North America Roundup
Canadian manufacturer of injection moulding machines Husky has appointed Mark Segal to the position of vice president, finance and chief financial officer. Mr Segal will join Husky’s executive team and will lead the global finance organisation.
“Mark brings a wealth of global financial and operations experience to Husky that is aligned with our key priorities and growth objectives,” said John Galt, Husky’s president and CEO. “I am pleased to welcome him to our team and look forward to the contributions he will make as a strategic business partner.”
Prior to joining Husky, Mr Segal was most recently chief operating officer of Canada Goose, a leading manufacturer of high performance outdoor clothing. He is a chartered accountant and holds a bachelor of commerce degree, a bachelor of accountancy degree and a master of business administration degree from the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa.
Mr Segal officially joined Husky on March 4, 2013, replacing George Halatsis, who retired as CFO at the end of 2012 to join Husky’s board of directors.
In January Husky released plans for a world tour. The tour is to replace participation in some of the key trade shows this year, including K in Düsseldorf in October.
Husky kicked off the tour with a Beverage Packaging Day in South Korea that was attended by more than 100 existing and prospective customers. The next stop is a Specialty Closures Day in Austria on April 16-17, 2013, followed by a Beverage Packaging Day in Brazil on May 14, 2013. Additional tour events are planned throughout the year for customers in the beverage packaging, food packaging, closures, medical and hot runner markets.
Ahead of a revised USP standard regarding labeling on injection vial caps going into effect on December 1, 2013, US-headquartered manufacturer of components and systems for injectable drug delivery WestM has created an online resource centre to inform drug manufacturers about the revised standard.
The revision represents a fundamental shift in the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industry as printing will be limited to cautionary statements on the top surface of the ferrule or cap overseal of a vial containing an injectable drug product.
The resource center includes an informational video and links to USP resources.
US additive manufacturing bureau rapid prototype + manufacturing (rp+m) has expanded its 3D printing capability with the purchase its second Stratasys Fortus 900mc fused deposition modeling (FDM) machine. The machine is the largest of its type available from Stratasys.
The 900mc is said to speed up conceptual modeling and functional prototyping while allowing for multiple iterations. The increased capacity will allow rp+m to keep up with the demand of customers needing fast, three-dimensional prototypes and functional production parts in just a few days.
In July 2012 specialty polymer compound manufacturer PolyOne began working with rp+m in an additive manufacturing research project.
UK-headquartered extrusion machinery manufacturer Boston Matthews has announced a recent expansion and relocation of its US operations to Coral Springs, Florida.
The re-location and expansion forms part of a major investment programme by the company which has already seen the establishment of a sales and support office in Shanghai, China, as well as expansion internally within the UK based headquarters in Worcester, UK.
Boston Matthews has over 10,000 machines in the USA and has operated a manufacturing and Customer Support facility in New Jersey for more than 25 years. In 2002 Boston Matthews purchased recycling machinery manufacturer Munchy which increased the number of systems and machines to be supported in the USA, Canada, and Central and South America.
US extrusion machinery maker American Kuhne has appointed Brad Sprague to the position of regional sales manager for the Midwest territory. His territory includes the following states: Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia. Due to increased volume the company is adding this position to better service its customers in that area.
“Brad’s extensive knowledge of extrusion and extrusion equipment makes him a valuable asset for us,” said Bill Kramer, president. “His technical skills and strong attention to exceptional customer service will allow us to better serve our current and future clients within his territory.”
Brad has well over twenty years of experience in the plastics industry with a focus on technical sales and extrusion systems. With a rich family history within the plastics industry he had the unique opportunity to experience plant visits and meetings with many pioneers of the plastics industry from a very young age.
Brad has spent his career working in sales and specification of extruders and extrusions systems in the medical, packaging, automotive, agriculture, and communications markets. He has experience working with companies nationwide with the majority of his time spent selling into the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest regions. Most recently, he held sales management roles at R&B Engineering and Xaloy, Inc.
Brad has a bachelor’s degree in business from Eastern University in St David’s, Pennsylvania, in addition to credentials from a two-year Plastics Certificate Programme at the University of Umass Lowell.
At the MD&M West trade show in Annaheim, southern California, American Kuhne introduced its new Modular Micro Extruder. At the show, the company ran a Pebax 6333 micro tubing production system that included their new 12 mm Modular Micro Extruder with servo drive and pressure control. The extruder is said to provide the versatility to quickly and easily change barrel and screw diameters and feed section geometry configurations—allowing for fast product change overs and thorough bare metal cleanouts.
