A 360-degree look at resin conveying systems: types, operation, economics, design, installation, components and controls.
This Knowledge Center provides an overview of resin moisture and the drying process, including information on the best drying practices for your manufacturing facility. dust free plant painting
Combat the skilled labor shortage using this comprehensive resource to train your own plastics processing experts.
Deep dive into the basics of blending versus dosing, controls, maintenance, process integration and more.
This Knowledge Center provides an overview of the considerations needed to understand the purchase, operation, and maintenance of a process cooling system.
Learn about sustainable scrap reprocessing—this resource offers a deep dive into everything from granulator types and options, to service tips, videos and technical articles.
Despite price increase nominations going into second quarter, it appeared there was potential for generally flat pricing with the exception of a major downward correction for PP.
First quarter was ending up with upward pricing, primarily due to higher feedstock costs and not supply/demand fundamentals.
Despite earlier anticipated rollover in prices for most of the volume commodity resins, prices were generally on the way up for all going into the third month of first quarter.
While price initiatives for PE and PVC were underway, resin prices had rollover potential for first two months of 2024, perhaps with the exception of PET.
Flat-to-downward trajectory for at least this month.
A mixed bag, though prices likely to be down if not flat for all this month.
Resin drying is a crucial, but often-misunderstood area. This collection includes details on why and what you need to dry, how to specify a dryer, and best practices.
Take a deep dive into all of the various aspects of part quoting to ensure you’ve got all the bases—as in costs—covered before preparing your customer’s quote for services.
In this collection of articles, two of the industry’s foremost authorities on screw design — Jim Frankand and Mark Spalding — offer their sage advice on screw design...what works, what doesn’t, and what to look for when things start going wrong.
In this collection, which is part one of a series representing some of John’s finest work, we present you with five articles that we think you will refer to time and again as you look to solve problems, cut cycle times and improve the quality of the parts you mold.
Gifted with extraordinary technical know how and an authoritative yet plain English writing style, in this collection of articles Fattori offers his insights on a variety of molding-related topics that are bound to make your days on the production floor go a little bit better.
In this three-part collection, veteran molder and moldmaker Jim Fattori brings to bear his 40+ years of on-the-job experience and provides molders his “from the trenches” perspective on on the why, where and how of venting injection molds. Take the trial-and-error out of the molding venting process.
Mike Sepe has authored more than 25 ANTEC papers and more than 250 articles illustrating the importance of this interdisciplanary approach. In this collection, we present some of his best work during the years he has been contributing for Plastics Technology Magazine.
In this collection of content, we provide expert advice on welding from some of the leading authorities in the field, with tips on such matters as controls, as well as insights on how to solve common problems in welding.
Mold maintenance is critical, and with this collection of content we’ve bundled some of the very best advice we’ve published on repairing, maintaining, evaluating and even hanging molds on injection molding machines.
Thousands of people visit our Supplier Guide every day to source equipment and materials. Get in front of them with a free company profile.
NPE2024: Following the company’s recent partnership buyout, new North American geographic territories are in its sight.
New materials and machinery offer processors the means to run their businesses more efficiently and more inline with the circular economy. But you have to say yes.
Firing up a cold blown-film line after a shutdown involves multiple pieces of equipment that all interact. Here’s a look at those components individually and some best practices on how to get your line up and running as quickly and safely as possible.
NPE2024: Purgex team hosting technical seminars throughout the show with industry pros.
NPE2024: Advancements and forward-thinking initiatives in plastics manufacturing will be highlighted.
Plastics processing activity didn’t make its way into expansion territory in March, but seems headed in that direction.
Beyond Plastic and partners have created a certified biodegradable PHA compound that can be injection molded into 38-mm closures in a sub 6-second cycle from a multicavity hot runner tool.
There are many things to consider, and paying attention to the details can help avoid machine downtime and higher maintenance costs. In this installment, the focus is on design and placement of sucker/puller pins.
