From Rethink Plastics Expo and knowledge program on circularity to discovering the possibilities with 3D printing at the Plastics Fair 2024

25 editions of the Plastics Fair reflect a sector that has developed in the Netherlands into an industrial sector with 50,000 jobs and accounts for over €13 billion in sales. Anno 2024, however, plastics are under the social magnifying glass. Circular is the future, but that's where things are currently pinching. Is 3D printing a solution to be more resource-efficient?

Chain cooperation has definitely taken the plastics and rubber industry to the next level in terms of innovation. "Together it goes faster, companies have come to realize that over the last 15 years. By working together, we arrive faster at better solutions that we can bring to the market sooner," says Martin van Dord, Innovation Coach at the Dutch Rubber and Plastics Industry Federation (NRK). Innovation has contributed to a sharp increase in knowledge and skills among companies. When it comes to collaboration, the Netherlands is ahead of other countries. "They watch with admiration how that works in the Netherlands," says Dord.

Milestone

The Plastics Fair, taking place this year on September 18 and 19 in the Brabanthallen in 's Hertogenbosch, is the annual meeting place for the entire chain in the Benelux. A fair you have to be at as a manufacturer of injection molding machines, among other things, believes Mark Verveer, director KraussMaffei Benelux. "You speak to dozens of people there in one day. A trade fair is terribly effective."

In the history of 25 years of Kunststoffenbeurs, the move from Veldhoven to 's Hertogenbosch is a milestone for Mark Verveer. Koningshof had its advantages. "You only start missing something when you no longer have it. But the Brabanthallen gives the opportunity to bring machines to the fair. Those are not only an eye-catcher; you can also explain things to the visitors much easier." For Mark Verveer and his team, this year's Plastics Fair will be primarily a networking fair.

Sector under pressure

That the industry is under pressure is felt everywhere in the market. The first reason, according to Verveer, is that during the Covid-19 crisis, 50% more injection molding machines were sold than normal in a year.

"The market hasn't grown by 50%, so then you're going to sell less in later years." On top of that, the Dutch industry has been shrinking for six consecutive quarters; in fact, in the plastics industry, the contraction is double that of the industry as a whole. This is partly because the use of plastics, as plastics are colloquially called, is under pressure because of their perceived environmental impact. "What material is not under social pressure?" wonders Martin van Dord. Rightly or wrongly, the general public's perception of plastics is negative.

Circular raw materials

The big challenge for the industry is switching to circular materials, the NRK Innovation Coach believes. That is also what politicians are demanding. Not for nothing does the Plastics Fair 2024 have the slogan Endless possibilities with circular plastics. Currently, the share of circular, biobased or recycled plastics is 12 to 15%. By 2030 it should be 50%. And in 25 years even 100% according to European legislation. The master plan to achieve these goals is ready. "We have a big job to do," acknowledges Martin van Dord. The mechanical recycling capacity seems to be sufficient. That leaves the question of whether the market is willing to apply these circular materials? "It is a long journey so you have to be stubborn and innovate. And both consumers and companies will have to change their behavior. Collecting, sorting, separating and recycling, that's what it comes down to."

The tricky thing, according to Van Dord, is that you have many different plastics that you can't lump together. Basically, for each type of plastic you have a chain with which you have to make agreements. "This is conveniently lumped together, but that underestimates the complexity of the chains. The challenge is different for each chain."

Sometimes legislation prohibits the use of circular materials; other times the threshold in an application is so high, for example in the aviation industry, that companies choose virgin materials for that reason alone. And then there is the international market: virgin plastics are offered from outside Europe cheaper than recyclers here can make recyclate. By 2022, more than half of used plastics will end up in the incinerator. "We will have to move toward recycled plastics anyway," says Mark Verveer of KraussMaffei. "We cannot keep burning plastics indefinitely, even though one of the consequences may be that materials will become more expensive."

3D printing as a solution?

