SPE Thermoforming Quarterly - SPE Thermoforming Division

Thermoforming Quarterly is a journal published quarterly by the Thermoforming Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers. The magazine is a great way to keep up with industry trends and developments. SPE Thermoforming Division members receive the magazine by mail four times a year. Non-members can access old issues here via PDF file. If you are not an SPE member this is a great reason to join! Become a member today to start receiving this valuable information in your mailbox.

We welcome objective, technical and related articles that provide valuable information to our community of thermoformers, toolmakers, material suppliers and OEMs. Articles are typically 1500-2000 words. We recommend viewing past articles for further guidance. All submissions should be in MS Word, 12-pt Times New Roman.

Artwork, illustrations, photos and graphics should be 300 dpi. We prefer .eps .jpeg and .pdf files

2024 Deadlines for content and artwork: 1st Quarter: March 1; 2nd Quarter: June 15; 3rd Quarter: September 15; 4th Quarter: December 1.

Thermoforming Quarterly Sponsorship Sales Contact:
Lesley Kyle,
E: lesleykyleink@gmail.com
T: 914-671-9524

Third Quarter 2024

Industry Interview: Michael Westerfield, Dart Container

California Senate Bill 54 (CA SB54), passed in 2022, has significant implications for thermoformed packaging, as it introduces stringent regulations aimed at reducing plastic waste. The bill primarily focuses on improving recycling rates, mandating the use of recyclable or compostable materials, and minimizing the environmental impact of single-use plastics.

Based in California, Michael Westerfield of Dart Container is actively involved with NAPCOR’s “Thermo-Forum” sub-group which is working to clarify implementation of SB54 rule for thermoforming companies. TQ sat down with Michael recently to get his take on the new legislation and potential impacts for thermoforming companies across the US.

Key requirements for thermoformed packaging under CA SB54 include:

Recycling Targets: By 2032, the bill requires that 65% of single-use plastics be recycled. Thermoformed packaging, typically made from materials like PET, must increasingly be recyclable to meet this target.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): Manufacturers of thermoformed packaging will be financially responsible for the entire lifecycle of their products, from production to disposal. This incentivizes companies to use more sustainable materials and processes to minimize costs and environmental impact.
Material Composition: CA SB54 encourages the use of post-consumer recycled (PCR) content in packaging. Thermoformers will need to shift towards including higher percentages of PCR materials in their products, which may increase costs or require process changes.
Reduction of Single-Use Plastics: The bill also aims to reduce overall plastic use, which may pressure businesses to seek alternatives to traditional thermoformed packaging, such as compostable or biodegradable options.

A Study on the Thermal Distribution of the Thermoforming Process for Polyphenylene Sulfite Composites Towards Out of Autoclave Activity

The thermoforming process is a widely utilized manufacturing technique for shaping thermoplastic materials into various products. Achieving uniform and controlled thermal distribution within the material during thermoforming is crucial to ensure high-quality products and minimize defects. This study investigates and enhances the understanding of thermal distribution in thermoforming processes through simulation analysis before it is done via experiment. This research investigates the thermal distribution in the thermoforming process of Polyphenylene Sulfide composites. The heating element distances were varied during the simulations of the thermoforming process of Polyphenylene Sulfide (PPS) composites, focusing on understanding how different distances affect the material’s deformability, dimensional accuracy, and overall quality. Three heater temperatures with three heater distances are tested. The distance between two heated surfaces is 200, 300 and 500 mm for 320°C, 360°C and 400°C heated surfaces. The desired PPS temperature (320oC) and maximum heater temperature (400°C) are parameters. The test result shows that to achieve 320°C thermoplastic temperature, we can use 385oC IR heater temperature with a heater 50 distance of 200 mm. However, this 200 mm distance might be too close for the operation, and a larger distance might be needed. Using 300 mm or 500 mm can achieve close to 320°C if the heater temperature is set to 400°C. In conclusion, this value is a reference for the distance of the material between the heater during the fabrication process.

Complete articles are published in the magazine and mailed to SPE Thermoforming Division Members.

2024