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At NPE2018, a handful of thermoforming machine builders reportedly will be using Hytac syntactic-foam plug-assist materials furnished by CMT Materials. The company says studies on the economic impact of plug-material selection show that Hytac plug assists help processors manage wall-thickness variation, reduce starting gauge, and improve cycle times.

“We continue to enjoy strong growth for copolymer and thermoplastic plug materials as the global plastics packaging market continues to evolve and grow,” says Conor Carlin, CMT’s sales and marketing manager. Carlin notes that CMT’s growth can be traced in part to material shifts away from PS to PP to new multilayer films. “These more complex polymers require more sophisticated plug assists beyond our basic epoxy-structured materials,” he notes.

The main driving trends are growing popularity of ready-to-eat meals, changing consumer habits, and growing disposable income in emerging Asian economies, Carlin adds.

North American processors also show continued growth in areas such as large bakery items, tamper-evident clamshells, and medical device packages. “The pace of product and package design is speeding up, with custom formers moving from prototype to production sometimes in less than four weeks,” states Carlin.