PlastikMedia: The Morning Brief

In today’s brief:⚙️ Plastech Solutions Launches Business Improvement Service: Operational reviews, leadership coaching, and tailored programmes help plastics manufacturers reduce waste, improve productivity, and develop their teams.📅 SPRA Opens Dinner Dance Registration: The association’s 52nd Annual Dinner Dance takes place in Glasgow on 26 February 2027, with early bird tickets and sponsorship packages available.🏆 LATI Recognised for Management Excellence: The thermoplastics specialist joins Deloitte Private’s Best Managed Companies 2026, following assessment across areas including innovation, governance, and supply chains.♻️ Mars Invests £161 Million in UK Manufacturing: Upgrades at its Melton Mowbray factory include new mono-polypropylene pouch lines, waste-reduction technology, and additional technical roles and apprenticeships.For the full stories, visit plastikmedia.co.uk.

In today’s brief:🤖 TM Robotics Expands Shibaura Partnership: The supplier adds vertical rubber and elastomer injection moulding machines to its exclusive UK and Ireland portfolio, alongside robotics, servicing, and automation support.🔬 Genesis Highlights Medical Material Continuity: Established medical-grade PP and PE materials continue under Velogy’s CertyForm branding, with unchanged formulations, specifications, and manufacturing processes.♻️ WITTMANN Introduces G-Max primus 13: A new compact granulator offers injection moulders a straightforward option for recycling sprues and rejected parts in-house.⚙️ Tex Plastics Adds Automated Sealing: An operational DOPAG foam gasketing system at its Derby facility combines moulding and sealing, helping simplify supply chains and remove oven curing from production.For the full stories, visit plastikmedia.co.uk.

In today’s brief:🤖 FANUC Highlights Skills Across Generations: Manufacturing leaders call for mentoring, workforce development, and practical automation training to attract new talent and retain experienced employees.♻️ Worksop Recycling Plans Approved: Envale UK secures planning permission for a plastics recycling plant with an energy recovery facility, following a closely contested council vote.👥 WHS Plastics Promotes Apprenticeships: The Pickering team showcases manufacturing, engineering, and wider career opportunities to students at the Thirsk Apprentice Fair.💷 Sterling Strengthens: The pound reaches its joint highest level against a basket of major currencies since June 2016, with potential implications for imported materials, machinery costs, and export competitiveness.For the full stories, visit plastikmedia.co.uk.

In today’s brief:♻️ Biffa Agrees Enva Acquisition: The agreement covers Enva’s general recycling businesses in England and Scotland, with completion expected in December. Enva will retain its specialist plastics and other resource recovery activities.⚙️ Bausano Improves PVC Extrusion Efficiency: A longer-barrel design delivers higher throughput and lower energy consumption in comparative trials, offering processors an alternative to increasing extruder size.📘 RECOUP Updates Packaging Design Guidance: Recyclability by Design 2026 provides free, practical recommendations on materials, labels, closures, and other components, reflecting current recycling infrastructure and evolving UK requirements.⚡ Make UK Calls for Wider Energy Support: The manufacturers’ organisation urges a review of British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme eligibility, highlighting businesses facing high electricity costs that fall outside selected classifications.For the full stories, visit plastikmedia.co.uk.

In today’s brief:📈 UK Manufacturing Growth Strengthens: October’s manufacturing index reaches a five-month high of 52.8, with output, new orders, and business optimism improving.🚌 Fairgrieve Targets Passenger Transport: The compression moulder is pursuing further bus, coach, and rail projects, combining its 600-tonne press with in-house finishing and assembly.❄️ ICS Cool Energy Supports Data Centres: Specialist cooling hire across the UK and Ireland helps maintain operations during maintenance, commissioning, upgrades, and temporary capacity gaps.⚙️ Alliance Tooling on Subcontract Toolmaking: Guidance for moulders explains how to manage overflow work while protecting customer relationships, confidentiality, and tooling standards.For the full stories, visit plastikmedia.co.uk.