Despite last-minute design changes and other unexpected roadblocks, thermoformer TriEnda works with a key supplier on innovative reusable shipping container.
NPE 2024: Teknor Apex discusses its recyclable thermoplastic elastomers and much more between Tuesday and Thursday
Topping five other entries in voting by fellow molders, the Ultradent team talks about their Hot Shots sweep.
Serendipitous Learning Opportunities at PTXPO Underscore the Value of Being Present.
Introduced by Zeiger and Spark Industries at the PTXPO, the nozzle is designed for maximum heat transfer and uniformity with a continuous taper for self cleaning.
Ultradent's entry of its Umbrella cheek retractor took home the awards for Technical Sophistication and Achievement in Economics and Efficiency at PTXPO.
technotrans says climate protection, energy efficiency and customization will be key discussion topics at PTXPO as it displays its protemp flow 6 ultrasonic eco and the teco cs 90t 9.1 TCUs.
Shibaura discusses the upcoming Plastics Technology Expo (PTXPO) March 28-30
Reel Power will demonstrate how its automatic winding system works in concert with extrusion and automated pick and place.
NPE2024: Farrel Pomini is highlighting the adaptability of its continuous mixer to recycling, bioresin contexts.
NPE2024: Ewikon highlighting new hot runner nozzle and Smart Control system.
NPE2024: AI sorting add on for the company’s Autosort systems aids in removing elusive plastic contaminants.
NPE2024: Following the company’s recent partnership buyout, new North American geographic territories are in its sight.
NPE 2024: Atlas’ S³T system is designed for the company’s Weather-Ometer Ci4400 and Ci5000 instruments
Mixed in among thought leaders from leading suppliers to injection molders and mold makers at the 2023 Molding and MoldMaking conferences will be molders and toolmakers themselves.
After successfully introducing a combined conference for moldmakers and injection molders in 2022, Plastics Technology and MoldMaking Technology are once again joining forces for a tooling/molding two-for-one.
Multiple speakers at Molding 2023 will address the ways simulation can impact material substitution decisions, process profitability and simplification of mold design.
When, how, what and why to automate — leading robotics suppliers and forward-thinking moldmakers will share their insights on automating manufacturing at collocated event.
As self-imposed and government-issued sustainability mandates approach, injection molders reimagine their operations.
August 29-30 in Minneapolis all things injection molding and moldmaking will be happening at the Hyatt Regency — check out who’s speaking on what topics today.
Get your clicking finger in shape and sign up for all that we have in store for you in 2023.
Molding 2023 to take place Aug. 29-30 in Minnesota; Extrusion 2023 slated for Oct. 10-12 in Indiana.
Cooling time is typically the longest step of the molding process. How can you make it more productive? Learn how cooling time can be turned into production time by running two molding processes simultaneously on a single molding machine. For longer cycles, this can mean twice the productivity. In this webinar, you'll learn more about the Shuttle Mold System and how to calculate its potential productivity impacts for your application. Agenda: Learn how the Shuttle Mold System can deliver value to your business See the recent technical updates made to the system Calculate the potential impact on productivity
Discover possible applications in large format printing including layup tools, transport modules, film fixation devices, design components and enclosures. These are used in various industries such as automotive, aerospace, architecture and many others. Agenda: Possible applications in large format printing: layup tools, transport modules, film fixing devices, design components and enclosures. Process reliability and component quality in component production Pros and cons of the technology Sneak peek into current development projects—What will the large format printing of tomorrow look like?
