Extrusion International USA 2-2022

14 Extrusion International 2/2022 INDUSTRY NEWS Virtual Service Expanded „ ILLIG is expanding its customer service program with new virtual tools. Augmented reality (AR) devices and software so- lutions will be deployed to support customers remotely. The complementary visualization technologies will enable the use of technical maintenance, machine health checks, as well as the execution of a variety of tests in the ILLIG Technology Center (ITC) in real time. Pandemic-related lockdowns and re- strictions on global travel have accelerated the acceptance of expanded remote technical customer support. The newvirtual services are already successfully in use at ILLIG. Factory acceptance tests (FAT) and subsequent machine com- missioning at the customer’s site are usually carried out with the physical presence of ILLIG technicians and customer staff. ILLIG has offered the possibility to carry out these demanding and complex procedures online for years. Until now, thedirect exchange tookplaceviaportabledevices suchas smartphones, tablets, and high-end cameras in real time. Virtual services will extend and facilitate communication in the commissioning process and will speed up execution of related tasks. With AR technology, ILLIG is expanding its digital service of- feringwith the help ofMicrosoft HoloLens2. Thesemixed real- ity glasses allow the user to display interactive 3D projections in the immediate environment. Adapted to ILLIG’s require- ments, the glasses can be used, for example, for tests in the ITCwithdirect transmission to the customer. The customer can actively participate in real time from his location using Micro- soft TEAMS via smartphone, tablet or PC. Other applications with this technology include FATs, customer training, and live product presentations. Additional options for accessible live communication for ad hoc support includes the use of the Inosoft i40 software por- tal at ILLIG. This web-based real-time support enables simple and fast direct contact with the customer via moving image and sound without the customer having to install any special software. ILLIG Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG www.illig.com More Transparency in European Data on Recycled Plastics „ PolyREC ® , the association that monitors, veri fi es and reports on European recycled plastics, is now recognised as an of fi cial data collector for the Circular Plastics Alliance (CPA). Thanks to RecoTrace™ data PolyREC ® will report on the progress of the entire European plastics value chain towards the CPA target of 10Mt recycled plastics use by 2025. Ton Emans, President at Plastics Recyclers Europe, says on behalf of PolyREC ® , “PolyREC ® is calling on all plastic recy- clers and converters to register their recycled plastic data into RecoTrace™ and, in doing so, ensure transparency of the cir- cular movement of European polymers. Understanding the size and dynamics of the European recycled plastics market will help inform future legislation and investment decisions that accelerate the transition to a circular economy.” Fully CPA compliant, RecoTrace™ is the fi rst comprehensive data system to monitor both plastic recycling volumes and re- cycled plastic use for all main polymers. The tool provides recyclers and converters with a free-to-use online platform to track progress against individual pledges to produce or use recycled content and helping to demonstrate commitment towards circularity. Building on Recovinyl ® ’s 20+ years of data collection experi- ence and expertise, RecoTrace™ inherits a proven track record and credibility in data monitoring. The system has now been expanded to include all main polymers: polyole fi n (PO), poly- ethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), poly- styrene (PS) and expanded polystyrene (EPS), extruded poly- styrene (XPS), polyamide (PA), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polycarbonate (PC). PolyREC ® members have worked collaboratively to align all de fi nitions and methodology used within RecoTrace™ to en- sure comparability of data. www.polyrec.eu/ https://recotrace.com/auth/login