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.

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.

TCS heater bands from Rex Material embed heating elements within an insulated material just 1 in. from the barrel exterior.

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.

Of all the trends you can see at NPE2024, this one is BIG. Not only is the auto industry transitioning to electrification but there are concerted efforts to modify the materials used, especially polymers, for interior applications.

Noncontact radiant heaters embedded in ceramic-fiber insulation save energy and keep heat from being lost into the plant environment.

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

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

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

SJ: The current market is primarily challenged by consumer spending hesitancy due to recent economic shifts, notably fluctuating interest rates and energy market volatility. These factors have made consumers wary, affecting their willingness to invest in significant assets.

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.

SJ: Current market trends are steering towards enhanced machine efficiency, with a notable rise in demand for twin-shot machines, reflecting a preference for more sophisticated outputs straight from the moulding process.

“Our people can come in later, turn on more machines at one time, and they heat up a lot faster,” Williams says. Norco currently has the TCS system installed on 17 of its 24 machines and will be adding the heaters to two new presses on order. Williams says Norco considered retrofitting its machines with TCS heater bands around 10 years ago, but at the time found the cost too high. Back in the spring of 2017, energy consultant Bruce Blau once again piqued the company’s interest in the technology.

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

Williams says that in the two years Norco has utilized the TCS technology, the company has benefited from greater energy efficiency and process stability, while its operators have benefited from more sleep. “From our people’s perspective,” Williams says, “they don’t really look at the power savings as much as, ‘I don’t have to come in at 3 o’clock in the morning anymore.’”

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

Additionally, businesses face strategic dilemmas in prioritising investments due to space constraints and the need to balance multiple projects without disrupting ongoing operations. Regulatory uncertainties, such as the new packaging tax, further complicate decision-making, particularly in sectors where such costs could significantly impact operational expenses. These challenges underscore the complex environment businesses must navigate, balancing growth opportunities against a backdrop of economic and regulatory changes.

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

With advocacy, communication and sustainability as three main pillars, Seaholm leads a trade association to NPE that ‘is more active today than we have ever been.’

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

Finally, the insulative properties of the Pyrolite have made the environment around the machines and across the shop floor, cooler. “You can touch these, but it is hot,” Williams says. “You can put your hand on them, but you can’t keep it there for too long. With the old ones, whatever temperature they were at the barrel that was pretty much what they were on the outside.”

In the TCS system, heating elements are contained within a vacuum-formed ceramic fiber material, which acts as an insulator. The heating elements are just one inch from the barrel’s exterior, and thanks to the insulating properties of the ceramic fiber, while internal temperatures might reach 1000 F, the external shell can be touched by hand. Rex Material says TCS systems can achieve temperatures as high as to 3000 F. Densities can range from 12 to 50 lb/ft3 by using a variety of different ceramic fiber types, fillers, and binder chemistries.

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).

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Moreover, our competitive edge is further sharpened by our advantageous pricing and the strong relationships we foster with our customers. Despite offering high-quality services and maintaining quick response times, our charges are significantly lower than many competitors, thanks to our lean operational model with minimal overheads. This pricing strategy, coupled with our flexibility and understanding of customer priorities, allows us to offer tailor-made solutions that ensure customer satisfaction while keeping costs manageable. As we consider expansion, our focus remains on sustaining this balance to continue providing exceptional value without compromising service quality.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

In January 2024, BP&R Magazine visited Billion UK Ltd's managing director, Simon Johnson (SJ), in Milton Keynes. Leading since 2021 and with the company since 2018, he has guided Billion UK, a key subsidiary of Billion SAS, in providing a wide range of injection moulding machines from 40 tonnes to 1100 tonnes. Alongside these, Billion UK supplies Cartesian robots and additional injection units, all complemented by the user-friendly Dixit 4 control system.

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.

“You couldn’t turn on all the heats at once,” explains John Williams, CEO at Norco, which is based in Chino, Calif. “It’s a lot of power draw at one time; you’d be amazed.” Williams says Norco eventually determined that it was more expensive to turn on all the heats at one time than it was to actually run the machines. These days, Norco is running seven days a week, but barrel heating time has been cut in half, thanks to the replacement of the machines’ OEM ceramic heater bands with TCS (Thermal Control Solution) heater bands from Rex Materials Inc.

Because of that heat-retention capacity, Williams said Norco also learned that the TCS bands cannot be left on for risk of resin degradation. “Sometimes in the past we left our heaters on through a shift or overnight because we knew we were going to start the machine in the morning,” Williams says. “If you do that with that with these, they have a tendency to over-bake the material in the barrel.”

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.

Four months ago, we reported on a new induction barrel-heating system that promises to save up to 70% in energy costs (see Learn More). Here’s an update on another novel barrel heating—and cooling—system that boasts similarly large savings and has been out in the field long enough to build a track record.

Swapping out OEM ceramic heater bands with special insulated TCS (Thermal Control Solution) heater bands saves California molder time and energy.

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.

The work week at Norco Plastics used to begin at 3AM on Monday. Starting up operations after shutting down on Friday required an operator to arrive well before dawn and begin warming barrels on the custom molder’s 24 injection machines. Those presses, which skew heavy—up to 1800 tons, drew a huge amount of power during this initial startup, requiring the operator to stagger barrel warming.

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 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.

In addition to cutting startup barrel heating in half and reducing overall power consumption, Williams said Norco has enjoyed some other benefits from the TCS bands. When a job is being set up or finished, operators can turn the heaters off. “The TCS bands will retain the heat all day,” Williams says. “They’ll just sit there, and the heat will be in them. You come back, turn them on, and within in 10 min or so you can start back up.”

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

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.

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

Our collaboration with Sepro for robotics underscores a broader industry trend towards automation, despite some manufacturers opting to produce their own robotics. The shift from hydraulic to electric machines is also prominent, driven by their energy efficiency and operational cost savings, although there's some resistance from those less familiar with electric machinery's benefits. Nonetheless, electric machines, particularly in the 200 to 400-tonne range, are gaining popularity due to their ability to balance performance with sustainability, aligning with market priorities for advanced, efficient production solutions.

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

SJ: What sets us apart from our competitors is our unparalleled commitment to rapid response times and exceptional support quality. Centralised operations in the UK enable us to guarantee an average 24-hour response window for engineering breakdowns, ensuring minimal operational downtime for our clients. This swift responsiveness is complemented by our dedication to innovation and build quality, aligning us with the leading trends in machine manufacturing. Our approach extends beyond just providing top-notch machinery; it encompasses a comprehensive support system designed to meet our clients' needs promptly and efficiently.

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.

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

Working with Blau and the local utility, Southern California Edison (SCE), Norco was able to apply incentives to install the bands. SCE gave Norco a loan to pay for the equipment, and the molder paid the utility back at zero percent interest at a cost calculated based on savings. Payback on the $130,000 investment came in just a year and a half. SCE calculated Norco’s annual power savings to be 329,000 kWh.

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

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