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

Major repairs, changes, or improvements to the mould tool may require changes in the set up, and this would mean re-validating the process. This is also true of the moulding machines. Significant repairs or machine exchanges if not carefully managed and controlled may trigger a full validation of the process, which takes time and costs the moulder more money.

Before you start validating, it is vital to be clear on your expectations. If it’s to provide a documented source of evidence to satisfy a regulatory body, you need to do it. But that shouldn’t be your sole motivation. Validation is not purely about procedures and scrambling to put the correct documentation in place. The objective of having an efficient process and repeatable high product quality should never be overlooked, as this is ultimately how you can avoid costly product recalls and cosmetic product defects.

For its purposes, Arburg records CO2 in four process steps it undertakes when building a press: painting or coating; mechanical machining and processing; electrical production; and assembly.

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

Leibniz University in Hanover. There, Professor Hans-Josef Endres is working on in collaboration with Arburg, among others.

When you drill down to the level of an individual screw, the complete parts list of an injection molding machine could consist of 11,000 indivdual items. To help it better manage that figure, Arburg categorizes all its raw materials into eight distinct materials groups. On this basis, an Allrounder consists of more than 55% plastic-coated cast iron, and another 35% of steel and sheet metal, whether they’re hot-treated, painted, plastic-coated or untreated. Plastic components, drives and electronic components account for only about 7% of the total weight.

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

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

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

In accordance with ISO 13485 standards, ongoing documentation of the injection moulding process needs to be maintained. This is a continuous process, which is a significant change under the new directive.   From time to time, machine settings may have to be adjusted to compensate for changes in the environment or to address moulding issues, such as pulling, distortion, or aesthetic defects. The key areas that might impact a stable process include changes in pressure, temperature, flow rate and cooling rates, any of which may trigger a re-validation exercise.

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.

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.

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

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.

When it comes to product quality in injection moulding, machine and tool validation is fundamental to creating a stable manufacturing process and de-risking the project. Yet, it’s often bureaucracy rather than methodology that drives companies to validate. James Hines, Process and Training Engineer at Sumitomo (SHI) Demag goes back to the basics of why we validate and why this complex process shouldn’t be just regarded as a tick-box exercise to get the FDA or other regulatory bodies off your back.

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.

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

“As a machine manufacturer, Arburg is actively and comprehensively involved in carbon accounting in order to provide reliable and comparable indicators and meet the ambitious climate targets,” the company stated in release, noting it earned an “above-average” B grade in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP).

Ultimately, the parts the machines are molding also have an impact on the press’s PCF. In general, Arburg notes that the specific energy requirements for the production of technical molded parts in smaller quantities is significantly greater than for the production of fast cycling packaging items.

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.

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

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.

Arburg calculates that electricity related CO2 emissions during production generate an emissions factor of 0.366 [kg CO2 equivalent per kWh] for the standard German electricity mix in the year 2020. On that basis, the electricity requirement is 2900 kWh for the Allrounder 370 H, with a CO2 equivalent of around 1,160 kg, while for the Allrounder 570 H, the electricity requirement would be 7295 kWh with emissions around 2670 kg CO2.

Arburg has utilized the ISO TS 1467:2018 standard, which determines the greenhouse gas emissions of a product, to help its customers calculate the product carbon footprint (PCF) of its injection molding machines.

Any features that enable simultaneous, dynamic and fast movements and shorten cycle times have a positive effect on the carbon footprint during use. Photo Credit: Arburg

Most impactful to the calculation is whether the machine utilizes an electric, hydraulic or hybrid drive. Going further, the calculation is also impacted by whether one or two-circuit pump technology or hydraulic accumulators are used, as well as other options like servo-electric dosing or ejection. Arburg notes that any features that enable simultaneous, dynamic and fast movements and shorten cycle times have a positive effect on the carbon footprint during use. The same applies to the screw diameter and installed power, so that the greater the shot weight and the smaller the power consumption, the better.

It’s all about sustainability and the circular economy, and it will be on display in Orlando across all the major processes. But there will be plenty to see in automation, AI and machine learning as well.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

From a business perspective, validation will also address profit-driven challenges and design out production weaknesses. Functional tests can help operatives better understand what drives the machine, how fast it goes and the consequences if manufacturing procedures are not correctly followed. In some instances, ramping up to a faster cycle time won’t always be the most optimised 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.

At the Process Design stage you are looking to see if you have the proper sized machine - shot size and tonnage - and that the equipment is properly calibrated.

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.

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.

Unlike the corporate carbon footprint (CCF), which is calculated for an entire company on an annual basis, PCFs include the quantities of greenhouse gases emitted and removed over the entire service life of a product.

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.

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

Using that figure, the electricity-related CO2 equivalent for the Allrounder 370 H is actually only 490 kg versus 1160 kg, while for the Allrounder 570 the emissions amount to 1240 instead of 2670 kg CO2.

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.

Going forward, Arburg’s goal is to calculate “a scientifically sound, holistic lifecycle assessment for injection molding machines.” Arburg says such an effort is underway at the Institute of Plastics and Circular Economy (IKK) at

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.

Like before, there are three key phases to process validation, only now the FDA categorises them as Process Design, Process Qualification, and Continued Process Verification. These reflect the focus on the manufacturing lifecycle and the need to provide scientifically sound data to verify that your injection moulding processes start and continue to remain stable.

A Boston recycler invested in a turnkey shredding, granulation and elutriation system to expand its plastics reclaim business.

A lot simpler to understand and calculate than a carbon footprint, this ‘footprint’ measures your energy use per kg of plastic processed.

