Future-Ready Technologies Transform Plastics Processing

At this year’s Chinaplas (15-18 April 2025, Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center (Bao’an), PR China) Coperion will present key technologies for the entire process chain of processing plastics and recycling at booth 10K25 in hall 10.

Coperion will showcase two extruders that are ideally suited to current challenges in plastics compounding and recycling. The 4th generation STS 75 Mc PLUS twin-screw extruder features an increased specific torque of 13.6 Nm/cm³, enabling it to achieve up to 20% more throughput with significantly higher product quality. A ZSK 58 Mc 18 twin screw extruder with maximum torque for highest throughput demands, especially designed for products with high torque requirement such as engineering plastics, will also be on display. In addition, they will highlight its reliable and highly accurate feeding solutions, including their K-Tron T35 gravimetric feeder paired with a 2415 vacuum receiver for ingredient refill, as well as a C/S-LW- NS 60 single screw feeder from Colormax Systems. A ProRate PLUS-M feeder, part of the new line of robust gravimetric single and twin-screw feeders, will be on display as well. For efficient conveying processes, a CVH 550 high pressure rotary valve and the two-way diverter valve WEK 265 for granulates will also be shown.

For the recycling of plastics Coperion and Herbold Meckesheim collaborate to provide operators with extensive expertise in technology and process solutions. At Chinaplas, they will showcase a virtual 3D recycling installation. Visitors to the booth will have the opportunity to explore key components of the recycling set up, allowing them to observe the technical details of each process step and the high efficiency of each component.

STS Mc PLUS Extruder: Economic and Efficient Solution for Various Applications

Over the years, the STS extruder series has established itself on the market as a quality product for a wide range of extrusion and compounding tasks such as engineering plastics and masterbatch but also cable masses, the recycling of regrind plastics, powder coating, and much more. The extruders are produced at Coperion in Nanjing, China, in accordance with CE guidelines and the highest Coperion standards of quality. They are distinguished by their very attractive price-to-performance ratio.

The STS 75 Mc PLUS presented in the Coperion booth 10K25 is the 4th generation of STS technology and is equipped with a specific torque of 13.6 Nm/cm³ at screw speeds of up to 900 min -1. This advancement allows the compounder to deliver enhanced product quality while increasing throughput by up to 20% across all applications compared to earlier models. Key to this performance boost, alongside process-related modifications, is the optimization of the drive’s key components. The STS 75 Mc PLUS extruder features a high-power motor and a gearbox specifically designed to handle high torque. Proven high-performance materials are used for the screw shafts to ensure effective torque transmission from the gearbox to the screw elements. The higher fill level in the process section is crucial to the improved compound quality achieved by the STS 75 Mc PLUS, as it reduces both shear stress and melt temperature while enhancing mixing behavior. This results in an exceptionally gentle product handling at high throughputs.

ZSK Mc 18 Extruders: Made for Highest Demands

Visitors to the booth can also learn more about the advantages of the renowned ZSK extruder series. These high-performance extruders such as the ZSK 58 Mc¹⁸ on display achieve the highest throughput rates and maximum economic efficiency. The extruder with a specific torque of 18 Nm/cm³ is characterized by its consistently high throughput capacity with first-class product quality. With the assembly in China, Coperion is able to react as fast as possible to customer demand. Customers benefit from local added value, transport and tax savings as well as from shorter delivery times.

Complete Plastics Recycling Plants from a Single Source

Coperion and Herbold Meckesheim realize plants for a wide variety of plastics recycling applications, excelling in their reliability and the high product quality they achieve. From mechanical processing – shredding, washing, separating, drying and agglomerating of plastics – to bulk material handling as well as feeding and extrusion all the way to compounding and pelletizing, such plants cover the entire plastics recycling process chain. Together, Coperion and Herbold Meckesheim offer solutions for different recycling processes such as mechanical recycling of post-industrial and post-consumer waste, chemical recycling, PET recycling or solvent-based recycling.

Especially for recycling of post-consumer recyclate (PCR) or any highly contaminated polymer, Coperion offers the innovative ZSK FilCo filtration compounder that allows filtration and compounding in a single production step. Compared to the two-step production lines that have been the norm until now, Coperion’s ZSK FilCo is distinguished by a markedly more streamlined equipment set-up. Energy consumption and emissions for the extrusion process are reduced by more than 50%.

