Our next interview is with Kane Rasner, President of Advanced Blending Solutions.

ABS manufactures blending and material handling equipment. They started by retrofitting control systems, which has since evolved into the product line they have built today. Their primary sectors of the market are blown, cast, and fiber. As President, Kane's duties reach company-wide. He has a strong team and a positive culture that shows in every piece of equipment we build.

How do you see the industry developing and growing in the next three-to-five years?

There has been a lot of talk about higher use of recycled materials and a large push for automation. As technology continues to increase, we are going to see demand and capabilities for both of these grow. It will be interesting to see how the operations of plants of the future change as these develop.

What do you consider to be the biggest challenges facing the industry at the moment?

It's no secret that supply chains are still a major problem in not only this industry, but every single industry across the globe. The largest detriment that we are currently seeing is a delay in shipment of electronics. Although we have seen a movement towards stabilization, we have not seen supply return to pre-2020 conditions, nor do I expect to see it in the near future.

In your view, what has been the most exciting development in the industry in the last couple of years? And why?

DATA – DATA – DATA… producers are demanding more and more quantifiable data from their suppliers to assist with quality/cost containment/sales. ABS, since its inception, has been a data driven company. Precision and accuracy are the drivers in today’s world.

You will be speaking at AMI’s plastics industry expos in the US in November, could you give us a preview on what you will be talking about?

My talk will focus on traceability of materials through plastics processing facilities. ABS has developed technology that allows for complete material tracking from point of entry into the plant up to the machine throat, giving processors the ability to understand exactly how their materials flow through their facility.

Kane will be presenting an industry presentation on 'Raw material traceability in storage, conveying & blending systems' at the Plastic Extrusion World Expo Conference 2022.