BP&R January/February 2021

BP&R embraces change as it enters a new year under new editorship. "As your new editor I am proud to pick up where Leanne left off, continuing to show the UK plastics industry as a thriving manufacturing sector."

In this issue...

Bole Machinery has seen rapid expansion during the last 12-months, fuelled by a growing number of new and repeat Injection Moulding Machine orders. As 2021 starts to take shape, bp&r finds out more about the company’s year, recent instalments and how Bole UK intends to maintain momentum.

As the UK plastics industry looks to stay in touch with digitalisation and competitiveness, this issue dives into automation and robotics.  Nigel Smith, Managing Director of Shibaura machine distributor, TM Robotics, explains how, and why, UK plastics manufacturers should invest in flexible automation solutions.

In the latest instalment of our series collaborating with the Women in Plastics initiative, in which BP&R shines a spotlight on one of the platform’s inspirational interviewees, we share a conversation with Lakisha Miller-Barclay, Executive Director & CEO at Rubber Division, American Chemical Society (ACS). 

With processors, retailers and supermarkets under more pressure than ever to reduce plastic food and drink packaging, ULMA Packaging UK is advocating the use of trayless solutions in minced meat applications.

Dave Berriman, Technical Sales Support Manager at ULMA, discusses the issue further in this Q&A with Bp&r, and explains ULMA’s own minced meat packaging innovation.

This issue also carries our annual polymer materials review and outlook, where resident expert Mike Boswell gives his comprehensive overview of what 2020’s events will have on 2021’s prospects.

Enjoy the issue!