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

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

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.

Michael Bohning, President of Creative, commented, "Big 3 has an outstanding reputation in the industry, and our customers as well as our team members will benefit greatly from the experience and expertise Big 3 brings to the table. We can offer our customers expanded mold design and manufacturing capabilities as well as reduce lead times through improved capacity management."

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.

This could also make possible a different idea in conformal cooling, he notes. Does the cooling of the mold have to involve water flowing through the tool? One hazard is mildew in the channels, he says. An alternative could be the use of a thermally conductive metal. A future version of the mold seen here might involve no channels for cooling, but instead might be made of copper inside the bulk of the tool to ensure fast transfer of heat. The tool would still be tool steel, but only at the surface where the mold is compressed together, contacts the part and actually does the physical work of molding.

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

Big 3 Precision (Centralia, IL) and Creative Blow Mold Tooling (Lee's Summit, MO) have announced the formation of a strategic partnership to create Centers of Excellence (CoE) for the design and manufacture of injection blow and injection stretch blow molds (IBM/ISBM), as well as the design and manufacture of extrusion blow molds.

Using a wire-fed DED process, this injection mold for a truck component was produced in 3 days versus the several weeks of lead time more typical for a mold such as this.

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

This mix of capabilities all in one place likely exists nowhere else in the Pacific Northwest, OMIC says. The large Gefertec machine is one of few like it operating in the U.S. “We offer a way for manufacturers to use, evaluate and develop the application for additive manufacturing before adding the capability to their own facility,” Campbell says.

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

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

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

With over 30 years of experience building extrusion blow mold (EBM) tooling, Creative Blow Mold Tooling designs and builds EBM tooling from idea to 3D design engineering and development to superior consumer packaging for some of the largest brand owners in North America. Using Computational Fluid Dynamics simulation technology, Creative can improve mold performance and customers' ROI, while bringing innovative packaging solutions to the marketplace.

OMIC is an organization funded in large part by the state of Oregon to provide a vehicle for public-private R&D and process development partnerships with manufacturers. Machining and additive manufacturing are its focus areas. Member organizations (currently 38 companies and three universities) work with OMIC on its machines at its facilities to evaluate new manufacturing equipment or technologies. (Non-members work with the organization, too, just at a higher price.) The Additive Innovation Center at OMIC opened in 2023, and currently features machines for binder jetting (ExOne, now Desktop Metal), DED (Gefertec) and laser powder bed fusion (Renishaw), as well as hot isostatic pressing (Quintus). A process soon to be added is composite-based additive manufacturing via a system from Impossible Objects.

Josh Koch of OMIC was involved in the project, which demonstrates the potential responsiveness that might be possible in making mold tooling. “You just need to have wire on hand,” he says.

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.

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

Manufacturers in the aerospace industry buy expensive raw material with one common goal: to make it fly. To reduce its buy-to-fly ratio (the ratio of material inputs to final part output), this company turned to wire arc additive manufacturing to create near-net shape parts.

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.

Big 3 Precision (Centralia, IL) and Creative Blow Mold Tooling (Lee's Summit, MO) have announced the formation of a strategic partnership to create Centers of Excellence (CoE) for the design and manufacture of injection blow and injection stretch blow molds (IBM/ISBM), as well as the design and manufacture of extrusion blow molds.

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.

Here is the core and cavity, both 3D printed (then machined), along with the plastic part this tool set is used to produce.

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.

Company now shipping production systems. Steel mold tooling from its TrueShape process can be printed, shaped and sintered in days, and with fewer steps, compared to weeks of lead time for molds made conventionally.

3D printing a core and cavity on machine from Gefertec, followed by machining, allowed for a complete mold tool to be produced in three days.

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.

As a primary supplier, each company will be able to tap into the CoE for engineering and manufacturing leadership, project management and technical support. The primary supplier will be responsible for program management and manufacturing. The newly formed alliance will be a partnership of the companies' technical capabilities and expertise.

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.

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

The demonstrated lead time savings were considerable, say OMIC executive director Craig Campbell and business development manager Joshua Koch. Lead time of several weeks is commonplace for the truck maker’s mold tooling. By contrast, the AM core and cavity were 3D printed on the Gefertec machine in 2 days. The tooling made this way was close enough to its final shape that only finish machining was needed. The machining work to complete the mold set took an additional day.

