Consumer goods

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Lowell say they have identified and tested a potential chemical substitute for bisphenol A (BPA) in epoxy.

Use of epoxy in food contact applications, such as can linings, have been under pressure because of concerns about potential health effects of the BPA used to make it. With financial support from the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Institute, the researchers studied a possible alternate--the bis(epoxide) of 2,2,4,4-tetramethyl-1,3-cyclobutanediol.

Just three years ago, Mexico was on the comeback trail as more U.S. manufacturers looked to our southern neighbor for labor cost savings that were starting to erode in China. Mexican states competed heavily for foreign investment with “unprecedented” financial incentives, according to a report from www.mexicogov.org released in March 2010.
   

The assets of injection molder Core Systems LLC (Painesville, OH) are set to go up for auction again following the company's February closing after the Whirlpool Corporation terminated its contract with Core. The molder had two plants, one in Mount Gilead, OH and the company's headquarters plant in Painesville, OH.

A new optical pellet screening system employs a combination of LED illumination, cameras, and air blowers to detect and remove pellets with black spots from a stream of resin pellets with a resolution (spot size) of 0.03 mm. The Super Platon KP-10000T from Kubota (Tokyo) was recently installed at an Asian elastomer compounder.

Lightweighting, high-performance underhood components, and structural and impact-resistance applications are among the trends in the automotive sector that have prompted a Japanese-invested compounder in Michigan to implement a multimillion dollar investment in new capacity.

Looking for growth in all the right places is what UniKeep LLC is attempting, and has engaged Generational Equity, an M&A firm, to strategically explore options for its proprietary molding division. UniKeep, a division of Univenture Inc. in Marysville, OH, manufactures a variety of unique consumer and commercial products including injection molded cases, binders, and related accessories.

Manufacturing in 2012 was sort of like the opening sentence of Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times . . .” It was tough to figure out just what was happening and where manufacturing was headed.

The automotive industry was a major bright spot in 2012, and of course medical (in spite of the device tax in the ACA) and packaging (food, beverage, consumer goods, and just about anything else that goes in a package) remained strong.

Competition is heating up in the market for plastic materials used in LED lighting market.

Long known as a "fragmented" segment of the industrial supplier market, the plastics industry's—in particular processors and mold manufacturers—recent M&A activity is signaling that the industry is ripe for consolidation.

Stephen Bozzone wants to get his new product off the ground, but he’d also like to help out wounded soldiers in the process. He posted his TabLetGo hands-free tablet holder on Kickstarter where he’s gotten 22 supporters so far—a fraction of the $18,000 he needs to get TabLetGo manufactured. TabLetGo is ideal for people who have a difficult time holding their iPads and other tablets for long periods, and provides a way to use the iPad hands free while seated or while lying in bed.