their revenue by improving wasteful operations that eat into their profits.

“The company derives value,” said Walker, “when we reduce internal wasteful activities, because everything we do that we don’t get paid for comes straight off our profit margin.”

In a manufacturing organization, activity can be categorized as being value-added, non-valueadded or non-valueadded but still necessary.

A prime example of value-added activity, said Walker, “is when we take raw plastic pellets and convert them into useful products that the customer is willing to pay more for than just the value of the material in those products.

Converting 18 Inside Rubber // 2021 Issue 1

plastic pellets into a tray for a customer automation system, for instance. We can take plastic pellets that may cost $0.65 per pound and convert them into a ten-pound tray that may be worth substantially more than the cost of the raw material alone.”

An example of purely non-value-added activity might be in legacy data collection. “Let’s say we have somebody that collects data on manufacturing processes,” said Walker, “that then gets shuffled away into a file folder or saved on a hard drive, but nobody ever uses that information. So, we paid somebody to collect and store all that data, and we derive no value from it.”

Companies also have activities that are non-value-added but which are nonetheless necessary. Walker cited order entry. “We get a purchase order from the customer and we have to enter that order into our ERP system. There is no transformation, typically, of information. A lot of it is just cut and paste, but it is necessary because we have to get that information in the ERP in order to communicate through our organization what it is the customer is expecting.”

The Japanese term muda refers to futility, uselessness or wastefulness. “It is a key concept in lean process thinking,” said Walker, “and waste reduction is a very effective way to increase profitability of an organization.” Muda focuses on the non-value-added activities, especially the unnecessary –

Ten Sources of Waste • Transportation • Inventory • Motion • Waiting • Over production

• Over processing • Defects • Confusion • Self-doubt • Unused skills

“

THE COMPANY DERIVES VALUE,” SAID WALKER, “WHEN WE REDUCE INTERNAL WASTEFUL ACTIVITIES, BECAUSE EVERYTHING WE DO THAT WE DON’T GET PAID FOR COMES STRAIGHT OFF OUR PROFIT MARGIN.

”

which can be eliminated – and the necessary – which can be streamlined.

Focus on sources of waste

Walker described the seven traditional sources of waste in a manufacturing organization that are key areas for continuous improvement. The first one – transport – refers to any unnecessary movement of a product and the waste that this creates. “When we move product more than is needed,” said Walker, “we end up wasting time, fuel, freight, wages, and wear and tear on the transport equipment.” In addition, there are risks associated with transport, including the risk of damaging products during transport and the risk of losing products, which have their own consequences, as Walker explained. “That can cause delays in the delivery. It can cause us to have to reset tools and re-run product to replace the stuff we lost.”

Inventory, specifically excess inventory, is the second source of waste. “When we hold inventory longer than necessary,” said Walker, “it occupies space that otherwise could be used for production. Warehouse space is not free. If we are using that space to store products longer than is necessary, the space is not available to install production processes that then do the valuable transformation work.” For businesses that invoice for products only when shipment has taken place, holding excess inventory ties up financial capital by delaying customer payments.

Motion is the next potential source of waste and, for this, Walker zeroed in on unnecessary motion on the part of workers moving from station to station during an assembly operation. “When we cause people to move unnecessarily, it wastes time,” he said. “It increases fatigue, downtime and the risk of repetitive motion injuries.” Walker suggests investing

the time to relocate components and operation stations closer to assembly workers.

The waste that comes from waiting is a pet peeve for Walker.

“When somebody is waiting on a previous operation to be completed,” Walker said, “they are not transforming raw materials into value-added products. This is typically one of the largest sources of waste in a company.” He stressed that eliminating waiting time is not to be construed as becoming a heartless taskmaster. “We are not talking about working people to death, but just keeping people busy and occupied at all times at a good pace.”

Next on the waste list is overproduction. Whether the overproduction occurred mistakenly or in order to have “spares” on hand, Walker sees the same result: “We waste time, energy, raw materials and then warehouse space.” If the extras end up not being used, there is more waste incurred in the effort to regrind the material and then re-run it to create a different product.”

Overprocessing is next. Walker pointed to two areas where overprocessing waste can occur in manufacturing: engineering and IT. He noted that engineers often want to make a project just a little bit better before handing it off to the next department. The moment that an engineer goes beyond a customer’s requirements, said Walker, his or her time is being wasted. The customer will not pay more for an over-engineered product, and while doing the overengineering, the engineer is unavailable for other projects.

In the IT department, Walker sees waste created by capturing unnecessary information in an ERP system. Over-processing of information takes IT operators’ time and uses digital storage resources. Walker recommends doing periodic analyses of the data being input and stored to weed out unnecessary data capture.

The waste that most manufacturers think about, according to Walker, is defects. “When we produce defective parts, we waste time, energy and materials.” If the defects evade detection, Walker said, more risks crop up – including the risk of shipping defective products and earning the ire of the customer. Even if the defects are discovered before shipping, the project may fall behind schedule. “We can delay the project completion substantially because now we have to put the labor and time into sorting, finding, reworking and replacing before we can ship the product,” he said. “If our operations are allowing defects to go through the process and we are creating defective parts, the real place to look for the solution is in the process, not in the sorting or reworking.”

