POLYMERS Communiqué Dec 2016 – Jan 2017 by Polymers Communique

A CUSTAGE I N I T I A T I V E Dec 2016 - Jan 2017 l Issue 3.2 l ` 150

Plastics

on a flight of fancy Gen

Special Supplement - Plastivision India 2017

Anticipates

POLYMERS Communiqué l December 2016 - January 2017

CONTENTS

Dec 2016 - Jan 2017 l Issue 3.2

N E W E RA

In tomorrow’s pharmaceutical packaging, amongst most materials, plastics packaging through innovation has an important role to meet the consumer needs in providing access, convenience, safety and delivering to the digital age consumers.

SEQ U EN TIA L M A N U FA C TU R IN G

New manufacturing technologies, which sequentially combine different and separate processes into one line, are being used for producing complex multi-layer products. With only one line, processors can create unique, high-value composite webs consisting of several layers and/or diverse materials.

New Opportunities in Pharmaceutical Packaging with Plastics

Sriman Banerjee, Head of Packaging Respiratory Category,

BA C K TO THE FUTURE

It’s back to the future, the mesmerising journey of the role of plasticulture as the cornerstone of India’s success...

GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, Switzerland

Plasticulture: This Superhero Makes India Prosper A 2092 Story Told Today! Vikram Bhadauria, Head

Alok Technology Incubation Centre, New Delhi

SIVAR AM S PEAKS

From a materials point of view, two issues become important. One, the nature of the separator and second, a need for an electrolyte which is non-flammable. Polymers are key to realising both these objectives.

Polymers: Critical to Safer Lithium Ion Batteries Fascinating World of Invisible Polymers

Dr. S. Sivaram, Former Director, CSIR-NCL

Honorary Professor and INSA Senior Scientist Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune

Weekend D e li ghts

Combining Processes in Sequential Manufacturing: An Exciting Development for Flexible Packaging Converters

Ricky Keller, Vice President Extrusion & Solution Coating, Davis Standard, USA

C O ATIN G GLO R Y

P. K. Patkar, Technical Director J P Extrusiontech Ltd., Ankleshwar

H U M A N C A P ITA L

Rakesh Shah, RS Coaching and Consulting, New Delhi

Specialised Extrusion Coating Machines: A Vibrant Future

Training and Development: Unavoidable for Success of the Plastics Industry

POLYMERS Communiqué l December 2016 - January 2017

Printed and Published by Manish Chawla manish@polymerscommunique.com

R UP E E TALK

Arvind Mehta, CMD Welset Plast Extrusions Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai

KN OWLEDGE CENTRE

Union Budget 2017: Opportunities for the Plastics Industry

C OR P ORATE S TORY

F OR GIN G AHEAD

Stanley Chu, Chairman

Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd., Hong Kong

Vagish Dixit, Managing Director and Partner

New Ideas in Packaging Waiting to be Discovered ALPLA India Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad

VITAL LI NK

Bipin Jirge, Managing Director

IO-Link in the Plastics Industry: A Path Towards Industry 4.0 ifm electronic India Pvt. Ltd., Kolhapur

TE C H TRENDS

Vinu Chavda, Director - Sales

Range of Materials and One Single Pelletiser: The Way Forward ECON Machinery Pvt. Ltd., Vadodara

E N GIN E ERED PACKAGE

Vikram Gopal, VP Technology

Engineering Polyamides: A Sustainable Route to Reduce Food Waste Ascend Performance Materials, USA

GU A GE FACTOR

Gareth Joseph, Business Director - AsiaPacific NDC Technologies - Food, Bulk & Packaging Division Singapore

Gauging Solutions and Bottom-line Benefit: In Concert

R E C Y C LI NG PAGES

Next Generation Recyclingmaschinen GmbH

Arvind Mehta Chairman and Managing Director Welset Plast Extrusions Pvt. Ltd. Prof. (Dr.) N. C. Saha Director, Indian Institute of Packaging N. K. Balgi formerly President & Director at Ferromatik Milacron India Pvt. Ltd.

India-China Growth Story: PLASTINDIA Takes It a Step Forward

THIN KING BEYOND

Editorial Advisory Board

Profit with Pride: Milacron India, a Clear Winner

Custage Marketing Solutions LLP 401, Vikas Classic Building No 4 4th Floor, Near Basant Cinema Chembur, Mumbai 400 074, INDIA

PIU to be Completely Paperless, Modern and Research Driven

Plastic Waste to High-quality Pellets: The One-step Technology

ME E TIN G POI NT

CHINAPLAS to Choreograph 3 Great Concurrent Events: Embracing the Plastics and Rubber Market in Asia

News

Events

POLYMERS Communiqué l December 2016 - January 2017

Advertising Sales - National Mumbai Sanjana Chugh +91-99872 62726 sanjana@polymerscommunique.com Hyderabad Vani Sulakhe +91-93924 28927 vani@polymerscommunique.com New Delhi Vijay Babbar +91-98100 15111 vijay@polymerscommunique.com Vadodara Devindra Bhumra +91-81289 90887 devindra@polymerscommunique.com

Advertising Sales - International Dubai Pritam Bangera +971-5548-32330 pritam@polymerscommunique.com

Pushp Raj Singhvi formerly Vice Chairman and Managing Director at Borouge (India) Pvt. Ltd. Rajesh Nath Managing Director VDMA German Engineering Federation India Liaison Office Rakesh Shah formerly Managing Director at Windmöller and Hölscher India Pvt. Ltd. S. K. Ray formerly Sr. Executive Vice President (Polymers) at Reliance Industries Ltd.

Printed at

Silverpoint Press Pvt. Ltd. A-403, TTC Industrial Area Near Anthony Motors Mahape, Navi Mumbai - 400709 District - Thane

Content Alliance Partners

USA Manisha Janjikhel +1-908-720-3510 manisha@polymerscommunique.com

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Bhavesh Brahamaniya +91-22-25204436 bhavesh@polymerscommunique.com Printed and Published by Manish Chawla, and printed at Silverpoint Press Pvt. Ltd., A-403, TTC Industrial Area, Near Anthony Motors, Mahape, Navi Mumbai - 400709, District - Thane and published from 401, Vikas Classic Building No 4, 4th Floor, Near Basant Cinema, Chembur, Mumbai 400 074, INDIA. Editor: Manish Chawla. Domestic Subscription: Single Issue Price: Rs. 150; Annual Subscription: Rs. 900 (including shipping) Overseas Subscription: Annual Subscription: USD 60 (including shipping)

Views and opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of POLYMERS Communiqué. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication, which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers’ particular circumstances and so POLYMERS Communiqué does not take any responsibility for any loss or damage incurred or suffered by any of its subscribers / readers / advertisers of this magazine. The publisher makes every effort to ensure that the magazine’s contents are correct but do not take any responsibility for the absolute accuracy of the information. Subject to Mumbai Jurisdiction. Some of the images used in this issue are from Shutterstock. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publisher in writing. POLYMERS Communiqué reserves the right to use the information published herein in any manner whatsoever. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged.

Mind Speak gineering mposites and en

, co . According to me plied technology ure, as there is ap

ehta

M Arvind

or g Direct Managin an and d. Lt . vt Chairm P s rusion Plast Ext Welset

Rakesh Shah

formerly Managing Director at Windmöller and Hölscher India Pvt. Ltd.

Prof. (Dr.) N

Director

Indian Insti

. C. Saha

tute of Pack

aging

ce, plastics is the fut fence, aerospa plastics in de which ics For example, on ctr ele d uters an ll satellites, comp e-commerce wi technology and include digital sy. making life ea serve mankind for plastics and ue regarding iss an ss packaging To addre in gra ecially food ay, environment, esp is a challenge tod ich wh es typ nt bags of differe answer. Italy is the be n ca cs sti pla bio-degradable today. near to success n-biodegradable ing which is no es Regular packag ntages outclass va ad its as w gro will continue to disadvantages.

Plastics’, ‘Future With thinks about be a e n on ca n e he er W th ink whether th most e to th n e gi ar I be stics e t plastics. Pla erials for th at future withou m n io ct constru pendent on de is indispensable d kin an ture of m easing future. The fu ial things. Incr g other essent uce more of od pr plastics amon to rld ll force the wo d goods population wi and househol om personal g, from in th clo to everything. Fr tlery vices, from cu idges de br l to ica ed m m fro to ing, and vation to farm es er ns an pl co r air te wa nsport, t roads and tra ts; in just abou en and tunnels to am m ar to g m toys will be playin s spaceships, fro tic as pl , ity man activ acing any field of hu nt role repl more importa footprint on rb ca increasingly g cin materials, redu ordable conventional cycling at aff reuse and re truction ns co r ajo and enabling m ll become a and all s ol ho sc s, costs. They wi rie mes and facto ho e part r bl fo ra ial pa er se at in m an They will be with ts. en re m tu fu ish bl e esta is is th existence. Th of mankind’s w! no is re the futu plastics. And,

The lead position of plastics in packaging consumption as compared to other packaging materials will continue in future as well due to rapid advancement of polymer technology. It is expected to be over 60% by surpassing the present level of 55%.

ubiquitous have become the modern economy workhorse material of the functional properties - combining unrivalled use has increased with low cost. Their t half-century and pas the in fold ntytwe again in the next ble dou to d ecte is exp ryone, everywhere, eve rly nea ay, 20 years. Tod with plastics. tact con in es every day com aim to overcome In future, plastics will today’s incremental the limitations of mented initiatives, to improvements and frag direction, to spark a of se sen red sha a te crea move the plastics to and on vati inno of wave spiral of value itive pos a into in value cha and better ics, nom eco r nge capture, stro es. com out environmental

Plastics

a Rajesh N

g Director Managin gineering erman En G A M VD n Federatio son Office India Liai

N. K. Balgi

Plastics with its versatility is finding newer continuously applications and succeedi substituting ng in natural mater ials, so it cons natural resour erves ces. Increasin g consumpt societies by vir ion in tue of improv ing living stand would have been a matte ards r of concern, bu plastics. Plas t for tics afford ou rselves with weighted tra lightnsport vehicle s which redu consumption ce fuel - thus redu ce CO emiss energy efficie ions, 2 nt LED light ing systems packaging so and lutions to co nserve food long term. Many medica for l procedures dependent on are use of plastic s - simple, po medical devic rtable es are made of plastics. Pl have made he astics althcare affor dable. Plastics are he lping us to ac hieve sustain goals. This ability realisation is certainly go make our so ing to ciety to learn and handle with responsib plastics ility. Plastics w ill remain the Supporting’ material prod ‘Life uced by scien ce. Today we are already living in a plastics so so will it be in ciety, the future as well.

formerly Presid ent & Directo r at Ferromatik Mi lacron India Pv t. Ltd.

Feedback

very ally is re nted e e s in e r z p maga , as s your e é t u a d d iq t up ou an Best mun s y e m t k o n la C . ha ERS ation Show ful. T POLYMative. The K-ere really use rk and dedic o inform st issue, w e hard w m! h ding e la for t ur tea regar in th nd yo team icles a t r l ents u a ia o r m y d the edito , pig d k nts to a c e la n m mer b ca le , poly bon you comp ents) , car at if ian m e r iO ig g 2 In T p e e d x f er th uld b mple ta o p o o a s c d w a l s It ta tion ation / me ump repar rganic cons ena ent p / ino m ic ig n n Sax dp (orga Gaga (India) Ltd. es an y d le als y. solub emic dustr nt Ch ics in Claria plast

Have been reading Comm uniqué POLYM since it ERS been d s incep esigned tion. It well an has really g d the c ood co ontents vering are polyme major is r indust sues of ry. My the and th best w e team ishes to of lead you support ing pro ing the fession magazin als e. Ramku

Entech

mar S.

Ran r Consu gaswamy ltants (P ) Ltd.