During the Process Qualification phase, you will move on to establish the range of process parameters. This involves conducting a selection of statistical and dimensional studies, enabling you to identify and investigate any deviations in the process. A process is not considered as validated if the variations have negatively impacted the finished product in any way.

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.

Last year the European Commission issued its first update since 2001, causing more confusion. The new version of Annex 15 now requires manufacturers to ensure that “critical aspects” of their operation are validated throughout the product lifecycle. This includes any changes that could impact a product’s quality. Effective 1st October 2015, the amendment to EurdraLex Volume 4, Annex 15: Qualification and Validation closely mirror the FDA’s (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) lifecycle approach. There’s also a greater emphasis on risk management to reflect today’s manufacturing and regulatory environment.  So, how do these changes impact manufacturers?

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

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.

Remembering that fully 95% of an injection molding machine’s PCF is attributed to its operation, Arburg says a key parameter to assess that is the specific energy requirement [kWh per kg], which is calculated from power consumption per material throughput. As a rule of thumb, the shorter the cycle time and higher the shot weight, the smaller the specific energy requirement and better the CO2 equivalent.

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

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.

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

In the first step, Arburg looks at the “cradle to gate” carbon footprint of its machines—that is the amount of carbon emitted in the manufacture of the press. This extends through raw material extraction and the manufacturing phase. All told, this portion of the machine’s existence only accounts for 5% of its CO2 emissions. On a cradle-to-grave basis, which weighs a machine’s entire life, most of the PCF is generated during the use phase at the customer’s factory. The remaining remnant is associated with emissions made during the machine’s distribution and disposal.

Although not a prerequisite for the automotive and packaging sector, validation can be good business practice for a large number of mass manufacturers of injection-moulded components. Think of it as a long-term investment. Essentially, it’s a risk assessment which, when executed professionally, can deliver efficiency gains and save your business time, money and resources by ensuring product integrity and reducing scrap volumes.

As the European Union’s Green Deal takes effect and companies strive toward climate neutral production by 2050, knowing the product carbon footpring (PCF) of the entire supply chain will become increasingly important for European businesses. Arburg notes that in Germany the laws go even further, enforcing a 65% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030 with carbon neutrality by 2045.

For any plastics manufacturer, zero defects remain the target. In the medical industry, for example, there’s no wiggle room. You can’t shift the parameters to suit.  If you’re producing a medical device or a sterile implant, nothing less than 100 percent quality is acceptable.

However, Arburg notes that two aspects of how and where it makes its machines change the calculation. Vertically integrated, Arburg manufactures around 60% of its Allrounder components itself, with this production occurring exclusively at its central location in Lossburg, Germany. That facility utilizes carbon-neutral renewable energies such as solar, wind and geothermal energy, as well as combined heat and power. Beyond that, since 2016, electricity purchased regionally has come entirely from sustainabile sources. This means that the emissions factor for Arburg’s electricity mix is actually only 0.17 instead of 0.366—53% lower than the German average.

Using the internationally recognized Greenhouse Gas Protocol, which organizes emissions into three areas—Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3—Arburg says its machines are considered Scope 3 assets. These assets include indirect emissions from upstream and downstream business processes.

To illustrate this, Arburg explains that a hybrid Allrounder 570 H with a clamping force of 204 metric tons (m.t.) and a net weight of approximately 18,000 lb has raw material-related emissions of around 15,190 kg of CO2 during its manufacture. At the other end of the scale, a 61 m.t. Allrounder 370 weighing 7275 lb generates a CO2 equivalent of around 6040 kg.

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.

Although these different material groups differ significantly in terms of the CO2 emissions generated during their production, Arburg says a weighted mean value can be determined along the lines of the distribution. This so-called emissions factor is around 1.83 [kg CO2 equivalent per kg product] for an Allrounder. The CO2 equivalent for the complete injection molding machine thus corresponds to the emissions factor multiplied by the press’ weight.

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.

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

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.

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.

Going back to the basics of why validation exists, it’s to ensure that injection moulders have a stable and dimensionally centred process that consistently produces high quality products. Validation is basically providing the scientific evidence that the machine and tool is repeatedly doing everything you expect it to do, every minute of every day.

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

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).

The final validation phase - Continued Process Verification - focuses on demonstrating that your process is consistently stable. It involves simulating different production runs using the same production equipment and the processes that you will be routinely using, ensuring repeatability of the set-up conditions throughout the machine’s full lifecycle.

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.

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

The validation process requires a step-by-step approach, working with each customer to break down each element of each injection moulding cycle and documenting every stage. Conducted by an engineer, the actual validation usually takes longer than actually building the tool itself. For this reason, the validation is often partially completed at the toolmakers’ facility by a senior engineer from the company as this allows issues to be addressed there and then on site, rather than shipping the tool back and forth. Ultimately, the final phases of the validation will be completed in-house on the specified equipment.

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.

All-electric machines generate up to around 50% less CO2 than hydraulically driven ones, depending on the equipment and material throughput.

Here are processing guidelines aimed at both getting the PHA resin into the process without degrading it, and reducing residence time at melt temperatures.

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

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.

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.

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

If the raw material and electricity-related emissions are added, the total CO2 equivalent for a “cradle to gate” analysis is 6530 kg for the Allrounder 370 H and 16,430 kg for the Allrounder 570 H. So what does that actually mean? By comparison, Arburg says each person in Germany generates an average carbon footprint of around 12,000 kg/yr, depending on personal consumption, mobility, housing and nutrition.