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.

Spectrum Plastics Group offers customers two technology hubs — one for extrusion, the other for additive manufacturing — to help bring ground-breaking products to market faster.

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

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

Both companies have relationships that process on both platforms and this partnership will allow both companies to better and more broadly serve their respective customer base.

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.

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

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.

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

"Creative is an ideal company for Big 3 Precision to partner with because of its outstanding extrusion blow molding capabilities, something that Big 3 Precision has not been supplying to its customers," said Clinton Hyde, Vice President of Sales & Engineering for Big 3 Precision. "Now, through this partnership our customers can also order extrusion blow molds from us and receive the expert engineering and manufacturing that Creative has been providing for 30 years."

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

Additive manufacturing for injection mold tooling often takes the form of a process such as laser powder bed fusion making a much smaller tool, typically mold inserts providing conformal cooling for only those areas of the mold featuring cooling challenges. Engineers at Daimler, which manufactures trucks at a nearby plant in Portland, were interested in the potential of AM for the entire mold for the sake of lead time savings in larger mold tooling. However, the DED process also offered a practical way to include cooling channels that are not straight drilled holes, but instead are 3D printed to conform to the surface of the mold.

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.

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

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.

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

OMIC’s Additive Innovation Center opened in 2023, offering manufacturers in the region access to what is likely to be the broadest mix of additive manufacturing capabilities available in one facility in the Pacific Northwest.

9T Labs continues to enhance the efficiency of its technology, which produces composite parts with intentionally oriented fibers.

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.

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.

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.

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.

For more than 40 years, Big 3 Precision Products has focused on the IBM/ISBM marketplace. It has manufacturing and engineering/sales facilities in Millville, NJ; Dearborn, MI; St. Joseph, MO; and Holliston, MA. Capabilities include industrial automation, material handling equipment, metal stamping, general machining, injection blow molds and injection stretch blow mold tooling. The company has CGMP certification for sampling with labs at Centralia, IL, and Millville, NJ. Injection blow mold sampling is available at the Millville and Holliston facilities.

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.

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

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).

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.

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

That was Daimler’s tactic with the 3D printed mold — an idea that can still be carried much further, Koch says. A likely next step is to evaluate the special freedom WAAM offers to print with multiple materials in the same build. A mold could be produced in which one metal was applied quickly and cheaply to give bulk to the tool, while another metal is applied only at the surface for the needed hardness and other properties.

Until she retired in September 2021, Clare Goldsberry reported on the plastics industry for more than 30 years. In addition to the 10,000+ articles she has written, by her own estimation, she is the author of several books, including The Business of Injection Molding: How to succeed as a custom molder and Purchasing Injection Molds: A buyers guide. Goldsberry is a member of the Plastics Pioneers Association. She reflected on her long career in "Time to Say Good-Bye."

The Gefertec WAAM machine at OMIC made the mold tooling. OMIC offers a way for manufacturers to use and evaluate additive technology prior to investing in it themselves.

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.

The result is potentially a much more responsive way for Daimler to obtain the tooling for new and emergent injection molding needs, Koch says. He adds, “To make a new tool, you just need to have the wire on hand.”

Say “manufacturing automation” and thoughts immediately go to the shop floor and specialized production equipment, robotics and material handling systems. But there is another realm of possible automation — the front office.

The goal of the partnership and the CoE is to help existing customers with speed to market through increased product development and support. Big 3 and Creative also intend to use the CoE concept to help balance engineering and manufacturing capacity, increase efficiencies and further reduce lead times for customers. The partnership will allow customers to source tooling on complementary platforms through a known and trusted business partner. For some customers, access to the CoE will allow them to more quickly and efficiently expand their existing capabilities to other platforms.

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

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.

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.

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.

The Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Center (OMIC) recently worked with truck manufacturer Daimler to validate that it does. A complete core and cavity set for a large mold (pictured), including internal conformal cooling channels, was 3D printed through wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM), or wire-fed DED, on a machine from Gefertec in OMIC’s facility in Scappoose, Oregon. Dr. Mostafa Saber of Oregon State University aided in this work.

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