Polyme

S e POLYMER to read th a s am happy ve gi ich magazine wh . Keep rld Communiqué wo tic as pl sight in the refreshing in rk on! wo od go the shi Dr. Sameer Jo es ris Knoesis Enterp

I admire the efforts b y CUSTA team on GE excellen t covera PLASTIVIS ge of ION IND IA 2017. Dirco Po

Ajay Kap

lymers P

oor

vt. Ltd.

Wish you all even greater success in 2017.

Vijay Merchant

Dynam Plastics

POLYMERS Com muniqué in very short sp become a st an has rong brand in the polym The presenta er industry. tion of the m ag azine is very this is well co fresh; mplimented with the high of paper and quality printing. The ‘M ind Speak’ se is generally gment a very intere sting read be technical artic sides the les. Windmöller

levant. very re of nts are te n u o Q ality c issue. st gazine a o ry e m m v e e Th read g and lad to pealin rs of p a to c e ry s I am g ve e re r all th zine is at futu ters fo maga y, it ca h a gre tl is n w a I . rt s s e in impo s bu iqué. lymer le mmun the po . D. Ka ERS Co M Y L Prof. D onsultant for PO yC Industr

on orking team w esign d d an editorial content, . excellence ar p l al e ar khani Kavita La inion GolinOp

The

Anuj Sahni

& Hölscher In

dia Pvt. Ltd.

Speciality Colour Masterbatches l

Endless Shade Possibilities

Next Generation Metallics

White Masterbatches â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;High Loading

l l

Path Breaking Colouring & Compounding Solutions

High Quality Packaging Film

High Performance Blacks l

High Strength Blacks

High Dispersability

Additive Masterbatches Exhaustive Range to Modify and Enhance Polymer Properties

GOI Recognised Export House

Welset Plast Extrusions Pvt Ltd Arvind Mehta Group Company

8, New Metalage Industrial Premises, Subhash Marg, Off Caves Road, Jogeshwari (E), Mumbai 400 060. INDIA

info@custage.com

T : +91-22-2821 5734, 2838 7054 F : +91-22-2838 1088 E : info@welset.com W : www.welset.com

News Long Fiber Technology from APPL

Digest

first LFT production line in Pune with

trials in progress. Going forward, the final

ong Fiber Technology (LFT™) are moulding

continuous

Amcor’s patented Dessiflex Blister System has been adopted by some of the world’s largest pharmaceutical manufacturers

household industry in India, set up the

materials

fibre

that

filaments

capacity will be about 5 K tonnes for APPL-

feature

RossEnce company.

running

the full length of the pellet allowing

Celanese to Acquire Nilit Plastics Division Nylon Compounding Business

these materials to exhibit simultaneous improvements in strength, stiffness and

impact resistance over

wide

temperature range.

get the following advantages:

fibres

and

compounds,

announced they have signed a definitive

Short Glass Pellet

agreement for Celanese to acquire

Glass Length: 1 mm

Nilit Plastics, the nylon compounding

Creep

Stiffness and strength

Weight reduction

Design freedom

Dimensional stability at low and high

Recyclability / LCA

businesses worldwide.

Thermal conductivity

Radiolucency

“Nylon compounds continue to be a

Functional performance

l l l l

resistance

properties

and

division of Nilit. Celanese will acquire Nilit

Plastics’ nylon compounding product

fatigue

portfolio as well as customer agreements

and manufacturing, technology and commercial facilities. Nilit will

the nylon fibres and nylon polymerisation

material of choice in automotive, E&E,

consumer and industrial applications, and

and

acquisition

delivers

broad portfolio by becoming a leading,

hands for the LFT

global nylon compound supplier,”

products in India.

says Scott Sutton, Executive Vice

With RossEnce’s

President and President of Materials

long glass fibre

this

Celanese’s intention to complement its

RossEnce joined

expertise

retain

ownership of

temperature

APPL

Solutions, Celanese.

technology

Long Glass Pellet

Ilan Melamed, Managing Director, Nilit

established

30 - 70% by weight Fibreglass

Plastics with the Celanese family and bring

and

reach

APPL’s

the

automotive and

polymers,

Toughness / Durability

A-B

global

BASF strengthens its footprint in Asia Pacific with a new application laboratory in Singapore

producer of high performance nylon

fibre length in final Aura™ infusion technology is an aqueous-based process that allows for colours, barriers, UV blockers and microbial agents to be infused into plastic materials

Corporation,

technology and speciality materials

company, and Nilit, a major independent

With longer glass products, we can

elanese

Glass Length: 9 to 15 mm

Fibreglass length = Pellet Length

Plastics says, “We are pleased to join Nilit our world-class products, technology

and valued employee base to a global

POLYMERS Communiqué l December 2016 - January 2017

engineered materials leader where both

a special installation in Lewiston for

to grow.”

ETFE and PVDF.

our products and people will continue

Digest Braskem starts up new North American UTEC® plant and strengthens its position as one of the largest producers of UHMWPE worldwide

Clariant Will Expand Plant in Lewiston to Produce More Medical Plastic Compounds

lariant International Ltd. will expand its plant in Lewiston, ME and install a new

2017 between 14th and 16th March in

MEVOPUR® brand name. The new capacity

will

present

pioneering

composite applications at the JEC World

Paris and provide insights into current development projects.

The

new

Whether it is notebooks, tablets or

line,

built

the weight and stability of innovative

compounding

smartphones, the key to lowering

around a new 70-mm extruder, will be able to produce larger batch sizes (e.g.

3000 to 6000 kg / 6000 to 12000 lbs

or larger) at high throughput rates.

Production will focus on materials such as polyolefins, ABS, PC and PC alloys as

well as speciality resins like TPU and cyclic olefins. The EN-ISO13485 (2012)

material-handling.

“Over the last five years,” says Steve Duckworth, Head of Global Segment

Healthcare Polymer Solutions, “Clariant has pioneered the development of masterbatches

for

the

healthcare

sector. These are colour and additive

concentrates that are added to natural

B-L

and a live demonstration, ENGEL

compounds that are supplied under the

demand for pre-coloured medical plastic

expanded to improve process-flow and

LyondellBasell introduces new Purell resin for cast film and injection moulded healthcare applications

ith numerous product examples

AUSTRIA

certified site in Lewiston is also being

Lati Thermoplastic Industries presents LATISTAT 47/7-03 for antistatic belt conveyors

Highest Efficiency for Demanding Composite Processes from Engel

compounding line to help meet growing

will come on-line in Q4 2017.

Holland Colours Americas Inc. is announces the launch of The Natural Collection, a new bio-derived colourant for use in cosmetic packaging and other commercial applications

processing fluoropolymers such as FEP,

polymers during moulding or extrusion

composite materials for the housings

is the key to manufacturing handhelds. The

aim

LEONHARD KURZ (Fürth, Germany) is

to significantly increase the efficiency of

production.

Bond-Laminates

(Hall 5A, Booth J11), the three partner companies will be demonstrating the

revolutionary result of their work: the injection moulding of an extremely robust ready-for-use housing with a high-quality surface in extreme thin

wall technology. With a wall thickness of only 0.6 mm, the demonstration section

shows

completely

new possibilities.

to use a pre-coloured compound

coordinated

or because of technical difficulties in

development

company of the LANXESS Group - and

“Only

instead, perhaps for ease of handling

the

Bond-Laminates (Brilon, Germany) - a

of finished products. However, in some cases, medical processors may prefer

cooperation between ENGEL AUSTRIA,

plant

when

all

components from

materials are

the

and

precisely

outset,

can achieve the optimum in terms

the moulding or extrusion process. And yet, they have the same need for

controlled,

This

new

consistent

compliant materials.”

capacity

and

complements

equipment and plant investments aimed at compounding engineering

resins and high-temperature polymers and, most recently, completion of

POLYMERS Communiqué l December 2016 - January 2017

of both, component properties and

our business. We foresee the need for

Peter

that can elevate the sector we serve.

manufacturing efficiency,” emphasizes

Digest RPC Sæplast introduces a spillresistant version of its 660L PE container, ideal for handling of products suspended in liquid or semi-fluid matter

technology

Tekra, a Division of EIS, Inc. has recently added a 15 ml JetView™ latex white translucent matte / gloss backlit polycarbonate film to their line of latex inkjet films

centre

for

ENGEL’s

lightweight

advanced platform technologies effectively

transform

and

functionalise materials in the fields plastics,

pharmaceuticals,

food

and nutraceuticals, biomaterials and biorefining, announced expansion of its design and engineering capabilities to drive innovations and technology for plastics compounding. newly-created

R-U

Design

Continuing to Grow in India, Milacron Launches the New Quantum 150 at PLASTIVISION INDIA 2017

Indian

injection

market

continues to outperform estimates

and remains a key geographical area of focus for Milacron Holdings Corp.’s brands. Milacron has been experiencing

significant growth in India and recently completed another round of expansions moulding

machine

manufacturing

and Engineering (AD&E) team will steer

facility in Ahmedabad, as well as their

concepts,

in Coimbatore.

innovation and create new machine prototypes

component and

technology,

undertake

testing-

validation with cost-effectiveness and customer value proposition at the core. Commenting

expanding Design

the

and

Engineering

c ap ab i l i ti e s , Atanu Maity,

President and CEO, STEER Engineering says,

“STEER

has

pioneered

the

technology for materials transformation

in plastics and continues to remain the

sector’s

torch-bearer.

With

the fractional lobed invention, we extruder into a 21st century Intelligent

Compounding understand

the

processor.

technological

challenges faced by our customers in machine maintenance and ensuring

operational efficiency. We continue to

innovate

and

develop

new

technologies and designs that add value to our customers’ businesses to maintain growth.”

“Innovation has been at the core of

shift in materials transformation through

to their injection, blow and extrusion

Advance

transformed the co-rotating twin-screw UFLEX launches super barrier polyester film

Our aim is to achieve a bigger paradigm

breakthroughs,” Atanu Maity added.

TEER Engineering Pvt. Ltd., presents

that

transformational change in technology

continuous innovations and technological

STEER Drives Innovations and New Technology Development for the Plastics Industry

The Tecknor Apex colour concentrates increase mar-resistance of polycarbonate by incorporating special additives

Head

construction composites.

of SIDEL StarLite Tropical brings increased resistance and stability to all PET bottles for carbonated soft drinks

Egger,

hot

runner

Shirish

Milacron

manufacturing

Divgi,

India

Managing

(Ferromatik

facility

Director, brand)

stated, “Milacron is proud to participate in

PLASTIVISION

INDIA

2017.

The

show was a great opportunity for the Indian market to see first-hand the

capabilities of Milacron’s total product portfolio. We have many customers in India experiencing the full advantage of Milacron. This show allowed us to

further demonstrate this advantage. We look forward to continuing our

focus on the growing Indian market and manufacturing leading industry

technology for not only India, but the entire globe.” Injection

moulding

machines

and

extrusion systems featured at the booth

included Milacron India’s Quantum Toggle injection moulding machine

launched at the show. The Quantum

series is designed to deliver higher

productivity, reduced cost of ownership, enhanced performance and advanced technical comes

specifications.

equipped

with

Quantum

Milacron’s

POLYMERS Communiqué l December 2016 - January 2017

product brand announced that their

industry leading closure hot runner, SPRINT has launched new colour

Digest

change tips. The new SPRINT colour change tip improves colour change

by up to 47% (v/s a standard gate

Unilever commits to 100% recyclable plastic packaging by 2025

tip). The Mold-Masters TempMaster

control system lineup features the

industry’s leading Adaptive Process System (APS) software and algorithms. Endura

Victrex and Magma strengthen strategic partnership as regards composite pipes for subsea oil and gas

Touch

control

This APS is at the core of each and

interface.

every TempMaster controller. Also,

Quantum Series is available from 110 to

the Mold-Masters Master-Series Hot

650 tonne range. Quantum features new

U-V

Runners raised the bar in unsurpassed

generation toggle machine technology that

provides

added

benefits

performance, reliability and value in

hot runners.

reduced energy consumption, lower

Milacron

cycle time coupled with precision

demonstrated

Milacron

and reliability.

eSTORE.