Robust, Flexible and Precise Feeding Solution: ProRate PLUS

The ProRate PLUS feeder line integrates state-of-the-art European weighing technology and controls, ensuring high accuracy and reliability in loss-in-weight feeding processes. This line meets the growing demand for robust and efficient feeding solutions in the plastics industry. The ProRate PLUS continuous gravimetric feeder line is an economical solution and offers a quick return on investment due to its good price-performance ratio and fast delivery times.

The ProRate PLUS feeder line features a space-saving trapezoidal shape which allows up to six feeders to be easily grouped around an extruder inlet within a 1.5 meter [5 ft] radius. Three single screw feeder models PLUS-S, PLUS-M and PLUS-L along with the PLUS-MT twin screw model cover a wide range of throughputs and bulk materials. ProRate PLUS feeders are capable of handling feed rates from 3.3 up to 4800 dm 3 /h [0.12 up to 400 ft 3 /h], depending on the material. Theoretically, a feeding system with six ProRate PLUS-L feeders can feed up to 28.8 m 3 /h [1017 ft 3 /h] on a footprint of only 7 m 2 [75 ft 2].

Smart Feeding Solutions

In addition, Coperion will demonstrate its expertise in all feeding tasks at this year’s Chinaplas with its high-accuracy Coperion K-Tron K2-ML-D5-T35 gravimetric feeder equipped with ActiFlow smart bulk solid activator and EPC (Electronic Pressure Compensation). The feeder is equipped with a 2415 vacuum receiver for refill.

The ActiFlow smart bulk solid activator offers an innovative method to reliably prevent bridging and rat-holing of cohesive bulk materials in stainless steel hoppers without internal hopper agitation. The smart flow aid applies gentle vibrations to the hopper wall, hereby carefully activating the contained material with the optimal amplitude and frequency, automatically adjusted by the controller based on bulk material flow. It is designed specifically to work with Coperion K-Tron’s line of gravimetric loss-in-weight feeders.

All-around worry-free service

Coperion conducts its intensive research & development work both for new plants and for their integration into existing systems. For this purpose, Coperion offers comprehensive maintenance and modernization packages for all its technologies, which increase the productivity, flexibility and reliability of the plants to a significantly improved level. Such services allow plant operators to fully exploit the improved performance potential of the plant after shortest time.

https://www.coperion.com/en/

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Choosing a Contract Manufacturer for Medical Device Success

For any medical device OEM, selecting a contract manufacturing organization (CMO) is not a decision to take lightly. In fact, it’s often compared to dating — because the long-term implications of the partnership are just as significant. With stringent FDA and EMA regulatory requirements, long product lifecycles, and intricate product development timelines, switching CMOs mid-stream can be prohibitively expensive and risky. That’s why the first match must be the right one.

At Accumold — a global leader in micro molding — the success of an OEM-CMO partnership hinges on more than just technical capabilities. It’s about finding alignment in values, vision, and capabilities that go beyond part production. It’s about ensuring that the people who will come into contact with your product every day care about it as much as you do. And it’s about choosing a partner with proven capability, scalability, and sustainability to see your project through — from the first prototype to millions of units, delivered with consistency and confidence.

So how should OEMs approach the challenge of finding the right contract manufacturing partner? And what does the ideal CMO relationship look like? Let’s explore those questions through their approach to micro molding and customer collaboration.

UNDERSTANDING THE HUMAN FACTOR IN MANUFACTURING

It’s easy to get caught up in the numbers — cycle times, tolerances, cost-per-part — but those don’t tell the full story. Ultimately, it’s people who make products. And when you’re outsourcing the manufacture of critical components, particularly in regulated fields like medical devices, you’re entrusting your product — and your reputation — to those people.

This is why OEMs should pay attention to the workplace culture, energy, and employee satisfaction at potential CMOs. At Accumold, there’s an emphasis on understanding who is on the floor, assembling, molding, and inspecting your parts. Are they engaged? Do they take pride in their work? Do they collaborate and communicate well?

They answers these questions with transparency. With over 350 employees operating in a state-of-the-art, 130,000 square foot facility that runs 24/7, the company fosters a culture of excellence and accountability. Long-term employment is common — a testament to employee satisfaction and company stability. Visitors often comment on the high energy of the production floor and the cleanliness and organization of employee spaces. These aren’t superficial markers, but instead they reflect a company-wide dedication to quality, order, and doing the right thing — for the customer, and for each other.

MORE THAN JUST MOLDING

Precision micro molding isn’t merely about making small plastic parts — it’s a discipline that demands mastery across design, tooling, material science, molding, and metrology. Their deep capabilities across all these domains set it apart.

