Bunting, a leading supplier of metal separation equipment to the plastics industry, once again made a strong presence at the K-Show. This year’s exhibition was particularly significant as the Bunting stand was larger than ever before, drawing a large number of visitors from around the globe. With growing demand for efficient and reliable separation technology, the event provided an excellent opportunity to showcase the company's latest innovations.

The team on the Bunting stand represented a global mix of talent, with members traveling from the United States, United Kingdom, and Italy. It was also the first time that Robert Bunting, newly appointed as President and CEO of the global Bunting Group, attended an international trade show since his leadership role was announced. His presence highlighted the company’s commitment to innovation and customer service in the plastics sector.

A Changing Plastics Industry

The plastics industry is undergoing a major transformation, driven largely by environmental concerns. There is a growing global movement to reduce the use of single-use plastics, especially in packaging. Many companies are now exploring alternative materials, such as cardboard, as seen with Amazon’s recent shift. However, plastic remains a vital material in many applications, from automotive components to everyday products like bottles and containers.

With the push toward a circular economy, there is increased focus on sustainable design and recycling. This has led to greater innovation in both product development and processing technologies, creating new opportunities for equipment manufacturers like Bunting.

From Primary Production to Recycling

Like other manufacturing sectors, primary plastics producers are striving to minimize waste. Any waste generated is typically reclaimed, recycled, and reintegrated into the production process. However, the challenge becomes more complex when dealing with post-consumer or industrial plastic waste, which often contains contaminants and requires advanced separation techniques.

At K-Show 2022, Bunting showcased a range of multi-stage metal separation solutions designed to handle these challenges. These systems play a critical role in ensuring the quality and safety of raw materials throughout the production and recycling chain.

Focused on Metal Separation

At the heart of Bunting’s display was its expertise in metal contamination control. In plastic production, even small amounts of metal can cause serious damage to machinery and lead to product defects. To address this, Bunting demonstrated a combination of magnetic separators and metal detectors, showing how they work together to ensure clean, high-quality output.

On display were full-scale models of key equipment, including Easy-to-Clean FF Drawer Magnets, which are ideal for removing ferrous contaminants from plastic beads. These magnets are commonly installed above injection molding machines and operate without causing any loss of material. Complementing them were various types of metal detectors, which target non-ferrous metals like aluminum.

A combined system of FF Drawer Magnets and gravity-fed metal detectors was also on show, offering a comprehensive solution for separating all types of metal from both virgin and recycled plastic beads or internal waste streams.

In recycling operations, Bunting’s Eddy Current Metal Separator proved highly effective at isolating ferrous and non-ferrous metals from shredded PET. The integration of a high-intensity Drum Magnet with an Eddy Current Separator provides a powerful and efficient stage in the overall metal separation process.

An Evolving Future for Plastics

“Our stand was extremely busy from the very start,” said Alan Why, Bunting’s European Sales Manager. “It’s clear that the plastics industry is changing rapidly, and this is increasing the demand for advanced separation technology. Both primary producers and recyclers are looking for proven, reliable solutions that maximize metal removal efficiency. The K-Show 2022 gave us the perfect platform to demonstrate our capabilities, and we were pleased to see so much interest from our customers.”