In this webinar, Cold Jet will discuss some of the ways processors use dry ice such as in-machine mold cleaning at operating temperatures, de-flashing or de-burring parts, improving OEE scores, extending mold life, cleaning parts before painting, post-processing 3D printed parts, lowering GHG emissions, and monitoring and reporting the process. Agenda: Cold Jet Overview & Dry Ice 101 Understanding the Process and Fine-Tuning Techniques Case Studies: Applications in Plastics Monitoring the Process Exploring the Importance of Dry Ice Cleaning in an ESG Era
Finding it hard to get technical talent? Experiencing the pain of a knowledgeable, long-term employee's retirement? Learn how plastics processors are training generative AIs on their operations and unlocking the value from their tribal knowledge. Plastics processors are training generative AI models on their operations — from machine manuals to tools, polymers, procedures, maintenance records and engineering projects. Applying generative AI in the right ways can lower plastics processors' costs, improve overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and upskill teams. In this webinar, you'll learn how to deploy AI technical assistants to your teams, what works and what doesn't, and how to use AI to build an organization that never loses tribal knowledge and fosters inter-team collaboration. Agenda: What is generative AI and how can its cognitive abilities be applied to plastics? Case study: how an injection molder trained a large language model on manuals and maintenance records to reduce downtime Case study: using generative AI in engineering teams to improve product development Live demonstration of a generative AI deep-trained on plastics knowledge Looking to the future: five predictions for an AI-augmented workforce in plastics
Turnaround time can be as low as 24 hours, although two or three days might be more typical. Rapid prototyping like this is especially useful to quickly identify critical end-use part geometries that will work in the molding process. Key components include material choice, 3D printing technology selected, use of adaptable mold bases for the mold inserts and implementation of appropriate injection molding process conditions. This presentation will review work conducted toward the assessment of a high-stiffness, high-temperature-resistant ceramic modified urethane acrylate for injection molding inserts. Agenda: Guide for 3D-printed injection mold inserts Optimization of digital light processing (DLP) printing Compatibility with various thermoplastics Real-world application success stories
Tony will address common challenges encountered at each stage and provide invaluable insights to effectively navigate these obstacles. Agenda: Bridging the gap between color and appearance: learn how to achieve harmony between the intended color and the final appearance of your plastic products. Importance of using a data-driven color management model: color measurement technology provides valuable insights and analytics that enable plastic manufacturers to optimize color formulations, troubleshoot color inconsistencies, enhance operational efficiency and drive continuous improvement in their production processes. Choosing the right toolset: gain insights into selecting the most suitable technology and processes tailored to your workflow and specific needs.
Every three years, leaders from almost every major industry gather at NPE to advance their businesses through innovations in plastics. The largest plastics trade show in the Americas, NPE offers six technology zones, keynote speakers, workshops and opportunities to build partnerships.
The 3D Printing Workshop @ NPE2024 – The Plastics Show, is an immersive, half-day workshop focused on the emerging possibilities for part production via 3D printing and additive manufacturing. Presented by Additive Manufacturing Media, Plastics Technology and MoldMaking Technology, the 3D Printing Workshop will build upon a successful model first introduced at IMTS 2014. Attendees will benefit from a program focused on practical applications of 3D technologies related to plastics processing. This event will conclude with a 3D Printing Industry Reception sponsored by Additive Manufacturing Media.
