Extrusion International USA 4-2021

37 Extrusion International 4/2021 „ Processing Technologies International (PTi), Aurora, IL an- nounced the appointment of Plastics Machinery Works as its exclusive representative for PTi’s extrusion systems and after- market sales and support in Australia and New Zealand. Plastic Machinery Works, located in Keilor Park, Australia now repre- sents PTi in the sales and promotion of PTi’s complete line of products, includes the SUPER-G® HighSPEED™ and HVTSE® DryerLESS™ extruders, and the G-SERIES® Con fi gurable Roll Stands. In addition, Plastic Machinery Works will serve as the region’s dedicated supplier of spare parts for PTi equipment. PTi is recognized as a global leader for the supply of high-perfor- mance sheet extrusionmachinery, with an emphasis on superior equipment performance and sheet quality. Product lines are comprised of single and twin-screw extruders, providing con- ventional, dryerless, and multi-resin extrusion capabilities for the production of mono, multi-layer, high barrier, foam, fi ber and various other applications. Whether customized to exact production standards or chosen from a standard con fi gura- tion within PTi’s stock inventory program (Genesis), PTi sheet extrusion systems, including compounding and reclaim systems, provide solutions for a wide array of applications used in the Australian Representative Retained packaging, automotive, construction, food and beverage, and agricultural industries. Plastic Machinery Works prides also itself on providing superior service and technical excellence, backed by a team of highly competent, factory trained engineers with decades of experi- ence in the Australian and New Zealand manufacturing mar- kets. Specialized services include machinery and control system installation and removal, repair and maintenance, diagnostic analysis and testing, as well as an inventory of readily available parts. Such services, along with Plastic Machinery Works ability toprovide high-quality technical andhands-on support by expe- riencedprocess engineers, aligns directlywith the strategic goals and principles of PTi. “This collaboration with Plastic Machinery Works de fi nes the model for PTi to expand into strategic global markets, as this alliance provides the means for us to match the level of service and support currently experienced by domestic markets includ- ingMexico and Canada,” says MatthewBanach, PTi’s Vice Presi- dent of Business Development. With Australia’s dependence on imports and the trends in sheet goods showing a rise, a regional presence provides a bene fi t that Australian extruded sheet pro- ducers would not otherwise have. Leading the venture will be Plastic MachineryWorks’ Managing Director, Jeff Powers, and his team, who will work directly with MatthewBanach. “We arebuildingan infrastructure to support the Australian sheet producers and thermoformers with this in- creasing demand for high quality domestic products,” says Ba- nach. Processing Technologies International, LLC (PTi) www.ptiextruders.com Plastic Machinery Works, Pty Ltd. www.pmwl.com.au The SUPER-G HighSPEED SGHS3000-36D is a PTi extrusion systemwith high output capabilities, requiring a minimal footprint for operations, suitable for PS, PP and PET applications. It represents just one of the high quality extrusion lines that Plastic MachineryWorks will assist PTi in bringing to the Australian and New Zealandmarkets The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) plasticsindustry.org extruders fell 38.3% from Fourth Quarter 2020 and was 28.9% lower than First Quarter 2020. Shipments of twin-screw extrud- ers, however, soared by 42.3% in First Quarter 2021 and rose by 18.3%over the same period in 2020. Market Sentiment PLASTIC’s CES also conducts a quarterly survey of plastics ma- chinery suppliers that asks about present market conditions and expectations for the future. In general, outlook among plastics machinery suppliers is very optimistic. “The equipment sector of the plastics industry came out of 2020 strong. The much-improved trade outlook will be a positive for plastics equipment suppliers on top of what can be expected as another good year for plastics equipment demand,” added Pineda. In the coming quarter, 89.5% of respondents expect conditions to improve or hold steady compared to a year ago, lower than the 96.0% that felt similarly in the previous quarter. As for the next 12 months, 93.0% of those surveyed expect market condi- tions to be steady-to-better. This is higher than the 89.8% in the Fourth Quarter 2020 survey. Plastics machinery total exports in First Quarter 2021 increased by 9.4%to$395.0millionover Fourth Quarter 2020. Imports fell by 3.5% to $845.0 million, resulting in a $450.0 million trade de fi cit, which was 12.6% lower than in Fourth Quarter 2020. The volume of merchandise trade is expected to increase this year as global economic conditions improve. Perc Pineda, Ph.D., Chief Economist of PLASTICS