The new modular micro extruders are available in 12 mm, 16 mm and 19 mm barrel/screw sizes and are suitable for medical device and pharmaceutical applications.
Very low output volumes can be achieved down to 125 grams/hr using standard size pellet shapes and granules. Typical resins for micro catheters are processed such as Pebax, nylon, and polyurethane, high temperature polymers such as PEEK and FEP and bioresorbable polymer formulations such as PLA. Complete micro extrusion systems are available for the production of tight tolerance medical tubing, co-extruded tubing, fine wire jacketing, filaments and solid dosage forms.
According to Steve Maxson, vice president of extrusion systems at American Kuhne: “Micro extruders allow for a short residence time in the barrel, which helps to minimise thermal degradation, especially compared to traditional size extruders running at very low screw speeds. A shorter residence time protects the molecular weight of the material and ultimately the physical properties of the end product that it is use in. This is especially important for developers of medical devices, dissolving oral dosage forms and drug-eluting devices.”
Significant investment and product development by American Kuhne is reported to have resulted in a comprehensive “pipeline” of seamlessly integrated precision micro extrusion equipment including Modular Micro Extruders, AKcess touchscreen control systems, AK-u-Tube Spiral Flow Crossheads, AK-u-Cool Precision Cooling Tanks and AK-u-Pull Combination Servo Puller/Cutter controls. AK-u-Tube, AK-u-Cool and AK-u-Pull are trademarks of Americam Kuhne.
Experts at the American Chemical Society (ACS) have stated that fundamental changes are needed in the education of scientists whose work impacts medicine, drug discovery and virtually every other discipline.
The statement came following the publication by the ACS of what has been described as the most comprehensive report in half a century.
Although the report concluded that the state of graduate education in the chemical sciences is productive and healthy in many respects, it found that the education of doctoral-level scientists has not kept pace with major changes in the global economic, social and political environment that have occurred since World War II, when the current system of graduate education took shape.
A new standard has been published by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) to specify raw material properties for PEKK pellets, powder or stock shapes used in surgical implants.
According to the ASTM website, ASTM F2820, Specification for Polyetherketoneketone (PEKK) Polymers for Surgical Implant Applications, provides requirements and associated test methods for these thermoplastics when they are to be used in the manufacture of intracorporeal devices such as surgical implants or components of surgical or dental devices.
The website goes on to say, as with any material, some characteristics may be altered by the processing techniques (for example, molding, extrusion, machining, assembly, and sterilisation) required for the production of a specific part or device.
Therefore, properties of fabricated forms of these polymers should be evaluated using test methods which are appropriate to ensure safety and efficacy as agreed upon by the vendor, purchaser, and regulating bodies.
This specification is designed to recommend physical, chemical, and biological test methods to establish a reasonable level of confidence concerning the performance of virgin PEKK polymers for use in medical implant devices.
It lists the properties that should be considered in selecting material(s) in accordance with the specific end-use requirements. This specification also addresses classification, properties, sampling, and biocompatibility.specifies allowable ranges for composition, mechanical and physical properties, as well as acceptable quality control practices, for PEKK polymers used in the manufacture of medical devices.
French silicone manufacturer Bluestar Silicones showed its Silbione brand of soft silicone technologies at the MD&M West trade show in February. These technologies include low durometer liquid silicone rubber (LSR), room temperature vulcanised (RTV) silicones, gels and skin adhesives, and its new patent pending silicone foam.
The silicone foam technology offers low density open cell silicone foam for flexible, breathable yet durable applications. This innovation was honoured as Frost & Sullivan’s Product Differentiation Award in 2012.
US specialty TPE manufacturer PolyOne GLS showcased its expertise in how TPEs can be used for ergonomic design of medical devices.
These specialty materials are said to improve usability through vibration damping to improve shock absorption, and they can also provide an ultra-soft touch for greater comfort.
Incorporating these materials can also increase safety and aesthetics in devices such as prosthetics, orthotics, mobility aids, surgical devices and equipment housings. Further, these specialty TPEs work seamlessly with most commonly used healthcare plastics, allowing them to be overmoulded on to a rigid substrate without the need for an adhesive.
