Join Wittmann for an engaging webinar on the transformative impact of manufacturing execution systems (MES) in the plastic injection molding industry. Discover how MES enhances production efficiency, quality control and real-time monitoring while also reducing downtime. It will explore the integration of MES with existing systems, emphasizing compliance and traceability for automotive and medical sectors. Learn about the latest advancements in IoT and AI technologies and how they drive innovation and continuous improvement in MES. Agenda: Overview of MES benefits What is MES? Definition, role and brief history Historical perspective and evolution Longevity and analytics Connectivity: importance, standards and integration Advantages of MES: efficiency, real-time data, traceability and cost savings Emerging technologies: IoT and AI in MES

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

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

Additionally, our team worked with a major plastics parts supplier where we helped overhaul their SMED program in order to further reduce changeover times. Upon arrival, we noticed all machines were equipped with magnetic platens (which makes quick bolt changes possible), and the changeover times were averaging over five hours, sometimes crossing shifts. Through analysis of internal and external operations, and moving internal activities to external ones, changeover times were reduced to less than one hour. The availability improvement also allowed the customer to bring back parts manufacturing that had been outsourced.

In the plastics manufacturing industry, implementing Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED) is known to reduce changeover times. It also creates value by optimizing activity against time—all while reducing waste. While SMED’s value may be increased or reduced by marketplace demand and therefore the need for optimum throughput, improving changeover can be done under any economic condition, including today’s COVID-19 crisis and recovery phases. I’ll go into detail on how to successfully implement SMED while sustaining it for a more profitable future of your plastics manufacturing plant.

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

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.

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

Employee turnover and training shortfalls may create a wide range of performance issues on a single piece of equipment. Managers should analyze each changeover time. Are they consistent and indicate the process is being successfully repeated to achieve low variability in changeover times? Are these times consistent for each shift? If you do not have a solid training program and have granular performance monitoring, you can almost guarantee your changeover times will increase, which will cause chaos. Throughput velocities will be reduced, and work-in-process bottlenecks will result. The production quality and costs will soon be challenged. All too frequently, manufacturers do not recognize the symptoms until customer dissatisfaction occurs and financial penalties are assessed. To be successful, people require training and changeover times must be measured to ensure quick changeover value is sustained.

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.

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.

Limbitless hopes to raise funds to donate 100 bionic arms to 100 Bionic Kids in future clinical trials, at an expected cost of $10,000 per child. The company also hopes to create limbs for adults and facial-controlled wheelchairs for ALS patients.

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.

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.

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.

The nonprofit organization, founded in 2014 by UCF students, has five full-time employees and works with university undergraduates, who fulfill roles in engineering, design, production, and other duties.

To continue to donate bionic arms to children in need, Limbitless Solutions has ramped up in-house manufacturing, including adding a Tormach mill to machine molds.

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 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.

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

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.

When it comes to the internal setup time, there’s a huge human element in assessing the work.  The standards referenced must be fully understood in the context of the time the standard was developed compared to today. Controls, tools and the changeover process need to be continuously challenged to drive down the changeover time.

Geoff Giordano is a tech journalist with more than 30 years’ experience in all facets of publishing. He has reported extensively on the gamut of plastics manufacturing technologies and issues, including 3D printing materials and methods; injection, blow, micro and rotomolding; additives, colorants and nanomodifiers; blown and cast films; packaging; thermoforming; tooling; ancillary equipment; and the circular economy. Contact him at [email protected].

Injection molders must account for internal setup time—when the machine must be down—and external setup time, including activities that can be performed with the machine running.

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.

Five industry pros with more than 200 years of combined molding experience provide step-by-step best practices on mounting a mold in a horizontal injection molding machine.

