insights
Perspectives on margin, energy and performance for plastics manufacturers.
the virgin tax: why recycled plastic is harder than it looks
Everyone wants more recycled content, few want to pay for it, and the compounders asked to make it work have the least margin to spare.
one meter, many lines: why energy per kilo is set at the extruder, not on the bill
Most compounders know their electricity bill to the penny and their kWh per kilo per line not at all. That gap is where a surprising share of energy margin hides.
the lab is always late: why MFI arrives after the margin has gone
Most compounders learn whether a batch was in spec after it has been made. The quality lag is not a lab problem; it is a margin problem, and process data can narrow it.
the tonne you paid for twice: why off-spec is a margin problem before it is a quality problem
Off-spec compound rarely shows up as a single line on the P&L. It hides in discounts, rework, warehouse space and awkward conversations with customers, and much of it starts as process drift nobody saw in time.
death by a thousand rpm: how wear and blocked screens quietly erode compounding margins
Breakdowns get the attention, but worn screws and loading screens cost compounders output long before anything stops. The signals are usually already on the line.
the hour nobody invoices: why changeovers quietly set your cost per kilo
Shorter runs and more grades mean more purging, more transition scrap and more time spent dialling in. For high-mix compounders, the changeover deserves as much attention as the run.