In today’s brief:⚙️ Plastic Packaging Tax and Investment: HMRC’s evaluation finds that 49% of surveyed manufacturers whose packaging strategy was influenced by the tax reported investment in areas including products, processes, and equipment.🚗 UK Automotive Production Rebounds: September output rises by 38.6%, with electrified models supporting growth and new vehicle programmes expected to lift production next year.📈 Irish Manufacturing Orders Grow: October’s AIB manufacturing index shows continued expansion in output, orders, and employment, alongside rising input costs and supply chain pressures.🏭 Explore Plastics Live Ireland: The exhibitor directory helps manufacturers plan supplier meetings ahead of the free event on 2–3 December at Athlone International Arena. Find PlastikCity on Stand E14.For the full stories, visit plastikmedia.co.uk.

In today’s brief:🎉 PlastikCity Marks 14 Years: A new headquarters, a platform in development, and plans to expand its team and services mark the next phase of growth, following more than 31,000 RFQs distributed to partners.📋 Budget 2026 for Manufacturers: PlastikMedia’s summary examines industrial energy support, machinery investment allowances, employment costs, and recycled plastic certification, alongside responses from the BPF and Make UK.🔬 Norner Expands PFAS Screening: New Total Organic Fluorine analysis helps assess plastics, composites, and recycled materials, identifying where further substance-specific testing may be needed.🤖 FANUC on Packaging Automation: Box handling, case packing, and palletising offer practical starting points for manufacturers. FANUC UK’s free Open House takes place on 3–4 November at Ansty Park, Coventry.For the full stories, visit plastikmedia.co.uk.

In today’s brief:👤 Agentdraw Promotes Joseph Parsons: The new Sales Director brings engineering and commercial experience to leading sales activity across Agentdraw Plastics and sister company Alliance Tooling.🚁 PlastikCity Insurance Raises £1,200: Insurance reviews across the plastics sector support The Air Ambulance Service, with donations for every quote and policy purchased. All insurance is arranged and administered by Thornhill Insurance Brokers.🏭 TEP Completes Press Testing: Taylor Engineering & Plastics signs off two new 1,200-tonne compression moulding presses, ahead of introducing SMC production at its Rochdale facility in early 2027.⚙️ Design Decisions That Shape Mould Costs: Alliance Tooling explains how wall thickness, draft, undercuts, tolerances, and gate positioning influence tooling costs and production efficiency.For the full stories, visit plastikmedia.co.uk.

In today’s brief:📦 Plastics Import Tariff Relief: The UK Government extends tariff suspensions on more than 250 products until December 2028, providing greater cost certainty for importers of eligible plastics and chemicals.👤 Sierra 57 Promotes Vince Green: The new Technical and Compliance Manager brings almost 32 years of moulding experience to supporting training quality, technical standards, and programme development.🤖 FANUC and Hitachi’s AI Partnership: The companies will test adaptive robots for tasks including parts handling and production changeovers, with customer deployment planned from fiscal 2027.🏭 Yorkshire Builds Digital Skills: Made Smarter Yorkshire reports that manufacturers are training multiple employees to support technology adoption, with fully funded courses covering leadership and practical digital skills.For the full stories, visit plastikmedia.co.uk.

In today’s brief:🌱 ARBURG’s Fourth EcoVadis Gold: The machinery manufacturer scores 84 out of 100, with recognition spanning environmental performance, procurement, ethics, and labour and human rights.⚙️ LATI Metal Replacement: LATI explores how self-lubricating plastics can reduce component weight, machining, assembly, and maintenance through application-specific redesign.🏭 Lotus Celebrates 60 Years at Hethel: Around 1,600 visitors attend the Norfolk manufacturing site’s anniversary event, showcasing its production and engineering capabilities while supporting a local hospice charity.📋 Manufacturers’ Budget Priorities: Smaller businesses call for action on employment costs, transport expenses, and trading complexity to help protect margins and support reinvestment.For the full stories, visit plastikmedia.co.uk.