From the outset, they emphasize Design for Micro Molding (DfMM), working collaboratively with OEMs to refine their product designs for manufacturability. The company’s in-house tooling team builds molds that can meet micron-level tolerances. This is not common. In fact, only a small group of companies globally can claim to consistently achieve the precision they deliver.

And it doesn’t stop there. With integrated metrology and validation systems, plus the adoption of micro additive manufacturing (micro-AM) for prototyping and complex geometries, they ensures that even the most advanced parts can be manufactured consistently.

When assessing a CMO, OEMs should ask, “Does this partner have the right technology for our product? Do they have experience in our market? Can they handle the complexity our components demand?”

In their case, the answer is a confident yes. The company’s team doesn’t just make parts — it engineers solutions.

READY FOR GROWTH

A common pitfall for OEMs is selecting a CMO that can make a prototype — but can’t scale. When early-stage development is smooth but volume production falters, programs stall, deadlines slip, and reputations suffer. This is where scalability becomes mission-critical.

Their manufacturing infrastructure is specifically designed for scale. The company runs dedicated high-volume production cells with automation, process control, and repeatable quality baked into every step. Whether the production requirement is in the thousands, millions, or even billions, they have proven it can deliver. This is especially crucial for medical and telecom applications, where demand is sustained and long-term.

Moreover, scalability at Accumold isn’t just physical — it’s also financial. The company’s long-standing operational stability and financial independence means it’s prepared for the long haul. Economic fluctuations, supply chain disruptions, and market volatility are less likely to derail your program when your CMO is well-capitalized and deeply experienced.

It’s important for OEMs to assess whether their CMO has the infrastructure and financial resilience to grow with them. At Accumold, scalability is not an aspiration — it’s the reality, proven every day in production.

SUSTAINABILITY BUILT INTO THE BUSINESS

The word “sustainability” gets thrown around a lot. At Accumold, it’s more than a buzzword — it’s an operating principle. And it’s not just about environmental responsibility, though, that’s certainly part of it.

From an environmental perspective, they minimize waste through precise material usage, energy-efficient practices, and optimized production flows. These efforts not only lower environmental impact, but they also support customer goals for responsible sourcing and lifecycle stewardship.

But sustainability also refers to business sustainability — the ability to remain a trusted, capable partner for the entire product lifecycle, no matter how long. This is especially vital in medical device manufacturing, where product lifespans often exceed 10 years. Having to transfer production mid-cycle due to supplier instability can mean new tooling, revalidation, and regulatory delays. Their 4 decades-long presence and continued investment in people, technology, and infrastructure provide confidence that they’ll be there from day one through year ten and beyond.

As an OEM, you should ask, “Is this CMO built to last? Are they growing sustainably? Do they have a track record of continuity?”

At Accumold, the answers to these questions align with the company’s foundational commitment to long-term, value-driven partnerships.

FIT, ALIGNMENT, AND REALISM

Finally, there’s the matter of “fit”. Not every OEM is right for every CMO — and vice versa. They approach this candidly, evaluating whether a new partnership makes sense early on. Startups, for instance, often come with big ideas but less clarity around manufacturing realities. They invests time upfront to determine whether its services align with the OEM’s needs — and whether both sides are ready for the road ahead.

This approach avoids costly misalignments and sets realistic expectations from the beginning. You want to ask, does the CMO have the technology types that we’re looking at getting into? Do they have experience with the relevant types of products?

The OEM should also consider cultural alignment. Are the people at this CMO driven to do the right thing? Do they have a customer-first mindset? Do they treat each other — and the OEM team — with respect and collaboration?

At Accumold, these qualities are part of the DNA. The team isn’t just skilled — they’re motivated, curious, and committed to innovation on behalf of their customers.

A PARTNERSHIP THAT SCALES

Choosing the right contract manufacturing partner is not just a procurement decision — it’s a strategic investment in the future of your product. And in the high-stakes world of micro molding for medical and high-tech industries, that decision must be guided by more than capabilities alone.

It must encompass an organization’s ability to scale with you, to operate sustainably, and to maintain a team that is not just competent, but collaborative and committed. Accumold exemplifies this model, offering OEMs a partner that is technically equipped, operationally ready, and culturally aligned for long-term success.

In the end, it’s not just about who can mold the part. It’s about who you want molding it — day in and day out — for years to come.

www.accu-mold.com

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