According to a May 2013 article in Wired magazine, “Masterbatches are additives used to impart particular qualities to plastics.” This article that was about what is inside a golf ball included red masterbatches as one of several components in its weekly feature of what is inside some of the most common everyday items. And even if you have never heard of the term before, masterbatches are actually a component of nearly every item that includes plastics, including packages wrap and containers that are available in every color in shape.
Masterbatches, in fact, not only add color to plastic items, they can also add other qualities like the ability to glow in the dark or even to repel rats. They can include anti-fogging agents, UV absorbers and inhibitors, brighteners, scents, and flame retardants. Understanding the diverse use of just this one plastic manufacturing ingredient begins to paint a picture of the necessity of the logistics industry to supply, ship, and store essential needs for companies across America and around the world.
Supply Chain Jobs and Vendor Management Specialists Help Industries of All Kinds Meet the Demands of Their Customers
just by looking at one industry, it is possible to get a feel for the role of logistics in the delivery of goods and services that consumers use every day. The flexible packaging industry, for example, is a complex network of suppliers, buyers, and sellers who produce an item that consumers encounter several times every single day. For instance, the company that makes and sells the masterebatches that are used to tint and form the variety of plastics needed just for the pharmaceutical industry is extensive, Based on customer specifications, masterbatches must be delivered on time to a plastics manufacturing company that uses a team of designers and architects to create a package for every kind of pill that is dispensed over the counter or by a doctor’s prescription.
Not only do these masterbatches and other supplies have to be delivered on time, a supply chain specialist must be able to accurately predict the future need for these materials. Having the necessary materials on hand when they are needed is essential to the success of any production line. Finding accessible local storage is also often needed for materials that are used in large quantities.
Flexible packaging is the second largest packaging segment in America. In fact, it accounts for as much as 18% of the U.S. $145 billion packaging market. And while pharmaceutical companies use these technologies for their blister packaging products, the largest market for flexible packaging is food. When retail and institutional use is combined food packaging products account for about 58% of packaging market shipments. Although the flexible packaging industry directly employs approximately 79,000 people, an entire chain of other jobs and necessary products are also involved.