The

the

new

Milacron

eSTORE is offered in 15 languages. The

Also exhibited was the Milacron Hydron, a

mobile friendly, e-commerce site is

servo hydraulic offering high performance

seamlessly integrated with the newly

moulding with low energy consumption

re-designed

and the Milacron TC Conical Twin Screw

extrusion system.

Milacron.com,

one-stop-shop

for

all

offering

Milacron

products, including individual parts

Milacron’s Mold-Masters hot runner

and assemblies.

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POLYMERS Communiqué l December 2016 - January 2017

NEW ERA

New Opportunities in Pharmaceutical Packaging

with Plastics

In tomorrow’s pharmaceutical

packaging, amongst most materials, plastics packaging through

innovation has an important role

to meet the consumer needs in

lastics packaging has always been important in the pharmaceutical

industry for providing safety and

shelf-life throughout the life cycle of product consumption. However, over

providing access, convenience,

safety and delivering to the digital age consumers.

time, the importance has only increased due to a variety of factors as part of either regulations, consumer preferences or new products.

Pharmaceutical products are divided into two main types:

Rx products with doctor prescription.

OTC products as retail.

OTC

products

classified as:

can

further

OTC Pharmaceutical (Western

Naturals / Food Supplements

Medicine)

Sriman Banerjee Head of Packaging Respiratory Category GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, Switzerland

POLYMERS Communiqué l December 2016 - January 2017

Changes Witnessed by the Global Pharmaceutical Industry Rx to OTC Switches Globally, every year, there are more than 10 Rx to OTC switches happening in most of the countries. The switches have only increased over the last 5 years as more and more medicines are deemed to be safe to

Preservative Free Consumers are having a preference of preservativefree products; also new regulations are being

introduced for such pharmaceutical products

in many markets. In absence of preservatives, the

shelf-life

the packaging.

needs

provided

be consumed in the OTC space.

Aging Consumers

What this means is, the product will now be

Worldwide, the demography is changing with a

to compete with other similar products and

higher use of existing products by aging consumers

available at the retail shelves and will now need

higher percentage of aging consumers. This means

brands. It also means that the product needs to

and/or development of new products specific to

have a competitive pricing. This is where plastics

the needs.

play an important role, either in substituting of traditional materials (metals / glass to plastics)

Consumers, Regulations and Industry Usher the Change

moulds. As it is the OTC space, there are specific

Given the above scenarios, tomorrow’s plastics

anti-counterfeit (covert and overt) which needs to

new requirements as laid out by consumers,

and / or increasing productivity with high cavitation

requirements in terms of tamper-evident and

packaging needs to transform itself to meet the

be incorporated in the pack.

regulations and industry. Few of the things to

Advent of Generics

and processing.

Due to expiry of patents of many of the pharmaceutical products and/or government

come are as described with reference to polymers

Barrier Polymers

intervention, generics are playing an important role

Going forward, barrier to moisture and gas will

to go generic in most cases also implies reduction

products. This could be either due to stability

With the advent

of the digital age, consumer wants

a pack that can communicate

either on pack or

in providing access to medicines globally. However,

be the key to provide shelf-life to pharmaceutical

in cost of goods.

guidelines or a new active ingredient and/or

smart devices. This

ICH Conditions for Shelf-life

new geographies. Plastics have a potential to

through plastic

The ICH guidelines introduced few years back was to standardise stability conditions globally for all climatic zones. For climatic zones 3 and 4, this

means potential requirement of higher barrier properties to meet the desired shelf-life, which translates to the use of high barrier or multilayer

supply chain requirements for penetration into

is made possible

provide cost-effective barrier through single or in

labels either

combination of materials. Some of the examples would be COC, PCTFE etc.

Speciality Polymers

plastic materials.

There are continuous updates to plastics in safe use

with pharmaceuticals, particularly on extractions. The latest being USP 661. This means the use of pharmaceutical grade low extraction polymers.

POLYMERS Communiqué l December 2016 - January 2017

products, polymers need to be able to

are finding its use as a material of choice for

formats are being converted to devices as in

Regulatory Updates on Extraction

electronics.

conditions. Polypropylene and polyethylene

dispensing means many of the simple packaging

assembled made out of plastics.

ink or printed

radiation so as to be able to be used under the

Consumer preference for convenience and ease of

guidelines. Most of the devices are multi-component

Given the preference to preservative-free

through printed

sterilise either through steam or gamma

Packaging to Devices

metered dose forms and classified under regulatory

connecting with

sterile applications.

Devices are the new kid on the block and many of the traditional packaging is

transforming itself into applicators or metered

dose dispensing. Due to the nature of the To know more, please subscribe to Polymers Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

BACK TO THE FUTURE

Plasticulture

This Superhero Makes India Prosper A 2092 Story Told Today! It’s back to the future, the mesmerising journey of the role of plasticulture as the cornerstone of India’s success...read on!

his piece is a perspective of a University Science Professor as he welcomes his ‘Freshman’ class in the year 2092!

He talks about the past as things were in India and how plastics helped shape the destiny of our society over the previous 100 years. Here’s what he says...

India today stands at 5 billion people and counting. Advances in

medical sciences have made the lifespan of our people longer and healthier. There is ample food, water and work for our population.

But this wasn’t always so, it has been a hard fought battle and

it was won due to a mix of astute statesmanship of our policy makers, innovative developments by scientists and a giant leap of faith from our farmers.

At the beginning of the century, the country was fraught with food

shortages, water scarcities and loss of arable land due to the climate

and industrialisation. This had led to heavy pressure on Mother Earth to produce more from less. The country saw indiscriminate use of pesticides, fertilizers and other agro chemicals that led to poisoning of the soil. A few decades later, the medical fraternity blew the lid of the true cost of this poisoning when a number of

diseases became commonplace in the country. The food that we grew was laden with toxins!

It was a paradoxical situation wherein millions were hungry on one hand, yet agriculture was not profitable. Society faced social

unrest due to water shortages and cities were unable to cope with the burgeoning migration of rural population. For a country Vikram Bhadauria Head Alok Technology Incubation Centre New Delhi

whose 65% population depended on farm incomes, this was a perilous time!

Like in many other situations; the answer lay in the then much maligned, but humble ‘Plastics’!

POLYMERS Communiqué l December 2016 - January 2017

Plastics in Agriculture

fresh nutritious food was helping our people live

Plasticulture, as the use of plastics in agriculture

longer and healthier.

was called during those days, was considered as a

The proliferation of plasticulture also altered how

flowers and some vegetables.

‘Source Local’ that was a fad in the beginning of the

recreational or an exotic practice limited to growing

A sustained effort from the policy makers as well as agri scientists and engineers led to a rapid proliferation of plasticulture in the country. The immediate and visible benefits of this were: l

Higher cultivation outputs per acre of farmland

Lower consumption of water, pesticides and

Higher farm incomes for the farmers

agrochemicals

Looking back we can see, how plasticulture

transformed our society and the country for the better.

As agriculture became profitable, there was a reverse

the society sourced, stored and transported food.

century, became a norm in the society as people demanded fresh produce without preservatives.

Cities started vertical farms to grow their own vegetables and fruits. Food items like fruits that were a luxury of the masses were now a part of

their daily diet. As the transport and storage cycle of perishable food decreased, there was a sharp decline in food wastages.

One of the most significant changes that plasticulture To know more, please subscribe to Polymers Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

exodus of people from the cities to the farmlands.

Migrant labourers started moving back to their villages to re-start their agri practices. A slew of

financial incentives from the local government and technical support from agri engineers helped them

reunite with their families and lead a life of dignity with comfortable incomes.

The cities emptied out and are comfortable and healthy living spaces as we see them today.

The industry faced an acute shortage of labour and

it forced them to automate and innovate. With cheap and abundant labour no longer the norm,

inefficiencies from the manufacturing sector were wiped out. Gradually, the Indian manufacturing sector grew to a global powerhouse that it is today. Rural incomes rose manifold resulting in

massive

infrastructure

consumption upgrade in these

and

regions. The economic narrative in the business news channels rapidly shifted from FDI and outsourcing farms to a slew of local companies that

were spawned as a result of this economic upheaval.

Over a few decades, the medical

fraternity reported a sharp decline

in prevalence of cancer and other bioaccumulative

disorders.

Other

medical

advances coupled with healthier living spaces and

POLYMERS Communiqué l December 2016 - January 2017

SIVARAM SPEAKS

Polymers Critical to Safer Lithium Ion Batteries Fascinating World of Invisible Polymers

n a previous article (POLYMERS Communiqué,

hexafluorophosphate is dissolved in organic

the role of polymer (polyolefin) separators on

Traces of moisture causes a breakdown of the

October - November, 2016 issue), I addressed

the functioning of a lithium ion (Li-ion) battery

and its role in battery safety. Battery safety has been much in the news lately.

Analysing Battery Failure There are many reasons why a battery overheats and catches fire. Any mechanical damage to

the battery can cause the battery to discharge rapidly which is accompanied with evolution of heat. Any damage to the separator film or a manufacturing defect (pinhole) can increase the risk of shorting, which is release of energy.

Greater

understanding of chemistry

and polymer

material science

carbonates and is the source of mobile Li-ions.

coupled with more

salt to generate fluoride ions which decompose

reliable battery

Overcharging can also drive more lithium from

electronics will

the organic carbonate, thus generating gases.

management

the cathode to the anode, beyond its capacity

certainly lead to

to hold. This generates a needle-like dendritic

safer batteries with

form of lithium, which pierces through the

even far fewer

separator and causes shorting. Many particulate

incidents of hazards.

impurities are inadvertently introduced in the battery during its manufacturing in spite of the

scrupulously clean environment under which

batteries are assembled. Such particles can

When a battery is overcharged, some cathode materials release oxygen, which causes the liquid electrolyte to burn. The liquid electrolytes are composed of organic carbonates, which can degrade during charging, releasing carbon

Causes:

External Short Circuit Internal Short Circuit l

dioxide. Batteries are hermetically sealed; so

causes the battery to explode. The organic

any pressure generation inside the battery carbonates

are

also

flammable.

Lithium

Dr. S. Sivaram Former Director, CSIR-NCL Honorary Professor and INSA Senior Scientist Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune

POLYMERS Communiqué l December 2016 - January 2017

Elevated Temperature

Particle

Dendrites

Separator failure

Impact / puncture

Safe Outcome

Generation of HEAT and GAS Heat Dissipation < Heat Generation

Overcharge

Overdischarge

External Heating

Over Heat (Self-heating)

Venting

Heat Dissipation > Heat Generation

Thermal Runaway Rupture

Explosion

Fire

Figure 1: Anatomy of a battery failure.

750

Approximately 10% per year improvement in Energy Density

700

Specific Energy (Wh/L)

650 600 550 500 450 400

Sony Data

350

Sanyo Data

300

Sony Linear Extrapolation

250 200

Non-woven fibre mats prepared

from electrospun

PET have also

been found to

exhibit excellent

performance.

These materials

have the potential

150

Year Figure 2: Energy density trends for commercial Li-ion batteries. (Source: Vehicle Battery Road Map, NREL Report, USA, 2012)

cause short circuit by providing a conductive

uses such as in electric cars and airplanes are

In short, many chemical reactions occurring in

the confidence in technology.

contact between the cathode and the anode. a lithium ion battery are heat liberating; and the

cornucopia of chemicals and materials used are

of making

flammable and combustible, a perfect recipe

inherently safer.

