Dear Community,
As 2025 draws to a close, I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all my newsletter and blog readers, followers, supporters, and colleagues. Happy Holidays! May you enjoy a safe and relaxing season surrounded by friends and family.
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| Season Greetings 2025 - Thank you to all my readers, followers, and supporters. Picture made with Nano Banana Pro |
Reflecting on 2025: A Year of Growth and Innovation
What a year it has been! Our Pumping Plastics Newsletter and the Find Out About Plastics community continued to grow, fueled by your engagement and curiosity. I had the privilege of conducting three expert interviews with Technoform, exploring topics such as unlocking the potential of hybrid extrusion, the development of a product carbon footprint calculator for plastic profiles, and pioneering pultrusion profiles with extreme strength using endless glass fiber.
In 2025, I published 45 blog posts—soon to be available as the book "Pumping Plastics 2025" at the start of 2026. Each post’s highlights, lessons learned, and key takeaways will be included in the end for your reference. I’m also excited to share that we crossed the 1,000-subscriber mark on my YouTube channel!
This year saw the launch of several new tools and platforms:
- The Aliphatic Polyketone (PK) Grade Screening App
- The Polyarylamide Property Explorer
- PlastCalcs.com—a comprehensive polymer engineering calculation platform, enabling you to make all your calculations in one place.
On a personal note, I achieved ISO/IEC 17024 certification as an expert witness for plastics and plastic part analysis—more on this in 2026!
Looking Ahead: 2026 and Beyond
The future of plastics remains dynamic and promising. Global plastics use is projected to rise from 464 million tons in 2020 to 884 million tons by 2050, with accumulated stocks reaching 4,725 million tons [1]. The plastics part industry, especially in injection molding, is set to grow from $554 billion in 2025 to nearly $900 billion by 2032.
Artificial Intelligence is rapidly transforming the plastics value chain—from polymer development to circularity. In 2026, we’ll see AI move from research novelty to industrial deployment, shifting from data generation to data-driven engineering decisions, and providing a real competitive edge through AI-integrated workflows.
However, the chemical and plastics industries are not without challenges. The current economic downcycle, driven in part by overcapacity in China, reminds us that Europe’s greatest strength lies in innovation—not just in raw material costs, but in creating new, value-added products. Our industry’s resilience and capacity for reinvention will keep us moving forward.
Key Messages for the Chemical and Plastics Industry
- Embrace Humility and Continuous Learning: Success requires openness to new ideas, feedback, and lifelong learning.
- Value Teamwork and Collaboration: Achievements are built on strong, diverse teams and cross-functional partnerships.
- Adaptability is Essential: Rapid changes in technology, regulation, and markets demand flexibility and proactive engagement—especially with digital and sustainability trends.
- Practice Responsible Leadership: Empower your teams, communicate openly, and focus on ethical, long-term value creation.
What’s Next?
My blog will continue to deliver insights on polymer material selection, plastics failure analysis, and the growing role of AI and machine learning in polymer engineering. Expect new content on medical and defense applications—such as polymers for protective equipment—and expanded calculation tools on PlastCalcs.com, especially for injection molding and material selection.
Thank you all for being part of this ever-evolving plastics community. Remember: Plastics are part of the solution, not the problem.
Wishing you joy, rest, and happy holidays—and a fantastic start to 2026!
Greetings & #findoutaboutplastics
Herwig
Epilogue:
Here are concise key highlights or lessons learned from each of my 2025 blog posts:
January 2025
1. Injection Moulding of Polyarylamides
Key takeaway: Successful injection moulding of polyarylamides requires careful control of processing parameters to optimize part quality and performance.
2. 10 Key Considerations for Selecting Plastics for Injection Moulding
Highlight: Material selection for injection moulding should balance mechanical, thermal, and chemical properties with cost and manufacturability.
3. Rule of Thumb: Water Lilies and Polymer Growth
Lesson: Understanding exponential growth in polymers, much like water lilies, helps anticipate material behavior and process scaling.
February 2025
4. Injection Moulding of Polyphenylene Sulfide (PPS)
Takeaway: PPS offers excellent chemical resistance and dimensional stability, but requires precise temperature and moisture control during moulding.
5. Polymer Selection Funnel Example: Base Plate
Highlight: Using a structured selection funnel streamlines the process of identifying the best polymer for specific applications like base plates.
6. Plastics Industry: How to Kickstart Your Career
Lesson: Building a successful plastics career involves continuous learning, networking, and staying updated on industry trends.
March 2025
7. Metal Replacement with Plastics: 5-Step Guide
Key takeaway: A systematic approach—evaluating requirements, material selection, design adaptation, prototyping, and testing—ensures effective metal-to-plastic conversion.
8. Polycaprolactone (PCL): A Versatile Polymer
Highlight: PCL stands out for its biodegradability and versatility in medical and industrial applications.
9. Polyarylamide (Para-MXD6) and Recycling
Lesson: Para-MXD6 offers recyclability advantages, supporting sustainable practices in high-performance applications.
10. Become a Master in Polymer Material Selection
Takeaway: Mastery in polymer selection comes from understanding application needs, material properties, and processing constraints.
April 2025
11. The Path to Polymer Selection Mastery
Highlight: Achieving expertise in polymer selection requires a blend of technical knowledge and practical experience.