In his personal research, Walker identified three additional sources of organizational waste: confusion, self-doubt and page 20 u

www.arpminc.com 19

SAFETY t page 19

unused skills. “You may not consider confusion a source of waste,” he said, “but when people are confused, they waste time seeking clarification.” He cited, Articulate the goal of the system then: for example, instances 1. Identify the system's constraint(s) in which a customer’s 2. Decide how to exploit the system's constraint(s) order information is unclear or vague. The 3. Subordinate everything else to the above decision(s) worker may waste time 4. Alleviate the system's constraint(s) getting clarification or 5. Warning! If in the previous steps a constraint has been broken, go back to step 1, perhaps the employee but do not allow inertia to cause a system's constraint makes assumptions about the order, which leads to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_constraints errors. Walker asserted that improving the organization so that communications To zero in on waste, Walker applies the theory of constraints between it and the customers are clear and complete can developed by Eli Goldratt in the 1980s. “The theory of eliminate waste caused by confusion. constraints is based on a premise that the rate of goal achievement by a goal-oriented system is limited by at least In discussing self-doubt, Walker said that self-doubt can one constraint. When you look at a manufacturing operation be one of the worst forms of waste because it can paralyze through the value stream mapping process, you probably people, and they then begin making mistakes or making rash will find that there is one part of the process that is a major decisions because they are not sure what they are supposed constraint or bottleneck.” to do. Walker’s final source of organizational waste is unused skills, specifically skills that employees possess but The theory of constraints prioritizes finding the worst of which the company is unaware. “We all have employed bottleneck and fixing that first. The steps are a) identify all people who may work for us for a great deal of time before of the constraints in a given process, b) decide how to fix the we discover that they have a skill that has been untapped constraints, c) choose the worst constraint and focus on it within the organization.” exclusively, d) alleviate the worst constraint, and e) go back to the start and choose the next-worst constraint to tackle.

Identify and eliminate waste Walker recommended using value stream mapping, a Common types of constraints standard Six Sigma tool, to analyze and pinpoint sources of According to Walker’s research, three common types of organizational waste in a process. “Value stream mapping is constraints found in manufacturing are equipment, the one of the foundational tools we use to understand a process mental models held by the organization’s people and a in a system before we even start thinking about fixing it,” company’s policies. “Oftentimes,” said Walker, “we have said Walker. After choosing a key process, and identifying older equipment or insufficient equipment that causes a the key steps within the process, Walker breaks the steps bottleneck or constraint to manufacturing.” It may be that down into manageable chunks. “We measure the time it the equipment itself is the constraint or it may be that the takes to complete a process step, and then we measure the bottleneck stems from the way the equipment is being used. value-added time for each step in the process.”

“If we find that we have people who don’t know how to do their jobs well,” he said, “then training them to do it better Next comes measuring the non-value-added time in the can eliminate and alleviate constraints.” process, by looking for the typical sources of waste and asking if there is excess time for transportation, for example, Mental models held by leaders or employees can be or excess waiting time. “Then we measure the non-valuebottlenecks if they lead people to reject rather than accept added time between the process steps,” he said, “which is change, or to fight rather than facilitate change. A common going to be most of the waiting time. And we calculate the phrase that gets Walker’s attention is, “Well, we’ve always waste as a function of non-value-added activities. From done it that way.” He argues that “this is just the way it has there, we develop plans to reduce the amount of time it takes always been” is no rationale for rejecting an opportunity to to complete each step, and we modify processes to eliminate improve. the non-value-added activities.”

Theory of Constraints

page 22 u

20 Inside Rubber // 2021 Issue 1

WE’RE ON YOUR TEAM.

MATERIAL CHEMISTRY

|

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

|

PRODUCT TESTING

|

TECHNICAL CONSULTING

You can always count on our team to conduct your testing programs with care and precision so you can keep your new product development moving forward in a rapidly evolving environment. Our experts have taken significant health and safety measures at all our laboratories worldwide so that we can continue to support you. Contact us today to discuss your testing needs.

SMITHERS 425 West Market Street Akron, OH 44303 330-762-7441

WWW.SMITHERS.COM

SAFETY t page 20

WE ARE A PROUD SPONSOR OF

ACE PROVIDES ARPM MEMBERS WITH THE FOLLOWING BENEFITS: • Free Registration for Rubber Basics Course ($125 Value) • 15% Off Standard Testing • $200 First Time Customer Credit CHECK OUT OUR FULL LINE OF CAPABILITIES ON OUR WEBSITE

“

IF WE FIND THAT WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO DON’T KNOW HOW TO DO THEIR JOBS WELL,” HE SAID, “THEN TRAINING THEM TO DO IT BETTER CAN ELIMINATE AND ALLEVIATE CONSTRAINTS.

A change model

”

For addressing constraints that arise from people’s longheld beliefs and habits, Walker suggested using a threeelement change model to help change people’s behavior: “We develop a compelling vision – compelling to the person whose behavior we want to change. We develop a compelling argument for why it is will be valuable for them to change.

Then we encourage the organization with this compelling vision. At some point, we unfreeze the organization; we make it open to change.”

Walker uses the analogy of water and ice. “It’s like water. If we want to change water that is in the form of a chunk of ice, we first have to melt it. So we unfreeze the organization, and then we start changing the behaviors – with people’s help and participation – and at some point, when those behaviors are changed, we re-freeze the organization in the new form.

