Taking the first step for adding collaborative robots need not be a daunting task, according to Chris Buse, Universal Robot’s Applications Engineering Manager for North America West.

Buse, who has a plastics engineering college degree, outlined the process and talked about the value cobots bring to plastics processing in an interview with Editor Ron Shinn at the inaugural Collaborate conference and trade show in Novi, Mich., on Jan. 28.

In this week's Machinery Minutes, senior reporter Bruce Geiselman updates you on a roundtable in which the PMM staff discusses what may lie ahead for machinery makers in 2025. Are they optimistic that interest rate cuts will boost business, or do they see continued tough times ahead?

Another vision of the future comes from Slant 3D president Gabe Bentz, who wants to revolutionize manufacturing in a way that allows anyone to turn an idea into a part.

We also have news on a manufacturer of recycled plastic railroad ties that has attracted an investor.

The year ahead looks uncertain for many plastics machinery OEMs and processors. Will lower interest rates spur investment in equipment? What effect might tariffs have? What end markets are on the rise?

In this episode of the PMM Insight podcast, editors Ron Shinn, Lynne Sherwin, Bruce Geiselman and Karen Hanna discuss the results of our annual survey and comments from machinery makers about their expectations.