PMM Insight: A Plastics Machinery & Manufacturing Podcast

On this episode of PMM Insight, Editor Ron Shinn and Managing Editor Lynne Sherwin discuss new extrusion machinery introduced at the K Show. Labor shortage solutions take center stage: New extrusion systems focus on automation, guided workflows and smarter controls to support less-experienced operators. Reifenhäuser Everex flat film line: Automated PAM (Precise, Autonomous Mechatronic) die and ada...

On this episode of Machinery Minutes, our weekly roundup of news and features with PMM Editor Ron Shinn: Three top executives are departing Husky Technologies in the wake of its acquisition.  KraussMaffei  has developed a process to dose glass fibers directly into a molding machine.  Absolute Haitian co-owner Glenn Frohring talks about his love for rock ‘n’ roll, birds, his career and what comes n...

On this episode of Machinery Minutes, our weekly roundup of news and features with PMM Editor Ron Shinn:  Linda and Yousry Sayed, new owners of Wilmington Machinery, are planning to expand the business.  North American robot orders increased in 2025, but orders in the plastics and rubber sector declined.  German Machinery manufacturer Reifenhäuser rolled out new lines for flat film and blown film...

On this episode of PMM Insight, a commentary with Editor Ron Shinn: Business seems to be in a downward spiral for plastics recyclers. There is no national support or incentives for collection or recycling infrastructure, and state-of-the-art plants are closing. Why should processors and machinery manufacturers care? Because recyclers are a foundational building block for plastics circularity, whic...

On this episode of PMM’s Machinery Minutes, our weekly look at significant stories from the past week, with Editor Ron Shinn:  Total cost of wages and benefits are likely to go up this year for plastics processors,  according to a report  from The Plastics Industry Association.  WM Thermoforming unveiled  two new machines  designed for energy efficiency, quick set-up and easy maintenance, at the r...

On this episode of Machinery Minutes, our weekly news podcast with PMM editor Ron Shinn rounding up some of the top stories of the past week:  Thermoforming experts Conor Carlin and Mark Strachan have developed an  AI-powered tool  to help thermoforming companies struggling to find and keep skilled operators.  Pat Farrey , former head of SPE and now executive VP of PLASTICS, talks about the merger...

This episode is a discussion about the annual PMM Machinery Buying Survey, with editor Ron Shinn, managing editor Lynne Sherwin and senior staff reporter Karen Hanna. Here are some key points:  Survey respondents were surprisingly positive , with 73 percent saying they plan to buy primary processing equipment in 2026. Some machinery OEMs and analysts aren't quite so optimistic. Tariffs are having ...

On this episode of Machinery Minutes, our weekly news podcast with PMM editor Ron Shinn rounding up some of the top stories of the past week: Dr. Boy went big at K 2025  by introducing an entirely new line of all-electric injection molding machines.  An Ohio injection molder  invested $50,000 in robots and saw a $75,000 annual savings.  Paul Caprio was named  president of LS Mtron for the U.S. and...

In this PMM Insight commentary, Editor Ron Shinn gives you his list of what the plastics industry needs for 2026, including:  Significant improvement in the U.S. manufacturing sector.  Training and workforce development on a national level.  Stabilization of U.S. tariff policy.  An overhaul of the plastics recycling system.  Take a listen and tell us what's on your wish list .

On this episode of Machinery Minutes, our weekly news podcast with PMM editor Ron Shinn rounding up some of the top stories of the past week:  We look at new injection molding machinery introduced by Engel , Arburg and Sumitomo (SHI) Demag at K 2025.  Netstal Americas , Arburg and Hasco all announced new top executives.  The Plastics Industry Association has launched Positives of Plastic , a websi...

PMM Senior Staff Reporter Karen Hanna interviews Editor Ron Shinn about the new injection molding machines he saw at the K Show. Among the points they discuss:  The latest trends in injection molding machines.  Most notable new features on the machines.  The importance of artificial intelligence.  The next big frontier for injection molding machines. 

On this episode of the Machinery Minutes podcast with PMM editor Ron Shinn, discussing three top stories of the past week in the plastics industry:  SPE officially became a division of PLASTICS on Jan. 1. The challenge now is to merge SPE’s extensive offerings of technical events, products and membership into PLASTICS.  The Wittmann Group debuted two new injection molding machines at K 2025, a red...

