Using the technical specifications of the doors on Renault’s popular Megane Coupe, the challenge was to develop a replacement for the door’s central structural layer using 40% long-glass-filled polypropylene. In the end, the door-frame solution would meet several critical objectives:

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

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

Renault engineers conducted computer-aided mold filling studies with the original mold design, anticipating gas injection, but there was not much time to re-study the new tool design. Consequently, the automaker had to rely on the experience of PME Fluidtech technicians and a certain amount of trial and error to get the design right.

One of the reasons that Renault decided to switch from gas assist to water was the greater flexibility and stability of water, which is due to its incompressibility. Thus, pressure and volume can be managed and controlled more effectively during the cycle, according to PME Fluidtec.

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

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

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.

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 flow simulation was completed before the switch from gas assist to water injection. Some filling problems with gas are evident at the left side of the part.

Water injection is more commonly accepted in Europe and Asia than in the U.S. today. It requires different mold-design features than gas injection for several reasons. First, gas injection uses an overflow chamber to receive the resin displaced by gas. PME Fluidtec, on the other hand, planned to use a technique that uses water to drive displaced material through hot-runner valves “back-to-barrel.”

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

The innovative tool carrier is combined with a manual workstation outside the turnkey system. There the toolbox is completed: the centre section, handle, closing clips and the feet were pre-manufactured on Allrounders at Arburg in Lossburg. The black-grey components are made from Recopound® from Leonhard Kurz. This material is extracted from post-industrial recyclate (PIR) from PET films. Compared to new material, it uses up to 40 percent less CO2.

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.

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.

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.’

This decision necessitated redesigning the existing mold, with special attention to the hot-runner system. Hot-runner design normally would be straightforward for a typical injection molded part, but there were no established principles for a part that includes a large-diameter channel as a structural element. It was difficult to determine the number and location of the hot-runner nozzles and how the flow paths should be configured in a part with wall thicknesses that range from 2.7 mm in most of the part to 30 mm in the channel sections. That’s mainly because the pressure needed to fill the large-diameter sections is significantly less than is required to fill the thinner areas. This large pressure delta meant that, as melt flows into the channel during the injection phase, filling stops at all other gate points or does not start at all. Therefore the location of the gates and sequence of filling had to be carefully organized to achieve proper filling and avoid weld lines.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Automobile manufacturers like Renault and Nissan are already using plastics in components like tailgates. The Renault door project demonstrated that is practical to also use thermoplastics even for large components like doors and body panels. PME Fluidtec believes that similar results could be achieved in such components as front ends, car seats, backrests, battery cases and wheel wells. Water injection may prove important to realizing such solutions by creating cavities that result in higher component stiffness.

The Tier One automotive supplier with compounding and blowmolding machine capabilities adds the 50-yr-old molder and moldmaker.

True to the adjective in its name, Dynamic Group has been characterized by constant change, activity and progress over its nearly five decades as a medical molder and moldmaker.

In addition the large-diameter structural channel itself had to be reconfigured slightly so that melt could flow in at one end and water at the other, pushing material back to the barrel at the injection site. Also, the water had to drain by gravity out of the channel after doing its work, so the water injector had to be located at a low point in the tool. In the end, the mold would be mounted in the machine at an angle (rather than square to the platens) to achieve the correct orientation for gravity draining.

A collaboration between show organizer PLASTICS, recycler CPR and size reduction experts WEIMA and Conair recovered and recycled all production scrap at NPE2024.

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

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.

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

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

Among other features, over-moulded 3D design films on all eight corners of the toolbox provide the necessary styling and high-grade aesthetics. The film inserts from project partner, Leonhard Kurz, are positioned on workpiece carriers and fed into the production cell via a double sliding table. There, a new Scara robot from KUKA, which can be programmed via the machine control system, processes and positions them while observing the cavity distances of the injection mould. Then a linear robotic system gets into action: the Multilift V 40 picks up the inserts from the centring station, moves past an ionisation bar, which cleans them, and inserts them into the 1+1-cavity injection mould. Here, they undergo in-mould lamination in the insert moulding process. This is especially suitable for heavily profiled components. The robotic system then removes the two moulded parts and feeds the lid to a hot stamping station, where the embossed Arburg lettering is refined inline with a brushed and metallised decor. The lid is discharged together with the lower tray via a conveyor system.

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.

Renault’s conversion from metal-frame construction to plastics prototype switched from gas assist to water injection. Here’s why and how.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

In order to keep weight to a minimum, Renault designers planned to use gas assist to hollow out this critical channel. However, the results of initial molding trials were disappointing, since both costs and cycle times exceeded project targets by a substantial margin. So they approached PME Fluidtec in Germany (pme-fluidtec.de/en), to see if water-injection technology (WIT) could achieve better results. PME Fluidtec specializes in supplying technology for both gas and water injection, as well as a Combined Injection Technology (CIT) that marries the two.

