pollution - plastic moulded products

Core Technology Molding turned to Mold-Masters E-Multi auxiliary injection unit to help it win a job and dramatically change its process.

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.

While the melting process does not provide perfect mixing, this study shows that mixing is indeed initiated during melting.

This Knowledge Center provides an overview of the considerations needed to understand the purchase, operation, and maintenance of a process cooling system.

Join Wittmann for an engaging webinar on the transformative impact of manufacturing execution systems (MES) in the plastic injection molding industry. Discover how MES enhances production efficiency, quality control and real-time monitoring while also reducing downtime. It will explore the integration of MES with existing systems, emphasizing compliance and traceability for automotive and medical sectors. Learn about the latest advancements in IoT and AI technologies and how they drive innovation and continuous improvement in MES. Agenda: Overview of MES benefits What is MES? Definition, role and brief history Historical perspective and evolution Longevity and analytics Connectivity: importance, standards and integration Advantages of MES: efficiency, real-time data, traceability and cost savings Emerging technologies: IoT and AI in MES

Stratasys Ltd., a manufacturer of 3D printers and materials for personal use, prototyping and production, today announced that Robert Seuffer, GmbH & Co. KG (Seuffer), a German supplier of parts for household appliances  and commercial vehicles, has incorporated Stratasys 3D printing in its manufacturing process to significantly reduce the time and cost of producing injection molded sample parts.

PVC prices dropped by 2¢/lb in May and were set to drop by another  2¢/lb in June, and projected to be largely flat in the July-August time frame,  according to Paul Pavlov, RTi’s v.p. of PP and PVC and PCW’s senior editor Donna Todd. The latter reported that industry forecasts changed in the third week of June, with projections of flat pricing for July, up 1¢/lb for August, flat for September and October, and down 2¢/lb for November and down 1¢/lb for December.  “Market participants were scratching their heads over the prediction of a 1¢/lb price increase for August, because traditionally demand is moribund in both the domestic and export markets during August,” Todd offers. She notes that these participants expected domestic downstream demand to rebound in the September-October time frame, and would have expected any price increase to take place at that time.

Second quarter started with price hikes in PE and the four volume engineering resins, but relatively stable pricing was largely expected by the quarter’s end.

Multiple speakers at Molding 2023 will address the ways simulation can impact material substitution decisions, process profitability and simplification of mold design.

Thousands of people visit our Supplier Guide every day to source equipment and materials. Get in front of them with a free company profile.

Says Barry, “Buyers were expecting a minimum price decrease of 3¢/lb in June. The situation was complicated by price decreases of 3¢/ to 5¢/lb granted on a case-by-case basis in recent months.” He notes that 2023 PE contract prices went up a total of 6¢/lb through June, while spot PE prices were down 6¢/lb to as much as 12¢/lb.  RTi’s Chesshier notes that suppliers cost to produce PE had dropped by over 40% since the beginning of the year, with plant operating rates below 85%.

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.

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.

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.

PET prices were flat in June, after falling by 2.5¢/lb in May, and were expected to be flat in July, based on raw material formulation contracts, according to Mark Kallman RTi’s v.p. of PVC, PET and engineering resins. He ventures that prices in August could follow suit, though there was some potential for a decrease. He characterized demand as continued sluggish with resin availability on the high end, despite lower production rates. Moreover, there have been some even  better offers for imported PET, which are ample and typically lower cost. Also, several attractive offers could be had in the spot market.

While the major correction in PP prices was finally underway, generally stable pricing was anticipated for the other four commodity resins.

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.

Join this webinar to explore the transformative benefits of retrofitting your existing injection molding machines (IMMs). Engel will guide you through upgrading your equipment to enhance monitoring, control and adaptability — all while integrating digital technologies. You'll learn about the latest trends in IMM retrofitting (including Euromap interfaces and plasticizing retrofits) and discover how to future-proof your machines for a competitive edge. With insights from industry experts, it'll walk you through the decision-making process, ensuring you make informed choices that drive your business forward. Agenda: Maximize the value of your current IMMs through strategic retrofitting Learn how to integrate digital technologies to enhance monitoring and control Explore the benefits of Euromap interfaces and plasticizing retrofits Understand how retrofitting can help meet new product demands and improve adaptability Discover how Engel can support your retrofitting needs, from free consultations to execution

Across the show, sustainability ruled in new materials technology, from polyolefins and engineering resins to biobased materials.

