On this episode of the Machinery Minutes podcast, in which PMM Editor Ron Shinn discusses three top stories of the past week:

• LS Mtron is continuing its aggressive expansion plans by enlarging its Chicago-area technical center.

• Wittmann USA President Sonny Morneault discusses leadership, changes he has seen in the plastics industry and what’s ahead.

• Your business insurance can help maintain uptime, control costs and keep you competitive. It is a good time to review your coverage.

On this episode of Machinery Minutes, our weekly podcast roundup of three important stories on the plastics industry:

• The number of people working in plastics and rubber manufacturing fell by 3.500 from August to September, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

• Cobots from Universal Robots will be manufactured in the Detroit area starting next year.

• Haitian, the world’s biggest manufacturer of injection molding machines, unveiled two new presses for packaging applications at K 2025.

On this podcast episode, Editor Ron Shinn and Senior Reporter Karen Hanna talk about sustainability issues with flexible packaging, including:

• An explanation of the green premium and why it matters.

• Is flexible plastic packaging in danger of being replaced by paper or fiber?

• Are plastic packaging converters caught in a tough spot?