Page 28 - Plastics News October 2016
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“Convenience is the most important factor for people controlled tooling and vacuum forms the components on
deciding what to do with the items they no longer need,” a large-format 10-by-18-foot rotary thermoformer from
said SFGoodwill Director of Donations Leslie Bilbro in a Modern Machinery of Beaverton Inc. For finishing the parts,
news release. “Paradoxically this is why many textiles end Ray uses a fully-automated six-axis trimming station from
up in landfill. Historically it’s just been easier to throw Fanuc Corp.
them away. Responding to today’s urban lifestyle, our goBin Goodwill directly distributes an optional electronic
will help people to do the right thing for the environment module to the end users. Donors can scan a QR barcode
and for their fellow residents who need a second chance to receive a tax receipt via email, and an internal sensor
in life.” Ray Products uses standard ABS sheet in forming automatically alerts the local Goodwill that a bin is full
the goBin components with starting thicknesses of 0.25 and in need of emptying. Locations or regions not opting
inch for the sides and 0.125 inch for the lid. for the electronic component empty goBins the traditional
“The original design was created with a three-part way, when the bins’ monitor or building manager notifies
assembly for the sides of the bin to accommodate a Goodwill about the need for a pickup.
thermoformer with a smaller capacity than ours,” said
Middleton. “Because our equipment can thermoform up to Typically, Ray Products ships each bin to its final location
a full 10-by-18 feet with up to 40 inches of depth, we were in ready-to-assemble form.
able to consolidate those three parts into just two. This
helped to lower the per-unit costs, increase the rigidity “We handle everything from thermoforming to applying
of the final product and make on-site assembly quicker graphics and packaging each unit with assembly
and easier.” Ray Products uses cast-aluminum temperature- instructions and hardware,” Middleton said. “When
Goodwill is ready to deploy more units, they just let us
know, and we ship them out to their final destinations.”
In India Charity has grown up remarkably as well. . The
supply side of the philanthropic ecosystem has also kept
pace. The nonprofit sector and its support networks have
driven philanthropy in India. For some Indians at least,
giving the old fashioned way seems to make most sense.
They see someone in need and they reach out with a
helping hand, in an act of giving that goes unrecorded.
With the new designs and concepts plastics has its use
across the spectrum and one should not be cynical and
blame the industry for all the wrong doings.
Ian Strachan named Thermoformer of the Year
Ian Strachan, the newest Thermoformer of the Year, said developing an early thermoformed
margarine tub for Unilever was “a game changer” in his 45-year career in thermoforming.
An S t r a c h a n w a s n a m e d originally were injection molded. Strachan joined Nampak
T h e r m o f o r m e r o f t h e Ye a r Ltd.’s Mono Containers unit in South Africa in 1974,
Strachan spoke about his experiences, as managing director. The packaging maker did steam
in thermoforming and as a South chest molding, injection molding, made paper cups, and
African learning from experts in thermoformed lids for its foam cups on two small Illig
the United States, during an awards machines. It was a modest start in thermoforming.
dinner at the Society of Plastics Engineers’ Thermoforming
Conference in Schaumburg. “This is certainly the honor That changed the day people from Unilever paid a visit.
of my life,” he said. “Thank you.” Plastic margarine tubs “They walked in and said to me, ‘How would you like to
make margarine tubs?’ And I said, ‘Why not? It’s simple.
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