PCW’s Barry notes that spot PP prices, which continued to be 2¢ to 3¢/lb lower than contract prices, were starting to stabilize, indicating that prices could be bottoming out.

Processors with sustainability goals or mandates have a number of ways to reach their goals. Biopolymers are among them.

The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) has released final figures for NPE2024: The Plastics Show (May 6-10; Orlando) that officially make it the largest ever NPE in several key metrics.

While prices moved up for three of the five commodity resins, there was potential for a flat trajectory for the rest of the third quarter.

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.

Last month we briefly discussed the influence of temperature on the mechanical properties of polymers and reviewed some of the structural considerations that govern these effects.

Plastics Technology covers technical and business Information for Plastics Processors in Injection Molding, Extrusion, Blow Molding, Plastic Additives, Compounding, Plastic Materials, and Resin Pricing. About Us

Polyethylene prices were largely expected to drop by 3¢/lb in June, with a similar decrease in July, followed by flat pricing in August, according to David Barry, PCW’s associate director for PE, PP, and PS, Robin Chesshier, RTi’s v.p. of PE, PS, and nylon 6 markets, and The Plastic Exchange’s CEO Michael Greenberg. This, while PE suppliers postponed their June 3¢/lb increase to July.  Greenberg noted that despite supply/demand conditions, it makes sense to have price increases nominated all during the hurricane season and this should also serve as a good reminder for processors to keep an inventory buffer on hand.

Implementing a production monitoring system as the foundation of a ‘smart factory’ is about integrating people with new technology as much as it is about integrating machines and computers. Here are tips from a company that has gone through the process.

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.

The aim of this presentation is to guide you through the factors and the numbers that will help you determine if a robot is a smart investment for your application. Agenda:  Why are you considering automation? What problems are you trying to solve? How and why automation can help Crunch the numbers and determine the ROI

Stratasys Ltd. is the corporate entity formed in 2012 by the merger of 3D printing companies Stratasys Inc. and Objet Ltd., based in Minneapolis, Minn. and Rehovot, Israel. The company manufactures 3D printers and materials for prototyping and production. Prior to merging, the two companies’ revenues totaled $277 million for 2011. Its patented FDM® and Objet inkjet-based processes produce prototypes or manufactured goods directly from 3D CAD files or other 3D content.

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.

"Companies worldwide are looking to introduce significant efficiencies to their manufacturing processes when introducing new products, and are discovering the many benefits of additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing,"  said  Andy Middleton, General Manager, Stratasys EMEA at Stratasys. "More and more manufacturers are adopting 3D printed tools as a complimentary injection molding solution - not only to cost-effectively test products before mass production, but also to produce customized parts."

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.

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.

Greenberg summarizes the spot market this way, “After rallying during the first quarter, spot prices have really taken it on the chin the past couple of months and have now become well discounted to contract levels, providing processors with excellent buying opportunities. Downstream resin and finished goods inventories have been reduced over the past three quarters, and we are seeing an effort to replenish these stocks now that resin prices have come back down again. Generally speaking, PP supply is sufficient and most grades can be found in railcar quantities and at favorable prices.”

Across all process types, sustainability was a big theme at NPE2024. But there was plenty to see in automation and artificial intelligence as well.

This year’s correction in prices of the five major commodity resins was well underway heading into the third quarter. While prices of PE, PP, PVC and PET appeared to be bottoming out, prices of PS were forecast to have a substantial, possibly double-digit, drop.

