EDITOUR PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 06/22 www.petpla.net 25 4BUJTGBDUJPO JT XIBU 1&3'&$5 130%6$5 26"-*5: MFBET UP 8F DBO IFMQ 888 */53"7*4 $0. visit us at $ Rebalancing materials The balance of materials has changed, from 70% PVC/20% PE and 10% PETG before Covid-19 to 40-50% PETG, a ‘substantial amount’ of PE and a lot less PVC than previously. Andy expects usage of PET to stabilise around 50%, for cost and social reasons. He and the company are striving to focus on genuine closed loop manufacturing and to work on process improvement, in order to cut waste, energy use and costs. Machinery: investment, renewal and maintenance The machinery on the shop floor featured equipment from a range of manufacturers, including Arburg, Hester and Plastiblow. It looked so clean that I was prompted to ask if it was all new. “We’ve replaced a lot of injection moulding machines over the past two years,” said Andy. “The last major investment in blow moulding was the 2-litre machine located next to the closed-loop system. We are looking at the next replacements being very similar to what we already have but we’re considering another machine for smaller jobs.” Ancillary equipment is also on a replacement schedule. “We have invested in heating and ventilation and in control systems. We’ve replaced the A-frame cranes and we have a new, automatic, packaging system,” he continued. New items have been acquired for Plastic Packaging Tax compliance. Plastic Packaging Tax: monitoring and management “The hopper loader and dosing systems are now equipped to precisely monitor all the weights that go into production. They will be used to provide the Tax authorities with precise information on the raw materials we use and the exact proportion of virgin, recyclate, wastage, masterbatch, additives - everything. The waste weighing machine takes a photo of the person who’s loading it so we know it cannot be defrauded,” he explained, and emphasised what he sees as the appeal of Measom Freer. “We are a flexible, family business. We care about our customers. It’s not about the bottom line, exclusively, although of course we have to be commercial. We all enjoy our business and our work,” he said. “We encompass all facets of our sector of our industry. We design our own products and our own tooling, and we’re not so big that we’re impersonal.” Customer relationships are clearly very important to this pleasant couple and their business. They are what it thrives on. www.measomfreer.co.uk
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