The Society Plastics Engineers (SPE) Extrusion Division and the SPE Eastern New England Section will co-host the Screw Design Conference-Topcon on June 19-20, 2024 @ UMass Lowell in Lowell, MA. This highly technical program will focus upon screw design principles for single and twin screw extruders with wide ranging topics relating to screw designs for feeding, melting, mixing, venting and pumping plastics products and parts. Areas of focus will include screw designs for melt temperature and gel management, gel minimization, bioplastics, recycled materials and foaming. In addition to the technical sessions, a tour of the UMass Lowel Plastics Processing Laboratories will be integrated into Day 2 of the event. This program is not just for screw designers, but to help anyone responsible for any type of extrusion operation to evaluate existing extrusion equipment; and also to prepare for future projects. Price to attend: Less than $1000! Registrations will be accepted in early 2024. Call for papers – To be considered to give a presentation, please submit a talk title and abstract on or before December 15 to: Technical Chair: Eldridge M. Mount III, e-mail emmount@msn.com Corporate sponsorships - A limited # of corporate sponsorships (15) are available on a 1st come basis. Included is a 6’ tabletop display (must fit on table), denotation in all promotional activities, and 1 no charge registration. To become a sponsor contact: Charlie Martin, Leistritz Extrusion, e-mail cmartin@leistritz-extrusion.com, cell 973-650 3137 General information: A reception on Day 1 and a tabletop display area will allow the attendees to meet and discuss state-of-the-art screw technologies with industry experts. The SPE Extrusion Division will issue a “Screw Design Certificate” to all participants who have attended the program. Students are encouraged to attend and will receive a discounted rate. For additional information contact: Program Chair: Karen Xiao, Macro Engineering, KXiao@macroeng.com
Debuting in 2010, the Parts Cleaning Conference is the leading and most trusted manufacturing and industrial parts cleaning forum focused solely on delivering quality technical information in the specialized field of machined parts cleansing. Providing guidance and training to understand the recognized sets of standards for industrial cleaning, every year the Conference showcases industry experts who present educational sessions on the latest and most pressing topics affecting manufacturing facilities today. Discover all that the 2022 Parts Cleaning Conference has to offer!
Presented by Additive Manufacturing Media, Plastics Technology and MoldMaking Technology, the 3D Printing Workshop at IMTS 2024 is a chance for job shops to learn the emerging possibilities for part production via 3D printing and additive manufacturing. First introduced at IMTS 2014, this workshop has helped hundreds of manufacturing professionals expand their additive capabilities.
Formnext Chicago is an industrial additive manufacturing expo taking place April 8-10, 2025 at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois. Formnext Chicago is the second in a series of Formnext events in the U.S. being produced by Mesago Messe Frankfurt, AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology, and Gardner Business Media (our publisher).
More quality output in less time, more uptime/less downtime for maintenance and changeovers, and ability to make a wider range of products with a given capital investment—those imperatives are driving innovation at NPE2018.
New injection molding controls improve productivity of good parts by self-correcting for viscosity changes. Other software developments minimize downtime through remote service capability and predictive-maintenance monitoring. (Photo: KraussMaffei)
Recent developments in injection machinery include all-electric systems intended to compete with accumulator-assisted hydraulics in high-speed, thin-wall packaging and bottle caps. (Photo: SACMI)
High-speed thermoforming lines—in this case furnished with IML technology—figure to be prominent at NPE2018. (Photo: Illig)
Higher productivity, precision, and consistency are reasons why U.S. blow molders are starting to adopt all-electric shuttle machines, like this one at Currier Plastics, Auburn, N.Y.
“The Need for Speed”— plastics processors feel it, for sure; but today they feel the need for faster production of quality product even more urgently. And since no product gets made while a machine is waiting for maintenance or a job changeover, maximizing uptime is part of what keeps them in business. Add to that one more essential for competitiveness: flexibility to produce a wider range of products from their capital equipment.
One goal for makers of all-electric injection presses is to match the speed of accumulator-assisted hydraulics for high-speed packaging and cap molding.
That constellation of needs is what will be driving processors through the doors of the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., on May 7-11 for NPE2018. There they will encounter new and upgraded machine models, innovations in controls and automation, new aids to preventive maintenance, and novel approaches to tooling and processing methods. Here’s an overview of what’s in store for injection molders, extrusion processors, compounders, blow molders, and thermoformers.
When it comes to raw speed, injection machine builders have been pushing the benchmark for show-floor molding demonstrations ever lower, so that it ever more frequently approaches—or exceeds—2-sec cycles. Even a 715-ton (650-metric-ton) press today can be capable of 2.4-sec dry cycles.
A special goal for injection-machine designers has been all-electric presses that can compete with accumulator-assisted hydraulics in high-speed packaging and cap molding. Some suppliers have engineered dedicated systems for caps or PET preforms, using closer integration of the machine and mold to overlap motions and wring every possible fraction of a second from the cycle time.
