Page 24 - Plastics News October 2016
P. 24
Company News
Formosa Plastics hit with $241,013 state fine
Formosa Plastics Corp. USA is facing a hefty proposed Profile Plastics big winner in
fine from the state of Delaware for allegedly thermoforming
mishandling hazardous waste at its Delaware City, Del.,
PVC plant. The Delaware Department of Natural Resources Profile Plastics Inc.
and Environmental Control proposed the $241,013 fine was the big winner
at the parts competition
on Sept. 27. The company is currently reviewing the at the Society of Plastics
paperwork for a timely response, Formosa spokesman Engineers’ Thermoforming
Steve Rice said. Formosa has 30 days to review the Conference, picking up
violations from a June plant inspection and proposed two awards for heavy-
fine and respond to the state. The seven violations gauge parts and the People’s Choice Award. A housing
range from a failure to post a “no smoking” sign near for a surgical waste management system used in
ignitable waste to a failure to meet recycling targets for hospital operating rooms netted Profile Plastics the
PVC solids and to label unrecycled material as hazardous gold in the heavy-gauge pressure formed category, plus
waste. According to the documents, as long as at least 75 the People’s Choice, which is voted on by conference
percent of the “PVC solids referred to as BB’s which are attendees. Profile Plastics, of Lake Bluff, Ill., made
considered byproducts” generated annually at the resin the cover for an earlier version of the waste system
plant are recycled, it is not considered hazardous solid for the unnamed customer. Mark Murrill, vice president
waste. A January 2015 inventory shows 193,800 pounds of sales and marketing, said this new model hit the
of PVC solids were on-site, according to the state and market earlier this year. “It’s a big difference” from the
104,703 pounds were recycled that year. “As Formosa earlier model, said Ramesh Mehta, design and project
failed to achieve the 75 percent recycling rate, the engineering manager. Profile Plastics played a key role
remaining 89,097 pounds of byproduct (approximately 71 in the new design, working with the customer. One big
super sacks) became a solid waste on Jan. 1, 2016, and manufacturing change: Profile used negative pressure
all applicable RCRA requirements became applicable. At forming tools instead of the positive vacuum forming
the time of the assessment, the observed super sacks of tools that had been used in the earlier generation of
BB’s were not labeled as hazardous waste,” the penalty the part, resulting in improved cosmetic appearance,
assessment says. Failing to move the more than 89,000 fewer parts, faster assembly and lower cost.“It’s more
pounds of waste offsite within 90 days is also a violation, economical cost-wise,” Mehta said. “And also you get
according to the documents. Formosa’s Delaware City a nice appearance like an injection molded part. So
facility is already on the federal government’s radar, that was the whole concept by going from vacuum
with a new investigation by the U.S. Environmental forming to pressure forming.”Profile Plastics also
Protection Agency launched about a year ago into possible grabbed the gold for heavy-gauge innovation, for body
groundwater contamination from the 400-acre PVC plant. protection plates for the chest and back.The parts,
formed from antifungal thermoplastic urethane, are
designed to absorb large amounts of energy, for use
in a personal protection application. The tooling is
machined aluminum for the twin-sheet parts, with
temperature control. The TPU material and part design
require a special trimming system and equipment to
cleanly carry out more than 150 high-tolerance vent-
hole cuts.A complex alignment system precisely forms
parts on a large number of critical connection points
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