"Working with the automotive industry, sample parts need to be tested in the environment of moving mechanical parts as well as in high temperature environments," explained Andreas Buchholz, Head of Research and Development at Seuffer. "With Stratasys 3D printing, we can design first drafts of the injection mold within a few days and 3D print them in less than 24 hours for part evaluation. Traditionally, it would take eight weeks to manufacture the tool in metal using the conventional CNC process.  And while the conventional tool costs us about 40,000 euros, the 3D printed tool is less than 1000 euros, a saving of 97%."

Barry notes that benzene values were pressured by high Asian import volumes and weak downstream demand. Both sources characterized PS demand as significantly down with plant operating rates in the 50% range.

Say “manufacturing automation” and thoughts immediately go to the shop floor and specialized production equipment, robotics and material handling systems. But there is another realm of possible automation — the front office.

Join Engel in exploring the future of battery molding technology. Discover advancements in thermoplastic composites for battery housings, innovative automation solutions and the latest in large-tonnage equipment designed for e-mobility — all with a focus on cost-efficient solutions. Agenda: Learn about cutting-edge thermoplastic composites for durable, sustainable and cost-efficient battery housings Explore advanced automation concepts for efficient and scalable production See the latest large-tonnage equipment and technology innovations for e-mobility solutions

Additive technology creates air pockets in film during orientation, cutting down on the amount of resin needed while boosting opacity, mechanical properties and recyclability.

Join KraussMaffei for an insightful webinar designed for industry professionals, engineers and anyone interested in the manufacturing processes of PVC pipes. This session will provide a comprehensive understanding of the technology behind the production of high-quality PVC pipes: from raw material preparation to final product testing. Agenda: Introduction to PVC extrusion: overview of the basic principles of PVC pipe extrusion — including the process of melting and shaping PVC resin into pipe forms Equipment and machinery: detailed explanation of the key equipment involved — such as extruders, dies and cooling systems — and their roles in the extrusion process Process parameters: insight into the critical process parameters like temperature, pressure and cooling rates that influence the quality and consistency of the final PVC pipes Energy efficiency: examination of ways to save material and energy use when extruding PVC pipe products

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.’

Successfully starting or restarting an injection molding machine is less about ticking boxes on a rote checklist and more about individually assessing each processing scenario and its unique variables.

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.

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).

Discover how artifical intelligence is revolutionizing plastics processing. Hear from industry experts on the future impact of AI on your operations and envision a fully interconnected plant.

Polystyrene prices were expected to drop 3¢ to 4¢/lb in June, after dropping 3¢/lb in May, and a pretty substantial decrease was projected for the July-August time frame, according to PCW’s Barry and RTi’s Chesshier. The key driver was lower-cost benzene, with spot prices by June’s end as low as $2.79/gal vs. the June contract price of $3.55/gal. Barry ventures that a PS price decrease of 5¢ to 6¢/lb  was possible for July. Chesshier ventured that within July-August, there was the potential for an overall decrease in PS prices of 10¢ to 12¢/lb.

When, how, what and why to automate — leading robotics suppliers and forward-thinking moldmakers will share their insights on automating manufacturing at collocated event.

Ultradent's entry of its Umbrella cheek retractor took home the awards for Technical Sophistication and Achievement in Economics and Efficiency at PTXPO.

Sustainability continues to dominate new additives technology, but upping performance is also evident. Most of the new additives have been targeted to commodity resins and particularly polyolefins.

In a time where sustainability is no longer just a buzzword, the food and beverage packaging industry is required to be at the forefront of this innovation. By adopting circular packaging processes and solutions, producers can meet regulatory requirements while also satisfying consumer demand and enhancing brand reputation. Join Husky to learn more about the broader implications of the circular economy — as well as how leading brands are leveraging this opportunity to reduce costs, increase design flexibility and boost product differentiation. Agenda: The cost and operational benefits of embracing circularity Key materials in circular packaging — including rPET and emerging bioplastics How to design a circular food and beverage package Strategies for selecting sustainable closures to future-proof packaging solutions Optimization and streamlining of production processes for enhanced efficiency How Husky Technologies can enable your sustainable success

Greenberg confirms that some processors continued to engage the spot market for well-priced resin, and that by June’s end there was still plenty of it for both prime and offgrade in bulk railcars and packaged truckloads. Referring to ACC data for May, he notes that while domestic and export sales were a bit above average, it did not prove enough to move all the resin produced, “so collective producer inventories built for a third straight month to the highest level since July 2022.”