Much of the search for speed has focused on clamp designs, but improved screw designs have also gained fresh attention of late. Other tools for cracking the limits of cycle time include use of rotating “cube” type stack molds that permit cooling to occur in one or two of the four faces. For specialty molding, such as lightweight, high-strength composites, faster preheating of composite organosheets is helping to make this emerging technology even more attractive to automotive and computer/electronics OEMs. Rapid heat/cool, or variotherm, molding is likely to make multiple appearances at the show, where it will demonstrate potential for enhancing both speed and part quality. (Quality, in this case, means more than surface appearance or mold definition—it also means the potential for “erasing” weld lines and minimizing frozen-in stresses.)
Speed-plus-quality will be the theme behind a number of recent developments in molding process-control software that automatically adjusts injection parameters for changes in material viscosity; finds the minimum necessary clamp force to avoid over-stressing parts and molds; and determines the appropriate coolant flow in mold circuits to achieve optimal heat removal without overdoing the cooling and wasting energy.
And be on the lookout for other developments aimed at filling in two of the biggest blanks in the picture of injection molding process control—accurate monitoring and control of melt temperature in the barrel and of mold cooling in individual flow circuits.
Quality, even more than speed, is the focus of special systems for micromolding. Two-stage systems with a fixed plasticating screw and reciprocating screw or plunger claim the advantage of eliminating the nonreturn valve, so that shot size is volumetrically certain and repeatable.
To keep machines running with the least possible downtime, a powerful tool that is offered by more and more machine builders is remote service capability. Also likely to prove important, though still in its early stages, is a movement toward predictive maintenance through new approaches to “condition monitoring” with on-machine sensors for vibration, torque, temperature, and other variables. The goal is to all but eliminate unplanned downtime. Some machinery OEMs are developing ways to monitor the health of ballscrews, electrical systems, clamps, injection units, etc., and even to measure screw/barrel wear without having to pull the screw for a conventional check.
Being able to do more in one machine and mold has been a consistent theme of advances in injection molding for the past decade or more. Multi-material molding and integrated multi-process cells have starred at recent major plastics shows and are apt do so again in Orlando two months from now. Molding parts with multiple colors, hard and soft-touch components, and combinations of thermoplastic and thermoset—liquid silicone rubber (LSR) or liquid urethane coatings—demonstrates to processors how eliminate costs of assembly or other secondary operations. (In-mold decorating or labeling are related themes that will get plenty of play at NPE2018.) As noted above, rotating “cube” stack molds have proved a powerful tool for combining materials and in-mold assembly operations in an integrated process.
For molders who have difficulty justifying the cost of a multi-barrel injection machine, an increasingly popular approach is to convert a standard machine—perhaps only temporarily—with auxiliary add-on injection units that sit on the floor beside the clamp or mount vertically on a platen. The variety and capabilities of such units has steadily expanded to include all-electric versions and the ability to add LSR capability to a standard machine.
Interest in foam injection molding is also growing trend, machine builders report, and some newer developments add versatility by allowing for physical foam molding on a standard machine with little or no modification (see PT, Dec. ’15 Fakuma Close-Up).
For some machine builders at NPE, versatility and flexibility have become a strategy of basic machine design. Whole lines of presses are now based on the concept of modularity to enable a range of customization more affordably than in the past. There have also been developments in clamp design that pack more punch in a smaller footprint. As you’ll see at NPE, space-saving two-platen presses have proliferated up and down the size range; but keep your eyes peeled for innovations that enhance the specs of toggle clamps without increasing their size.
It used to be that extrusion processors had a choice between dedicated, high-speed lines or systems where material recipes and product structures could be changed quickly. Now, those distinctions are gone: Speed and flexibility are no longer mutually exclusive as machine builders design systems that can accommodate a range of products in a single footprint. And quality is a given.
