Page 60 - Plastics News May 2026
P. 60
TECHNOLOGY NEWS
HOW AI AND AUTOMATION ARE ACTUALLY HELPING
PLASTICS MANUFACTURERS CUT ENERGY USE
have learned to accept.
Small Inefficiencies Compound at a great-
er rate than anticipated
If you spend time on a shop floor, you’ll no-
tice something quickly—energy loss rarely
comes from one big issue.
It’s usually a mix of smaller things:
A machine running a few seconds longer
than needed.
Cooling cycles that are slightly overesti-
mated.
Operators sticking to “safe” settings just to
avoid defects.
None of these decisions are wrong. In fact,
nergy has always been one of those una- they’re often made to maintain quality. But
voidable costs in plastics manufacturing. over time, they increase consumption.
EYou don’t really question it—you just try to
manage it. Machines need heat, pressure, cool- This is where the idea of Energy Efficient Plas-
ing… and all of that consumes power. But lately, tic Manufacturing is evolving. It’s no longer just
the approach is shifting. Rather than posing the about upgrading machines. It’s about running
question, how do we cut energy, most manufac- existing systems more intelligently.
turers are now posing the question where do we Automation Helped First—But It Has Its Limits
waste energy? It is another question--and it is
where AI and automation are beginning to have Before AI became part of the conversation, Au-
a tangible effect. tomation in Plastic Processing already improved
efficiency quite a bit.
That is also why the debate about AI in Plastics
Manufacturing is getting more substantiated. It Automated systems brought consistency. They
is not about plants of the future but more about reduced manual errors. They made sure pro-
repairing the common inefficiency that people cesses were followed the same way every time.
62 PLASTICS NEWS May 2026
