Underinsured Opportunities and Overpaid Premiums

US LIFE INSURERS MISSING OUT ON $70BN IN PREMIUMS
1. The average life insurance policyholder in the US is massively underinsured, new research has found, with firms potentially missing out on almost $70bn (£53bn) in annual premiums.

U.K. Pensions Survey and Report For 2018

DB PENSIONS TO PAY OUT 1/3 OF A TRILLION POUNDS BY 2021
1. Defined benefit (DB) pension schemes in the UK are set to pay out almost one-third of a trillion pounds over a three-year period for the first time ever, Mercer has predicted. 

2. The consultancy firm said the record figures between 2019 and 2021 will be due to a large number of active and deferred members transferring the value of their entitlement to another arrangement.

Product Spotlight - NBR - Part 2 - Natural Rubber Vs Nitrile Rubber for Gloves

1. The global rubber gloves industry owes its present boom to the spurt in demand for disposable gloves for hand protection generated by the worldwide spread of infectious diseases. While the disease outbreak was not good for human health, it was good for the glove business.

The demand for medical, industrial and household gloves grew as governments imposed new regulations to increase hygiene and healthcare standards and industries promoted clean room technology.

Traditionally, Natural Rubber (NR) latex glove has been the glove of choice for the medical industry due to its low chemical and puncture resistance. Moreover, it is highly biodegradable and can be easily disposed of by incineration.

Product Spotlight - NBR - Part 1 - Overview

GENERAL OVERVIEW
1. Traditionally, Natural Rubber (NR) latex glove has been the glove of choice for the medical industry due to its low chemical and puncture resistance. Moreover, it is highly biodegradable and can be easily disposed of by incineration.

Product Spotlight - Bio-Lubricants

1. Bio based chemicals have been used for niche applications such as personal care and food additives. However, various new applications of bio based chemicals such as bio-lubricants, biopolymers, and bio-surfactants are emerging as replacements of petroleum based products creating exciting growth opportunities.

2. Chemical companies focusing on lubricants, polymers, and surfactants can explore diversifying their product portfolio based on bio based products. 

Indonesia Jumps Rank in Logistic Performance Index (LPI) 2018 ; Disruption in the Logistic Industry

in 2018, Indonesia managed to rise sharply in the ranks of the World Bank's latest Logistics Performance Index (LPI). Indonesia ranked 46th, up from 63rd in the preceding edition (released in 2016).

Product Spotlight - Conductive Thermoplastic Compounds

1. Polymers are typical insulation materials due to their extremely low electrical conductivity. They charge very easily and even when grounded the plastic material stays charged with static electricity. Conductive plastic compounds, unlike normal plastics, have the ability to conduct electricity.

Scaling your Manufacturing Activities When Opportunities Arise

1. In today’s demanding market environment, those companies that are best prepared to react to sudden market openings will have the best chance for success. 

2. Imagine that a major competitor suddenly goes out of business. Are you really ready to grab its share of the market before someone else jumps in ahead of you? Or do you just hope that you are ready to pounce?

3. Whether your company’s expansion is opportunistic or has been under consideration for a while, to achieve your goal, you’ll need to have a plan that allows you to respond to sudden market changes. Your plan should map out how all the resources in your organization will work in a coordinated effort to win and expand your market share at the least expense to you.

Product Spotlight - Electrically Conductive Polymers

1. Traditionally, one of the only drawbacks of plastic has been its lack of electrical conductivity. But, that’s starting to change with hybrid materials that can be processed with traditional production methods.

India and France to overtake UK in GDP rankings

1. Both India and France are likely to overtake the UK in the rankings of the world’s largest economies next year, with Britain falling from fifth to seventh place.

Palm Oil Industry in 2018

Palm oil is literally everywhere – in our foods, cosmetics, cleaning products and fuels.

