Daimler, OMIC Evaluate Wire-Fed DED for Moldmaking - 3d printed plastic injectio/Daimler, OMIC Evaluate Wire-Fed DED for Moldmaking

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Daimler, OMIC Evaluate Wire-Fed DED for Moldmaking - 3d printed plastic injectio

Author：gly Date: 2024-09-30

The IMC nozzle tips cost more than other tips, because they cost more to make. “But the ROI on any mold that has an extended cycle time to overcome or reduce a stringing problem is typically just a few days,” Fattori asserts. “And the money saved from not having to repair just one mold due to string damage can probably pay for a year’s supply of IMC nozzle tips.”

1. The thick mass in the front was replaced with a contoured outer shape that corresponds to the internal geometry, with the smallest diameter at the transition plane.

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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.

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

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.

Real-world testing (here with ABS) confirms that the IMC nozzle tip (top) eliminates stringing, regardless of the orifice size or material type.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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Meanwhile, Trinseo commenced a sale process for its 50% ownership in Americas Styrenics (“AmSty”, The Woodlands, Texas), a joint venture with Chevron Phillips Chemical, which is anticipated to take place by early 2025. There are also industry rumors that Total Energies, which operates a styrene monomer plant in a 50% joint venture with SABIC and a Total PS unit, said to be one of the world’s largest, both in Carvilee, Louisiana, may also be looking to divest of this styrenics business.

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.

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Prices of nylon 6 moved up 7¢/lb-to-9¢/lb in by April, though suppliers sought increases of up to 24¢/lb. This following downward pricing in fourth quarter of last year, according to Kevin Mekaru, RTi’s senior business unit leader, commodity plastics. Based on lower or steady costs of key feedstocks including caprolactum, propylene and benzene, he ventured relatively flat pricing through third quarter.

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

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.

Polystyrene prices rolled over in May, following April’s trend, and the trend for June-July time frame was for continued flat pricing to possibly lower, according to PCW’s Barry and resin pricing expert Robin Chesshier. This following first quarter prices increases totaling 10¢/lb, driven primarily by benzene prices. Based on market fundamentals while barring any major supply disruption, PS prices could remain relatively stable.

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.

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.

Polypropylene prices in May were largely expected to drop by about 2¢/lb, in step with propylene monomer, following the long awaited industry price adjustment in April of a 10¢/lb reduction, with generally ‘stable’ pricing projected for the June-July time frame, according to Barry, Newell and Greenberg. Meanwhile, at least one PP supplier was out with a 3¢/lb margin increase for May, though support was unlikely. These sources concede that PP pricing is likely to continue tracking the monomer.

• Lowering the nozzle-tip temperature, which can increase the risk of cold slugs and nozzle freeze-off, leading to cosmetic flaws in parts and/or to costly downtime;

3. The overall length of the nozzle tips varies in order to vary the land lengths: The larger the orifice, the longer the land to increase thermal conductivity. If the land lengths were all the same, tips with small orifices would be more susceptible to generating cold slugs, and tips with large orifices could string under almost any condition.

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

As a result, Fattori states, “A nozzle tip must be able to react quickly to temperature changes, so as to prevent formation of strings within the best cycle time.” That requires efficient heat conduction to remove excess heat from the nozzle tip. But rate of heat conduction is affected by the mass of the object: Greater mass slows heat transfer. In Fattori’s view, “Every standard nozzle tip today has a very large mass. It begins at the back side of the wrench flats and extends all the way to the front face of the tip.”

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

The ‘DryerGenie’ marries drying technology and input moisture measurement with a goal to putting an end to drying based on time.

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.

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

Noting the April increase — led by unexpected above-average demand boosted supplier margins and challenged the full return of the January increase — Burns ventured that the continuation of neither feedstock pressure nor production issues, PE stable prices with ample inventory appeared to be the scenario prior to the advent of the annual hurricane season. PCW’s Barry described overall demand as returning to “normal levels” versus prebuying activity, with spot market prices as pretty stable. Resin pricing expert Chesshier ventured the potential for a price reduction in June and uncertainty for July due to active weather forecasts.

