Extrusion International USA 6-2020

9 Extrusion International 6/2020 Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd. www.ChinaplasOnline.com „ Since early 2020, the global coronavirus pandemic has dis- rupted the normal rhythms of nearly every aspect of business and life unlike anything any of us has seen. In China, compa- nies can now consider ‘post-pandemic’ scenarios, but many others elsewhere are still fi rmly in the grip of the virus. The plastics industry has felt the convulsions of this as much as any other sector, but it responded quickly and admira- bly. The impact on plastics-intensive end markets has been varied. The automotive and construction industries were among those that felt the squeeze. Packaging and health- care, on the other hand, have witnessed a surge in business, as their vital products and services fi lled key needs across the spectrum. The environmental backlash against single-use plastics with- ered – at least temporarily – as health-care facilities and daily services such as restaurant takeaways opted for the safety of inexpensive, use-and-dispose products over the prospect of needing to sanitize and sterilize potentially infected items. Many plastic product makers quickly shifted their focus to making items to help address the pandemic –– face masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE), clear shield- ing, ventilators, nasal swaps, virus test kits and vials, small bottles for hand sanitizer, and the like. Global auto makers converted some of their production lines to make complex medical ventilators. Materials fi rms adjusted accordingly, as well, to try to keep up with demand. In one of the highest- pro fi le cases, employees at Braskem Americas in late March worked 28-day shifts at two U.S. plants, with teams sleep- ing in the factories for a month, to make the polypropylene needed to make PPE. The drastic, COVID-inspired change in human behavior, with all the self-isolating and sheltering in place, led to a boom in e-commerce, including online grocery shopping and food delivery. This, in turn, vastly boosted demand for effective packaging for such items. When it comes to packaging, the pandemic has shone a bright light onhygiene concerns, causing packagers to con- sider material choice with cleanability and consumer safety at the forefront. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of examples, but here are just a few that help to illustrate the industry’s innovative response to this unexpected challenge. PTI Engineered Plastics of Macomb, Michigan, says health- care already counted for some 70%of its business before the pandemic, but it still was negatively impacted, since many of the products it made were used in elective surgeries and pro- cedures that were widely postponed due to COVID. So the fi rm adapted and developed and manufactured a face shield with a visor strap. It estimates it has donated about $1.1 mil- lion worth of masks so far. German machinery maker Reifenhauser GmbH & Co. KG con- verted a pilot blown- fi lm extrusion line at its R&D technology center to make nonwoven materials for medical gowns and protective gear. The pandemic also spurred huge demand for clear plastic sheeting, with rigid partitions being installed at everything from retail check-out counters, banks and restaurant dining areas to public transportation, to help minimize drivers’ con- tact with passengers. Ohio-based Plaskolite LLC earlier this year devoted its 10 plants to making thin, glycol-modi fi ed PET (PETG) sheet for face masks, churning out enough to make 3 million masks a week at one point. Many of these materials, processes, products and companies will be participating in CHINAPLAS 2021 in Shenzhen next April 13-16. CHINAPLAS 2021: Plastics Industry Responds Impressively to the Pandemic Machinerymaker Reifenhauser convertedanextrusionpilot R&D line toproducenonwovens used inpersonal protectiveequipment, suchas medical coveralls The contagious virus has promptedmany establishments to install clear, protective shielding, suchas this polycarbonate sheet that helps separatebus drivers fromtheir passengers