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

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.

Sidel’s new StarLITE-R Nitro offers an alternative to petaloid bases with equal performance in a wide range of 100% rPET bottle sizes.

A new feature on KHS InnoPET Blowmax machines is mandrel heads that are released by simply pressing on a spring. (Photo: Jörg Schwalfenberg)

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

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.

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.

It goes without saying that the two-wheeled lifestyle goes beyond just riding bikes. It also means embracing the lifestyle as a whole, and a lot of us motorcyclists like to collect moto-related stuff that we can display at home, in our garage, or at the office. This is especially true for racing aficionados, as there are tons of scale models of the winningest race bikes in the world.

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.

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 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.

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

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

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

Quick changes of neck sizes allow flexible production of aseptically filled beverages and juice (38 mm) and carbonated soft drinks (28 mm) on the same blowing-filling-capping line. (Photo: Frank Reinhold)

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

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.

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.

For example, magazines were installed that stop the operator from having to leave the machine repeatedly to fetch change parts. KHS also replaced the grippers to reduce the number of screws to be loosened and tightened. Of particular importance, newly developed mandrel heads can be removed simply by pressing a release spring. With all these and other changes, the time needed for two operators to convert the KHS InnoPET Blowmax 16 stretch-blow molder — which has around 170 mandrel heads and shields to be replaced—has been cut by two-thirds to about 86 min, including the preform infeed.

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

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

KHS says these modifications offer customers “totally new options in their production planning.” For example, they allow molders to produce smaller batches of different bottles on a single line much more efficiently. There are also new advantages for customers that produce just-in-time, loading finished containers straight onto the truck without any interim storage.

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

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.

Long used for sensitive juices and carbonated soft drinks, KHS Freshsafe PET Plasmax vapor-deposited glass coating is now providing freshness and flavor protection for PET mineral water bottles.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

Krones adds PET preform injection molding to its bottle blowing and filling capabilities, as well as cap molding and expansion into medical, food and other markets.

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

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 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.

Altaya, a brand known for making collectible figurines and die-cast models, has recently unveiled a new collection of miniature MotoGP bikes that are perfect for any motorcycle enthusiast’s display case. The new models are made in 1/18 scale, and are composed of die-cast metal and injected ABS plastic components. A lot of today’s die-cast models boast impeccable detail despite being very small, and the same is true with Altaya’s new MotoGP collection. To top it all off, each of the scale models comes with an identification hologram from the MotoGP, guaranteeing its authenticity.

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).

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.

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.

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 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

KHS has addressed the need for more flexible production of multiple neck sizes on aseptic PET blowing-filling-capping lines by analyzing the ergonomics of every step of the process and introducing numerous modifications to components of its equipment in an integrated line like the InnoPET BlowFill.

To sweeten the deal even further, Altaya is including a digital booklet for each of the scale models that highlights the history and racing legacy of the bikes and their riders. Each of the scale models are priced at 15.99 Euros, or $18 USD, and are now available online and via Altaya retailers. On top of all that, Altaya subscribers are eligible for special gifts which can be viewed in greater detail via their official website linked below.

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

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.

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

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.

If you wished to stretch-blow mold aseptically filled PET bottles for beverages and juices, which typically require 38-mm bottle necks, on the same line as bottles for carbonated soft drinks with 28-mm necks, you might have faced changeover times involving multiple workers for as long as 4 hr. Until now, that is.

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.

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

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.

KHS also modified the filler and capper. For example, there are now two cap feeds, one for each neck diameter, so no conversion is required.

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

The new Algara MotoGP collection already has seven models available to choose from. The first is Valentino Rossi’s 2019 Yamaha YZR-M1 race bike, complete with the Monster Energy livery. Marc Marquez’s Honda RC213V from the 2019 season is also featured in the collection. Meanwhile, for Ducati fans, Andrea Dovizioso’s Desmosedici GP from 2017 is offered in the collection. Marco Simoncelli’s 2011 Honda RC212V and 2008 Gilera RSW, as well as Cal Crutchlow’s 2019 Honda RC213V are also on sale. Lastly, Fabio Quartataro’s championship-winning 2021 Yamaha YZR-M1 is a fine addition to the collection.

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

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.