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

Both Barry and Newell saw uncertainty in terms of propylene availability and PP demand that, while better than fourth quarter 2023, was generally slower than previous years. A key issue is propylene availability, which they described as still relatively tight with a planned shutdown of one PDH plant scheduled for June. “While PP demand in April was up, it was difficult to discern whether this was due to ‘real demand’ versus prebuying as PP prices dropped. We’ll soon find out,” Newell notes.

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According to Fattori, most nozzle tips are made of H-13 steel with a Rockwell hardness of 46 to 48 Rc. IMC tips are made of 420 stainless steel with a vacuum bright hardness of 48 to 52 Rc for greater durability.

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Reports Greenberg, “The Plastics Exchange spot PE prices averaged down 1¢/lb in April.” He characterized the domestic market as fairly firm and tightly supplied in May, and ventured the 3¢/lb increase could become fully implemented by month’s end. Meanwhile, PE suppliers were out with a 3¢/lb May increase, though this was not expected to materialize.

IMC’s novel injection nozzle tip (available from Progressive Components) has internal heat-sink fins to cool the center of the melt channel and prevent strings. Sand-blasted finish reportedly ensures a better seal against the sprue bushing.

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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.

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

• Using a nozzle-tip insulator, which Fattori says can be “a royal pain out on the production floor—and most of them don’t work”;

April brought on an unexpected resin price increase for PE as well as price increases for the four volume resins — ABS, PC, and nylons 6 and 66, which were primarily based on higher feedstock costs versus a surge in demand or supply issues. The April-May time frame saw significant price decreases for PP and less so for PET, while PS and PVC prices remained flat.

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• Using sprue break, which adds to cycle time (a little or a lot, depending on how far the barrel is retracted) and can lead to nozzle drool, leakage between the nozzle and sprue bushing (when drooled material obstructs close contact), and deformation of the nozzle tip and/or sprue bushing from repeated banging together—leading to even more material leakage.

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

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

ABS prices moved up 4¢/lb to 5¢/lb by April, though suppliers had sought 7¢/lb-to-9¢/lb, based on price escalation in key feedstocks such as benzene, according to Kallman. Despite one major supplier seeking a new price hike, Kallman ventured unlikely support for it and that relatively stable pricing would continue through third quarter. He characterized demand as “steady.”

• Using a smaller nozzle orifice diameter, which increases the pressure drop through the nozzle tip. That increases shear and often requires a slower injection rate to avoid shear burns—adding to cycle time. What’s more, slow injection through a restrictive bore requires higher injection pressure—risking trouble if the machine is close to being pressure-limited;

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.

One more thing: Fattori says, “In case you were wondering, the internal heat-sinking fins have also proven to work well in hot sprue bushings and in hot-runner systems.”

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

4. Diameter of the nozzle-tip face is reduced to decrease the amount of contact area between the face of the tip and the sprue-bushing seat. Other nozzle tips, with their large contact area, are greatly affected by how well, or how poorly, the sprue bushing is cooled. Since every mold is different, these nozzle tips can behave inconsistently from one mold to another. Fattori points out that the reduced contact area also results in greater sealing pressure for the same nozzle touch force, preventing carriage blowback and nozzle leakage.

IMC nozzle tips are made of 420 stainless steel, which is harder than the typical H-13 steel. A simple but helpful added feature is the orifice diameter engraved on the wrench flat, unlike most nozzle tips, so no measuring tool is required.

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.

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.

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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.

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.

Greenberg ventured that monomer and PP pricing was likely to be flat and noted that PP inventories were down a bit by May’s end and that suppliers need to crank up production, as PP plant operating rates have been largely in the mid-70s percentile. Meanwhile, Canada’s Heartland Polymers restarted its PDH unit and is characterized as “aggressive” in selling its PP homopolymer and random copolymer resins, while Formosa brought on a new PP production unit at Point Comfort, Texas.

