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

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

Well that is a long story. It wasn’t easy at all for us to start from scratch. It was a big challenge and took us more than 10 years to do that. I thought, by utilizing this technology to create plastic molds, maybe we can serve society in many ways and create solutions for many people. This is very difficult to digitize because the material is not a digital material. Air conditioning is very critical, we have to maintain a temperature of 23° C plus or minus .05° C, in order to maintain the precision of machining. Plastic molding in general is not as precise compared to what we do. Usually, mold making technologies advance, and plastic mold making follows. We are still struggling to duplicate perfectly, there are so many elements that can create defects.

He decided to keep the records for every product, even scribbling them on a piece of paper. It was a great way to leave the process of solution making, not just the end result. When it comes to plastic molding we want to avoid any kind of defect, so even when we are using customer designs we have a library of information of what kind of things have worked and what kind of problems we have encountered in the past.

Tobe Packaging’s breakthrough was to create its Ecolefin PE multilayer film that could be applied with a specialized barrier coating.

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.

That’s a good question, and it's something I've been thinking about a lot recently. What is good for the people who work here? How well can they make a living, have a better quality of life, that’s the key point of what to do next for me. At this moment I haven’t decided anything yet, there are so many choices going forward. A company can choose the future but people as well. I used to think that all people want to be promoted but many don't. Some people just want to stay as they are and that’s their choice. I think it’s very important to provide choices for the people who work here. I want to leave a legacy of sincerity, gratitude, and the idea that Japanese Chuken Kigyo can give people the power to make choices about their future.

The Worldfolio provides business, industrial and financial news about global economies, with a focus on understanding them from within.

We are now in the 4th industrial revolution and are seeing the rise of new innovative technology such as IoT, AI, and Big Data. As a company that specializes in the IT field, can you please tell us what the impact of these new technologies has been on your company and how you are adapting them to your products?

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).

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

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.

Pavlov noted that first-quarter demand showed an uptick month-to-month, primarily due to exports, but demand year-to-year was down more than 15% for PVC pipe and more than 20% for all other PVC market sectors.

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

Juken Kogyo fully leverages its expertise in micro- and nano-precision technologies to produce plastic components, offering micro-gram (one millionth of a gram) gears and nano-machined products through its precision injection molding. Founded in 1965, today many of the company’s plastic parts are used for various products that support the Japanese manufacturing industry, whilst also supplying micro parts to manufacturers all over the world. We speak with president, Naoki Matsuura, to learn more about how Juken Kogyo contributes to key sectors of the economy that require such meticulousness and quality, with precision molding technology, as well as his insight into the plastics manufacturing industry.

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.

That’s a very difficult question because the answer is kind of broad. From my point of view, the mentality of professionalism or expertise is the same across all sectors or occupations. When it comes to plastic molding, I don’t really consider plastic molding manufacturing as much as service providing. When it comes to providing a service, the product must be very reliable, with strong quality control. We have spent many years developing our system and are always trying to be better than perfect. To go beyond being a placeholder and totally exceed expectations. This attitude is the direction of our monozukuri.

These sources also noted that new capacity from Baystar and Nova Chemicals would also make an impact on the market, even though the Shell Polymers Monaca 3.5 billion lb/yr HDPE/LLDPE capacity was reported to be completely shut down until the third quarter. One of the three PE units, a slurry process HDPE blow molding line, was not expected to restart until first-quarter 2024. Among the reasons reported were cracker issues restricting production of on-spec ethylene monomer. Barry said this had made the spot PE market a bit tighter.

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.

You became the CEO in 2015 and are the 2nd generation as your father started the company as you told us. In the distant future when you hand over the company to the next generation, what legacy or vision to leave behind to your successor?

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.

Well, I know how to use the right side of my brain. A lot of people in the business world have a tendency to use the left side, I think, but the right is just as important. It allows me to see certain problems multidimensionally, approach issues from a different angle or perspective and find new creative solutions. I’m a person who can give ideas just by looking at things. I'm not an engineer, and have no experience in a plastic molding factory but I can make decisions and give ideas of how to look at things differently. I’m trying to change the culture for new development in the future. If we can’t make it happen, the future is going to be much more difficult than it needs to be. We don’t need to be huge innovators like Apple, but we can create micro innovations. Kaizen to me, is micro innovation. There’s an expression in Japanese, “if the dust gathers, it becomes like a mountain”. I really believe that small things can build to something much greater.