The principle is that you have to come up with a way of leading people to change, because if you try to just force change, you end up really breaking the system. Unfreezing the organization is key – that’s how it becomes more fluid.”

Free ARPM Member Benefit Save on small package and freight shipping with the ARPM Shipping Program and PartnerShip® PartnerShip.com/ARPM Enter 8333 in the promo code field

22 Inside Rubber // 2021 Issue 1

For manufacturers on the same mission as Dan Walker, it can help to recognize value-added vs. non-value-added activities, measure value-added activities and non-valueadded ones for a given process, search out sources of waste and constraints in the processes, methodically work on the most crucial improvements, and always, always remember that buy-in is key to changing the behavior of people. u This article is drawn from Dan Walker’s session at the 2020 EHS Summit, presented by ARPM in November. Walker is vice president of continuous improvement at PolyFlex Products, Inc., Farmington Hills, Michigan. He brings a bachelor’s degree in plastics engineering technology (Ferris State University), a Six Sigma black belt, a Master’s degree in management strategy and leadership (Michigan State University) and the rigor of being a doctoral candidate (Capella University) to his role at PolyFlex. For more information, visit www.polyflexpro.com.

INDUSTRY Trinseo Welcomes New Technical Sales Representative

Trinseo, a global materials company and manufacturer of plastics, latex binders and synthetic rubber, has announced the appointment to Joseph Clarke as technical sales representative supporting its CASE (coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers) business. Clarke most recently served as the lead sales representative at Honeywell UOP in Des Plaines, Illinois, where he developed opportunities in personal care markets, odor control in packaging and plastics applications, and moisture scavenging in paints and coatings markets. Clarke holds a bachelor’s degree in biological science from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. In his new role, Clarke will be responsible for growing Trinseo’s CASE portfolio and developing new business with new applications, new markets and alternative chemistries. For more information, visit www.trinseo.com.

Michelin Wins Award for Natural Rubber Sustainable Supply Chain

Mobility company Michelin, Clermont-Ferrand, France, has won the “Smart Mobility” award from the European Chamber of Commerce in Singapore (EuroCham) at its inaugural EuroCham Sustainability Awards 2020, held virtually on November 17, 2020. The award recognized Michelin’s continued efforts to ensure that its raw materials, in particular natural rubber, are sustainably and ethically sourced. The awards recognized best sustainability practices in the smart mobility; clean and efficient energy; circular economy; sustainable food and nutrition; and green finance categories. The panel of judges made their picks based on these criteria: sustainability strategy and culture; technology and innovation; ecosystem partnerships; and social, environment and economic impact. For more information, visit www.michelin.com.

Timothy J. Morris Joins ASTM International Board of Directors

ASTM International, West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, has announced that Timothy J. Morris, vice president of manufacturing for ML Products LLC, Noble, Oklahoma, will serve a three-year term on the ASTM International board of directors. A manufacturer of elastomeric dipped medical products, ML Products LLC is an affiliate of Medline Industries Inc. An ASTM International member since 1994, Morris is chair of the rubber and rubber-like materials committee (D11) and a member of the personal protective clothing and equipment committee (F23). For more information, visit www.astm.org/ABOUT/GOV/BOD_ GOV.html.

Trelleborg Launches High-Temperature Tooling Material

Global engineered polymer solutions provider Trelleborg Group has announced that its applied technologies operation is launching its new high-temperature, low-coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) tooling material, as part of an agreement with CFP Composites to make TD1200 tooling available in Europe. This new material has an operating temperature of up to +180 degrees Celsius, providing European customers with a wider material choice from Trelleborg. The company’s TD1200 tooling material offers direct-to-part manufacturing as an alternative to aluminum, prepreg and steel for high-volume part production. Boards can be built into blocks and machined to a specified shape using traditional cutting tools. Trelleborg TD1200 is easily processed to achieve either a matte or high gloss finish, with minimal sealing required. For more information, visit www. trelleborg.com/applied-technologies.

ASTM International Cancels April In-Person Standards Meetings

In light of COVID-19 (coronavirus) and ongoing safety concerns for members and staff, ASTM International announced that all previously scheduled in-person April standards development meetings (including independent meetings) have been canceled.

ASTM International staff will be contacting committee leaders to plan alternatives for conducting committee business. For additional resources – including PDF guides for members participating virtually – visit www.astm.org/updates/committees.html.

Goodyear Belts – Power Transmission Belts for Automotive and Industrial Markets

Goodyear Belts – a licensee collaboration between belt developer Adventry, Miami Lakes, Florida, and The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio has produced a line of power transmission belts targeting the demands of multiple markets globally. The line launched on December 1, 2020, and will offer belts for both industrial and transportation markets. Goodyear Belts’ new line features broad application coverage that meets or exceeds OEM specifications, refined engineering and advanced manufacturing. Belt materials for both standard and specialty belts have been designed and tested to provide dependable and durable service. For more information, visit www.goodyearbelts.com. u

www.arpminc.com 23

BENCHMARKING

Rubber Processors Cautiously Optimistic Moving Into 2021

By Tony Robinson, Analytics Director, ARPM

T

he final months of 2020 provided a significant boost to America’s rubber processing sector, according to the most recent business benchmarks from the Association of Rubber Products Manufacturers (ARPM). Indicators of this boost included increased production levels, an expansion of the number of companies projected to meet their revenue goals and a reported majority of processors looking to hire employees in the new year. Despite this end-of-year momentum, however, 2020 clearly left a mark, as the majority of processors do not expect a return to normalcy until after the first quarter of 2021.