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.

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Your very costly mold in that very expensive press is relying on the performance of a $20 nozzle tip that no one ever checks, and has a high probability of not doing its job. Stop learning from your mistakes and start learning how not to make them.

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.

Fattori realized that the solution to the problem was to get more cooling into the center of the flow channel in the nozzle tip. He came up with the idea of adding inwardly protruding, heat-conducting metal fins inside the bore of the nozzle tip. These fins are angled, with their maximum height 70% into the melt stream, with their peak at a location Fattori calls the “transition plane” inside the nozzle tip, which is where the molten material will separate on part ejection from the semi-solidified plastic. From this plane, the fins taper down to blend with the front orifice diameter. This taper concentrates the cooling at the transition plane, which flow simulation shows is the area where the greatest concentration of thermal gradients occurs inside the nozzle. The temperature differential between the sprue-bushing nozzle seat and the transition plane was found to be as high as 135° F in the simulations. Using fins to concentrate the cooling at the transition plane ensures the separation point is consistently in the same location, which results in repeatable shot sizes, Fattori adds.

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

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.

Strings originate at the molten center of the melt channel in a machine nozzle tip, which often does not solidify within a desirable cycle time.

According to Fattori, “A nozzle tip undergoes both a constant and cyclical thermal battle. It is heated in the back half by the machine’s nozzle body. It is cooled in the front half by contact with the sprue-bushing seat and by convection into the atmosphere.” These opposing thermal forces are fairly constant and come into equilibrium over time. But, he notes, that equilibrium is upset by the substantial heat generated during each injection cycle from frictional shear of the material.

The IMC nozzle tips are available with a ½-in. spherical radius, in eight different orifice sizes of 5/32 in. through 3/8 in. in 1/32-in. increments. Fattori says the bore diameters of the IMC nozzle tips are slightly smaller than their nominal size. But even with the internal fins, the resulting flow area is comparable to most “full-flow” style nozzle tips. He also says that his tips’ large internal transition radius “virtually eliminates ‘dead spots’ where material can stagnate.”

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.

PVC prices appeared to be poised for relative stability, following unusual back-to-back increases totaling 6¢/lb through April, according to Paul Pavlov, RTi’s vice president of PP and PVC, and PCW’s Associate Director PVC & Pipe Donna Todd. “Demand is relatively robust — particularly due to infrastructure projects, yet still not as robust as years past,” Pavlov says. He said domestic demand for PVC was up by nearly 10% with exports up 3%. At the same time, he noted that both Shintech and Formosa were bringing on new PVC capacity this summer with improved pricing offers likely to be had.

One more innovation is very simple, but nonetheless valuable to molders. Fattori explains, “For some reason, you have to physically measure the orifice of most nozzle tips with some kind of tool in order to know their size.” He solves that by engraving the orifice size of each IMC nozzle tip on a wrench flat.

Polyethylene prices moved up 3¢/lb in April, though it does not appear the increase was fully implemented across the market, according to PCW’s Associate Director for PE, PP, and PS David Barry as well as Greenberg, Burns and Chesshier. This, as different results came from the two leading indices —one assessing a 3¢/lb price hike while the other rolled over prices.

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.

Fattori also notes that as plastic cools inside the nozzle tip, it shrinks away from the inner bore surface, which reduces the rate of heat transfer. But the fins are always in contact with the melt and are in close proximity to the center of the melt stream, increasing the effective cooling rate.

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.

The new IMC nozzle tip incorporates four features to greatly increase the rate of heat transfer to compensate for momentary temperature rises:

The new tips have eliminated stringing in tests with PS, HDPE, LDPE, PP, PVC, ABS, ASA, acrylic, nylon, acetal, PC and PPS (filled and unfilled). However, Fattori cautions that “these new IMC nozzle tips are only to be used on molds with a stringing problem, or molds for which you cannot reduce the cycle time without having a stringing problem. The new nozzle tips are so efficient at removing heat that they can cause a freeze-off condition, particularly on the smaller orifice sizes.”

