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.

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.

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.

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.

Those glasses specifically give me no obstruction in view and they wrap around the sides of my face fully and perfectly while still staying close to my face closer than anything else on the market- which lets me attach Bausch & Lomb swing down magnifier for watch work with my eye an inch away from a 10000 rpm spinning part.

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.

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

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.

I don’t want to use anything else for the rest of my life and I would like to optimize what is already available- so it’s not about making these to make a profit.

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

As our June cover story indicates, new materials for automotive continue to emerge for more and more areas of the vehicle. A broad range of nylons is among them, including high-performance versions such as amorphous-based and long-chain nylons. The latter include most notably nylon 610, 612, and 510. Which brings me to a first-time automotive application that utilizes a blended long-chain nylon that was recently unveiled by power-management company Eaton.

[Zach] over at his channel Breaking Taps has put up an extraordinary account on manufacturing some homemade acrylic lenses. In the end, not only does he produce some beautiful concave lenses, he also covers the complete manufacturing process, from milling the aluminium die used for injection moulding to tweaking the parameters associated with injecting the actual acrylic, he even goes over the limitations of optics produced in this fashion.

The downward trajectory appears to be continuing into the first quarter for most resin prices, though PE and possibly PP may remain somewhat stable.

I imagine the majority of HAD readers don’t have the equipment to machine tool steel. It is likely that many HAD readers have access to a CNC router that can machine aluminum.

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.

Direct link to the video in the article, since every single media player on the internet now has to be an overworked piece of trash that doesn’t work on any alternative browser or respect privacy, cookie limiting, adblocking, javascript limiting, or really anything the user does at all. Seriously, what is happening to all video players online? like 80% of them have become unusable unless you use the most current chrome stock with zero pro-privacy configuration.

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

The new Polymer Air-Conditioning Conveyance System (PACCS) lines are said to be a cost-effective and lightweight alternative to the aluminum tubing and rubber components used in traditional lines. Made of a blended long-chain nylon, the PACCS design reportedly results in a 20-50% weight reduction compared to the traditional lines. The PACCS lines are characterized as more bendable and flexible for greater packaging efficiency and safety benefits in crash conditions, capable of withstanding high-system pressure, and offer chemical resistance to all oils and refrigerants.

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.

Moreover, PACCS lines are less susceptible to heat transfer, so heat from the engine does not result in diminished cooling, and 90% of the PACCS line’s thermoplastic materials are regrindable, for a better “end-of-life” profile, along with a 50% reduction in carbon-dioxide emissions.

I used to be a plastics machinist for a time- and I can tell you from experience trying to mill polycarbonate to an optical finish is extremely difficult if not impossible even though it cuts very well. There will always be micro-cracking on facing tools no matter what geometry you use.

Thermoforming or injection molding is the only way to do this that is practical. It might be doable to machine a blank and then thermoform the blank afterwards to meet curvature and surface finish requirement for polishing.

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.

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

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

I can well understand the want for good safety glasses. I was just expressing my opinion that CNC operations, perhaps followed by heat shaping and final polishing will probably be a better on your budget (probably give better results too after polishing) when you are only trying to make a tiny number of very bespoke and personalised to you items.

I think those stress patters if they could be controlled could be the basis for development of some interesting optical devices with practical applications. This has been an amazing read and i have no idea how it ended up in my google feed but i have to pass this on. Great work.

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

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.

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.

Meanwhile, PACCS lines have been trial tested in a vehicle that had all its air conditioning lines replaced with the new material, and thousands of test miles have been accumulated confirming the advantages claimed over traditional lines. They are also being tested by several customers.

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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.

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

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

The birefringence in polymers is caused by two sources: – some of it comes from mechanical stress. If you bend it or pinch it, this pattern will change. Uneven cooling can cause this. With annealing this can go away – some of it comes from orientation of the molecules

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.

If you do go for the moulding process I’d love to see how you get on. Though you might find just vacuum forming sheets around a blank will suit you best. This method does tend to thin the middle of a part quite abit, and not all materials form well but with a thick enough sheet of the right material to start with that won’t be an issue – Few iterations of the blank perhaps to remove any visual distortion. Its star features being its really really cheap, and the surfaces can be almost perfectly smooth right off the form so you shouldn’t need to do much post-processing.

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

Thanks! I used Fusion360 to model it and generate the toolpaths. 2D and 3D adaptives to clear out most of the material, a spiral finishing pass (with 2thou stepover) for the spherical lens surface and contour / “steep & shallow” to tidy up the gates/runners/vents/etc.

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).