In fact, one should really wonder why in spite of

the battery

for disaster.

such a complex mixture of reactive chemicals

present in a battery, the reports of accidents with lithium ion battery have been so far and few in between. This is due to the maturity of

the manufacturing process perfected over two decades. Statistically, the batteries are very reliable and failure rates are better than six sigma defect levels (about one in 10 million).

has

been

Lithium ion batteries have been in use since mid-nineties. However, we have become

aware of its safety as a hazard only since 2013. The reason is the need to pack more and more power in smaller and smaller sized batteries to meet the humongous power needs of

new devices that are powered by them (Refer Figure 2). A consumer likes a battery

that charges fast, runs longest between charge, can handle demanding tasks like downloads of audio, video, high-resolution

images and view a movie uninterrupted on a

smart phone for three hours. This has led the

Designing the Modern Battery There

examples where even one accident can erode

considerable

understanding gained on the

battery manufacturers to make many design

changes that appear to have had an adverse effect on safety.

root cause of overheating

One of the key design changes made is

safety systems have been

separator films to less than 20 microns. Thinner

a modern battery. Yet

the separator membrane, leading to faster

dangerous. Although

pinholes formation during manufacture and

(Refer Figure 1) and many

downguaging the thickness of the polyolefin

built into the design of

films permit faster lithium ion transport across

exceptions can still be

charging. Thinner the film, greater the risk of

the

puncturing due to dendritic lithium formation

small,

probability greater

and

greater use of battery

increases the chances

of mishaps. Heavy duty

on the anode.

The Materials Evaluation From a materials point of view, two issues

POLYMERS CommuniquĂŠâ&#x20AC;&#x201A;lâ&#x20AC;&#x201A;December 2016 - January 2017

become important. One, the nature of the

safety. The principle reason is that, after shutting

which is non-flammable2. Polymers are key to

is often high enough to cause residual stress

separator4 and second, a need for an electrolyte

realising both these objectives.

Most of the current separators are made of

down, the internal temperature of the battery and reduced mechanical properties leading to shrinkage, tearing or pinhole formation.

polyolefins, which are semi-crystalline and have

Another way of improving safety is to enhance

One of the earliest innovations was to sandwich

incorporating a ceramic layer in PE or PET

melting points in the range of 140° C to 165° C. a layer of lower melting PE between two outer layers of higher melting point PP in a tri-layer porous membrane. When the temperature of

the cell rises and approach about 130° C, PE will begin to melt and plug the pores; cutting off the

transport of lithium ion from the cathode to the anode. This shuts down the cell, letting it cool

safely. One of the problems with semi-crystalline polyolefins of this type is that near their crystalline melting point, they undergo volume

shrinkage. This causes changes in dimension and

increases the risk of shorting. Methods to control extent of shrinking in semi-crystalline polymers

are an area where more studies are needed. However, device shutdown is not a guarantee of

the thermal properties of polyolefins by substrate (Refer Figure 3)4,5. Entek has developed

a membrane where a ceramic is embedded in UHMWPE with ceramic content as high as 60%.

Another approach to safety has been to coat

anodes with microspheres of low molecular weight polyethylene or paraffin wax6. In the

event of a temperature increase inside the cell, the microspheres of PE or wax melt, flow and coat the battery surfaces rendering the surface ion insulating.

To know more, please subscribe to Polymers Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

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POLYMERS Communiqué l December 2016 - January 2017

Weekend Delights Friday night to Monday morning, a time to unwind, rejuvenate and be geared to face another grueling week. Each one of us use this ‘my time’ is different ways. And why not, weekend is a time for expressing ourselves. We all have known the personalities featured here as astute business stalwarts; as life is more than just business, we at POLYMERS Communiqué, have started a new section called ‘WEEKEND DELIGHTS’. Live life...

S. B. Dangayach

Managing Director Sintex Industries Limited Ahmedabad

For me, Sunday is the day for leisure and relaxation with the family. Since IIM days, I have been an avid listener of Indian classical music. I find solace and peace in it and spend good portion of my time towards this hobby. I love reading, socialising and watching films. I am part of an India-centric think tank and try to connect with like-minded people during the weekend.

Makarand Dixit

Head Marketing ONGC Petro additions Limited (OPaL)

Thought of a weekend still excites me just like a kid. I usually spend my weekends participating in a combination of family activities with my family, errands and creative activities to exercise the right side of the brain. Being a cricketer with considerable achievements, my inclination is more towards any sport. It used to be a couple of games of squash to wipe out the yesterdays and then, a steaming hot cup of tea and a double omelette at the club with friends and families. But now, its walk or a jog or some cycling as squash is too taxing; but the canteen meetings are still inspiring. Usually avoid official engagements. Weekend escapes on bike to nearby spots, though not very frequent, are great source of rejuvenation.

Kailash B. Murarka

Chairman PLASTIVISION INDIA 2017

After a long week, my favourite pastime over the weekend is to play with my granddaughter. This indulgence plays wonders on my system. It de-stresses me, induces joy and positivity in me. It gears me up for the coming week, to get back to the rigours of work; renewed and recharged.

Satish Godase

International Business Board Director, Nu-Vu Conair Pvt. Ltd.

I follow a fixed regime during my weekdays with respect to my work, fitness and food. Weekend is time for me to let loose. I am basically an outdoor person, so my weekend activities are playing cricket, short trek, watching movies, spending time with family and long rides on my Royal Enfield Bullet. I enjoy riding outside the city on my bullet, especially in the mornings as it gets me abundant cool fresh air that rejuvenates me, frees up my mind and I am closer to nature. On top of this, I get a chance to enjoy local food from roadside joints.

Prof. D. D. Kale

Industry Consultant Ex-Professor, Mumbai Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Department of Chemical Technology

During weekends, I try to read some novel or fiction. I also enjoy a good Marathi drama. I like to prepare breakfast for my wife and myself since my children are away. Many times, weekends are extended as I am not as busy during the week as I used to be.

SEQUENTIAL MANUFACTURING

Combining Processes in Sequential Manufacturing

An Exciting Development for Flexible Packaging Converters New manufacturing technologies, which sequentially combine different and separate processes into one line, are being used for producing complex multilayer products. With only one line, processors can

create unique, high-value composite webs consisting of several layers and/or diverse materials.

t is an extraordinary time to be involved in the flexible packaging market. The global value for this market (depending on definition) is

estimated at approximately USD 90 billion with an annual growth rate between 3.5 and 5 per cent. In some geographic areas, this number extends

to double digits. With so much at stake, flexible packaging manufacturers are seeing an ever-

increasing demand for improved quality as well as innovative and cost-effective manufacturing techniques. This includes the use of new materials, high-performance

designs

for

packaging

structures and the continual development of creative applications.

With these considerations on the table, many converters are evaluating the viability of upgrading

existing machines before making a significant capital investment in new equipment. Since the

benchmark for quality is often dictated by the latest product on the market produced by the

newest equipment, meeting the goals set by

this new equipment can be a risky proposition. Understanding

the

near-term

direction

for

performance in your market is a key part of the

evaluation. One needs to understand the current Ricky Keller Vice President Extrusion & Solution Coating Davis Standard USA

capabilities of new equipment before venturing

blindly into spending capital to upgrade a poor baseline machine. When considering options, several processing factors such as performance,

scrap and quality must be evaluated in order to make a smart business decision.

POLYMERS Communiqué l December 2016 - January 2017

Industry Trends for Higher Productivity Global purchasers of packaging products have

Important Components of a Splicing Operation

speed benchmarks for current state-of-the-

each component of the splicing operation

raised the bar for the entire industry. Production

In order to achieve this degree of splicing accuracy,

art lamination machinery range from 550 to

needs to be optimised for specific products

700 MPM for commodity packaging structures

such as snack food and simple wraps. Quality

criteria at these speeds includes web uniformity, adhesion levels and roll geometry; all dependent

on extrusion controls and web processing design. High-speed web transport is challenging and requires precision bearings, roll balancing and

tighter alignment specifications. Additionally, the productivity aspect at high speeds must be considered to ensure roll-to-roll splices and

roll-starts are smooth, even and repeatable at a 100 per cent success rate. Unwind splices should have minimum tails of a few centimeters and

winder roll-starts should have zero fold-over to ensure a flat roll is started at the core.

To meet these goals, industry demands thinner products at faster rates. Consistent production of

premium quality web products using fewer raw

materials at higher rates, while keeping scrap costs to a minimum, determines profitability. Web coating,

laminating and/or converting operations need to

‘splice-in’ the process for producing thinner web

rolls at lighter web tensions. The consistency of

splicing these rolls without disturbing web tension is paramount to high productivity and low scrap

rates. Missed splices are extremely costly in terms of lost production, scrap losses from web breaks, re-threading and time lost in getting the process

back online. Processors must be able to introduce new rolls of web material into the operation with a

splicing accuracy close to 100 per cent. This demands accurate web transfer tensions, reliable pasting

and cut-off operations and repeatable splicing for a variety of speeds and roll diameters.

POLYMERS Communiqué l December 2016 - January 2017

and production requirements. This is the best way to attain consistently good splices. These components include:

Preparation of the incoming material roll

Speed of the incoming roll

The splice tension

The paster operation

The cut-off operation

The tail-length control

l l l l l l

On the opposite end of the machine, the winding of the final web determines whether a sealable roll is produced. In considering the winding operation, it is important to note that if all film

webs were perfect, producing perfect rolls of film products would be simple. Unfortunately, due to natural variations in resins, non-uniformities of the film formation processes, coatings and printed surfaces, the ‘perfect’ film does not exist.

The challenge is to wind film webs with slight

imperfections, being sure flaws do not stand out in appearance and are not amplified during the

winding process. Then, it is the responsibility of the winder operator to make sure the winding

process does not produce additional variations in product quality. The ultimate goal is to produce

flexible packaging film that will run on an end user’s process without issue, producing high quality products for the consumer. To know more, please subscribe to Polymers Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

COATING GLORY

P. K. Patkar, Technical Director J P Extrusiontech Ltd. Ankleshwar

Specialised Extrusion Coating Machines

A Vibrant Future “This specialised extrusion

coating machine is a versatile machine to meet advanced

technological requirements of present and future end

applications like synthetic roof underlayment, pond lining, road construction,

special tarpaulin applications and much more”,

emphasises P. K. Patkar in dialogue with

POLYMERS Communiqué.

Q. What is the market of the large sized extrusion coating machine that you built? What were the biggest challenges that you faced in conceptualising and creating this solution? The

main

markets

are

wide

width

synthetic

roofunderlayment, wide width pond lining, wide width road constructions and special purpose wide width tarpaulins applications.

The challenge is when I was trying to make this big dream

come true, it actually wasn’t easy at all; but with a great team

like the one I have today, I was able to realise all I had expected and all was done excellently.

We faced numerous challenges to make such a large extrusion coating line for the first time. We planned things very carefully at every stage of the design, selection of the mother machinery to produce precision components of the machine, programming of PLC and synchronisation of all 36 drives and allocated the floor area to build the machine.

Q. How do you see the future of specialised extrusion coating machines? This specialised extrusion coating machine is a versatile

POLYMERS Communiqué l December 2016 - January 2017

machine to meet advanced technological requirements of present and future end applications like synthetic roof underlayment, pond lining, road construction, special tarpaulin applications and much more. I will say that these

machines are expected to be perform well and become increasingly popularly across the world.

Earlier, industries were using welding to produce wide

width substrates, as wide width lamination plants were not available. Now, in a single process, wide width products are

available and this will be the first preference for any industry due to jointless and cost competence factor.

Q. Do you see new markets that you could tap with this technology in coming times? Yes, I do. These innovations are going to play a greater role than we all have ever imagined and that is the reason why I am sure

there will be new markets that I will tap with this technology even in coming times. We can make a variety of products out of this extrusion coating line by changing input raw material recipe as well as input substrates.