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.

As Fattori explains, stringing results when the center of the slug of plastic inside the machine nozzle-tip orifice has not sufficiently solidified when the mold opens. When the part is ejected, it drags thin strings of still-molten plastic after it. Those strings tend to be static charged and therefore stick to the mold. If they hang over the parting line, those thin strings of plastic will hob the mold—even a heat-treated steel tool—eventually leading to flashing. Fattori says that can’t be fixed properly by simply grinding the parting line—it requires an extensive mold rebuild, “all because of a $20 nozzle tip.” He adds, “I know of one molder that spends thousands of dollars a year on mold repairs due to stringing.”

Prices of nylon 66 moved up 5¢/lb-to-7¢/lb by April, though suppliers sought increases in the double digits, according to Kallman. He characterized the market as steady with lower raw material costs that can well translate to relatively stable pricing for most of third quarter.

Polycarbonate prices moved up between 3¢/lb-to-5¢/lb by April, despite suppliers seeking increases of 10¢/lb, and forward pricing for third quarter is likely to be relatively stable, according to Kallman. As previously reported, prices dropped 3¢/lb-to-5¢/lb in the January-February time frame. Kallman characterized demand as static with good supply, including well-priced imports. But noted that both SABIC and Trinseo have plans to shutter PC plant production in Europe due to major new capacity brought on by China.

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

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.

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

Nozzle tips with large orifices are more prone to stringing because they take considerably longer to become semi-solid—usually longer than the best possible cycle time. Molders have tried various methods to reduce string formation, each of which has its own drawbacks:

After four years in development, an injection machine nozzle tip has been commercialized that is said to eliminate problems of stringing and all the compromises that molders make to avoid it. Jim Fattori, inventor of the IMC nozzle tip, has 40 years’ experience as a plastics tooling engineer and consultant. He heads up his own firm, Injection Mold Consulting LLC, in the Philadelphia area, and writes frequently for this magazine (see his monthly Tooling Know-How columns). His newly patented invention is now available from Progressive Components.

Overall, projections for conclusion of the second quarter were for relatively stable prices pretty much across the board for these resins. However, there was the caveat of what is considered a “bullish” forecast for the 2024 hurricane season. The potential for unscheduled production shutdowns and associated transportation issues that could result would change this pricing scenario.

New system automatically cleans mold-cooling lines—including conformal channels—removing rust and calcium, among other deposits, while simultaneously testing for leaks, measuring flow rate and applying rust inhibitor.

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.

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; Scott Newell, executive vice president, polyolefins at distributor/compounder Spartan Polymers; Mike Burns of Plastic Resin Market Advisors; and resin pricing expert Robin Chesshier.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

Fattori concedes that the thin fins inside the IMC nozzle will tend to wear, especially with filled materials and/or high injection speeds. Wear will gradually reduce the fins’ effectiveness at heat transfer. “Some tips have been running for over a year now with minimal wear,” Fattori comments. “But let’s say you’re running 33% long-glass filled nylon and you have to replace the tip once a month—that’s still a lot cheaper than having to literally rebuild the mold.”

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.

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.

PET prices in May were poised to drop by 1¢ to 1.5¢/lb based on raw material formulation costs, particularly a drop in paraxylene, according to Mark Kallman, RTi’s vice president of PVC, PET and engineering resins. Kallman ventures that prices would then reverse to March-April levels for most of the third quarter. He characterized resin availability as strong, with competitively priced imports continuing to be a factor despite higher freight costs. “Demand is a bit improved but not robust.”

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.

Cross-section of IMC nozzle tip shows tapered internal heat-sink fins, which start at the “transition plane,” which is where the solidified material separates from semi-solidified melt on part ejection. Also shown is the novel profile of the tip, which reduces thermal mass for improved temperature control.