Plastic News published a great article on how plastics processors can become providers of choice.  Our customers Say Plastics and Intertech are featured.  Below is a ChatGPT summary of that article.

Summary of Plastics News Article

Date: September 26, 2025

Title: How Plastics Processors Can Become the Provider of Choice

Overview

The article explores how plastics manufacturers can move beyond being seen as commodity suppliers to becoming strategic partners for their customers. It highlights two companies—Intertech Plastics and SAY Plastics—that exemplify this transformation through engineering collaboration, automation, and customer responsiveness.

Intertech Plastics: Engineering Discipline for the Long Run

Denver-based Intertech Plastics, part of TriMas Life Sciences, employs eight automation engineers across three sites, focusing on consistency and reduced labor dependency. General Manager Chris Joyce emphasizes proactive engineering collaboration that begins during prototyping. Their 'part perfect' methodology includes Design for Manufacturability (DFM), FMEA, mold flow analysis, and automation-readiness.

Key Practices:
• Collaborating with customer engineers early in product design.
• Using sensors, press-side monitoring, and automated vision inspection for defect-free production.
• Investing in automation to offset labor shortages and ensure reliability.

SAY Plastics: Speed and Visibility for Customers

SAY Plastics, a 40-employee thermoformer in McSherrystown, PA, focuses on digital transformation and responsiveness. Their standout innovation is a virtual first article inspection (FAI) system that allows customers to review 3D models of initial parts remotely, cutting approval times from days to hours. They also use DELMIAWorks dashboards to manage production, quality, and compliance in real time.

Key Practices:
• Using digital dashboards for real-time quality control.
• Instant quoting and fast customer communication.
• Training and internships focused on robotics and cobot programming.

The Common Thread

Despite differences in size and market reach, both companies share key strategies:
1. Early collaboration with customers.
2. Technology integration to enhance quality and responsiveness.
3. A culture of continuous improvement.