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

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

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).

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.

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

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.

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.

Search for individual chemicals, energy or fertilizers commodities to learn more about the pricing, news and analysis we offer.

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

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.

The spread so far this year of $368/tonne is the lowest annual spread since 2002 . Spreads do not lie. They remain one of the single best measures of supply and demand balances.

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

ICIS is this year forecasting that China’s PP capacity will be at 118% of demand versus 70% in 2000 and 91% in 2014 – the year of that pivotal decision.

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

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

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.

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 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.

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.

The above chart shows my latest forecasts for China’s PP demand. Note that I’ve provided four scenarios, rather than the usual three, because of exceptional uncertainty.

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.

China’s PP injection grade spread over naphtha costs are the lowest so far this year since the first full year of the ICIS price assessment in 2003.

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.

I see 3% growth this year as the most likely outcome. This would be higher than last year’s 1% growth, but nothing like the virtual economic boom that’s been talked-up in financial markets.

The next chart might also give the impression that the southeast Asian market is seeing the beginnings of a sustainable recovery. The chart shows southeast Asian PP injection grade price premiums and discounts over China’s injection grade – again since our assessments began.

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

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

Consider, however, this next chart. It shows annual southeast Asian PP injection grade price spreads over CFR Japan naphtha costs.

How will we know, as the weeks move along, if I am right? It is again the spreads, this time of course in China. that will tell us the real situation.

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

Buy, plan and negotiate more effectively with 18-month price forecasts and analytics. Monitor cost pressures and identify early signs of production shifts.

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

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.

The long-delayed Pengerang Refining and Petrochemical complex may become fully operational in 2023. This could see Malaysia’s net exports rising to around 560,000 tonnes from an estimated 160,000 tonnes in 2022.

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.

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

These are the most volatile and difficult market conditions I’ve seen in my 26 years of analysing this industry. Friends and contacts, some of whom have worked in the industry for more than 30 years, tell me these are the worst conditions they have seen.

I should also add that it won’t be just stronger sentiment that drives brief recoveries. There will be pockets of genuinely stronger demand in certain PP end-use applications – and perhaps across all applications in certain regions. No downturn is ever entirely linear.

Last year, China’s net imports fell to 3.2m tonnes from 3.4m tonnes in 2021. And in 2020, China’s imports were 6.1m tonnes.

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

This appears to be partly because of human nature. People don’t like to believe in the worst or most realistic outcomes, so in the past we have seen – and we are seeing today – brief surges in positive sentiment that boosts apparent demand.

As I said, it is natural to want to believe that things are getting better, even if the fundamentals point in the opposite direction.

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

By the end of last year, premiums were back to around their longer-term average. But they rose in January and February 2023, and for the week ending March 2023, premiums stood at $143/tonne.

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

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.

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 chart below – which I’ve used before because it is critical – represents the downcycle (the left-hand side of the V-shaped trend) and the upcycle which, of course, is the right-hand side the V.

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.

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

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.

The southeast Asian premium reached a record monthly high in March 2022 of $222/tonne, when container freight was still very expensive.

We have reached a tipping point where only quite minor changes in operating rates and demand growth will make a big difference to China’s net imports or net exports in 2023, as the chart below illustrates.

An example was a week of slightly stronger pricing in China after this year’s Lunar New Year holidays. This was on what I see as the mistaken belief that there would be a big economic recovery following the end of the zero-COVID restrictions.

I CANNOT emphasise enough the importance of petrochemical companies increasing their production and sales flexibilities as we head towards the bottom of what seems likely to be the deepest and most prolonged downcycle our industry has seen.

Long Son Petrochemicals is expected to start up new capacity in Vietnam in the second quarter this year. We, as a result, expect Vietnam’s PP net imports to fall from 620,000 tonnes in 2022 to 420,000 tonnes in 2023.

And the good news for PP is that there are many other important import markets aside from China, as today’s final chart tells us.

Now onto China the next chart, which shows what I’ve been warning about since 2014. China has added a great deal of PP capacity following Beijing’s “national interest” decision in that year to move to much greater petrochemicals self-sufficiency.

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.

For reasons I’ve discussed before on the blog, I believe that China will see a tepid economic recovery in 2023 following the end of the zero-COVID restrictions.

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.

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.

The good news for the polymers business is that the collapse of container freight rates means that shifting volumes around the world has become much more affordable. The polymers world – as I said would happen – has re-globalised.

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.

The 2014 vision was to become a net exporter in some products, and, as I shall discuss shortly, this could happen in PP by as soon this year.

A good example are events the southeast (SE) Asian polypropylene (PP) market -the subject of the rest of this post. A quick glance at the next two charts might give reason for cheer.

In 2021, China was responsible for 42% of global net PP imports among the countries and regions that imported more than they exported.

Let’s put this into context: The $232/tonne spread up until 3 March 2023 compares with the 2003-2021 average annual spread of $546/tonne (we need to discount the 2022 spread of $244/tonne because last year was when the downturn began).

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.

Operating within guidelines from material suppliers can produce levels of polymer degradation. Get around it with better control over either the temperature of the melt or the barrel residence time.

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.

But then the premium fell as freight rates declined, which allowed producers to more easily move oversupply in China to other regions.

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.

The risk for liquids-based cracker operators is that if they don’t show extreme geographic sales flexibility, while accurately predicting inter-regional market peaks and declines, they will suffer heavy raw-material inventory losses.

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

Support your strategic planning with expert insight on the wider trends impacting markets, from the circular economy and the energy transition to global macroeconomics and chemical overcapacity in China.

The above chart compares monthly CFR SE Asia PP injection grade prices versus CFR China PP injection grade prices since both the ICIS price quotes began in November 2002 . The extreme right-hand side of the chart shows an increase in the southeast Asian price premium over China since January 2023.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

With the electronics industry continuously shaped by trends such as the need to reduce both energy use and VOC emissions, the Artisan pre-colored ABS thermoplastics enables molders to produce parts with a brilliant, high-gloss metallic effect without any secondary processing. Compared with a traditional painting process, injection-molded Artisan materials have lower energy requirements and reduced VOC emissions, making these thermoplastics a more sustainable solution. Scratch performance is also enhanced when replacing painted metal parts with an Artisan ABS formulation.   Said director of marketing for specialty engineered materials Matt Mitchell, “There is an ongoing market need for electronic applications to achieve superior aesthetics and performance, lower system cost, and greater sustainability. Our newest Artisan metallic effect ABS formulation can help design engineers address these current trends – as well as scratch resistance, chemical resistance, and design freedom – while eliminating secondary processing.”   Artisan ABS formulations are currently manufactured in Asia in customizable, metallic colors, and are available for purchase globally. Additional paint replacement grades for other key industries are in development.

A razor-like focus on fluctuating netbacks and supply and demand among all the different countries and regions will allow producers to ensure that they don’t make product for markets where there is no demand, while ensuring that they take maximum advantage of many brief periods of stronger demand and pricing.

Here’s the thing: Until the China spread recovers to around $546/tonne there will have been no recovery. Period. That’s how this industry works.

The launch of customizable metallic-effect ABS series of compounds from Avient Corp., Avon Lake, Ohio, marks the second addition to the company’s Artisan pre-colored thermoplastics, The new ABS formulation with metallic effect was developed to help electronics manufacturers eliminate the painting process while achieving scratch and chemical resistance and sustainability goals.

But human nature is hardly going to change. This means we will see many more temporary inter-regional market spikes as we head towards the bottom. but Please don’t lose sight of what the connected ICIS data is saying.