million expansion - plastic injection molding at home

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).

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.

By dissipating the heat close to where it is generated, the project partners were able to construct the entire motor and housing from polymer materials, leading to further advantages. “Polymer housings are lightweight and easier to produce than aluminum housings. They also lend themselves to complex geometries without requiring post-processing, so we made some real savings on overall weight and cost,” Maertens says. The metal currently required as a heat conductor can be replaced by polymer materials, which have a low thermal conductivity compared to metals.

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

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.

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

The project partners chose to use fiber-reinforced, thermosetting plastics that offer high-temperature resistance and high resistance to aggressive coolants. Unlike thermoplastics, thermosets do not swell when they come into contact with chemicals.

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

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

Fig. 1—Average values for an injection molding plant. The monthly base load (at zero production) is 152,440 kwh. It should not exceed 30% to 40% of the total load in a plant with controlled energy use.

By expressing gas and electricity in energy equivalents, the two energy sources can be combined to give total energy use, and a total PCL can be developed. But splitting the data according to the energy source provides better guidance on how to target actions to reduce energy usage.

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

Making electric cars lighter also entails reducing the weight of the batteries and electric motors used as their motive force. One way to achieve motor lightweighting is by constructing it from fiber-reinforced plastics. Researchers at Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT are working together with the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology KIT to develop a new cooling concept that will enable polymers to be used as motor housing materials. This is not the only advantage of the new cooling concept: it also significantly increases the power density and efficiency of the motor compared to the current state-of-the-art designs.

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

The team has already completed the stator assembly and experimentally validated the cooling concept. "We used an electrical current to introduce the amount of heat in the copper windings that would be generated in real operation according to the simulation. We found that we can already dissipate over 80 percent of the expected heat losses. And we already have some promising approaches for dealing with the remaining heat losses of just under 20 percent, for example by optimizing the flow of coolant. We are now at the stage of assembling the rotors and will soon be able to operate the motor on the test bench at the Institute of Electrical Engineering and validate it in real operation,” says Maertens, summing up the project’s current status.

Understanding how polymer melts in a single-screw extruder could help you optimize your screw design to eliminate defect-causing solid polymer fragments.

Electric motors have a high efficiency of over 90 percent, which means that a high proportion of the electrical energy is converted into mechanical energy. The remaining 10 percent or so of the electrical energy is lost in the form of heat. To prevent the motor from overheating, the heat in the stator is currently conducted through a metal housing to a cooling sleeve filled with cold water. In this project, the team of researchers have replaced the round wire with rectangular flat wire that can be wound more tightly in the stator. This creates more space for the cooling channel next to the flat wire winding phases. “In this optimized design, the heat losses can be dissipated through the cooling channel inside the stator, eliminating the need to transport the heat through the metal housing to an exterior cooling sleeve. In fact, you no longer need a cooling sleeve at all in this concept. It offers other benefits, too, including lower thermal inertia and higher continuous output from the motor,” says Maertens, explaining some of the advantages of the new system. In addition, the new design incorporates a rotor cooling solution that also allows the rotor’s heat loss to be dissipated directly within the motor.

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.

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

As we discussed in last month’s column, your plant’s “energy fingerprint” is composed of the base load and the process load. The first is fixed and the second is variable (analogous to fixed and variable costs). The base load is the fixed “energy overhead,” which is consumed even if no production is taking place, and it does not change with the production level of the plant. The process load is variable in proportion to the production level. As we showed last month, a scatter chart of energy consumption (in kwh) versus production volume (in lb or kg) will yield a straight-line curve of the process load, known as the Performance Characteristic Line (PCL). At zero production, the PCL intersects the vertical axis (energy usage) at the height of the base load (see Fig. 1).

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.

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

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

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.

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.

Amtrol was looking for a more cost-effective means to produce thin-wall liners for a new line of pressure tanks. With the help of a team of suppliers, they built one of the world’s most sophisticated extrusion lines.

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

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.

The injection molding plant and the profile extrusion plant have broadly similar base loads (both in magnitude and in percentage terms) but the extrusion site has a process load only 30% of that of the injection molding site (0.4467 kwh/kg versus 1.5751 kwh/kg). Film and fiber extrusion operations are slightly less energy-intensive than profile extrusion and their process loads are also lower.

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 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.

As would be expected, extrusion has a lower process energy requirement than injection molding. A typical extrusion plant will have a process load in the region of 0.4 to 0.6 kwh/kg (0.18-0.27 kwh/lb). Typical industry data for profile extrusion (Fig. 2) shows a base load of 30% of the average total energy use and a process load of 0.4487 kwh/kg (0.204 kwh/lb) of plastic processed.

A cross-sectional view of the electric motor. The core of the motor is a stator consisting of twelve individual teeth, which are wound upright using a flat wire.

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

Designing cooling rolls is complex, tedious and requires a lot of inputs. Getting it wrong may have a dramatic impact on productivity.

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

Some processes, such as rotational molding and EPS foam production, use more than one energy source. In these cases the PCL can be found not only for the electricity usage but also for the gas usage. Both energy sources can be linked to production volume and a PCL can be found for each energy source.

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.

Finding the PCL for a site is not simply an academic exercise; it starts the process of benchmarking and allows a site to see where it is going and the areas it needs to concentrate on to achieve the quickest savings. It also allows a site to set performance targets and monitor achievements.