German specialty polymer compounder Lehmann & Voss & Co has launched a subsidiary company to directly serve the North American plastics compounding market. Located in Pawcatuck, CT, the new company, Lehvoss North America, includes an experienced sales, engineering, and manufacturing team. Lehvoss North America will manufacture the company’s Luvocom materials in the USA.
The Society of Plastics Industry (SPI), the largest plastics trade association in the USA, has said that its Business of Plastics conference—held at the same time and place as the Antec conference—will be structured to serve a range of sectors including automotive, packaging, medical and electronics.
Antec is the world’s largest plastics technical conference in the world and is organised by the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE). It will take place at the Duke Energy Convention Centre in Cincinnati, Ohio, on April 22-24, 2013.
On the last day of the conference, a half day forum on new polymers for use in health applications will take place. The forum is the product of two divisions of the SPE—the Medical Plastics Division and the Engineering Properties and Structures Division—joining forces with the New Technology Committee.
One of the topics will be in the area of resorbable polymers and exciting applications made possible with their use. A look at how innovation is being done using novel polymers and how the frontiers of regulatory agencies are being challenged and redrafted based on emerging polymers and new applications will be covered. According to the organisers, attending the forum will provide a glimpse into where Boston Scientific, 3M and Abbott Vascular are taking their technology into the next generation of healthcare.
Registration for the Antec event opened on January 9, 2013. Given that there is no NPE (the largest plastics trade show in the USA) in 2013, pundits forecast that Antec will be the biggest plastics gathering in the USA this year.
The SPE has announced it has former a partnership with the plastics division of the American Chemistry Council (ACC) which will increase the value of both associations to their respective members and increase awareness that plastic materials and products are contributing to a more sustainable future. Through the partnership, members of both organisations will enjoy certain reciprocal benefits, and, to some extent, the associations agreed to use each other’s communication channels.
“Our partnership with ACC’s plastics division will provide value to our members by enhancing access to market data and information on the sustainability of plastics, and by creating a framework to better leverage the expertise and the communications networks that exist within this industry,” said Willem De Vos, SPE’s chief executive officer.
“Plastics engineers are working every day to bring innovative materials and applications to life,” said Steve Russell, ACC’s vice president of plastics. “Through this new partnership we hope to support their work through access to more comprehensive information about the sustainability of plastics across a variety of applications.”
In preparing for the NPE trade show, the organiser, the SPI, has appointed a specialist trade show marketing agency for the next event, due to take place on March 23-27, 2015.
The agency is MDG based in San Diego, California. MDG reportedly works with ten of the top 100 events listed by <i>Trade Show Executive</i> magazine, among them world-scale, machinery-focused trade shows.
SPI has also appointed two new employees for the NPE event. Lori Campbell has joined SPI’s trade show team as director of operations. She will draw on a background of more than 30 years in the management of shows and conferences. Most recently she was senior director of sales and marketing for Solar Energy Tradeshows.
Brad Williams, the team’s new director of marketing and sales, has come to SPI from the National Association of Broadcasters, where he held senior roles focused on the growth and long-term health of their annual convention, the NAB show.
US packaging manufacturer MeadWestvaco (MWV) has invested US$7.5 mn in an expansion of its German pharmaceutical packaging facility in Hemer.
The centre is the core for MWV’s global pharmaceutical dispensing systems manufacturing network. The US$7.5 mn project includes expanding cleanroom moulding and assembly capacity, and the introduction of a state-of-the-art logistics system to control the flow of finished goods and components. MWV is making this investment in its healthcare business based upon the business’s rapid growth, especially in demand for preservative-free packaging products.
"This investment underlines MWV’s position as an innovation leader in healthcare dispensing systems and our commitment to manufacturing high-quality products in the appropriate regulatory environment,” said Sven-Uwe Höhm, vice president and general manager of MWV’s, medical plastics division.
The facility expansion will commence in early 2013 and is expected to finish by the end of the year.
US-headquartered colour equipment and services firm X-Rite, which owns the Pantone brand of colour referencing system has announced that Ron Voigt has been named president of the X-Rite operating company. Related to this, Tom Vacchiano announced his retirement as president of X-Rite, effective on March 1, 2013.
“Over the last several years, X-Rite and its subsidiary Pantone have become high performing businesses and global leaders in our industry. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time as part of this team, and now is the right moment for me to pursue a new course and let X-Rite grow with new leadership,” said Vacchiano.
