Meet our Polymer expert, Senior Technical Service Engineer, Carl Baker. Carl is a client-centric polymers visionary and industry veteran with a strong track record of helping customers unlock competitive advantage in pipe applications.
Senior Technical Service Engineer | PE Pipe
As the construction of its new polyethylene plant in Monaca, USA, continues, Shell Polymers has been hiring a team of industry experts, aka Polymer Pioneers and Polymer Pros, with proven track records in PE. In this article, Senior Technical Service Engineer Carl Baker shares insights from his extensive industry experience and the top-four opportunities for converters to improve their operations.
Back in 2000, Carl developed polyethylene raised temperature (PERT) resins that could meet the rigorous demands of the North American market and can be used at temperatures of up to 82°C. Until then, the maximum use temperature for polyethylene (pe) pipe was 60°C, which precluded it from use in potable water applications in homes and buildings in North America.
“Now, PERT resins are widely used in the North American potable water industry and in industrial and mining applications where its elevated temperature capability is a highly valuable characteristic,” he says.
Shell Polymers’ application hall will contain commercial-sized units for multilayer linear low density polyethylene film, high molecular weight film, pipe, and injection and blow molding, and Carl explains that this will enable him and his colleagues to unlock technical insights.
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“For example, if a product’s striping was failing ultraviolet exposure testing, we could work closely with the producer to identify what was going on,” he says. “Most likely, we may go on to recommend alternative masterbatches and do verification testing on them.”
Crucially, by running those trials here, they would not have to stop their production, and that’s really significant.
“Or maybe their pigments are fouling the die and causing surface defects. One of the things we can do is to run their current formulation on our machines and try to find ways of solving the problem. Perhaps it needs a processing aid or a different masterbatch, or maybe it’s something else. Crucially, by running those trials here, they would not have to stop their production, and that’s really significant because most pipe extruders run 24/7/365. Stoppages mean lost production and can lead to start-up difficulties.”
Although there are some highly effective productivity-boosting solutions, such as processing aids, sometimes the best solution will be to invest in new equipment. State-of-the-art extruders are getting progressively longer, which can enhance product quality and output levels. The new machine will run faster, make less scrap and need less operator input so the investment can be compelling.
There are still a lot of applications and a lot of industries that haven’t exploited the benefits of bimodal polyethylene pipe yet. Sure, we’ve seen sustained growth in pressure pipe for gas, water and industrial mining applications, all the way over to irrigation, but I think there is potential for it to penetrate other market segments, too.
The performance of the resin is critical, of course, but some suppliers have so much additional value that converters can tap into. Look at what your supplier has to offer. Can they offer troubleshooting at your site so that you don’t have to shut down your production? Do they share the latest thinking and techniques with you? That kind of strategic support can be extremely valuable.
Innovation is not only about what goes on in your labs and production facilities. It is also about finding opportunities to run your business in a quicker, cheaper, simpler and more efficient manner. In our experience, there can often be opportunities in areas such as logistics and forecasting.
It is vital that businesses keep up to date with the latest developments and thinking in the sector, and Carl is keen to add that this is another way in which Shell Polymers adds value to customers’ businesses. “We not only keep abreast of the latest developments, we are also at the forefront of them – delivering papers at conferences, holding leadership positions in the trade associations and certification bodies, and so on,” he says. “And we are committed to sharing the insights that come from this with our customers to help them unlock competitive advantage.”
Explore How Shell’s Polymer Experts Support Customers with Industry Expertise
Plastic Pipe & Fittings Association
Plastic Pipe Institute
ASTM International
Canadian Standards Association
Meet our Polymer expert, Senior Technical Service Engineer, Dan Falla. Dan has spent more than 30 years helping customers to innovate in new product and application development, and is Membership Chair for the Society of Plastics Engineers’ Flexible Packaging Division.
