Processing properties of the polymer dictate what temperature the tool needs to maintain during moulding. Some polymers require very cold tools, this is achieved by running chilled water through the tool and inserts, while others can require heating over 200°C, which is often achieved with hot oil or sometimes on smaller tools electrical heaters built in.

Processes beyond the mould are secondary operations to the injection moulding of the part, usually carried out for component features that are not compatible with the moulding process but are necessary to the finished product or to keep some of the initial cost out of the mould tool.  This includes things such as drilling or insert fitting, milling, trimming and light assembly. Within the department quality checks take place every 1-2 hours whereby sample components that are being worked on are taken by the quality inspectors, checked, and measured using equipment such as co-ordinate measuring, callipers, micrometres, pin/thread gauges, and custom-built product specific jigs or gauges.

Pentagon’s breadth of processing knowledge delivers multiple benefits to customers, sound material advice within the design stage coupled with optimal mould tool design that is aligned with specific material behaviours and properties. Our optimised injection moulding processes allow for manufacturing efficiencies that lead to repeatable quality products delivered with efficient lead times.

Depending on the chosen polymer and size of product the clamping force required to successfully mould the component can vary greatly, materials such as Low-Density Polyethylene require low force, while Polyether Sulphones and Polysulfones could require 13 times more clamping force. This will affect what press size is needed to mould the component in production.

Shrinkage affects the physical size of the mould form and is a key consideration when designing a mould tool. Even within the same range of polymers they can vary due to different factors one such factor being additives, or fillers. Fillers such as Talc and Glass fibre are common in materials and much like clamping force the shrinkage of materials can vary greatly so it is important to know not only the polymer that is to be moulded, but the specific material grade as well.

Considering optimal cavitation, cooling, and ejection systems that best align with the product material specification will mitigate the generation of plastic waste in the moulding process. With the continuing advancements in recycled polymers and their improving compatibility with the plastic injection moulding process there is tangible ethical progress for the plastics sector. Here at Pentagon, we are excited to be taking this journey in the next chapter of plastics processing and its contribution to wider environmental and economic sustainability.

The acquisition strengthens New Pendulum's position in plastics manufacturing. Bardot Plastics' expertise in custom injection moulding will complement New Pendulum's newly expanded capabilities in meltblown nonwoven production, rotational moulding, and injection moulding.

To this day, New Pendulum's portfolio includes Bardot Plastics alongside New Pig, SpillTech, and ten other companies, employing over 800 people across nine countries.

Due to the chemical construction of some polymers and the additives, the tool designer may need to choose specific grades of tool steel for construction of the inserts to maximise the life of the tooling. Polymers such as PolyVinyl Chloride (PVC) release corrosive gasses during processing which can chloride steels with lower chrome content (non-stainless). While some materials require high hardness tool steels due to the abrasive properties or those of fillers that are added.

The Deltron features fully sealed recirculating bearings delivering four key benefits: no dirt ingress, no gearbox, no compressed air, and smooth fast operation. This helps deliver exceptional accuracy, simplicity, and reliability. The system will allow us to perform high accuracy measurement supported with bespoke generated reports, run automatic measurement programs, and allows offline programming. Having the ability to import DXF, STEP and IGES files will further aid the process and simplify the measuring of component parts.

Bardot Plastics becomes the 14th holding for New Pendulum since its formation in 1983. New Pendulum has retained ownership of 13 out of the 14 companies its acquired or created, demonstrating a focus on long-term growth and profitability.

"Since 1973, Bardot Plastics has built an excellent reputation with its customers, and much of that stems from the founding beliefs instilled by Lee Boucher, and the continued stewardship by the Boucher family over more than fifty years.  This acquisition is an excellent example of our investment philosophy, not only from an operational standpoint, but also in terms of cultural fit and how we choose to do business," said Clark Stapelfeld, president & CEO of New Pendulum Corporation.

Bardot Plastics will be renamed Bardot Plastics LLC and marks the second successful acquisition for New Pendulum in less than a year, solidifying their commitment to growth within the plastics manufacturing sector.