“I’m confident that Ron Voigt will help X-Rite remain a global industry leader, realise its full growth potential, and continue to deliver quality colour science and technology products that meet the needs of current and future customers.”
The US subsidiary of German injection moulding machine manufacturer KraussMaffei, The KraussMaffei Corporation, demonstrated a 4,300-tonne machine from its GX series of injection moulding machines at its TechDay open house, held in tandem with US injection moulder and tool builder Proper Group at the subsidiary’s plant in Warren, Michigan, in February. There was reportedly interest in KraussMaffei’s automation cells working on the GX and polyurethane moulding technologies.
USA-based DG Medical, a full-service contract manufacturer specialising in plastic moulding for medical devices, has announced the addition of a new project engineer, Abby Hare, to its engineering department.
Abby’s primary focus will be on coordinating customer products through the manufacturing process from initial tooling design to the finished product. Her responsibilities will include identifying unique manufacturing techniques to ensure optimal quality, constructing and executing design and validation reports, as well as providing input regarding system and product test requirements.
Hare has over six years of experience in the manufacturing industry. She has worked as a project manager for Innovative Medical Device Solutions and and a product engineer for Honeywell Aerospace.
The team at Medical Plastics News have sent Abby a complimentary copy of the print magazine to welcome her to the medical plastics sector.
ERT, a US headquartered provider of research services to biopharmaceutical, medical device and contract research organisations (CROs), will hold a conference focusing on how pharmaceutical companies can demonstrate the efficacy and value of their products to key stakeholders throughout the drug development lifecycle. The conference is called Proficiency 2013: Maximising Product Value with Optimised Endpoints and is being held on April 10-12, 2013, in Ft Lauderdale, Florida.
The agenda is comprised of topics pertaining to the collection of high-quality patient safety and efficacy data, with a concentration on the use of clinical outcome assessment (COA) data—including patient, clinician, and observer reported outcomes (PROs, ClinROs and ObsROs). The conference will also provide important updates on the FDA’s recently revised guidance for industry on the “prospective assessment of suicidal ideation and behavior in clinical trials”.
Elsewhere, Robert Brown of ERT will present a paper called Improving Clinical Trial Data Collection, Management, and Analysis at at BioPharm Asia in Sentosa, Singapore, on March 18-21, 2013.
US extrusion machinery manufacturer Davis-Standard has consolidated its global sales and marketing structure. As a result, the company’s extrusion and converting lines have been combined into one product line. Leading the new structure is sales and marketing vice president Bob Florence, a new hire. Bob has 25 years of experience and was previously at GE Plastics and Apple.
Davis-Standard has also announced four other new hires—Kevin Cooghlan as chief financial officer, Carlos Flores as global vice president marketing, Christopher James as global director of aftermarket part sales and Mark Wodrich as district sales manager for blown film.
In other news, Davis-Standard has acquired one of its suppliers, Circonix, a manufacturer of drive and control systems for extrusion and converting machinery. Davis-Standard has also diversified with its purchase of CX-Systems, a provider of turnkey machinery relocations, including modifications and installation activities covering rigging, electrics, mechanics and plumbing.
Davis–Standard’s vice president of product line management Jim Murphy has been appointed by the Society of Plastics Industry (SPI) to head the NPE 2015 trade show as chairman of the executive committee.
US plastics machinery manufacturer Milacron has announced that its first graduating class from its pilot machinist training programme run in partnership with the University of Cincinnati Clermont College has resulted in all ten graduates finding a job.
The 16-week certificate programme, designed to train workers in advanced manufacturing skills and provide them with hands-on experience, tools and payment for their time, was conducted in a newly renovated, former Ford manufacturing facility near UC Clermont College’s UC East campus.
The graduates ranged in age from 18-52 and had a wide range of industrial skills and experience, but no machining experience, when they entered the programme. For some, that prior experience translated directly to the new job for which they were training, such as precision competencies that are useful in quality control or inspection and a talent for drawing that relates directly to computer-aided design (CAD). All graduates were from the southwest region of the state and are now working full time as machinists at Milacron.