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.

While prices moved up for three of the five commodity resins, there was potential for a flat trajectory for the rest of the third quarter.

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.

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.

Barring major production disruptions during this hurricane season or other unplanned outages, prices were generally expected to be flat-to-lower for at least part of the third quarter, owing to continued sluggish demand, lower cost feedstocks and oversupply in the case of PET and polyolefins, particularly PE. In the polyolefins arena, spot market buying has been stronger due to much lower price offers that can be had. Domestic demand for both PE and PP through May was down nearly 9%.

Polypropylene prices in June appeared to be heading down by 4¢/lb in step with propylene monomer, after dropping 8¢/lb in May, and a total of 19¢/lb since March, according to PCW’s Barry, Spartan Polymers’ Newell and The Plastic Exchange’s Greenberg. The three generally thought  PP prices may have bottomed out, though they saw some potential for a bit further reduction in July-August.

Pavlov states that demand was showing a bit of a rebound as housing starts looked better, indicating there was some drawdown of high supplier inventories. However, plant operating rates had been throttled back to the 60% range for most of the second quarter.

This month’s resin pricing report includes PT’s quarterly check-in on select engineering resins, including nylon 6 and 66.

Plastics Technology’s Tech Days is back! Every Tuesday in October, a series of five online presentations will be given by industry supplier around the following topics:  Injection Molding — New Technologies, Efficiencies Film Extrusion — New Technologies, Efficiencies Upstream/Downstream Operations Injection Molding — Sustainability Extrusion — Compounding Coming out of NPE2024, PT identified a variety of topics, technologies and trends that are driving and shaping the evolution of plastic products manufacturing — from recycling/recyclability and energy optimization to AI-based process control and automation implementation. PT Tech Days is designed to provide a robust, curated, accessible platform through which plastics professionals can explore these trends, have direct access to subject-matter experts and develop strategies for applying solutions in their operations.

Systems include affordable desktop 3D printers for idea development, a range of systems for prototyping, and large production systems for direct digital manufacturing. The company’s range of over 130 3D printing materials is the widest in the industry and includes over 120 proprietary inkjet-based photopolymer materials and 10 proprietary FDM-based thermoplastic materials.

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.

The injection molding process is used by manufacturers all over the world to produce parts in a variety of materials, most commonly thermoplastics. Prototype parts are required to evaluate the part design for performance and fit before mass production. The ability to dramatically streamline the tool creation process for producing these prototype parts is another concrete example of how Stratasys 3D printing is revolutionizing manufacturing.

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.

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.

Using Stratasys 3D printing technology, Seuffer also produces 3D printed molds for its hot melt process. These molds, which are used to overmold low melting point polyamide over electronic circuit boards, are created with Stratasys' rigid, opaque Vero materials.

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.

These are the views of purchasing consultants from Resin Technology Inc. (RTi), senior analysts from Houston-based PetroChemWire (PCW), CEO Michael Greenberg of The Plastics Exchange and Scott Newell, executive v.p.  polyolefins at distributor/compounder Spartan Polymers.

Companies worldwide are looking to introduce significant efficiencies to their manufacturing processes when introducing new products, and are discovering the many benefits of additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing.

Says Newell, “The sentiment on the street is still pretty bearish. This despite an increase in domestic demand of 7% in May over April. But, I’m not very sure that this was indicative of a real rebound starting to take place.” He noted that the market, overall, is negative. Production dropped in May, with plant operating rates approaching 70.3% ... the lowest yet in 2023. While this resulted in a resin supplier inventory draw of 73 million lbs, inventory days were still at a high of 43 days going into July.

Exhibitors and presenters at the plastics show emphasized 3D printing as a complement and aid to more traditional production processes.