Is 3D printing a solution to become more sustainable? This year there will be an AM for Plastics Area at the Plastics Fair and the lecture program will also focus on this technology. Karl Wallecan, director-owner of SEIDO Systems and SEIDO Solutions, exhibitors at the fair, thinks 3D printing can certainly help reduce material waste.

He gives a real-life example from SEIDO Solutions, a supplier of both plastic and metal parts. A customer asked a price for 1,000 small plastic parts. "When we started talking, it turned out they only needed 220 of them annually. However, they ordered 1,000 because that was the minimum order quantity for injection molding and on this number the mold cost was amortized. The rest they ended up throwing in the trash," he explains. Then 3D printing becomes not only cheaper, but also more sustainable because no material is wasted.

Injection mold printing

In the 16 years that Karl Wallecan has represented the 3D printer manufacturer Stratasys, he has become convinced that the application is crucial to weigh 3D printing against other techniques. "With the Loctite resins and the Stratasys 3D printers, we have good materials and printers tailored to the specific requirements of industries. We have carbon fiber materials as strong as aluminum. But if the application doesn't allow 3D printing, it's not going to work." At the show, Seido Systems, together with resin manufacturer Loctite, is also demonstrating injection mold printing. A French food group first 3D prints the molds for new cups to test them with consumers before investing in a costly injection mold.

"It's about the first products. There we can often already replace the aluminum die with 3D printing." And for the real series dies, SEIDO Systems has the tooling solution from Xact Metal, which together with Uddeholm has developed a 3D metal printing process for die inserts with internal cooling channels. Printing is done with Corrax, a stainless steel alloy that is not susceptible to corrosion. This allows for shorter cycle times for larger numbers of injection molded products. In an industry where margins are under pressure, this innovation is certainly worth exploring, Karl Wallecan believes.

Injection molding with recyclate

KraussMaffei is also tackling an innovation this year that ties in with the theme of circular plastics. The injection molding machine manufacturer has developed a machine that makes it easier to injection mold with recycled materials. The first version of this injection molding machine can be seen working in the new showroom in Munich. It features a single-screw compounder that melts the material even before it enters the plasticizing unit.

"This allows us to add a higher percentage of recyclate and still maintain the same properties," says Mark Verveer. This type of smarter machinery, he says, will help ensure an increasingly higher percentage of recyclate is processed. Currently, the technology is available for up to 5 liters of shot volume. "But we continue to develop, because society cannot do without plastics." That recyclate is more expensive, he thinks, is understandable. There is an additional process involved. That costs money. "Even though virgin materials are cheaper, we will have to start using recycled materials. The need should not be the purchase price but the fact that plastics are a petroleum product."

Political decisions

Visitors to the Plastics Fair can find inspiration for working with circular materials at the Rethink exhibit, which is on display again this year. Together with the Circonnect knowledge network, there will be presentations on tools to design for circular materials. "Because we as processors have to take our role as enablers to make the end customer make the sustainable decision," says Martin van Dord. Also on the agenda will be the status of the National Circular Plastic Standard (NCPN). "In addition, we are trying to bring someone from The Hague to the fair to explain what the circular plastics levy means that is mentioned in the new government's outline agreement," says Martin van Dord. After all, the Plastics Fair begins the day after Budget Day.

In the outline agreement, this levy is budgeted at half a billion euros a year from 228. "Surprising," says the NRK Innovation Coach, "because a year and a half ago CE Delft calculated that the risk of leakage from both polymer production and polymer processing is high."

That the plastics industry must move toward circular raw materials is beyond dispute. But the playing field must remain level, Van Dord believes. And as he emphasizes, in Scope 3, the use of plastics often results in large savings. Just think of the weight savings in cars. "The environmental impact in production is only a fraction of the total impact. If you then only price the impact in plastics and not in metals, the ratio becomes even more skewed."

VISIT THE PLASTICS FAIR FOR FREE

A world without plastics is unthinkable, but the world also demands future-proof solutions. Curious about the latest developments and who can help you with your challenges and issues? You'll find out at the 25th edition of the Plastics Fair.

Register your visit for free