12. More Than Just Profiles: Unlocking Extrusion Potential
Lesson: Extrusion technology offers diverse possibilities beyond simple profiles, enabling innovative product designs.
13. Mastering Melt: Your Guide to Shear Rate in Plastics
Takeaway: Controlling shear rate during processing is crucial for optimizing melt flow and final part properties.
14.Nature is Built on 5 Polymers: Modern Lessons
Highlight: Learning from nature’s five foundational polymers can inspire sustainable and efficient material solutions.
May 2025
15. Glass Fiber Filled PET vs. PBT: Choosing the Right Material
Lesson: Comparing glass fiber-filled PET and PBT helps engineers select the optimal material based on performance and application needs.
16. When Childhood Crumbles: Understanding Polymer Aging
Takeaway: Polymer aging affects product durability, emphasizing the importance of material selection and stabilization.
17. PET Grade Selection for Diverse Applications
Highlight: Selecting the right PET grade ensures product performance across various industries and applications.
18. 5 Benefits of Incorporating Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
Lesson: Integrating LCA into product development supports sustainability and informed decision-making.
19. 4 Tips for Effective Polymer Material Comparison
Takeaway: Comparing polymers effectively involves considering mechanical, thermal, chemical, and economic factors.
June 2025
20. Polymers and the Lindy Effect: Rule of Thumb
Highlight: The Lindy Effect suggests that polymers with a long history of use are likely to remain relevant and reliable.
21. High-Performance Thermoplastic Selection
Lesson: Selecting high-performance thermoplastics requires balancing advanced properties with processing and cost considerations.
22. The Sticky Truth About Gluing Plastics
Takeaway: Successful adhesive bonding of plastics depends on surface preparation, adhesive choice, and understanding material compatibility.
23. Design Properties for Engineers: Thermal Expansion
Highlight: Accounting for thermal expansion in design prevents warping and ensures dimensional stability in plastic parts.
July 2025
24. Discover the Future of Polyketone Selection
Lesson: Polyketones offer promising properties for future applications, combining chemical resistance with mechanical strength.
25. Choosing the Right Polymer: Why Cheapest Isn’t Always Best
Takeaway: Selecting polymers based solely on cost can compromise performance and long-term value.
26. Plastic Part Failure Analysis Using Microscopy
Highlight: Microscopy is a powerful tool for diagnosing plastic part failures and guiding corrective actions.
27. The Melting Point Mystery: Identifying Plastics
Lesson: Melting point analysis is a key technique for identifying unknown plastic materials.
August 2025
28. Design-to-Cost (DTC) in Plastic Part Development
Takeaway: Implementing DTC strategies helps balance performance and cost-effectiveness in plastic part design.
29. How Many Cavities Should You Choose for Your Mold?
Highlight: Determining the optimal number of mold cavities involves evaluating production volume, cycle time, and cost.
September 2025
30. Designers & Engineers: Tired of Warped Parts?
Lesson: Addressing warpage in plastic parts requires attention to material selection, part design, and processing conditions.
31. Mastering Injection Molding Tools for Success
Takeaway: Proper tool selection and maintenance are critical for achieving consistent quality in injection molding.
32. Turning Product Requirements into Polymer Solutions
Highlight: Translating product requirements into material choices ensures functional and manufacturable plastic components.
33. How Additives Make or Break Plastics
Lesson: Additives significantly influence plastic properties, processing, and end-use performance.
October 2025
34. Stories from the Plastics Industry Triangle
Takeaway: Real-world industry stories illustrate the interconnectedness of material, process, and design decisions.
35. Don’t Mix Maximum with Optimum: Plastic Design
Highlight: Optimal design balances performance and manufacturability, rather than pushing every parameter to its maximum.
36. My Highlights from K Fair 2025: Global Plastics Trends
Lesson: K Fair 2025 showcased innovations in sustainability, digitalization, and advanced materials in the plastics industry.
37. Say Goodbye to PTFE: Discover UHMW-PE
Takeaway: UHMW-PE offers a viable alternative to PTFE, with comparable properties and additional processing benefits.
November 2025
38. Evaluating High-Temperature Performance of Plastics
Highlight: Assessing high-temperature performance is essential for selecting plastics in demanding applications.
39. Plastic Part Failure Analysis Example
Lesson: Detailed failure analysis provides insights for improving design, material selection, and processing.
40. Polycarbonate Market Review 2025
Takeaway: The 2025 polycarbonate market is shaped by trends in sustainability, demand, and technological advancements.
41. Wombat: Not Just an Animal—A Lesson for Plastics
Highlight: Drawing inspiration from nature, like the wombat, can lead to innovative solutions in plastics engineering.
42. Ratio Project’s Story: Beyond Plastic
Lesson: The Ratio Project demonstrates the importance of holistic approaches in sustainable plastics development.
December 2025
43. Cleaning of Injection Molding Tools I
Takeaway: Regular and effective cleaning of injection molding tools extends tool life and ensures product quality.
44. Practical Bio-ABS Selection Guide
Highlight: Bio-ABS offers a sustainable alternative to conventional ABS, with selection guided by application requirements.
45. How to Mark Plastic Parts with Recycled Content
Lesson: Proper marking of recycled content in plastic parts supports transparency and compliance with sustainability standards.
Literature:
[1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352550924002823
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