In ARPM’s September Industry Pulse Survey, 72% of rubber processors were at full operation levels. In the December survey, 76% of processors were at full operations, an increase of only 4% over two months. Another 23% of processors were running at approximately 75% of their full production load. Although the most recent numbers do not indicate a staggering increase, the rubber products sector has experienced a steady incline since the beginning of the pandemic, when less than half of processors reported running at full operations. If this trend continues, it is likely to see nearly 90% of processors at full operations by the end of the second quarter in 2021.

The improvements between the September and December benchmarks do not end with production numbers. The industry also experienced substantial changes with respect to 2020 revenue tracking. Results of ARPM’s September Pulse Report showed that only 24% of processors were on target with their original revenue forecasts for the year. However, by December, that percentage jumped up to 40% as the floodgates of orders opened from many OEMs that either were closed or had been negatively impacted by the economic shutdowns.

24 Inside Rubber // 2021 Issue 1

Another indicator of improved momentum as the rubber sector transitions to 2021 is the increased expectation of new employee hiring. In September, 44% of processors were looking to expand their workforce, while 16% expected to lay off employees. In examining December’s employment expectations, not only do more processors want to hire employees (up to 54%, a 10% increase), but only 4% of processors expect to implement

80%

December 2020 Production Levels

76%

60% 40%

23%

20% 0%

We are in Full Operations

About 50-75%

0%

1%

About 25-50%

Less than 25%

December 2020 Staffing Predictions 60%

54%

50%

42%

40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

4% Looking to add staff

Looking to maintain staff levels

Some permanent or semi-permanent staff reductions

2021 Return to Normalcy Expectations 35% 30%

30% 25%

25%

25%

20% 13%

15% 10%

7%

5% 0%

Not Impacted

Q1 2021

Q2 2021

Q3 2021

Q4 2021

staff reductions. The remaining 42% of processors in the survey were planning no changes to their workforce.

To better understand future optimism, ARPM inquired in December about when rubber products executives expected business to return to normal – or if their business already had returned to normal.

Despite the three hopeful indicators detailed above, processors proved to be more cautious when looking to 2021.

2020 Revenue vs. Original Forecast <50% of 2020 Forecast

5%

50% of 2020 Forecast

8%

75% of 2020 Forecast

47%

95%+ of 2020 Forecast

Thirty percent of processors feel their facilities have returned to normal levels of business. Of the remaining reporting companies, 13% of processors expect a return to normal in the first quarter of 2021, 25% expect a return to normal in the second quarter, another 25% in the third quarter and 7% of processors do not expect a full return to normal business conditions until the last quarter of 2021. With the other data points showing strong and steady improvement, one might expect to see the return to normalcy forecasts skewed toward the first two quarters of 2021. Processors in this survey, however, are reserving their hopes for a little later in the year.

40% 0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

With these insights, ARPM fully expects this positive trend to continue as the economy opens back up and the COVID-19 vaccines are distributed across the country. However, the manufacturing community has learned an important lesson in 2020 that will stick with them for a long time, as shown by their 2021 expectations: Nothing is certain, and always be prepared for change. u For more information or for ARPMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s full 2021 State of the Industry Report, visit www.arpminc.com.

www.arpminc.com 25

TALENT

Closing the Gap Between Workers’ Skills and Employers’ Needs with Online Training

By Whitney Messervy, Marketing & Communications, 180Skills.com

T

he rubber manufacturing industry is a remarkably evergreen sector, meaning that jobs virtually always will be available and in demand. However, many employers find themselves with open needs that they cannot fill, while potential workers might spend days or weeks searching for jobs they can’t secure. With so many open jobs and so many willing workers, there should be no issues, right?

The problem is a disconnect between the skills employers are looking for and the current skills workers possess. One of the easiest ways to close this gap and match workers to capable employees is online training. Here, we’ll dive into the relevance of online training opportunities and how they can be beneficial for companies and workers alike.

26 Inside Rubber // 2021 Issue 1

Why invest in online training?

In the past, much of the manufacturing industry relied on on-the-job training. While the importance of this handson learning still is incredibly relevant and never should be sacrificed, online training is another hugely beneficial avenue helping to connect employers with their new potential workers.

Employer Needs As we mentioned, there seems a disconnect between the skills employers are searching for and the current skill set that many available workers already possess. Online training is an excellent way to ensure that a potential employee who is otherwise already valuable to the team can gain the skills needed to do the job accurately and efficiently. No longer do employers have to turn away a skilled individual based on a lack of knowledge in one specific area; it’s now easier than ever to ensure that training is seamless and quick.

Convenience Online training for employees is an ideal option for employers in many scenarios. As we’ve all learned throughout the last year, many of our everyday business processes (such as meetings and training) can be done online. Often, online methods are more cost-effective than in-person sessions.

Since they can typically be done from anywhere, it’s simple to have employees complete training in the convenience of their homes before they ever step foot onto a job site.

Learning = Job Satisfaction = Retention Not only is online training an excellent asset for employers, but it can be incredibly appealing to workers. Employees want to feel like they can continue learning and growing to advance their careers in any position or any industry. Once someone’s position becomes stagnant, it’s more likely that they’ll get bored or start to seek work elsewhere.