Q. Can you please highlight details of the recent extrusion coating machine that you have built for synthetic roof underlayment application? J P Extrusiontech Ltd.’s forte is to find solutions that meet industry

machines.

challenges

creating

techno-economical

The said machine is equipped with two laminator stations, four extruders, two 5200 mm die width with multilayer

feedblock, one primary and two secondary shaftless unwinders for quick locking and unlocking of rolls,

having seven-layer construction and it can go easily up to nine layers.

PLC controlled having 36 drives - all synchronised, fully

automatic winder unit with auto splicing and finished roll auto unloading on ground. The machine is operator friendly

as changeover of rolls are automatic and there is no need to stop the machine for the same.

The said machine has melt output upto 2000 kgs/hr.

Q. What new can processors expect from JP in the coming years? While there are many more to come, a lot can even

be done with those that are available. JP is always motivated to produce the latest technology-based To know more, please subscribe to Polymers Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

POLYMERS Communiqué l December 2016 - January 2017

HUMAN CAPITAL

Training and Development

Unavoidable for Success of the Plastics Industry The plastic technologists need to continuously stay fully informed about the new polymers,

additives, applications etc. This requires a lot of

development on part of the technologists. Handling of new processes involving the usage of radiation, laser, water, nano materials, metals in production of finished products and recycling require both,

training and development.

ompanies have a great deal of diverse activities to perform well and create high or, at the least acceptable

stakeholder value. The diverse functions are like sub-systems

of a machine that must deliver a task efficiently. These functions need to be assembled in the manner that they work well. Like

in any machine, they must fit together and kept well-oiled and maintained. People are arguably the most important resource

and companies buy the time of humans through employment.

Humans are the most important differentiators because all the other resources can be managed and controlled by humans.

Rakesh Shah RS Coaching and Consulting New Delhi

Humans, however, do not function

relying of fairly well defined criteria.

Training

‘needs’. These can be very diverse

recruitment, we may find that it is often

sometimes substantial. The training

machines

and

have

distinct

and frequently invisible. They include self-esteem,

need

for

satisfaction,

ability to support their dependents, psychological satiation and a myriad of

other inputs and stimuli. This prompts

companies to invest in them. Different companies handle this in different ways

that stem from their size, geographical

location, availability of requisite talent and other relevant factors. Yet, people

change their jobs. People perform well, or not so well, individually and/or

collectively. Here are a few sentences that can be heard frequently. l

We have so many work forces, but we have low productivity.

We have very high rate of rejections.

We have provided the necessary tools to improve the situation, but the investment in equipment has not paid off.

We have this persistent quality and

You cannot rely on the youngsters

consistency issue.

these days. They just join and

then they leave as soon as they have learnt a little about the work.

We have this serious problem of employee retention.

Do they have a familiar ring? I believe

for most of us they probably have. They

are concerns about employee turnover,

inefficient employees, poor output etc.

All these maladies are quite widespread. Considerable amount of research and

reflection by management academicians and philosophers has gone into these subjects and they occupy much of our mind space in the industry and business.

Instilling Skills, Nurturing Capabilities Without doubt, a major part of the problem lies hidden in

something less obvious. When

we recruit people, we try to make

the best possible selection frequently

POLYMERS Communiqué l December 2016 - January 2017

When we examine what happens after the lack of a well planned and executed

training plan, its follow-up followed by development of personnel that leads to many of the above problems.

After recruitment and induction into the company, the new personnel first

need to get oriented to the company’s working - its internal processes, if you

like. Training is the way to instil the knowledge and skills in the personnel to perform their jobs well and efficiently.

Training also extends to helping people to get along with authority and with people having diverse viewpoints, origins, races

etc. For training to be successful, it is important that the employer has a strong

commitment to it. This is so because the

cost-benefits of training are often not

immediately visible on the balance sheets and to that extent are not tangible at the outset.

Business Owners...the Vital Link For training to be successful, it is important that the employer has a strong commitment to it. This is so because the costbenefits of training are often not immediately visible on the balance sheets and to that extent are not tangible at the outset.

and

development

programmes cost money and time,

programmes, therefore, have to take

into consideration the optimum level of investment in training which may

vary from company to company. For

a startup or owner managed small organisation, it may even be sensible to cut the time and cost to start by

hiring trained / experienced personnel, rather

than

instituting

lengthy

training programmes.

On the other hand, the sooner a firm develops programmes to address the training needs of the company, the

better it will be as it will cut costs of personnel, improve efficiency of internal

processes, reduce re-work and rejections,

improve quality, impact production and customer satisfaction positively.

It also helps to boost the morale and

confidence of the employee, partly

due to his/her increased knowledge and higher proficiency on the job. A

cost-effective fallout is that the welltrained staff requires less supervision. Attrition caused by failing to perform

on the job or a sense of failure or guilt is eliminated. Fewer accidents occur in the

workshops as a result of good training. Good preparedness will also help to

quickly fill the positions falling vacant

by attrition as some good workers will surely go away once in a while.

There are a few very important factors when planning training and development programmes as highlighted here.

Objective of the Programme There has to be clearly defined needs

coupled with clearly defined objectives, i.e. the expected outcomes for which

the

proposed

commitment is made.

resource

Duration of the Programme To know more, please subscribe to

Polymers Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

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RUPEE TALK

Union Budget 2017

Opportunities for the Plastics Industry With Budget 2017, it is the right time

for us to encash this opportunity which promises significant growth for the Indian plastics industry.

Arvind M. Mehta CMD, Welset Plast Extrusions Pvt. Ltd. Chairman - Governing Council, AIPMA President, Plastindia International University Past President, AIPMA & Plastindia Foundation Mumbai

Changes in Duty Structure and Its Impact on Machinery, Raw Materials and Finished Goods In view of incoming GST, there is no change in duty

it will ultimately benefit the plastics industry as solar cells and panels are made of plastics.

Skill Development Allocation of Rs. 6200 crore will help the plastics

industry. One lakh employees are targeted to be

trained by CIPET under skill development, which will benefit the plastics industry.

Budget Impact on SME / MSME Sectors SME / MSME will benefit. Corporate tax on below Rs. 50 crore turnover reduced by 5%.

structure on machinery, raw materials and finished goods.

Income tax slab reduced by 5% on income below

reduction in bank interest rate, in lieu of fiscal deficit of

end tax payers.

Machinery purchase can be cheaper with expected 3.2% which was approx. 6% in 2014.

Changes in Energy Costs (If any) and Its Impact on Processors High crude price can lead to higher energy cost in future. Alternative clean energy like solar energy is given more

allocation and cost has reduced as well. Application wise,

POLYMERS Communiqué l December 2016 - January 2017

Rs. 5 lakh. It will improve the purchasing power of low-

Fund Allocation by the Government and Its Impact on Growth of the Industry It will be a big booster for our growth. It can easily push per

capita growth of plastics from 12 kgs to 15 kgs - a big jump is now a possibility. Big spending by the Government will boost growth in all the sectors.

L. K. Singh

Managing Director

Fixopan Machines Pvt. Ltd.

han dmanab Babu Pa r c g Dire to Managin Pvt. Ltd. rgise g n gineeri orm, ene as transf STEER En w t e g d u s seriou Union B e road to is year’s ed on th da for th e n d e g in a is nd some e y a Th ineties r countr N u e O . th ia e d ace c n In en the p forms sin and clea erous re on, quick ti m a u fl N in . ion l n o atio . The Un ed contr transform al growth ave help b h lo s g e nf v o ti roductio engine old initia energy p India the recent b s, e e k c a ri p m us il d th an r rising o d numero mic grow olicies fo mities an p la a ic c g of econo st te r stra again e need fo r farmers utlines th tection fo o t ro e p g d d u se B ving ts, increa us on mo vestmen ould foc based in sh ia d In tion’, anging as. ital revolu ss wide-r other are ity assive dig logy acro o m n f h o c ith stabil sp te u terials. W a facturing on the ‘c u m g n io a in at b e m r b th ) While d othe us (B2C er India paints an a strong continuo s, d ic il to u st h b la tc n p a ticals, from b t, we ca armaceu n Budge food, ph the Unio m o fr n sectors e y as se orld. mic polic of the w in econo r the rest fo le p m a x sets an e

The budget by the Union Minister, Arun Jaitley is very good; however, a few things remained to be addressed.

The budget is very helpful to the low

Budget 2017

income group and honest tax payers at the lower level. The heavy interest rebate to houses below Rs. 12.5 lakh

Impressions

and other facility to lower income

people are indeed very welcome, and

housing will create big demands and will be good for the growth of the economy.

The additional budget in infrastructure is very

welcome. This will be very good for the overall growth, virtually in all sectors.

Inspite of significant growth potential of the

polymer industry, no changes were made in tax structure in the budget.

Plastic products are integral part of common man’s consumption basket, and need to be accorded lowest slab of duties.

CA Rajendra Chhabra R. S. Chhabra and Co.

One of the major announcements in the Union

The import tariffs should provide adequate delta

Budget of 2017 was the relief of income tax for the

which is skewed at the moment. Import duties

Union Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley announced a

to be raised to 15% minimum so as to address

The Finance Minister in his 2015 budget speech had shown his intention

between raw materials and finished products

micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

on all finished products of plastics are suggested

reduction of tax from 30 per cent to 25 per cent for the MSMEs.

the issue.

to reduce the peak corporate tax rate to 25% in a span of five years. He has

80% of the plastics industry is small scale. For

now fulfilled the promise and has given the benefit to 96% of the companies

units need to be applied with enhancement of

very laudable. We can expect 25% tax rate to become the peak rate for all

operational efficiency, uniform definition of SME

falling in the category of having turnover of less than Rs. 50 crore, which is

upper limit to Rs. 10 crore for qualification.

assesses in the years to come.

Further, the industry and the economy is expected to benefit from the GST roll out which is expected to make the transactions more transparent and the expected reduction in the interest rate, reducing the cost of capital.

It is now for the industry to take up the challenge and achieve robust results. 56

POLYMERS Communiqué l December 2016 - January 2017

Allocations at a Glance

Safe Drinking Water - Rs. 28,000 crore (PVC, PE, PP pipes to benefit)

Prevention of Open Defecation, Sanitation, Drainage, Building of

l l

Public Toilets etc. - Growth from 42% to 60% and Swachh Bharat

allocation up by 54% (Pipes, moulded sinks, door panels - all plastics

Ajay Durrani

to gain)

Country President

India and Managing Director

Micro Irrigation - Rs. 5,000 crore (Pipes sector to benefit)

Defence - Rs. 2,74,000 crore (Even a 5% use of plastics, matters a lot.

Reduction in Food Wastage - From 30% to 20% or less (Plastic

Farmer Loans - Rs. 10,00,000 crore (Power to buy more pipes for

Milk Dairy - Rs. 8,000 crore (Plastic packaging to benefit)

Irrigation / Agriculture - Rs. 10,00,000 crore (Pipes and mulch

Railways - Rs. 1,00,000 crore (Seats and products like cushions to gain)

Cheap Housing (Furniture, wire and cables etc. to benefit)

Infrastructure - Rs. 3,96,000 crore (Wires and cables, moulded articles,

Optic Fibre for Villages - Rs. 10,50,000 crore (Ducts to be in demand)

10 Lakh New Swipe Machines, Digital Transactions - Rs. 2,500 crore

Healthcare Allocation - Up by 24% (Budget will increase plastics usage

Covestro (India) Pvt. Ltd.

The Union Budget 2017 is a balanced budget

focusing on providing an impetus to the economy

expected, GST and demonetisation have ushered

and offers encouraging measures for tax payers. As in tectonic changes for economy and the same was

conspicuous in the budget. There are multiple takeaways from the budget that is aimed at boosting

consumption, skill development and highlights

improved living standards in the country.

