___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Sustainability
Recyclable bio-based plastics
Lowering energy consumption and emissions is essential but reducing material waste and single-use packaging are other areas where advanced automation is supporting sustainability. Consumer product manufacturers are increasingly committed to reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging, but this brings new challenges. Recyclable bio-based plastics, for example, are extremely sensitive to heat, which makes it almost impossible for traditional hot sealing methods to hit the necessary time / temperature‘ sweet spot’ every time – a necessity to ensure packaging strength and performance. Advanced ultrasonic welders employ high-frequency vibration to create friction heat within plastic layers’ interface during brief( less than one second) weld cycles. Very precise weld control ensures the quality of the join, while having the added benefit of only consuming energy during the millisecond weld cycles, helping to deliver energy savings of 25-to-75 percent relative to traditional thermal sealing. ■
Silvia Gonzalez Emerson. com
Silvia Gonzalez is Global Director of Software at Emerson, with over 26 years of experience in software and industrial automation. She leads cross-functional teams delivering innovative solutions in digital transformation, IIoT, SCADA, connectivity and augmented reality. Emerson is a global technology and software company providing innovative solutions for the world’ s essential industries. Through its leading automation portfolio, including its majority stake in AspenTech, Emerson helps hybrid, process and discrete manufacturers optimize operations, protect personnel, reduce emissions and achieve their sustainability goals.
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