Plastics News correspondent Frank Antosiewicz reported the following briefs from the MassPlastics trade show, held March 26-27 in Fitchburg, Mass.
Smaller controller still stopping leaks
Logic Corp. Inc., of Middebury, Conn., has offered a negative pressure temperature control unit for leak stoppage for many years, but now it has a smaller version.
Paul Allen Jr., engineering manager of Logic, said the newer version has a footprint 1 foot shorter and passes 22 gallons a minute.
Allen said the company was founded in 1976 by his father Paul Allen, the current president, and since then, it has sold more than 30,000 units.
The firm introduced the new model at the show, though it currently has 24 testing in the field, he said.
Nicos now making recycled pellets
The newly expanded Nicos Polymers Group of Nazareth, Pa., showed its recycled pellets for the first time at a show.
The recycler completed a merger with Debco Plastics in January.
``It's really given us a greater opportunity. Now we actually manufacture a product,'' said Barry Friedman, national sales manager for Nicos.
He said the company installed Debco's two extruders and a pelletizer. Among its offerings are reprocessed polystyrene and glycol-modified PET.
Equipment firm gives pelletizers to UMass
Reduction Engineering Inc. was showing off one of two model 604 pelletizers that it was donating to the University of Massachusetts at Lowell after the MassPlastics show.
``You can't be book-smart in plastics. It helps but you need to be hands-on, and I think it is important for the industry to recognize that,'' said Chris Case, sales manager at Reduction Engineering, based in Kent, Ohio.
``That's our future,'' he added. He noted that the pelletizers will replace two machines that are more than 20 years old.
The company also was showing an underwater pelletizer with a die plate that is fixed-heat insulated to prevent freezing of the melt in outlet holes.
MassPlastics reports slide in 2008 show
The 14th MassPlastics was slightly smaller, according to David McKeehan, president of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce.
McKeehan did not release numbers, but noted that, as a two-day regional show: ``We are attempting to scale space to meet the needs of exhibitors and attendees.''
The show guide and addendum listed 137 companies. Some companies were distributors for more than one product, but were listed under one name. That compares with 159 listed in the 2006 show guide and addendum.
McKeehan said that there are many factors, including consolidation of the industry, affecting the show. Attendance was also down.
Pyramid boosts biz for insert molding
Pyramid Plastics Group Inc. of LaOtto, Ind., is expecting a big year for insert molding sales, according to Scott Werstler, vice president of operations.
``We expect a very good year - our backlog is greater than our sales last year and it is mostly repeat business,'' said Werstler.
He said 50 percent of the company's customers are in Mexico. He noted that a slowdown in automotive work has been replaced by a pickup in medical molding.
The firm recently signed on with manufacturing representative D&A Associates of Blackstone, Mass.