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’s not so much a strategy but more of a vision I’m looking to not just be a parts supplier but to be a unit supplier. I’d like to have an assembly line, actually we’ve already started. We’re making some catheter key parts, and are also assembling handles and things like that. So that’s the direction we’re headed in.

We know that injection molding and 3D printing are standard when it comes to plastic parts but there are some limitations. They cannot go under 20 microns in terms of resolution. To solve this problem we have nano injection molding that allows the creation of nanometer scales such as your company is able to provide, up to 0.5 microns. We know that your company Juken Kogyo provides nanometer ultra precision machinery and also nano technology. Can you please tell us about the synergy you are able to create between the machinery and the technology, and how you are able to provide solutions to your customers when it comes to nano technologies?

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

We don’t have a particular R&D section. I wish I had one, but it’s difficult for an SME like us. I’ve changed our approach to be project based. If something interesting comes up, I call some people and say, “let’s do this project together” and see what happens. Even if we don’t achieve our goal we are still able to gather lots of useful information. For example the clic disk for a  (compact linear collider of CERN), is an accelerator part. There are only 5 or 6 companies in the world that are qualified to produce these. We like to challenge that. It can be very fun and exciting to join a program like that. We would never be able to have this kind of experience just by making molds, because it’s a scientific project so we can work with actual scientists which is inspiring and enriches our own work. This may help solve all of our energy problems. Maybe not for our generations, but for the future.

PET prices dropped by 1¢/lb in April in step with feedstock costs paraxylene/PTA and MEG. Prices for May-June were likely to be flat to fractionally lower, according to Mark Kallman, RTi’s v.p. of PVC, PET and engineering resins. He characterized demand as slowed, with plenty of domestic supply and continued good availability of imports that are typically lower in cost and now benefit from improved transit logistics.

Polystyrene prices in March moved up by 2¢/lb and then dropped the same amount in April in step with benzene contract settlements. However, benzene spot prices were on the rise — 20¢/gal above April contract levels –  along with an 8% rise in crude-oil prices, which was likely to lead to a May PS contract price increase, according to PCW’s Barry and RTi’s Chesshier. Barry confirmed that at least one supplier had nominated a 4¢/lb price hike for May, but that implied styrene costs based on a 30% ethylene/70% benzene formula were down more than 3¢/lb at April’s end as spot benzene values dropped sharply.

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

We supply intraocular lens molds as well. Intraocular lenses are basically the implanting lens’ for cataract surgery. As my father got old and he started losing his sight he had to change his lens and it changed his life. He came to me and told me, you did a great job. It was great encouragement, a big payoff and a great joy of working. It connects back to your first question, as to how monozukuri feels, the mentality, it’s not just the money, but the value to society you create and the role you can play to serve people. My father’s comment was really fulfilling because we spent 10 years getting into that market and it was very tough. No blueprint, no friends, and were still able to break through.

Noted Chesshier, “Supply is outpacing demand since the seasonal PS demand has yet to materialize — partially due to conversion to other plastics or paper and the impact of lower-priced PS imports.” Moreover, production rates were increased by suppliers to about 70% capacity utilization from the low of mid-50% level, which reportedly resulted in supplier inventory buildup. Chesshier ventured that the likelihood of a decrease in PS prices in May-June was favorable as benzene prices typically fall during this period and benzene imports were increasing. Barry noted that demand remained weak and “suppliers saw little chance of stimulating additional sales by lowering prices more aggressively.” He characterized the spot market as having limited buying interest and flat-to-lower prices.

Plastics processors are finding applications for 3D printing around the plant and across the supply chain. Here are 8 examples to look for at NPE2024.

Polypropylene prices in April signaled the beginning of a big downward correction, after rising another 8¢/lb in March, in step with propylene monomer, according to PCW’s Barry, Spartan Polymers’ Newell, and The Plastic Exchange’s Greenberg. These sources expected PP contract prices to drop by 11¢/lb in step with April monomer contract prices. Initial projections for May were for another 5¢ to 7¢ drop. Two suppliers had issued 3¢ and 6¢/lb “non-monomer” (i.e., profit-margin) increases for May, which were expected to go nowhere.