Still other advantages claimed include the capability to replace formed and bulk hoses, with up to 40% less components—resulting in a 10-15% cost reduction, and a lower assembly cost due to Eaton’s “Snap-to-Connect” system that eliminates the process of screwing traditional lines into the system. Gas tightness is said to be 10 times better than traditional lines, leading to a reduction in the amount of refrigerant needed. For example, a vehicle that normally would need 24 ounces of refrigerant would need only 21.36 ounces.

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

A lot of the nylon that is processed is filled or reinforced, but the data sheets generally don’t account for this, making drying recommendations confusing. Here’s what you need to know.

– Cheap, had stock of right size in my shop – As Alan mentioned, I have a router machine. It’s stout, and can do steel (I have videos on cutting mild steel with respectable finish), but still… Al is just easier and faster to work in, generally with better finish – On a little desktop injection machine like this, the cycle time is so long that the mold hardly heats up from each shot. Heat deflection is not really an issue here given the tiny amount of thermal mass that is being injected into the mold. In fact, I really should have been _heating_ the mold to get better finish – Further, a simple design like this (big spherical cavity) isn’t likely to deflect at all from heat, e.g. there are no thin segments that would see a big gradient across the cross-section.

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

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

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

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.

And finally, aluminum molds are used in the industry a lot, although typically a different alloy than I was using. The main reason to avoid aluminum molds is because they wear out faster, and their higher heat coefficient means they require more stringent cooling in industrial machines. But it’s all moot for a little desktop machine like this :)

Also acrylic can be polished by heat, so it might be win-win as long as there is no substantial amount of warping or outgasing…

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

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.

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.

‘must every be practical?’ – Of course not, just wished to point out the pitfalls of a solution I’ve looked into and decided against for those reasons. The fun you can have with such a tool can be justification in itself if you choose to spend your hobby? budget on it good for you!

I cannot explain how much I detest normal safety glasses with the thick rims obfuscation of my view, and thick clunky plastic ear pieces that hurt.

I am aware of the losses that would be incurred but I don’t think you understand how much I really value good safety glasses! I already have them on for at least 8 to 10 hours every day- so to me it’s a viable project to make my own.

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.

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.

Resin was clear acrylic, but unfortunately it was an eBay special so I don’t know the manufacturer, data-sheet, melt-flow index, etc.

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.

If you are making something so bespoke to your face injection moulding probably isn’t worth the effort. Will be of no use to anybody else, you don’t need enormous heaps of them which injection moulding is really all about – you throw out the first few each time as the system is purged of the last go, the small machines at least seem to only really start throwing good once everything warms up just right and then will probably heat soak the mould too much so only a heap in the middle of the run will be good (I’m no expert, but I did look into it and quickly realised it makes no sense at all if you don’t want lots and lots and lots and…… lots of the same part and to have to sort out all the failures – not for a hobbyist in general IMO but great if you are trying to go into a small business or just like playing with new toys)

PACCS capability covers a broad range of applications, including passenger vehicles, light commercial vehicles, medium- and heavy-duty trucks, buses, harvesters and agricultural tractors. Says Christophe Schorsch, manager, advanced products engineering, “This project in highly innovative and demanding from a product design point of view. It requires specific technical attributes like high thermal, mechanical and chemical performance, and is expected to start a revolution in the traditional connecting line industry by suppliers and customers. Today we are replacing traditional technology and building a new standard in the industry.”

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

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.

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

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.

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

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 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.

Have you thought about all the optical products that can be improved by varying permitivity in a structured way in translucent and semi translucent material? If i were you i would patent it now, before I do hehe

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.

Eaton has a long history of producing air conditioning lines and components, including high-quality, corrosion-resistant lines for discharge, liquid and suction, internal heat exchange lines, as well as plastic quick connectors and recently introduced ultra-low-permeation hoses that contribute to reduced fuel consumption and help curb refrigeration losses.

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.

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.

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

What caught our eye in particular, was how [Zach] used the finished product to practically demonstrate photoelasticity originating from the stress induced by the moulding process. You might be familiar with describing the optical properties of a material by a single number, i.e its permittivity. But what happens if in addition to altering speed, the material also alters the polarisation and direction of light depending on the stress distribution within the material? Whilst a quantitative answer gets a bit complicated you can check out [Zach’s] additional videos to visualise the answer in a pretty and colourful way, without resorting to fancy computer simulations! If however, you really want to persist with the simulation route, check out our article on stress analysis in a totally different setting using Finite Element Analysis.

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

I have learned recently it looks like my favorite style of safety glasses (smith & wesson phantoms, only thing I use) might be being discontinued, and was thinking about doing something like this later in the year as a project for cnc mill Im saving for, but using an existing 3d scan I have of my face, and polycarbonate to make my own custom fitted safety glasses similar to the phantoms.