The reduction in the tax rate in the income slab of

concerted efforts in the direction of creating

Rs. 2.5 lakh to Rs. 5 lakh from 10% to 5% will give

consumption. Similarly, the subventions offered for

rise to disposable income of individuals and boost

the MSME sector in the form of tax rebate, reduction in income tax for SMEs with annual turnover upto Rs. 50 crore, as well as, the extension of the profit

Injection moulded articles and number of plastic products are used) packaging to benefit)

irrigation and farm productivity)

films to benefit)

pipes, windows, claddings etc. to gain)

(Engineering plastics stand to gain)

linked deduction period available to the start-ups

stimulus to employment generation.

Sectors Which the Plastics Industry Should Focus On

to three years out of seven years will provide a

in medical)

To know more, please subscribe to Polymers Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

Your feedback matters… Do let us know what you feel about this issue of POLYMERS Communiqué. Send us your thoughts at feedback@polymerscommunique.com Thank you, in advance.

POLYMERS Communiqué l December 2016 - January 2017

KNOWLEDGE CENTRE

PIU to be Completely

curriculum and other details for graduate,

Paperless, Modern and Research Driven

post-graduate and doctorate studies.

Plastindia International University will be India’s first completely paperless, eco-friendly and research-driven university. It will also be the first university dedicated to one sector that will feed talent into the Indian plastics industry having over 50,000 manufacturing units.

the university is shaping up. The plastics

upported by the Government of

after UMASS in USA. Dr. John Feudo,

University of Massachusetts Lowell

Lowell; Dr. Joseph Hartman, Dean,

Gujarat and accredited with the

(UMASS), USA; Plastindia International University is shaping up to be the most

modern university in India. It will be the

first university in India dedicated to create specialised managerial and technical

talent for the plastics sector; and only the second such university in the world,

Vice Chancellor for Advancement, UMASS Francis College of Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Lowell;

Dr. Scott Latham, Vice Provost for Innovation and Work Force Department, UMASS Lowell and Dr. Ramaswamy Nagarajan, UMASS Lowell were in

India to put final touches to the course

The website, www.plastindia.edu.in was

inaugurated at an event where many senior industry leaders were present.

Commented Arvind Mehta, President, Governing Body of Plastindia International

University (PIU), “We are happy at the way industry’s concern for the environment will be reflected in the way the education

will be imparted. Completely paperless, the University’s unique point will be its active culture of knowledge through a

combination of theory and practice. PIU will be a nerve-centre of research in the

sector as a lot of emphasis will be on scientific research. Students will get an

all-round exposure, including learning of

practical skills. The technical centre will have machinery for moulding, design To know more, please subscribe to Polymers Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. Educate Every Child...

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CORPORATE STORY

n over two decades of its inception in 1995,

and vision of N. K. Patel, that at the starting level,

Milacron India Pvt. Ltd.’s (FMI) journey. However,

produce about 300 machines, he bought this

there have been many milestones in Ferromatik

the one that is closest to the Managing Director,

Shirish Divgi’s heart is winning the title of ‘World-class

Manufacturing Facility’. He attributes it only to the far-sightedness and planning of the company’s founders,

highlighting

the

role

played

N. K. Patel and N. K. Balgi. “Back then, we joined hands with Milacron Global, and within just six

months completed the process of transfer of technology and know-how. Another six month, and

we started manufacturing. Such was the confidence

when the need was of only 2.5 acres of land to

12-acre plot at Vatva, Ahmedabad, a prime location, keeping in mind the advantages of its proximity to our supply chain. We continue to

manufacture from that land, and we today have a manufacturing capacity of close to 2,100 machines”, he says, brimming with pride. He singled out

‘energy and passion’ as key to this success, again remembering the mentors as leaders who guided

the company to think in a different way, an approach that infused a positive culture, all through.

Profit with Pride

Milacron India, a Clear Winner Putting India on the global plastics map has been no mean feat; FMI is not only confident about its report card this far, but also about its five-year roadmap

where it would like to ‘keep it simple’ by expanding

facilities and capacities to meet global requirements and invest in making processes unique and serving customers even better in the digital economy.

Today, FMI is not only the country’s leading manufacturer machines,

blow

plastics

injection

moulding

machines

and

extrusion systems, it has also spread its wings across 40 countries in SAARC, Middle East, Africa

and

the

US.

The

company

currently

manufactures 1,000 machines for Indian consumers and around 700 for exports on an annual basis.

For Shirish Divgi, however, resting on one’s laurels is not an option. “I want to see this number double

over the next five years and we hope that we

will be able to achieve this dream. We are also estimating that while our outputs increase, we will

not witness an exponential growth in headcount as we will rely on automation of work.” The mission

now is to establish FMI as a world-class business organisation comparable to the best in the plastics

technology business. “I personally advocate that we must garner profits with pride, and I am

certain that with such an able team in place and

The Essence of FMI

Milacron India is part of Milacron Inc., USA, a global leader in plastics processing technologies, metal working fluids and precision machining, and boasts of large group revenue supported by manufacturing credentials accrued over 130 years. It is a crown jewel for the Milacron Group as it is today responsible for manufacturing and supplying to markets even beyond India, such as Africa, Middle East, USA, Latin America, Europe and South East Asia. In context of the number of machines manufactured, the Vatva site is the No. 1 manufacturing facility for Milacron Global. Milacron India (FMI) is the leading manufacturer of plastics injection moulding machines, blow moulding machines and extrusion systems in India, serving the entire gamut of plastic applications in 40 countries across the world in SAARC, Middle East, Africa and even the USA. Established in 1995, FMI today offers the full range of injection moulding machines from 50 tonnes to 3200 tonnes with capacity to manufacture 2,100 machines per annum and Pan-India sales and service offices in major cities and industrial towns. It is accredited with Export House Status and is an ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001:2004 certified company adhering to world-class quality standards. Ferromatik Milacron India constantly strives to offer its plastics injection moulding machine customers with innovative solutions to keep them ahead in this competitive arena. Product development is a continuous process to assist customers in reducing their overall per piece cost of product and energy consumption, and thereby, increasing their productivity, reliability and competitiveness. There is only one approach to describe FMI - Dynamic, Growing and Global. The success of FMI is based on its customers, partners and its people. FMI is known for its professionalism, business ethics, superior technology, quality, reliability and commitment to after-sales service.

POLYMERS Communiqué l December 2016 - January 2017

our knowledge pools for assistance,

quality. Introducing ‘flow lines’ will

is a strong believer in automation and

abroad is bound to grow, bringing

an ever-growing demand of high

to be intelligent for its true success. As

our network within the nation and prosperity to our unit as well as India,”

asserts FMI’s MD. He is confident that with increased participation in

global designing, manufacturing and

not only help the cause of managing tonnage machines, but also assist in implementing the planned expansion into blow moulding and extrusion!

feels that it is important for automation regards its hand-holding, the team goes a long way in assisting its customers

in integrating the equipment ordered within its production environment,

sales activities, they will be able to

Customer Centricity: The Business Mantra

While continuing to achieve normal

Speaking

business and market share; Shirish Divgi

biggest

India will continue to play a still bigger

VP - Technology and New Product

Jigish Shah goes on to elaborate,

By mid of 2017, Milacron India, infact

have adopted the ‘kitchen approach’

product range, we develop different parts

introducing ‘flow manufacturing’ as a

using the same ingredients for different

automotive sector today. It will be the

customer style and palate. Modern-

manufacturing’

themselves with standardisation, but

raise industry standards even higher.

even if it means co-ordinating the

designing

milestones such as growth in revenue,

manufacturing,

remains self-assured that Milacron

the plastics industry. Jigish Shah,

and bigger role for Milacron Global.

Development, FMI informs that they

Milacron Global, will create history by

where customers must be kept happy

concept; similar to that followed by the

and customised dishes that match

first

day designers must not only occupy

global

incidence being

‘flow

introduced

change

that’s has

where

and

occurred

the in

by a plastics processing machine

also with customisation.

longer be stationary, but will move

solutions

enhance capacity, productivity and

also make them unique. The company

manufacturer; the machine will no along the assembly line. This will

The mantra is to offer customised that

not

only

give

manufacturers a competitive edge, but

same with the customer’s suppliers!

The Milacron agenda is very clear - ‘if my customers succeed, only then can Milacron succeed’.

“Globally, when we develop a new

“Our CAGR growth over the last 10 years stands recorded at 18%. We have come a long way in exporting abroad, as we only started with a few African nations and parts of Middle East. Today, this expansion extends to the United States, Latin America, a few nations in Europe, South East Asia, in addition to Africa and Middle East.”

Shirish Divgi, the man with his machine.

Building customer delight, one of the manufacturing bays at FMI.

Industry Footprint l

at different locations. We then club them

them according to feasible geographical

with regional expertise and integrate locations. All machines undergo stages

including ideation, research, specification, designing, checks and beta testing, so

that there is uniformity in the end products and quality is maintained at all levels.”

E-surveys provide correct feedback which

is then processed into finer data and used for future R&D. “We also rely on our team of Project Managers to manage the entire

process from inception to delivery so as to

ensure that there is no lag or miss from our end. They are responsible for validations, FMEA, value-additions, trainings and beta

l l

Leading manufacturer of plastics injection moulding machines in India.

Offers a range of high performance injection moulding machines from 50 tonnes to 3,200 tonnes. Serving the entire gamut of plastics applications.

State-of-the-art manufacturing facility with capacity to manufacture 2,100 machines per annum.

Pan-India sales and services offices in major cities and industrial towns. Has delivered over 12,000 machines to over 1,350 customers since commencement of operations in December 1995.

is happy and satisfied with our service,”

have devised remote diagnostic services

India about customers getting the best

and rectify problems with machines.

says Jigish Shah. So fastidious is Milacron from its machines, that they took on a project to evaluate the impact of varied

qualities of oil on machine operation and output.

What’s more, FMI deploys special

Human Capital, the Most Revered Resource

understand their machine requirements.

service team has helped FMI hold its

testing before launch,” he says.

design engineers to meet customers to

Umesh Pareek truly believes that their

“This also allows customers and design

head high, throughout. “The team

engineers

establish

their

own

understanding and empathy quotient which helps us manufacture efficient and reliable machines. For us, the customer is

‘King’ and thus, we ensure that he or she

POLYMERS Communiqué l December 2016 - January 2017

members are exceptionally committed, especially in domestic markets where customers prefer to have the service

team visit industries. For our international

markets and partners across the globe, we

so we can troubleshoot from any location Servicing over 11,000 plus machines in

India and 8,000 globally, we are ahead of the curve and hope to maintain this position in times to come,” he stresses.

Why only the service team, FMI’s VP – Sales believes that all teams have played a critical role in getting FMI to where it is today. “FMI has been sealed with passion and commitment, and therefore, every employee here exudes energy. The

commitment levels that we offer our customers and the compassion with which

we take care of their needs is beyond par in this industry. The company believes

Bonding over meals. that happy employees create happy

basics and more. This keeps the

individual and the company, alike. People

a testimony to that fact.”

indicators, we started with 40 people

place to learn and grow.

customers and our work environment is Shirish Divgi completely agrees with

Umesh Pareek that people management

has been the bedrock of FMI’s success. He elaborates, “We constantly keep training our people, be it for soft skills, team-bonding, communication or even KRA-related. We want our people to

grow as only when they grow will they think innovatively and effectively in their present roles. This is a must for us.”

The MD of FMI goes on to say, “Additionally,

regularly

invite

industry experts to address employees on motivational topics like spiritual and

mental

well-being,

yoga, medical

morale high. If numbers are any in our engineering team and today,

the team is 70-strong. We are probably

one of the few set-ups that have its global engineering head based out of India which gives us the advantage of

rolling

out

faster

engineering

solutions for regional requirements,” says Shirish Divgi.

Remembering the challenges in the first 5 years, Shirish Divgi opined that the most

challenging aspect had been changing the mindset of people towards quality.

Keeping quality in mind, the change in products, processes and people was key.

Service has always been considered as an area of strength for Milacron India.