Lights-out production has been a goal for the plastics industry for three decades, but until now, machines have still required operators to set them up, monitor and adjust them and perform quality checks.   On this PMM Insight podcast commentary, Editor Ron Shinn sees signs that true lights-out capabilities are on the horizon:  Industry 4.0, artificial intelligence (AI), smart factory technology a...

On this episode of Machinery Minutes, we discuss three stories about new injection molding machines introduced at K 2025, which we are covering in depth  on our website .  KraussMaffei’s  redesigned PX injection molding machine  series is more compact and energy efficient. It features a simplified, web-based MC7 control system for improved usability and cyber resilience.  Chinese manufacturer Tede...

In this episode of Machinery Minutes, PMM Editor Ron Shinn gives his three favorite stories of 2025 and compares his list to the top three stories readers viewed on  plasticsmachinerymanufacturing.com . Here are the editor’s favorites:  Business management experts said that leaders need to change their thinking to successfully navigate tariff whiplash and stock market volatility, but at the same t...

On this episode of the PMM Insight podcast, a commentary by Editor Ron Shinn:  2025 will be remembered as the year worldwide treaty talks to end plastic pollution collapsed.  Recyclers are probably the biggest losers.  To solve the problem, recyclers just need solid commitments from buyers to use recycled resin. 

On this episode of the Machinery Minutes podcast, in which PMM Editor Ron Shinn discusses three top stories of the past week:  LS Mtron is continuing its aggressive expansion plans by enlarging its Chicago-area technical center .  Wittmann USA President Sonny Morneault discusses leadership, changes he has seen in the plastics industry and what’s ahead.  Your business insurance can help maintain up...

On this episode of Machinery Minutes, our weekly podcast roundup of three important stories on the plastics industry:  The number of people working in plastics and rubber manufacturing fell by 3.500 from August to September,  according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics .  Cobots from Universal Robots  will be manufactured in the Detroit area starting next year.  Haitian, the world’s biggest manufa...

On this podcast episode, Editor Ron Shinn and Senior Reporter Karen Hanna talk about sustainability issues with flexible packaging, including:  An explanation of the green premium and why it matters.  Is flexible plastic packaging in danger of being replaced by paper or fiber?  Are plastic packaging converters caught in a tough spot?

On this episode of Machinery Minutes, our weekly roundup of top stories with Editor Ron Shinn:  A good sign for U.S. manufacturing: Industrial robot orders were up in the third quarter. A bad sign for plastics and rubber manufacturing: Robot orders dropped.  There is a new player in the North American thermoforming processing machinery market, and its name is Asano Laboratories .  A small tool mak...

On today’s Machinery Minutes podcast with PMM editor Ron Shinn, we round up these three essential stories in five minutes:  John Erkert , CEO of PiovanGroup North America, has assumed the additional role of president of Conair Group .  Japanese injection molding machinery makers Nissei and Toyo are merging , citing lessening demand and rising costs, tightening global competition, environmental con...

This episode of the PMM Insight podcast focuses on advanced recycling, which uses heat, chemicals or a combination of both to turn waste plastic into reusable monomers. PMM editor Ron Shinn and senior staff reporter Karen Hanna discuss the technologies. You'll learn:  Why is advanced recycling important to the circular economy? Who are some of the biggest players players in the industry? What is a...

This is what you will learn on today’s Machinery Minutes podcast with Ron Shinn, in which we round up three impactful stories from the past week:  Can companies continue to make packaging profitably while heading off regulations that could put plastics on the chopping block?  Russ LaBelle, the well-known founder of Wilmington Machinery, died at the age of 86 . He developed specialized plastic mach...

Here's what you'll learn on today’s Machinery Minutes podcast, in which PMM editor Ron Shinn rounds up three top stories from the past week:  Are you familiar with PWDS, SFDR or WDLS? If you are in the blow molding business, you know they are acronyms for equipment to optimize thin bottle walls. But you might be surprised where this equipment came from .  Tobias Baur is Arburg’s managing director...

On this episode of PMM Insight, a commentary by Editor Ron Shinn about hot topics heard on the show floor at K 2025:  Competition – particularly from Asian machinery manufacturers – has caused Arburg to build a lower-cost molding machine .  Artificial intelligence is coming, but machinery manufacturers are very divided on when it will get here.  Aftermarket parts and service have become more impor...