Page 58 - Plastics News January 2023

D&W Fine Pack boosts recycled content with new equipment
technology possible. This will be the
largest output sheet extrusion line in
our portfolio,"
The company's announcement high-
lighted that the new line will be able
to use "a broader range of plastic
flake ... from plastics that would have
otherwise ended up in a landfill." In
response to questions, the company
said "the technologies inherent within
this extrusion unit will enable D&W
Fine Pack to utilize a wide spectrum
of post-industrial and post-consume
D&W Fine Pack LLC is adding equip- project a multimillion-dollar invest- flake that will extend well beyond
ment to make food packaging from ment. the traditional bottle markets."
up to 100 percent post-consumer D&W Fine Pack produces food pack- The food applications will be used
PET. aging, single-use containers, table- for cold food such as produce, grab
The Wood Dale, Ill.-based company ware, cutlery, foodservice dispos- and go snacks, catering trays and
is adding what it calls the largest ex- ables and straws. bakery items.
trusion line of its kind in the United Russ Stephens, vice president of en- The company will primarily use PET
States to its plant in Fort Wayne, Ind. sheet for its captive use, but officials
gineering, said the line will be able to
This new technology will be able to handle a variety of resins. said they expect to be able to sell
make FDA-certified food packaging "It was flexible to convert multiple sheet into the thermoforming mar-
products from 100 percent post- different types of materials, so not ket in the future.
consumer PET and will launch in only PET [but] the technology we "We can do it very effectively [and]
January 2023. The project will add chose can convert other materials as energy efficiently," Stephens said,
10-15 jobs. adding that the company can develop
well," Stephens said.
The company said the equipment He added that the technology will be new products with up to 100 percent
will use about 29 percent less en- familiar to the company's operators. post-consumer content.
ergy than conventional technology D&W Fine Pack ranked No. 4 in Plas-
because it precludes the need to “When we chose our partners, we tics News' survey of North American
crystallize and dry flake prior to ex- chose our partners that would allow thermoformers, with estimated ther-
trusion. Doing away with the addi- our operators interface to machine moforming sales of $645 million. The
tional heat history should also result in the same way they interface the company also ranked in a tie for No.
in a better quality part, according to existing machines that they have on 96 in PN's survey of North American
D&W Fine Pack. the plant," Stephens said. injection molders, with estimated

The company would not identify the "The [extrusion] line was sourced molding sales of $75 million.
equipment supplier, and called the globally in order to bring in the best

58 PLASTICS NEWS January 2023