A 2019 Workforce Learning Report1 indicated that 94% of employees indicated they would remain with an employer longer if the employer invested in their continuing education or workforce training. Offering online training both at the beginning of the job and throughout an employee’s time with a company can exponentially improve job satisfaction and retention rates.

Honing In on Topics Finally, online training tends to be more personalized and indepth than in-person training might be. Live group training sessions tend to be quite broad and may not hold the same value for a seasoned employee as it would for another worker who has just begun a new job. However, with online training, there’s much more opportunity for in-depth coverage of more specific topics that appeal to the individual needs of a worker’s job description.

“

ONLINE TRAINING IS AN EXCELLENT WAY TO ENSURE THAT A POTENTIAL EMPLOYEE WHO IS OTHERWISE ALREADY VALUABLE TO THE TEAM CAN GAIN THE SKILLS NEEDED TO DO THE JOB ACCURATELY AND EFFICIENTLY.

”

How best to utilize online training courses

Online training can be a great tool, but how can employers make it work for everyone involved?

Broad or Specific?

Start by determining what kinds of courses fit the needs of the organization. Would it be best for the company to offer a broad training course, or are some employees looking to gain specific skills? Answering this question can help narrow down the right online training to start with (and, of course, more courses can be added to the company catalog as time goes on).

Think Outside of Technical Components Employers should make sure to think outside the scope of the technical components of the company. While it might be important to ensure employees have access to specific courses such as Injection Molding Technology or Safety in a Manufacturing Environment, these “hard skills” aren’t the only things that a successful employee should possess.

“Soft skills” such as conflict resolution, communication and time management also are crucial to any position within a company.

Include the Team Including workers in this process shows that the company cares about their growth and well-being in the workplace as opposed to handing off another assignment. These conversations delete also can help companies tune into their employees’ aspirations and gain a clearer direction of where the company can go. page 28 u

www.arpminc.com 27

TALENT t page 27

Choosing the Online Training Platform and Company When deciding on an online training platform for employees, employers need to consider the future. It’s best to select a training platform that is dedicated to offering both evergreen content and evolving modules that address the latest safety information and industry trends.

Game-changing solutions for rubber molding applications.

Working with the platform is a crucial part of the decisionmaking process. A few questions to consider: 1. How easy is it to set up?

2. Is the platform easy to navigate?

3. Is the content going to hold the attention of the workforce?

4. What is the company’s onboarding process?

MONO-COAT ® RELEASE AGENTS & MOLD PROTECTANTS

Employers should work with an online training company that has a flexible onboarding process. A training program for staff should be simple for management and the team leaders to use. In addition, make sure that the online training provider offers a responsive and efficient support team.

Mono-Coat® products offer extreme value through their combination of advanced technology, ease of application and positive impact on operational efficiency.

CHEMTREND.COM

Online training helps companies grow

As the world becomes increasingly digital, online training is becoming more commonplace and more important in virtually every sector. As the skills gap grows in the manufacturing sectors, tapping into the many benefits of online skills training will help rubber manufacturing companies thrive and grow. u References 1. https://learning.linkedin.com/resources/workplace-learningreport S T R AT E

GIES F OR FUT UR

E SUCC E

SS

2020 Issue

Outlook: Markets, COVID

4

and 2021

 Benchm arking Con ference Rec ap  Regula tory Com pliance Tes ting  New Em ployee Sou rces

The Official

Publicatio n of the Asso ciation of Rubber Prod ucts

Manufactu rers

Get the latest updates on market trends, technologies, product/services and association news in each issue of the official publication of the Association for Rubber Products Manufacturers.

Subscribe and learn more at:

www.insiderubber.com 28 Inside Rubber // 2021 Issue 1

180 Skills has been delivering skills training to manufacturing workers for over a decade. The organization has the world’s most extensive library for skills training and has curated courses exclusively to benefit ARPM members. 180 Skills’ innovative strategic partnership with ARPM offers various training modules that are exclusively available to ARPM members, including Quality in Rubber Manufacturing, Material Mixing Operator Tasks and others. Registering for ARPM training through 180 Skills also grants members access to more than 700 online competency-based courses.

Finally, the partnership with ARPM extends a 50% discount on set-up fees and a 10% user discount on the standard Skills Training System to ARPM members. For more information, visit www.180skills.com.

TECHNICAL STANDARDS UPDATE

Next Gen Takes Leadership Role in Standards Activities

I

could be wrong, but I don’t believe newly graduated engineers have a burning desire to standardize rubber products. Normally, a forward-thinking manager coaches the new engineer about the benefits to the engineer, to the company and, finally, to the industry. Standards set the bar for what experts consider the Greg Vassmer best practice at that moment. They ARPM also are the launching point for new Technical developments, improvements and Coordinator advances. ARPM member companies contribute people and resources for this purpose – to collect and pass along knowledge, create a common language between customer and suppliers and, finally, to set a bar future engineers can improve upon.

With that goal ARPM now has joined the ANSI US Technical Advisory Group (TAG) for ISO/TC 131/SC 7 Sealing Devices. ARPM’s Dynamic Sealing Committee will add significant value to this group by representing the interests of the primary US seal manufacturers and their customers.