As we discussed in last month’s column, your plant’s “energy fingerprint” is composed of the base load and the process load.

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.

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

Fig. 2—Extrusion typically has a lower process load (flatter slope of the PCL) than injection molding. Profile extrusion is shown here; film extrusion would have an even lower process load.

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

Baystar's Borstar technology is helping customers deliver better, more reliable production methods to greenhouse agriculture.

Extrusion blow molding has a higher process energy load than extrusion and a typical site will generally have a process load in the region of 1.4 to 2.5 kwh/kg (0.64-1.14 kwh/lb). Typical industry data for extrusion blow molding (Fig. 3) shows a base load of 17% of the average total energy use and a process load of 2.4905 kwh/kg of plastic processed. This is a high process load value but when the base load is in the region of 30% then the process load decreases to around 1.5 kWh/kg.

Where plants have a mixture of processes, such as injection molding and extrusion, it is not always possible to separate the energy usage for each process. In these cases, the energy-usage and production-volume data will show more scatter because of variations in the monthly product mix.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The two key components of an electric drive train are the electric motor and the battery. And there are three issues that play a particularly important role when it comes to using an electric motor for eco-friendly mobility: high power density, a compact configuration that fits snugly within the electric vehicle, and high levels of efficiency. As part of the DEmiL project – a German acronym that stands for directly-cooled electric motor with integrated lightweight housing – researchers at Fraunhofer ICT in Pfinztal are now working with the Institute of Vehicle System Technology (FAST) and the Institute of Electrical Engineering (ETI) at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology KIT to develop a novel approach that incorporates direct cooling of the stator and rotor. “An electric motor consists of a rotating rotor and a static stator. The stator contains the copper windings that the electricity flows through – and this is where the majority of electrical losses occur. The novel aspects of our new concept lie in the stator,” says Robert Maertens, a researcher at Fraunhofer ICT.

The blown film sector now benefits from a tailored solution developed by Chem-Trend to preserve integrity of the bubble.

Stephen has been with PlasticsToday and its preceding publications Modern Plastics and Injection Molding since 1992, throughout this time based in the Asia Pacific region, including stints in Japan, Australia, and his current location Singapore. His current beat focuses on automotive. Stephen is an avid folding bicycle rider, often taking his bike on overseas business trips, and is a proud dachshund owner.

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

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.

It is possible to use multi–variate analysis to separate the individual processes from the combined data, but direct sub-metering of the individual processes is much easier and more direct. Electrical sub-metering gives direct data on energy usage and is more appropriate than a sophisticated analytical tool.

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.

Dr Robin Kent is founder and managing director of Tangram Technology Ltd. in Hitchin, Herts., U.K. Tangram provides consulting engineering, training, and design services to plastics processors. Kent has been involved in injection molding and extrusion for 36 years and has worked as technical director for several major plastics processing companies in the U.K. and Europe. He can be reached at rkent@tangram.co.uk or visit www.tangram.co.uk. Articles in this series are adapted from his book, Energy Management in Plastics Processing (2008, 265 pages, www.pidbooks.com).

Coverage of single-use plastics can be both misleading and demoralizing. Here are 10 tips for changing the perception of the plastics industry at your company and in your community.

For a typical plant, the base load should lie in the range of 10% to 40% of the average total load. Exceptional plants can get the base load down to 3% of the total load, and a base load higher than 30% of the average total load indicates poor control of energy usage and should be investigated. When reasonable efforts are made to control the base load—i.e., it is in the region of 15% to 30% of the average total load—then the process load (the slope of the PCL) will indicate the overall energy efficiency of the underlying process. This will vary with the basic energy intensity of the process but it is possible to estimate typical values for individual processes.

The method for finding the PCL for your plant can be used for any process where the main driver for energy usage is volume-related and energy is supplied from a single fuel source, such as electricity. However, the height and slope of the PCL are highly process-dependent, because different processes have different process loads.

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

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.’

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

The polymer housing is produced in an automated injection molding process. The cycle time for manufacturing the prototypes is currently four minutes. The stators themselves are overmolded with a thermally conductive epoxy resin molding compound in a transfer molding process. The team of researchers chose a design and manufacturing process for the electric motor that will allow it to be mass-produced.

(PV1 is production volume for Process 1; PV2 is production volume for Process 2; and Base Load1+2 is the overall plant base load.)

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Extrusion and subsequent thermoforming naturally have a higher process energy load than extrusion alone, and a typical site will generally have a process load in the region of 0.9 to 1.6 kwh/kg (0.4-0.73 kwh/lb), about the same as for injection molding. Typical industry data for extrusion and subsequent thermoforming (Fig. 4) shows a base load of 30% of the average total energy use and a process load of 1.1479 kwh/kg (0.522 kwh/lb) of plastic processed. The process load will change slightly depending in the exact process—extrusion and later thermoforming or extrusion with in-line thermoforming.

A typical injection molding plant (Fig. 1) will have a process load in the region of 0.9 to 1.6 kwh/kg (0.4-0.73 kwh/lb). This will vary with the size of the base load—i.e., a high base load as a proportion of the total load will generally result in a lower apparent process load. Any site with values that are very different needs to investigate the causes.

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.

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.