Frank Kavanagh, Vice President of Sales at Maguire Products Asia Pte Ltd., said that optimism dominates the auxiliary sector with many players constantly developing innovative products to support machinery manufacturers. Maguire Products, Inc. is responding to the automation trend by launching a new breed of gravimetric blenders aimed at speeding up the transition toward an Industry 4.0 operation. Maguire is also looking forward to a surge in European business and a trend toward “seamless data,” where the push for simplicity and visualization is crucial.
For Karl Schäuble, Managing Director of ILLIG, there are even greater opportunities from non-European markets now than before and the future is brighter in these new markets. ILLIg has noted an increase in sales in the non-European markets, as well as an increased demand for packaging machines such as HSA, BSA, and FFS lines and also revising its service concepts for emerging markets. With a look to the future of thermoforming Mr. Schäuble sees the focus of development in the coming years on the expansion of automation and “clean” production.
Responding to Megatrends has become a main concern among many companies in the plastics industry. Clariant, for instance, has been focusing on the global Megatrends influencing the plastics industry. Clariant's commitment to delivering Value for People was summarized by Executive Committee Member Christian Kohlpaintner in the context of the trends driving the challenges of its plastics industry customer where the particular focus on innovations is underlined by sustainability because these are priorities connecting both.
Robert Chang, General Manager of Titan Plastics Compounds Co., Ltd, sees the ASEAN market as a fast-growing region for its range of materials. Mr. Chang sees several factors affecting the company’s operations and markets in 2017 and beyond. For one, China’s economic and market conditions would be a significant factor as this will affect industries including automobile, automation machines as well as the construction industry where huge amount of plastics is used.
Lightweighting still is the number-one automotive trend for plastics, according to Wim De Vos, CEO, SPE International. The continued substitution of heavy metallic and glass materials by lightweight plastic and composite structures is ‘fueled' by regulations and the rise of the electric-powered car. He also expects that the rise of the electric car will see increased use of plastics in structural elements and large parts in an effort to reduce mass and increase vehicle range. “Compare it with what we saw in the racing industry some decades ago. Look at cars like the BMW i3 and the Reva (electrical car for Indian OEM Mahindra); these cars are using plastics for components that in most standard vehicles are still normally metallic. On the Reva, for instance, all the body panels are thermoformed ABS-PC-PMMA,” Mr. De Vos said.
The medical sector is benefiting from the latest developments in engineering plastics as most of the new high performance materials are geared toward the production of medical supplies and devices, according to Tan Wei Kar, Asia Distributor general Manager of Ever Polymer Co., Ltd, a leading manufacturer of materials and compounds in Taiwan.
GRECO (Great Eastern Resins Industrial Co., Ltd) sees emerging applications as important areas for growth and development. As Duke Shih, Sales Department Manager, said that the plastics industry is undergoing a period of transition and affected by various factors, among them, environmental concerns. He further cites exploration efforts to meet new applications of plastics which lead to the development of new product.
