The College of Engineering University of Wisconsin-Madison had a special event on Thursday, May 30th in Appleton on Sustainable energy. The presentation, “Innovation for Sustainable Energy: Economic Perspectives,” explores how cutting-edge engineering research can drive economic growth and providing practical solutions for ALL companies. Oliver Schmitz Director of the Grainger Institute of Engineering spoke on Fusion Energy. The Green Bay Innovation Group will host Ben Lindley UW Madison Assistant Professor of Nuclear Engineering in September/October talking about Fusion Power.
That evening, University-Madison ambassadors celebrated 175 years of making an impact on future engineers and the Wisconsin Manufacturing Industry in Appleton, WI. Wisconsin is home to some of the greatest engineers in the USA. UW Madison ranks among the top fifteen engineering programs in the United States. UW Madison will be building a new 400,000 square feet building providing seven floors for engineering students. UW Madison has almost 48,000 students from all 50 U.S. States and around 6,000 international students from over 130 countries. UW Madison has approximately 4,500 undergraduates and 1,500 graduate students in Engineering.
UW Madison contributes about $30.8 billion per year to the Wisconsin economy, supporting 232,000 jobs and generating $1 billion in local and state taxes. Since 1990, UW Madison has created more than four hundred start-ups with an economic impact of $10 billion and $320 million in state and local tax revenue creating over 43,000 jobs. UW Madison is reaching out and collaborating with companies across the State providing employees and state of the art technologies!
Green Bay Innovation Group has built a tremendous partnership with the University of Wisconsin Engineering Department. The (CUWP) Chemical Upcycling of Waste Plastics provides technical, environmental, and economic information on chemical recycling and plastic waste. CUWP had their Annual Meeting at the College of Engineering, Monday, May 13th to Wednesday May 15th with an impressive agenda. The United States is the world’s largest producer of plastic waste estimated at seventy-three million metric tons. By 2050, the US is projected to produce 138 million metric tons while global plastic is expected to increase to 977 million metric tons. The recycling infrastructure for plastics is dropping from 8.7% in 2018 to 5-6% in 2004.
The CUWP is a ten-million-dollar multi-university center funded by the Department of Energy with UW Madison leading the way. George Huber Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at UW Madison is the Executive Director of CUWP developing STRAP technologies for hard to recycle multilayer films in packaging. Industry will need to work and develop solutions for recycling and the development of new plastic and packaging materials.
Wisconsin is a leader in the production of plastics and flexible packaging materials. Wisconsin’s plastic industries employ over 43,000 people with a payroll estimated at $2 Billion. The Wisconsin Flexible Packaging Industry is one of the largest producers of flexible packaging in the United States and the world!
As you may know, our Annual Meeting is our largest event of the year which brings together our top executives, supply chain partners and other leaders from throughout the forest products industry to network and share ideas. We expect over 150 participants this year.
We have an exciting lineup this year that includes a Paper Industry International Hall of Fame awards ceremony and a mini-exposition featuring our supply chain partners and organizations that play a critical role for our industry.
In addition, our WPC staff will be providing updates on key issues impacting our manufacturing sector.
If you or any of your colleagues would like to join us for this exciting event, you can register through this link: WPC Annual Meeting Registration
There are also a number of exposition spaces and memberships still available – but the registration deadline is fast approaching!
Should you have any questions regarding this information please feel free to contact Scott Suder or our WPC Director of Operations, Shawn Brantmeier at brantmeier@wipaper.org
Please see the attached informational packet for our 2024 Annual Meeting.
Get links to the latest news, events, stories, and interviews from our 5P news members. Our goal is to remind the decision-makers in Wisconsin of the importance of our industry both historically, and more importantly, into the future.
Read the latest 94 Stories and Links on the Internet below.
Register today for Swing Big With GBIG, a golf outing co-sponsored by Green Bay Innovation Group and First Business Bank.
Swing Big with GBIG is a 4-person scramble on Thursday, June 20, at Mid Vallee Golf Course, 3850 Mid Valley Drive, De Pere, Wisconsin. The golf outing raises money to support local food pantries and nonprofit organizations. Join us for a day of golf and camaraderie for a good cause. In addition to golf, we’ll have raffles and contests on the course. Sink a Hole-in-One to win $10,000 from contest sponsor Packerland Websites.
Promote your organization by sponsoring a hole. Hole sponsorships are available for $300. Register as a hole sponsor at the GBIG Events webpage, and email a high-resolution logo to Steve Van Dyke at Steve@greenbayinnovationgroup.com.
Golf Outing Schedule
8:30 a.m. Registration 8:30 a.m.
9:15 a.m. Instructions
9:30 a.m. Shotgun Start
4 p.m. Awards and socializing
Registration Information
Registration includes 18 holes of golf with cart, 2 drink tickets, and lunch on the course.