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

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

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

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.

Recently, Renault in France introduced a lightweight-construction prototype automobile called Eolab. Among the objectives of the project was the investigation of materials and production methods that could be applied to exterior bodywork. The aim was to meet current and future requirements and regulations, while also saving vehicle weight and delivering new features and functions to the customer. Of course, increased use of thermoplastics was one of the solutions evaluated, and converting the side-door modules from metal-frame construction to plastics became one of the projects.

In less than a decade in injection molding, US Merchants has acquired hundreds of machines spread across facilities in California, Texas, Virginia and Arizona, with even more growth coming.

The Arburg management team pose with the toolboxes in front of the Allrounder at a press event on the eve of the show's opening.

Modular design of the PME cube system for WIT can include master and slave units for applications involving large parts or two cavities.

WIT also makes it possible for the channel to end at the place where it is required. The water pushes material back into the barrel until the hollowed-out area extends as far as it needs to and no farther. PME Fluidtec says the water volume and pressure can be controlled so precisely that the process is perfectly repeatable. The WIT system also controls the valve gates of the hot-runner system, as well as other mold or machine movements, so that all functions are perfectly synchronized.

In the end, the result of the prototype door project exceeded expectations. Compared with the steel version, the plastic-framed door module reduced weight by 9 kg. The new door passed all essential validation checks and could be assembled now in production vehicles. Cycle time was around 90 sec, which was longer than the original target, but acceptable. Stiffness and other mechanical properties were about 5% better than predicted.

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.

Among the many advantages cited for water vs. gas injection in this application is the formation of a cleaner, more uniform channel, thanks to the superior cooling characteristics of water. Greater repeatability is also said to enhance part quality,.

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

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.

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).

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.

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

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

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

But getting to that result would not be easy. The engineers wanted to use many of the same door components—seals, windows, locking systems, handles—as in the original metal design. This meant that the glass-filled PP door would need stiffness and other mechanical properties similar to the metal structure. Designers decided to include a large-diameter channel around the outside of the door in order to meet these requirements. This channel would form the upper and side frame for the window and also connect the upper and low portions of the door.

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.

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

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.

Coverage of single-use plastics can be both misleading and demoralizing. Here are 10 tips for changing the perception of the plastics industry at your company and in your community.

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

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.

Of all the trends you can see at NPE2024, this one is BIG. Not only is the auto industry transitioning to electrification but there are concerted efforts to modify the materials used, especially polymers, for interior applications.

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.

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

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.

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.

The hybrid Allrounder 1120 H from the Hidrive series features a clamping force of 6,500 kN and a size 7000 injection unit, making it the biggest Arburg injection moulding machine. The turnkey system also contains a Multilift V robotic system with 40 kilogram load.

Another advantage cited for WIT is the cooling effect of the water inside the channel. Water can cool the polymer 40 times better than gas, so the dimensional stability and resistance to deformation required for demolding are achieved very quickly. In fact, water injection reportedly can begin up to 10 sec earlier than with gas, without the risk of delamination or penetration of the fluid into adjacent thin-wall areas. Thus, cycle time reductions of 15 to 25 sec can be achieved without adversely affecting product quality, according to PME Fluidtec.

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.

Arburg also has another exhibit at its trade fair stand showing that high-grade plastic parts can also be manufactured from post-consumer recyclate (PCR): an electric Allrounder 470 A with a clamping force of 1,000 kN and equipped with the recyclate package from Arburg produces the same two handle halves for the toolbox. However, at the K 2022, PCR on the basis of PP (Dipolen) from mtm plastics (a 100% subsidiary of the Borealis Group) is used. Sensors monitor the internal pressure in the mould to ensure high part quality. The “aXw Control ReferencePilot” assistance function integrated in the Gestica control system ensures precise holding pressure and constant shot weights, whereas the new feature “aXw control RecyclatePilot" ensures a stable shot weight by means of adaptive process control. Moreover, the components are weighed directly after the demoulding. In this way, weight deviations can be detected and documented immediately after injection moulding, with good and bad parts sorted downstream. Handling is carried out by a Multilift V 10 with a load-bearing capacityof 10 kilograms. The new linear robotic system has a dynamic entry axis that reaches speeds of up to 4,000 millimetres per second.

The hybrid Allrounder 1120 H uses the Gestica control system and numerous smart functions. At the K 2022, Arburg will present for the first time the Varimos plug-in from Simcon, and the AI-supported variant analysis from Cadmould, where the injection moulding simulation is automated and learns which effects machine parameter changes have. Through the cross-linking of the software with the Gestica control system, even more precise machine parameters can be generated during the filling simulation with the "aXw Control FillAssist," and the configuration of moulded part and injection mould shortened from several weeks to a few days. A further assistance function for this application is the "aXw Control EnergyAssist," which helps to optimise switching on and off for all heating zones.