"Our portfolio approach has been one of logical, diligent expansion to create as much benefit as possible for the New Pendulum family of companies. Specifically, with the acquisition of Bardot Plastics, we are adding a key component to our plastics manufacturing capabilities, one we believe will pay significant dividends across all of our operations," noted Mark Woytowich, VP, Strategic Integration of New Pendulum Corporation.

In line with the modern environment and the hard focus on sustainability within the polymer industry, the current crop of recycled materials that are available are much better than the products of a few years ago. Benefiting from much greater consistency allowing for a repeatable process in the moulding machine. This in turn increases our confidence in offering them as an alternative to traditional virgin polymers. This is particularly attractive to customers who want to be more environmentally sustainable or are simply looking for ways to reduce costs on high-volume parts.  Although our approach to injection moulding remains consistent this advancement in recycled material options does enhance the polymer industries offerings.

The results are then recorded and monitored; this enables the quality team to see if overtime any changes have occurred and maintains consistent accuracy of post moulding operations.  The strict quality processes allow us to capture, report and rectify any quality concerns before they become an issue that may impact fulfilment of a customer order.

Properties of thermoplastics are a key factor when designing an injection mould tool and the tool designer must take into consideration multiple factors that can vary greatly from polymer to polymer. The main ones to consider are camping force requirements, shrinkage, corrosive or abrasion properties, and mould temperature.

"It has been a great experience working with New Pendulum, from our broad discussions on philosophy, fit, and family business to all of the small details that need to be covered during due diligence and closing process.  Our family is excited for Bardot Plastics to join New Pendulum, and we're equally excited in terms of the resources they are building to move our family's company into the future," added Rick Boucher, current president of Bardot Plastics, and former owner/vice president of Manufacturing.

Pentagon has been processing high engineering grades of thermoplastic materials for more than fifty years and the use of fillers greatly increases the choice of materials available to our customers and can provide advancements to the final function of the finished product.

We are also using materials with carbon or steel fillers that make them semi-conductive. This can be useful in environments where static electricity can be an issue, providing Antistatic & ESD protection, preventing electrostatic discharges. Some conductive plastics are also used in Electromagnetic Shielding, reducing EM interference.

Materials with glass filler offer benefits of improved strength, structural rigidity, and dimensional stability. Glass-filled nylons also have lower moisture absorption and are therefore less prone to taking in moisture compared to unfilled nylon, which can help ensure greater dimensional stability and reduce the risk of part failure in high-humidity environments.  Material selection is largely based on the parameters surrounding the end use of the plastic component and the environment in which it will be used.  The versatility of thermoplastic materials is advancing all the time which offers customers and their design engineers a wealth of options.

Pentagon operates under ISO9001:2015 standards spanning both mould tool manufacture and plastic injection moulding and quality is vital throughout our manufacturing processes.  The recent investment in to the Deltron CNC Coordinate Measuring Machine advances our quality process to the next level for mould tool manufacture. The compact machine brings high level measurement accuracy and repeatability directly to the shop floor allowing the technicians to check their own work at every stage and to produce extensive reports when required.  Saving measurable amounts of time on the existing manual processes this state-of-the-art technology will predominantly be used for electrodes, cores, cavities, and other tooling components it will deliver greater accuracy for quality checking.  The investment will support the reduction of tool manufacturing lead times and reduce the additional resources for reworking or remaking items.

Family-owned New Pendulum Corporation, a specialist in the manufacturing and industrial space, announced the acquisition of Bardot Plastics Inc., a custom injection moulding company based in Easton, Pennsylvania.

By working with experienced mould tool manufacturers such as us, sustainability in plastic injection moulding starts with mould tool design.  Mould tool design is a complex area and by working with experienced and expert tool designers your tool can be designed with minimised waste in mind at every stage of the manufacturing process.

BP&R sat down with Gabby Day, communications manager at Pentagon Plastics, to discuss Pentagon's post-moulding procedures for adding features, maintaining quality control, and alignment with sustainability goals.