Single player: $150
Foursome: $600
Hole Sponsor: $300
Don’t miss out! The registration deadline is May 31. We have room for 216 golfers, and we had a waiting list last year. Let’s make this golf outing a huge success. GBIG is now a 501(C)3 nonprofit organization, and all of profit goes right back to the community to support local charities. Sign up today as a golfer or hole sponsor.
For more information, contact Steve Van Dyke at 608-451-2554 or Steve@greenbayinnovationgroup.com.
Thursday, May 30th from 2:00 to 4:00 at the Double Tree Appleton.
The Green Bay Innovation Group is sponsoring the following FREE event for the College of Engineering University of Wisconsin Madison: Innovation for Sustainable Energy Economic Perspectives in Appleton, WI. Our guest speakers are Dean Ian Robertson, Oliver Schmitz and Suzanne Werner.
Wikoff Graphics Monthly News and Success Stories ENCORE
February/March 2023 success starts out with a win for Wikoff Graphics and a newer product called Encore. ENCORE is a coating plate from Wikoff Graphics produced using photopolymer specifically designed for offset printing and spot coating applications. The plate is processed without the use of harmful solvents and in a low temperature environment, giving it the most accurate plate to plate registration available on the market.
A mid-size printer with both Flexo and Offset Presses uses a lot of Wikoff Color products today but has also been looking for better technology to help improve their print and production needs.
The sales process started back in late 2020 with talking to the customer about Asahi plates and how Asahi plates can improve their print. Over the next year and Covid we did a lot of talking with little testing but come 2022 we received a green light to start testing again. So while working with customer also mentioned our new product called Encore which is not for their flexo press but a flexo plate for offset which they can use to apply coating. The customer was very excited to try our technology for some high-end spot coating with tight registration since they were looking to improve ink transfer.
Working together with the customer and the Wikoff Graphics team filling out the proper paperwork and sending it into the Graphics team along with a previously printed piece including, printed press sheet, electronic file, and plate they used to produce the original job. The new project for coating plates was on its way, Graphics credited a template including gripper, plate size, paper size, clamps info and distortion all figured out form the samples sent into the tech center. After the template was finished it was sent to the customer for review. After approval from the customer it then went onto imaging a live production job for the customer to test.
After the original run was completed the customer stated, things could not have run better, with great laydown and perfect fit. Not only is this a win for adding Encore business with this customer it may help improve the chances of gaining their Flexo plate business and hopefully grow their current ink business we enjoy today. Don’t forget bringing to the customer a better partnership with Team Wikoff and ongoing monthly business for new coating plates.
The “Power Packs Live” event at PCMC’s Packaging Innovation Center in Green Bay, WI was packed with education, equipment demos, and networking.
GREEN BAY, Wisconsin – May X, 2024 — Paper Converting Machine Company (PCMC), part of BW Converting Solutions, recently held two free information-packed open houses at its state-of-the-art Packaging Innovation Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin, April 23-25. More than 160 people attended the three-day event which focused on both digital printing for flexible packaging as well as digital and flexo printing for the folding carton industry. “We were very pleased with the turnout and quality of information we were able to provide the industry,” said Rodney Pennings, PCMC’s Director of Sales-Print. “The spirit of the Packaging Innovation Center and our Power Packs educational video series is to serve as a resource for print and packaging industry information, demos, trials, and training along with research and development opportunities.”
The recent open houses were true to the vision. A wealth of market and trend data, industry analysis, and best practice information was provided by guest speakers from across the globe including Dr. Sean Smyth, industry consultant and analyst, Jason Thelander of Memjet, Alison Keane of the Flexible Packaging Association, Dennis Gignac of BW Papersystems, Sean Hampson and Keith Grimm of Hybrid, Eric Nelson of Xitron and Mary Schilling of Schilling Inkjet Consulting. In addition to guest speakers, PCMC provided up close and personal demonstrations of two exciting new presses.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, attendees were able to see the ION hybrid press live in action. The ION highlights the marriage of traditional analog flexographic printing with digital hybrid printing platforms, providing the ability to produce larger digital runs cost competitively. “ION meets market needs for wider, faster printing with highest quality,” says Windell McGill, PCMC ION Launch Manager. “It is designed to handle up to 400 feet per minute with web widths of 36, 42 and 52 inches for paper, film and folding carton.”
The ION is a fully modular system with digital CMYK and flexo print stations that can be custom configured to meet a variety of customer challenges. Jenifer Grace of LaCore Pressworx, the first customer to purchase an ION press, was also on hand to share her experience with the new press. “We’re in the nutraceutical space and our clients are typically start-ups or small influencer-brand product manufacturers. We need the flexibility of short runs and the ability to quickly change from one flavor or ingredient to the next without wasted time or materials,” says Grace. “The ION is going to allow us to meet these needs. In addition, we’re a Texas corporation and the incredible on-site service PCMC provides and the fact that they are here in the states were critical factors in our decision to partner with them.”