Standards efforts need leaders – experts with team building and project skills capable of getting other experts together and reaching agreement on what is considered a best practice. ARPM has been lucky to have industry leaders who, over decades, have maintained this effort, including Luis Moreiras, Ron Jackowski, Dick Batzer and Dave McGuire, among others. In this issue, I’ll introduce the new generation of leaders for the ARPM-ISO Hose and Belt committees: Brett Stone and Dan Parsons.

Brett Stone recently has taken leadership of several of ARPM’s ISO/TC 45 activities, particularly the Industrial, Chemical and Oil Hoses committee. After graduating from Kansas State University with chemical and mechanical engineering degrees, Brett spent his first years in what most new engineers consider to be the most exciting field of work – that is, spaceflight and aircraft. (Rubber technology is more exciting, but that is a secret.) Brett spent time at the Marshall Space Flight Center, the Kennedy Space Center and at McDonnell-Douglas, working primarily with flight controls.

As these things work out, flight control systems are heavy in hydraulics and hydraulics are heavy in rubber hose, which led him to Parker Hannifin in his hometown of Manhattan, Kansas. There he became the research and development manager for the Hose Division.

That move was 32 years ago. Once there, he met Luis Moreiras, who asked him to participate in SAE standards activities as a way to develop the young engineer and increase his influence in industry. After 17 years at Parker, Brett moved to Gates, where he has been for the last 15 years, most recently as global director of Analytics. Eight years ago, he added the ISO Hose activities, becoming part of the Hose committee at ARPM. Today, Brett is Chairman of the ANSI/ARPM TAG that represents the US on the ISO Industrial Hose Committee TC 45. He also is a leader of the ISO working group on industrial hose; an industry expert for the automotive hose, hydraulic hose and hose test methods working groups within TC 45; and an expert for the hose connector group of TC 131/SC 4.

ARPM’s other new committee leader is Dan Parsons, taking over both the ARPM Belt Committee work on conveyor and power transmission belts (part of our IP series of standards) and all ARPM leadership under ISO/TC 41, Pulleys and Belts.

Dan is a mechanical engineer who graduated from the University of Wyoming. He is a rarity these days in that the company he joined out of school, Gates, is the place he continues to work after 37 years. At Gates, he has worked with all forms of belt applications and currently is a field engineer and sometimes trainer (jobs modified these days by COVID-19). He, like Brett, began participating in standards development as a relatively fresh engineer 32 years ago, directly with the RMA – now ARPM. He has participated in international standards with ISO for 25 years.

Today, Dan’s increased responsibilities installed him as the new committee manager for ISO/TC 41/SC 4 – Synchronous Belt Drives worldwide. In addition, he leads the ANSI/ ARPM US TAG for Belts and Pulleys TC 41 and is project manager for the other belt subcommittees in the US, SC1 V-Belts and SC3 Conveyor Belts. Last, but not least, Dan manages all the ARPM Belts-related IP standards.

It is important to recognize volunteer leaders like Brett and Dan. The job requires significant effort and dedication. It begins with technical wrangling needed to rationalize US and international standards, then project skills for applying the standards bureaucracy (and it is very bureaucratic) and the management skills to unify people of different cultures.

Please welcome both Brett and Dan! Finally, Happy New Year to all of us. Time to get to work. u www.arpminc.com 29

VIEW FROM 30

Cultivating a Safety Mindset at Zochem

By Lara Copeland, contributing writer, Inside Rubber

W

ith one facility in Dickson, Tennessee, and another in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, Zochem, a leading North American manufacturer of zinc oxide powder and pellets, recently was recognized by ARPM for its plant safety. For the second year in a row, Zochem received ARPM’s Gold Safety Award. According to Zochem’s Director of Technology, Safety, Health, Environmental and Regulatory Affairs John Stourac, safety is an attitude that begins at the top. “Safety starts with plant culture and mindset, which starts with the site manager,” he noted.

Workplace safety directly impacts quality and productivity; that’s obvious and well understood. But sometimes there is a disconnect between this knowledge and its implementation.

“You have to have a workplace where safety is the norm, period,” Stourac emphasized. Safety is not something that can be delegated, which is why it must be a culture that starts at the top, he continued, and leading by example is one reason Zochem has been so successful. Maintaining good housekeeping as a priority also is particularly important, helping to keep hazards at bay and providing a visual demonstration of the culture.

30 Inside Rubber // 2021 Issue 1

Walk the talk on safety

To encourage a safety-focused culture, Stourac said it is imperative to “walk the talk.” He reflected on an impactful moment that happened in the late 1970s during his employment with another company: “When I talked with some guys from DuPont, they said when they traveled, they had to get in and out of a lot of taxis because back then many of them didn’t have seatbelts in the backseat,” he explained.

“They didn’t take any shortcuts and they led by example, so they waited until they found a cab with seatbelts in the back.”

By practicing what they preach, Stourac knows supervisors can influence everyone in the facility to follow along and hold one another accountable. As an example, he illustrated a scenario he has seen play out time and time again. “Imagine a contractor walking into a company and within 10 minutes, maybe even just two minutes, the contractor knows if that company walks the talk on safety,” he said. “The contractor hears one employee say, ‘Here are the walkways that you need to take to where you’re going to work.’ And then if the contractor is there for multiple days, somebody else is

telling him where to store his stuff because you certainly don’t leave it laying around. Finally, if the contractor isn’t taking the designated walkway, for example, a worker will say, ‘Hey, you have to get over there.’” This accountability lets the contractor know immediately if that company is serious about safety or if they just look impressive with safety signage and template safety programs gathering dust in a safety manual. “I just help facilitate the plant manager to be on board with the concepts, and the rest follows,” he added.