“We have been looking for machine operators for quite a while without much success. And with a number of retirements on the horizon, we needed some out-of-the-box thinking to have our workforce prepared for the future. This programme fits our needs perfectly; the model helped us to quickly close the skills gap we have been experiencing. It has far exceeded our initial expectations,” said Jim Kinzie, plant manager of Milacron’s Mt. Orab, Ohio, facility.
US manufacturer of polycarbonate, ABS and ABS/PC alloys Styron has appointed Martin Pugh as senior vice president and business president, plastics and member of Stryon’s executive leadership team. Martin’s european-centric experience is a key driver behind the appointment as Styron pushes to expand sales in the continent.
“We are extremely pleased to name a plastics business president with Martin’s senior strategic experience in the chemical industry,” said Chris Pappas, president and CEO of Styron. “His vast experience in various plastics businesses and his European-centric career, skills and relationships will help take Styron’s plastics business including styrenic polymers, automotive and polycarbonate compounds and blends (PCC&B) to the next level.”
Pugh most recently worked at Styrolution Group, the global styrenics joint venture between BASF and Ineos, where he served as president for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and a management board member. He was managing director for Europe of Ineos Nova from the company’s formation as Nova Innovene in 2005 and previously served as managing director for Europe with Nova Chemicals. Pugh spent 20 years with The Dow Chemical Company serving as global business director for specialty polyethylenes and previously in a variety of sales and marketing roles working in the UK, Dubai, Sweden and Switzerland.
Pugh has a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Chemistry and Management Studies from Loughborough University in the UK.
Pugh will be located at Styron’s European regional operating centre in Horgen, Switzerland.
Wichita, USA-based venture capital firm Arcady Capital Company has acquired Mountain Molding, a contract moulder and tool maker serving medical and other sectors.
USA-headquartered supplier of equipment for extrusion and coating technologies Nordson EDI has promoted Sam G Iuliano to the position of chief technologist.
Mr Iuliano will provide high-level technical support to customers, consulting to improve performance in their extrusion and coating processes and alerting them to advances in die system technology.
At the same time, he will support new technology programs at Nordson EDI, coordinating with all departments to develop innovations that meet emerging customer needs. Finally, he will play important educational roles, serving as an advisor to Nordson EDI’s engineering specialists and presenting the results of the latest research on tooling and processing to the extrusion and converting industries.
“Sam combines great technical expertise with proven skills for working closely with customers,” said Godfrey M Sandham, vice president and general manager. “He will play a central role in driving Nordson EDI to the next level in technology and representing the customer throughout our company.”
Sam Iuliano joined Nordson EDI in 1992 as a sales engineer. His subsequent positions at the company included manager of sales administration, product manager, and technology manager. He was promoted to director of technical sales in 2011.
Engel North America demonstrated silicone vulcanisation in liquid silicone rubber (LSR) injection moulding at Plastec West in Annaheim, California, USA, on February 12-14, 2013. Plastec West was held at the same time and in the same place as the MD&M West medical technology show.
Following the establishment of its new biopharmaceutical trading company and brand Abbvie, effective January 1, 2013, leading US healthcare product manufacturer Abbott presented its new group strategy to the global investment community at JP Morgan’s Global Healthcare Conference on January 8, 2013.
The company explained the structure of the newly formed companies and gave detail on four key divisions—pharma, medical devices, diagnostics and nutrition.
For a copy of the presentation please contact the editor.
US moulder of parts for medical devices, Tessy Plastics, is using Sigmasoft process monitoring and control software. According to Sigmasoft, the software allows them to to simulate the entire injection moulding process before production, enabling them to expand their global presence while finding the most cost-effective and high-quality manufacturing solutions.
US-headquartered Minnesota Rubber and Plastics, a supplier of custom moulded components and assemblies for medical device applications, has published a new brochure.
According to the company, medical equipment manufacturers seeking a qualified manufacturing partner will find this brochure particularly useful because it details Minnesota Rubber and Plastics’ 65 years worth of experience in the medical components and assemblies industry and their innovative solutions approach. The company describes this to include product design, process development, manufacturing, assembly, sourcing, quality systems, material sciences expertise and programme management.
The new brochure explains how the company provides comprehensive services in both engineering design and advanced materials development to manufacture the best end product possible.
Of special interest are the company’s design services, superior silicone bonding technology, rapid mould design and build, and prototype production. Minnesota Rubber and Plastics says it is an expert source for all types of medical seals, and metal to plastic, rubber to TPE, and plastic-to-plastic conversions.
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