‘We get more business because of our

attitude towards customers”, emphasises Shirish Divgi. Once inducted into the

Milacron family, training on an on-going basis has played a pivotal role in the growth of an

soon realise that Milacron India was a Jigish Shah chips into the debate with

a quick comparison between India and

China. “For China to diversify its business will require communication skills and intellectual skills, both of which are

not their best friends. They can only do assembly-line productions as roles are defined and people are not required

to think laterally. However, in India, we are diversified and better equipped

for global expansion as we have good communication skills and camaraderie with partner nations. Thus, we see no direct threat from Chinese players,” he

says. “Machine reliability and total cost of ownership would continue to be distinct

advantages when compared to machines made in China,” he adds.

Shirish Divgi agrees saying, “Indians are exceptional learners and teachers so

the learning process with us is always seamless, especially when compared to our global counterparts.” According to Jigish Shah, getting more

The wall of fame. POLYMERS Communiqué l December 2016 - January 2017

The workplace. A visual treat.

Manufacturing bays. out of less continues to be

centre. Spread over a sprawling

would ensure that consistency in

10,000 sq. metres, this centre

the key strength for Indians. strongly

opined

that

component supply would move

Indians come with better understanding

to the next orbit; something

global

that the industry have never

practices due to their exposure

witnessed this far. Meticulously

and are extremely innovative

built with the globally acclaimed

in meeting customer needs

infrastructure, this centre is a

with optimised costs, yet well

performing

must visit destination for any

solutions;

an approach that has won

engineering aficionado. It will

them accolades from the global Milacron

innovative; we don’t want our design team

always remain an important milestone

confidence of Milacron Global, that the

we do have to make them better balanced

globally. With component manufacturing

team as well as customers. Such is the Indian operations are handled without anyone from the global think-tank sitting

here. The operations here are completely empowered to do what they feel appropriate for business. The Indian team

has been given the responsibility on many

occasions to setup processes, undertake

training, implement ERP systems, handholding new centres to kick-off! How many times have we known of an Indian counterpart assisting its global parent in

aspects beyond business? Milacron India, a truly respected entity by Milacron Global!

Taking the concept of human capital to the next level, Jigish Shah says that even

FMI’s vendors are treated as strategic

partners. “We have never considered our vendors as ‘vendors’. Instead, we call them strategic partners - they are our external arms. They are our stakeholders

as they provide high quality and reliable

machine wares. In turn, we felicitate

them at Annual Strategic Partners’ Meets where not only the highest performers are awarded, but they are all introduced

to knowledge sharing and best practice

members to kill their emotions. However, between administrative work and design skills. Self-respect, emotions, skills and business fundamentals are common

across the globe. As we have 200 people

in the design team, managing this human capital is critical.” Being a person involved

in design since the very beginning, he candidly adds that his biggest challenge

has been to design people and not machines;

the

right

people

would

anyway design the right machines! The Milacron India approach of ensuring an on-going connect between customers

and the design team has gone a long

way in ensuring better understanding of

market needs; this has been instrumental in designing a more meaningful and optimised solution system. Spread over

10 regions, the Milacron India family is

560 strong with another 300 on contract.

Setting Global Standards in Machining Taking control and quality to the next

level formed the basis for Milacron India

to setup a state-of-the-art machining

platforms to enable them learn and grow,” he explains.

However, the task of managing people

can never be without its share of pitfalls.

As Jigish Shah says, “Emotions allow one to be passionate and hence, creative and

Opines, Jigish Shah

FMI invests regularly in technology and we are soon launching our twofloor Machining Centre that will be an excellent example of our research and development process and how we are applying it to expand our technical know-how.

in the history of evolution of Milacron,

now being consolidated in the new facility,

this will most certainly, help Milacron India to up its assembly capacity, which is always

under pressure; the company continues to witness growth and an increased

demand on high tonnage lines. Also, the variability of machining time of critical

components will now be a thing of the past. With this expansion, Milacron

FMI has been a story of stupendous

Emphasises, Umesh Pareek

success; the company has recorded a

Servicing over 11,000 plus machines in India and 8,000 globally, we are ahead of the curve and hope to maintain this position in times to come. India manufacturing will now be spread over a lavish 65,000 sq. metres at Vatva.

Umesh Pareek, Vice President – Sales concurs with Jigish Shah that presentday plastics business has become customer-created.

“The

CAGR growth of 18 per cent over the last 10 years. Even in terms of exports, starting with a few African nations and parts of the Middle East, FMI today exports to United States, Latin America,

a few nations in Europe and South East Asia, apart from Africa and the Middle East. Such is the success that the seniors

of the founding team who joined the organisation in 1995 and continue to spearhead the company operations.

production

Now that the company has established

starting from the end-customer who

the agenda? Shirish Divgi informs that

cycle has reversed with production

decides what his/her requirement is and based on that, we design a machine that facilitates that manufacturing. We also have to keep in mind that today, the life

cycle of customer products is shrinking at a fast clip, so markets’ volatility,

ambiguity and requirement complexity all have major roles to play,” he points

out. There is no cause of concern to FMI as it has the distinct advantage of a global integrated team which extends

support at all levels. As Umesh Pareek puts it, “We, at FMI, believe in giving a

singular experience to our customers, thus we have standardised our products,

systems, work culture and values, so that across 25 nations (where we are

present), customers experience the same warmth and camaraderie.”

Scaling New Heights There is no denying that

its global credentials, what is next on continuous R&D and investment in R&D

and technology is the need-of-the-hour to stay ahead of the curve and FMI is

fully aware of this. Milacron continues

to be a company very passionate about

technology. “Our sales and service teams work hand-in-hand to take care of R&D

aspects. We are driven to find better

ways to provide growth opportunities to

our

employees,

suppliers

and

stakeholders, while adhering to our

core values and business philosophy

of Total Quality Leadership (TQL). Thus, we have established expert knowledge pools across geographies which, irrespective of their individual functions,

collectively

brainstorm

on new product lines and increasing efficiency of existing product lines. Our

global experts’ team is well connected

virtually and regularly interacts over

knowledge sharing platforms, to cocreate

complimenting

he explains.

solutions,”

FMI’s green machinery concept

is one more feather in its much decorated cap. Umesh Pareek elaborates, “If we replace

an existing or redundant

machine with our servo machines,

one

can

be assured of upto 10,000

Megawatt

power savings. We

The new machining centre, inside – out.

also understand that customers may

to why manufacturers need to make

as a day when every person in the

desire to make eco-friendly, thus we

brings high level of cost effectiveness

the shop-floor. This is also considered

have existing machines which they

have come up with retrofit solutions

that not only make the production process green, but also increase the

lifespan of machines. While in the West, refurbishment is a hot trend, India still has a long way to go before it even reaches the acceptability mark.” In

fast-paced,

cut-throat

world,

not knowing the latest trends is a luxury companies can ill afford. As

Umesh Pareek shares, “Having been

in the business of injection moulding machines for over two decades now, we feel that to be an ace in this field of

manufacturing

important

machines,

have

complete

understanding of what the industry

globally expects. The global community primarily requires machines that not

only up the energy efficiency quotient of their final products, but also usher

automation as a large number of factory

production units still rely heavily on manmade products that may or may not be

identical. Another important reason as

this switch is that machine production

to the overall process and thus, is an important requisite.”

Enthusiastic and optimistic about the future, Jigish Shah says, “FMI invests regularly in technology and we are soon launching our two-floor Machining

Centre that will be an excellent example

of our research and development process and how we are applying it to expand our technical know-how. From our current assembly line, we are

producing an average 2,100 machines per annum of which 50% are medium

capacity. With this new Machining Centre set-up, we will likely to soon

hike our manufacturing capacity.” In a

one-of-its-kind move, Milacron Global has setup its global design division in India; a testimony to Milacron India and the people of India! To ‘Make-in-India’,

Milacron

India

also

adds ‘Design-in-India’. The Swachh Bharat concept was also adopted by the company over 8 years ago, when 2nd October every year was assigned

company will work together to clean as a tremendous bonding activity. Can you imagine the sight when the trainees

in the company are rubbing shoulders

with the MD and senior management with the same objective to clean the manufacturing site? An act worth emulating by one and all!

Beyond Business The CSR Committee in the company

works closely with the management

to execute its social obligations. The company closely works with an NGO

and has adopted 70 schools. For a nearby school, the company has taken over the school in totality. Inside of the

facility, recycled water and solar energy

usage are some ways that the company

takes care of the ecosystem. Supporting special children is another area that

is focused on. Next on the agenda is to setup a ‘Hospital with

a Trauma Centre’ along with the Vatva Industrial Association as well as likeminded corporate.

The Step Ahead Putting India on the global plastics map has been no mean feat; FMI is not only confident

about its report card this far, but also

about

its

five-year roadmap

where it would like

to ‘keep it simple’

facilities

expanding and

capacities to meet

global requirements

and invest in making

processes unique and

serving

even

better

customers

digital economy.

POLYMERS Communiqué l December 2016 - January 2017

the

FORGING AHEAD

India-China Growth Story

PLASTINDIA Takes It a Step Forward

“To the Chinese plastics technology suppliers, PLASTINDIA provides an

excellent platform for them to promote their business and products in India. They can meet with old and new

customers, explore new business

counterparts and understand more about the Indian market from the

show,” says Stanley Chu in dialogue with POLYMERS Communiqué

Stanley Chu Chairman Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd. Hong Kong

POLYMERS Communiqué l December 2016 - January 2017

Q. How do you see the response to the upcoming PLASTINDIA 2018 from your region? who participated from China and they almost filled

Q. The exhibition venue at Gandhinagar got very good reviews last time. This, being the second edition at Gandhinagar, will further enhance exhibitor delight. What are your thoughts?

promotion of PLASTINDIA 2018 started, we have

India. It takes up 65% of the whole of India’s plastics

In PLASTINDIA 2015, there were 148 exhibitors up the whole of hall 12 at Gandhinagar. Since the

Gujarat is a very important manufacturing base in

received continuous enquiries about the show. We

industry output. PLASTINDIA held at Gandhinagar in

are confident that there will be a bigger group from China to participate in the next PLASTINDIA.

Q. As the No. 3 exhibition in the world, what do you see as the key benefits that PLASTINDIA 2018 will bring to your exhibitors? India is a booming market, full of development

potentials. To the Chinese plastics technology suppliers, PLASTINDIA provides an excellent platform

Ahmedabad, Gujarat is, therefore, the right place for

exhibitors to open up the Indian market and to find new business opportunities. PLASTINDIA

show

well-participated

international exhibitors. Facilities of the fairground e.g. catering supply, directional signage, restroom

hygiene, transportation connection services etc. can

be further enhanced to provide better support for future expansion of PLASTINDIA.

for them to promote their business and products in

India. They can meet with old and new customers,

Q. What according to you are the bright spots of the ‘Indian Plastics Industry’?

explore new business counterparts and understand more about the Indian market from the show.

The large population in India, urbanisation, fast

economic development as well as the growing

POLYMERS Communiqué l December 2016 - January 2017

Since the promotion of PLASTINDIA

technology. We foresee India’s plastics industry will

continuous enquiries about the show. We are confident

areas like mobile technology, infrastructure, railway

develop fast in the next 5 - 10 years. There will also

2018 started, we have received

be more cooperation between China and India in and transportation. These cooperation projects will all require plastics technology to support.

Q. With over 2,00,000 visitors expected, do you see your exhibitors launching new products and technologies during PLASTINDIA 2018?

that there will be a

bigger group from China to participate in the next PLASTINDIA.

Chinese exhibitors are sure to bring in more new products and technology in next PLASTINDIA. Chinese

plastics machinery is famous for high ROI and their performance has been increasing over time. We think

this will be one of the attractions of PLASTINDIA 2018.

cooperation of India and overseas countries in

Q. How do you look to your relationship with PLASTINDIA events?

development of the Indian’s plastics industry. The

cooperation partners. We have been supporting each

the years to come will definitely drive further

wide application of plastics in different industries e.g. automotive, electronics and electrical appliances,

transportation and mobility, daily consumables etc.

will support increasing market demand for plastics

Adsale and Plastindia Foundation are long-time other well in both of our events.