Be proactive with teachable moments

Being proactive, said Stourac, is the key to preventing accidents. “You can have theory in class all the time about the safety programs, but when you go out there and help a person directly, that is being proactive,” he said. Stourac enjoys helping with at-risk behavior, and he views it much like a coach trying to help his team. “I like to walk around after training and find something I can help with.”

As an example, he recalled one incident when an employee was trying to lift a 25 kg slab of metal. “I asked him if I could take a video of him lifting and talk with him afterwards, and he agreed,” Stourac explained. “He was shocked when he saw how he was lifting in the video. We did a mini-training to apply some concepts, and hours later he remarked how much less pain he was in!”

Eliminate near misses

Eliminating near misses is a third key point Stourac has honed in on. Using an iceberg to illustrate his idea, he said the top of the iceberg is the worst thing that could happen – a fatality. He breaks it down from there: “Under that is permanent disability or dismemberment, then hospitalization with some rehabilitation. Then you keep going down and hit lost time, or maybe an outpatient surgery. Then it’d be lost time with physical therapy, and at the bottom is a recordable incident. But under that recordable is a near miss.” He then explained, “Now if you go to the next lower level under near miss, you find at-risk practices and habits.”

To be proactive and eliminate at-risk practices and habits, Stourac suggested slowing down and focusing, using some of the great safety program techniques. “I learned a long time ago at DuPont to observe and ask questions about what people do,” he said. “After 20 or 30 minutes, your mind clears and you start thinking to yourself, ‘How can that person get hurt doing what they’re doing right now?’ and then you can start a white board list for the safety committee to review.”

Stourac suggested questioning all at-risk activities that are observed, without letting something like “We’ve been doing it this way for 30 years” stop from adding the observation on the list. Once an at-risk practice or habit is eliminated, draw

Zochem has been recognized for the second year in a row with ARPM’s Gold Safety Award. a column up from the item in the at-risk iceberg level and everything in that column through near miss, recordable, etc. is eliminated. Focusing on at-risk – a step deeper than near misses – is the second key after culture to sustain a zeroinjury facility.

Safety can’t be whittled down to a poster, campaign or committee because it requires something more than a bandaid solution. Changing mindsets requires everyone – from the company’s top to bottom – to buy in and make long-term changes. As Stourac related, Zochem is a “zero injury-facility.

We focus on not having any recordables by following the above recipe to proactively maintain mindset and ongoing programs to find and fix at-risk practices, equipment and behavior before a near miss occurs.”

Stourac concluded, “Every day is a new day for safety and for nobody to get hurt. A company with a good safety culture, a good safety record and good housekeeping usually also has good quality and productivity and meets its financial goals.” u

www.arpminc.com 31

MANAGEMENT

Five Manufacturing Trends to Watch in 2021 By the Association of Equipment Manufacturers

B

oth the immediate and long-term future of the manufacturing industry will be defined by the development of a number of ever-evolving trends.

These trends are poised to have a significant impact in 2021 (and, in many cases, beyond), so it’s critically important for manufacturers to develop a keen understanding of what they are, how they will grow over time and how they will impact the industry and the customers it serves.

COVID-19 and employee safety

It almost goes without saying that workplace safety and compliance with CDC guidelines and OSHA regulations (along with local safety measures) will remain front of mind for manufacturers as 2021 gets under way. With COVID-19 cases again on the rise in many parts of the world, organizations will need to continue to be vigilant in their efforts to protect employees. Doing so, however, requires a significant investment of time, effort and resources on the part of company leaders.

While an efficient rollout of an effective vaccine for COVID-19 would bode well for an eventual return to normalcy for the manufacturing industry, the impact of such a rollout won’t be felt for some time. In the interim, organizations will need to continue practicing social distancing in the workplace, restricting visitors to facilities, encouraging the practice of good hygiene and ensuring employees are healthy and fit for work before allowing them on the job.

It’s been nearly a year since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in the US, and it remains a major challenge for manufacturers across the country and around the world.

While companies do have plans and protocols in place to combat the virus, adhering to them and ensuring the health and well-being of employees is – and will continue to be – no small task.

32 Inside Rubber // 2021 Issue 1

Connected workforce

The desire to equip workers with technology capable of keeping them connected and allowing them to collaborate from a distance has long been trending within the manufacturing industry. As older generations leave the workforce and are replaced by younger employees, and the rise of the big data era in manufacturing takes shape, finding ways to make an increasingly spread-out and remote workforce as productive as possible is a top priority for companies today.

As a recent article from McKinsey explained, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increased reliance on digital collaboration to establish and maintain a connected manufacturing workforce. An increased emphasis on safety and changes to work processes, in an effort to maintain social distancing and minimize physical contact, has led organizations of all types and sizes to adopt cutting-edge ways to allow for workers to communicate and interact virtually.

While the widespread impact of the pandemic has caused this trend (and the adoption rate of related tools and technologies) to grow, it remains critical for manufacturers to provide training and resources to employees as they try to maximize productivity from afar. Why? Because doing so is poised to pay off over time.

