At the upcoming Fakuma trade show in Friedrichshafen (Germany), Swiss injection molding machine manufacturer Netstal will be presenting what the company says is a “world first”: injection compression molding on a stack mold. Netstal will be demonstrating the new technology at its booth in hall A7 (7303/7304), where a 15oz (425g) margarine tub made from PP and weighing only 10.7 g will be molded on a hybrid Elion injection press equipped with a four-by-four stack mold.

The global High-density Polyethylene (HDPE) market experienced a variety of trends during the previous week. While HDPE prices in Europe and Asia surged due to increasing freight rates, prices in the US remained stable. These fluctuations were primarily driven by subdued demand and limited supplies worldwide. Further, production costs were influenced by fluctuations in feedstock Ethylene prices and a decrease in Crude oil prices. Moreover, disruptions in major supply routes caused by geopolitical tensions exacerbated market pressures. Consequently, Injection FD Hamburg (Germany) prices for European HDPE rose by 1%, Chinese HDPE Injection Molding EXW Jiangsu (China) prices saw a minor increase of 0.4%, and USA HDPE prices remained steady for the week ending on May 24, 2024.

During this week, the Asian HDPE market maintained stability with a slight price increase, particularly noticeable in imported PE film grades which experienced consecutive rises over two weeks. This was fueled by a shortage of Middle Eastern origins and escalating freight rates. Despite a cautious increase in demand and the film industry entering its off-season marked by restocking and terminal inquiries, order transactions remained subdued, exacerbated by weak downstream demand. Furthermore, the recent decrease in Crude oil prices has impacted production costs, partly due to the high-interest rate environment in the United States, which has suppressed demand, alongside bearish US inventory data and decreasing geopolitical risk premiums. These factors highlight the balance in the HDPE market, where supply constraints and fluctuating external factors shaped pricing dynamics amidst subdued demand.

The global High-density Polyethylene (HDPE) market experienced a variety of trends during the previous week. While HDPE prices in Europe and Asia surged due to increasing freight rates, prices in the US remained stable. These fluctuations were primarily driven by subdued demand and limited supplies worldwide. Further, production costs were influenced by fluctuations in feedstock Ethylene prices and a decrease in Crude oil prices. Moreover, disruptions in major supply routes caused by geopolitical tensions exacerbated market pressures. Consequently, Injection FD Hamburg (Germany) prices for European HDPE rose by 1%, Chinese HDPE Injection Molding EXW Jiangsu (China) prices saw a minor increase of 0.4%, and USA HDPE prices remained steady for the week ending on May 24, 2024. In Europe, the HDPE market experienced an upward trend driven by increasing freight rates, and low inventory levels in the regional market contributed to this rise. Further, higher costs of feedstock Ethylene supported the pricing of HDPE. However, demand from key sectors like construction, automotive, and packaging remained subdued in the domestic market. The surge in ocean freight demand from Asia, possibly signaling the start of a restocking cycle in Europe, along with North American importers accelerating their peak season demand due to concerns over labor issues or disruptions in the Red Sea later in the year, further strained the container market. This strain was worsened by the redirection of shipments from the Red Sea, leading to increased import costs of raw materials in Europe. Throughout this period, HDPE prices in the US remained stable, reflecting balanced supply and demand dynamics. Polyethylene trading significantly improved compared to the previous week, with prices for the most commonly traded grades remaining steady as business operations returned to normal. Despite rising freight rates from Asia to the Americas and shipping delays, export demand remained robust. However, international buyers continued to resist price increases, making incremental export sales challenging despite steady prices and limited prompt availability. Moreover, although feedstock Ethylene prices were increasing due to rising upstream Naphtha costs, HDPE prices remained unchanged. During this week, the Asian HDPE market maintained stability with a slight price increase, particularly noticeable in imported PE film grades which experienced consecutive rises over two weeks. This was fueled by a shortage of Middle Eastern origins and escalating freight rates. Despite a cautious increase in demand and the film industry entering its off-season marked by restocking and terminal inquiries, order transactions remained subdued, exacerbated by weak downstream demand. Furthermore, the recent decrease in Crude oil prices has impacted production costs, partly due to the high-interest rate environment in the United States, which has suppressed demand, alongside bearish US inventory data and decreasing geopolitical risk premiums. These factors highlight the balance in the HDPE market, where supply constraints and fluctuating external factors shaped pricing dynamics amidst subdued demand.