In blown film, particularly, orders are getting smaller and smaller; which means the quicker a processor can shift from one to the next, the better. Systems are being engineered for lightning-quick product changeovers that permit blown-film processors to make complete format changes—material, color, thickness, layflat width, web tension, blow-up ratio, etc.—in a couple of minutes. Highly complex, multi-layer blown-film lines are also being built to provide processors with unparalleled flexibility, permitting them to mix and match layers and materials in a wide variety of combinations.
None of this flexibility comes at the expense of throughput. In blown film, you can expect to see at NPE2018 more advances in internal bubble cooling and air-ring technologies aimed at increasing rate.
In sheet, “no-dry” systems for running hygroscopic materials such as PET and PLA continue to proliferate. While these lines are aimed primarily at packaging, where volumes tend to be high, flexibility again rules the day, as these lines are being engineered to switch quickly among PET, PLA, and PP.
In pipe, profile, and tubing, recent advances have focused on tooling. Again, the emphasis is on flexibility, more specifically on technology aimed at giving processors the ability to change dimensional sizes on the fly. Look for that theme to continue in Orlando.
Production runs in compounding are getting shorter too, and builders of extruders and pelletizing systems have been focusing on engineering new equipment that facilitates product changeovers by providing easy access to components that need to be regularly cleaned and maintained.
Their penetration has been gradual, but all-electric shuttle machines seem to be finally catching on with U.S. blow molders, as they already have in Europe and Asia. So expect to see all-electric models featured in Orlando. While machine builders are quick to tout these machines’ energy savings, the bigger draws here are faster cycles, greater output in a smaller footprint, quicker setup and return to production of good bottles after a shutdown, and greater precision and repeatability.
The same arguments are said to be gaining ground with U.S. injection-blow molders, but energy savings and productivity benefits are also said to be available from servo-hydraulic models.
In PET stretch-blow machines, there are also a number of all-electric and servo-hydraulic choices on the market. But the emphasis here has been more on versatility, meaning ability to produce a wider range of complex and “difficult” shapes—bottles with deep pinch grips, tiny necks (2-5 mm on 5-ml eyedrop containers), off-center necks and gates, and very flat shoulders. Also new are machines that make dual-blow heat setting possible on one-stage as well as two-stage PET systems.
And in quality-boosting technologies, be on the lookout for new control and monitoring systems for PET containers that enable processors to optimize crystallinity for maximum strength without sacrificing clarity.
While the thermoforming market is divided between packaging and industrial applications, exhibitors at trade shows like NPE and K tend to focus on the former. Lines have been showcased that can form an unprecedented range of materials at unheard of speeds (more than 50 cycles/min in the case of PP cups, for example). There’s seemingly no end in sight where the need for speed in concerned, so at NPE2018 you can expect to see more machine builders debuting technologies aimed at increasing productivity.
IML technology figures to be a focus in thermoforming as well. While IML is far more established in injection molding, more formers are eyeing this technology as a means of differentiating themselves from the competition, so machine builders figure to emphasize new options in this area in Orlando.
The Bottle Zone is the place to explore cutting-edge bottle and container technologies.
Absolute Haitian says Generation 5 of the servo-hydraulic Haitian and electric Zhafir machines lines emphasize efficiency, performance and intelligence.
Maker of one-stage ISBM machines will show off new sizes and styles of handled and stackable PET containers, including novel interlocking products.
Offerings range from recycled, biobased, biodegradable and monomaterial structures that enhance recyclability to additives that are more efficient, sustainable and safer to use.
With advocacy, communication and sustainability as three main pillars, Seaholm leads a trade association to NPE that ‘is more active today than we have ever been.’
Coverage of single-use plastics can be both misleading and demoralizing. Here are 10 tips for changing the perception of the plastics industry at your company and in your community.
Driven by brand owner demands and new worldwide legislation, the entire supply chain is working toward the shift to circularity, with some evidence the circular economy has already begun.
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