Economic swings bring previous expedient decisions to light. Machine and/or process restrictions degrade production velocity as equipment that was optimized for a certain product is put into service on another part and results in profit erosion. This is where a good SMED quick changeover program can help optimize financial performance by converting non-value-add time into value-add time. By using a toolbox full of SMED-specific methods in a robust process, and by leveraging SMED experts who bring both historical and state-of-the-art technical knowledge into the equation, will achieve the quickest possible changeover time.

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.

Implementing a production monitoring system as the foundation of a ‘smart factory’ is about integrating people with new technology as much as it is about integrating machines and computers. Here are tips from a company that has gone through the process.

“It’s hard to buy small quantities of anything, especially with the current supply chain challenges,” said Courbin, “so we decided to bring machining capability in-house.”

A homogenous melt is required for consistent part quality, but achieving it requires balancing a number of factors, including barrel usage and temperature as well as screw speed, backpressure and residence time. Learn how to prepare your melt for molding success in this two-part series.

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

With many industries facing constraints in supply chains and lower demand as economies strive to regain a healthy cadence, changeovers for most manufacturers are going to be all too frequent. Maximizing changeover efficiency with a strong SMED program will drive improved profitability, helping you address the challenges that are ahead.

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.

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.

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

Dominique Courbin, Director of Production at Limbitless, cited ongoing supply struggles as a key driver for bringing in more production equipment.

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.

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).

Addressing hot-runner benefits, improvements, and everyday issues from the perspective of decades of experience with probably every brand on the market. Part 1 of 2.

While working for a Tier 1 automotive supplier, we performed a SMED activity to reduce the changeover times at a plant in India. Changeover times were reduced from three hours on average to consistently less than one hour. This was accomplished through internal and external changeover operation analysis and videotaping. This video analysis method identifies areas that create unnecessary or misplaced activities that can be moved and/or eliminated, resulting in a streamlined changeover process.

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

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.’

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

Nine of the parts those limbs require are being molded at present. With a goal of increasing that to 16 parts, Limbitless has added a new Tormach 770M mill to machine molds in the company’s manufacturing lab. The machine joins a Tormach 8L lathe and a PCNC 440 mill and will be used to create aluminum injection molds to be used on the company’s vertical molding press.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

Adapting quick changeover tools to existing equipment can provide many improvement opportunities. Hydraulically driven and magnetic clamping system can shave several minutes per changeover, and they are safer and reduce maintenance costs. The system will eventually contribute to lower labor requirements since operators can now achieve what two or more maintenance technicians used to perform. And, there should be no wait time for the task.

An ambitious project to provide bionic arms to dozens of children in the near future has an equally ambitious goal of molding more of the ABS parts of those prosthetic limbs in house.

It’s important to understand the basics of SMED before moving forward. There are five steps in the traditional SMED process:

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.

technotrans says climate protection, energy efficiency and customization will be key discussion topics at PTXPO as it displays its protemp flow 6 ultrasonic eco and the teco cs 90t 9.1 TCUs.

Successfully starting or restarting an injection molding machine is less about ticking boxes on a rote checklist and more about individually assessing each processing scenario and its unique variables.

A good SMED quick changeover program can help optimize financial performance by converting non-value-add time into value-add time.

About the author: Bill Currence is the founder and managing partner of Cornerstone Consulting Organization (CCO). Currence has served in a variety of executive leadership consulting roles, leading project teams across the globe in achieving hundreds of millions of dollars in improved EBITDA and cash flow. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy and played for the Army football team as a starting tight end. Currence served as an Army officer for 10 years between active duty and the reserves.

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

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.

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.

Limbitless Solutions, a small Orlando-based company on the campus of the University of Central Florida (UCF), has supplied bionic arms to 40 children so far and is working to place another 25 limbs this year.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

The creator of the SMED concept, Shigeo Shingo, believed that changeover time can be reduced by 59/60th. And while I agree that this impressive level of improvement is possible, sustaining it can be exceedingly difficult and is often complicated by changes in the cadence of manufacturing operations. Re-balancing entire manufacturing lines may be required to effectively deliver and sustain SMED excellence.