Saving energy, and carbon, are goals for Plastek Industries

All injection molding companies replace machines, often when they simply wear out. But Plastek Industries Inc. has embarked on a five-year plan to replace hydraulic injection presses with energy-efficient all-electric and hybrid machines.

That type of scheduled replacement will reduce Plastek's carbon footprint, an important goal for its big customers, among them Fortune 500 majors like Procter & Gamble Co., Unilever, Revlon Inc. and Church & Dwight Co. Inc. Plastek specializes in personal care products such as deodorant sticks, caps, cosmetic containers and other thin-wall parts.

And beyond the scheduled replacement plan, the company will buy new energy-efficient injection molding machines as needed to mold for new business.

So this month, Best Practices takes you to the plastics hotbed of Erie, Pa., the headquarters city for Plastek Industries. To kick off 2020, let's look at Plastek's machinery replacement program, and get a 2020 look at the circular economy in action.

Last year, Plastek installed 23 replacement machines at its three U.S. plants: two in Erie and one in Hamlet, N.C. Of the total, 15 are all-electric presses and eight are hybrids.

Machine brands include Sumitomo Demag, Milacron Roboshot and Fanuc.

Plastek runs more than 400 injection molding machines companywide, including a plant in Querétaro, Mexico.

The company bought a Milacron Roboshot all-electric press in 2017, then kicked off its green movement in 2018 before ramping up in 2019. The five-year plan calls for replacing a large portion of its current fleet of machines by 2023.

"It's a wise investment and a proactive one. A significant action of commitment," said Frank Blackman, Plastek's corporate facilities engineer.

All-electric and hybrid presses, which use both electric and smart hydraulic power to run movements, only consume power when needed for a machine function. That uses less power than older hydraulic machines that run continuously to support the pumps.

Plastek officials based their decision on annual evaluations of recorded production data. The molder has partnered with CDP, known as the Carbon Disclosure Project; EcoVadis, a supply chain rating system; Sedexo, which does energy management and auditing; and electricity supplier Penelec. Plastek lists CPD score details on its website, showing a steady improvement in grades since 2012.

Plastek has devoted a section of its website to Sustainable Living. The all-electric and hybrid injection molding machines are just one part of the company's approach to environmental issues. Others include adding energy-efficient zoned lighting, using post-consumer resin, lightweighting and thin-wall molding. There's also a closed-loop compressed air system and keeping right control of fans on cooling towers and water systems.

As Plastek shows, the plastics industry has moved past the stage of talk and marketing claims and into actions that can be independently measured. The green effort helped Plastek won the 2018 Plastics News Excellence Award for customer relations.