On Thursday, attendees were treated to a press-side demonstration of the high-production 59 inch wide, 10+2 color Fusion CI folding carton press. “The Fusion has great energy and time-saving features like automatic drum cleaning and automatic impression setting,“ said Mike Shaw, PCMC Regional Sales Manager. “The Fusion reduces energy usage through low-power-consumption components, design and operation. It offers fast changeovers and lower ink usage,” said Scott Derouin, PCMC Regional Sales Manager. “The Fusion lowers operating costs and provides a quick return on investment and those benefits increase significantly when moving from sheet-fed to web-fed production.”
“We thank everyone who attended our open house event,” said Pennings. “We’re thrilled to be able to share the latest industry information from true industry experts and show-off our amazing new presses in the process.”
About Paper Converting Machine Company (PCMC)
Paper Converting Machine Company (PCMC), part of BW Converting Solutions, a strategic alliance of resources and services comprised of six industry-leading brands, specializes in the design, manufacture, and service of high-performance converting machinery for the tissue, hygiene, bag converting, and printing industries worldwide. Our comprehensive product offerings include rewinding, laminating, printing, embossing, perforating, folding, and packaging equipment for roll and folded tissue; plastic bag-making equipment, pouch-making equipment, and pre-applied closure solutions for the bag-converting industry; and a complete range of printing presses and laser anilox cleaners, serving the flexible-packaging, prime-label, and carton-converting industries. For more information, visit pcmc.com.
About Barry-Wehmiller
Barry-Wehmiller is a diversified global supplier of engineering consulting and manufacturing technology for the packaging, corrugating, sheeting and paper-converting industries. By blending people-centric leadership with disciplined operational strategies and purpose-driven growth, Barry-Wehmiller has become a $2.5 billion organization with more than 11,000 team members united by a common belief: to use the power of business to build a better world. CEO Bob Chapman shares the story of the company’s transformation in his new book, Everybody Matters: The Extraordinary Power of Caring for Your People Like Family. To learn more, go to barrywehmiller.com.
The Future of Machine Safety and Operator Well-being
No matter what industry you are in, new technology will always be part of planning for the future. In the industrial landscape, technological advancements have had a continual impact on production lines and workplace safety. As we head into the future of manufacturing, the focus will remain on more efficient operations while optimizing for the well-being of the workforce.
Enhanced Data Collection & Analysis
Most manufacturers are already working with systems that collect and analyze data throughout their operations. What’s changing for the future is the ability to capture increasingly large amounts of precise data and then turn that data into actionable information faster than ever. New technology also allows for better adaptation to changing work environments where flexibility is critical, such as outdoor operations.
Advance Sensor Technology
The first part of the equation is data collection. Sensor technology measures data points such as vibration, temperature, pressure, humidity, and more. As sensor technology improves, measurements become more precise and faster to obtain. This allows manufacturers to collect an endless amount of information in real-time.
AI and Analytics
Analyzing industrial data involves complex algorithms that compare data with set objectives and then take prescribed action based on that comparison. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are helping human programmers develop algorithms that allow for tight quality control and safer operations. Older technology required manufacturers to rely on reports compiled after a production run or a review of collected data following an event such as an injury or unexpected stop. Increasingly powerful computers and smart AI technology are producing algorithms that can analyze vast amounts of data while production lines are running.
The result can lead to predicting equipment failures before they happen to allow a scheduled repair and minimize downtime. Risks to operators that may have gone unnoticed by traditional safety systems can also be identified and corrected.
Human Operators and Collaborative Robots
Collaborative robots, or “cobots,” are designed to work alongside human operators in a shared workspace. They can be used for repetitive and tedious tasks or tasks that are dangerous for human operators. A variety of technologies, such as AI, machine vision, and cognitive computing allow these robots to have an awareness of their surroundings so they can perform tasks in close proximity to people.
Collaborative robots can be programmed to complete tasks in place of humans and designed to protect the safety of the humans around them. By utilizing increasingly sensitive sensors and smart algorithms, cobots let workers be more efficient and safer than ever before.
A Collaborative Approach
With every new advancement in technology, the way humans interact with machines must be examined. Intuitive interfaces help reduce the risk of errors, and ergonomic features protect people from injuries related to repetitive movements, poor posture, and more.
Operators must also be aware of the latest safety protocols and technologies to make the most of every advancement. Manufacturers who foster a culture of safety and education along with a holistic integration of advanced technologies will be in the best position for success in the long run.
For more information on forward-thinking industrial systems and machine safety solutions, contact Jim Woulf at jwoulf@quadplus.com or call (920) 515-4155. https://quadplus.com/
Green Bay Innovation Group
Bringing Green Bay Companies Together. Green Bay Innovation Group is committed to building an authentic networking experience where innovation can thrive.
