Extrusion International USA 3-2019

24 Extrusion International 3/2019 EXTRUSION INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS Plastics Machinery Shipments Decline in First Quarter The shipments value of primary plastics machinery (injection molding and extrusion) in North America declined in the first quarter of 2019, according to the statistics compiled and re- ported by the Plastics Industry Association’s (PLASTICS) Com- mittee on Equipment Statistics (CES). While 2018 ended with strong plastics machinery shipments, 2019 has started soft. The preliminary estimate of the ship- ments value from reporting companies totaled $273.0 mil- lion – 27.6% lower than the fourth quarter of 2018. Injection molding shipments fell 26.3% and single- and twin-extrusion equipment shipments decreased 24.8% and 46.2%, respec- tively. Year over year, the value of shipments for single- and twin-screw extrusion equipment rose 19.8% and 8.3%, re- spectively. “First quarter data usually comes in soft, but the declines reflect the expectation of weaker U.S. and global economic growth,” said Perc Pineda, PhD, chief economist of PLASTICS. “Price effects were also at play in the first quarter. The pro- ducer price index on industrial machinery manufacturing has been on a decline from its peak in the third quarter last year.” CES also conducts a quarterly survey of plastics machinery suppliers that asks about present market conditions and ex- pectations for the future. In the coming quarter, 70% of the respondents expect conditions to either improve or hold steady. As for the next 12 months, 60% expect the market to be steady-to-better. While growth expectations for the indus- trial and packagingmarkets remained strong, aweaker global economic forecast, the unresolved U.S.-China trade issue, and the anxious anticipation surrounding the passage of the U.S.- Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) by the three countries involved were reflected in the survey results. On the international front, plastics machinery exports totaled $363.1 million, withMexico and Canada remaining the largest U.S. export markets. Exports to Canada andMexico in the first quarter were $77.7 million and $72.9 million, respectively. As previously projected by PLASTICS, plastics machinery exports fell short of $400 million –following the $416.5 million in ex- ports in the fourth quarter last year. “Demand in the plastics industry is expected to remain posi- tive against the backdrop of slower U.S. economic growth this year. However, plastics machinery makers should also consid- er that weaker global economic conditions will have knock-on effects on the industry,” Pineda added. Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) plasticsindustry.org NewCategories in Annual Parts Competition – Call for Entries The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Thermoforming Division has announced a call for entries in its annual Parts Competition, including two new categories that will feature the latest advances in thermoforming design and applica- tion. The submission deadline is August 16, 2019. Competition entries will be displayed on the exhibit hall floor during the 27th SPE Thermoforming Conference ® , which will be held September 9-11 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Awards for winning parts will be presented at the SPE Thermoform- ing Awards Dinner at September 10. Competition entrants may submit parts in four categories: • Roll-fed categories are Industrial, Medical, or Food. • Heavy-gauge categories are Vacuum Form, Pressure Form, Twin Sheet and TPO. • Two new categories this year are Parts Produced with Re- cycled/Sustainable Materials and Parts Produced Using Auto- mation and New Technology. “Challenges often arise as companies employ more automa- tion and rely on fewer personnel during part production,” said Travis Kieffer, 2019 SPE Thermoforming Conference Parts Competition Chair. “Companies now look to automa- tion to fill the dearth of skilled personnel required for pro- duction. Since the skilled labor shortage is a pervasive prob- lem in the thermoforming industry, we are soliciting parts that have met and overcome this challenge by successfully engaging automation during the parts production process.” Guidelines for Competition entrants and the required prod- uct entry form are posted online at https://thermoforming- division.com/parts-competition/guidelinesentry-form/. All product images and descriptions must be emailed to Travis Kieffer at travisk@plasticsunlimited.com by the August 16 deadline. Full information on the Parts Competition and the Thermoforming Conference is available at https://thermoformingdivision.com or Lesley Kyle: 1-914-671-9524, lesley@openmindworks.com