In Europe, the HDPE market experienced an upward trend driven by increasing freight rates, and low inventory levels in the regional market contributed to this rise. Further, higher costs of feedstock Ethylene supported the pricing of HDPE. However, demand from key sectors like construction, automotive, and packaging remained subdued in the domestic market. The surge in ocean freight demand from Asia, possibly signaling the start of a restocking cycle in Europe, along with North American importers accelerating their peak season demand due to concerns over labor issues or disruptions in the Red Sea later in the year, further strained the container market. This strain was worsened by the redirection of shipments from the Red Sea, leading to increased import costs of raw materials in Europe.

At the upcoming Fakuma trade show in Friedrichshafen (Germany), Swiss injection molding machine manufacturer Netstal will be presenting what the company says is a “world first”: injection compression molding on a stack mold. Netstal will be demonstrating the new technology at its booth in hall A7 (7303/7304), where a 15oz (425g) margarine tub made from PP and weighing only 10.7 g will be molded on a hybrid Elion injection press equipped with a four-by-four stack mold.The innovative technology is the result of a collaboration between mold manufacturer Plastisud, automation specialist Machines Pagès and Netstal. While the stack mold with 4+4 cavities is impressive enough, turning out standard-sized margarine with IML decoration in a cycle time of five seconds, the truly revolutionary aspect of the whole process is hidden from view, according to Markus Dal Pian, Vice President, Sales & Marketing at Netstal.“The polypropylene packaging is not injection molded but manufactured in an injection compression molding process," he explained. "This combination of injection compression molding and stack mold is a complete novelty in the industrial production of packaging."The cavities are partially filled in only 100 ms with extremely even results and the process is performed at a low pressure to prevent tension in the material. The high quality of the platen parallelism guarantees a synchronicity of 99.98 % between the mold, machine and automation system.The stack mold, especially adapted to the requirements of the new production process, was developed in a few short months by Plastisud.  The unique injection compression molding technology guarantees perfectly balanced parting planes with an extremely low dispersion rate."The special design of the stack mold developed by Plastisud plays a key role in this application,” Thomas Iten, PAC Application Engineer at Netstal emphasized. Machines Pagès provided specific know-how in the area of handling systems for in-mold labeling (IML) to ensure that the automation process has been adapted perfectly to the machine and mold.According to Iten, this configuration, in which the injection compression molding process is combined with a specially balanced stack mold, is “a genuine innovative leap." The fundamental benefits of injection compression molding include narrow wall thicknesses and a lighter product resulting in lower unit costs. Furthermore, the end product (lids in particular) shows fewer signs of distortion and has a greater dimensional accuracy due to the lower stresses placed on the material.

Moreover, using a stack mold significantly increase productivity, while the technology reduces material costs by up to 20%, in addition to providing total flexibility in terms of shape, appearance and decoration of the manufactured part.

High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) Market Analysis: Plant Capacity, Production, Process, Technology, Operating Efficiency, Demand & Supply, End-Use, Grade, Foreign Trade, Sales Channel, Regional Demand, Company Share, Manufacturing Process, 2015-2035

Throughout this period, HDPE prices in the US remained stable, reflecting balanced supply and demand dynamics. Polyethylene trading significantly improved compared to the previous week, with prices for the most commonly traded grades remaining steady as business operations returned to normal. Despite rising freight rates from Asia to the Americas and shipping delays, export demand remained robust. However, international buyers continued to resist price increases, making incremental export sales challenging despite steady prices and limited prompt availability. Moreover, although feedstock Ethylene prices were increasing due to rising upstream Naphtha costs, HDPE prices remained unchanged.