Product Spotlight - Recycled Food Grade Resin

1. The approach to sustainable packaging and the future of plastics in packaging.

2. With public interest in the impacts of plastic leakage into the natural environment soaring, it becomes easy to lose sight of why plastics are used in the first place. As materials, plastics are light-weight, strong, versatile, cheap and hygienic, and so they have significant benefits for the packaging industry. Without plastics, it would be difficult for consumers to enjoy the sheer range of choice that exists in the market today.

Principles, Ideas and Discussion on Transit-Oriented Development

TOD is the key to more efficient, sustainable, and equitable communities because it prioritizes the “3Cs”: compact, coordinated and connected. By following a TOD approach, decision makers and urban planners can strengthen their communities.

Survey on Defined Benefit Pension Plan & Insurer's Outlook On Investment Returns

1. A defined benefit pension plan is a type of pension plan in which an employer/sponsor promises a specified pension payment, lump-sum (or combination thereof) on retirement that is predetermined by a formula based on the employee's earnings history, tenure of service and age, rather than depending directly on individual investment returns. 

2. Traditionally, many governmental and public entities, as well as a large number of corporations, provided defined benefit plans, sometimes as a means of compensating workers in lieu of increased pay.

3. Over time, these plans may face deficits or surpluses between the money currently in their plans and the total amount of their pension obligations. Contributions may be made by the employee, the employer, or both. In many defined benefit plans the employer bears the investment risk and can benefit from surpluses.

[U.S. China Trade War] Opportunity for Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia is seeing a boom in foreign direct investment as the intensifying trade war between the U.S. and China prompts companies to shift production to the region.

Product Spotlight - Bio Plastics - Part 3 - Plastic Spectrum and Biodegradability

Generally, “bioplastic” are made from renewable resources such as corn, sugars, potatoes, etc. There are four types of degradable plastics

Product Spotlight - Bio Plastics - Part 2 - Summary of Advantages and Disadvantages

Products made from bioplastic look, behave and feel like conventional clear plastic products. The use of bioplastics has become increasingly popular. Let’s have a look at the advantages and disadvantages.

Product Spotlight - Bio Plastics - Part 1 - Harmonised Standards For Bioplastics

1. Standardisation is an effort of industrial stakeholders to define criteria for the description of products and services. The idea is to ease the competition and the commercial growth by overcoming barriers that result from unclear or incompatible specifications.

2. The use of standards is voluntary, which means that it is within the sovereignty of a company to seek the compliance with a standard or not. In the latter case, however, it is not allowed to make the reference to the standard.

3. Certain European standards are called harmonised standards. This means that the European Commission mandated the European Standardisation Organisation CEN to elaborate the content of the standard.

Product Spotlight - Thin-wall injection molding

1. Thin wall injection molding is a specialized form of conventional injection molding that focuses on mass-producing plastic parts that are thin and light so that material cost savings can be made and cycle times can be as short as possible. Shorter cycle times means higher productivity and lower costs per part.

2. The definition of thin wall is really about the size of the part compared to its wall thickness. For any particular plastic part, as the wall thickness reduces the harder it is to manufacture using the injection molding process. The size of a part puts a limit on how thin the wall thickness can be. For packaging containers thin wall means wall thicknesses that are less than 0.025 inch (0.62mm) with a flow length to wall thickness greater than 200.

Overall Equipment Effectiveness

1. OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) is the gold standard for measuring manufacturing productivity. Simply put – it identifies the percentage of manufacturing time that is truly productive. An OEE score of 100% means you are manufacturing only Good Parts, as fast as possible, with no Stop Time. In the language of OEE that means 100% Quality (only Good Parts), 100% Performance (as fast as possible), and 100% Availability (no Stop Time).

2. Measuring OEE is a manufacturing best practice. By measuring OEE and the underlying losses, you will gain important insights on how to systematically improve your manufacturing process. OEE is the single best metric for identifying losses, benchmarking progress, and improving the productivity of manufacturing equipment (i.e., eliminating waste).