According to McKinsey, “by digitizing processes to improve equipment management and optimize physical assets, digital collaboration tools give manufacturers ways to boost productivity while enhancing quality.” And those who do it first – and well – will achieve a significant competitive advantage.

Internet of things (IoT)

The Internet of Things (IoT) has long been a trend to watch in manufacturing, and this year is no different. IoT technology

will drive value for the industry by allowing organizations to make measured, informed decisions using real-time data in an effort to increase efficiency and positively impact their bottom lines.

According to a recent study conducted by the MPI Group, approximately 31% of manufacturing production processes now incorporate smart devices and embedded intelligence.

Furthermore, more than one-third of manufacturers have established plans to implement IoT technology into their processes, while 32% plan to embed IoT technology into their products.

IoT technology offers both remote monitoring and predictive maintenance capabilities, making it even more valuable for organizations looking to maintain visibility of equipment performance from afar. With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to impact the industry in 2021, IoT technology will be a go-to for manufacturers looking to maintain efficiency and productivity.

Localized production and near-sourcing

The rise of customization and personalization has given way to large opportunities for manufacturers willing – and perhaps more importantly, able – to succeed in a localized economy.

By rethinking the way products get out to the public, organizations can craft an ecosystem of smaller, flexible factories located near existing and prospective customers.

Manufacturers are used to thinking on a global level.

However, shifting their focus to a local level, they may be better able to meet the ever-changing needs, wants and preferences of the markets they serve. Consumers are making it abundantly clear that authenticity matters, and a localized approach to manufacturing is proving to be among the most effective ways to for organizations to respond accordingly.

The impact of COVID-19 also cannot be discounted.

The pandemic has led manufacturers to reevaluate and reconsider sourcing, largely due to supply chain disruptions (especially in the earliest days of COVID-19). As a result, manufacturers have made a concerted effort to bring their operations closer to where their offerings are sold, and there

has been an increasing desire on the part of many companies to source raw materials from domestic suppliers. All of this is being done in an effort to avoid pandemic-related disruptions and support the US economy during these uncertain times.

Predictive maintenance

It’s no secret the ability for manufacturers to predict impending equipment failures and, more importantly, prevent equipment downtime is incredibly impactful to their bottom lines. Advancements in technology now allow organizations to do just that (and much, much more).

The benefits, according to a recent blog post from EAMMosca Corporation, showcase why predictive maintenance (PM) is so valuable to organizations today. PM helps companies by providing: • Reduced costs • Fewer failures • Minimized scheduled downtime • Optimized parts delivery Effectively conducting predictive maintenance is no easy task, however. Adopting a (successful) predictive maintenance model requires manufacturers to gain insights into the variables they are collecting and how often those variables present themselves on factory floors.

Therefore, it is imperative for manufacturers to possess accurate and relevant knowledge about their equipment.

They must know what previous failures have taken place, and they need to make decisions around lead time – because the closer to failure a machine is allowed to go, the more accurate the prediction will be. u Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) is the North America-based international trade group representing offroad equipment manufacturers and suppliers with more than 1,000 companies and more than 200 product lines in the agriculture and construction-related industry sectors worldwide. The equipment manufacturing industry in the United States supports 2.8 million jobs and contributes roughly $288 billion to the economy every year. For more information, visit www.aem.org.

www.arpminc.com 33

AD INDEX

EVENTS CALENDAR JANUARY 27 Peer Networking Webinar: Human Resources 28 Peer Networking Webinar: Quality

FEBRUARY 10 ARPM Building Leaders of Character Program 10 Webinar: Facility Cost Savings with Grainger’s KeepStock Program

APRIL 13 Quality Forum Series

MAY 26-27 2021 EHS Summit – Virtual

AUGUST 4-5 Human Resources Summit

NOVEMBER 3-5 2021 Benchmarking & Best Practices Conference For the most up-to-date information and to register for events, visit www.arpminc.com/ events.

34 Inside Rubber // 2021 Issue 1

ACE Products & Consulting LLC............................... 22 www.aceprodcon.com Akron Rubber Development Laboratory, Inc. (ARDL)............................................17 www.ardl.com ARPM..........................................................................8 www.arpminc.com ARPM Rubber Industry Publications......................... 35 www.arpminc.com Blair Rubber Company................................................5 www.blairrubber.com Chardon Custom Polymers.......................................25 www.chardoncp.com ChemTrend...............................................................28 www.chemtrend.com Eagle Elastomer, Inc...................................................9 www.eagleelastomer.com Grainger......................................................................2 www.grainger.com IceMiller.....................................................................13 www.icemiller.com PartnerShip...............................................................22 www.partnership.com/ARPM REP Corp..................................................................15 www.repinjection.com Rubber Division, ACS................................................14 www.rubberiec.org Sigmasoft................................................... Back Cover www.sigmasoftvm.com Smithers....................................................................21 www.smithers.com

ARPMINC.COM

RUBBER INDUSTRY PUBLICATIONS ARPM PROVIDES INDUSTRY TECHNICAL STANDARDS FOR THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES: CONVEYOR BELT HOSE POWER TRANSMISSION PROTECTIVE LINING RAW MATERIALS SEALING HANDBOOKS AND GUIDES

ASSOCIATION FOR RUBBER PRODUCTS MANUFACTURERS (317) 863-4072

INFO@ARPMINC.ORG Members receive free access to industry standards. Contact the ARPM office for information about membership.