In the last 25 years we have seen the rise of cheaper competitors such as China, South Korea, and Taiwan replicating the Japanese monozukuri process and doing so at a cheaper labor cost. They have been providing the world with cheaper products at the expense of quality. Yet despite this stiff competition Japan has been able to maintain its leadership as it relates to advanced machining, and niche fields. Can you please tell us about the essence of the Japanese monozukuri? How are companies such as yourselves able to compete internationally despite such stiff competition?

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 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

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.

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

Todd reported, “While there have been no official announcements that the April price increase has been rescinded, the fact that one supplier (OxyVinyls) never supported it, and the continued erosion of export prices, plus a market forecast of flat pricing for April, have pretty much sounded its death knell.” She noted that buyers would resist any increase, barring a major supply disruption. Both sources characterized demand as sluggish.

First of all, there is no strategy. It’s quite interesting because my father never had a vision to grow his business too big, he rather wanted to enjoy the work. And so do I. I really enjoy working here. He was very excited about having foreign friends, and real colleagues, who are the people he could trust and do business with. For those local business owners, it was much easier for them to start their own businesses and to get involved with us, so joint ventures happened very naturally. We are still good friends but right now we don’t have too much contact with former joint venture partners.

PVC prices moved remained flat in March-April, though three suppliers issued increases of 4¢ to 5¢/lb, according to Paul Pavlov, RTi’s v.p. of PP and PVC, and PCW senior editor Donna Todd. Pavlov ventured that prices for the May-June period could continue flat but had the potential to drop by 2¢ to 5¢/lb.

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.

Driven by brand owner demands and new worldwide legislation, the entire supply chain is working toward the shift to circularity, with some evidence the circular economy has already begun.

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

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.

In 1985 you took your first steps to go overseas. You went to Singapore, China, India, Switzerland, Thailand, Taiwan, S. Korea, I could go on. In our research we found that you expanded through joint ventures. Can you tell us about your international strategy? What benefits have joint ventures brought to your company?

How the development of new catalysts—notably metallocenes—paved the way for the development of material grades never before possible.

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

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.

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.

Newell noted that the current 42.7 days of inventory was one of the highest levels in over a decade, compared with 32 to 34 days for a balanced market. Barry reported that PP exports were gradually seeing more activity, but some resin suppliers did not think it worthwhile to sell prime resin in the low 30¢/lb and low 40¢/lb range needed to gain offshore interest. Greenberg characterized spot PP activity as good, with more interest in copolymer than homopolymer, and prices dropping as they got a head start on the anticipated decline.

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

You’ve mentioned the necessity to gather information. In preparing our report we’ve interviewed many companies and they’ve all agreed on one thing, that research and development plays a major role for Japanese companies. In fact the R&D expenditure for 2019 in Japan stood at 19 trillion yen which shows that Japanese companies are investing massively to be competitive both domestically and globally. We are also seeing a trend where Japanese are shifting overseas to find partners for co-creation and innovation. Can you please tell us about your R&D capabilities? In the future are you looking to find any co-creation or joint venture partners for the gathering or sharing of information overseas?

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

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

Both Newell and Barry ventured that April was just the start of a PP contract-price correction and that it would take a bit more time than a drop in spot-market prices. They also noted that the gap between contract and secondary market prices was very wide — 15¢/lb or more.

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.

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.

My father had a problem when he was maybe 30, 35 years old. He had a dispute with his customers. Who is causing the trouble? The designer, the mold maker, molders, producers? He wanted to find a way to avoid such troubles, almost like an insurance. With our Juken system, when customers call us we can readily access technical information for them about whatever products of ours they may be using. We can then discuss and find solutions that we otherwise may not be able to.

All three sources referred to preliminary data from the American Chemistry Council (ACC), which showed March PP operating rates to be 6% lower than February on a daily output basis, and March PP sales to be lower again on a daily average basis, resulting in an accumulation of just over 50 million/lb of supplier inventory.

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

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.

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.