Q. Any specific wish list? None.

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POLYMERS Communiqué l December 2016 - January 2017

THINKING BEYOND

New Ideas in Packaging

Waiting to be Discovered “I believe that packaging companies should be ahead of the game and offer solutions that the

customers are not even looking for at this point

in time. There are surely many new ideas waiting to be discovered that can change the world of packaging,” says Vagish Dixit in dialogue with POLYMERS Communiqué.

Q. What according to you is the role of modern manufacturing in current times? Modern manufacturing systems are ensuring higher repetitive accuracy, independence from human error in manufacturing and inspection,

safety for workmen and high level of cleanliness through the process.

We are moving higher levels of automation in processes and also

more intelligent systems which are not only fail-safe, but also highly sustainable from energy usage as well. Such systems allow us to bring

costs down, which in turn helps the final consumer to benefit in totality.

Q. A number of Indian packaging companies are global names today. What according to you are the key attributes required to achieve this success? It is heartening to see many Indian packaging companies achieve global

reputation and status. The underlying attributes have always been the same, and highlighted here.

A strong belief in creating the best techno-commercial solutions to the clients with a deep sense of urgency.

Vagish Dixit, Managing Director and Partner ALPLA India Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad 72

POLYMERS Communiqué l December 2016 - January 2017

Q. How pertinent is the academia-industry connect today?

Always aim to succeed in the long run and not be

Be a strong believer in the capability of people and

Believe in yourself and whenever challenged to the

hardly come across corporate funded projects in IIT,

thing to do and not necessarily the most profitable

companies. I believe the opportunities are abound

swayed by short-term benefits alone.

care for them in a distinctive manner.

Academic connect is very pertinent; but in reality, this is not seen as much as one would like to see. We

wall, do always what your heart tells you is the ‘right’

NIT and other institutions of repute from packaging

thing to do.

from both sides.

Q. How do you look at sustainability?

Q. What value-add should packaging companies offer its customers?

ALPLA is one of few global packaging companies

I believe that packaging companies should be ahead

which actually publishes its sustainability report

not even looking for at this point in time. We should

to reduce our carbon footprint significantly, in

as products that no one was asking for and yet these

sourcing and also fairly invested in sustainable

new ideas waiting to be discovered that can change

part of our being.

of the game and offer solutions that the customers are

since last few years. We have an aggressive agenda

take inspirations from apple i-tunes and apple phone

various ways. We are looking at greener energy

have been runaway successes. There are surely many

materials. We see sustainability as an important

the world of packaging.

Q. Any new areas that ALPLA India would like to enter?

Q. If you have to choose between technology leadership and business leadership, which would you choose and why?

To know more, please subscribe to

ALPLA’s global mission is to achieve business leadership through technology leadership and we have managed

Polymers Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com DC800-EN-80x110.pdf 1 17/2/2017

2:34 PM

this globally quite successfully. In the last 2 - 3 years, we are also considered as certainly one of the leaders

in the Indian business and this has only happened due to our technological leadership combined with a keen sense of customer orientation.

Q. What has been the journey of ALPLA India? The journey of ALPLA India has been very exciting.

From a small start in 2006 with our first plant in Baddi, C we have now grown to having 7 plants in India and M have a leadership position now in rigid packaging in Y India. We are seen as an innovation leader with many

technological firsts in India including the first EBM

Tube in the world and also the first 2-colour cube

application for closure applications. We are also veryCY

serious in our sustainability agenda and have supportedCMY light weighting of components quite aggressively. It K is heartening to have received many honours and awards from our clients and also from government bodies. We are also very active on our socially impactful programmes.

Q. If you regret one thing at ALPLA India, what is it? What different would you do today? I wish I had started 20 years earlier!

POLYMERS Communiqué l December 2016 - January 2017

VITAL LINK

IO-Link in the Plastics Industry

A Path Towards Industry 4.0 Bipin Jirge Managing Director ifm electronic India Pvt. Ltd. Kolhapur

Stages of Industrial Revolutions As we all know by now, Industry 4.0 is a very wide concept covering a very vast area of subtopics related to many aspects

of manufacturing - connected to each other mainly through data inter-connectivity.

Industry 4.0 or some people may call the same as the Internet of

Things (IoT), is the fourth industrial revolution, where machines as well as other manufacturing related systems are connected

to each other mainly through internet / cloud-based software

POLYMERS Communiqué l December 2016 - January 2017

systems and are communicating to

in such cases is the ‘sensor’ or feedback

productivity of the whole system to a

which gives us the information of

each other thereby increasing the different level. These are called as ‘cyber physical systems’.

In this concept, all the data is practically

digitalised and information is exchanged in real-time by different systems with

each other. The simple example of this system could be condition-based

monitoring of the machine operating parameters (for example: vibration,

As other industries,

temperatures, pressures etc.) as well as production-based data (number of

the plastics industry

work pieces produced etc.) that are

too can significantly

communicated to different systems

benefit with the use

(for

example:

maintenance

spare

part scheduling) in real-time; so that

of IO-Link. The returns

appropriate actions can be initiated

on the investment can

(for example: to order a spare part of

the machine) in a well-planned manner;

vary depending on

thereby

the actual application;

practically

eliminating

the

unplanned machine down-time. This

definitely increases the machine up-time

however, over a period

and thereby, giving higher ROI.

of time, competitive

The Vital Link

advantage is certain.

One of the vital parts of the whole system

devices mounted on the machines, machine operating parameters in real-

time. Traditionally, most of the sensors give feedback / transmit the data only in one direction; that is from sensor to

the machine control system. However, in case of the systems going in the direction

of Industry 4.0, we need the sensors

which can communicate in both ways – that is sensors give digitised data to controls and also controls should be able to inform the sensors certain parameters

to be changed etc. To be able to make this possible, a new communication

standard for sensors and actuators has been developed. This is called IO-Link.

IO-Link is the new communication standard

(point-to-point)

where

sensor with an IO-Link built-in can

communicate with the control systems in both directions. This means, a sensor

becomes ‘intelligent’ and transmits / To know more, please subscribe to Polymers Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

1784 - 1870: First Industrial Revolution Mechanical production based on water and steam.

1870 - 1969: Second Industrial Revolution Mass production by means of assembly lines and electrical energy.

1969 - Today: Third Industrial Revolution Use of electronics and programmable logics (first PLC).

Today - ...Fourth Industrial Revolution Use of cyber-physical systems (Automation meets IT).

Stages of Industrial Revolutions

POLYMERS Communiqué l December 2016 - January 2017

TECH TRENDS

Range of Materials and One Single Pelletiser

The Way Forward Vinu Chavda Director - Sales ECON Machinery Pvt. Ltd. Vadodara

Q. Globally, the next big technology change in pelletising systems could be...?

“From my point of view, the most important factor is a pelletising system that can handle various range of materials with different properties in a single set-up and this is going to be a big change in the near future,” conveys Vinu Chavda in dialogue with POLYMERS Communiqué.

underwater pelletising and few more.

Q. With developments in material science having a role to play in selection of the right underwater pelletising systems, what changes do you expect that could have an impact on development of pelletisers?

and

science in selection of underwater

Pelletising versions

systems

have

strand

various

pelletising,

water-ring pelletising, dry pelletising, However,

considering

applications

Yes, there is huge impact of material

expect to see technology changes in

pelletiser. With innovations in material

changing

business

needs,

pelletising that has unique benefits like zero start-up waste, easy material

changing facility, minimum wearing of consumable parts etc. Hence, from my

point of view, the most important factor is a pelletising system that can handle various range of materials with different

properties in a single set-up and this

is going to be a big change in the near future.

science and changes in consumer demands, the industry is changing very

fast,

material

properties

like viscosity, MFR, density etc. are important parameters on selection of an underwater pelletiser for a specific To know more, please subscribe to Polymers Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

POLYMERS Communiqué l December 2016 - January 2017

S.M.A.R.T.* for Post Industrial Recycling

Take advantage from the new features in the S:GRAN and profit even more with your recycling. The truly S.M.A.R.T. EVOLUTION > Get more from less – improved energy efficiency > Shorten your ROI – increased output > Make sure everything is running well – monitor the machine-performance and pellet-quality on your mobile device PLASTIC LIFE UNIQUE SOLUTIONS

* Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology PLASTIC LIFE UNIQUE SOLUTIONS

MEMBER OF

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ngh-insSmartPIR180x260_NoTrade_EN_rz_121016.indd 1

13.10.16 08:21

ENGINEERED PACKAGE

Engineering Polyamides

A Sustainable Route to Reduce Food Waste

When used in food packaging, these durable new materials enable a longer shelf-life, manage oxygen and moisture content and offer improved tear resistance. The overall impact of improved food packaging can lead to significant benefits across the entire value chain.

ndustry, governments and academia

practices would have profound impact

environmental sustainability in the past

environmental sustainability from farm to

have gained significant awareness of

10 - 15 years. It is common to see experts

furthering their thoughts about the key drivers of sustainable solutions, such as recycling and energy usage.

Environmental sustainable solutions can

drive economic advancement. We do not have to choose between sustainable

solutions or economic advancement. Instead, it is important that we drive both aspects in concert. Vikram Gopal VP Technology Ascend Performance Materials, USA

Package Design with an Appropriate Engineering Plastic Improved food storage and ransportation

in driving the overall productivity and table. This is especially true in India where the marketplace lacks sufficient cold

storage. We can solve this problem with

a combination of improved operational practices and new material technologies. It is critical that governments and nongovernmental organisations focus on the overall system improvements, rather than

sub-optimising by driving to the lowest cost in each step.

For instance, a relatively simple process To know more, please subscribe to Polymers Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

POLYMERS Communiqué l December 2016 - January 2017

Media for Packaging Professionals Your Partner in Packaging Sector Editor: Prof. (Dr.) N. C. Saha (Director - IIP) - 9819996630 For Advertisement and Articles Contact: Asst. Editor: Bhushan Surpur (Assistant Director) - 9821022112 Email: director-iip@iip-in.com/infoiip@iip-in.com Website: www.iip-in.com

Published By

GUAGE FACTOR

“Gauging solutions enable customers to improve product quality, increase productivity,

improve process reliability and reduce manufacturing costs. In addition, a good gauge ensures customers receive a fast return on investment and lowest total cost of ownership,” says Gareth Joseph in dialogue with POLYMERS Communiqué.

Q. How do you see the future of online measurement and control? How could the processing industry benefit? Online gauging is, surprisingly to a lot of people, a very established industry with the first ever gauge

being manufactured back in the 1940s. That gauge

was a Beta sensor, but since then there has been an incredible advancement in both, the performance

of the technologies on offer and also the array of

sensor technologies being promoted. What drives the gauging industry to be so innovative? Well, it is a competitive industry, so companies are forever striving to develop and market the next best technology.

Apart from this, it is the industry developments

Hence, the online gauging industry is going to

grow and become even stronger, delivering better and better technologies to the processing and converting industries.

Q. Do you see a different approach from customers when buying a production related equipment as compared to a quality control related equipment? We see customers taking the same approach for

both circumstances because quality is truly at the To know more, please subscribe to Polymers Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

that push gauging companies to come out with faster and more repeatable measurements. The

obvious factors are wider and faster process lines, more and more demand for automated control on these lines, constant need to downgauge

and the development of more innovative products that need better quality production processes.

Gauging Solutions and Bottom-line Benefit

In Concert Gareth Joseph Business Director - AsiaPacific NDC Technologies Food, Bulk & Packaging Division Singapore

POLYMERS Communiqué l December 2016 - January 2017

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