Husky earns PLASTICS’ bioplastics innovation award for its novel hot-runner system

UltraMelt system addresses challenges in injection molding bioresins

Bioresins present particular challenges when it comes to injection molding them. Made in whole or in part from renewable biological resources, these materials in a molten state can react with surfaces they touch, resulting in melt degradation, oxidation and discoloration.

Bolton, Ontario-based Husky Technologies addressed these issues by developing its UltraMelt hot-runner system, which the firm said it engineered specifically for the efficient and sustainable injection molding of bioresins. It also is well suited for molding very small technical or medical polycarbonate parts.

And now the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) has recognized this achievement by naming Husky the winner of its 2023 Innovation in Bioplastics Award. The announcement came as part of PLASTICS’ eighth annual, online #BioplasticsWeek awareness and education event.

Husky uses stainless steel and non-reactive materials for all the surfaces that come into contact with bioresin melt. Courtesy of Husky Technologies

“This is the first time PLASTICS has awarded an equipment company and their original technology for using more bioplastics,” noted Patrick Krieger, PLASTICS’ vice president of sustainability. “Equipment design is complex and takes significant investment. The time and resources Husky spent on this technology speaks to the importance and potential of bioplastics in the plastics industry.”

Husky CEO John Galt says he and the plastics industry are determined to demonstrate that the circular economy “is not just a buzzword but a reality.”

Husky, which introduced UltraMelt to the market in 2022, says it addressed the processing challenges by using non-reactive surfaces and stainless-steel components wherever the bioresin melt would come into contact with the hot runner. This served to preserve the sensitive chemistry of bioresin materials and minimize degradation (see related video).

Husky calls it “a premium solution for thermally sensitive or corrosive applications which require excellent process and thermal control.” The technology ensures no variation in surface finish, color or part quality. UltraMelt can be customized for each application and is available with a variety of gating methods, nozzle sizes, manifold pitches and actuation styles for low- and high-cavity applications.

“On behalf of the Husky team I would like to thank you, the Plastics Industry Association, for this prestigious honor,” said Husky CEO John Galt. “Bioplastics, together with advancements in circular polymer processing, are key parts of Husky’s sustainability strategy. We are convinced that by working together as an industry we will turn challenges into opportunities. We will demonstrate that the circular economy is not just a buzzword but a reality.”

“Polymers preserve and protect more effectively than any other substrate,” Galt continued. “They can be formed into an infinite number of shapes and sizes. They are lightweight and unbreakable. They have the lowest overall environment footprint. They keep consumer costs down. Investing and working together to building truly circular solutions is good for our industry, for our children and the planet.”

PLASTICS officials will formally present the Bioplastics Innovation Award on the Sustainability Stage at NPE2024: The Plastics Show, set for next May 6-10 in Orlando, Fla.

PLASTICS notes that member companies interested in submitting innovations for consideration in the 2024 Innovation in Bioplastics Award competition can look forward to the opening of the submission window in May 2024.