First of all, our defect rate is about 1 ppm (parts per million). We carry 3000 different items every month and our defect rate is extremely low, which is very nice for us, but nice for our customers too. They are much more at ease to accept our products. Some clients don’t even check, they just go directly into their lines. We also try to reduce scrap materials and recycle. We have many ideas about creating our own new product using recycled plastic and making it in house. Reducing costs is also very important. Because in the 1980s and 90s we enjoyed a very great market because we didn’t have many competitors but now reducing costs has become a really big theme for us to stay competitive. For example we have two factories that just merged this year as a cost cutting measure. It’s much easier now to manage manpower and costs. I am expecting to increase our productivity by 10-15%. We also had a groupware server which has been really good for us. We’re also trying to create more opportunities for education, so that people can actually learn here not just by working but by going out for seminars and through our own teaching programs. Because we are so focused on small parts and have been for so long, there is so much more for us to learn about all the different parts of plastic molding as an industry. We’ve also started English courses here and are asking managers to join societies like scientific societies, which has been very effective. We’ve put a lot of effort into our facilities to maintain their condition.

Right now I'm researching if there’s anything for agriculture. Biodegradable plastic is a big thing that I’ve been looking at for more than 10 years but it’s not really a good application for us at the moment. In the future plastic will have to be biodegradable, especially for agriculture. Believe it or not we actually started as an agriculture business. My father started with making small planting pots and since then we had to change our direction to focus on chemical parts, and then even smaller parts which led him to create his own molding machines since no one had molds small enough for the parts he wanted to make.

Addressing polyolefins, in particular, The Plastics Exchange’s  Greenberg summed it up this way: “This weaker price direction comes amid looser availability for both major resin groups (PE and PP) as producers contend with plentiful inventories that regrew in the first quarter, making the impact of current force majeures – four for PE and two for PP – pretty much irrelevant.”

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

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.’

Polyethylene prices in March rose unexpectedly by 3¢/lb, with suppliers attributing the move to a combination of increased demand and force majeure actions, according to Greenberg; David Barry, PCW’s associate director for PE, PP and PS; and Robin Chesshier, RTi’s v.p. of PE, PS and nylon 6 markets. Greenberg noted that while suppliers were announcing increases of 5¢/lb for April, the market would likely remain flat, “holding onto the 6¢/lb  increase implemented during the first quarter, which includes 3¢/lb that somehow managed to take hold in March.”

We just started discussion with an American company about a potential international partnership for the production of specimen holders for TEM (trans-electron microscopy). It’s quite an interesting project as the key device of that microscopy can be created with our mold making technology. So we match up with them very well. They luckily have almost the exact kind of machine tools that we’re using. They share many of our views. It’s quite nice to hear American people not just talking about the business performance but also talking about the machine tools, expertise and passion for the work.

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

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.

It’s been wonderful. IT technology development has just been wonderful. Combining traditional methods with new technology has been really very good. This way we can pick the best of each to make much better systems and solutions. For example, we do have a physical filing system, but we also have a database. Because many of our products are so small, the corresponding physical file often actually contains the product in question. It’s more than just data. We have been using data for checking or reviewing, but it's time to start using it as prospective tools as well, even for SMEs.

These sources noted that suppliers had increased plant operating rates to 90%, even while supply inventories mounted by triple digits and domestic demand rose only 1%. Chesshier saw April prices staying flat with a potential drop in prices in May-June. “There is no cost -push for suppliers in making PE; and based on supply/demand fundamentals, prices ought to come down,” she commented. Barry ventured that prices would be flat in May and could drop in June. He noted that demand in some market sectors, like HDPE pipe, fared better than others, while demand for stretch film was estimated to be off by about 10% year-over-year. Though demand for food packaging has been steady versus 2022, it is still “a stark departure from robust double-digit growth in recent years,” he said.

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

Heading into May, the price trajectory for commodity resins was projected to be largely downward, with PP expected to face a double-digit correction and more modest declines for other volume resins. These are the views of purchasing consultants from Resin Technology, Inc. (RTi), senior analysts from PetroChemWire (PCW), CEO Michael Greenberg of The Plastics Exchange, and Scott Newell, executive v.p. for polyolefins at  distributor/compounder Spartan Polymers. Their predictions, of course, do not account for any unforeseen major production disruptions or a spike in crude oil and natural gas prices.

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.

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

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

When we interviewed the president of Nissei Plastic Industrial, which is one of the leading companies in injection molding, Mr.Yoda san, he mentioned three main trends affecting the plastic manufacturing sector. The first was, as you’ve mentioned, the increased popularity of sustainable products. The second was surging demand for lighter materials, and the third was cost efficiency. As a company that has been involved with injection molding for the past 50 years can you please tell us how you’re adapting to these trends?

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.